Jag 'de |

Have you ever experienced this ?

2011-02-22T12:43:00.009+05:30

Your destiny took you to some unique & remote place on earth. You learn to live with new language, new fabric of society and new set of people. What is the first thing that you miss ?

I missed my mother tongue. Its sweetness, its lovable diction, stories, songs etc. When I lived far away in Cambodia for some time I read book in my language. I spent all along listening to songs in my language in remote England. I was so yearning to speak to some one in my language in Vegas. The moment I see some one who resembles from my place, I moved close by to know if he speaks my language. There's nothing like feeling that delight, when you discover some one who speaks the same mother-tongue as you in unknown geography.

I felt the power of language when I met an elderly couple speaking my language in remote Cambodian temple town, a Tibetan lady speaking my language on unknown Tsoka hill ranges of Sikkim.

Language defines a culture, through the people who speak it and what it allows speakers to say. Words that describe a particular cultural practice or idea may not translate precisely into another language. Many endangered languages have rich oral cultures with stories, songs, and histories passed on to younger generations, but no written forms. With the extinction of a language, an entire culture is lost.

What if one, day you wake up and realize no one understands your language ? there's no one who could converse in your mother tongue ? isn't it a drastic as losing own mother ? This is very relevant to India, where every 50 kilometers new language is spoken. Irony is that, language were born when population was small. Now, languages are dying as population is exploding.

Every 14 days a language dies. By 2100, more than half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth—many of them not yet recorded—may disappear, taking with them a wealth of knowledge about history, culture, the natural environment, and the human brain.

See how many languages are in the way-out of extinction !

Daredevil from old era !

2011-02-22T12:13:00.008+05:30

Imagine this, you are walking by a busy street and spot few robbers trying to break open a jewelery store's glass door. What would you do, if they are at six in numbers ? will you run away ? will you take a video to showcase it to your gal and display your heroism that you shot a live robbery video ?

You saw 'Dare-devil' other day. And you always wanted to wear a black mask and fight crime, the moment you saw 'Dark-knight'. Now you have the chance, to prove your worth and your gym training.

Your heart says ; 'go do something, fight the crime'. Naa, you don't want even to remove iPhone mp3 ear buds. As usual, modern-societies ignorance, selfish living, self-centered ego, an urgent-work reason comes to help you escape from the scene. You weigh options, as you weigh on salary negotiation table.

I don't know for sure, what I would have done in that scene but I may not be different than you since I am a passive receiver of your thoughts !

I got to watch this amazing video, an Old granny fends Off Jewelery Robbers with amazing grit. It could have endangered her life. She is safe and secure now. Police have confirmed that one man was arrested at the scene and three more were arrested later. I whole heatedly admire her gut !

This might be just another robbery video in modern society which paves way for disproportional assets amassing and raising societal divide.

This has tickled somewhat strange thoughts inside my mind; when she knew that she is too old to handle came to fight young evils of society ? was her behavior in teen days, ever thought of making quick bucks ? was she idealistic all through ? if yes, how in such a modern 'got-to-go' society she has maintained moral all through ? have values changed ?

>> Watch this amazing video from Northampton, England.

Creativity in everyday India

2010-08-19T17:01:00.005+05:30

Creativity in everyday India is humble. It has a purpose, and remains invisible.

When a multinational bank decided to give Bombay Dyeing bedsheets to the homeless families that I volunteered with one Christmas, I was curious to see how people who slept in bus stops would use it. A few days later, I saw a toddler run around in a dress made out of a pillow cover.

In 2004 in Varanasi, an estimated 600,000 condoms were being utilized daily, the majority of which were distributed free of cost by the government. Family planning departments were busy congratulating themselves over the growing demand for condoms till it was discovered that Banarasi weavers were using it to lubricate the loom’s shuttle. The condom’s lubricant didn’t stain the silk threads yet increased the pace of production.

Recycling is a typically Indian tradition. Not every innovation bears the nobility of recycling, though.

>> Read more on Indian Freakonomics

Is Agile UX is meaningless without an Agile attitude ?

2010-08-09T11:12:00.017+05:30

Whether you want it or not, it's inevitable to avoid UX and Agile in today's Software development arena. In changing scenarios company's do adopt various software development methods and fashions.

Here's an interesting article about Agile mindset in UX :

The true power of Agile is in understanding the underlying thinking, the attitude toward software that fueled their creation. Agile is no more than an attitude, a mindset. In fact, one likely to find greater success when starting out with Agile by ignoring the well-known Agile activities and principles and to continue working the way one currently work, and focusing instead on only one change: attitude. That shift, in turn, will drive change from within current practice, rather than attempt to impose it from the outside.

>> Why Agile UX is meaningless without an Agile attitude
and,
>> 12 Best Practices for UX in an Agile Environment

A quote about Sachin

2010-07-31T22:56:00.002+05:30

"When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam. When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will."

If you are in an accident, who will support us?“

2010-06-27T23:35:00.021+05:30

One fine day Peldi decided to work for himself and created Balsamiq -a mockup tool. He has taken collaborative work to fullest advantage and integrated with Confluence and XWiki quite cleverly,

I've used Balsamiq Mockups for Confluence, also used that as an independent tool. Now using Balsamiq Mockups for XWiki. With the kind of word-of-mouth the tool has, I assumed there might be a big company behind Balsamiq. But it all started as a one man start-up by Peldi. The cleverness of the team shows in their relocation of office itself !

I found this interesting read of Peldi; His words are truly inspiring, and made me think again 'do you have to work to make some one rich ?' . But could not stop laughing reading these words:

- “We’d like to buy a big license. I was wondering how long you plan to stay a one-man company for. If you are in an accident, who will support us?“

- And my world came crushing down.

To get the context of what I'm talking you should read this blog post by Peldi

Sausage: How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell at The Oatmeal

John Freeman is lensed to thrill !

2010-06-18T01:57:00.034+05:30

{http://www.pbase.com/image/116556104}
This is Askja, the volcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. And in the center is a large lake that fills much of the smaller caldera resulting from the 1875 eruption. That's the sky blue reflection over the water filled inside volcano crater.

It might be little bit deceiving to watch such a beautiful picture in smaller canvas. It's a wonderful wide-angle photo shot via Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 15 mm fisheye lens fired at iso100.

Time to checkout these amazing and spell-binding photos shot by John Freeman. Every photo has a magic to whisper, a story to weave, an awe to caress.

My personal favorite shot is a very thought provoking photo with the perfect backdrop. Glance carefully to know what it is to feel it ! More I look at his photos, more admiration I feel for his fantastic work. Don't forget to navigate around the gallery. It's pure bliss to explore his album.

>> Check out John Freeman's shoot-out

Time to guess What it is?

2010-04-22T22:48:00.023+05:30

Can you tell us what this strange contraption is for?

Rob has been collecting unusual tools and other objects for quite a while, and several years ago he started this project of posting them on the web as puzzles for visitors to figure out what they are. And he doesn't say till some one recognizes what it is.

Users can place guess in the comment section. To make it more interesting you got to think and write your guess. Time to give some time for your drop-dead brain some thinking & take it away from automatic living.

Time to guess What is it?

Chess with death in 'The Hurt Locker'

2010-04-04T17:27:00.033+05:30

It's a different kind of war movie, for a change are defusing bombs. I liked the sense of movie making and brilliant camera work. It has some real punching lines to remember. You got to watch this movie for very tense moments of bomb defusing, if not for good story or plot.

When it won so many Oscar awards, people wondered is it that good to qualify for an Oscar? Whatever the debate, it's got some real tense and edgy bomb explosion scenes.

All sums upto this dialogue which appears at the end of the movie. An innocent man is tied-up with powerful time bomb. Our hero, a bomb defusing expert try to help but has got only few seconds to unlock time bomb vested with so many locks . He is able to unlock one but not others. Hero runs for life uttering these words :

I can't. There's too many locks. There's too many, I can't do it,
I can't get it off. I'm sorry, Okay!
You understand? I'm sorry,
I'm sorry. You hear me? I'm sorry...

That's the damn painful scene. It's also the reality of war torn lands of terrorism; locked up and entangled with foolish ideologies. They are burning their own future, eradicating their own kids life. West might unlock easy knots in the short run, but not in the long. Their help is undermined with land mines !

Pilobolus

2010-03-23T00:56:00.009+05:30

Forming dance group is a challenge. A concept of one may not be a thought of everyone who succeeds. I liked the concept of this dance group for its innovative flair, flexing the creativity; bending human movements which are tried and tested.

Pilobolus is a phototropic zygomycete—a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards and pastures. It is also a highly unusual dance company, now in its 30th year of evolution. Pilobolus, the arts organism, sprang from a 1971 Dartmouth College dance class with a clear desire to make something new.

Known throughout the world for its startling mix of humor and invention, and unique physical vocabulary, bringing its singular vision to diverse audiences worldwide. It remains a deeply committed collaborative effort with four artistic directors and six dancers contributing to one of the most poplar and varied repertoires in the field.

Tracy of Pilobolus, who choreographed Aquatica, describes the work: "If you ever look under a microscope, there is an amazing array of creatures underwater. So a lot of the images [onstage] hopefully convey that kind of wonder, that kind of discovery. The dancers combine to create all kinds of locomotive structures and communication systems. We see fishes swimming in pods, crabs crawling on the sea floor and unclassified creatures, too."

An interesting interview snippet with founder Jonathan Wolken at freedom-blogging

Pilobolus perform "Symbiosis" | TED Video

2010-03-23T00:18:00.014+05:30

Symbiosis means, the relation between two different species of organisms that are interdependent; each gains benefits from the other.

The Pilobolus dancers have created an art that tells a story about our relationships with each other and with nature and how we should work together in harmony to achieve a good meaning for a good cause and for the common good. To me, that's the message in their art.

This was the most amazing dance piece I've ever seen. The two dancers moved almost as one creature with two bodies. It was so flowing like some flower unfolding organically, or some alien creature with its own perfect internal chemistry and architecture moving in a completely new way that nothing we know of moves, but entirely right and logical, totally holistically obvious and natural to itself. I'm just mesmerized and completely seduced by the beauty and artistry here. I'm going to watch it again and again. (via Tatiana Boshenka)

I found this "Symbiosis" video in TED. If you've not heard about it, watch it here :symbiosis performance.

"Lazarus you are a life saver !".

2010-03-15T12:15:00.008+05:30

{ flickr.com/photos/dalltoramos/3216526968/}

Imagine this: you are filling a very long form in a website; may be shopping cart, search page, or any portal where long entry of fields is needed. When you submit, it yells : session out. please login again ! That's a bland situation when you had to type all over again. Some time it might be short, but you may not remember what you typed also.

This is purely the context-sensitive mistake of page design. Now a days, there are so many ways to retain non-important values using client side scripting. Some sites remembers what you typed and some do not. For ex: Gmail auto-saves what you typed as a draft. That's a neat thing.

What if, you loose lengthy form filling due to computer or connection error ? Here comes the life saver if you're using Firefox. 'Lazarus: Form Recovery extension'.

Never lose anything you type into a web form again! Lazarus securely auto-saves all forms as you type, so after a crash, server timeout, or whatever, you can go back to the form, right click, "recover form", and breathe a sigh of relief. I am very glad that I got to know about this add-on. Many times I lost forms for different reasons (server suddenly disconnected, a key that I accidentally typed and got me out of the page, etc.). Now I feel confident that if this happens again I will be able to recover a whole form or just a field that was not saved, and save time | excerpt

Do give an attention to security related settings after install. After installing it appears in bottom right hand corner of Firefox. You can set password to retried details as well. Very handy feature.

>> Find Lazarus here

Throttle Launcher

2010-03-09T20:19:00.003+05:30

ThrottleLauncher was a rather popular custom UI in 2009, especially earlier in the year, but it’s been on hiatus for quite a while. APBilbo, the creator, popped up on XDA-developers today to announce a new, better version and posted a demo of it running on the HTC HD2, Touch2, Diamond and Samsung Omnia. Running on the HD2, it’s convincingly smooth and appears to support animated Sense UI-like (Android) widgets.

>> Link

Swype wow !

2010-02-24T00:15:00.023+05:30

Wow ! this is what I call an amazing innovation in touch keypad called - swype.

If typing on your touch screen mobile has not been a comfortable task for you, Swype is here to change that forever. It is a keyboard which looks almost like any other keyboard but it has one difference which makes it unique. The difference is how you type text.

You trace a path across the letters that make the word you want to input. You can use your finger or stylus, but without lifting it from the touch screen. You do not have to touch each letter of the word you want to input. Staying close to the letters while tracing the path is good enough. Swype recognizes every path you draw as one word and types it | Excerpt

Swype’s word recognition accuracy will surprise you. If Swype does not understand a traced path correctly or if you traced a path carelessly, Swype displays all possible words matching the traced path. Just tap the right word and that is it. Be careful that you do not lift your finger until you have completely traced a word.

To input a double letter in a word, just scribble on the letter and carry on with the rest of the word. You can also add your own words in the in-built dictionary | Excerpt

>> Swipe to swype

HD2 - The head turner !

2010-02-18T22:13:00.002+05:30

Buzz Burped !

2010-02-17T23:42:00.005+05:30

Google Buzz has demonstrated precisely why - and how - engineers really shouldn't be let loose with human relationships.This, of course, is the failure of the engineering imagination to deal with the reality of human interaction.

Google tested Buzz internally a great deal before releasing it (the product was called "Taco Town" during testing) but the weakness of that is that it doesn't have many people who really hate each other internally. Or perhaps none. And of course stalking would be the sort of thing that would lose you your job at Google.

It's when you get into the grey outside world though that the black-and-white certainties that Google thinks it can apply to search (but which it actually tweaks repeatedly to stave off the people trying to game the search results) break down. And quickly.

We can hope that this real-world example will demonstrate to Google that it has made a real mistake by not letting people opt very carefully in to Buzz. But the question is, will it? | Excerpt

>> Read more in guardian

Three Watchmen

2010-02-12T15:29:00.001+05:30

HTC HD2 tablet :)

2010-02-03T00:09:00.024+05:30

My new HTC HD2 tablet :) Great form factor, quality and ease of use is what made me chose it over Nexus-One.

The first time you lay your eyes on HD2 you'll be amazed by the cinematic display. Upon closer inspection, you'll discover that HTC HD2 features the best in class ... well, just about everything. From how it looks and feels to how the phone does everything you want it to do in a simple and natural way, HTC HD2 pushes the limits of what we have come to expect from our phones | via HTC excerpt

Why I call it a tablet ?

I don't know why anything is called as a tablet. Pardon my ignorance :), I assume any product which is tiny, slipable, usable, movable and carryable quite easily with new-age features. Yes, all that is possible with Leo a.k.a HTC-HD2

It's tad bigger than iPod, shade smaller than apple-tablet, wider than Nexus-one, has GPS, wifi- what apple tablet lacks, lovely 5mg pxl camera what iPod lacks, lean-figure what Creative-Zen-W lacks, mean and sturdy what Acer-neo lacks, and I call it a true tablet with 1GHz processor in such a mean machine. More over, it's geared up for Winmo-7 sooner or later :), it's a perfect lean tablet not a bloated iPod turned into a tablet.

It's stylish and I'm with it :)

HD2 delivers an experience your senses have been waiting for. The unprecedented 4.3-inch pixel-packed display is stunning. The world’s first capacitive touch technology on a Windows phone along with 1 GHz processing power ensure a smooth and lightning-fast response to the lightest touch of your finger.| excerpt

HTC HD2 beats iPhone 3GS in Top 10 Phones List of 2009. UK retailer Omio.com has published its list of “Top 10 Phones of 2009” in which HTC HD2 was unanimously chosen over Apple’s iPhone 3GS.| excerpt

Job security

2010-01-25T11:28:00.007+05:30

Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the company loyal employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys “ the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years". Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:

Q: Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.

Q: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?
A: Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.

Q: Which number of job was that?
A: That was my third job.

Q: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying employer loyalty. But I was an idiot.

Q: Why do you say so?
A: My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a ˜permanent job, so I need not worry about ˜what will I do if I lose my job. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.

Q: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.
A: Well, I had learnt my lessons of being ˜company loyal and not money earning and saving loyal. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving “ I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.

Q: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?
A: Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me “ can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.

Q: What have you gained by doing such things?
A: That's the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.

Q: So you decided on your own hike?
A: Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a debt-free life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.

Q: So are you debt-free now?
A: Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq.. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.

Q: Who is complaining?
A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me “ why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.

Q: What is your advice to professionals?
A: Like Narayan Murthy had said “ love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company's needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.

Q: What is your biggest pain point with companies?
A: When a company does well, its CEO will address the entire company saying, ˜well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you. But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO will say, It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go. So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.

An eMail forward, and a thought provoking stuff :)

Abnormal Activity

2010-01-14T00:30:00.023+05:30

A windy night outside, no light in the spacious hall, a movie playing in large screen with attached power volume speakers humming minutest move in the movie. I am couching in a cosy sofa. All that- finally proved I could not watch this movie all-alone in the dark large hall :)

I am talking about new wave in horror movie surface: Paranormal Activity.

It's well shot sublime horror movie which creates a fear in an amusing way. It was truly bone chilling. This is definitely a film that will stick with you. This is one of those movies that will probably scare you more hours after watching it. I'm sure people who live alone will have little bit of it's impact lingering inside for a while. Every creak and sound in your house will make you jump.

Two scenes in which you see Katie awaking from her sleep and standing by for hours watching Micah sleep are genuinely eerie.

Even Steven Spielberg famously revealed he was too scared to watch the film alone at night and had to turn it off after a few minutes, only to resume watching it the next morning with his curtains wide open to allow the sunlight in.

Boneware

2009-12-22T16:43:00.020+05:30

This is a beautiful piece of glass-filled nylon jewellery, which was a senior design project, from Molly Epstein of Temple University. For her senior project in 2002, Molly Epstein made a glass-filled nylon necklace that looks like a set of vertebrae. Epstein specializes in synthesizing jewelry and medical conceptions.

Click on the image to view in large size. If this kind of design and material evolves, I think it's time to think beyond platinum and diamond mafia :)

>> View more models of Molly Epstei

Vinay Ganapathy | illustrator

2009-12-21T14:38:00.014+05:30

I admire his caricatures, sketches. They are simple, yet awe tickling & expressive in such a minimal details. I get to see his latest sketches in Facebook more often. I'm quite passionate about the fact that he is from Coorg !

"Born in southern India, raised in suburban Connecticut and formally trained in Syracuse, Brooklyn artist Vin Ganapathy, short for Vinay Somana Ganapathy, draws on multiple influences that inform his imagery and work.

I use to frequent Stuttgart sQuare in San Francisco, when I was working in California. It was eye treat to watch so many artists displyaing artwork in such a vast picturesque canvass of that square. Many artists do live sketches & quick caricatures of people moving around the sQuare. I remember how they keep absorbing in glance to sketch down all that they see in a short view. It's quite an intricate and difficult to achieve art, as subject never stays static :)

And Vinay has done so thought provoking sketches of that kind. This is where he hosts his work frequently: Motivation is necessary

I found some nice sites to visit art gallery's & artists in general:

The REAL king of the jungle

2009-12-09T14:38:00.009+05:30

The challenges he faces are monumental. So monumental, in fact, that Arctic explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has written to Ed to warn him that the stage in front of him – the deep Brazilian jungle – will be ‘difficult’. You can take it that this is something of an understatement, given that it comes from a man who once sawed off his own fingers after they became frostbitten.

His average day would kill most people. Up at dawn, he walks for around eight hours, until 3pm. At this stage of the journey he will be lucky to have covered 7km in that time. This is jungle, real jungle – and you pay for every step with will-sapping swings of the machete.

Former British Army officer Ed Stafford is well on his way to becoming the first person to hike the entire length of the Amazon river, from its source to its mouth. He’s been hiking for 612 days and hopes to complete the journey in August.

via | Man Hiking the Length of the Amazon River

Swiss Army Champion Plus Knife

2009-12-04T00:44:00.020+05:30

Since I lost my amazing 'weatherman spanner multi kit, I was like a lost kid in many adventure trips though I didn't have to tame any python or tiger there :). Having one Swiss Knife in a trek bag is a necessary, specially on outdoor adventure for unforeseen reasons. I got this stud in good black-Friday deal this time.

A 'Victorinox Swiss Army Champion Plus Pocket Knife' is there when you need it. It is a combination of solid hand tool and inventive creativity. A characteristic feature of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife is its multi-functionality, which makes it indispensible for many of life's situations.

Plantronics noise cancellation bluetooth

2009-12-04T00:28:00.023+05:30

What you buy is what you're - so I am a man with geeky-cheeky Voyager PRO, resembling a alien in Bangalore streets now a days :). Unlike teeny-weeny Bluetooth sets of now a days, this is more of a prominent looking design.

Though my new Nokia-N79 came with hands free, wireless is what my heart beats for. Previously I had Plantronics-510. It was studded with amazing voice clarity. I was thinking to buy, Jawbone or BlueAnt noise canceling bluetooth stuff this time. Though Jawbone had amazing review, my gizmo intuition went in for Plantronics.

The Plantronics Voyager PRO delivers noise and wind cancellation as well as inbound audio so you can hear and be heard clearly. The three layers of WindSmart technology help to decipher your voice from the wind and deliver clear sound to those that are listening.

Casio Pathfinder Atomic Solar Watch

2009-12-04T00:16:00.019+05:30

Casio Pathfinder watch is a beautiful, handy tool for the true outdoors-man.

Though I also bought Suunto Core, I needed sports and adventure watch which I could use ruggedly on frequent use. When Raj bought pathfinder PAG80T-7V, my geeky instinct was itching to mount a pathfinder on my wrist top too :) so pocketed this lovely PAW1100-1V stuff in black-Friday dea :) This is an Atomic time sync capability stuff. Though there are no atomic sync stations anywhere near Bangalore, might come handy if I travel to those places.

There's one available with silver Titanium Band, I liked black Resin Band due to its sporty look and nature.

Pathfinder watches not only feature the look and feel of the great outdoors, but have distinguished themselves as “genuine tools” that’s equipped with sensors to help you observe Nature and monitor its changes. Whether you’re climbing a mountain or trekking down the local coastline, the Casio Pathfinder provides you with essential information you will need to tame the great outdoors.

Suunto Storm Alarm watch

2009-12-04T00:12:00.027+05:30

If you think Finland is famous for Nokia, it's time to expand your horizon :). It has one more leading designer of adventure watches called - Suunto.

This amazing Suunto Core watch was there in my shopping radar for quite some time. I was stalking amazing watch over Camel price tracking since last year. And finally bought it on thanks-giving shopping phase in US. It's one of my treasured asset for my forthcoming adventures. 'Thanks Giving' shopping of this year is memorable with its sign on my wrist-top :)

All-Black-Core has a range of accurate data and information you need when exploring the wilder parts of the world.

Wrist-top computer watch with altimeter, barometer, compass, and weather indicator.Altimeter displays current elevation, shows ascent or descent, and records session.Intelligent storm alarm senses drops in air pressure and notifies of approaching storms.Barometer helps predict changing conditions; built-in weather trend indicator.

>> With umpteen features this has time keeping as well :)

naukri.com in Gtalk

2009-11-30T15:33:00.004+05:30

Here’s some great news for savvy internet users who spend more time on the social web ;-)

Here's a tool that enables all Gtalk users to search for jobs on naukri.com by simply chatting with our bot. All you need to do is add “jobs@chat.naukri.com” to your friends’ list and you are ready to go. If you are a Gtalk user - you can search and find jobs and if you are registered with naukri.com , you can also apply to the jobs that you like - using this medium.

Though the prime intent behind this tool was simplifying the online job-search experience for jobseekers, as a by-product - if your organization has blocked www.naukri.com - don’t fret cause this would help you search for jobs despite that ;-) Moreover, if your boss is in your cubicle, he/she would not even come to know that you are searching for jobs on naukri.com !

>> Search for jobs while chatting

Made in England - Stickies.

2009-11-18T22:59:00.018+05:30

{Photo via - www.flickr.com/photos/ascott/2380875606/}

I just got some important number via chat friend & I want to save it quickly. I just found some nice information online and I want to save it to my personal notes. I have a quicker task to followup with. I need lot of reminders and alarms to keep me on toes.

I rely on notepad to get things done most of the time. Sure, it's simple and effective way. But I was bugged up with opening notepad, do task, save and remember where it's ! Though I'v used stickies before, was not particularly happy with any of them. Mostly because of sad design or no usability.

If you are late fore the party, stickies are simple notes live on your desktop, so that you can reach out to them without much fuss. Since I work on more collaborative work environment I was in need of a sticky which ensures privacy with non-intrusive feature. I was in need of some usable solution to note down lot of info.

Viola ! After little bit of search: I found a usable and friendly Sticky program which is made in England [Made in different location for a change ;)]

Though minimal, a feature I was bowled over is - Rolled stickies have a different position to unrolled stickies: just this is enough to show how innovative this free software is ! I just love it and it's one of the essential ware I rely heavily now a days. I'm sure lot of us use paper based paper stickies very often and stick them on your cubicles. If you're little bit of concern on 'go-green', it's time to - recyclable, usable and environment friendly stickes.

>> Get stickies by zhorn-software

9008890088 | Useful number in Bangalore

2009-11-16T11:41:00.003+05:30

This is useful/Authentic information for people who travel by Auto and we will be able to know the rate, route and the distance too, 9008890088 is an SMS-based location search and direction finding service that provides directions to people with or without Smart phones to any location in Bangalore.

The SMS service is available free of charge and all you pay is the standard SMS rate according to your plan. It needs no subscription. The service is reliable and involves very little waiting time.
The reply back time varies from 3 seconds to 1 minute depending on the mobile operator's message traffic congestion and availability of signals.Only you need to do is SMS to 9008890088.

The example usages are:
Example 1: FROM Mekri circle TO ESI Hospital
Example 2: INOX
Example 3: SBI ATM NEAR M G Road

You will get a reply SMS with the exact location and shortest directions to reach place from a prominent landmark. And also with total distance in Kilometers and approximate Auto fare.

[Mail forward]

Designing for Flex by Rob Adams

2009-11-13T12:17:00.010+05:30

{flickr.com/photos/photomishdan/2482468643/}

"Motion has been a key element of Adobe Flash since its very beginning. The ability to animate objects on the web is integral to the technology and was originally one of its main selling points. Flash originally used its animation capabilities to tell stories, whether to teach, to sell, or to entertain. But with Flex, the Flash platform has moved into application design, bringing all the communicative power of its motion technology with it.

Unfortunately, due to some high-profile mistakes, motion has received something of a bad reputation in application design and development circles. I say "unfortunately" because, when used properly, motion can be a powerful tool for making applications more useful, usable, and desirable. Using motion, you can eliminate the jerky jumps from screen to screen that disturb and deeply disorient users. However, improper use of motion will distract and annoy users, impeding them from reaching their goals.

The Designing for Flex series surveys new possibilities, techniques, and challenges designers and developers will confront when designing Flex rich Internet applications."

My fascination for design was yielded with Flash. And what a metamorphosis ! when flash-MX became Flash-2004, I was shot sure, Macromedia is upto something as the software was opening up for major AS programming. That's when Flex came into arena. Flex was a kind of doubtful kid when it was born, and now everyone wants it. Fortunately, I am with flex now :), flexing rich internet apps as client wishes.

>> An excellent series on designing for Flex by Rob Adams

Creating a Timeless User Experience with Flip

2009-10-30T17:30:00.007+05:30

I was thinking to buy an hand-held video cam. Something sleek and feature rich. Though not yet decided upon anything,while researching online I found interesting details about player and design trend.

Oflate, a new video player with zero whistle and bells creating (rather created) flutter in video recording gadget market by eating 20% of the market share from biggies. It's just a candybar sized no-frills simple video camera with the attractive price tag. Is this the timeless user experience oriented product design is all about ? This is a cool read on -how products can be future proof, if designed keeping 'Timeless User Experience'. It's about sustainable creating a Timeless User Experience.

I'm sure creating simple and understandable products is all about -Creating a Timeless User Experience

Portal of the Sun

2009-10-30T15:26:00.005+05:30

I'm a great fan of PatrickSmith's photography chronology. I love long exposure photo collections of him. They are quite dreamy. The above picture is the winner in the 2009 Nature's Best Ocean Views competition!

The dim last light of a fading sun sets through a portal on California's Central Coast. No HDR. This photo was just selected as one of the top 10 images for the 2009 showcase portfolio for the North American Nature Photographer's Association! {excerpt}

>> Visit his gallery here

Bend it like fire !

2009-10-27T12:40:00.009+05:30

I've always wondered the designs of fire flares and fire balls made by fire blowers. The way fireballs get clouded, moulded, moved, waved are awesome. They become so intricate designs yet they are not designed to be like that deliberately :) They are so natural, dangerously lovable !

Watch this amazing, lovely & breath taking 'slow motion' fire dancing with cool music in background at
>> Napalmdragon.com

How to mingle with people abroad and be accepted

2009-10-26T16:48:00.015+05:30

I've traveled quite a bit to US, UK, Taiwan and South East Asia. As my work demands, have spent most of the time living in hotels and corporate apartments or with friends. Not even a single instance, I was never objected by any native of that domicile. I always tried to strike a communication or wave length some one I meet. I'm sure that's the experience of many.

But oflate since Aussie attack incidents cropping up more frequently, any violence which includes desi citizen, is highlighted in media as a scary scene . I understand the intent of media flashing the news time and again. It might be an awareness act to grab the attention of the nation where incident happened. When you're hurt on the streets of unknown country, there's hardly anyone to help you.

I'm sure, there are lot who take the face value of everything appears in media. I believe, media has a larger role to educate the mindset of Indian's traveling abroad.

'Be a Roman while in Rome’ – is a commonly heard adage. Observe the life style of people around you and rearrange yours accordingly.. Talking or laughing in high pitch is not acceptable any where.The natives in most of the countries, smile at you even if they don’t know you. But we smile only when we see acquaintances. Learn to smile, wave or wish when you come across unknown people, it does not hurt you.

I found a cool read about how to be a safe citizen in another country. I guess it's known to most of us, but no harm in reading it again.

>> How to mingle with people abroad

Know where so-called dragon is pissing

2009-10-23T16:38:00.016+05:30

A country should utilize it's powers and wealth to mitigate poverty, ease out labor union strikes, beautify the god given nature, take care of poisonous facts of its milk production, dipping toys export due to toxic substances, and increase productivity as it's best known nation for -'made in' tag on bottom of any product. Not to hurt or invade the nation which has never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.

"Sometime back an email was circulated where in God showed India as His finest creation except that it did not have good neighbors. It is aptly said that you can choose your friends but not your neighbors. In this post, I will briefly take you through an introductory note on how India’s influence in the neighboring nations of South East Asia is being slowly eroded by China. In the successive posts, I will take each of the nations in greater detail."

>> Know where so-called dragon is pissing

Tao of War by Bruce Haley

2009-10-22T16:22:00.010+05:30

War is an evil. so its tremors are.

There's no design to war when a bomb blasts. Death is the only measure of count. It's unbearable smell of gunpowder. Art has no place when patience is evopoated, eradicated. If you're a photographer- there's no perfect setting in war field. All you need is a high speed photography skill & rock solid heart to endure such painful scenes.

The recipient of the Robert Capa Gold Medal, one of the most prestigious photography awards - Bruce Haley has captured very touching war photos under the title -"Tao of War Photography".

They are so ruthless that one of the viewer opines -
Some of the pictures are very graphic. Is it important to show such images to the world or is it exploitation of anther's misery? Maybe both.

Enough of words, you should watch -Tao of War Photography.

My Toughest Shot

2009-10-21T15:16:00.004+05:30

An eagle hunter in Xinjiang, China (courtesy of Philipp Engelhorn)

Outside magazine asked 16 photographers to share their hardest-won images and the wild, sometimes foolish, and invariably bold adventures behind them. From a nomadic Kutchi camp in Tajikistan to a frozen lake in Siberia, and everywhere in between, these pros show--and tell--how they got the job done.

They get the job done amazingly in 2009 Outside Exposure Special, My Toughest Shot

Vivian | Street photographer Queen

2009-10-20T17:36:00.008+05:30

I acquired Vivian's negatives while at a furniture and antique auction. From what I know, the auction house acquired her belongings from her storage locker that was sold off due to delinquent payments. I didn't know what 'street photography' was when I purchased them.

It took me days to look through all of her work. It inspired me to pick up photography myself. Little by little, as I progressed as a photographer, I would revisit Vivian's negatives and I would "see" more in her work. I bought her same camera and took to the same streets soon to realize how difficult it was to make images of her caliber. I discovered the eye she had for photography through my own practice. Needless to say, I am attached to her work.

Some of her photos have pictures of children and often times it was near a beach. I later found out she was a nanny for a family on the North Side whose children these most likely were. Her obituary says she lived in Oak Park, a close Chicago suburb.

Out of the 30-40,000 negatives I have in the collection, about 10-15,000 negatives were still in rolls, undeveloped from the 1960's-1970's. I have been successfully developing these rolls. I still have about 600 rolls yet to develop. I must say, it's very exciting for me.

This was created in dedication to the photographer Vivian Maier, a street photographer from the 1950s - 1970s. Vivian's work was discovered at an auction Chicago where she lived for 50 years but was originally a native to France. Her discovered work includes over 40,000 mostly medium format negatives. Born February 1, 1926 and passed away on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

So far what you read is the blog intro created by a great soul who's developing Vivian's photos and posting in blog. My greatest thanks to -'John Maloof', the man behind Vivian's photos. and the link is here :

>> vivianmaier.blogspot.com

THIS MAN and why not that THAT HOT WOMAN ;) ?

2009-10-14T18:02:00.006+05:30

In January 2006 in New York, the patient of a well-known psychiatrist draws the face of a man that has been repeatedly appearing in her dreams. In more than one occasion that man has given her advice on her private life. The woman swears she has never met the man in her life.

That portrait lies forgotten on the psychiatrist's desk for a few days until one day another patient recognizes that face and says that the man has often visited him in his dreams. He also claims he has never seen that man in his waking life.

The psychiatrist decides to send the portrait to some of his colleagues that have patients with recurrent dreams. Within a few months, four patients recognize the man as a frequent presence in their own dreams. All the patients refer to him as THIS MAN.

From January 2006 until today, at least 2000 people have claimed they have seen this man in their dreams, in many cities all over the world: Los Angeles, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Tehran, Beijing, Rome, Barcelona, Stockholm, Paris, New Dehli, Moskow etc

>> More on this funny v/s serious dreams story

If you've more money, look no further. Gift this to me :)

2009-10-09T13:04:00.003+05:30

The Suunto X10 is an intelligent and durable wristop computer that builds on Suunto's 10 years of experience in creating cutting-edge outdoor devices. With the improved, faster GPS fixes - even under heavy foliage - and longer lasting battery power, you can navigate confidently and conveniently, while keeping your hands free. Once back at home, use the Suunto X10 to plot and share your treks on Google Earth™.

The day I saw this, I went crazy on the tasks it can handle and features it studded with. I'm saving money to own this :), But if you feel more love on me any point of time, let me know how can you send this to me :D

Visit this nicely designed site of suunto x10

Place to see before you die | Darvaza - Burning Gas Craters

2009-10-08T12:45:00.005+05:30

In the heart of the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan the Darvaza Gas Crater or The Burning Gates give off a glow that can be seen from miles away during the dark night.

The large crater is a result of a Soviet gas exploration accident in the 1950’s. It was created when a Soviet drilling rig was drilling for natural gas fell into an underground cavern resulting in a crater which today measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. The huge crater was set alight shortly after being discovered and has been burning ever sinse. The smell of burning sulfur can be detected from a distance and becomes quite strong as you near the hot edge of the crater.

>> More info with photos

Why do people suffer from back pain?

2009-10-05T16:46:00.003+05:30

As part of the evolutionary cycle, when humans adopted the erect posture, a change occurred in the way that body weight was transmitted to the ground.

Humans turned biped (two-legged) and so necessarily had to transmit body weight via the spine to the hip joints and the lower limbs. Unfortunately, the lumbar spine did not evolve at the same pace and has become the commonest area of the spine to be subjected to degenerative processes, also known as spondylitis. So taking care of your back by means of proper posture, spine exercises and avoiding strain assumes greater importance because of the evolutionary disadvantage.

I read it here

Power transfer over the air !

2009-10-02T23:48:00.011+05:30

Photo coutesy - jjjohn

I don't know why ? Whenever I hear about transmitting anything over the air technology, this always use to tickle my brain. How about transferring power over the air ? Though, Media is already in the air in the form of bluetooth and wifi or via something else, nobody has ventured into transferring electricity without wires. Now ever innovative Sony has bent the jinx.

Sony has invented the TV which has absolutely no cables connected to it. No video cable. No audio cable. And no power cable. How's this wicked sorcery possible? Sony Transfers 60 Watts of electrical power over a distance of 50cm. yes ! i am sure this is the revolutionary invention next to Edison's marvel electric bulb !

Thanks to Sony's new Wireless Power Transfer technology, which can send 60 watts over the air.Sony's Wireless Power Transfer can push 60 watts of electrical energy over almost 20 inches (50 centimeters).

That's a pretty decent distance, especially when they say that it can be extended using passive extender units. In fact, they have already achieved 31 inches in other tests.Sony says that this system offers 80% efficiency, which may get reduced to about a minimum of 60% if there is a misalignment in the frequencies, which needs to be corrected.

# catch the drift in sony website

Raashi, what is not ?

2009-09-29T12:55:00.023+05:30

Other day I was watching 'What's Your Raashee?' trailers in television. I liked 2 scenes of this movie. One, Priyanka; she looked like a young, orthdox girl and two, nice hip-hop dance number -was more than enough to pull me into theater. And more over Priyanka is the reason. She comes in my dreams, if I get to sleep between software work :)

It was utmost enjoyment and eye treat for Priyanka fan like me to watch her in every possible scene :) She portrayed 12 characters in the movie. I liked Chandrika & Sanjana portrayals are damn sexy !

Movie is enjoyable if you have people like me and Vinay besides you :) But over all, the movie is a ultra drag, story could have been told in different pitch as well and I don't think this kind of story-line fits the Ashutosh Gowrikar kind of director. Or may be he didn't know how to present it in lively manner. This is purely Priyadarshan material(Hera-Pheri fame).

Harman is a waste of a character for the NRI role in the movie. I felt Shahid may've been the perfect fit instead of Harman. Or may be Harman was booked before 'Kameene' got released :). Am I blunt? Then you got to see that dry, sloppy Harman NRI character he lacks the grace and involvement in the character big time.

Egg shot

2009-09-22T12:19:00.008+05:30

Egg shot, originally uploaded by nebarnix | Shot using Pentax K10D DSLR.

High speed photography is not a kids play though it seems to be :) Smashing and shooting stuff and at the same time wasting lotta stuff for just micro second of shot, I am sure it's thrilling to see the results.

A flickr buddy Jasper Nance has shot breathtaking speed shots.

>> high speed shots

My new Nokia-n79 phone

2009-09-22T12:05:00.007+05:30

I was using HTC windows phone. I'm sure it's difficult to use key press phones after using touch phones. This time I wanted to try Android HTC Phone. But I don't see many apps built on Android v/s windows. So thought of mass favorite symbian den.

Felt like going for simple, slim, usable and yet an elegant candy car: the beast within beauty is out there: Nokia N79. So I'm with it now.

W are the Nokia N79’s key features?

Well, it’s got a 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, 2.4-inch screen, built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and accelerometer. But it holds much, much more under the hood, and so, I guess it would be better to elaborate, bullet-point style:

Quadband GSM/Dualband UMTS
FM radio with RDS and FM transmitter
Touch-sensitive Naviwheel
3.5mm headphone jack
Supports up to 8GB microSD cards (4GB microSD card included in the box)
Xpress-on color covers with support for automatic changing of theme
Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth with A2DP
Stereo speakers
Built-in accelerometer with auto-screen rotation
1200 mAh battery
Tech specs via | unwiredview.com

Lest I forget Ksheera

2009-09-14T16:52:00.052+05:30

I've heard a saying:

Some people come into your life for a REASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a reason !

I remembered those lines of Ksheera in her blog

"Every single person who is present in our lives is adding his or her own flavor into our lives. Provided our brain is processing & absorbing positive aspects"

Our youth empowerment center's chief Raj has familiarized us to many soul stirring beings. One of the souls which got introduced to us was Ksheera. In one of the cool evening hangouts of Raj's house, She introduced herself as: 'I'm Ksheera Bachanna, the fitness trainer'. That's how she came into our life.

This blog is dedicated to the soul searching girl: Ksheera. She had a big grin kind of flawless smile and ever loving curly hairs. And ofcourse enviable peaceful face, lean and healthy body to tell you honestly she was a fitness expert. She was not just another fitness gyaan giving Diva; She surely knew the basics of fitness with human anatomy pretty well. She was trying hard to go out of India & to study fitness program in UK. It was her last dream.

It was in her character. She just couldn’t sleep peacefully without coming into any ones memories. I call it: peace-less soul. In an unimaginable way, Ksheera became the talk of the group. Was that the art of Ksheera ? Did she deliberately choose to be in tip of peoples tongue by whatever the way whoever comes in contact with her?

God and time should tell, because she has vanished into time-immemorial, while driving towards Chennai yesterday night on the lonely, dark highways of Mulubagilu near Kolar.

Ksheera is no more.

Irony is, the same Raj who introduced her to me; broke the news of her demise as well.

Yesterday night I was fast asleep. In the morning I found a miss call from her cell phone. I thought it's just one more call from her to elaborate her late-night musings. But she was already in the voyage of boarding angels chariot to the never to be returned world...

I'm sure, just to materialize her study plans in UK, she sold whatever she had. In mean time I've heard that her application was rejected due to technical reasons. But she was adamant to pursue her dream so was driving towards Chennai to be there in UK embassy. The UK dream was the final gamble she could ever pull off.

I'm sure we like, dislike, love, hate, adore, deject people for so many reasons in life. But not when it comes to death. The moment I heard the news of demise of her soul; I was shell shocked. For a while, her ever lasting, husky voice called me with a usual style:
"Jaggee nanmagne".

She was in an immense need of affection. She always use to tell me: "Jaggi I am so lonely kano, I need a company to keep me happy maga, tell me where you are? You make me laugh, let me come to see you".

You call it a twist of fate or irony, on last Saturday we friends met up for a coffee and spoke in length about her. Maybe she was planning her utmost penultimate journey to nowhere, then. Today she has absolutely vapored into thin air. I feel so guilty for not noticing the final call of hers.

For many of our us, Ksheera is one of the humorous, lovely, crazy, crack, giggling, intolerant, disturbed, jokey, funny, confused girl. Who could never be serious of the time she is involved with. Sometime she paints the picture of an adolescent kid but not feelings she wrote in her blogs. You should read her blogs to know her mindset. There's some kind of unique magic running through those words.

Read her thoughts, feelings & musings here :

"It's very late at night of 14th. I'm just back from visiting her final journey. She is sleeping with such a eternal peace and bliss. May her soul rest in peace. If there's anything called reincarnation; let all her dreams, aspirations come true. I respect a girl, a determined lonely soul, which fought hard to survive in such a fierce, competitive & demanding world."

Some lovely photos of Ksheera taken by her friend, photographer -Dev.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debu_4/3926106155/in/photostream/
(update - 3rd Dec, 2009)

About my world. it might be yours too ;)

2009-09-10T11:17:00.013+05:30

It’s just one more day of my life. I’m just lethargically pushing a day as I don’t have any choice. Same work, same manager, same colleagues, same route, same drama of life. Unless occupied with something interesting brain is such a piece of vegetable.

I happen to spot that cute girl in my pantry of big office, in the bus stand, in the gym. She looks lovely; she is so naive, kind of untellable aura she is adorned with. I look at her. She looks at me. She responds to my looks. Our eyes gets locked.

I hesitatingly push a little smile, she accepts it. Yes, that's it. I feel like seeing her everyday. I look at her, she looks at me. I can't even keep such a wonderful feeling inside me. I want to yell it to everyone that I like her. But I can't tell it to others. For people it's just simple attraction, but for me it's the world. She is in it. Brain is damn active now.

Though I want go or not, my mind pulls to the place she comes to. Is it a fatal attraction? What I would do when I meet her? What should I say? I am so leaning towards her feelings. I don’t know why & how, but I want to talk to her. My world is so beautiful now.

>> Feel more about my world, Click here it might be yours too ;)

Colours of India

2009-09-04T19:41:00.017+05:30

I was watching Ganesha visarjana in Mumbai yesterday in TV news. Inspite of swine flu threats, terror threats: people carry mammoth Ganesha idols in huge processions. All those nanne-munnas, uncles, aunties, deedhi's, dabba waalas, chai waalas dance heartfully forgetting the fact that they've to catch ever moving clock next day: What ticks them ? It's the vibrant soul which could never be silenced. They never seize to enjoy every moment of life.

India, my country is vibrant not just because of multitude of religions, languages, temples, rivers, places, social fabric, emotional structure. But because it's deeply colorful.

Here; weather changes every 50 kilometers, language pattern changes every 20 kilometers, taste of water changes every 100 kilometers & one thing which never change is the vibrant soul of India. No word can hold its enigma and charisma than one lovely photo.

David duChemin, the humanitarian soul, stuck his lens on the ever lapsing times of India and painted web canvass with lovely Indian colors in photos. I'm sure you'll love it, as I'm.

Catch the drift of Indian vein by clicking 'Colours of India' in
>> pixelated image

Queen of the sea

2009-09-03T00:59:00.040+05:30

It was a mega event suppose to happen in 3 of our life. Last year September Raj, Nikhil & me were venturing into South east Asia trip.Marked Cambodia as a final destination. At the same time some one was also testing fate beyond cozy cubicle of software company. After hitting early morning dew soaked lovely Singapore aerodrome:

Raj said, "you know what ? If I'm not here, I would have been attending national geographic mission navy selection interview, if gets selected the winner can spend a full month in 'Indian warship."
I joked "chillax maga; not a big deal & it's not in your blood to be in warship :)".
He said, "but Chethu is going for it".
I looked at him for a minute; I thought it might be a guy since the name was boyish- Chethana.
I asked him, "you never told me about this guy"
He said,"it's not a boy, it's a girl"
I asked "who's Chethu by the way ?"
Raj said "she frequents swimming with us, you've seen her, shes works as an HR in a software company"
I was perplexed. "software girl & navy ?! and spending one month in the war ship!"

It was kinda unbelievable. Then I remembered a lean, silent girl with attractive cheek bones, who frequented when we were busy bisecting waters of swimming pool at NGV.

Mind you, this blog is not about our amazing trip to tallest Hindu temple complex in the world; but a tribute to a grittiest girl I've seen in the timid herd of fake safe harbor: Software Industry. Yes ! you heard me right :)

In Seam Reap of Angkorwat, while browsing internet there; Raj announced in huge voice, 'Maga, can u believe: Chethu, made it to final team of selection". I was spellbound ! Since, Indian Navy has involved in it I knew it's not just another boring & ordinary TV reality show,

Nat Geo has collaborated with the Indian Navy and is now all set to embark on a journey on the high seas with battle stations and live weaponry, for the mission of a lifetime. It will showcase the uncharted world of the Indian Navy, replete with warships, submarines and missiles.

When we hit Singapore domestic air lounge, we got to check free Internet. Raj yelled : "hey maga ! you got to believe it ? Chethu, has just moved to final confirmed team". I can imagine how he might be feeling with enthrall. he ushered - "Oh maga, i wanna be there, i wanna be there maga, it was my dream too"

Nat Geo Mission Navy will provide five civilians a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of the Navy. The civilians will be trained and imbued with the courage, grit and determination that is synonymous with the Indian Navy. The most resilient, deserving and valiant of the five finalists will have the Honor of sailing with the Indian Navy's Lehron Ke Sartaj on an international tour.

We said bye-bye to Singapore after 15 days of rocking trip; first thing I did after reaching Bangalore is checking what is this 'mission navy' is all about.

All participants will undergo an interview round, followed by rigorous training to test their physical and mental attributes. The reality format will focus on the culture, working style and other facets of the Indian Navy.

The docu-reality show went on air in January 2009. On the first episode, they showed -all aspirants running 5 kilometers non-stop. One macho gym addict guy was yelling on the camera: " hello ! that's it, these are time passers doing beeline, look at my biceps who can compete with me ?" once the run is over, he was begging for the water in mid way :) !

Event was a real herculean task oriented. More tougher than expected. Very endurance demanding. Chethu climbed one by one step to get to top slot.

I couldn't just stop admiring when she jumped out of roaring helicopter and zoomed into dark ocean and swam to far off boat. I was observing her body language. She looked so composed & elegant when she was about to jump into waters. Imagine the monster waves evoked by helicopter on top of her head and the kind of breathing power one need while zipping fast into dark ocean waters ?! Then I thought, 'yes Chaitanya has it. She is the one & she is not just another lean girl, but she is the real macho. May be even macho's couldn't have done it !'

Finally, can you believe a Bangalore girl made it to national level show who is also our friend ?!

The hindu writes:
Life was very normal for her, leading a monotonous life and working as a HR executive till one day she decided to seek some adventure. And Chaitanya Datla went on to challenge her physical, mental and emotional limits to emerge the winner of the National Geographic Channel’s “Mission Navy: Lehron Ke Sartaj”.

One joke I had to share:
Other-day we friends met for the dinner at Bobby's dhaba at Ulsoor. I was kidding her, "hello my brother Chethu how are you ?". she said something, which was kinda real sarcastic comment as well "yes ! you are right I'm your brother. Because they thought, surely some boy might win at the end. so the award was named as -sartaj, which is meant for masculine :) "

But it was won by our own Chaitanya, the next door girl.

But the more cheerful news came in just today: An adventurous Chaitanya Datla won the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award' presented by President.

Link : President presents sports awards to Chaitanya Datla

Djumba the echidna

2009-09-02T12:46:00.004+05:30

Picture - http://tinyurl.com/Djumbaa
Djumba the echidna celebrates her first birthday at the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. So cute !

Ignorance would have been bliss :)

2009-08-26T12:47:00.005+05:30

{Photo courtesy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/3852507233/}
This story is about a man who once upon a time was selling Hotdogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television. But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hotdogs.

He was smart enough to offer some attractive schemes to increase his sales. His sales and profit went up. He ordered more a more raw material and buns and sold more. He recruited more supporting staff to serve more customers. He started offering home deliveries. Eventually he got himself a bigger and better stove. As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from college, joined his father.

Then something strange happened.

The son asked, "Dad, aren’t you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?" The father replied, "No, but tell me about it." The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic situation is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad times."

The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, listened to the radio and watched TV. He ought to know and his advice should not be taken lightly. So the next day onwards, the father cut down the his raw material order and buns, took down the colorful signboard, removed all the special schemes he was offering to the customers and was no longer as enthusiastic. He reduced his staff strength by giving layoffs. Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his Hotdog stand. And his sales started coming down rapidly and so did the profit. The father said to his son, "Son, you were right". "We are in the middle of a recession and crisis. I am glad you warned me ahead of time."

Moral of the Story: It’s all in your MIND! And we actually FUEL this recession much more than we think.

{ Via forward mail }

Bulb eating, Cuban Tree Frog, Florida

2009-08-24T17:50:00.005+05:30

This is a Cuban tree frog on a tree in my backyard in southern Florida. How and why he ate this light is a mystery. It should be noted that at the time I was taking this photo, I thought this frog was dead, having cooked himself from the inside. I'm happy to say I was wrong. After a few shots he adjusted his position. So after I was finished shooting him, I pulled the light out of his mouth and he was fine. Actually, I might be crazy but I don't think he was very happy when I took his light away.

photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot by James Snyder at nationalgeographic. Check more interesting photo's submitted by users. I personally liked photo of Lazy Animal– The Sloth

The Sexologist

2009-08-19T00:25:00.002+05:30

A man boards a flight from Delhi to Mumbai and takes his seat. As he settles in, he glances up and sees a gorgeous woman boarding the plane.He soon realizes she's heading straight towards his seat and eventually, lo and behold, she takes the seat right next to his.Eager to strike up a conversation, he asks "Business trip or vacation?" She turns, smiles, and says, "Business. I'm going to the annual Sexologists Convention."

He swallows hard. Here is the most gorgeous woman he has ever seen, sitting next to him, and she's a sexologist!
Struggling to contain his excitement and maintain his composure, he calmly asks, "What's your business role at this convention?"
"Lecturer," she says, "I use my experience to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality."
"Really?" he says, swallowing hard. "What m-m-m-myths are those?"
"Well," she explains, "One popular myth is that African men are the best endowed when, in fact, it's the Tamilian who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is that Frenchmen are the best lovers, whereas actually it is the Bengali. However, we have found that the best potential lover in all categories is the Sardar."

Suddenly, the woman becomes a little uncomfortable and blushes. "I'm sorry," she says, "I shouldn't be discussing this with you. I don't even know your name!"

"Venkatraman!" the man blurts out. "Venkatraman Mukherjee! But all my friends call me Joginder Singh!"

{An email forward}

Swine flu ( H1N1 flu )- some facts

2009-08-19T00:11:00.003+05:30

“I agree with you that swine flu awareness is needed, but there is no need to be panicky and join the publicity propaganda carried out by media and others which acts as a vehicle to spread misconception than to spread scientific information.

These are few facts about swine flu when discussed with the leading epidemiologists.

Swine flu, that is H1N1 flu is not new, first detected in 1987
Infective stage of flue is 5 days, 1 day before and 4 days after onset of symptoms
The best way to prevent it spreading is asking patient having symptoms of flu like fever cough and running nose to take rest at home for 4 days so he does not transmit it
Masks are of limited value if any, in this disease, it can spread through droplets on your skin, through contact etc, and I have seen that the masks in Pune are worn as fashion statement, while walking on road today morning I saw people wearing masks coming out for a morning walk with their dogs!, many wearing masks around their necks, and so on, infact these masks shall act as the vehicles to carry the virus, instead, avoiding crowded places or cinema halls or malls where airconditioners are on, is advisable, because you get recirculated air, where the virus density multiplies
Death after H1N1 flu is not common, infact infections like measles is taking toll of thousands more every year, and we are oblivious of the facts. Swine flu is being blown out of proportion by media trying to create hysteria among lay people.
Fever accompanied by respiratory distress, should be immediately notified which is likely to be a complication of H1N1 flu
The mortality is less than .01 percent of those affected, that means may be one in 10,000 affected is likely to suffer the life loss.
If you remember, 2 years ago SARS was blown out of proportion, what happened? Humans develop immunity to the virus, the same is going to happen, we develop immunity in due course of time, the virus is in the air, you can not stop it, our body is already developing the immunity so nothing to panic.

We need to take care of children and elderly who have less immunity and do not let them go to crowded places that is all .

we must start this campaign of not to be afraid of this flu and let your daily work continue as normal, no masks for ordinary citizens, health care workers or specific exposed to lot of crowded environments may be benefited, not proven.

I am amazed to hear that people are selling masks of RS 20 each which are available to less than Rupee 1 in the market.See who is getting benefited ?
Please spread the scientific info, do not join the band wagon and stick to science, that should be the order of the day.” - Dr Deepak Purohit

- An email forward

Stint with Antivirus herd

2009-08-10T15:56:00.032+05:30

Some times a forwarded file from a friend or a crack for your winmobile software. You never know, if the downloaded file is a virus or a clean software. However clean it looks, there are lot of ways computer gets infected by virus/malwares. It's always advisable not to open unknown files directly in desktop.

One safe way is to scan the file with many AntiVirus softwares, as most of the time one AntiVirus may not able to find the black spot. Also it's not advisable to install all available AntiVirus wares because they stalemate the system altogether. I found a free, safe and viable solution to scan with all available AntiVirus wares called - VirusTotal.

VirusTotal provides a fantastic online service that analyzes suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses. Here's an interesting statistics of its usage on how many files were scanned and what's the common virus/malware affected user's system.

One of the safest & novel solution to open such suspicious files in desktop environment is using sandbox-based isolation program. I rely a lot on Sandboxie.

>> Try free virustotal to be in safe side

Sky Fighters, the french hot sausage !

2009-08-07T19:46:00.006+05:30

{My movie of the week - Sky Fighters(2005) }
Never miss this one ! an authentic aviation aeronautics movie to make u gasp for more and more of sky bird's aerobatics. For fans of modern military aircraft, this movie is not to be missed. Some Trivia's of this movie :

Working in cooperation with the French Air Force, director Gérard Pirès was able to get some of France's top gun pilots to do the aeronautic dogfights that were used in the film.
Initially at the start of the shoot, the Air Force had some particular rules regarding the minimum distances the aircraft could be together or be above the ground, but by the end of principle photography, the daring pilots got permission to bend the normal safety rules, thus allowing them to do maneuvers normally never seen (or possible) outside of actual combat.
By the final days of filming, the initial minimum distance the pilots could fly above the ground (500 feet) had dropped to a tiny 10 feet, and the distance between the planes in the air (a varying range, usually of several hundred feet) had been reduced to a minuscule 3 feet, thus allowing some amazing shots that could otherwise never have been pulled off

>> More force and more throttle

'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

2009-07-30T12:07:00.002+05:30

A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.
The priest nearly had an accident.
After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'
Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'
Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Subway maps design

2009-07-29T10:24:00.023+05:30

"Organizing functionality and content into a structure that people are able to navigate intuitively doesn't happen by chance. Information architecture (IA) is the art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems"-That's about 'Information Architecture design' an important usability process for designing computer based applications.

What if 'Information Architecture' is used for design of Subway or Tube map.

If you've seen such interesting transport maps in Singapore, Bangkok, California rail and London. I'm sure it's not easiest task, it's quite an innovative mind at work as massive physical navigation to be designed.If you've seen Subway maps, they are not just another city map. They've lot of inter-connections, information, visual cues which are part of intelligent design.

When I first got into London underground Tube in 2007, I just loved the simplicity and effective design of 'Tube Maps' of London. Color, mapping, context points are well designed by Harry Beck at 1933.It has become the iconic signature of London too.

I've observed many media houses using tube map design to convey the common meaning of the product advertisement. London has a massive commuters who uses underground tubes for daily travel. They not only speaks English & all possible languages and many don't even know to read English. Designing a navigational route to such 'diverse audience' must be a challenge.

I found an interesting read on the conceptualization, ideation, design and evolution of such maps design at the World's Most Impressive Subway Maps

What's the Greatest Pain In Life ?

2009-07-28T16:23:00.024+05:30

What's the Greatest Pain In Life ?

My mom once told me, it's the pain while delivering a baby. It's one of the killing pain a woman could ever face. I am sure, anyone who knows human anatomy a tad bit, would know how a little life comes into a shape in few minutes out of human body.

Now imagine this, a woman on the hospital table delivering a baby. Doctors helping her to give a life. And suddenly few slain terrorists enter into hospital and start shooting indiscriminately. The whole hospital is abandoned and people run and hide for life.They kill mercilessly anyone who's making a noise. Even docs, nurses are scared for their life. But they had to help the pregnant women to deliver the baby. She is screaming with the pain. How to control her, when there are terrorists outside blood thirst for life ? How can she control her pain ?

Irony is: Some one is erasing life, some one is gifting life.

That's what happened in 26/11 last year at Mumbai when terrorists struck Cama hospital. They created a merciless carnage. It's a dreadful story. Bunch of young terrorists were mastered & sent from across the border to carry on suicide attack in the peace loving nation.

Their perpetrators assured young terrorists that, after death they'll reach heaven. I don't know if they've reached heaven after achieving such a fake martyrdom. But history would never forgive their handlers. What if their mother was silenced while delivering him in pregnancy ?

Thanks to my friend Nikhil who shared this detailed mega documentary about 26/11, 2008 Mumbai attack.

>> You got to see it to feel it here
('Dispatches - Terror In Mumbai' Video | duration: 48m | 14,699 views | 378 MB )

Accessibility compliance for Rich Internet apps

2009-07-27T16:20:00.020+05:30

{Punk girl in a wheelchair descending a escalator in London underground tube}

How to treat accessibility in rich internet applications ?

There are much more powerful, time saving UI patterns and JavaScript frameworks, ajax libraries than before. But where & how accessibility will be nurtured between all these hoopla ? So far validating accessibility of semantic code was quite easier but may not be that easy when a content is wrapped in intelligent UI widgets rendered by rich internet apps. In one way, web 2.0 backed UI patterns are very intuitive and user friendly but how 'disabled person' is going to access such advanced applications ?

w3.org has come come with new way of looking at rich internet applications accessibility. I was quite keen to understand what's this all about WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a set of documents published by the World Wide Web Consortium that specify how to increase the accessibility of dynamic content and user interface components developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript and related technologies.

WAI-ARIA describes how to add semantics and other metadata to HTML content in order to make user interface controls and dynamic content more accessible. For example, with WAI-ARIA it is possible to identify a list of links as a navigation menu and to state whether it is expanded or collapsed.

I found an interesting read on 'importance of the ARIA presentation'. The article discusses about bottlenecks of WAI-ARIA. I am sure, WAI-ARIA is the way to go when section 508 standards and WAI's are the necessity in quasi govt and federal linked companies.

>> Read more on the WAI-ARIA here

Motorcycle Diaries - a spanish delight

2009-07-21T23:16:00.035+05:30

{ My movie of the week: Motorcycle Diaries a.k.a Diarios de motocicleta (2004) }

I am a big fanatic of the purity in movies & this is the finest exemplary of movie making. It's the dramatization of a motorcycle road trip Che Guevara went on in his youth, that showed him his life's calling. A sublime direction by a non-hollywood director Walter Salles.Interesting trivia is he knew nothing about the historical character 'Che Guevara' before shooting the movie :)

Ernesto's(Che Guevara) journey with his close pal Alberto to reach an leprosy healing center in some nook and corner thousands of miles distance from his town. He wrote diary on his experience all along their journey and this movie is based on the same.

Movie is completely shot in Spanish language. It's worth to note realization of Ernesto about Inca's intelligence in Machu Picchu. Even I felt the same about Khmer Kings who built largest Hindu temple complexes, clever architectures in the early 12th century in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. I feel I am lucky to been there.

Che's been portrayed as a sweet character both by persona, virtue and modesty. This is the fantastically designed character in rain clad backdrop of Brazil, Chile,Peru, Venezuela, and Spain with the setting of 1950's. It also touches deteriorated health, injustice and social issues in poorer counties such as Peru.

I love the way friendship is captured between Ernesto & Alberto. It reminded my journey to Cambodia last year with friends Raj and Nikhil. We spent having fun all along the local trains, tuk-tuks from Thailand to Cambodia. There's nothing like foot loose journey with friends like they did in Motorcycle Diaries.

Jolly trip turned horrible trip :)

2009-07-17T13:33:00.010+05:30

{ Mag-Aso falls on the island of Bohol, Philippines }
This is a kind of eye opener, a true incident happened in Philippines.Rainfall elsewhere on the uphill forced a sudden gush in the waterfall caused 2 guys to drown to death in the water.

Being an adventurer enthusiast, I've done so many adventure trips with my friends. Since we've traveled across and know how to do adventure activities with lot of care, we've never stumbled risk as such. However safe you're sometimes it's beyond the control of self.

Recently we did one risky but amazing river water rafting adventure in Kali River in Dandeli in monsoon season. We tried swimming in swift current areas with lot of care in a right place. After seeing this picture blog, I am forced to relate this adventure with such kind of water borne adventure activities :)

Nature is such a wonderful magic, unless it turns tragic. Nevertheless: not everything is as per your design, nature has its own design for you !

>> Watch this amazing photo blog fore more details

Australia, Rabbit and fence

2009-07-14T18:49:00.020+05:30

{my movie of the week - Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)}

Imagine you're a small kid. Eating what you want, learning what you like, humming what you feel. Some one suddenly captures and takes you away to other part of the country and makes you pray their rhythm and teach you the way they live. In such a tender age away from mother, family, away from your known locality that strange feeling is just unbearable. And Australia successfully did that for 'original living beings' of Australian continent for years !

'Rabbit-Proof Fence' is the true story of Molly Craig, a young black Australian girl who leads her younger sister and cousin in an escape from an internment camp, set up as a part of a government policy to train Aboriginal children as domestic workers and integrate them into white society.

I love Rabbit-Proof Fence movie as drama, as protest, as movie making and as poetry. It's a breathtaking story of defiance and triumph that has to be considered one of the most sublime films. At an economical 94 minutes, Rabbit-Proof Fence trims all the fat and tells its heartfelt and stirring story. It's an wonderfully shot movie with the beautiful usage of the celluloid.

>> Know more about - Rabbit-Proof_Fence

Timelapsed downtown toronto.

2009-07-07T01:24:00.003+05:30

“Timelapsed Downtown Toronto” by Sam Javanrouh

Fantastic photography from flickr. 6 photos shot in a 2 hour time period. Amazign time elapsed shot is vividly laid out here. You can download the wallpaper size version of it as well.

Monalisa, just using Microsoft-Paint

2009-07-06T12:36:00.007+05:30

Microsoft-Paint - A software piece known for its basic drawing tools. Drawing is all about shadows. I found this interesting video, in which artist creates Monalisa, just using Microsoft-Paint. He proves, it's not about tool, it's about what you can create out of it. It's awesome how shadow & light come alive to create magic colors of Monalisa using MS-paint.

The same painting is done using Photoshop here which is much more versatile, powerful and flexible tool. If you could realize how nicely this artist is using Photoshop tool to his advantage, you will know the importance of the Monalisa painting done by MS-Paint:
Monalisa realized on Photohosp

Search Everything.

2009-06-30T02:40:00.016+05:30

You have files, folders, pictures piled up like old library in your system. It's not so easy to search & locate the right file in heavy data centric computer system. Google understood that long back.

For the right solution I've used Google desktop, yahoo desktop search tool, Copernic, locate 32 etc etc. But no software could beat 'Everything search tool for desktop' - tool to Search, find Information in system as well as online. It's breeze & simple to install.

“Everything” is a free, lightning fast file and folder name search program that offers right-click context menu integration. It works with NTFS filesystem hard drives only because it does not scan your hard drive but rather uses the Master File Table of the NTFS volume to build its database.

>> Try free desktop search engine Everything.

Clicxpy : recording user's actions

2009-06-10T11:42:00.007+05:30

What if, if you could know what visitor is doing on your website ? is he moving mouse, has he just paused to read something ? is he clicking something ? or is he filling some forms ? of has he stuck up while doing something ?

It's easy to analyze all the actions of a visitor on your webpage if he's sitting right next to you, but what if he's a random netizen who visited your site from other part of the globe ?

well, then here's the interesting and viable solution: Clixpy, a web based revolutionary analytic tool. It records all user action silently and saves it in the form form of video in Clixpy's server. It's a clever service as well from the business point of view too ! ;)

Clixpy is a web-based tool. It helps you improve your site’s usability by analyzing your users’ behaviour. When you install Clixpy on your site (by placing a small javascript code), it starts tracking everything your users do - like mouse movements, clicks, scrolling, typing, etc. Clixpy sends this data to our servers and generates "video" captures so you can see exactly how people use your site. Interface usability is crucial for a website’s success and that is how Clixpy helps you.

>> Check how it works

"Hey Lilly, where's India ?"

2009-06-09T14:11:00.005+05:30

You got to meet little Lilly. Nearly 2 years old cute baby finding almost all the places in the world map ! One comment in youtube says:

She is absolutely PRECIOUS!!!! Soooo adorable, and so SMART!!! I don't even know where all thos places are! lol, she's so cute, i could just eat her up!

>> See her here

An Australian thriller !

2009-05-15T01:41:00.017+05:30

{ Restraint (2008) - My movie of the week }

Fabulous-looking movie. Cinematographer Simon Duggan obviously has a soft spot for the slow, back-lit dance of smoke, dust, dirt, and fog. What he does with airy nothing and a little light would grace any big-budget movie and does wonders to set the mood for this elegant character drama: the way the helicopter's searchlight filters through the trees at night, the trail of gravel left by a speeding vintage Mercedes, the morning fog lifting in slow motion, and endless curls of cigarette smoke gracefully set the pace for most scenes.

>> Via IMDB commentators - movieman_kev, richard_sleboe, ALeightDS

'how to get pregnant'

2009-05-14T13:41:00.002+05:30

I was googling with a search string 'how to'. Look what I found in auto results :) ! People are searching 'how to get pregnant for last 13,900,000 results' ! Oh my god :)

Who crashed my windows ?

2009-05-14T12:24:00.011+05:30

My laptop has a pre-installed version of Vista and is often crashing because of Blue screen of death. It's not easy to find the crash reason unless one muddle through reading crash dump data.

I found an handy tool which helps to decipher the BSOD (Blue screen of death) problems in Windows. It's called WhoCrashed. It relies on windbg.exe-which is part of Debugging Tools for Windows (x86). It means that it's good to install windbg.exe before installing WhoCrashed

WhoCrashed shows the drivers which have been crashing your computer with a single click. In most cases it can pinpoint the offending drivers which have been causing misery on your computer system in the past. It does post-mortem crashdump analysis and presents all gathered information in a comprehensible way.

>> Link to download whocrashed freeware

Pixlr Editor - Online photo editing

2009-04-28T16:07:00.024+05:30

{* offline image loaded into pixlr }

There seems to be a huge surge of on-line photo editing tools to compete with Adobe's Photoshop Express. Online Adobe Photoshop express editing is in infancy compared to robust feature set of offline version. With the recent update, Adobe has updated light room features to it.

I found an interesting online photo editing tool pixlr.com's Image editor.

The UI looks so crisp and nicely rendered. It's pretty quick too in all aspects. Interestingly it's done in flash and the whole scripting is done inside single flash file.

Surprisingly UI and presentaton looks more like Adobe native UI. Adobe's Photoshop Express's suppose to have the offline photoshop UI, which is not the case.But pixlr.com's Image editor has very similar layout as Photoshop CS4. That's the big plus in identifying itself with offline photoshop UI.

Interestingly 'Undo' feature works as Ctrl+Z in pixlr and also many other keyboard shortcuts works too. Loaded image can be edited and saved to offline unlike Express.

>> Checkout pixlr online image editor

Bangalore, mango and election

2009-04-27T19:10:00.005+05:30

(Mango next to my bedroom window !)

It's hot summer beating anvil of heat. To give instant relaxation to mood and swiveling heat wave on the heads, it rains randomly in Bangalore. Life just rolls on with more recession news, Overclocking design at my notebook, hot coffees, lovely raspuri mangos, jog on thread mill, long walk on the wet pavements of randomly drizzling days, and of-course with my favorite movie session a-now-and-then. And it's a election time again. First time in my life my left hand index finger's tip is oddly dirt ;) in this Lokhasabha election !

A fresh feeling lingers inside me while driving on lovely, greenery clad streets of drizzling Bangalore. When it rains in Bangalore I love to get out of my seat and drive slowly, listening to my favo music playing in stereo. City is just sexy when it rains ! My favorite driving stretch is Laxman rao park double road near south end. I love the pleasure of driving slowly and my streched out hand feeling the cool wind. A song move gently inside me like a wafer carved out of mango, I hum to myself :

This is the springtime of my loving-
The second season I am to know
You are the sunlight in my growing-
So little warmth Ive felt before.
It isnt hard to feel me glowing-
I watched the fire that grew so low. | The Rain Song

"Paradise Now"

2009-04-24T15:32:00.028+05:30

{My movie of the week}
I got a chance to watch an amazing movie "Paradise Now" in UTV world movies, recently.

It's the biggest example how great movies can make you feel for the character who is nowhere near you, and you don’t know about them and you still feel about them. That’s the magic of “Paradise Now”

It's a 2005 film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. It focuses on what would be their last days together. story of two young Palestinian men as they embark upon what may be the last 48 hours of their lives. On a typical day in the West Bank city of Nablus, where daily life grinds. Having a bomb strapped to your waist would raise doubts in anyone--and once doubts have arisen, they respond in very different ways.

It's a penultimate message conveyed to any terrorist, to any brain conspiring behind peaceful nation. Everyone talks about terrorism and its aftermaths. Hardly one gets a time to peak into the soul of terrorist, and glance into his insight about world, love and people. Movie is quite special because of the characters chosen, the director, the story line where it takes place. I suggest any movie buff to watch this Arabic genre Paradise Now.

one of the wonderful lines of director Abu-Assad about movie: "The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing."

Most of the time movies are made out of inspiration or adaptation. This movie is made in the place, where the terror has stuck time and again. In the pauses of movie's pace, lot of finer points to unravel and feel. The silence of the characters makes u utter the words they couldn't.Since terrorism is spreading like a octopus around us, it's the time to watch and also I suggest this one to a terrorist before embarking on erasing thousand smiles somewhere.

Reviewing User Interfaces

2009-02-25T12:36:00.005+05:30

Designing a user interface based proven usability principles or based on product requirement guidelines may be an easier task. But reviewing the nitty-gritties of user interface is a very intelligent task, as this process can also be attributed to 'user interface holistic testing'. It can be layered technique of reviewing user interface components of in depth testing and reviewing of them. Normally what we call expert review could be done even before the design implementation to weed out the redundancies of the interface.

Has your boss or a client ever asked you to review a user interface for a Web or desktop application? Perhaps the request went something like this: Can you just look over these new screens for us? Oh, and can you check the error messages, too? It won’t take long! And, by the way, we ship next month. Whether you are an interaction designer, usability professional, technical communicator, quality assurance engineer, or developer, reviewing a user interface typically means identifying :

usability problems related to
- the layout, logical flow, and structure of the interface
- inconsistencies in the design
non-compliance with standards
ambiguous wording in labels, dialog boxes, error messages, and onscreen user assistance
functional errors

While user interface (UI) reviews often occur at the end of the development cycle, I recommend that you get involved early in the process, preferably when the designers create the initial wireframes or paper prototypes. Why? Making changes early in the process reduces development costs. Plus, if you identify usability issues early, it’s much more likely the team can remedy them before launch, preventing bad reviews like that shown in Figure 1, negative word-of-mouth, and the lost sales that result from them.

>> Read more about 'Reviewing User Interfaces'

Babels of slum and Rahman

2009-02-23T23:21:00.021+05:30

Today, my morning started with Oscar awards show in TV. It was the triumph moments for Indian movie fraternity. Slumdog Millionaire won many awards . I am sure that's what the pinnacle minute for director and everyone. Awards came to most of movie departments except except for acting department, I am sure acting part was not nominated !

Personally I liked the movie for its technical enrichment. Story & acting wise it's just another ordinary weaving. I was sure editing would win the award as movie's asli strength is in its tight editing.

Though Rahman won award for background score, he was 'the best' in Lagaan and I'm sure he missed academy award for it, though he was nominated for it or not. Certainly music in Slumdog Millionaire was not top notch v/s his other compositions. May be sound engineering has given a special attraction for the background score. You should listen to his Azaadi song in netaji subhash chandra bose -movie, that's the best rendering than jai ho.

But again it's proved. you do gods-own-quality movie, unless it's marketed well to International audience with much fan fare, no movie is going to win academy awards. I was quite curious about what Indian netizens think about it. I am sure there's a better place to record their voices and chaos in rediff discussion

The $300 Million "Continue" Button

2009-02-20T10:05:00.010+05:30

Do usability analysis and implementation still holds a profitable edge for corporations ? Certainly. And it mattes a most when co can earn $300 million just by renaming the button :) !

Seems exaggerating at first glance, but this is the true facet of effective and usable design if much forethought is put into practice while designing a user experience. I am sure, not only intelligent interface design matters but also, usability analyst should have good foresight business needs and comparative analysis of design implementation. This is about registering process in a website where registering and entering valid email ID is very much needed to continue in the site.

Given a scenario of fast business trend and bursting competitive edge, I am sure this is one niche example of usability-school-of-thought:

UIE studied people actually using the site, and it turns out that the prospect of registering was enough to turn some users away; meanwhile, even return users had problems logging in because they didn't remember the email address or password they signed up with. (45% of users apparently had multiple registrations—a few had up to 10.) Granted, these represented a small portion of users. But for a retailer with $25 billion, even small portions signify huge lost profits.

So UIE redesigned the site, replacing the "register" button with "continue." They also added a message, saying that registering wasn't required to checkout, but was optional and might be helpful if you returned.

Sales went up 45%—$15 million in the first month, and $300 million in the first year.

Given UIE's success, it's a wonder how often you still see byzantine registration forms on websites. But there's a bigger lesson: That empirical research into how people actually behave matters far more than the intuitions of any designer, no matter how experienced that designer might be.

More at: The $300 Million "Continue" Button
and also at uie.com

Corporate Accessibility

2009-02-04T07:06:00.003+05:30

Good web development and standards based development, which one is right or wrong ? If a web application is compliant to web standards based development, will that be fine to call it as a good web development ?Do corporations really put time and money in making the website fully accessible web app ? And what point is called 'accessibly compliant' web app ? Ensuring if it's achieved AA or AAA ? I found a interesting article about these details:

One problem with corporate accessibility is that while corporations generally care about accessibility in the abstract. which can lead to a grudging attempt to be accessible, because a corporate lawyer will naturally try to do the minimum required to stay in compliance; minimizing risk while minimizing costs.

The way to overcome this is to focus on the customer. I find the following arguments successful in getting accessibility discussed in a positive, “good-to-have” way rather than in a legal compliance “oh-well-if-we-must” way:

Accessibility is good for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Accessibility enhances usability for everyone. An April 2004 formal investigation into UK web accessibility (PDF) reported "all users, not just disabled people, would benefit greatly from the measures required to make sites accessible and usable by blind people".
Accessibility has many quantifiable business benefits (PDF). Legal and General, a British financial services company, redesigned its site with accessibility in mind and found:
40% traffic increase
Doubled conversion rates
Doubled online revenue
100% ROI in 5 months

Find more in Think Vitamin > accessibility

Iranian painter, Iman Maleki

2009-01-20T10:27:00.003+05:30

Find mesmerizing and very realistic looking paintings of Iranian painter, Iman Maleki. He is undoubtedly a genius whose works are much better than Expressionistic or Cubist works. I like to appreciate his effort to create a slice of life in painting just using canvas, oil paint and some pencil work. Web link: imanmaleki.com

Also I found similar kind of paint work of Shahrad Malek Fazeli at shahrad's website.

When, who owns that money

2008-12-10T10:33:00.004+05:30

Oflate there's a huge surge in channels covering India news. I still remember one point of time only DD news was the source of news for long time. And aajtak was the king of sansani news, all cooked instant news to be precise. They also showed -"art of killing a news channel". Anyway point is who-owns-who in media. And as money is the name of the game, everyone are forced to work for it and precisely it matters a most- when who owns that money.

I got few forward mails from my friends about major media companies owned and operated in interest of the owners, in which news should always considered as unbiased and ethical. I found this interesting piece of info related to the same. And here's the comment of some one called Renj Nair, just following the article. It's so true specially when young generation living in quick bites of life. Has not time to dwell into the depth of news and believes what they see is what is right:

I don’t know If I am correct.Otherwise there is a serious conspiracy going on this country by these new founded intellectual Pseudo Secularists.We must be able to differentiate what is right and what is wrong as these channels are targeting young urban population mixing news with bit of masalas and Tabloid especially the Hip-hop culture. They are not aware that their credibility and neutrality is being lost infront of the masses.In India Media ethics is a neglected truth.It is the era of family run businesses for personal and political gains.In the name of freedom of speech they are misleading the people to make thier own profit and gains.

>> Link to who controls indian media ?

Vote Nobody !

2008-12-02T18:37:00.000+05:30

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the con test ants will be removed and they cannot con test the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way; of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India ... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

Use your voting right for a better INDIA .

via | Abhishek

Japanese fish

2008-11-19T08:48:00.003+05:30

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish. So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they manage to get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don't need to work so hard so you relax.

Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. L. Ron Hubbard observed it in the early 1950's. "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment."

The Benefits of a Challenge: The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem. If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are happy. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun. You are alive!

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are!

Via | Sreenivas

Display custom fonts, using only html code

2008-11-13T14:38:00.005+05:30

If I you want to use a font style which is not loaded in a user's system, normally you may convert the same text into graphics in .gif and .jpeg format and upload it as a image called into web page. Which adds to the size of the page and rendering time also increases. Till now, though there are many hacks to load custom fonts, they were mostly few browser specific. Here's an interesting solution, just by using javascript and HTML coding custom font written text can be rendered in a browser.

Instead of creating images or using flash just to show your site's graphic text in the font you want, you can use typeface.js and write in plain HTML and CSS, just as if your visitors had the font installed locally. This is a work in progress, but functional enough at least to render the the graphic text on this site. Here's what it takes to get going: load the typeface.js library and some typeface.js fonts, then proceed like normal here:

>> Using Custom fonts at Typeface.js

"eno feelingoo"

2008-11-06T17:19:00.023+05:30

(Photo from floating villages in Tonle Sap, Siem Reap. Cambodia. October 2008)

The moment we got into a boat in Tonle Sap, it was dusky evening. Damn nice sunset was melting into the chocolaty colored waters of floating village. The motor boat was driving like a lost kite into splashing waters of the lake. Cool wind was waving our ear curves. Nikky and me sat stretching our hands in the forefront of the boat. Ah ! what a feeling it was, gulping wind into lungs ! It was the pinnacle conquered moment, slowly moving into the windy water making a way between the shrubs and floating houses made on boats.

And by then Nikhil exclaimed: "eno feelingoo, nakkan" We yelled it like country kids, care free like a lost wind again and again :). Its crude, but can't help ? The traverse across 3 nations was much more than what I could capture in words. The unforgettable voyage criss-crossing South east Asia for last 20 days are crude memories in my heart and soul which left a long lasting travel-addiction-scar inside me.

The stone temples of Angkor,muddy long roads of Cambodia, floating villages in Tonle Sap, high rise buildings of Singapore, high voltage discos of Pattaya, amazing beaches of south skin Thailand , the deadly daring ocean boat journey of Krabi islands, mesmerizing blue waters of Phi-Phi are longer to stay in my moods & forever. It was the longest vacation of my life in abroad, mixed with hip-hop, terrain hiking, plush photography flavor all through. My blog will have the rhythm of experiences of my short travel to South East Asia for few days henceforth.

Think Smart!!

2008-10-16T15:07:00.002+05:30

If you purchased Rs1,00,000 of Delta Airlines stock 1 year ago, you would have Rs 4,900 today.

If you purchased Rs1,00,000 of AIG stock 1 year ago, you would have Rs 3,300 today.

If you purchased Rs.1,00,000of Lehman Brothers stock 1 year ago, you would have Rs 0.0 today.

But, if you purchased Rs.1,00,000 worth of beer 1 year ago, drank all the beer, returned aluminum cans for a recycling refund, you would have Rs. 21,400!!!

via | Raghu

Filthy Rich Clients and challenges

2008-10-06T00:33:00.012+05:30

Let's get to know something about RIA's - rich internet applications v/s convenational web applications. Rich seems nice ? but is that just constrained to new buzz word itself ?

In a traditional Web application, all processing is done on the server, and a new Web page is downloaded each time the user clicks.

In a Rich Internet Application,some processing is transferred to th user’s computer (“the client”).

Interestignly:

The Rich Internet Application reflects the gradual but inevitable transition of Web applications from the simple thin-client model of a traditional Web browser to a richer distributed-function model that behaves more like the desktop in a client/server model. Today these richer user experiences are being implemented with technologies such as Flash, Ajax, and Java, using standard Internet and Web protocols.

Because RIAs are significantly more complex than traditional browser-based Web applications, they pose new design, measurement, and management challenges. To implement RIAs successfully, enterprises must reevaluate their approaches to service level management (SLM) and consider several new challenges.

I'm sure, in one or the other occassion, we all have heard buzz words like: RIA aka rich internetapplications. What are they ? How they are built ? and if at all I want to build one: how they are different from conventional web applications ? Is there any real wall differentiating RIA fromOWP- old web applications ? If 'yes' then what's that key difference ?

Alright cool. But where do I find more info on this interesting topic of -Rich Internet Applications-Design, Measurement,and Management Challenges ?

>> Come right here to Download Document on the topic

Iron Chrome

2008-09-25T00:51:00.006+05:30

First round of Google approach to browser: chrome's dust is settling down with the simple feedback across netizen - "its a simple, fast browser, but I think twice to switch over from existing Firefox"

One major concern sounded from all quarters was questions about Google's policies for collecting usage data. I don't understand how schematically Google uses users search data but the concerns about data-collection potential is very evident.

If you're concerned about Google collecting your search data via Chrome, its high time that you download Chrome as Iron Browser. It's purified version of Chrome stripping all possibility of Google collecting users data. A German firm SRWare stripped of all the user ID information transmitting feature of Chrome and presented as Iron.

Iron is essentially the Chrome source code modified to suit user with privacy concern which has :

No unique user-ID
No user-specific information is sent to Google
No alternative error messages
Crash information is not sent to Google
No Google updater

>> Try iron now

Wonderful One Minute

2008-09-24T16:54:00.002+05:30

One smart Software engineer and his Project Manager were traveling towards Pune in a train.

Just Opposite to their seat, a beautiful girl was sitting along with her grand ma. With in some time, Eye-Eye interactions started between Our Software engineer & that girl. After some minutes, train started moving in to a tunnel and it was very dark.

Suddenly, every body heard a Kiss sound followed by a sound of slapping.Every body remained silent, when the train came out of the tunnel.

Grand ma thought that," The Guy is a rogue; how dare he? He has kissed my grand daughter! But my Grand daughter is genuine; she immediately slapped that guy."

PM thought that," I can't believe that this guy has kissed that girl! But it is unfair that she slapped me by mistake"

That girl thought that," I feel happy, when that guy kissed me, but I feel sorry that my grand ma has slapped him".

Finally, do u know what our clever Software engineer thought?

"This one minute in my life is wonderful, it hardly comes...because, at a time I have kissed a girl and also I have slapped my PM."

via email | Vanitha

Find yourself as a poster | Photo-funia.com

2008-09-23T17:25:00.003+05:30

Find yourself as a poster of some phirang city as a fan of nice looking chicks kissing you, easy way to publish your life size photo on times square, have your photos painted on the streets, why don't you see your photo hanging in some foreign museum..

Try this:
Photo-funia.com

10 Usability Principles to guide you

2008-09-11T10:53:00.003+05:30

1. Motivate
Design your site to meet specific user needs and goals. Use motivators to draw different user "personae" into specific parts of your site.
2. User task flow
Who are your users? What are their tasks and online environment? For a site to be usable, page flow must match workflow.
3. Architecture – it's 80% of usability
Build an efficient navigational structure. Remember – if they can't find it in 3 clicks, they're gone.
4. Affordance means obvious
Make controls understandable. Avoid confusion between emblems, banners, and buttons.
5. Replicate
Why reinvent the wheel? Use ergonomically designed templates for the most common 8-12 pages.
6. Usability test along the way
Test early in design using low-fidelity prototypes. Don't wait until the end when it's too late.Know the technology limitations Identify and optimize for target browsers and user hardware. Test HTML, JavaScript, etc. for compatibility.
7. Know the technology limitations
Identify and optimize for target browsers and user hardware.Test HTML, JavaScript, etc for compatibility.
8. Know user tolerances
Users are impatient. Design for a 2-10 second maximum download. Reuse header graphics so they can load from cache. Avoid excessive scrolling.
9. Multimedia – be discriminating
Good animation attracts attention to specific information, then stops. Too much movement distracts, slowing reading and comprehension.
10. Use a stats package
Monitor traffic through your site. Which pages pique user interest? Which pages make users leave? Adjust your site accordingly.

via | humanfactors

Google approach to browser .

2008-09-04T12:27:00.010+05:30

I am sure you guys are rocking with new born Google chrome. This is my first post out of Google Chrome - The google's approach to browser . you know what, even while composing this I was missing - 'built in dictionary feature of Firefox'.

I've installed it on my vista and first look impressions are awesome. It's very clean and easy to use. Though it's not revolutionary as official blog claims it: it's a blend of google innovation and components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox.

Noticeably, quite fast on google related services ! But what's interesting to note about this browser is :

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful Javascript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

The often crash reports in Internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox can be weeded out with this new avatar of browser !

It's the unfortunate fate of google, that people have started to see anything out of google garage with a monopolistic suspicion. Web is already divided over 'Does Google Have Rights to Everything You Send Through Chrome?" and google's own statement "wouldn't it be great, then to start from scratch and design something based on the needs of the today's web applications and today's users ?" Tech experts already started figuring out the negatives of Chrome.

I am hooked to web to weigh the pro's and cons in shifting to chrome from 'beloved' Firefox. Surprisingly I am still using Firefox V2.0, Reason ? My favorite extension 'Tab mix plus' is not officially released to FF 3.0. I feel kind of handicapped without that extension :D

This shows the capacity and capability of google in pushing technology and innovation to the limit. And it's simple: If you can't play the game, change the rules of it !

"You shouldn't forget the importance of entertainment"

2008-08-14T16:48:00.009+05:30

I don't know why I watched this movie: Funny Games U.S. (2007) !? A simple answer could be, I like the simple cover design of the DVD. And that was a mistake, this movie is not at all simple but haunted me for quite some time !

I loved the movie making technique of the director, though.

I also shared this movie with my colleague Deepak. His silent words after watching literally touched me inside: "Though you don't feel anything & forget it after watching these kind of movies, worst part is that our inner conscious remembers it". Yes he's right. And I told him - "You shouldn't forget the importance of entertainment." Ironically that's the tag line of this movie too :)

This film gets in your head by giving the pretense that you will witness all the horrible acts, and then turns around on you by not showing anything! Everything is off-screen so you are left with only the sound effects. It is more disturbing as your imagination sets to work on the images off screen, and that in itself is more horrifying.

Haneke crafts a superbly smart psychological thrill, but almost too intelligent as it almost falters on expecting you to know the philosophy behind the film-making and for someone knowing nothing about the film it might be confusing or frustrating.
- Author: Taha Al-Akshar from Egypt/IMDB

Don't copy if you can't paste!

2008-08-14T16:46:00.000+05:30

A popular motivational speaker was entertaining his audience.
He Said: "The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who wasn't my wife!"

The audience was in silence and shock.
The speaker added: "And that woman was my mother!"
Laughter and applause.

A week later, a top IT manager trained by the motivational speaker tried to crack this very effective joke at home. He was a bit foggy after a drink.

He said loudly, "The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife!"
The wife went wild with shock and rage.
Standing there for 20 seconds trying to recall the second half of the joke, the manager finally blurted out "... and I can't remember who she was!"

Moral of the story:
Don't copy if you can't paste!

Via email | Raj

No harm reading this !

2008-08-14T09:14:00.003+05:30

Good Tips For Life.

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26.. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

via mail | Sachin

Free international phone calls

2008-08-12T15:18:00.001+05:30

http://evaphone.com

Offers free international phone calls. We are glad to inform that you can call to everywhere, worldwide, including mobile phones. Duration of a call depends on a direction. It is possible to make 2 free calls daily, we work hard to remove all possible restrictions.

Breakpast !

2008-07-25T23:12:00.005+05:30

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. "Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.

They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before ?

If you're wondering what's that above image is all about ? you're surely going to experience an amazing link about the wonderful 42 tonne walking mechanical elephant of Sultan's Elephant event in London

I'm sure you don't wanna miss > giant girl in the parade either !

No fuel ?!

2008-07-24T13:10:00.014+05:30

Dear All,

Due to Fuel crisis in the city, we may not be able to provide full support for late night transport to all the areas. We are going to operate minimal vehicles and service will be provided for the employees who are working in critical projects. Request all to plan your evening schedule and inform front office, which enable us to provide transport.

Thanks
Facilities - Manager

Guess what ? This is the email employees received this week in one of the software company situated outside the city limits in Bangalore.

My pass time imagination is, 'how this life would be without petrol or diesel after some years ?' What eco-activists are yelling now : go green, save earth: will it be a reality after some years ? I guess, if not someone one discovers some kind of alternative fuel which will again pollute the environment, we would surely be running our vehicles with electricity, hydrogen or solar powered cells in near future.

But, as the reality is, in next 50 years the fuel reserve under earth is going to extinct,I some how feel the facility manager's email is dark oman of the near future ?! :D

Biodiesel Fuel?

2008-07-15T10:17:00.005+05:30

Recently one of my friend was telling about how his college mate(now in US) thinking of getting into entrepreneurship. I was guessing, may be he's venturing into some kind of IT enabled services or software services since he's an software guy. I was bit startled as he progressed to stay, he is coming back to India to start an bio diesel producing company. I must appreciate his way of thinking. It seemed like he's having blueprint ready for the project too. I was also aware that the state bus transportation is running some buses on bio diesel or fuel extracted from vegetables.

Found an interesting read on this bio fuel, which is gaining some importance in recent past on the wake of raising fuel prices.

What is Biodiesel Fuel?
Biodiesel fuel is a fuel which made from renewable sources. Not like a petroleum gasoline which made from fossil energy or non renewable energy, biodiesel is a good alternative energy.
via | tcbiodiesel.com

Biofuels become popular nowadays, Biofuels create big hopes for car driver, fuel price is become higher and higher.Many car driver screaming with that crazy gas price, the gas price will make the car driver’s wallet empty every day. And Biofuels come for the gas alternative than fossil fuel. But is that true biofuels are have many advantages rather than their disadvantages?. Every objects in this world have advantages site and disadvantages site. I believe that Biofuels have that too.

So What is the advantages of Biofuels?
Here are some advantages of biofuels:Biodegradable, non toxic and easy to handle, Less of CO and Sulfur, carbon neutral, its made from renewable resources, clean fuels so its good for cars.

via | Advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biofuels

Interestingly, a user(Biffula) comment has more to say about this energy format:

Corn and sugar based ethanol is a disaster! If all the crop land in the US were switched to grow corn, all of that corn would only produce 12% of the US energy needs. Not to mention it is inefficient to make and would use too much fertilizer thus polluting the waterways. Then what about food shortages? We’re already seeing that happen. And finally ethanol is not good as a fuel. Cars get worse gas mileage, thus use more, when burning ethanol. An entirely different type of energy needs to be used for vehicles. We need to go after electric(which in the US is mainly produced using coal, natural gas, water and nuclear) or some form of hydrogen cell. But wake up and forget ethanol folks! It’s a looming disaster bigger than petroleum!

With all these energy hungry news, recently there was a news in the media. Hubli based Engineering college students invented a car which runs on pure air. Upon research found some news related to: how Air Hybrid Car Could Improve Fuel Efficiency.