Human Knowledge belongs to the World...

गांधी, मत आना

2008-10-02T11:54:00.003+05:30

अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना
सत्य, अहिंसा खोए अब तो खेल हुआ गुंडाना।

आज विदेशी कंपनियों का है भारत में ज़ोर
देशी चीज़ें अपनाने का करोगे कब तक शोर
गली-गली में मिल जाएँगे लुच्चे, गुंडे, चोर
थाने जाते-जाते बापू हो जाओगे बोर
भ्रष्टाचारी नेताओं को पड़ेगा पटियाना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

डी.टी.सी. की बस में धक्का कब तक खाओगे
बिजली वालों से भी कैसे जान बजाओगे
अस्पताल में जाकर दवा कभी न पाओगे
लाठी लेकर चले तो 'टाडा' में फँस जाओगे
खुजली हो जाएगी जमुना जी में नहीं नहाना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

स्विस बैंकों में खाता होना बहुत ज़रूरी है
गुंडों से भी नाता होना बहुत ज़रूरी है
घोटालों के बिना देश में मान न पाओगे
राष्ट्रपिता क्या, एम.एल.ए. भी ना बन पाओगे
'रघुपति राघव' छोड़ पड़ेगा 'ईलू ईलू' गाना
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

खादी इतनी महँगी है तुम पहन न पाओगे
इतनी महंगाई में कैसे घर बनवाओगे
डिग्री चाहे जितनी हों पर काम न पाओगे
बेकारी से, लाचारी से तुम घबराओगे
भैंस के आगे पड़े तुम्हें भी शायद बीन बजाना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

संसद में भी घुसना अब तो नहीं रहा आसान
लालकिले जाओगे तो हो जाएगा अपमान
ऊँची-ऊँची कुर्सी पर भी बैठे हैं बैईमान
नहीं रहा जैसा छोड़ा था तुमने हिंदुस्तान
राजघाट के माली भी मारेंगे तुमको ताना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

होंठ पे सिगरेट, पेट में दारू हो तो आ जाओ
तन आवारा, मन बाज़ारू हो तो आ जाओ
आदर्शों को टाँग सको तो खूंटी पर टाँगो
लेकर हाथ कटोरा कर्जा गोरों से माँगो
टिकट अगर मिल जाए तो तुम भी चुनाव लड़ जाना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना मत आना, मत आना।

अगर दोस्ती करनी हो तो दाउद से करना
मंदिर- मस्जिद के झगड़े में कभी नहीं पड़ना
आरक्षण की, संरक्षण की नीति न अपनाना
चंदे के फंदे को अपने गले न लटकाना
कहीं माधुरी दीक्षित पर तुम भी न फ़िदा हो जाना।
अब देश में गांधी, मत आना, मत आना, मत आना।

-- डॉ. सुनील जोगी
(http://www.anubhuti-hindi.org/hasya/sunil_jogi/gandhi.htm)

Alive !

2008-10-02T11:23:00.003+05:30

Yes, I am alive ! I hope that from now onwards I get back to normal blogging..Lets see!

A nice story...

2008-07-28T01:07:00.001+05:30

Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution. The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.

"How does it taste?" the Master asked. "Awful," spat the apprentice.

The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the Master asked, "How does it taste?" "Good!" remarked the apprentice.

"Do you taste the salt?" asked the Master. "No," said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said,

"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things..... Stop being a glass. Become a LAKE!

Randy Pausch is no more...

2008-07-26T11:31:00.004+05:30

The 'last lecture' professor Randy Pausch died yesterday. The dying man who taught us all how to live in his famous last lecture, was recognized within computer science for his research on the way that humans interacted with computers. His talk "Really achieving your childhood dreams" will continue to inspire many of us. Pausch had described the talk in words as touching as they were sad. "I'm attempting to put myself in a bottle that will one day wash up on the beach for my children," he said.

Teach India - Let's learn to Teach

2008-07-23T00:56:00.003+05:30

Let us stop complaining about the system. Let us be part of this wonderful initiative by TOI. Come India, Join Hands. Lets Teach India !

To volunteer, log onto http://www.teach.timesofindia.com and fill in the form online Or SMS TEACH to 58888 for details

The Google Saree

2008-07-18T22:07:00.003+05:30

Any frequent visitor to this blog might have realised that I have cut down a lot on my posts about Google..Yes, I have. Deliberately. But saw this image while browsing and could not resist myself from posting. Have a look. Now, that is what you call a good design! Isn't it?

तरुण आहे रात्र अजुनी

2008-07-15T22:38:00.005+05:30

मुद्दामच हि post मराठीत लिहितोय..त्याला कारणही थोडं तसंच आहे! काल सुरेश भटांची ही कविता वाचण्यात आली. थोडंसं google केल्यावर हे लक्षात आलं कि पं.हृदयनाथ मंगेशकर यांनी संगीतबद्ध केलेलं आणि आशा भोसले यांनी गायलेलं असं आहे हे गाणे ! त्याचे बोल हे असे आहेत -

तरुण आहे रात्र अजुनी राजसा निजलास का रे?
एवढ्यातच त्या कुशीवर तू असा वळलास का रे?

अजुनही विझल्या न गगनी तारकांच्या दीपमाला;
अजुन मी विझले कुठे रे? हाय ! तू विझलास का रे?

सांग, ह्या कोजागिरीच्या चांदण्याला काय सांगू ?
उमलते अंगांग माझे... आणि तू मिटलास का रे?

बघ तुला पुसतोच आहे पश्चिमेचा गार वारा
रातराणीच्या फुलांचा गंध तू लुटलास का रे?

उसळती हुदयात माझ्या अमृताच्या धुंद लाटा
तू किनाऱ्यासारखा पण कोरडा उरलास का रे?

ओठ अजुनी बंद का रे? श्वास ही मधुमंद का रे?
बोल, शेजेच्या फुलांवर तू असा रुसलास का रे?

गीत - सुरेश भट
संगीत - पं. हृदयनाथ मंगेशकर
स्वर - आशा भोसले
राग - बागेश्री (नादवेध)

आता सुरुवातीला जेव्हा वाचलं आणि ऐकलं तेव्हा वाटलं कि भटांच्या काही इतर गाण्यांप्रमाणेच प्रणयाने उत्कट भरलेलं असं आहे हे गाणे! पण नंतर या गाण्याबद्दलचा एक किस्सा वाचण्यात आला आणि या गाण्याचा पूर्ण अर्थच बदलून गेला. तो किस्सा असा -
आशा भोसले यांनी स्वरबद्ध केलेलं हे स्वर्गिय गीत आज आपल्याला सुखावते, पण पहिल्यांदा त्या हे गाणे गायला तयार नव्हत्या. कारण त्या काळी अशी प्रणयाने उत्कट भरलेले गाणे गाणं फ़ारसे चांगले मानले जात नसे!
त्यावर सुरेश भट म्हणाले,"बरं मग या कवितेचा खरा अर्थ तुम्हाला सांगावा लागेल. ही कविता फ़ार फ़ार दुख्खी आहे. कारण मी ही कविता माझ्या ऐन तारुण्यात विधवा झालेल्या वहिनीसाठी लिहिली आहे! माझा मित्र यु्द्धात मारला गेला, त्याचे नुकतेच लग्न झाले होते. वहिनीच्या हातावरची मेहंदी सुद्धा फ़िक्कट झाली नसेल आणि तिचे कुंकु पुसलं गेलं!"

अर्थातच हे ऐकुन आशाताई लगेच गायला तयार झाल्या...

मी हे वाचलं आणि नकळत डोळ्यात पाणी तराळलं! पुन्हा एकदा हि कविता नीट वाचली आणि खरा अर्थ कळला. मनाला भिडला! खरच..किती great होते नाही सुरेश भट ?..

Few Links -
Original Song Sung by Ashaji - Here
Sung by Anuradha Marathe in Nakshatranche Dene - Video
My favourite version Sung by Savani Ravindra - Here

Jaane Tu...

2008-07-15T20:15:00.003+05:30

Had gone to see "Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na" on last weekend with few friends...I liked the movie, loved first part. Though I thought second half was a bit slow n really 'filmy'! I liked 2 things the most in this one - First u might have guessed, Yes. Its Music! Yet another facet of A R Rehman genius! Honestly, when i listened to the album i did not like more than 2 songs and felt that's all it is about it! But I guess that is the beauty of ARR music...His music just builds on you the more and more you listen to it. And when you listen to it in the movie, it gives a whole new experience!

Second thing is the acting of Prateik Babbar! Well, now for those who have not heard this name before, He is the son of Raj Babbar and Late Smita Patil! Yes, He is Smita Patil's Son! He plays the role of Genelia's brother in this film - Amit that is ! It wasnt a huge role, But I think he left a HUGE impact! Funny lines like "tera ghar tere bums.. jaha baithna hai baith"..he says it so dryly n nonchalantly.. yet it was screamingly funny.. hats off Pratiek ! Keep up the good work! Smitaji would have been really proud to have seen you on screen!

Dance like No One's Watching

2008-07-08T13:22:00.003+05:30

I was feeling a bit down and out today, only until I came across this wonderful inspirational site. It really cheered me up. The complete site is moving and inspiring! I am sharing it in spirit of life ! I recommend all to have a look. In case you guys know of such more inspirational sites, please do find some time to share it here! Cheers Life !!

Thought for the day:
"Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching."

Keep the Spark - Chetan Bhagat

2008-07-07T18:35:00.002+05:30

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program 2008, Pune.. U can have a look at the original post on CB's blog here. I am pasting the same speech here.

Keep the Spark

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program 2008

© Chetan Bhagat

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy is can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.

But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.

Disappointment’s cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You.

Greatest Final Ever?.. Federer Vs Nadal, Wimbledon 2008

2008-07-07T02:04:00.004+05:30

Wowwww ! I think, I just witnessed the greatest final in the history of tennis. The 2008 Wimbledon championship final between Roger Federer and Rafal Nadal was certainly the best tennis match i have seen till now. I have been watching tennis for the last 8-10 years or so, But what i saw today was something extraordinary and really really special!

Tough luck Roger! But nothing to take away from Nadal... He deserved to win this match than anybody else! Having won the first two sets relatively easily, I had thought that the match would get over pretty much earlier than it actually did! Kudos to Roger for that! The way he fought back with the tie-break wins in third and fourth set was amazing! Roger is a magician. The fourth set tie-break was breathtaking! To top all the drama, the deciding set was a treat to the eye. Both players managing to hold on to their service with some amazing display of tennis, it had to go to 9-7. That says it all!!! All in all, the tennis of the highest quality and in my opinion the greatest final ever. What say folks ?

'Life and Music' from Alan Watts

2008-07-06T01:10:00.004+05:30

Check out this flash video - http://www.neticons.net/music_life/

# “In music, one doesn’t make the end of the composition the point of the composition.”
# We are motivated by the carrots of grades and success. Elementary > Grade School > High School > College > Grad School > Job
# When you “get” success at 40, it’s a let-down. A hoax.
# We think of life as a journey with a destination (success, heaven). But we missed the point. It was a musical thing, we were supposed to sing and dance while music was being played.

The Sultan of Software retires

2008-06-28T14:15:00.013+05:30

Arguably the best businessman of our century, Bill Gates, retired from the day-to-today operations of the company he co-founded - Microsoft. Over a span of 33 years, this man has transformed an era. He has been 'The Hero' for millions of people worldwide !

When I look at his career overall, The way he built his whole empire, the chances that he took, the various battle that he played with the industry giants of that time such as IBM...It is just so mesmerizing and inspiring! I know, many people would say that Bill Gates was very lucky in a way to get to a position that he is today. I agree. Yes, Luck has played a very vital role in his initial career. But the important thing is He knows that! He knows he was lucky enough at the start of Microsoft. If we look at the industry scenario at the start of 1970s, PC wasn't a big market at that time. But Bill(along with few others like Steve Jobs) had a vision that PC is going to be THE market in the future. As Steve Jobs mentioned at the historic D5 meet, "Bill was the first person at that time who knew, it was Software that was going to be the next big thing" !

I would like to mention the history for the laymen about how Microsoft emerged as THE big company. During the late 70s, IBM was the Industry giant and they were mainly into the mainframes. But with the emergence of companies like Apple, Xerox, Digital Research etc in the PC market, IBM decided to capture this market as well! So they decided to make IBM PC. The way IBM worked, It would take at least 3 years for a new product to be launched. But with the rapid demand for the PCs... IBM decided to make an assembled PC in order to launch its PC within a year. So they decided to buy various parts from various vendors and assembled them. The only chip that was IBM's in that PC was ROM-BIOS, a chip that maintains what all parts are connected and how all are connected and how they would work together. They wanted OS for this machines. Now at that time, CP/M was the widely used OS, created by Gary Kildall of Digital Research Inc. IBM's discussion with Gary went poorly, so IBM turned their head to Bill Gates.(What a waste of opportunity Gary!) Now comes the interesting part! Microsoft was not into OS at that point of time. They didn't have their own OS. But, there was an OS similar to CP/M(In fact, a copy of CP/M literally) created by Tim Patterson called QDOS(Quick and Dirty OS !) Bill Gates bought it ! Microsoft delivered it to IBM as PC-DOS. Gates insisted that IBM let Microsoft keep the copyright on the operating system, because he believed that other hardware vendors would clone IBM's system (Wow, What a masterpiece of vision !)They did(thanks to the reverse engineering!), and the sales of MS-DOS made Microsoft a major player in the industry.

So it was just a share of luck that Bill needed and he just cashed onto that! The triumph was so huge that IBM had to fall down(due to their bad management mostly) and Microsoft emerged as the software giant in 80s and 90s and Bill Gates as the Sultan of the Software! He was good enough to notice the importance of GUI when he
started making Windows @ Microsoft. Though, It is mostly copied from Macintosh !(Mind you, The original GUI was a creation of Xerox PARC which Steve Jobs saw. and hence Macintosh itself is not original!)

He faced a lot of criticism and allegations about trying to create a monopoly in the business. The antitrust lawsuit that was filed against Microsoft, was I think one of the saddest phases in Gates's career. Gates is a kind of person who wants to win all the time, for him Winning is really really important. Later on, he started philanthropic work. Though Software still remains his first love, he has stepped down to devote full time for society and his philanthropy. I wish him all the best with his future and he will remain a HERO for many geeks worldwide, at least me!

I am giving some links really useful and one must have a look at them, trust me!
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Together - Historic discussion at D5
The Bill Gates story - aired on the Biography Channel
Triumph of the Nerds
The Pirates of the silicon valley
Fortune - Slideshow of Some rare photos

Being Twenty Something - "Quarter Life Crisis"

2008-06-26T11:49:00.005+05:30

[Source - An e-mail forwarded by a friend!]

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it.
We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...

We call it the 'Quarter-life Crisis.'

Tomato Story

2008-06-25T12:56:00.004+05:30

Received this via an e-mail... :)

TOMATO STORY

A Jobless man applied for the position of 'office boy' at Microsoft.The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.

'You are employed' he said. Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.

The man replied 'But I don't have a computer, neither an email'.

'I'm sorry', said the HR manager. If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job.'

The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours,he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times,and returned home with $60.

The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled everyday.

Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US ...
He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.

He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his email.

The man replied,'I don't have an email.'

The broker answered curiously, 'You don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e mail?!!' The man thought for a while and replied,
'Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!'

World Record Certificate for Downloading Firefox 3

2008-06-20T21:01:00.003+05:30

To get one for yourself, Click Here!

Nadvedh - नादवेध

2008-06-13T18:45:00.006+05:30

12 June..The day many maharashtrians would remember! The memorial day of the idol - Pu la Deshpande! Swaranjali Pratishthan, Pune organized a program in his tribute! I was fortunate enough to attend!

Nadvedh is more of a mehfil! It is anchored by Mr Achyut S Godbole(ASG). What this man can do is a different topic all together, but this is just one of the many facets of his personality! I will have a blog post separately dedicated to him, sometime later!

Coming back to the topic, till this program, I was never fascinated by Classical Music. Maybe my ignorance about this thing being the prime reason! But I never really understood why would a someone go on singing one raag for 2 hours, 3 hours ! I used to see the so called 'learned' listeners and would get really irritated when they would show that they have a lot of knowledge in what is going on on the stage. I have no problem with people enjoying, but there has to be some limit. Why show world? Keep it with you! And people who believe they understand a thing or two about music, do have a tendency to show off - This is my personal opinion. Many can argue on that! To each its own!

Nadvedh changed my whole attitude towards Music. ASG explained raags like Bhimpalasi, Malhar, Yaman and their various other derivatives, the various hindi, marathi movie songs, non-movie songs, gazals, bandishis, various memories associated with those songs, few things about the lives of the music maestros - Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Mehdi Hassan etc ! It was all just majestic!! One would like to just go on listening to ASG as he unfolds. The peculiar thing about him is that, at the start ASG makes you believe that he himself doesnt know a great deal about music..Just being like any other guy like you. But as he goes on n on n on.. You realize that you are being fooled... n this guy is really a father of many in this category. Such is the charisma of this program! He is equally supported on stage by his sister, Sulabha Pishawikar who happens to be a trained classical singer and some other singers to accompany the mehfil !

The program has installed some interest in me to start understanding Music in order to enjoy it more! I dont think Music is a thing to analyze..But it is something that you should enjoy. One should be able to feel Music. In Kishoritai's words, "Music musically leads to silence"! What say folks?

Gmail Labs + Google Talk Labs

2008-06-06T18:36:00.004+05:30

Many of the Google followers must be aware of the fact about Google has a website that demonstrates new Google projects which are not ready for prime time as yet - Yes, you are right. I am talking about Google Labs. Google Reader, Google Notebook, iGoogle, Google Maps etc being some of the wonderful graduates of labs.

Recently Google released Google Talk Labs edition. I tried it today, its good and really useful. It doesnt have many updates to the normal Gtalk version. Just few desktop notifications added and some changes with Talk UI.

More importantly, Google released a GMail Labs version yesterday. I dont how many of you are aware but this outstanding e-mail client service is still in its Beta version. It just makes you wonder what Google is thinking in terms of advancing GMail. I have been using a Better Gmail firefox extension for quite a few months now. The new GMail Labs version is more a step towards adding the Better Gmail Greasemonkey scripts to standard Gmail, though not entirely. But it is really good and really useful. What u need to do is just search for Labs tab in Gmail Settings. So guys, go check out the new additions with both GTalk and GMail Labs.

To know more on GMail Labs, See this Official Gmail blog and Gmail Labs - Lifehacker story.

Update: Dated June 7, 2008
The link to this post appeared on Official Gmail Blog yesterday and viola! My site traffic just shoot up like never before! So for all u bloggers out there who want to increase their site traffic, link as much as u can :)

I wonder why !

2008-06-06T08:36:00.001+05:30

I wonder why. I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder.
I wonder why I wonder why
I wonder why I wonder !
-- Richard P. Feynman

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

2008-05-30T20:08:00.005+05:30

Few days back, a good friend of mine - Aditya shared me a youtube link. I wasnt really excited about it... as the video was some 76 minutes long and So it would take few hours to buffer that. Rather I decided to download it so that i can see it afterwards. Well the video is about Randy Pausch, A 47 year old Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Professor, and it was his last lecture. Randy was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer in Sept 2006 and was told in August 2007 to expect a remaining three to six months of good health.

This lecture is titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". Before speaking, Pausch received a long standing ovation from a large crowd of over 400 colleagues and students. When he motioned them to sit down, saying, "Make me earn it," some in the audience shouted back, "You did!".

Few excerpts from the Wall Street Journal's article on Randy. I recommend all to read this article.

"Randy Pausch, a professor at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, has become famous for the way in which he chose to say goodbye to his students and colleagues. His final lecture to them, delivered last September, turned into a phenomenon, viewed by millions on the Internet. Dying of pancreatic cancer, he showed a love of life and an approach to death that people have found inspiring. For many of us, his lecture has become a reminder that our own futures are similarly -- if not as drastically -- brief. His fate is ours, sped up."

I am embedding that video here for your reference - DON'T MISS IT !

Spread Firefox - Download Day 2008

2008-05-29T21:01:00.005+05:30

Come, Join Mozilla in a mission to create a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours ! As many of you might be aware that Firefox 3 is set for its release in June, all you have to do is download Firefox 3 on the Download Day(official date to be announced soon) and help your favorite browser make a Guinness World Record. Check out SpreadFirefox link for details.

One more thing needs to be added. As i see the SpreadFirefox site now, Only 1321 people from India have pledged to download Firefox 3 on the download day, out of the total 99269 pledges. Come on India, What is this?.. I am sure we can do a hellll lottt better.. Lets show the world, we are not far behind ! I hope my countrymen do not let me down..I HOPE !

The 3 mistakes of my life

2008-05-24T13:34:00.005+05:30

For all u Chetan Bhagat fans out there(i am surely being one), CB has come up wid his new book almost after a span of 3 years - the 3 mistakes of my life! Given the vast success his previous two books had achieved, this one is not going to disappoint you. Though many CB critics feel that his books do not fall into the literature category - I dont care, rather we all CB fans dont care! "The biggest-selling english language novelist in India's history" -- Chetan Bhagat covered by New York Times! This man is really making India read big in recent times. FPS, one night @ call center and now 3...The subjects are so close to the current generation..No wonder he strikes the chord with the indian youth in no time !

The 3 mistakes of my life is again a story of 3 friends..a story about business, cricket, and religion...I really enjoyed reading it. There are lots of incidents which are totally filmy..but isn't it a CB book speciality?..I would not go into the plot of the story..its better you go n read ! I recommend this book to all! You can also have a look at some of reviews here - Rashmi, livemint.

Memristor - The Fourth Passive Circuit Element revealed

2008-05-01T23:39:00.008+05:30

Memristor (Short for Memory Resistor)is all over the news today...Yesss the missing fourth fundamental passive circuit element has been discovered at last ! This is in no boubt a real big achievement.. and is something really new in the fundamental electronics.

Well, theorotically Memristor isnt anything new. It has existed in theory for last 37 years, But it is now, today that it has been discovered by four researchers at HP Labs’ Information and Quantum Systems Lab, led by R. Stanley Williams. In a paper published in today’s edition of Nature, researchers at HP Labs presented the mathematical model and a physical example of a 'memristor' – a blend of memory and resistor – which has the unique property of retaining a history of the information it has acquired.

And this can mean big implications ! One application for this research could be the development of a new kind of computer memory that would supplement and eventually replace today’s commonly used dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Computers using conventional DRAM lack the ability to retain information once they lose power. When power is restored to a DRAM-based computer, a slow, energy-consuming 'boot-up' process is necessary to retrieve data from a magnetic disk required to run the system. “A memory based on memristors could be 1000 times faster than magnetic disks and use much less power,” Williams says.

A memristor is essentially a resistor with memory. The actual resistance of the memristor changes depending on the amount of voltage and the time for which that voltage has been applied to the device. The IEEE Spectrum article has much more profound article on this and as is EETimes article. trust me, both are a must read!

And as IEEE Kirchoff Award winner Leon Chua( He was the one who predicted the existence of memristors) says about this discovery "now all the EE textbooks need to be changed" !!!

Viva la resistance

2008-04-30T11:55:00.002+05:30

Source - http://www.iamanangelchaser.com/products/viva_la_resistance/viva_la_resistance.html

Some good management fundas

2008-04-30T11:05:00.002+05:30

Lalu Yadav.. Hilarious !

2008-04-20T13:19:00.003+05:30

This is Lalu Yadav at his very best ! Must see !!

Little hearts can keep beating, free of cost !

2008-04-19T10:30:00.002+05:30

Please pass it on...

Amitabh Bachchan starts Blogging

2008-04-19T09:43:00.006+05:30

It was Aamir 'The Ace' Khan who was the first Indian actor to start blogging seriously...Taking inspiration from him, many bollywood actors were seen on the blogosphere. Its now AB's turn to start blogging and interact with his fans on the Internet.

Bachchan has tied up with bigadda.com and will have his personal space there, where he will interact with his fans. He has requested his fans to talk to him, give him advice and suggestions, and said he wants to show them the real him through the blogsite.

When contacted Amitabh Bachchan said, “Yes my ID is bigb.bigadda.com. This gives me a platform to put across my views and thoughts and an opportunity to interact with my fans directly.”

When asked him how actively he plans to blog, given his busy schedule, he said, “I shall try to attend to it on a daily basis. I am new to this, so I am yet uncertain about the kind of time constraint it will involve. But I would like to make my blogs as personal as possible.”

Keep it up Mr. AB. For interested, Click here to read AB's Blog !

Renesas To Start Training On Microcontrollers

2008-04-19T09:32:00.002+05:30

Renesas Technology Singapore Pte Ltd (RTSP) and EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd (EFY) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate with each other to establish an education programme on Renesas Microcontroller (MCU).

The MoU signing ceremony embarks upon a mission to establish 'Hands-on Training' -- an education programme on Renesas Microcontroller to be offered by EFY to engineers, students and all such interested individuals and entities in India. The aim of the programme is to improve engineers’ technical proficiency on Renesas Microcontroller on embedded system design efficiency for the industry in India.

Goodbye Internet...GRID is coming

2008-04-09T10:10:00.002+05:30

Do you use High Speed Internet? Does it take time to load some websites? How much time do you take to download a movie on it? Hours ?? Well, the reason this happens is that the no of users using the Internet is far beyond its capacity. Any Solution?.. Yes there is ! Dont worry..The successor to the Internet - GRID is coming ! Using GRID, one would be able to download a movie in 7 secs ! The most loved Internet may soon look like the floppy drives of early 90s compared to the Blue-ray disc.

The inventor of the Web, CERN, a Swiss organisation, is laying bricks for the next-age communication with the Grid. The Grid is supposed to be 10,000 times faster than the current connections. On the lines of the Web, the Grid will first connect leading research and academic institutions. But eventually, it will reach homes as well.

The possibilities that the Grid will offer are so vast that the imagination will have to take a back seat and wait for the Grid.

Interested people may want to have a look at this - GridCafe.

Achievers 08 - A salute to the torch bearers

2008-04-05T23:36:00.003+05:30

Today i got a chance to attend a program organised by PUMBA called Achievers 08. The program was to felicitate some of the industry leaders and the achievers in their respective domains. The achievers list included some eminent personalities like -

Mr Dilip Chhabria, CEO and Chief Designer, DC Designs Pvt Ltd
Mr Achyut Godbole, MD, Softexcel Consultancy Services
Mr Ravi Pandit, Founder Chairman, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd and
Mr Subhash Kapre, CEO, Serum Institute of India

Today was one of the most memorable days in my life that i got to listen to all those eminent personalities. To learn from their experiences was a great experience. To know more about the event - Click here for the PUMBA site.

Microsoft Virtual TechDays

2008-03-27T19:27:00.002+05:30

Microsoft Virtual TechDays - An event organized by Microsoft India for Developers and IT professionals to give further insight into Microsoft's latest technologies ! To be joined virtually on April 9 and 10 !

P.S.:- This is my 100th blog post ! Happy Blogging !

I blog, therefore I am. I am the Blog.

2008-03-26T01:43:00.002+05:30

A wonderful video created on the eve of Pune Blogger meet organised by Indiblogger.in and Vineet Rajan

3 Corporate Lessons

2008-03-25T16:34:00.004+05:30

Found a nice ppt while stumbling through some blogs. Source - Ravi Mevcha. The PPT is prepared by IIM - Kolkata and it explains 3 important lessons that need to be learned in Corporate Life!

| View | Upload your own

Sir Arthur C. Clarke Dies

2008-03-19T23:31:00.003+05:30

The visionary behind Communication Satellites Sir Arthur C. Clarke died today morning! He had always been ahead of his time. His vision of putting geostationary satellites in orbit totally changed our lives. It was Clarke who floated the idea of using geosynchronous satellites for communications long before such technology changed our world. Clarke's most important contribution to science may be in propagating the idea that geostationary satellites would be ideal telecommunications relays.

More on this - Here

India loses Rs 55 Thousand Crores per anum

2008-03-19T18:49:00.002+05:30

A recent study report by 'The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India' better known as ASSOCHAM shows that over Rs.55,000 crore per annum is repatriated out of India on 4,50,000 Indian students that go abroad for professional career.

That is a huge number. If some part of this money remains in India itself, we could have many more IITs and IIMs ! On an average, an IIT student pays only US$ 120 per month as fees in IITs while youths opting to go abroad for career making sell out US$ 1500 to US$ 5000 fee per month in equivalent institutions in countries like USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and UK, adds ASSOCHAM assessment.

The students are not to blame for this! What can they do? The exams that allow admission to IITs and IIMs , not more than 2% of the students that appear for the exam get qualified for such institutes. So around 40% of the remaining 98% students opt for the institutes in other countries and are ready to pay the staggering fees !

The picture of the higher education system has to change in India if one wants to stop this staggering flow of brain drain !

To view report - Click Here

आदमी बुलबुला है पानी का...

2008-03-07T17:54:00.003+05:30

आदमी बुलबुला है पानी का...
और पानी कि बहती सतह पर तुटता भी है..डुबता भी है..
फिर उभरता है ..फ़िर से बहता है...
ना समंदर निगल सका इसको..
ना तारीख तोड पायी है...
वक्त की मौज पे सदा बहता...
आदमी बुलबुला है पानी का...

-- गुलजार साब

Nokia Morph Concept

2008-02-28T21:56:00.006+05:30

Wow ! Haven't seen anything like this before ! amazing !

Nokia has just rolled out its Morph concept. Morph is a concept demonstrating some of the possibilities nanotechnologies might enable in future communication devices. Morph can sense its environment, is energy harvesting and self cleaning. Morph is a flexible two-piece device that can adapt its shape to different use modes. Nanotechnology enables to have adaptive materials yet rigid forms on demand.

See this video of Morph for more !

A Hug is all we need !

2008-02-27T11:06:00.002+05:30

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person...

Kimayagar...Hats off !

2008-02-22T12:34:00.005+05:30

Our humans need to understand the world around us has inspired some of human kinds greatest discoveries - from unleashing the fearsome power of an atom, to uncovering the nature of light itself, to revealing the forces that hold our entire universe together. This journey of understanding has been astonishing and gives us an idea about what a human intellect can do. But many times we hardly seem to know much about the people who were the force behind these discoveries - the greatest minds ! Yes frankly, how many of you would know about 'Maxwell'? Well, had he not been there, we wouldn't have had all the Wireless communication, mobile, cell phones that we see everywhere these days; nothing ! If J.J. Thompson had not discovered electron, There wouldn't have been electronics ! Just imagine the world around us if those people had not discovered those things ! Yet, how much do we know about them?..

Well, this is what KIMAYAGAR, a book written in marathi by Mr Achyut Godbole, does. The way the author has narrated the greatest discoveries in science is really commendable. The stories of all those great minds - Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Bohr, Fynmann, Heisenberg, Planck and many more. This book is really a treasure! I loved reading it. It was like reading a story book. The science had never felt so easier to me.

I believe, if you want to learn about some discovery(say transistor), First follow the history behind the discovery. See how the people who discovered those things came to know about it. The things look a far lot easier if you do so.

In the process, i also searched on net for these greatest discoveries in physics and found two of the best videos i have seen. One, 100 greatest discoveries in physics, a TV show that was aired on Discovery Channel and second, BBC Atom. I wish i had seen these videos earlier - maybe during my school , or during my junior college! Better late than never !!

Just to add, KIMAYAGAR has inspired me to start a science series in my school. The series will be an attempt to create interest about science and maths in student's mind. I will be showing such videos to them - the basic purpose being Creating Interest! Though i was not able to know about these things when i was in school/college, i feel this should not happen with others! I am trying my best in that regard ! Long way to go before i sleep!

Thats it !

The 'Lenna' Story

2008-02-11T12:50:00.000+05:30

The above picture needs no introduction for people who at some point of time in their life have come across Image Compression. Yes, the famous 'Lenna' image! Ever wondered to know the story behind this image? Read on !

The lady in the picture is Lena Soderberg. The picture's history was described in the May 2001 newsletter of the IEEE Professional Communication Society, in an article by Jamie Hutchinson:-

“Alexander Sawchuk estimates that it was in June or July of 1973 when he, then an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California Signal and Image Processing Institute (SIPI), along with a graduate student and the SIPI lab manager, was hurriedly searching the lab for a good image to scan for a colleague's conference paper. They got tired of their stock of usual test images, dull stuff dating back to television standards work in the early 1960s. They wanted something glossy to ensure good output dynamic range, and they wanted a human face. Just then, somebody happened to walk in with a recent issue of Playboy.

The engineers tore away the top third of the centerfold so they could wrap it around the drum of their Muirhead wirephoto scanner, which they had outfitted with analog-to-digital converters (one each for the red, green, and blue channels) and a Hewlett Packard 2100 minicomputer. The Muirhead had a fixed resolution of 100 lines per inch and the engineers wanted a 512 × 512 image, so they limited the scan to the top 5.12 inches of the picture, effectively cropping it at the subject's shoulders.”

If you want to see the ORIGINAL Lenna image that appeared on the Playboy magazine - Click Here. WARNING this picture contains nudity.

David C. Munson, editor-in-chief, January 1996 IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, cited two reasons for the popularity of the image in research:-

“First, the image contains a nice mixture of detail, flat regions, shading, and texture that do a good job of testing various image processing algorithms. It is a good test image! Second, the Lena image is a picture of an attractive woman. It is not surprising that the (mostly male) image processing research community gravitated toward an image that they found attractive."

Lenna attended the 50th Anniversary IS&T conference in Boston held in May 1997.

Inspirational

2008-02-08T18:36:00.001+05:30

Open Source India Week

2008-02-07T13:35:00.000+05:30

Hardly a week is left when India will once again witness the force of open source revolution in different cities. Rechristened as Open Source India Week, the LinuxAsia event is living up to its new name. A week-long event will span across three cities -- Bengaluru (11-12 February), Mumbai (13 February) and Delhi (14-15 February 2008). The feeling of being one large community with a common goal is the basis of the movement. Keeping up with the philosophy, organizers of the event have announced that they are releasing 500 entry tickets (worth Rs 1,000) to the week-long event for free.

The free tickets will entitle registrants to get some privileged benefits which include, the keynote and star-speaker sessions, the Tech Tracks which are for IT developers and IT administrators. You will also be entitled to get access to the Expo. One of the most attractive features will be the FOSS Solutions for the disabled.

This year, once again, you will get a chance to brush shoulders with some of the celebrities of the open source movement including Brian Behlendorf, Klaus Knopper (Knoppix), David Axmark (MySQL), Paul Kangro(Novell), Louis Sourez Potts (OpenOffice) and Michael Shiloh (OpenMoko). Besides, more than 15 international and 60 Indian high-quality speakers will share their knowledge and experience at OSIW 2008!

So, you need to be there. Click here to register!

Love means ...

2008-01-30T11:47:00.000+05:30

This is really special -

Slow down for three minutes to read this.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shavingcologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,'
Nikka - age 6 (We need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt.'
Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

MBA in a Page...

2008-01-30T10:26:00.000+05:30

A comprehensive list of management theories. Its 'MBA in a Page'. Check out guys ! Very Useful !

Happy Republic Day...

2008-01-26T11:22:00.000+05:30

Success

2008-01-25T21:52:00.000+05:30

The Ten Commandments of Success
1. Hard Work: Hard work is the best investment a man can make.
2. Study Hard: Knowledge enables a man to work more intelligently and effectively.
3. Have Initiative: Ruts often deepen into graves.
4. Love Your Work: Then you will find pleasure in mastering it.
5. Be Exact: Slipshod methods bring slipshod results.
6. Have the Spirit of Conquest: Thus you can successfully battle and overcome
difficulties.
7. Cultivate Personality: Personality is to a man what perfume is to the flower.
8. Help and Share with Others: The real test of business greatness lies in giving
opportunity to others.
9. Be Democratic: Unless you feel right toward your fellow men, you can never
be a successful leader of men.
10. In all Things Do Your Best: The man who has done his best has done everything.
The man who has done less than his best has done nothing.
—CHARLES M. SCHWAB

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

2008-01-25T21:44:00.001+05:30

There is a story about four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it,but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when actually Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
-- Anonymous

Meri Maa ...

2008-01-19T23:41:00.001+05:30

A very heart touching song from Taare Zamin Par...

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa

Bheed Mein Yun Na Chodo Mujhe
Ghar Laut Ke Bhi Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Bhej Na Itna Door Mujkko Tu
Yaad Bhi Tujhko Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Kya Itna Bura Hoon Main Maa
Kya Itna Bura Meri Maa

Jab Bhi Kabhi Papa Mujhe
Jo Zor Se Jhoola Jhulate Hain Maa
Meri Nazar Dhoondhe Tujhe
Sochu Yahi Tu Aa Ke Thaamegi Maa

Unse Main Yeh Kehta Nahin
Par Main Seham Jaata Hoon Maa
Chehre Pe Aana Deta Nahin
Dil Hi Dil Mein Ghabraata Hoon Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Hai Naa Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Meri Maa

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa

For all those who do not understand Hindi ..Dont worry! There is a translation too .. just feel those words ...

I've never told you
How scared I am of the dark
I've never told you
How much I care for you
But you know, dont you, Ma?
You know everything, my Ma.

Dont leave me alone in crowds
I'll lose my way back home
Dont send me to places far away
Where you wont even remember me
Am I so bad, Ma?
Am I so bad, my Ma?

When sometimes Papa swings me
Too high in the air,
My eyes search for you, hoping
You'll come and hold me safe

I dont tell him
But I get petrified
I dont let it show
But my heart sinks
you know everything, dont you Ma?
You know everything, my Ma.

I've never told you
How scared I am of the dark
I've never told you
How much I care for you
But you know, dont you, Ma?
You know everything, my Ma.

Happy PERTH Day

2008-01-19T21:25:00.000+05:30

This has got to be India's greatest test victory till now. The Indians outplayed aussies in all departments. It was a complete team effort, everybody chipped in with their efforts. A great gift by the whole team to Jumbo. I think the spell from Ishant Sharma to Ponting was unbelievable. The boy bowled 9 overs on the trot, and nearly got him out half a dozen time ! Its the bowlers that are going to win India matches. Great comeback for both Irfaan and Sehwag. Viru was superve with his ideas in letting Ishant bowl the extra over that got the Ponting wicket and also chipped in with wickets of Gilchrist and Lee. The innings played by VVS to me was the defining moment in the match. his partnership with RP gave India that much lead. The last team to beat Australia in their own backyards was India when we won in Adelaide..Win at WACA will make Aussies shake when they come to play in the next match, thats for sure! Congrats once again to Indian team ! Chak De ... Chak De India !

Jumbo 600 not out ...

2008-01-18T23:27:00.000+05:30

Anil Kumble became only the third bowler to take 600 wickets in test cricket when he got the prised scalp of Andrew Symonds on the second day of the third test at WACA, Perth, Australia. It makes me wonder who would have thought 2 years ago that this man would reach this height. Astonishing ! Well, well !

The last 3 years have really been one of the best years in his cricketing career. The last 200 wickets that he has taken have come in just 40 tests. A maiden century against england..Indian Test team captaincy, the innings that he played at Sydney in this series nearly saved India the match. To be honest, Kumble is not gifted with natural abilities like Warne or Murali has. Thats why i admire him a lot. A perfect team man. I still remember the test match in antigua when he had a injured jaw.. and he still came on to bowl..If any of you have seen that match .. u can recollect those images when Kumble had his head wrapped up with bandage.. And he still managed to get Lara trapped LBW...hats off !

I am very happy for him since he has toiled really hard to reach this place. He has shown that changes in length and pace can deceive the batsman as much as turn and flight. It would be more appropriate if India can win this test match. If they do, it was the 600th wicket(Symonds wicket) that was the turning point for this match ! Jumbo would be no more happier !

If he continues at the rate at which he is going, he would soon reach the 700 club to join warnie and murali..i wish him best luck and good health !

Just to add, I think the bowlers are not given the credit they deserve. Mostly the batsman oriented game, we often talk about the no of runs scored, centuries made..The bowling records are not given the due credit. I think taking 5 wickets is equivalent to scoring 100 runs .. So the 600 wickets would mean a equivalent of 12000 runs ! Yes 12000 runs ! Food for thought gentlemen !!

Side Effetcs of Tata's Nano Car

2008-01-16T23:04:00.000+05:30

Recieved this through an e-mail from one friend... could not resist but to post it :).. Hilarious ! Enjoy !

MYTODAY SMS

2008-01-16T13:08:00.000+05:30

I dont know how many of you are already aware of this. MYTODAY SMS is a free service which provides you free SMS updates on the topic of your own choice. I got to know about this one through a friend. What you need to do is just send one SMS to 9845398453 for the subscription. You only pay two rupees once for sending the START / STOP sms(Charges applicable as per your operator). All daily incoming SMS thereafter are Free. The service is available only for the Indian residents.

There are a whole lot of topics available for updates such as - JOKES, QUIZ, NEWS, SENSEX, POEMS, TRAVEL, HOME, CAREER, QUOTES, WORD, BOLLYWOOD, PANCHANG, LOVE, PREM etc.
I feel this is a very helpful service and virtually free of cost!

The Man who Knew Infinity - Ramanujan

2008-01-11T20:55:00.001+05:30

Yesterday I was watching a movie called - Good Will Hunting. There, a character makes reference to Ramanujan as the Mathematical Genius. I was amazed. Though i had heard of Ramanujan, it wasnt as much as the film refers. I left the movie in between and started googling about Ramanujan and i was startled by what i came to know about him. I have come to a conclusion that Ramanujan is the world's gratest unknown mathematician ! yes, i mean it! I know thats a pretty bold statement for me but i am sure that many of you would feel the same if you read about this legend.

The first thing that sruck me was that Ramanujan died at the age of 32! yes 32! A person who is regarded as the one of the greatest mathematical geniuses of the 20th century, died when he was 32, when he was at the peak of his talent! I know history doesnt believe in If ..then ...But i just wonder what this man could have achieved had he lived for 20 more years ! I dont understand why such things happen. Take the examples of Dnyaneshwara, Vivekanand - They all died at such an early age. Such a loss to the mankind!

Going back to Ramanujan, His passion for mathematics was combined with indifference to other subjects. He failed in most of his other subjects. In January 1913, when he was working as a clerk in Madras, he sent the Cambridge mathematician G.H. Hardy nine pages of closely written mathematical formulae, in a rounded schoolboy script. That letter, now a historic document, was the turning point in his career. At first Hardy thought the author might be a crank; but after studying the theorems he realised that they "could only be written down by a mathematician of the highest class... They must be true because, if they were not true, no one would have the imagination to invent them."

Hardy had developed a scale of mathematical ability on which he could place the mathematicians he knew. He assigned himself a modest 25, and Littlewood a 30. To the eminent David Hilbert(Remember Hilbert Transform?), he assigned an 80 and to Ramanujan, he gave a 100.

Attending his first Cambridge lecture and asked by a professor whether he wanted to add anything, Ramanujan went to the blackboard and wrote results the professor had not yet proved — and which he could not have known before. In one episode, Hardy visited him in a nursing home and commented that the license number of the cab he had come in, 1729, was "rather a dull number." Ramanujan reacted instantly. "No, Hardy. It is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways." Wow ! Hats Off !

G. H. Hardy quotes: "The limitations of his knowledge were as startling as its profundity. Here was a man who could work out modular equations and theorems... to orders unheard of, whose mastery of continued fractions was... beyond that of any mathematician in the world, who had found for himself the functional equation of the zeta function and the dominant terms of many of the most famous problems in the analytic theory of numbers; and yet he had never heard of a doubly-periodic function or of Cauchy's theorem, and had indeed but the vaguest idea of what a function of a complex variable was..." Hardy went on to claim that his greatest contribution to mathematics was discovering Ramanujan.

No wonder a film is been made on the life of Ramanujan - Link.
I feel at least that will make people aware about the magical genius the world could see very little of. A good collection of Ramanujan papers, notebooks is available here - link. Even a biographical song has been made on the life of Ramanujan - http://www.archive.org/details/Ramanujan
There are some wonderful books been written on the life of Ramanujan -
The Man who Knew Infinity, Ramanujan, the Man and the Mathematician, Number Theory in the Spirit of Ramanujan etc. A few documentaries have also been made, i tried to search for that torrent but could not find. If any of you ever get that, please let me know.

I still have that question in my mind - what this man would have accomplished had he lived?

Homemade wooden binary adding machine

2008-01-07T15:14:00.000+05:30

Welcome... Year 2008

2008-01-01T10:34:00.000+05:30

Dream...
And as you dream,
Remember...
That only you can make
Your dreams come true.

Reach...
And as you reach,
Remember that...
Success takes time,
Devotion,
And sometimes a little
Disappointment.

Believe...
And as you believe,
You will find
Reaching gets easier,
Setbacks get
More manageable,
Life becomes
More meaningful.

There's a wonderful dream
Waiting just for you...
Very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Do engineers really do R&D?

2007-12-30T14:40:00.000+05:30

Embedded Guru - Jack Ganssle has a column on embedded.com called Breakpoints. A highly recommended read if you are or want to be a embedded systems developer. Recently Jack wrote a nice article on what actually R&D is meant for and what actually it is. I would like to post that small article over here or else you can have a look at it @ Breakpoints

"Research and Development. R&D. It's the lifeblood of tech companies, and it's what we engineers do all day, every day.

Nonsense.

There's no such thing as R&D. There's R, and there's D, and the two are completely separate activities.

Research is all about discovering new things. It's the science that ultimately enables the products we build, the metaphorical man-behind-the-curtain pulling the levers to control the machines we create.

Research might also involve discovering new algorithms, like new ways to smooth signals or compress data. "New" might mean new to us but not to the world. So we research an idea or a need, and then switch to development mode. The result of research is an approach that one can then implement.

Development is taking known ideas and using them to build products. That's the bulk of an engineer's work. We transform an algorithm to something physical, like converting a CRC algorithm to C code, to VHDL inside an FPGA, or to logic components.

One of my top ten reasons for failed projects is "bad science," or the inability to separate R from D. When a company starts building a product before really understanding what is being measured the schedule is doomed. Start coding an algorithm without it being sharply defined and, at best, you'll wander aimlessly till, with luck, settling on an approach that works.

Research simply can't be scheduled. If you don't believe that, please develop a (realistic) schedule for discovering the cure for cancer.

You might be able to guesstimate simple research schedules, like doing a search for a known algorithm, but even that is, in my experience, very difficult to estimate. The first "Eureka" is often followed by disappointment when a little experimenting reveals some fatal flaw, requiring more research to find a better approach.

Yet I constantly see teams conflating R and D, leading inevitably to late or failed projects.

Sure, there are some projects that necessarily pursue R and D in parallel. But those care rarely be scheduled with any accuracy.

What do you think? Have you ever had a project disaster because you were doing R and the same time as D?"
-- Jack Ganssle

Future of Nanoelectronics: 20-Hour Battery Life for your Laptop

2007-12-30T12:09:00.000+05:30

When people think of nanotechnology in electronics they like to imagine molecular electronics, but it may be the mundane that pushes nanotechnology further into the electronics industry.

Imagine a laptop battery that could last 20 hours rather than 2. That is what you call a unique selling point, and surely something that has long been sought by computer manufacturers.

Some of you might remember NEC letting it be known (back in 2001, then in 2003, and again in 2004--the picture above gives you an indication of how long ago this was) that they had a fuel-cell battery enabled by nanotechnology that would last for 40 hours, and it would hit the market by 2004. It was never released to the market, and is hardly mentioned now except for those who question, “Whatever happened to…?”

The latest entry into the fray of improving upon Li-Ion battery technology comes from Yi Cui, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford.

The beauty of this solution is…well, it’s not a fuel cell with all its incumbent limitations. Instead it simply replaces the lithium in the anode with silicon nanowires…that’s very simply.

Supposedly, current manufacturing techniques can easily accommodate this solution. That said, it is still just research, although Cui has announced the launching of a start-up to commercialize the technology.

Expect a lot more in the field of battery technology. Pretty safe bet that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Warehouse-automation robots perform The Nutcracker

2007-12-30T12:04:00.000+05:30

In the spirit of the holidays, it's the ballet of bots.Read more about this "dance company" of warehouse-automation robots at the Automaton blog.

VLSI Design Conference 2008 Hyderabad

2007-12-28T22:06:00.000+05:30

VLSI Design Conference 2008 (the 21st International Conference on VLSI Design and also the seventh International Conference on Embedded Systems), sponsored by VLSI Society of India, IEEE, IEEE-SSCS, will be held form 4 January to 8 January 2008 at HICC, Hyderabad, India.

The joint conference presents a platform for researchers and designers to present and discuss various aspects of VLSI design, electronic design automation (EDA), enabling technologies and embedded systems. It covers the entire spectrum of activities in the two vital areas of VLSI and embedded systems, which underpin the semiconductor industry.

The five-day programme will consist of regular paper sessions, special sessions, embedded tutorials, panel discussions, design contest, industrial exhibits and two days of tutorials. The 2008 conference has a particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities in nanoelectronics.
For Details - VlsiConference

The Shawshank Redemption...

2007-12-22T19:10:00.000+05:30

These days i have been making full use of my internet connection. I downloaded lots of movies - The Shawshank Redemption being the first to be downloaded. I had heard lots of praise for this one on imdb, so wanted to see this one desperately. After watching this film, i can very well say that this is the best movie i have seen till now.

The Shawshank Redemption is an absolute must see movie. The internal message which one should take away from this movie is that one's body can be physically or metaphorically imprisoned, but no one person or thing can take away your hopes or dreams unless you let them. Fantastic movie!!!

I remenber below lines by Red(Morgon Freeman) the most -
"Sometimes it makes me sad though, Andy being gone, I have to remind myself that some birds are not meant to be caged, there feathers are just too bright and when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up, does rejoice but still the place you live in is that much more drab and empty when there gone.
I guess I just miss my friend"

Steeped in symbolism, the film leaves us with plenty of memorable quotes.
As Andy plays the letter duet from The Marriage of Figaro, Red narrates:
"I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are better left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and it makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was as if some beautiful bird had flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free."

I highly recommend this film to you all.

Lead India

2007-12-22T11:06:00.000+05:30

Long time.. no see?...

2007-12-18T01:03:00.000+05:30

Yes,its been long time since i have REALLY posted something on my blog.I had lots of subjects in my mind to write, but it was maybe sheer laziness and a bit of very hectic work schedule that i was not able to blog this last two months. To be frank, sometimes i really feel bored to sit, think and then write for a post...I think this thing should get automatised...U just think of a topic to blog..and voila the post is published automatically[he he] ! okie..jokes apart ! now that i have a relaxed life, maybe i can contribute more here. Last 4-5 months have really been a roller coaster ride for me on my project work. But it feels great to be a part of one of the best R&D projects of your company. Though i cant reveal much of the project contents(Thanks to Company's code of conduct), i would like to give a brief on my project later. Bye for now.. c ya !

Reliance Broadband @ home...

2007-12-04T12:08:00.000+05:30

Finally i have a Reliance Broadband @ my home now...

Seven Wonders of the IT World

2007-10-12T19:16:00.000+05:30

CIO Magazine recently named its list of Seven Wonders of the IT World:

1. The Linux kernel
2. OQO, Model 02 (smallest PC to run Windows Vista)
3. IBM BlueGene/L (largest supercomputer)
4. The E-sciencE II project (largest computer grid)
5. Google data center in Oregon
6. NASA’s Voyager 1 satellite (the computer farthest from Earth)
7. Floating Webcam at the North Pole

You can look at the full article here

I really like the concept of highlighting the top technological marvels of the IT world.

How about MAE East and MAE West? They are the heart of the Internet. How about the Bill Gates house? It is the ultimate IT-enabled home for hosting business associates. What about Intel Research Labs? It’s pretty cool to see all those people in white coats building the next generation chips that will power computers, phones, and the Internet.

Secrets of SPUTNIK

2007-10-11T11:31:00.000+05:30

Gmail: Behind the Scenes (Final Cut)

2007-09-24T13:51:00.000+05:30

45 days and counting… to the magic of 45nm Hafnium

2007-09-12T18:14:00.000+05:30

In 45 days, a new building called “Fab 32” tucked into a sleepy corner of Arizona will come to life. Inside this building a new type of device will be made in incredible numbers. These devices will be able to shop for groceries, analyze proteins, play computer games, model financial markets, allow you to chat to your aunt in Australia, design automobiles and search for aliens. And these devices will do so faster than ever before, cooler than ever before and better than ever before.

I am of course talking about Intel‘s new high-k and metal gate based 45nm chips. The champion of technology and the true revolutionary; Gordon Moore said earlier this year – “…high-k and metal materials marks the biggest change in transistor technology since the introduction of polysilicon gate MOS transistors in the late 1960s.” Like the original silicon MOS transistors, the devices created at this new manufacturing fab will be forged with new ideas and new materials including — Hafnium. The new fab will be the world’s first 45nm (nanometer = teeny-tiny) facility to make Intel’s latest generation microprocessors based on the new high-k metal gate transistors, and do so in colossal numbers.

The first of these new chips were manufactured back in January at the development fab (called D1D - see a video of D1D here) up in Hillsboro, Oregon. In the months following, the chips were tested and perfected by our elite engineers. Those clever boffins also began seeding the technology to the team that will work in Fab 32, the world first high-volume 45nm manufacturing fab in Chandler, Ariz. Two additional 45nm fabs will come online next year in Israel and in New Mexico. These fabs will create the next generation of Core 2 processors.

People have come to expect new chip technology to arrive to the ~2 year beat of Moore’s Law. What the average Joe doesn’t know is that halving the size of things every two years is kinda difficult yet wonderful. As the old analogy goes: If the automobile industry had a ‘Moore’s Law’ effect, your car would go a bazillion miles on one tank of fuel and cost less than tasty morsel from a fast food joints’ dollar menu.

But cramming more and more transistors – now the size of a virus – together is insanely difficult. To do it once is amazing, but to shove more than 400 million of them together in a sensible pattern and in a way where they all just work is little short of miraculous. If not broken, surely the laws of physics have to be coaxed into bending a little? (Wishful thinking.)

And we the consumer enjoy the benefits. Smaller transistors lead to smaller and faster chips, made with new materials. These new materials – a hafnium-based high-k material for the transistor’s insulating layer and metal materials for the transistor gate make the 45nm chips even quicker and even cooler. More so, these 45nm chips will lead to new growth opportunities for Intel and high tech industry. Imagine an ultra mobile device that is half – or even a quarter the size of your laptop today, Internet-connected consumer electronic devices that talk to each other and your TV, or even a powerful, cost-effective processor for emerging economies.

Construction on Fab 32 first began more than 2 years ago and anticipation of the official opening grows each day. Intel is no stranger to building and ramping fabs in preparation for a shift to a new process technology, but this time it means a little more. So in 45 days, you will hear more about Intel’s $3 billion investment in Fab 32.

My New Friend - HP Pavilion dv6516TX

2007-08-03T16:44:00.000+05:30

Its been a week since i bought my new laptop - HP Pavilion dv6516TX...and believe me it surely ROCKS !...

I know i should have written this post earlier, but wasnt able to ..thanks to the busy schedule of work ! Better late than Never ! Also i could check the performance of this little wonder gadget... n surely it beats any other in its category...

Here are its specs -

Model
• HP Pavilion dv6516TX
• Colour – Silver and Black
• HP Imprint Finish – Radiance Pattern

Microprocessor
• Intel Core2 Duo Processor T5250
• Enhanced SpeedStep Technology
• 667 MHz Front-side Bus Speed

Cache Memory
• 2 MB Integrated L2 advanced transfer cache

Chipset
• Intel 965PM Express Chipset

Memory
• 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 (667 MHz)
• 2 SODIMM Slots (Expandable to 4 GB with discard)

Hard Drive
• 160 GB Serial ATA
• 150 MB/sec @ 5400 RPM

SuperMulti Drive with DL
• 8X DVD LightScribe Technology
• DVD+RW/+R Writer
• DVD : 8X + write; 4X + re-write; 8X DVD read
• DVD+R DL : 4X read; 2.4X write
• CD : 24X write; 16X re-write; 24X read max speed
• DVD-RAM : 5X read and write

Video Graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
• 128 MB Dedicated Graphics
• Up to 895 MB TAG* memory (as allocated by Vista)
• Supports DirectX 10

Widescreen Display
• 15.4” Widescreen Colour TFT
• Diagonal Size – 15.4” (39.1 cm)
• 1280 x 800 WXGA
• 16:10 Aspect Ratio
• BrightView™ Screen

Audio / Speakers
• Altec Lansing Stereo Speakers
• High Definition Audio

Capacitive Buttons – Backlit with Touch Technology
• DVD Backlit button
• QuickPlay Backlit Media button
• Backlit Player controls
• Backlit Volume control strip
• Backlit dual-colour Mute button

Communication
• Integrated 10/100 Realtek LAN
• High Speed 56K Modem

5-In-1 Digital Media Reader
• Secure Digital, SDIO, Multi-media card, Memory stick, Memory stick pro and xD picture card

Wireless LAN
• Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG

Bluetooth Wireless PAN 2.0
• Integrated Bluetooth HP Module

Next Generation - ExpressCard
• ExpressCard/54 slot

Battery
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion

Interface
• Expansion port for HP xb3000
• Two Stereo Headphone Jacks
• One HDMI Port
• One Microphone In
• Three USB 2.0 Ports
• One IEEE 1394 Port (4 pins)
• One S-Video TV-Out
• One RJ-11 - Modem
• One RJ-45 - NIC
• One DC Power In
• One VGA Out
• Kensington Lock Slot

Pointing Device & Keyboard
• Touch Pad with On/Off button
• Two way Scroll Zone
• 86 Keys layout; 12 Function Keys
• Fingerprint Reader

Webcam and Microphones
• VGA Web Camera with Low-light Technology
• Two Omni-directional microphones

Software
Operating System
• Windows Vista Home Premium

Additional Software
• Microsoft Works 8.5
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 8

Digital Entertainment / Imaging
• Roxio Creator 9 Basic
• QuickPlay for Windows ver 3.2
• Muvee AutoProducer Basic Edition
• HP Games (Shareware)
• HP PhotoSmart Premier
• Verisoft Access Manager

Security and Maintenance
• Norton Anti-Virus (Includes 60 days of Live updates)
• Norton Internet Security 2007 (Includes 60 days of Live updates)

Recovery Procedure
• SoftThinks Recovery Disc Creator

Help and Support
• HP Software Updates

Intel Proposes 80 Core... For Your Laptop

2007-06-26T10:00:00.000+05:30

Claytronics - Physical Dynamic Rendering

2007-06-25T16:57:00.000+05:30

Impossible is Nothing...One Leg Dance...

2007-06-25T15:49:00.000+05:30

i was surfing today when i happened to see this video. it truely replicates "Nothing is Impossible"... A very inspirational video..must see.

Charged up Love in Physics Lab

2007-06-22T10:47:00.000+05:30

Dear -ve charge,

It was a fine morning that I saw you in Physics Lab and a Torque began acting on me, which made me to rotate about your axis. A force of gravity began attracting me towards you. Every time, day and night, you are oscillating in my mind. But, your strong Electrostatics brother began repelling me.

Since the Units and Dimensions were not correct, I avoided talking face to face. One day, I saw him outside my house and an electric shock was produced in me. So, I went in an Inertial frame and tried to integrate your phone number.

But, every time I failed to apply the Limits. You are the light of my life. By Doppler's effect, I feel that you are very close to my heart. Today morning, a Pseudo force was acting on me which compelled me to write the letter. A wave is traveling from you to me. I request you to meet me at Adiabetic Park. Please don't differentiate me. I am in Tension.

Yours Attractively,
+ve charge

Geek Rhythms: Enjoy The Ride

2007-06-19T17:32:00.000+05:30

3D animation video based on the song by same name. Walk the insides of a computer chip, circuit board and tap your feet to the rhythms of technology....

Apple takes on FireFox with Safari for Windows

2007-06-13T18:03:00.000+05:30

व पु काळे ... Apratim....

2007-06-12T10:37:00.000+05:30

IT Strategy that makes Google work...

2007-06-11T15:55:00.000+05:30

“Use customized open source where possible, custom build where necessary, and buy if it's not related to something that will give Google a competitive advantage.”

Behind the seeming simplicity is a mash-up of internally developed software, made-to-order hardware, artificial intelligence, obsession with performance, and an unorthodox approach to people management. Do read this article.

http://www.informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192300292&pgno=1&queryText=

Better Gmail

2007-06-07T16:45:00.000+05:30

Gina Trapani, the founding editor of Lifehacker and a noted web developer has developed a Firefox Extension called Better Gmail. The extension is a collection of best Greasemonkey GMail enhancements into one extension. The various features that it has are -
1. Saved searches
2. Attachment icons
3. Label colors
4. Keyboard macros
5. a filter assistant
6. Right-click conversation previews
7. Four skins as of now.
8. A dedicated Mark Read button
9. Google Reader embedded inside Gmail

Did u read what i wrote last?.. yes, it has Google Reader directly embedded inside Gmail. What it does is after installing, it adds a Feeds Label to the left side just below Inbox Tab. Click on Feeds you will get Google Reader in Gmail ! Isnt it great?..Believe me, its true. Amazing work ! i think this has got to be one of the best firefox extension.I think Google should implement these features in Gmail since Gmail is still in Beta.

I loved it. i am sure, you also would ! So dont waste your time, Go there, download and Enjoy !!!

Microsoft Surface Live in Action

2007-05-31T19:03:00.000+05:30

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates: Historic discussion live from D 2007

2007-05-31T18:28:00.000+05:30

The first time in the history the two tech giants are coming on stage for an live interview. Click here

Steve Jobs live

2007-05-31T17:47:00.000+05:30

Steve Jobs live from D 2007...Click here

Hacking Firefox: The secrets of about:config

2007-05-30T18:14:00.000+05:30

Ever wondered how to customise all hidden settings in firefox. Dont worry. just refer to this link.

IT Industry - An entry level perspective

2007-05-30T16:59:00.000+05:30

A must read article for all those who are looking to join IT industry or are at entry level. Click here.

Understand relativity to know you better.

2007-05-30T15:16:00.001+05:30

An excellent article by Piyush Gupta posted on techtribe. i thought i should share it with you all.

"The observation is as much a statement about the observer as it is about the observed."
I know I'm not pointing out anything unique again but definitely will attempt to refresh something that needs attention. Keep following.

The other day I got to read a saying on internet "A diamond with a flaw is better than a common stone that is perfect".

Wow, what a saying !!! It indeed gazes through our instincts.

It is so natural for any of us to start seeing ourselves as the diamond or the stone for the simple fact that they look like objects here and as a natural tendency we tend to compare objects in sayings with 'ourselves' as individual or 'people' in general.

However the 'common stone that is perfect' refers to a person who is not recognized for any outstanding or clearly well developed or superior characteristics.
Whereas going by the definition of words in 'Flawed Diamond' it seems to refer to people who are rare (as diamond is rare) with a lower level subject matter expertise (as they are flawed) but since diamond enjoys quite a popularity, these people must be the recipient of extraordinary recognition, unlike common stone (that makes it common).

But isn't it true that everyone of us can only be good at certain few things and not all? Since it hold true, therefore, we all are flawed at certain things and extremely well at certain few. What makes us a diamond or a stone is just the "recognition" or "recognition by the observer".

Therefore, each person is a potential diamond but only if the observer is looking for diamonds OR common stone if the observer is looking for common stones. Therefore being a Diamond/common stone goes very much in the view of the observer and not the one under observation. Hence observer is also as good an object in the saying as it is the one being observed.

A person who is not recognized for his/her good deeds will likely have low-self-esteem. I find it very important for every common stone to realize two simple things:

1. It is the observer who made him a common stone, it doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't diamond.
2. Some skills on other front demand little more attention to bring them some recognition, that may probably make them a 'Kohinoor' as they were already perfect.

All the left game is about recognition!

Lets play little Mathematics.

If I see a person X and I make the observation that X is bad, the observation is a statement not only about X but also about myself.

A person Y looking at X might make an altogether different observation. So his statement refers to his understanding about X.

Everything in this world of relative reality is relative to the observer. However, the observer thinks what he/she observes is the absolute. Everything that goes on in my mind is relative to me, however, I have a habit of believing that to be the absolute.

All beliefs are relative to the believer. Different believers will naturally believe different beliefs. Simply because beliefs are relative and not absolute.

What is the need to fight over beliefs then?

A myth called the Indian programmer

2007-05-30T11:07:00.000+05:30

Are u a programmer? Are u an indian? Then this is a must read article for you. A Times of India article in which the author explains the indian software industry scenario - true to the core! A must read article - Click Here

The Google OS

2007-05-23T15:29:00.000+05:30

The two images below are reportedly leaked screenshots from the Google OS.
I can’t verify whether they are legitimate or if they are simply cooked up by users.

The great friend of IT quits...

2007-05-17T18:54:00.000+05:30

Dayanidhi Maran has stepped down from the Union Cabinet owing to some political disputes within his party, DMK.

Maran has been instrumental in the growth in mobile communication sector in India. He has been dubbed as a great champion and friend of the Indian IT sector. Maran has also been instrumental in bringing in force the Semiconductor Policy in India. He also made great efforts in convincing some of the telecoms and semiconductor majors to open fabrication units in India.

During his tenure,Maran has considerably strengthened the partnership between government and industry in promoting the IT sector in India. His role in bringing major and positive changes in the telecommunications sector have been of great significance to the IT software and services industry. It has also resulted in India becoming the fastest growing mobile telephony market in the world.

Love Letter...Sandeep Khare...

2007-05-17T18:46:00.000+05:30

Marathi special...Puneri...

2007-05-17T18:45:00.000+05:30

ती. बाबा आणि सौ. आईस,

बंड्याचा शि. सा.न.वि . वि.
मी पुण्यात होस्टेलवर सुखरूप येऊन पोहोचलो. तुम्ही लगोलग मला बाईक घेऊन दिल्यामुळे माझी कॉलेजला आणि क्‍लासला जाण्याची मस्त सोय झालीय बरं का ! पुण्यात बाईक चालवायला जबरी मजा येते .
पुणेकरांचे आवडीचे पूर्वीचे वाहन म्हणजे सायकल. आपल्या गावात देवाला सोडलेल्या रेड्याला जसे कोणीही काहीही करत नाहीत, तसेच इथे सायकलस्वारांना कोणताही नियम लागू नाही. पोलिसांची नजर चुकवून आणि शिट्टीचा इशारा ऐकून न ऐकल्यासारखे करून हे झक्‍कासपैकी पसार होतात. काय करणार ! सध्याचे लाइफच धावपळीचे झाले आहे . त्यांचा दोष कसा गं म्हणता येईल आई ?

इथल्या दुचाकीचालकांना ऊर्जाबचतीचे महत्त्व खूपच पटले आहे. त्यांच्या वाहनावरसुद्धा तीन जण आरामात बसतात. सिग्नलपाशी लाल दिवा असला तरी ते सहसा थांबत नाहीत; कारण त्यामुळे पेट्रोल जास्त जळते . मी कुठेसे वाचले , की वळताना हात दाखवायचा, तर चौदा स्नायू वापरावे लागतात म्हणे. म्हणून हात दाखवायचे कष्ट कोणी घेत नाहीत. शिवाय हात दाखवून अवलक्षण करू नये म्हणतात. त्यामुळेच की काय काही रिक्षाचालक पायाने वळण्याचा इशारा करतात .

बाबा, तुमच्याप्रमाणे पुणेकरांनाही मराठीचे जबरदस्त प्रेम आहे हं ! त्यामुळे छे एपीीूं , , छे झरीज्ञळपस असले इंग्रजी भाषेतले फलक खरा पुणेकर अजिबात वाचत नाही . इथे सहा प्रवासी बसलेल्या रिक्षांना तीन आसनी रिक्षा म्हणतात आणि दहा प्रवासी बसलेल्या रिक्षांना सहा आसनी रिक्षा म्हणतात . आहे ना गंमत ? शाळांचे रिक्षावाले काका खूप प्रेमळ असतात .
रिक्षात १२-१५ मुले घेऊन ते मायेची भूक कशीबशी भागवितात . आई, पुणेकर फार लठ्ठ होऊ लागलेत असा अहवाल मध्यंतरी तू वाचला असशीलच. त्यावर उपाय म्हणून रिक्षावाले फक्त लांब अंतरावरचे प्रवासी स्वीकारतात . बसचालकांनाही पुणेकरांच्या लठ्ठपणाची खूप काळजी वाटते. त्यामुळे ते स्टॉपच्या अलीकडे किंवा पलीकडेच बस थांबवितात.

बाबा, येथील वाहतूक पोलिस पर्यावरणाबाबत सजग आहेत. एक कागद बनविण्यासाठी अनेक झाडे तोडावी लागतात. त्यामुळे नियम तोडणाऱ्याला कागदाची पावती फाडून दंड करणे ते गुन्हाच समजतात . मध्यंतरीच्या वादामुळे मोटारचालकांचा "लेन' या शब्दावर खूप राग आहे . "लेनची शिस्त पाळा' असा फलक वाचला, की ते हटकून ती सूचना धुडकावतात . बाबा, दुसरी आनंदाची बातमी म्हणजे मला लायसन्स अगदी होस्टेलपोच मिळाले. कसे ते मात्र गावाला आलो की सांगेन!

( ता.क. - बंटीला मोकळ्या मैदानात सायकल शिकवू नका. मे महिन्यात मी त्याला कर्वे रस्त्यावर दोन दिवसांत शिकवेन.)

तुमचा लाडका
बंड्या

The Most Popular Operating System in the World

2007-05-17T18:38:00.000+05:30

What is the world's most widely used operating system? It's not Windows, Unix or Linux, but ITRON, a Japanese real-time kernel for small-scale embedded systems. ITRON runs onmobile phones, digital cameras, CD players and countless other electronic devices.
A nice article posted on Linux Insider... Do see !

10 Tips for Being a Better Office Professional

2007-04-23T21:04:00.000+05:30

Found a nice article which lists 10 tips for being a better office professional... I am just listing the main points... For details - Click Here

1. Do not discuss your salary/wage with your coworkers.
2. Perception is reality.
3. Be honest with your coworkers, but not too honest.
4. Choose your battles wisely.
5. Nobody likes a whiner.
6. Don’t get shitfaced at happy hour or the holiday party.
7. Get it in writing.
8. This isn’t high school or college A) debating.
9. This isn’t high school or college B) over the top.
10. Smile, today’s the first day of the rest of your career!

Kernel Comparison: Linux (2.6.20) versus Windows (Vista)

2007-04-23T20:55:00.000+05:30

A nice link which shows the Kernel comparison of Windows Vista and Linux 2.6.20...Click Here

Is it a Google Blog?....

2007-04-23T20:48:00.000+05:30

Do you feel that my blog is becoming more of an Google Blog ? since many of my posts feature Google, more often than not ! But yes, i do feel that Google dominates my blog a lot ! The reason being there is so much happening on google, i can hardly resist posting about it here.

Yuri Gagarin

2007-04-12T12:43:00.000+05:30

Many of u would wonder why suddenly i am writing something on Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel in space. Well, today when i opened my homepage - google.com ofcourse, i saw some Google holiday logo...I thought maybe special day is today so i just googled for this logo. I got to know that the logo is for Yuri Gagarin...I googled for Yuri Gagarin and thought maybe its his b'day today. But No, its not his b'day today..Now i was confused then why the hell the logo is there ??..But Google to the rescue, after googling a bit i got to know that it was on April 12, 1961 that Gagarin became the first human to travel in space...Hats off to the true champion !! n hats off to google for remembering the gr8 works by gr8 people..Thanks google !

Web-Based Google Talk – No need to download

2007-04-05T11:01:00.000+05:30

Google updated the instant messaging client Google Talk and made it accessible through a web interface without having to download or install any application. This version of the instant messaging client allows you to chat with your friends or with your Gmail contacts and offers videos or photo previews in chat. The new edition of Google Talk is based on the recently introduced gadget that allows users to add the instant messaging client straight on their Personalized Homepage.

April Fool Banaya !!!!!!

2007-04-02T22:27:00.000+05:30

Keeping with its tradition, Google announced two products this time on April Fool's day - Google TiSp and GMail Paper !

At about 10:00 PM Pacific time (where Google has its headquarters) the day before April 1, 2007, Google changed the login page for Gmail to announce a new service called Gmail Paper. The service offered to allow users of Google's free webmail service to add e-mails to a "Paper Archive," which Google would print (on "96% post-consumer organic soybean sputum") and mail via traditional post. The service would be free, supported by bold, red advertisements printed on the back of the printed messages. Image attachments would also be printed on high-quality glossy paper and be postmarked with their message, though MP3 and WAV files would not be printed.

Google TiSP was a fictitious free broadband service supposedly released by Google. This service would make use of a standard toilet and sewage lines to provide free Internet connectivity at a speed of 8 Mbps (or up to 32 Mbps with a paid plan). A user drops a weighted end of a long, Google-supplied fiber-optic cable in their toilet and flushes it. Around 60 minutes later, the end would be recovered and connected to the Internet by a "Plumbing Hardware Dispatcher (PHD)." The user then connects their end to a Google-supplied wireless router and run the Google-supplied installation media on a Windows XP or Vista computer ("Mac and Linux support coming soon"). Alternatively, a user could request a professional installation, where Google would deploy nanobots through the plumbing to complete the process. The free service would be supported by "discreet DNA sequencing" of "personal bodily output" to display online ads that relate to culinary preferences and personal health.

Keep up the Tradition going Google !!

Top 10 Concept Phones!

2007-03-29T17:57:00.001+05:30

Look - what the future has in hold for us. Nice images and videos !

http://www.cellphonebeat.com/entry/top-10-concept-phones/

Look for the Top one - Nokia Archive ! Awesome !

The Code LINUX

2007-03-27T22:39:00.000+05:30

For all those who want know the history of Linux from the Great Linus Torvalds, a great video - Do see.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3498228245415745977&q=The+Code+linux

Orkut Helper

2007-03-27T22:25:00.000+05:30

For all those Orkut freaks out there, there is an excellent firefox extension - orkut helper ! The latest relaese of this extension has a nice Orkut helper toolbar..it gives easy links(interfaces)..it makes ur orkutting whole lot easier...No need to look for those formatting tips to see how to add smilies, links..nothing needed. just with a click of mouse u can do it easily..Thanks to orkut helper ! n wat is better about it is that it is developed by a marathi guy - Anish Sane. Jai Maharashtra !
To use orkut Helper -
1.You must have firefox installed on your machine. To install firefox - Click here.
2.To download Orkut Helper extension - Click Here and Enjoy !

Happy Orkutting !

Firefox Short cut keys

2007-03-27T22:16:00.000+05:30

Short cut keys always make easy our job. Here are some important short cut keys for Firefox browser (Windows) that may be helpful to you.

Select all text -Ctrl + A
Copy selected text -Ctrl + C
Cut the selected text -Ctrl + X
Undo last action -Ctrl + Z
Print current page -Ctrl + P
Save current page -Ctrl + S
Book mark current page -Ctrl + D
Find text in the current page -Ctrl + F
Find more text -Ctrl + G / F3
Bookmark side bar -Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I
Open new window -Ctrl + N
Open new tab -Ctrl + T
Reload current page -Ctrl + R / F5
Open history side bar -Ctrl + H
Close current tab -Ctrl + W