This topic has come to the limelight with pretty hot debates once Vista has been released. Lets just see what all this controversy is about.
Windows Vista includes content protection infrastructure specifically designed to help ensure that protected commercial audiovisual content, such as newly released HD-DVD or Blu-Ray discs, can be enjoyed on Windows Vista PCs. In many cases this content has policies associated with its use that must be enforced by playback devices. The policies associated with such content are applicable to all types of devices including Windows Vista PCs, computers running non-Windows operating systems, and standalone consumer electronics devices such as DVD players. If the policies required protections that Windows Vista couldn't support, then the content would not be able to play at all on Windows Vista PCs. Clearly that isn't a good scenario for consumers who are looking to enjoy great next generation content experiences on their PCs.
What is all the fuss about this and how does this affect the common end users :
from http://www.coofercat.com/node/1081
Vista is all about 'premium content'. This is music or video that's copyrighted by one of the major music or movie companies. Basically, if any such content is being played, Vista goes into a sort of 'protected mode'. When this is happening, your computer becomes very careful not to 'leak' this protected content. That means that any devices on your machine that can play this content (eg. your video card, sound card etc) have to work in a special way. The idea is (for example) that your video card will send coded signals to your monitor, so that you couldn't plug in some sort of recorder and simply scoop up the signal and record it. The problem is, not all monitors/TVs can handle these coded signals. If yours doesn't then Vista will reduce the quality of the output so that it's not worth recording. Incidentally, you don't get a choice, it just happens.
Futher than that, if you're listening to a CD, then your monitor may go fuzzy at the same time! Just because one thing is handling protected content, the other may become crippled as well!
As if that's not enough, some devices can simply become disabled, either during premium content playback, or at some arbitrary time in the future as decided by Microsoft. Basically, if a device (or it's associated driver software) are found to be leaking content sometime in the future, then Microsoft can stop it working when you next update your computer. Given Microsoft's history in this area, it's pretty much required to update your computer say, once a month at the moment, so you're almost certainly going to *have* to get your leaky device disabled reasonably soon after MS decide to disable it. They'll disable things until some fix can be found, provided one can be found. Maybe the hardware/driver in question is so old the vendor doesn't want to fix the problem, or maybe it just can't be fixed.
This is horrible: You update your computer to protect yourself from viruses and such like, and instead your graphics card stops working! If it's one built onto the motherboard, perhaps on a laptop, then well, you're screwed - go and buy a whole new machine, as it's almost certainly not worth trying to fix it.
So to summarise these few points (yes, there are more I haven't even mentioned!):
1) All Vista compatible hardware will be more expensive than it otherwise would be. This is because hardware vendors have to comply with very strict rules, and have to add extra hardware features to their products to make them work with Vista. This all requires extra testing, which aside from costing more takes more time.
2) When playing premium content, your computer's performance may degrade. That is, the video or sound quality in particular may degrade, but also raw system performance may also degrade as your computer works to protect that premium content as it moves around inside your computer.
3) Whatever your computer is doing today, it may not do it tomorrow. If you're unlucky enough to have some hardware which later is found to be unfriendly to the content industry, it may just aribtrarily stop working. It's not because of a hardware failure per-se, and you may not even know how, or want to copy premium content, but Windows will refuse to use your device. If you're really lucky, an update may come along in the future, if not, you may well end up buying a new computer (oh, and your old one probably won't fetch much on Ebay either!).
I don't think Vista sounds like a good deal for end-users. Microsoft look set to do quite well out of it, provided we all lap it up like we're supposed to.
Update 14th Feb, 2007: A little looking around brings more to light about Vista's hardware requirements. Reghardware started me on this trail, but arstechnica have a slightly more inclusive article along the same lines.
To me, these articles say very loudly: Don't buy a Vista PC until AT LEAST June 1st, 2007, and preferably June 1st, 2008. Only then does the hardware you buy fully reach maturity, and so will be optimal for running Vista. Before that, you'll always have hardware that doesn't do everything Vista wants. Given what we know about Vista and it's use of hardware, I'd say anything less than optimal hardware is an incredible risk to take. Annecdotally, by June 2008 it's also likely that there'll be a Service Pack or two out, so the major problems with Vista will have been fixed.
So by Vista if you must, but wait until June 1st, 2008 to do it.
Explanation from the Vista blog :
Associating usage policies with commercial content is not new to Windows Vista, or to the industry. In fact, much of the functionality discussed in the paper has been part of previous versions of Windows, and hasn’t resulted in significant consumer problems – as evidenced by the widespread consumer use of digital media in Windows XP. For example:
* Standard definition DVD playback has required selective use of Macrovision ACP on analog television outputs since it was introduced in the 1990s. DVD playback on and in Windows has always supported this.
* The ability to restrict audio outputs (e.g., S/PDIF) for certain types of content has been available since Windows Millennium Edition (ME) and has been available in all subsequent versions of Windows.
* The Certified Output Protection Protocol (COPP) was released over 2 years ago for Windows XP, and provides applications with the ability to detect output types and enable certain protections on video outputs such as HDCP, CGMS-A, and Macrovision ACP.
It's important to emphasize that while Windows Vista has the necessary infrastructure to support commercial content scenarios, this infrastructure is designed to minimize impact on other types of content and other activities on the same PC. For example, if a user were viewing medical imagery concurrently with playback of video which required image constraint, only the commercial video would be constrained -- not the medical image or other things on the user's desktop. Similarly, if someone was listening to commercial audio content while viewing medical imagery, none of the video protection mechanisms would be activated and the displayed images would again be unaffected.
Contrary to claims made in the paper, the content protection mechanisms do not make Windows Vista PCs less reliable than they would be otherwise -- if anything they will have the opposite effect, for example because they will lead to better driver quality control.
The paper implies that Microsoft decides which protections should be active at any given time. This is not the case. The content protection infrastructure in Windows Vista provides a range of à la carte options that allows applications playing back protected content to properly enable the protections required by the policies established for such content by the content owner or service provider. In this way, the PC functions the same as any other consumer electronics device.
Aren't there already output content protection features in Windows XP?
Yes. Output content protections are not new requirements for commercial content. The CSS content protection system for DVD-video discs requires output protections such as Macrovision ACP and limiting the resolution on component video outputs to standard definition. Windows XP has supported these requirements for some time.
They provide a set of 20 questions and answers as well.
An excerpt from the article "Microsoft Buffeted By Criticism Over Vista DRM"
By Alexander Wolfe , TechWeb Technology News
From Microsoft's perspective, its attempt to comply with a DRM scheme developed by the consumer electronics industry is getting unfairly blown up into a nefarious plan that's far from reality. "Articles saying that you will need new monitors with Windows Vista to play any DRMed content are not correct," said Ken Birge, a spokesman for Microsoft. "Any DRM content that's out there today, you'll be able to play with any existing monitor using Vista."
However, Birge confirms that new monitors will be required to support full playback of high-definition DVDs. "Next-generation DVDs will require HDCP for playback," Birge said. "So that requires HDCP protection all the way out to monitor. As PCs become more of a home entertainment device, consumers are going to expect to play back next-generation DVDs. In order to do that, Microsoft has to require this HDCP support all the way out to the monitor. It's very much following suit to what the consumer electronics industry has already done."
Indeed, Birge pointed out that many high-definition monitors made for the consumer electronics market already comply with HDCP, though most computer monitors have yet to do so. The next-generation DVDs will play on old-style monitors, he said, but in a degraded performance mode. "If you have a Windows Vista machine, and you have your legacy monitor, and you were to pop [in] one of these next-generation DVDs and try to play it back, it wouldn't not play," Birge said. "What it will do is down-sample to something around [standard] DVD quality; you won't get the high-definition experience."
At least one Microsoft watcher sees the company as caught between a rock and a hard place on the DRM issue. "Microsoft is trying to serve two masters, and that's not always an easy task," said Joe Wilcox, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research, "Master one is Hollywood and the content providers, who want their stuff protected. Master two is the consumer, who wants to be able to get at everything easily. And Microsoft's kind of caught in the middle. There are a lot of [DRM] mechanisms being proposed and implemented and Microsoft is just hedging its bets here. If [HDCP] really reaches a mass market, then Windows Vista will be able to support it."
so, whats the catch here, one should/not buy Vista until this problem is cleared by all hardware vendors that you depend on? Or else end up paying for Vista and low performance of your hardware?
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Programmers are brain surgeons
In the last post, i forgot to tell you how i reached that post, it was actually from this blog entry....checkout this one as well
http://blog.saush.com/?p=157
I sent out a mail recently to some managers in my company (before you start rolling your eyes, I’m a manager too) about project scheduling, something which I’ve been very frustrated about for a long while. In that mail I quoted something from the book “The Art of Project Management” by Scott Berkun — “Programmers should be trusted. If your brain surgeon told you the operation you need takes five hours, would you pressure him to do it in three?”.
Craig was quite amused at this quote, asking if I compared myself with a brain surgeon. While it was friendly banter, I thought that this was one of the problems with the software industry. Maybe it is the naming/association with the construction industry where architects design the building, engineers oversees the construction and anyone doing the actual work is considered menial laborers. Maybe it is the thousands working ’software factories’ for outsourcing body-shoppers. Maybe it’s the large software projects that suck up thousands upon thousands of man-days with huge teams of programmers that gave rise to the myth that only large teams of programmers can produce software of any significance.
Whatever it is.
I believe programmers are not given enough respect that we deserve....
Read the rest at the actual blog
http://blog.saush.com/?p=157
I sent out a mail recently to some managers in my company (before you start rolling your eyes, I’m a manager too) about project scheduling, something which I’ve been very frustrated about for a long while. In that mail I quoted something from the book “The Art of Project Management” by Scott Berkun — “Programmers should be trusted. If your brain surgeon told you the operation you need takes five hours, would you pressure him to do it in three?”.
Craig was quite amused at this quote, asking if I compared myself with a brain surgeon. While it was friendly banter, I thought that this was one of the problems with the software industry. Maybe it is the naming/association with the construction industry where architects design the building, engineers oversees the construction and anyone doing the actual work is considered menial laborers. Maybe it is the thousands working ’software factories’ for outsourcing body-shoppers. Maybe it’s the large software projects that suck up thousands upon thousands of man-days with huge teams of programmers that gave rise to the myth that only large teams of programmers can produce software of any significance.
Whatever it is.
I believe programmers are not given enough respect that we deserve....
Read the rest at the actual blog
32 Reasons Why Geeks are Severely Underpaid!!!
I came across this interesting article on why geeks are underpaid (compared to say, sales people). Read it at http://www.negotiations.com/articles/geeks-earning-more/
You're good at what you do, maybe you're an ace. So are you being paid what you're worth? See how many of the 32 Salary Negotiation Rules you're using.
Why are sales professionals still rewarded with the biggest pay packets?
Are sales professionals better qualified or smarter than IT professionals? No, there's no such thing as a sales degree. Do they work longer or harder? Of course not. So why then is IT not the best paid profession?
Two main reasons:
1._Sales brings home the bacon. So measuring their success is easy, and their impact on profit is immediate. Technology's profit impact is neither immediate nor easy to measure. Geeks can't do much about this - sorry. 2._Salespeople negotiate every day. So they either negotiate well, or they have skinny kids, and change career paths. Every year 1 in 3 leave the sales professional - a much higher churn than the IT industry. Geeks can't afford not to play catchup here. The good news is that learning to negotiate well is not nearly as difficult as mastering a programming language.
We've watched salespeople out manoeuvre and out negotiate geeks in the opening hours of our training courses. In response we've put together this comprehensive IT salary negotiation article to help geeks close the gap.
We start with 32 essentials. We suggest that you mark your diary to review this article when looking for your next position, raise or annual review. For those interested in a bright long term career trajectory and the bigger cheques this brings, answer the questions and complete the exercises outlined in our "4 foundations steps" towards the end. Finally, to assist you in your preparation, download our Salary Negotiation Checklist (M$ Excel). Time to put your starting salary, salary increment, or pay raise under the negotiation microscope.
The author then goes on to talk about 32 IT Salary Negotiation Rules :)
You're good at what you do, maybe you're an ace. So are you being paid what you're worth? See how many of the 32 Salary Negotiation Rules you're using.
Why are sales professionals still rewarded with the biggest pay packets?
Are sales professionals better qualified or smarter than IT professionals? No, there's no such thing as a sales degree. Do they work longer or harder? Of course not. So why then is IT not the best paid profession?
Two main reasons:
1._Sales brings home the bacon. So measuring their success is easy, and their impact on profit is immediate. Technology's profit impact is neither immediate nor easy to measure. Geeks can't do much about this - sorry. 2._Salespeople negotiate every day. So they either negotiate well, or they have skinny kids, and change career paths. Every year 1 in 3 leave the sales professional - a much higher churn than the IT industry. Geeks can't afford not to play catchup here. The good news is that learning to negotiate well is not nearly as difficult as mastering a programming language.
We've watched salespeople out manoeuvre and out negotiate geeks in the opening hours of our training courses. In response we've put together this comprehensive IT salary negotiation article to help geeks close the gap.
We start with 32 essentials. We suggest that you mark your diary to review this article when looking for your next position, raise or annual review. For those interested in a bright long term career trajectory and the bigger cheques this brings, answer the questions and complete the exercises outlined in our "4 foundations steps" towards the end. Finally, to assist you in your preparation, download our Salary Negotiation Checklist (M$ Excel). Time to put your starting salary, salary increment, or pay raise under the negotiation microscope.
The author then goes on to talk about 32 IT Salary Negotiation Rules :)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Exchangeable image file format
I happened to have a talk with my rommie about having some "meta tags" inside images/videos to enable faster searching in the net. I did disagree with him over the concept of just having some meta tags inside images to describe them, as he pointed out, it is(was) being used in html pages for better searching of pages. Then today, i came across this information on a standard file format used by digital camera manufacturers to embed information on images captured by their devices.
Exchangeable image file format
Exchangeable image file format (official abbreviation Exif, not EXIF) is a specification for the image file format used by digital cameras. It was created by the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA). The specification uses the existing JPEG, TIFF Rev. 6.0, and RIFF WAVE file formats, with the addition of specific metadata tags. It is not supported in JPEG 2000 or PNG.
Version 2.1 of the specification is dated June 12, 1998 and version 2.2 is dated April 2002.
The Exif tag structure is taken from that of TIFF files. There is a large overlap between the tags defined in the TIFF, Exif, TIFF/EP and DCF standards.
The metadata tags defined in the Exif standard cover a broad spectrum including:
* Date and time information. Digital cameras will record the current date and time and save this in the metadata.
* Camera settings. This includes static information such as the camera model and make, and information that varies with each image such as orientation, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and film speed information.
* A thumbnail for previewing the picture on the camera's LCD screen, in file managers or photo manipulation software.
* Descriptions and copyright information. Again this is something which is most often done when post-processing the images, as only high-end camera models let the user choose a text for these fields. (Although this feature is becoming more and more apparent even in lower end compact digital cameras).
Editing EXIF-fields
Tools
The Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is the chief Free Software image manipulation program which can handle EXIF data via an EXIF viewer plugin.
There are also several command line tools that are for example helpful for batch editing EXIF meta data like jhead and ExifTool (Perl script), that can display and edit XMP, IPTC and EXIF and other metadata.
ExifTool runs on OS X, but requires a Perl interpreter (such as ActivePerl) to run on Windows.
Mapivi (open source) is a picture manager which is able to add, edit, search and remove image meta information as EXIF and IPTC.
Gimp, Mapivi and jhead are also available for Mac OSX and Windows.
Linux/Unix users
Many free software image programs like the digital camera management program DigiKam and the general purpose image viewer Gwenview (both KDE based) can handle EXIF as well.
MacOSX users
Apple's iPhoto can be used to edit title, date, time and keywords. The camera information can also be viewed.
JetPhoto can be used to add GPS data to a photoalbum. JetPhoto uses timestamp information to correlate tracking data from a GPS device with the timestamps on the photo. JetPhoto is freeware so there is no charge but it does not appear to be open source. Keywords, and titles can be edited but no other information.
Reveal can be used to view and edit EXIF summary and exposure data.
Windows users
Programs XnView (free for non-commercial use), Picasa (freeware) and IrfanView, (free of charge for private use) are able to edit IPTC fields such as captions, keywords, etc., but unluckily can only view most of EXIF fields. Else Exifer (postcardware) Konvertor (shareware) is capable as well editing and modifying the EXIF header.
For more information on this,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EXIF
see, no wonder why people call me a wiki fan :)
Exchangeable image file format
Exchangeable image file format (official abbreviation Exif, not EXIF) is a specification for the image file format used by digital cameras. It was created by the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA). The specification uses the existing JPEG, TIFF Rev. 6.0, and RIFF WAVE file formats, with the addition of specific metadata tags. It is not supported in JPEG 2000 or PNG.
Version 2.1 of the specification is dated June 12, 1998 and version 2.2 is dated April 2002.
The Exif tag structure is taken from that of TIFF files. There is a large overlap between the tags defined in the TIFF, Exif, TIFF/EP and DCF standards.
The metadata tags defined in the Exif standard cover a broad spectrum including:
* Date and time information. Digital cameras will record the current date and time and save this in the metadata.
* Camera settings. This includes static information such as the camera model and make, and information that varies with each image such as orientation, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and film speed information.
* A thumbnail for previewing the picture on the camera's LCD screen, in file managers or photo manipulation software.
* Descriptions and copyright information. Again this is something which is most often done when post-processing the images, as only high-end camera models let the user choose a text for these fields. (Although this feature is becoming more and more apparent even in lower end compact digital cameras).
Editing EXIF-fields
Tools
The Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is the chief Free Software image manipulation program which can handle EXIF data via an EXIF viewer plugin.
There are also several command line tools that are for example helpful for batch editing EXIF meta data like jhead and ExifTool (Perl script), that can display and edit XMP, IPTC and EXIF and other metadata.
ExifTool runs on OS X, but requires a Perl interpreter (such as ActivePerl) to run on Windows.
Mapivi (open source) is a picture manager which is able to add, edit, search and remove image meta information as EXIF and IPTC.
Gimp, Mapivi and jhead are also available for Mac OSX and Windows.
Linux/Unix users
Many free software image programs like the digital camera management program DigiKam and the general purpose image viewer Gwenview (both KDE based) can handle EXIF as well.
MacOSX users
Apple's iPhoto can be used to edit title, date, time and keywords. The camera information can also be viewed.
JetPhoto can be used to add GPS data to a photoalbum. JetPhoto uses timestamp information to correlate tracking data from a GPS device with the timestamps on the photo. JetPhoto is freeware so there is no charge but it does not appear to be open source. Keywords, and titles can be edited but no other information.
Reveal can be used to view and edit EXIF summary and exposure data.
Windows users
Programs XnView (free for non-commercial use), Picasa (freeware) and IrfanView, (free of charge for private use) are able to edit IPTC fields such as captions, keywords, etc., but unluckily can only view most of EXIF fields. Else Exifer (postcardware) Konvertor (shareware) is capable as well editing and modifying the EXIF header.
For more information on this,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EXIF
see, no wonder why people call me a wiki fan :)
Friday, January 12, 2007
Ajax Vs Flash.....a one day debate
The Ajax View :
How is Ajax better?
Searchability ....for God sake why do u want to use binary files in ur site ;)
Generally web pages are more visible to search engines than Flash pages. Search engine referrals can make a large difference to the traffic that your web-site generates. It is possible to extract the text of a Flash app for search engine indexing. In addition Google and other search engine manufacturers can index .swf files natively. However despite these measures .swf files tend to be less visible to search engines.
Openness
Although the swf format is a published format and there is a significant open source community there appears to be no such thing as an open source Flash player as a result of Macromedia's licencing programme. Developers with a bias towards more open systems and corporations that do not wish to depend on a third party or potential competitor may wish to avoid use of Flash.
Cost
The cost of the Flash development environment can be an issue. $700 may be a significant investment for smaller design shops. Corporations with bureaucratic purchasing departments (if that's not a tautology) may have issue with any price other than $0. At $0 tools can come in under the radar.
There are cheaper alternatives to flash like Swish and free alternatives like Lazlo, however these options may not allow the full power of Flash.
Accessibility
Ajax applications default to following the font and colour settings of their environment were as Flash applications use developer specified settings. This can make it harder for disabled users. In addition environment provided helps like screen readers, acceleration keys and so on may not be available to users of Flash applications. A fully accessible site can be created using Ajax.
Security
Web applications without Flash are often trusted more than their Flash cousins for several reasons.
- Flash is most commonly used in visually distracting advertisements
- It is used as way around pop-up blockers
- It can be used to create immortal cookies.
Ref : http://getahead.ltd.uk/dwr
As a result many users use Flash blockers to control their web experience or approach Flash websites with an initial negative bias.
I do agree that flash does provide very rich UI (at very high bandwidth consumption though), but take a look at this site :http://www.amazon.com/gp/cyo
Also note,
" India broadband penetration is very low. Despite efforts to roll out the infrastructure, urban India has only a 3 per cent adoption rate among its top three socio-economic classes (SECs)," the report said, pegging South Korea, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Sweden and metropolitan China in the high broadband penetration category.
It said despite the perception that the US was an across-the-board technology leader, only 39 per cent of Americans have broadband. The report placed the US in a second tier along with the UK, France, and Australia.
"In Western Europe, 21 per cent of German and Italian consumers have broadband access, with Spain close behind at 19 per cent. Eastern European investor-darling Poland trails behind with a 12 per cent adoption rate, reflective of its developing nation status," the report said.
http://www.thehindubusinessline
So see, this is not a full "broadband" world :) and atleast 97 % indian cutomers have to "whine" on seeing a full flash website.
You might also want to check out what the "ad blockers" in the market do.
Do checkout this article from adobe devnet forum of JD :
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/jd
What is Flash really good for? Banners and ads – it provides far more useful features then the traditional gif animation. Online games? Flash technology – the Flash videos - for video blogs.
The Flex View : (Harish and Raghu)
I am not an Ajax hater, and I also approve of many points raised in here against the SWF format. But my 2 paises on the arguments:
Searchability: Agree – Flash has some distance to cover here.
The Cost angle: Disagree
It’s like saying choosing Maruti 800 is a better option to buying Mercedes-Benz because:
· Argument 1: Maruti 800 is also a car, it also runs on roads and costs lesser.
· Argument 2: Mercedes-Benz is also a car, but godamn, it costs more.
Conclusion – Maruti 800 is better (bah!)
The cost argument is as absurd as this one. Want better usability, invest more. The market works that way always. If you don’t have investment potential, you will have to compromise on the user experience, If you don’t want binary in your site, you can type the “sad- excuse” fine print like yahoo beta application whose layout looks like a psunami hit coastline in mozilla / firefox 1.0 J Ajax is like taking cycle rikshaw for transport against a Limousine (Read Flex.) Both are modes of transport, but…
Ajax is cool – as long as it is blue text on white background (courtesy GMAIL) (It is a irradical argument, but just in the same tone of your forward J)
Now – a small proof for How better Flex is over any off the shelf Ajax framework:
See this (http://examples.adobe.com/flex2/inproduct/sdk/flexstore/flexstore.html ) and this(http://www.backbase.com/RUI/shop.html )
Cost of Flex SDK – 0$
Cost of Flex Builder (Based on eclipse) - $499
Cost of Flex Charting (yeah, we mean full fledged, kickass charts) - $300
Total - $799
Backbase Ajax:
$8,583.25 – without maintainance
$ 10,299.90 – with maintainance
(remember , all this for some javascript libraries!)
Oh sure, we are saving a lot of money, unfortunately for you, Flex is cheaper, Much much cheaper.
(For the free Ajax frameworks, God help the developers to write the components!)
Now, Flex 2.0 SDK costs 0$ too – just for your information.
Addendum: Swish is a small text animation generator and NOT a replacement for Flash. It beats me as to how a mere text animator can be a replacement to an un challenged animation monster like Flash. Open lazlo is good, but is dead if flash player decides to screw it.
Accessibility: Disagree
ALL flex components are accessible. Detractors are encouraged to read the Flex documentation before alleging.
Security: Neutral
There are security shortcomings in flash security model, but one noteworthy thing is the advances that flash player has had in tightening its security model from player 5.0 to player 9.0. Flash player 9.0 is definitely a very secure plugin.
- Saying “Flash is most commonly used in visually distracting advertisements” sounds like saying “Batteries are used in making time bomb remote controls”. I fail to understand how it is a short coming of Flash as a platform.
- It can be used to create immoral cookies – So can javascript, so whats the big deal?
Bandwidth problem:
Refer to the maruti – Mercedes example. J
On a serious note, All of us agree we must develop applications which define the future. There are several concepts like incremental loading in flash which makes a flash application work faster then legacy apps. Lack of knowledge of developers on this concept cannot be blamed on the technology itself. I am sure you will agree. J
What is Flash really good for? - Well, everything that HTML, Javascript, Ajax and other assorted technologies cannot achieve and dream to achieve. Also, remember, there is nothing that you cannot do in flex that Ajax can do. (Okay can’t search - but other than that, literally EVERYTHING is possible. Now if you say searching is a BIG shortcoming, its like saying I would not buy a bike because it requires fuel, so my bicycle is betterJ)
Last but not the least, Flex is NOT a competitor for AJAX, rather these two technologies vastly compliment each other. Adobe’s Flex- AJAX Bridge is a great example. Also see how these technologies has their strengths and how companies leverage both in applications like yahoo finance and Google finance where the charting part is completely flash player based.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Takeovers and deals galore......
Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, the three giants fighting each other in the webspace now...
Google - Orkut
yahoo - flicker
these were all just a beginning,
the tieup of msn and yahoo...
now, google buying youtube for $1.6bn,
E-Bay to buy Skype in $2.6bn deal,
Yahoo 'to buy Facebook for $1bn'
Search engine Google is tipped to pay at least $900m (£475m) to share advertising revenue with MySpace.com, which belongs to NewsCorp's Fox Interactive Media.
Yahoo and eBay seal online deal : Under the deal, Yahoo, the largest internet media firm, will be the exclusive provider of branded advertising on eBay's site. In exchange, Yahoo will use eBay's payment system PayPal, to permit its customers to pay for Yahoo services.
This battle is surely gonna be very gripping....the big numbers in billons.....lets sit back n enjoy it :)
Google - Orkut
yahoo - flicker
these were all just a beginning,
the tieup of msn and yahoo...
now, google buying youtube for $1.6bn,
E-Bay to buy Skype in $2.6bn deal,
Yahoo 'to buy Facebook for $1bn'
Search engine Google is tipped to pay at least $900m (£475m) to share advertising revenue with MySpace.com, which belongs to NewsCorp's Fox Interactive Media.
Yahoo and eBay seal online deal : Under the deal, Yahoo, the largest internet media firm, will be the exclusive provider of branded advertising on eBay's site. In exchange, Yahoo will use eBay's payment system PayPal, to permit its customers to pay for Yahoo services.
This battle is surely gonna be very gripping....the big numbers in billons.....lets sit back n enjoy it :)
Monday, September 25, 2006
My new identiti.....
Hey,
The purpose of life holds different meaning to different people. For some its the money that they make in their life thats important, for some its the friends that they make in their life and so on... But still, everyone loves to have an identity of their own in this small busy world. You live all your life in this world and would be wondering what identity do you have, how people see you and what people remember you for.....these are all the highly philosophical stuff which we can leave behind for a while..
I have a new identitiy in the huge web--The www
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/indices/a-tree/r/Ragul:G=_R=.html
i don't know how i'm feeling now, but there sure is a long road ahead that waits for me which won't be as smooth as it had been till now...
The purpose of life holds different meaning to different people. For some its the money that they make in their life thats important, for some its the friends that they make in their life and so on... But still, everyone loves to have an identity of their own in this small busy world. You live all your life in this world and would be wondering what identity do you have, how people see you and what people remember you for.....these are all the highly philosophical stuff which we can leave behind for a while..
I have a new identitiy in the huge web--The www
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/indices/a-tree/r/Ragul:G=_R=.html
i don't know how i'm feeling now, but there sure is a long road ahead that waits for me which won't be as smooth as it had been till now...
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Indian Laguage Translator--with source
http://www.iit.edu/~laksvij/language/index.html
A very good attempt at script conversion!!! its open soucre too......
For malayalam conversion :
http://www.iit.edu/~laksvij/language/malayalam.html
A very good attempt at script conversion!!! its open soucre too......
For malayalam conversion :
http://www.iit.edu/~laksvij/language/malayalam.html
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Blogmusik.net
Today i stumbled on this wonderful site http://blogmusik.net/
A simple site for searching music and share it in your blog....
Hear this song : "When you say nothing at all......
A simple site for searching music and share it in your blog....
Hear this song : "When you say nothing at all......
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Real Code!!!
The Mystery of the Voynich Manuscript
An article by:
GORDON RUGG became interested in the Voynich manuscript about four years ago. At first he viewed it as merely an intriguing puzzle, but later he saw it as a test case for reexamining complex problems. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Reading in 1987. Now a senior lecturer in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Keele University in England, Rugg is editor in chief of Expert Systems: The International Journal of Knowledge Engineering and Neural Networks. His research interests include the nature of expertise and the modeling of information, knowledge and beliefs.
In 1912 Wilfrid Voynich, an American rare-book dealer, made the find of a lifetime in the library of a Jesuit college near Rome: a manuscript some 230 pages long, written in an unusual script and richly illustrated with bizarre images of plants, heavenly spheres and bathing women. Voynich immediately recognized the importance of his new acquisition. Although it superficially resembled the handbook of a medieval alchemist or herbalist, the manuscript appeared to be written entirely in code. Features in the illustrations, such as hairstyles, suggested that the book was produced sometime between 1470 and 1500, and a 17th-century letter accompanying the manuscript stated that it had been purchased by Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1586. During the 1600s, at least two scholars apparently tried to decipher the manuscript, and then it disappeared for nearly 250 years until Voynich unearthed it.
The Voynich manuscript appeared to be either an unusual code, an unknown language or a sophisticated hoax.
Newbold's attempt was just the start of a string of failures. In the 1940s amateur code breakers Joseph M. Feely and Leonell C. Strong used substitution ciphers that assigned Roman letters to the characters in Voynichese, but the purported translations made little sense. At the end of World War II the U.S. military cryptographers who cracked the Japanese Imperial Navy's codes passed some spare time tackling ciphertexts--encrypted texts--from antiquity. The team deciphered every one except the Voynich manuscript.........................
Read more about this incredible code at ScientificAmerican
An article by:
GORDON RUGG became interested in the Voynich manuscript about four years ago. At first he viewed it as merely an intriguing puzzle, but later he saw it as a test case for reexamining complex problems. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Reading in 1987. Now a senior lecturer in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Keele University in England, Rugg is editor in chief of Expert Systems: The International Journal of Knowledge Engineering and Neural Networks. His research interests include the nature of expertise and the modeling of information, knowledge and beliefs.
In 1912 Wilfrid Voynich, an American rare-book dealer, made the find of a lifetime in the library of a Jesuit college near Rome: a manuscript some 230 pages long, written in an unusual script and richly illustrated with bizarre images of plants, heavenly spheres and bathing women. Voynich immediately recognized the importance of his new acquisition. Although it superficially resembled the handbook of a medieval alchemist or herbalist, the manuscript appeared to be written entirely in code. Features in the illustrations, such as hairstyles, suggested that the book was produced sometime between 1470 and 1500, and a 17th-century letter accompanying the manuscript stated that it had been purchased by Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1586. During the 1600s, at least two scholars apparently tried to decipher the manuscript, and then it disappeared for nearly 250 years until Voynich unearthed it.
Voynich asked the leading cryptographers of his day to decode the odd script, which did not match that of any known language. But despite 90 years of effort by some of the world's best code breakers, no one has been able to decipher Voynichese, as the script has become known. The nature and origin of the manuscript remain a mystery. The failure of the code-breaking attempts has raised the suspicion that there may not be any cipher to crack. Voynichese may contain no message at all, and the manuscript may simply be an elaborate hoax.
Critics of this hypothesis have argued that Voynichese is too complex to be nonsense. How could a medieval hoaxer produce 230 pages of script with so many subtle regularities in the structure and distribution of the words? But I have recently discovered that one can replicate many of the remarkable features of Voynichese using a simple coding tool that was available in the 16th century. The text generated by this technique looks much like Voynichese, but it is merely gibberish, with no hidden message. This finding does not prove that the Voynich manuscript is a hoax, but it does bolster the long-held theory that an English adventurer named Edward Kelley may have concocted the document to defraud Rudolph II. (The emperor reportedly paid a sum of 600 ducats--equivalent to about $50,000 today--for the manuscript.)
Baby God's Eye?
The first purported decryption of the Voynich manuscript came in 1921. William R. Newbold, a professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, claimed that each character in the Voynich script contained tiny pen strokes that could be seen only under magnification and that these strokes formed an ancient Greek shorthand. Based on his reading of the code, Newbold declared that the Voynich manuscript had been written by 13th-century philosopher-scientist Roger Bacon and described discoveries such as the invention of the microscope. Within a decade, however, critics debunked Newbold's solution by showing that the alleged microscopic features of the letters were actually natural cracks in the ink.
The Voynich manuscript appeared to be either an unusual code, an unknown language or a sophisticated hoax.
Newbold's attempt was just the start of a string of failures. In the 1940s amateur code breakers Joseph M. Feely and Leonell C. Strong used substitution ciphers that assigned Roman letters to the characters in Voynichese, but the purported translations made little sense. At the end of World War II the U.S. military cryptographers who cracked the Japanese Imperial Navy's codes passed some spare time tackling ciphertexts--encrypted texts--from antiquity. The team deciphered every one except the Voynich manuscript.........................
Read more about this incredible code at ScientificAmerican
Thursday, May 11, 2006
A must read article on the recent Reservation issue...
Why only caste? Reserve seats in educational institutions on the basis of schooling, gender and family income. That is the affirmative way to ensure social justice. Purushottam Agrawal opens a critical discussion
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main18.asp?filename=Ne051306beyond_caste.asp
Do read this article if you are a keen follower of the ongoing debate on this Reservation issuem
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The story of my first "Paper"
k-RTP : A Reliable Transport Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks......does this make any sense to you?? This is going to be my first paper to be published....hurray!!!
Yesterday my friend manu called me up to tell that our B-Tech final year project got selected for the IASTED conference on Wireless sensor Networks (don't know wat it is, you are free to write to me anytime). This was one real happy news for all three of us...me, manu and irshad. But theres one person who'll be happier than all of us, our project guide Mr. Vinod Pathari. He had been telling us from those last days in college (of which we celebrated the first anniversary recently )....but all of us were too lazy or was it the lack of hope on our project idea...i donno... we didn't send it for any conference for almost a year.
The thrill of entering a professional life should have made us lazy, besides that manu and irshad went to hyderabad and i came to b'lore. Our work schedules kept us busy all the time and in between i even went to my college for an award ceremony(and there pathari sir did ask me about the project paper, and i had to give some excuse ) .
Every time we accidently came upon our project in our discussions, we were pretty eager to get that topic out of our conversation. Things turned around with manu getting transfered to b'lore.... We finally decided to get the ship sailing... It took me and manu just a few days to refresh it and somehow create a draft to be sent for this conference which he had digged out :)
And we waited...or truth being that i even forgot about sending that paper. One week back manu calls up and tells that our paper hasn't been selected. That didnt come as a surprise to me and i even startd asking about what we are supposed to do next. Then he told me that our paper hasnt been completely thrown out, they have just deferred their decision on our paper as they got quite a lot of good papers. We were asked to wait for another week...enough time for me to forget about it again:)
Now yesterday we got the final judgement.....our first paper got selected for an international conference!!!
This is Banff, Alberta, Canada where the conference is to be held from July3-4. I dont know if i'll be able to attend that, but this place looks really cool and i wish i could make it there...
Banff Avenue, looking north towards Cascade Mountain. Banff, Alberta, Canada.
The Banff townsite, photographed from the top of Sulphur Mountain
Yesterday my friend manu called me up to tell that our B-Tech final year project got selected for the IASTED conference on Wireless sensor Networks (don't know wat it is, you are free to write to me anytime). This was one real happy news for all three of us...me, manu and irshad. But theres one person who'll be happier than all of us, our project guide Mr. Vinod Pathari. He had been telling us from those last days in college (of which we celebrated the first anniversary recently )....but all of us were too lazy or was it the lack of hope on our project idea...i donno... we didn't send it for any conference for almost a year.
The thrill of entering a professional life should have made us lazy, besides that manu and irshad went to hyderabad and i came to b'lore. Our work schedules kept us busy all the time and in between i even went to my college for an award ceremony(and there pathari sir did ask me about the project paper, and i had to give some excuse ) .
Every time we accidently came upon our project in our discussions, we were pretty eager to get that topic out of our conversation. Things turned around with manu getting transfered to b'lore.... We finally decided to get the ship sailing... It took me and manu just a few days to refresh it and somehow create a draft to be sent for this conference which he had digged out :)
And we waited...or truth being that i even forgot about sending that paper. One week back manu calls up and tells that our paper hasn't been selected. That didnt come as a surprise to me and i even startd asking about what we are supposed to do next. Then he told me that our paper hasnt been completely thrown out, they have just deferred their decision on our paper as they got quite a lot of good papers. We were asked to wait for another week...enough time for me to forget about it again:)
Now yesterday we got the final judgement.....our first paper got selected for an international conference!!!
This is Banff, Alberta, Canada where the conference is to be held from July3-4. I dont know if i'll be able to attend that, but this place looks really cool and i wish i could make it there...
Banff Avenue, looking north towards Cascade Mountain. Banff, Alberta, Canada.
The Banff townsite, photographed from the top of Sulphur MountainGod's own country...did u ever knew this???
The feeling of pride that you get when you say that you are from "God's own country" is something that every keralite is blessed with. But does anyone know which place was originally called so or who coined the term for the first time???
I was pretty surprised to find that it belonged to one country that i always dream of visiting once. Anyone who has seen the trilogy fondly called LOTR (Lord Of the Rings) and know where the movie was shot would have already guessed that dream location. Yeah, its New Zealand, the land of kiwis.........
I was pretty surprised to find that it belonged to one country that i always dream of visiting once. Anyone who has seen the trilogy fondly called LOTR (Lord Of the Rings) and know where the movie was shot would have already guessed that dream location. Yeah, its New Zealand, the land of kiwis.........
"God’s Own Country, often abbreviated to Godzone, is a phrase that has been used for more than 120 years by New Zealanders to describe their homeland. It has subsequently been adopted by some other countries, notably Australia, but this has declined as the phrase has become increasingly associated with New Zealand.
The earliest recorded use of the phrase was as the title of a poem about New Zealand written by Thomas Bracken sometime in the 1880s. It was published in a book of his poems in 1890, and then again in 1893 in a book containing a selection of his works, entitled Lays and Lyrics: God’s Own Country and Other Poems.
God’s Own Country as a phrase was often used and popularised by New Zealand’s longest serving prime minister, Richard John Seddon. He last quoted it on June 10, 1906 when he sent a telegram to the Victorian premier, Thomas Bent, the day before leaving Sydney to return home to New Zealand. "Just leaving for God's own country," he wrote. He never made it, dying the next day on the ship Oswestry Grange.
Bracken’s God’s Own Country is less well known internationally than God Defend New Zealand which he published in 1876. It was declared the country's second national anthem in 1940, and was given equal status to God Save The Queen in 1977.
In the United Kingdom the phrase is used by people from Yorkshire to describe that county, sometimes substituting the word county for country. The government of the South Indian state of Kerala(or Keralam) in India has adopted the phrase God’s Own Country as its slogan. The phrase is also occasionally used to describe the United States of America, usually sarcastically."
from wikipideaTuesday, April 25, 2006
"Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..."
"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."
These meaningful words are widely used, but not knowing its meaning...(atleast i didnt knew its meaning till yday)
You might be wondering wat this is....believe me, this is exactly what the topic means!!!
The text is derived from Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum (On the Ends of Goods and Evils). The original passage began: Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit (Translation: "Neither is there anyone who loves pain itself since it is pain and thus wants to obtain it"). It is not known exactly when the text acquired its current standard form; it may have been as early as the1500s (albeit with subsequent minor changes) or as late as the1960s. The passage was discovered by Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, while trying to find citings of the word 'consectetur' in classical literature.
These meaningful words are widely used, but not knowing its meaning...(atleast i didnt knew its meaning till yday)
You might be wondering wat this is....believe me, this is exactly what the topic means!!!
In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum (or simply lipsum) is standard place holder text used to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation. Lipsum also serves as placeholder text in mock-ups of visual design projects before the actual words are inserted into the finished product. When used in this manner, lipsum is also called greeking.
Although using "lorem ipsum" often arouses curiosity due to its resemblance to classical Latin, it is not intended to have broader meaning. Where text is visible in a document, people tend to focus on the textual content rather than upon overall presentation, so publishers use lorem ipsum when displaying a typeface or design in order to direct the focus to presentation. "Lorem ipsum" is also said to approximate a typical distribution of letters in English, which helps to shift the focus to presentation.
The most common lorem ipsum text reads as follows:
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
The text is derived from Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum (On the Ends of Goods and Evils). The original passage began: Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit (Translation: "Neither is there anyone who loves pain itself since it is pain and thus wants to obtain it"). It is not known exactly when the text acquired its current standard form; it may have been as early as the1500s (albeit with subsequent minor changes) or as late as the1960s. The passage was discovered by Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, while trying to find citings of the word 'consectetur' in classical literature.
Cicero's original text: "Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?"
H. Rackham's 1914 translation: "Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"
courtesy:WikipediaFriday, April 21, 2006
Hilarious dialogue abt AMD!!!!!--10 ways to tell if your son is a hacker
I came across a very funny post "10 ways to tell if your son is a hacker" today. More than the funny nature of that post, what that struck me most was the comment on AMD given by that guy...
"If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD", this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who make inferior, "knock-off" copies of American processor chips. They use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers, such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores, and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well. "
The complete post goes here ::
"As an enlightened, modern parent, I try to be as involved as possible in the lives of my six children. I encourage them to join team sports. I attend their teen parties with them to ensure no drinking or alcohol is on the premises. I keep a fatherly eye on the CDs they listen to and the shows they watch, the company they keep and the books they read. You could say I'm a model parent. My children have never failed to make me proud, and I can say without the slightest embellishment that I have the finest family in the USA.
Two years ago, my wife Carol and I decided that our children's education would not be complete without some grounding in modern computers. To this end, we bought our children a brand new Compaq to learn with. The kids had a lot of fun using the handful of application programs we'd bought, such as Adobe's Photoshop and Microsoft's Word, and my wife and I were pleased that our gift was received so well. Our son Peter was most entranced by the device, and became quite a pro at surfing the net. When Peter began to spend whole days on the machine, I became concerned, but Carol advised me to calm down, and that it was only a passing phase. I was content to bow to her experience as a mother, until our youngest daughter, Cindy, charged into the living room one night to blurt out: "Peter is a computer hacker!"
As you can imagine, I was amazed. A computer hacker in my own house! I began to monitor my son's habits, to make certain that Cindy wasn't just telling stories, as she is prone to doing at times.
After a few days of investigation, and some research into computer hacking, I confronted Peter with the evidence. I'm afraid to say, this was the only time I have ever been truly disappointed in one of my children. We raised them to be honest and to have integrity, and Peter betrayed the principles we tried to encourage in him, when he refused point blank to admit to his activities. His denials continued for hours, and in the end, I was left with no choice but to ban him from using the computer until he is old enough to be responsible for his actions.
After going through this ordeal with my own family, I was left pondering how I could best help others in similar situations. I'd gained a lot of knowledge over those few days regarding hackers. It's only right that I provide that information to other parents, in the hope that they will be able to tell if their children are being drawn into the world of hacking. Perhaps other parents will be able to steer their sons back onto the straight and narrow before extreme measures need to be employed.
To this end, I have decided to publish the top ten signs that your son is a hacker. I advise any parents to read this list carefully and if their son matches the profile, they should take action. A smart parent will first try to reason with their son, before resorting to groundings, or even spanking. I pride myself that I have never had to spank a child, and I hope this guide will help other parents to put a halt to their son's misbehaviour before a spanking becomes necessary.
1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs?
Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict "No Hacking" policy, and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more hacker friendly provider.
I would advise all parents to refuse this request. One of the reasons your son is interested in switching providers is to get away from AOL's child safety filter. This filter is vital to any parent who wants his son to enjoy the internet without the endangering him through exposure to "adult" content. It is best to stick with the protection AOL provides, rather than using a home-based solution. If your son is becoming a hacker, he will be able to circumvent any home-based measures with surprising ease, using information gleaned from various hacker sites.
2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember installing?
Your son will probably try to install some hacker software. He may attempt to conceal the presence of the software in some way, but you can usually find any new programs by reading through the programs listed under "Install/Remove Programs" in your control panel. Popular hacker software includes "Comet Cursor", "Bonzi Buddy" and "Flash".
The best option is to confront your son with the evidence, and force him to remove the offending programs. He will probably try to install the software again, but you will be able to tell that this is happening, if your machine offers to "download" one of the hacker applications. If this happens, it is time to give your son a stern talking to, and possibly consider punishing him with a grounding.
3. Has your child asked for new hardware?
Computer hackers are often limited by conventional computer hardware. They may request "faster" video cards, and larger hard drives, or even more memory. If your son starts requesting these devices, it is possible that he has a legitimate need. You can best ensure that you are buying legal, trustworthy hardware by only buying replacement parts from your computer's manufacturer.
If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD", this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who make inferior, "knock-off" copies of American processor chips. They use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers, such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores, and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.
4. Does your child read hacking manuals?
If you pay close attention to your son's reading habits, as I do, you will be able to determine a great deal about his opinions and hobbies. Children are at their most impressionable in the teenage years. Any father who has had a seventeen year old daughter attempt to sneak out on a date wearing make up and perfume is well aware of the effect that improper influences can have on inexperienced minds.
There are, unfortunately, many hacking manuals available in bookshops today. A few titles to be on the lookout for are: "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson; "Neuromancer" by William Gibson; "Programming with Perl" by Timothy O'Reilly; "Geeks" by Jon Katz; "The Hacker Crackdown" by Bruce Sterling; "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland; "Hackers" by Steven Levy; and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond.
If you find any of these hacking manuals in your child's possession, confiscate them immediately. You should also petition local booksellers to remove these titles from their shelves. You may meet with some resistance at first, but even booksellers have to bow to community pressure.
5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?
If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he may be using it to DOS other peoples sites. DOSing involves gaining access to the "command prompt" on other people's machines, and using it to tie up vital internet services. This can take up to eight hours. If your son is doing this, he is breaking the law, and you should stop him immediately. The safest policy is to limit your children's access to the computer to a maximum of forty-five minutes each day.
6. Does your son use Quake?
Quake is an online virtual reality used by hackers. It is a popular meeting place and training ground, where they discuss hacking and train in the use of various firearms. Many hackers develop anti-social tendencies due to the use of this virtual world, and it may cause erratic behaviour at home and at school.
If your son is using Quake, you should make hime understand that this is not acceptable to you. You should ensure all the firearms in your house are carefully locked away, and have trigger locks installed. You should also bring your concerns to the attention of his school.
7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behaviour?
As a child enters the electronic world of hacking, he may become disaffected with the real world. He may lose the ability to control his actions, or judge the rightness or wrongness of a course of behaviour. This will manifest itself soonest in the way he treats others. Those whom he disagrees with will be met with scorn, bitterness, and even foul language. He may utter threats of violence of a real or electronic nature.
Even when confronted, your son will probably find it difficult to talk about this problem to you. He will probably claim that there is no problem, and that you are imagining things. He may tell you that it is you who has the problem, and you should "back off" and "stop smothering him." Do not allow yourself to be deceived. You are the only chance your son has, even if he doesn't understand the situation he is in. Keep trying to get through to him, no matter how much he retreats into himself.
8. Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a program called "xenix", which was written by Microsoft for the US government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other people's computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be used to break into people's stereos to steal their music, using the "mp3" program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many hacker programs, such as "telnet", which is used by hackers to connect to machines on the internet without using a telephone.
Your son may try to install "lunix" on your hard drive. If he is careful, you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have your computer repaired by a professional.
If you see the word "LILO" during your windows startup (just after you turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.
9. Has your son radically changed his appearance?
If your son has undergone a sudden change in his style of dress, you may have a hacker on your hands. Hackers tend to dress in bright, day-glo colors. They may wear baggy pants, bright colored shirts and spiky hair dyed in bright colors to match their clothes. They may take to carrying "glow-sticks" and some wear pacifiers around their necks. (I have no idea why they do this) There are many such hackers in schools today, and your son may have started to associate with them. If you notice that your son's group of friends includes people dressed like this, it is time to think about a severe curfew, to protect him from dangerous influences.
10. Is your son struggling academically?
If your son is failing courses in school, or performing poorly on sports teams, he may be involved in a hacking group, such as the infamous "Otaku" hacker association. Excessive time spent on the computer, communicating with his fellow hackers may cause temporary damage to the eyes and brain, from the electromagnetic radiation. This will cause his marks to slip dramatically, particularly in difficult subjects such as Math, and Chemistry. In extreme cases, over-exposure to computer radiation can cause schizophrenia, meningitis and other psychological diseases. Also, the reduction in exercise may cause him to lose muscle mass, and even to start gaining weight. For the sake of your child's mental and physical health, you must put a stop to his hacking, and limit his computer time drastically.
I encourage all parents to read through this guide carefully. Your child's future may depend upon it. Hacking is an illegal and dangerous activity, that may land your child in prison, and tear your family apart. It cannot be taken too seriously."
"As an enlightened, modern parent, I try to be as involved as possible in the lives of my six children. I encourage them to join team sports. I attend their teen parties with them to ensure no drinking or alcohol is on the premises. I keep a fatherly eye on the CDs they listen to and the shows they watch, the company they keep and the books they read. You could say I'm a model parent. My children have never failed to make me proud, and I can say without the slightest embellishment that I have the finest family in the USA.
Two years ago, my wife Carol and I decided that our children's education would not be complete without some grounding in modern computers. To this end, we bought our children a brand new Compaq to learn with. The kids had a lot of fun using the handful of application programs we'd bought, such as Adobe's Photoshop and Microsoft's Word, and my wife and I were pleased that our gift was received so well. Our son Peter was most entranced by the device, and became quite a pro at surfing the net. When Peter began to spend whole days on the machine, I became concerned, but Carol advised me to calm down, and that it was only a passing phase. I was content to bow to her experience as a mother, until our youngest daughter, Cindy, charged into the living room one night to blurt out: "Peter is a computer hacker!"
As you can imagine, I was amazed. A computer hacker in my own house! I began to monitor my son's habits, to make certain that Cindy wasn't just telling stories, as she is prone to doing at times.
After a few days of investigation, and some research into computer hacking, I confronted Peter with the evidence. I'm afraid to say, this was the only time I have ever been truly disappointed in one of my children. We raised them to be honest and to have integrity, and Peter betrayed the principles we tried to encourage in him, when he refused point blank to admit to his activities. His denials continued for hours, and in the end, I was left with no choice but to ban him from using the computer until he is old enough to be responsible for his actions.
After going through this ordeal with my own family, I was left pondering how I could best help others in similar situations. I'd gained a lot of knowledge over those few days regarding hackers. It's only right that I provide that information to other parents, in the hope that they will be able to tell if their children are being drawn into the world of hacking. Perhaps other parents will be able to steer their sons back onto the straight and narrow before extreme measures need to be employed.
To this end, I have decided to publish the top ten signs that your son is a hacker. I advise any parents to read this list carefully and if their son matches the profile, they should take action. A smart parent will first try to reason with their son, before resorting to groundings, or even spanking. I pride myself that I have never had to spank a child, and I hope this guide will help other parents to put a halt to their son's misbehaviour before a spanking becomes necessary.
1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs?
Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict "No Hacking" policy, and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more hacker friendly provider.
I would advise all parents to refuse this request. One of the reasons your son is interested in switching providers is to get away from AOL's child safety filter. This filter is vital to any parent who wants his son to enjoy the internet without the endangering him through exposure to "adult" content. It is best to stick with the protection AOL provides, rather than using a home-based solution. If your son is becoming a hacker, he will be able to circumvent any home-based measures with surprising ease, using information gleaned from various hacker sites.
2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember installing?
Your son will probably try to install some hacker software. He may attempt to conceal the presence of the software in some way, but you can usually find any new programs by reading through the programs listed under "Install/Remove Programs" in your control panel. Popular hacker software includes "Comet Cursor", "Bonzi Buddy" and "Flash".
The best option is to confront your son with the evidence, and force him to remove the offending programs. He will probably try to install the software again, but you will be able to tell that this is happening, if your machine offers to "download" one of the hacker applications. If this happens, it is time to give your son a stern talking to, and possibly consider punishing him with a grounding.
3. Has your child asked for new hardware?
Computer hackers are often limited by conventional computer hardware. They may request "faster" video cards, and larger hard drives, or even more memory. If your son starts requesting these devices, it is possible that he has a legitimate need. You can best ensure that you are buying legal, trustworthy hardware by only buying replacement parts from your computer's manufacturer.
If your son has requested a new "processor" from a company called "AMD", this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who make inferior, "knock-off" copies of American processor chips. They use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers, such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores, and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.
4. Does your child read hacking manuals?
If you pay close attention to your son's reading habits, as I do, you will be able to determine a great deal about his opinions and hobbies. Children are at their most impressionable in the teenage years. Any father who has had a seventeen year old daughter attempt to sneak out on a date wearing make up and perfume is well aware of the effect that improper influences can have on inexperienced minds.
There are, unfortunately, many hacking manuals available in bookshops today. A few titles to be on the lookout for are: "Snow Crash" and "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson; "Neuromancer" by William Gibson; "Programming with Perl" by Timothy O'Reilly; "Geeks" by Jon Katz; "The Hacker Crackdown" by Bruce Sterling; "Microserfs" by Douglas Coupland; "Hackers" by Steven Levy; and "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond.
If you find any of these hacking manuals in your child's possession, confiscate them immediately. You should also petition local booksellers to remove these titles from their shelves. You may meet with some resistance at first, but even booksellers have to bow to community pressure.
5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?
If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he may be using it to DOS other peoples sites. DOSing involves gaining access to the "command prompt" on other people's machines, and using it to tie up vital internet services. This can take up to eight hours. If your son is doing this, he is breaking the law, and you should stop him immediately. The safest policy is to limit your children's access to the computer to a maximum of forty-five minutes each day.
6. Does your son use Quake?
Quake is an online virtual reality used by hackers. It is a popular meeting place and training ground, where they discuss hacking and train in the use of various firearms. Many hackers develop anti-social tendencies due to the use of this virtual world, and it may cause erratic behaviour at home and at school.
If your son is using Quake, you should make hime understand that this is not acceptable to you. You should ensure all the firearms in your house are carefully locked away, and have trigger locks installed. You should also bring your concerns to the attention of his school.
7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behaviour?
As a child enters the electronic world of hacking, he may become disaffected with the real world. He may lose the ability to control his actions, or judge the rightness or wrongness of a course of behaviour. This will manifest itself soonest in the way he treats others. Those whom he disagrees with will be met with scorn, bitterness, and even foul language. He may utter threats of violence of a real or electronic nature.
Even when confronted, your son will probably find it difficult to talk about this problem to you. He will probably claim that there is no problem, and that you are imagining things. He may tell you that it is you who has the problem, and you should "back off" and "stop smothering him." Do not allow yourself to be deceived. You are the only chance your son has, even if he doesn't understand the situation he is in. Keep trying to get through to him, no matter how much he retreats into himself.
8. Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a program called "xenix", which was written by Microsoft for the US government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other people's computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be used to break into people's stereos to steal their music, using the "mp3" program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many hacker programs, such as "telnet", which is used by hackers to connect to machines on the internet without using a telephone.
Your son may try to install "lunix" on your hard drive. If he is careful, you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have your computer repaired by a professional.
If you see the word "LILO" during your windows startup (just after you turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.
9. Has your son radically changed his appearance?
If your son has undergone a sudden change in his style of dress, you may have a hacker on your hands. Hackers tend to dress in bright, day-glo colors. They may wear baggy pants, bright colored shirts and spiky hair dyed in bright colors to match their clothes. They may take to carrying "glow-sticks" and some wear pacifiers around their necks. (I have no idea why they do this) There are many such hackers in schools today, and your son may have started to associate with them. If you notice that your son's group of friends includes people dressed like this, it is time to think about a severe curfew, to protect him from dangerous influences.
10. Is your son struggling academically?
If your son is failing courses in school, or performing poorly on sports teams, he may be involved in a hacking group, such as the infamous "Otaku" hacker association. Excessive time spent on the computer, communicating with his fellow hackers may cause temporary damage to the eyes and brain, from the electromagnetic radiation. This will cause his marks to slip dramatically, particularly in difficult subjects such as Math, and Chemistry. In extreme cases, over-exposure to computer radiation can cause schizophrenia, meningitis and other psychological diseases. Also, the reduction in exercise may cause him to lose muscle mass, and even to start gaining weight. For the sake of your child's mental and physical health, you must put a stop to his hacking, and limit his computer time drastically.
I encourage all parents to read through this guide carefully. Your child's future may depend upon it. Hacking is an illegal and dangerous activity, that may land your child in prison, and tear your family apart. It cannot be taken too seriously."
Monday, April 17, 2006
My search for a laptop......
I had been searching for a laptop quite extensively two months back. It was quite an unfruitful search as i ended up with barely good configurations for not so reasonable prices. Besides that, i found out the huge difference in the way different branded manufactures treat the US market and the Indian market. But in the last 2 months the laptop market in india seem to have been improving.
Infact me, praveen and kailas went out to the HP store in Brigade Road to checkout the laptop prices. It was then that we came across some really cool configurations....(since they were out of stock, we couldn't really see them :(........)
I checked out the HP website today and was surprised to finally find a few really good configurations and guess wat u can buy them online for the same price as listed at the HP store in Brigade Road!!!
The one that i finally want to proceed with is HP Pavilion dv5118TX(EV899PA)
1 Year Limited Warranty (1 Year Parts/1 Year Labour)
Infact me, praveen and kailas went out to the HP store in Brigade Road to checkout the laptop prices. It was then that we came across some really cool configurations....(since they were out of stock, we couldn't really see them :(........)
I checked out the HP website today and was surprised to finally find a few really good configurations and guess wat u can buy them online for the same price as listed at the HP store in Brigade Road!!!
The one that i finally want to proceed with is HP Pavilion dv5118TX(EV899PA)
Specifications |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2300 with Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 667MHz FSB) |
| Operating system | Microsoft® Windows® XP Home |
| Standard memory | 1GB (1 x 1GB) DDR2 SDRAM (667MHZ) |
| Maximum memory | Upgradeable to 2GB |
| System memory | 1GB (1 x 1GB) DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz), upgradeable to 2GB |
| Cache | 2MB Level-2 Cache |
| Hard drive | 100GB (5400 rpm) |
| Optical drive | Dual Layer DVD±RW/±R |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce® Go 7400 (up to 256MB system memory shared with >=512MB system memory) |
| Modem | High speed 56K modem |
| Network | Integrated 10/100 LAN Ethernet, Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11 a/b/g integrated WLAN, integrated Bluetooth |
| Pre-installed software | Microsoft® Windows® Media Player, Microsoft® Works, Microsoft® Money, Muvee AutoProducer, Sonic Digital Media Plus, Symantec Norton AntiVirus-Virus Defnition File Update, Symantec Norton Internet Security (60 day live update, pre-install), HP QuickPlay, HP Photosmart Premier, .Net Framework, Sun Java, Macromedia Flash |
| Battery | 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery |
| Display | 15.4" colour WXGA BrightView |
| Pointing device | Touchpad pointing device with 2-way scroll |
| I/O interfaces | (1) 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader slot, (1) IEEE 1394 port, (1) S-video port, (1) VGA port, (1) Notebook Expansion Slot, (1) Headphone/Line-out, (2) External Microphone, (1) AC power adapter, (1) RJ-11, (1) RJ-45, (3) USB 2.0 ports |
| Security features | Kensington MicroSaver lock slot |
| PC card slots | (1) Type I/II PC Card Slot with support for 16-bit PCMCIA and 32-bit Cardbus, (1) ExpressCard/54 Slot |
| Status display | System Power, NUM Lock, CAPS Lock, SCROLL Lock, Battery Charging, HDD/Optical activity, Media Slot, Mute, Wireless |
| Audio | Altec Lansing branded speakers, AC97 audio, volume control and mute button |
| Keyboard | Full-sized keyboard with touchpad |
| Dimensions | 4.49cm(H) x 26.39cm(W) x 35.79cm(D) |
| Weight | 2.99kg - may vary, depending on configuration and components |
Warranty |
Friday, March 31, 2006
Ever heard this cuuuute song--Cuppy Cake
See the video of this song here
"You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so dear"
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so dear"
Friday, March 17, 2006
ReactOS---Finally, a FOSS operating system for everyone!
This project doesnt seem to be dead....hope they revive it.
"The ReactOS® project is dedicated to making Free Software available to everyone by providing a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows® XP compatible operating system. ReactOS aims to achieve complete binary compatibility with both applications and device drivers meant for NT and XP operating systems, by using a similar architecture and providing a complete and equivalent public interface.
Although Free Software advocates agree that free software operating systems improve the state of the art by fostering competition, ReactOS has practical benefit for others, too; ReactOS is the most complete working model of a Windows® like operating system available. Consequently, working programmers will learn a great deal by studying ReactOS source code and even participating in ReactOS development.
ReactOS components are growing more and more compatibile with equivalent, closed source alternatives, but ReactOS doesn't simply stop at an arbitrary line in the sand. ReactOS has and will continue to incorporate new versions of the Win32 API and so will track and sometimes even define the state of the art in operating system technology. Rather than using current technology as a limit on our activities, we are constantly incorporating features from newer versions as well.
In short, ReactOS is aiming to run your applications and use your hardware! Finally, a FOSS operating system for everyone!"
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Why people buy Windows????
I came across an article "In the Beginning was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson.
It tells you why people still buy windows........Read this :Imagine a crossroads where four competing auto dealerships are situated. One of them (Microsoft) is much, much bigger than the others. It started out years ago selling three-speed bicycles (MS-DOS); these were not perfect, but they worked, and when they broke you could easily fix them.
There was a competing bicycle dealership next door (Apple) that one day began selling motorized vehicles--expensive but attractively styled cars with their innards hermetically sealed, so that how they worked was something of a mystery.
The big dealership responded by rushing a moped upgrade kit (the original Windows) onto the market. This was a Rube Goldberg contraption that, when bolted onto a three-speed bicycle, enabled it to keep up, just barely, with Apple-cars. The users had to wear goggles and were always picking bugs out of their teeth while Apple owners sped along in hermetically sealed comfort, sneering out the windows. But the Micro-mopeds were cheap, and easy to fix compared with the Apple-cars, and their market share waxed.
Eventually the big dealership came out with a full-fledged car: a colossal station wagon (Windows 95). It had all the aesthetic appeal of a Soviet worker housing block, it leaked oil and blew gaskets, and it was an enormous success. A little later, they also came out with a hulking off-road vehicle intended for industrial users (Windows NT) which was no more beautiful than the station wagon, and only a little more reliable.
Since then there has been a lot of noise and shouting, but little has changed. The smaller dealership continues to sell sleek Euro-styled sedans and to spend a lot of money on advertising campaigns. They have had GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! signs taped up in their windows for so long that they have gotten all yellow and curly. The big one keeps making bigger and bigger station wagons and ORVs.
On the other side of the road are two competitors that have come along more recently.
One of them (Be, Inc.) is selling fully operational Batmobiles (the BeOS). They are more beautiful and stylish even than the Euro-sedans, better designed, more technologically advanced, and at least as reliable as anything else on the market--and yet cheaper than the others.
With one exception, that is: Linux, which is right next door, and which is not a business at all. It's a bunch of RVs, yurts, tepees, and geodesic domes set up in a field and organized by consensus. The people who live there are making tanks. These are not old-fashioned, cast-iron Soviet tanks; these are more like the M1 tanks of the U.S. Army, made of space-age materials and jammed with sophisticated technology from one end to the other. But they are better than Army tanks. They've been modified in such a way that they never, ever break down, are light and maneuverable enough to use on ordinary streets, and use no more fuel than a subcompact car. These tanks are being cranked out, on the spot, at a terrific pace, and a vast number of them are lined up along the edge of the road with keys in the ignition. Anyone who wants can simply climb into one and drive it away for free.
Customers come to this crossroads in throngs, day and night. Ninety percent of them go straight to the biggest dealership and buy station wagons or off-road vehicles. They do not even look at the other dealerships.
Of the remaining ten percent, most go and buy a sleek Euro-sedan, pausing only to turn up their noses at the philistines going to buy the station wagons and ORVs. If they even notice the people on the opposite side of the road, selling the cheaper, technically superior vehicles, these customers deride them cranks and half-wits.
The Batmobile outlet sells a few vehicles to the occasional car nut who wants a second vehicle to go with his station wagon, but seems to accept, at least for now, that it's a fringe player.
The group giving away the free tanks only stays alive because it is staffed by volunteers, who are lined up at the edge of the street with bullhorns, trying to draw customers' attention to this incredible situation. A typical conversation goes something like this:
Hacker with bullhorn: "Save your money! Accept one of our free tanks! It is invulnerable, and can drive across rocks and swamps at ninety miles an hour while getting a hundred miles to the gallon!"
Prospective station wagon buyer: "I know what you say is true...but...er...I don't know how to maintain a tank!"
Bullhorn: "You don't know how to maintain a station wagon either!"
Buyer: "But this dealership has mechanics on staff. If something goes wrong with my station wagon, I can take a day off work, bring it here, and pay them to work on it while I sit in the waiting room for hours, listening to elevator music."
Bullhorn: "But if you accept one of our free tanks we will send volunteers to your house to fix it for free while you sleep!"
Buyer: "Stay away from my house, you freak!"
Bullhorn: "But..."
Buyer: "Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?"
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Rediff Interview/Sabeer Bhatia, Hotmail founder
The Rediff Interview/Sabeer Bhatia, Hotmail founder
What India's IT biggies are not doing
Sunil Jain | March 14, 2006
Sabeer Bhatia's on a roll. After a year or two of thinking he'd arrived once he'd sold Hotmail to Microsoft, and getting bored of the holidaying (in the south of France, in India. . .) and the fine life, and a project that didn't take off, he's back in the thick of things.
He's just launched a new toolbar that, evangelically, he tries to convince you is the best thing since, well, Hotmail; bombed e-commerce venture Aarzoo's going to be relaunched as a travel portal, but driven extensively by SMS and his Telixo venture that he hopes is also near takeoff, and he's thinking, as we savour some subtle bass, of launching a new peer-to-peer email service, writes Business Standard
Bhatia's a few minutes late since finding Ploof, one of the finest seafood restaurants in Delhi isn't easy, tucked away as it is in the soon-to-be-fashionable Lodhi Colony market (now that the Manish Aroras and A&Ts are setting up shop here).
He's floored by its high ceilings and old-world ambience. After a few moments of being polite and going along with what I recommend (red snapper and lobster), he decides he doesn't want lobster since it is very high in cholesterol, Bhatia rapidscans the menu and we order fillet of sea-bass and a Kerala fish curry, with some Mediterranean vegetables as a starter.
What's so special about this toolbar, I ask, in part as the news reports about it are sketchy and in part to get a conversation going once Bhatia's unsuccessfully asked the restaurant staff to get the construction workers next door to stop banging around for an hour.
His composure intact, Bhatia explains just how different his blogger-kit on the toolbar is from, say, Blogspot.
There are, it appears, 27.2 million blogs in the world as we speak, of which Bhatia reckons, rightly, at least 26.9 million don't have any readers. What he's doing is to give users a better chance to have their works read. By creating a parallel page of sorts, you get to blog about a particular page you've just visited.
So, on a Sony handicam site, you can blog what you think about the handicam, and Sony cannot edit you out since it has no control over the toolbar -- naturally, any one going to the handicam site will want to know what user reactions are and, hey presto, you're being read now!
There are other interesting functions to the toolbar, but what I want to know is how the KPIT Cummins software engineers who've developed this compare with, say, the US engineers who helped develop Aarzoo.
They're top-class and a lot cheaper, Bhatia begins with the standard spiel, but quickly gets down to, as anyone whose lived so long in the US would, what's wrong, and why. The biggest issue he faced was the attitude -- "Tell us what you want done and we'll do it."
He had to get them to be creative, to think on their own, add the bells and whistles -- and tell them that the next time he was addressed as "sir," they'd get fired. Part of it has to do with schooling, he reckons, and part to do with a society that's so structured.
When he'd gone to Caltech, Bhatia recalls, he'd just submitted his paper after reading up the four books prescribed for that particular course in philosophy, and he got a "D," his first ever "D".
Why, he asked, since he'd read all the books and dutifully cited them in abundance -- "that's the Indian way," he explains to me. I've read them, too, is what his Caltech professor told him, what have you done to add to that body of knowledge?
That, Bhatia says, is the big difference between Indian and US education. But, a few months of re-orientation and, he says, his Indian developers are on a par with those in the US.
The next subject of his ire are Indian software biggies such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, the lot. Here he is putting in tens of millions of dollars of his own money to develop, in India, a product in the consumer space, and they're doing nothing but what he says is just labour arbitrage.
What about i-flex from Citibank and finacle from Infosys, I ask?
They've all emerged from the work the companies have been doing for clients, and what are they worth, Bhatia scoffs, and before I answer, $300 million is the answer he ventures, talking of i-flex's revenues instead of market cap.
"If we're successful, the toolbar has the potential of being a 10-, 20-, 30-billion dollar company," he says, by way of contrast.
He's not finished yet. "Companies like TCS are sitting on piles of cash, but they're not investing it in R&D, in products that will have no revenue stream for three to four years. . ."
Rounding errors. The kind of money he's investing, Bhatia says, is what India's software biggies will lose in rounding errors, but they're not investing -- and that's why they have no product in the consumer space that should be giving nightmares to companies like Microsoft and Oracle and even Google. His is the first product in the consumer space that's developed in India.
Part of the problem, he admits, has to do with big companies, but you have people like Steve Jobs who've proved big firms can innovate as well. When Jobs came back, he recalls, Michael Dell's advice was that he liquidate the firm and hand back the cash to investors -- at that time Apple had $6 billion in cash and $4 billion market cap. Well, Jobs created an MP3 player when there were already 50 in the market, and Apple's market cap is today bigger than Dell's!
But even US VCs in India are constantly looking for revenue models, I say, so that automatically limits innovation.
"They're Indians living in America, not Americans," is the reply, "and they're looking to make a quick buck . . . one VC has invested in a public limited company! I don't have a revenue model today, but the best piece of real estate is a toolbar and I'm aiming to own that -- the revenue just has to follow."
I ask Bhatia to demonstrate how his Telixo (telecom extreme organiser) works. Bhatia pulls out his ordinary Nokia phone, puts in his US chip and decides to find his friend Ajay Madhok's number. So, he SMSes .con (as in contact) Ajay Madhok and within 10 seconds, he's got an SMS with the number.
He does the same -- .not (as in note) Passport, and the passport details are with us! The idea, he says, is to be able to get any data that's on your Outlook to the phone without having to buy a fancy phone. Spice Telecom is already offering this service.
I end by trying to get him to talk about his personal life -- he's run the full marathon twice and is an outdoors person, but it's more the Aishwarya Rai story I'm interested in. "No, I'm not married yet . . . I will at some point, but such (business) opportunities don't come all the time," he says, anticipating where I'm going. I back off.
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