Collaborative Editing

How many applications are available which provide online real-time multi-user document editing? How many of them are free*? I don't know of anything else other than SubEthaEdit, which is both. It just works! It uses Bonjour and does the job pretty well!

For macs only!

*non-commerical use only

Google to enter the telecomm battlefield

Expect top class innovative communication stuff from Google in future. They have plans to take on the Telecomm industry and guess what? Their plans are to adopt the open standards route for communications (H.323, et. al. maybe?). The battle is bound to get hotter than ever and end users have nothing to loose but only gain!

I am really looking forward to this.

Source: FT

Doggie Li's Unleashed

Unleashed starring Jet Li, Morgan Freeman and others. Don't watch a movie if you don't like to watch it. Doesn't matter if it is "free" :)
Bad movie - came out when it was half way through.

Security issues OS: wasn't this expected?

The amount of time we leave our computers connected to the net is increasing. The scope of things that we can do online is increasing. This is common knowledge now. We stay connected to the internet longer than ever before. What started off with an occassional dial-up (a typical home user) has now reached a stage where it doesn't cost anything to leave our machines connected (or even downloading something off the net all the time). Did Mr. Gates not not expect this while designing Windows XP?

I remember reading stuff from his book "The Road Ahead" where he showed us a kaliedoscope pointed at the future: Optical fibers, huge memory, faster computers, internet everywhere, etc. Someone who sees so much ahead into the future couldn't sense the need for strong security features in an OS? That too when it runs on around 80% of all the computers in the world?

Or is all this just a big trick to keep M$ and other related businesses running? Windows Vista eh? Lets see what trick you got in that hat of yours Mr. Gates. First beta release of Vista (previously looonghorn) shows that nothing radically new has been put in place for security. Many things (graphics, trash levels, etc) are already available in OS X and seemed like they are nicked (whats new about that eh?). Not good!

The Rising - More fiction, less facts

A good movie. Although, most bits don't go well with what historians have to say. Mangal Pandey protested during a parade and tried to shoot himself but was later executed (hurriedly). The arrival of Rangoon regiment, etc. are pure fiction (not to mention Mangal's personal life). The First war of Indian Independence began on 10th may 1857 when soldiers from Meerut revolted.

And its not a ballad.

Mysore - First wireless city in India?

Apparently, its true. Mysore now allows Wi-Fi access from anywhere within the city. It uses 802.11g standards, which cater for a theoretical speed of 54Mbps and has 3(?) stations within the city. At Rs.750 per month and a rate limit of 128 kbps on the end user, I think, is quite good for a start. But, we can expect scalability issues to crop in as soon as the consumer base (100 in total now)increases. Maybe they will switch to 802.11a then? I wouldn't mind trying it but I have major concerns about coverage. 2.4 GHz, I think, is not ideal for WANs and MANs.

Famous quotes

Need I tell you whose quotes these are?

1. 20 marks kosans that is whatever till I covered.
2. Are u understanding what I telling?
3. For me there no class on Friday means for my class
4. Please all of you attendance.
5. Why are u talking to besides people.
6. There is no class for my class on Friday.
7. Where is there ? ( What is that ? )
8. You answers kosans only when I ask yours.
9. U don’t listen to what and all I tell you.
10. What vahkik ????? !!!! ( what loukik ? )
11. Array ‘a’ contains 100 elements . I wants to 100 elements .
12. Next time what answer you got ?
13. First thing u should know this thing , then only u can do that thing.( scolding Manjesh)
14. We come to know that is how much means it requires storage of memory.
15. All that we don’t know that one.
16. How many pograms are u executed in C++.
17. Which is wuch as ……..
18. Rows and columns only you can’t tell that one…
19. Total space pogram requires divided 2 parts.
20. Yesterday he had come it seems, u were already went.
21. Why u are sitting so congested?
22. Instance means that’s whats that meaning.
23. Nesht class , I will check up all of you…( does she mean a physical ???)
24. It returns true if I,j, reggists.
25. Next week u have to take out the print outs what and all u did it.
26. Whatever I done in class , I given for test.
27. If u was silent u could hear.
28. Why u are thinking so?
29. Praveen !!! did it , over ?? How much finished ??
30. Even if u close your face , I can see ( To loukik)
31. All of u understand how I calculated ?
32. After this pogram taking , I will leave.
33. Manjesh what I told u , to find it out the space ( while doing space complexity).
34. I will ask kosans nest class. If u won’t answer I won’t allow u sit in the class.
35. Already mainly solely concentrate on..
36. Do u understanding now ?
37. Forgotten already C++, what u studied ?
38. Unix will take Apsara.
39. OOPS will take NSN.
40. Next we taking another pogram for matrix.
41. What u think yourself.
42. For u no need to come for nest classes for my class.
44. Raghukishan is the last warning , if u talk , I send u out.
Raghu’s response: (Actually in kannada)
hey man ! did she take the attendance ?
45. Meghana , I’ll sit u in 1st bench.
46. your exams has come the dates, are u saw ?
47. What finish all if u say sorry ? ( literally a kannada to English translation)
48. Don’t get confusion.
49. You doesn’t do nothing in class.
50. 1st only you are coming for the late.
51. Now onwards if u come for the late for the class i.e after 10 minutes, I won’t allows you for the class.
52. Do it ( problem) and see it what u will get it the profit for this problem.
53. If u don’t answer kosans I asking , I send u out for the class.
54. All should be upto the silent when he explaining.
55. You be keep quiet.
56. We have to write it as before, before before calling this before one.

Courtesy: Manohar and Rajesh

OS X hacked. Tiger can now be made to run on x86

The developer version of OS X Tiger has been hacked. It can now be made to run on any x86 machine. Apparently, its much much faster than many Apple machines. Although, all peripherals won't work because of driver issues. Step by step instructions to do so can be found here:
http://www.uneasysilence.com/os-x-proven-hacked-and-running-on-an-ordinary-pc/

Well, the instructions to install OS X are so complex and unreliable that many people would prefer to either buy a mac or wait and see if Apple will open up and sell their OS separately. I can only imagine whizkids doing this and I read somewhere that previous versions of OS X were hacked as well.

Border control needs to change

I need to travel to Poland for work. By being an Indian citizen, I automatically belong to the list of citizens who need a visa to visit almost every country on this planet. Due to unreliable visa processing agencies (for Polish visa), I had to go to London myself to get a visa and I can't quantify the trouble that I (and my countrymen) have to go through to get visa for some of these countries. I had to stand in a very illogical queue for a loong time in the hot sun on a working day when I have so many things to do at work. Upon my turn I was told that I will only be given a single-entry visa which holds good only for the planned number of days for the meeting and a single entry only! Having a UK work permit, a long term US visa, a Schengen visa does not provide any advantage either. Its time we re-think on border control. Maybe not for all cases but decisions for visa shouldn't be categorical, rather on a case-by-case basis.

Charlie and the chocolate factory

Hmm...this is a good movie and is quite funny but I think its meant for kids. I liked many dialogues delivered Johny Depp and the 'bad mouthed' grandfather.

Expect genetically modified rice soon

Scientists have worked out how how the 400 million "letters" of rice DNA are arranged. Source: BBC

In future, we can probably expect to see rice grains in fun shapes? hmm...Which one would I go for...a dog, a cat or hmm...a sports car as my rice grain? :) Frankly, I don't like many of these genetically modified vegetables available in the market. They are bigger in size and have deep colors but they don't taste as good as the "virgin" ones.

6 Months and going strong

I got my Apple powerbook in february this year. Many people asked my why I chose mac and also mentioned that they wouldn't spend their money on a product prices mostly as a fashion accessory!

6 months have passed without a single crash, or an OS error, haven't heard of a single virus, no need for an anti-virus software, nothing! I upgraded to Tiger (OS X 10.4) in may. Installation took 40 mins or so (I think) and was as simple as installing any other application! I had to do nothing but click twice.

Unless forced at a gun-point, I won't switch back to any version of windows on any of the laptops/desktops that I might buy in the future. Its a pity I have to be with one at work though :(