March 30, 2004 at 4:22 pm
· Filed under BumpedUpon
Hey guys! Did u people noticed the change in appearance of Google Yeah the interface. I didn’t get the screenshot of the older version. If you find it, let me know. Google is making it’s interfaces simpler and simpler. Probably this is the only search engine with no advertisements on its front page.
March 27, 2004 at 4:22 pm
· Filed under WriteThings
Amongst many controversies about US moving Jobs to India. Its our turn to give back. Bharti Tele-Ventures will now rely on IBM for its software and hardware requirements. This is a deal worth $750m in a span of 10 years. Bharti’s Chairman got very impressed with IBM and remarked ‘Safe Hands’. Bharti, had about 7m customers as of end of Feb, including 6m mobile subscribers, will also be the “preferred supplier” of telecom services to IBM India. It’s Symbiotic Business. More news on Reuters, ZdNet and NDTV.
SanJose based Cypress Semiconductors may likely to set-up a Fabrication Unit in Bangalore. First of its kind in India. Although Bharat Electronics (BEL) had such a facility somewhere in North India, but a fire incident ruined it. Now BEL is dealing with Indonesian fabs for its Chips. This move from Cypress is really a welcoming factor. It’s the REAL opening for India to tap the untamed markets. Infact, Cypress’s most complex chip, the Packet over Sonet Integrated Circuit (POSIC), with over 15 million transistors, was designed by the India centre. It’s sad that the press release columns in their website doesn’t have this news item. Indiatimes gave me this. We have proven ourselves in Software. Now opportunities come in Hardware, can we sow and reap? The Cost is the Key. In China, fabs are ubiquitous like a cottage industry. The process technologies are much better.
Ok. Why did Cypress chose Bangalore for that? Why not Kovalam or Coimbatore or anyother for that matter? This makes me to worry. Already Karnataka Govt. is doing an excellent job in promoting Biotechnology in its state. Now at Every nook and a corner, they have software companies like there are temples in kancheepuram. Do they need Hardware units also? Bangalore has a great transformation, from Garden city to Silicon City and now it’s like a Concrete City. You can see an alarming increase in the number of trees that were cut, roads that are digged, borewells that are used. There the road chases those vehicles with mud and stones. That’s the state. Once Bangalore had number of Defence establishments and many spent their life peacefully after the retirements. Now these Defence Establishmsnts have to compromise themselves for the unprecedented growth of the City. DRDO had offered its Aircraft landing area to the International Airport that is being built. Lets have states with specialized and specific Industries. May not one enjoy all the chances. Is it ok with you? Done.
You all know how Linux is growing. Heard that Taiwanese notebook makers are trying the market with Linux. We all see the IBM’s new advertisement. News about Novell acquiring Ximian and SUSE. Prospects for Linux are growing overwhelmingly. You just can’t lag behind.
Tamil, one of the oldest and rich language that exists. Thirukkural, Silappathikaaram, KambaRaamayaanam, Aathicchoodi, Manimekalai, Kundalakeasi, Valayaapathi…. Ho! this list is getting bigger. These are the Greatest epics and literature that this world could see. Tamil is spoken throughout the world: in Srilanka (LTTE), Singapore (Murugan Temple), Malaysia (SamyVelu), London (BBC TamilOsai), America (Merina.com), TamilNadu (??). Believe me, there is a school somewhere in South Africa that teaches Tamil. Inspite of these our state politicians still strive hard (??) to make it a classical language.
Ok. Now how is Tamil growing in Linux and OpenSource?. Lots of people are working in Localization of Linux applications and in other related Translation works. You’ll sure be just amazed to know that they are bringing these apps viz: KDE, GNOME, XFce, Mozilla, OpenOffice, Nucleus, TuxPaint, PhpBB, GIMP, BlueFish… in Tamil. One of the groups is working to bring a Full Fledged Tamil PC, called ZhaKaNini based on Linux and other open source utilities. Tamillinux.org is co-ordinating most of the activities. Tamilinix is the place where all such people dicuss on their developments and issues. Barathee is there for Free/Open Source Tamil Software. More than these Google is available in Tamil. Like to hear Chinese Radio in Tamil?
Just search for Tamil in yahoogroups and compare the number of results with any other Indian language. You’ll notice the multitude of people groups that operate. I did it for Google. Here are the results:
Tamil: about 2,410,000 results (Too much)
Hindi: about 2,370,000 results (Hehehe)
Telugu: about 814,000 results (Thats a good number?)
Bengali: about 753,000 results (Fine)
Kannada: about 480,000 results (The Silicon city speaks)
Malayalam: about 480,000 results (Inspite of their Arabic invasions)
March 20, 2004 at 4:18 pm
· Filed under WriteThings
How to get ideas? Do you know how? Jack Foster in his book ‘How to get Ideas’ (ISBN: 81-7649-245-0) tells the magic behind it.
But why the heck I read this book? A’m I not idea Prone? As one of my managers say that ‘there is always a scope for improvement’. Let’s not contend ourselves. Melioration is the crux for success. Ok. Fine. Some excerpts:
An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.
Sounds pretty simple. Ya that’s 100% true.
He who Laughs, lasts. People with ideas are never serious. Having fun bring you lots. Believe strongly that there exists a solution and know sure to get that idea. Imagine that you got the idea and act accordingly. Be more like a child. Kids are natural-born scientists. Look at the questions that they ask. We have to be speechless. Get more Inputs. Be courageous and extremely curious. Try to get more of ‘Old Elements’. Do something, something different, something that will start you in a different direction, something that will get you out of your rut.
If you want to be creative, go where your questions lead you. Do things. Have a wide variety of experiences. Don’t just look at things around, but see. Seeing requires a lot of effort. See the detail and enjoy it. Fear of rejection shouldn’t shutdown your idea factory. Rethink your thinking. A conclusion is the place where you get tired thinking. Think Visually. Once you get the visual idea, the words are easy. Think laterally. Don’t assume boundaries that aren’t there. The creative mind should be free to roam, to explore, to seek wherever it wants. Look for analogues. Break the Rules. Take chances. Opportunities never show-up again. Define the Problem. The Formulation of the problem is more essential than its solution. Gather lot more information about the problem. The biggest sin is sitting on your ass. If there is no wind, you have to row. After you think deeply for solution, forget about it. The idea what you wanted will buzz you when needed. Even if you are in the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. So put your idea into action. Nothing great is achieved without enthusiasm. If you’re going to do it, do it. That’s commitment. This commitment creates action. Give yourself a Deadline. The shorter, the better.