Text avatars of your pictures

I always used to wonder how the text (ascii) version of any pic was done, how patiently the creator would have tried to get the same pic using ascii characters, today I stumbled onto this site which allows one to download the ascii version of thier uploaded pic and save it for eternity :).
I just loved this cool website - Image to Text.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Online Image Resizer

Found this cool site - Image Resizer which allows to resize the digital pics for email purpose or for publishing on a web site.
I liked the interface and how simple it is.

Powered by ScribeFire.

SQL Joins explained using diagrams

Stumbled up on this very good article by Ligaya Turmelle's where in she explains sql joins using venn diagrams, a very useful to understand the concept of joins, as they say pictures are worth more than thousand words.

See the article on sql joins expalined using diagrams.

OpenLaszlo Tutorial

OpenLaszlo architect and ultimate insider Adam Wolff has recorded a screencast version of his wonderful OpenLaszlo programming tutorial.
Read more about the tutorial

Battle at Kruger

Amazing fightback from the wild buffalo's to save the calf attacked by the lions, royal retreat for the lions.
It has all the elements of the edge of the seat hollywood thriller.
Must watch at all cost.

Quercus - the caucho project for 100% Java implementation of PHP5

For long time we (our company), were looking for a way of having both php and java to run together, so that we could utilise a open source java application web server.
But most of the times we hit roadblock as either the existing solution was too cumbersome and difficult to comprehend.
Today found an interesting article on Caucho website, wherein they have developed Quercus, which is 100% Java implementation of PHP 5
released under the Open Source GPL license.
Caucho mentions that "Quercus is Caucho Technology's 100% Java implementation of PHP 5 released under the Open Source GPL license. Quercus comes with many PHP modules and extensions like PDF, PDO, MySQL, and JSON. Quercus allows for tight integration of Java services with PHP scripts, so using PHP with JMS or Grails is a quick and painless endeavor.
With Quercus, PHP applications automatically take advantage of Java application server features just as connection pooling and clustered sessions.
Quercus implements PHP 5 and a growing list of PHP extensions including APC, iconv, GD, gettext, JSON, MySQL, Oracle, PDF, and Postgres. Many popular PHP application will run as well as, if not better, than the standard PHP interpreter straight out of the box. The growing list of PHP software certified running on Quercus includes DokuWiki, Drupal, Gallery2, Joomla, Mambo, Mantis, MediaWiki, Phorum, phpBB, phpMyAdmin, PHP-Nuke, Wordpress and XOOPS."
For more information please visit Caucho:Quercus.

We would giving it a try and hopefully we should be succesful in moving towards java web server for php applications.

Gran Paradiso : Firefox3 on the anvil

Firefox3 is on the anvil, code named Gran Paradiso.
For the requirement document check here.

Know more about Gran Paradiso.

Manging your itunes Library

An article on code project by one of the readers igalnassi is quite interesting, it explains in simple way how to be manage your itunes libray with simple rating of the songs on iPod, once the songs have been rated as he has explained, a small application he has wrote does the managing job wonderfully by deleting unwanted songs from iPod, identifying duplicates etc.

Download the application.

Read the article Manage Your iTunes Library With Simple Clicks to know more about it.

Why tagging is important

I always wondered why tags are so important and why does everyone talk about it so much, but once I started using it, I have found it very useful it helps in organizing the stuff and also if we use the tags in a very appropriate way, it also ensures that search engines pick the right tag and in a way tagging the title appropriately makes it a good SEO practice, also unnecessary tagging also doesn't help the cause.

Wayne Hurlbert has written a good article on title tags, I think spending 10 minutes reading the article is worth the salt.

There is so much to learn :)

Tidying up the mp3 ID3 tags

Everton from Connected internet, has written this very useful article on how to add ID3 tags to your mp3 collection.
He details the steps to add the tags using couple of freeware software and iTunes (for iPod).
I found this article very useful and especially the picard tool from MusicBrainz is a great one.

For the steps to add the tags to the mp3's please check the article mentioned above.

Cool and necessary tools for iTunes

Using iTunes throws up a lot of questions.
I have been using iRiver for couple of years, and when I plugin my iRiver, I manually manage the music files on it, drag and drop the files required and deleting and not allowing windows media player to manage, but with iPod, since I am forced to use iTunes as and when I hit a roadblock, I google and have found some cool tools for iTunes

1)iTunes ART importer
This allows users to search for an album cover image of a song automatically.
More information regarding this can be found at iTunes ART importer.

2)iTunes library updater
How to make iTunes automatically scan for new songs added to the your songs folder without you having to add it manually every time, this one I found it to be very useful since I keep updating my songs list every week.
More information regarding this can be found at iTunes library updater.

Deleting songs from iTunes but not from iPod

After getting an iPod (actually gift from one of the clients we have for having delivered the portal), I am totally hooked on it and every day I use it, I am finding different issue and googling for the problem took me to this url, which explains how to delete songs from iTunes but still keep the same in iPod.

The author provides 2 solutions, simple and ease to use (does not need any additional install).

Fixing up your iPod music collection

Found this cool video which explains how to get rid of duplicate entries, adding artwork, tags.
I found this very useful as I am new to iPod.

Video can be found at Cnet Reviews.

Ubuntu Essentials

Recently my team members got hooked into Ubuntu (they moved from windows obviously), all this happened thanks to our Technical Architect - Vinu Thomas (www.vinuthomas.com), he inspired all and it got me also into trying it out. Have installed the Ubuntu Studio and find it no different from Windows, leaving windows for me was like a kid leaving home to go to stay in hostel, unless the kid finds out the fun in hostel he will always be skeptical.

So I do keep searching for sites which help me in my knowledge to grab more of ubuntu, hence my seeking took me to this site Ubunti Essentials site - www.ubuntuessentials.net, it provides information on the essential software that needs to be installed to make life much more easier that it already is.

Repository of free software/tools

This site file hippo, has the links to all freeware software/tools that can be downloaded.

The site also has a rss feed : http://www.filehippo.com/rss/ to track the updates.

Adding Machine

Stumbled upon this cool video explains the concept behind binary addition (same as what the computer uses to compute), in this video the Mathias Wandel uses a wooden machine and using marble explains the concept.

Watch the video
.

More information of the binary adding machine can be got at http://woodgears.ca/marbleadd/index.html.

Courtesy : Matt's Woodworking website

Unlocking the door using cell phone

Found this interesting blogging at http://ashishrd.blogspot.com/2007/07/cell-phone-controlled-door-latch.html, which tells how to unlock a door using a cellphone.
It uses the DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency) tone to accomplish this.
Very interesting.

Google introduces hosted search solution for business

Found this piece of information on the Google blog.
Google have released 'Custom Search Business Solution' CSBE for business that do not have a quality search, CSBE is a hosted site search solution that provides Google-quality results for one's website.
CSBE allows you to put a search box on your website, and let visitors access search results from any website or websites that you choose.

There is a demo of the product available at http://www.google.com/enterprise/csbe/csbe_video.html

Pics takne during the HCI course

I have started uploading the pics taken during the HCI course at IIT Mumbai.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kumarsatishn/sets/72157600640966074/

HCI Course - IIT Mumbai

Today is the 3rd day at IIT Mumbai, attending the course on HCI (Human Computer Interface), its been quite interesting course, I am learning lot of new stuffs (some boring though).
Ulhas, Vinu, Yogesh, Srinivas and myself have come over here, this is a 10 day course from July 3rd to July 13th.
The travel from Bangalore to Mumbai in Deccan airlines was an experience to remember, the travel is cheap in Deccan but also scary, the landing was so bad that it scared the shit out of us and there were few women folks who were praying for a safe landing, I would think twice again before flying in Deccan again. Srinivas threw up due to the landing (this was apprarently his first flight).

Professor Anirudh Joshi is the person who is handling the course.
First 2 days have been learning about the concepts, CI - Contextual Inquiry, 5 sutras of Interview (interviewing the users is one of the most important aspects of the entire usability design process).
We went around the IIT campus scouting for people to interview for the Home accounting software project we have choosen, our hit ratio has been 2:3, both the person we interviewed were pretty friendly and gave us lot of input, we are supposed to interpret the interview and find out Key Observation, Insights, Design data, etc.....

In the evening it gets quite boring as we do not have much to do, but from tomorrow we have decided to explore the surrounding areas...

Using Design Patters more so often

An article on Developer.com, explains why and how design patters can be used as often as possible to create a simple and maintainable solution, instead of restricting the usage of same to implement only complex solutions.

RSS (feed) explained, the best way

Found the original article at Commoncraft, the guys who have done it should be commended for the excellent and the most simplistic way of explaining what is RSS.

Check the video which explains everything about RSS in simple plain english

Click To Play

Agility at its best

Best of the best

Amazing badminton rally

Heartbreaking rally

What a Rally!

Pleasure to watch

Superb Doubles play

This is what badminton is all about, quick reflex

badminton foot work (Ignore the Japanese Audio)

A good starting point if you are learning badminton, footwork is the most important aspect.

Insanely Amazing Guitar Solo

This guys is amazing, I am blown , what an excellent guitaring.
I would posting few more good guitaring.

Darkest Hour of Indian Cricket

Indian cricket has hit the nadir of its state, it cannot go worse than this.
For the past few days after the BCCI meeting, the most thing that has been discussed has been - about endorsements, money, who is getting how much moolah, how much should each cricketer get, what is the limit of ads the cricketer should act in - I am getting the feeling whether BCCI exists to control cricket or something else and also Captain Rahul Dravid (for whom I have utmost respect as a player) comes out issuing a statement that there should be a discussion between players and BCCI officials regarding the endorsements, with this one act he has fallen in the eyes of true cricket fans like us; Did he come out so openly when they came back losing from the world cup, did he or any of the team members bother to aplologize to the Indian public for the poor show they put up in the carribean.

Tendulkar went into a defensive mode and questioned Chapell that in 17 years no one had questioned his commitment and or made any comments about him and it hurts to be questioned by the coach, this shows how much of an indivudual Sachin is, did he even feel how much each and every cricket fan of this country would have felt for the poor show he and the team put, did he come out and speak to the media and explain why they failed and atleast apologize to the Indian cricket loving public, NO, all that matters to him is about himself and as long as his credentials and his reputation is kept intact he is fine (for him individual glory is what matters at this time and not how the team fares).

The indian cricketers defy the boards gag of not speaking to the media if something is said about them but when the team fails no one takes responsibility and quote that they cannot comment because the board says so.

All that matters to BCCI and the Cricketers is about making money and nothing else, they all know public memory is short and all it needs is some Big scores from all seniors and some wickets by our bunny bowlers and then again the media will showcase them as demi-gods and then the story continues again.....

Let Indian cricket rest in peace.

Cricket Tamasha

Everyone is saying (Cricketers, Media) that what is happening after India's world cup debacle is the worst phase in the history of Indian cricket and that things would get much worser from now on. I as a cricket fan, a cricket supporter,feel that this is the best thing that has happened and whatever happens from now on would be for the best of Indian cricket.

Any Indian who reads the newspaper or watches the TV has seen that it has been told that 'Sources close to Chappell' have told that Seniors are mafia, Seniors treat the Juniors bad etc. Neither Greg Chappell has told it nor has he endorsed it, then why is Sachin Tendulkar reacting, I think he has kept quite and let the time answer the questions in previous occasions. Suddenly why has he woken up? Is he the only Senior? Why didn't Dravid or Ganguly or Sehwag bother to talk? Best thing was to ignore it and wait till Greg Chappell submitted his report or told the media that yes he did say things like that.

By keeping quite Greg has earned the respect and by reacting, Sachin has really fallen in the eyes of the Indian cricket fan and thus giving the rumor some importance.

Greg Chappell also has his reputation at stake, he also wants to eke out a career as a coach, he does not expect this to be his last assignment, with all this in mind he wouldn't dare to act like a dictator or complain unnecessarily (if what we are hearing is true), I think he has the best interest in mind and wants to prove that he can turnaround the team to be world beaters, but knowing our own Indian mentality we obviously resist any change when things are going ok. That is what I think all players would have done, when they understood that this man means business they did start performing, but good things wont last long and they reverted back to their ways and at the same time with the BCCI coming up with payment based on performance and also maybe a ban on appearing in advertisements for an year or so taking firm ground, they would have ganged up and did whatever we are hearing now.

Hence I feel that whatever happens from now on, will be good for Indian cricket and let the Seniors take a break, play domestic cricket and make a grand comeback and prove us all wrong and once again become the demi-gods or heroes they are now OR continue to stick to their stupid decision of playing till the next world cup and thus ensuring that all budding talents are nipped and prove every Indian who follows this game as a religion that they are all the 0 (zero) in G0D,

Thirty 2

This feb 17th I completed my 32nd year of existence on this planet earth (obviously where else can it be?), its been quite a exhilarating journey till now and hope it goes the same way.
The next day after birthday I was out when some guy in the ATM asked me 'whats the time uncle?', the guy looked not too younger that I qualify to be an 'Uncle', not that I didn't like it, but made me think have I grown old, cant I call myself an youngster (yeah I know all those age is in the mind and as long as you are young at heart that is all what matters), it was just a few years back I was with my friends loafing around, admiring the girls, just watch them smile, giggle around and now I don't do that anymore (does marriage change everything? does it make people so responsible? I don't know, could be true!).
There are lot of things that have changed, I don't get to meet my friends regularly (not that I am complaining), stay out till late nights, discuss all issues on earth till it ends up with a drinking session. I miss we all guys playing cricket every evening in the nearby park and invariably ended up in a fight and then the regular tea and smoke session, man I really miss all those things.
Ok, coming back to feeling older (am 32 and I am older), I feel that I am getting slower in things I do, on my work front I am into a non-technical (people management) role and offlate feel that I should get back into a pure technical role, is it because I want to feel younger? or does the fear of youngsters catching up on me scare me, I am not sure.
I am writing all this so that when I read it some other day I would like to judge myself for my thought process, anyway at this point its true that I am a year older than I was year back and compared to next year I am still younger and eager to ensure that my journey remains as exhilarating as it has been.

Ajax platform

In my earlier post (Online Offline) I had mentioned about the offline applications and the next best thing to be happening to internet.

Morfik's have created a 100% ajax platform (not yet released and needs commercial license) which are heading in this way and is delivering what Firefox 3 is planning to deliver much before the web browser does.

Morfik allows developers to use high-level programming languages (which give the developer more power - e.g. BASIC, C#, Pascal) to create web apps. It does this by converting apps from high level language INTO Ajax code. For example, says Morfik, all the rich internet apps in their labs were written in a high level language, then translated into Javascript. So essentially you can develop web apps not needing to know Javascript, or even what Ajax is.

Read more on this

Hilarious video (Kannada)

Once in a while you come across something innovative and which makes you sit up and notice it, I went through the same feeling when I saw this hilarious video, wherein a person sings the famous 'Bhagyada Lakshmi baramma' song in the way a muslim who speaks kannada sings.

Watch the video

Offline Online

Off late there has been a whole new talk of the internet applications being available offline, which typically mean that if you are working on a online application (connected to the net) and your net connection goes down (happens a lot to me) and the application still allows you to work offline and when the connection is back online, you can post all your changes (may sound simple and lot of people may say so what??).

Just imagine that the gmail application is available for you to check your mails offline (can it be done now?), nope, thats what the future is in store for us.

Firefox (yes the revolutionary browser) is planning to deliver the support for offline applications in its next big version - Firefox 3 and Google is very much interested and planning to make this a success.

More information on on FF3