Techcrunch: Too Big For It’s Own Self

First there was a nice Blog, very nice one, we felt it was there for us. Then it got bigger, so much so that it had its brothers and sisters. Now we are at stage where the friendly blog has become a Monster driven by the greed of the green. Is there anything wrong with ads? No, if you ask me, but if you forget what it was all about and it sacrifises its essence then I think we have a problem. It’s so typical of IT world, when you’re new, you are for the people. Then those people take you to higher places, so high that you start to look down upon them and forget whats its all about. Then the very same people take other people who can achieve higher grounds. The the classic fight begins.

Blogged with Flock

Linux Is Good But Which One?

With Ubuntu, Linux has seen a rise in popularity however it’s still a pretty much for those who hold an elite knowledge of systems and this is where my problem starts. I believe in Smartism, a concept that technology is nothing unless it’s for the good of humanity. Whats the point of having something which 99% of people whom it is meant for can’t use?

I had a wonderful experience of working on such platforms as RedHat, Fedora and Ubuntu. These OS provides vast capabilities that cannot be achieved in your, ahem! generic OS like Windows. But I find a discrepency, on one hand they love their elusive and elitist tag and still try to compete in the mainstream market. This is one reason I am not anti Microsoft and Apple, their approach is to serve the people.

I think Linux is a good thing for computing and IT professional, I certainly can’t think of it’s cons but they must mark their priorities. Too many option is certainly a bad thing in the case of OS. They must go the Apple way and decide on the basis of 80:20 ration. Only have features that are used by 80% of the user group.

Linux people, make a plan and stick to it.

Blogged with Flock

Google: Will Ambitions Bite The Nails Of Success?

Google has launched it’s ambitions Online Office Suite. In doing so they are biting into territory that Microsoft holds very dearly. MS Office is by far one of the most profitable software package outside Asian countries (read Piracy). The software tools were available as standalone Beta products for a while now in very Google tradition of software lifecycle. However packaging them as suite is more of a marketing tool in a big bad corporate war, a one which I support and endorse.

I don’t ‘hate’ Microsoft, but in general I don’t like the fact they compete more than they innovate. To be honest, since I am not a software producer, only a user I don’t care too much how they go about their business. But they slack off and it’s a very disturbing attitude. They have been charging way too much money for some very mediocre products.

Google has changed the way people use the Internet. I used to have 5-6 email accounts, but I can’t believe I haven’t signed for a new email address since the arrival of Gmail. Google products are simple and they do the job. They don’t use fanciness to hide for lack of innovation. What more Google Products are free services with the least_annoyance_possible ads. However, they have a big task ahead if they want to compete with MS. It’s hard to change people’s habit, next to impossible task.

Google is taking a head on battle, instead they should have gone the conservative but effective way. They should have started with students, bundle and market these packages among students who’d go on to become key decision makers in corporate environment. It’s not very difficult to win students, they are more open, advanced and in general smarter in terms of technology than say mid 40s Executive Managers. Classic example being Apple  whose first gen niche market has led to increase in 14% of overall sales.  

I wish Google success. So far their offering seems to be in the interest of the user but for them to sustain they must first consolidate and then go on a full fledged war.

Blogged with Flock

Western World Is Losing In War On Terror

The paranoia that surrounds the mind of authorities in Western World is quite troubling. They seem to have the gadgets, tool, money etc but they seem to be lacking guts. The recent drama surrounding incidents involving detaining of 12 Indian men was shambolic display of management by The Dutch authorities.

I feel for those poor souls living in fear. Sometimes instead of being afraid of death its better to embrace life as it is. The Terrorist want them to live a life full of terror and it seems that they are. Air Travel security has always been a big issue for various law enforcing agencies. It’s not a post 9/11 phenomenon but the general fear seems to take steps beyond the realms of rationale.

Fighting terrorism is not hard, understanding it is. Seems like this fight is being stereotypes and US Govt is using it as a tool to achieve their various imperialistic agendas. Profiling a particular race will only increase the hatred and would sow newer seeds to vengeance.

This Is What It’s All About

The Whole Web 2.0 “Boom” is about AJAX enabled web page with RSS Feed in a neatly designed layout having phrases like

“share citizen-media life-hacks”

“integrate authentic folksonomies”

“integrate viral value”

“capture rich-client platforms”

“design data-driven synergies”

“create Cluetrain communities”

“engage citizen-media weblogs”

“harness rich-client weblogs”

“create blogging life-hacks”

“create embedded life-hacks”

“beta-test authentic weblogs”

“integrate blogging weblogs”

and more

I am all for better by design, but I think some people are taking it a way too far and I won’t be surprise if there is a crash coming soon.

Blogged with Flock

The Great Story Presenters

In the middle of 80’s when my parents got us VCR it was like a big thing. I used to watch movies non-stop, all kinds of movies from the shallow 80’s pop types, to western to old black and white classics. I could watch movies for like 10 hours non stop. Quality was never an issue, quantity was, since it was summer and I had lots of people who influenced the type of movie we watched I had to imminently suffer an overdose. I felt I have become a magnetic duct tape and all those meaningless shots meanders looplessly over me.

That was the 80’s growing up in the 90s it changed with so many vivid influences I formed this hidden tendency to filter and got picky . In my appreciations I became more demanding and less forgiving. With Turner Classic Movies I started exploring cinematic art. Introduction to classic Hollywood school would only make things worse. My grasp of English language was ordinary yet I could make connections with progression on screen. So cinema was just not an entertainment, it was a necessity however it could not dictate my fantasy and imagination but it formed a nice window into the unknown.

For me certain individuals and their form of story telling leaves me inspired. A Director is like a conductor in orchestra, he ensure that big puzzles are falling in the right places and between a start and an end there is a journey. After watching so many movies I don’t expect to hear stories, I think there’s only so many stories you can read or see. I expect a point is to be communicated across. Directos achieve it in different manner. Some are good at telling a simple story, some are good at presenting a picture, some are known for their ability to make us travel without moving. Here, I look back at some people who have done that for me.

English Premier League Is On

The new English Premier League season has started with Man U looking in top form. They took on one of the weaker side but stil nothing less than an emphatic victory would have satisfied people like me. I still think Liverpool will do well over the course of the season by being more consistent. However with players like Michael Carrick and if Sir Alex manages to get Owen Hargeaves from Bayern Munich, Man U will certainly have an excellent chance to to sit like in the table below at the end of the season.

Blogged with Flock

Today I Am Paranoid

I am really paranoid today. I haven’t been able to post anything new because I have been busy fixing out a problem. When I make a post it appears in font Lucida Grande those who don’t have this font installed on your computer you see it in Verdana. The problem is on the main page this font appears in point 9, however we you click the permalink of the post the size of this font increases to point 10. For a perfectionist like me it’s been causing great pain and my sense of aesthetic gets disturbed. I have done all I could but still haven’t figured it out why it’s happening. Apparently it’s occurring only in Mozilla family browser.

By the time I hear from wordpess if anybody knows why it’s happening please be kind to let me know.

This Is iPod Killer, Don’t Laugh Microsoft Thinks So

Picture From Gizmodo

Blogged with Flock

Which One Do You Prefer?

OR

First is Firefox 2 Second is Current Firefox 1.5

Well does it really matter!! The reason we love Firefox is we can use whichever one we like. But the new theme has it’s merit. The tab bar has more consistency with the whole theme. I think the gloss effect across the board needs to be enhanced or else it may appear very dim, esp on Laptops. The last change I can think of is making the highlighted tab 2 shades brighter for the same reason. Overall UI is a bit more intuitive and tighter and I am sure it’s far from finishined.

Blogged with Flock

Google Listens!

Just days after I put up my crybaby post about Google getting slow they have updated all the products I mentioned. Now, you my loyal readers now you know how much seriously I am taken on these God-damn Tubes.

On it’s first anniversary the new and updated GTalk lets you do fantastic things such as transfer files. The UI must be designed by a database guy who is not interested at all on how things appear as long as they work. I used to do the same, but for multi billion dollar company isn’t it a bit emabarassing to make such fundamental mistakes or we are being already taken for granted?

Blogger again has just fine tuned some nuts and bolts, though I am not going to jump too much into it’s review as it’s believed some of new features will be rolled out very soon. So far, judging by current new features I won’t leave WordPress even if they double my AdSense amount. However it should be a relief that atleast the Beta-Blogger is now on the same lap as WP

I am pleased with Writely. Sign up and you will know why I am so keenly waiting for it. I haven’t tested the complex Wordprocessor formatting but so far it looks solid. Thank You Google as there is no-lag-time-in-you-typing-and-it- appearing on screen.

Skype 2.5 Impresses

Today VoIP is what text chat was in early 1990’s. Often in my teens I used wonder only if I could explain a bit further to my friend what I mean when I write that. Often words can be very cold while chatting even if you don’t mean it. Well love chatting and browsing for many of us that’s Internet and perhaps computer. Using software is like habit and our habits don’t change on day to day basis, however software do change on weekly basis. Computing technology is in it’s growth phase, the products that we have been using for past 10 years were in their first generation. We well in Love with MSN Messenger and I couldn’t thank Microsoft enough in 1997 for creating this product, but for me it’s time to move on cause I believe what I fell in love is no longer loving me. Things change with time so have I, in fact the whole world has and it’s time to say Goodbye and here is why.

Coming Soon

Testing Windows Blog Writer

The new windows live blog writer has recieved much attention in the bloggers fraternity and I am giving it a go. To be honest, the first impression is very positive and it feels like it is something that I can use, which doesn’t necessarily come with all windows family products, my fave being WLMesseneger.

The web preview feature is pretty excellent as it gives a sneak peak as to how your post will appear on the actual blog itself. I am using the web layout compose mode and as I am writing I am virtually seeing my entry being created, pretty neat hey!

Another impressive quality is the lightness this software has. If you don’t know what I mean trying opening up word document with couple of other software’s running.

I will write a full review very soon after I am finished with playing with this little tool.

Damn Tooobs Are Jammed

404; tubes not found (updated sound)

Blogged with Flock