Linux Doesn't Cost Anything - But Maybe It Should

Discussions, theses, theories and memes abound around Linux's inability to gain traction in the desktop marketplace. Some think the Linux Desktop is too hard to learn (it's not). Others say Linux Desktop is deficient (it's not). Linux elite (or 1337) say Linux wasn't really meant for the general users anyway (not true). Microsoft says Linux in general is evil (see the Halloween Memo) (oh, and by the way, it's not).



Why, you wonder, when all along we've sung the FOSS praises of GNU/Linux (hereafter referred to as the more simple "Linux," with all deference to Stallman) and that Linux is free? What could be better than free? If Linux Desktop is free and can't gain more marketshare (estimates range somewhere around 1 percent Linux Desktop market penetration) then one or a combination of the above reasons must be why Linux fails. If Linux passes all points in the opening paragraph, what gives?

But Is Linux Really Good Enough? 

Let's revisit the opening common claims to Linux's failings:

• Linux is too hard to learn: Fail. Linux, especially Linux Desktop, couldn't be easier to learn. In the last 10 years Linux usability work has exploded with ideas and implementations. A Linux Desktop may be different (think Ubuntu vs. RedHat, Gnome vs. KDE), but it's only different. I've never had to abandon teaching someone how to use a Linux Desktop.
• Linux is deficient: Nope. Not even close. As an anecdotal example, I recently connected an old XP laptop to my 1920x1200 monitor to make work on that computer easier. Alas, the video drivers available could not drive the resolution on my monitor -- even after downloading and installing updates for XP and the vendor drivers. However, the Linux side of that dual-boot laptop happily fired up and handled the screen resolution perfectly. This is one example of many times I've seen Linux rise to a technical challenge while Windows failed.
This point begs more discussion. In future articles I promise to drill more deeply into this topic. For now, I submit that in my (more than anecdotal) opinion, Linux Desktop is far from deficient.
• Linux wasn't meant for the general user: Uh-uh! Geek elites are confusing technical obfuscation of what is possible to do (Unix command line, etc.) with what is transparently easy to do today on any Linux Desktop (browse and manage files, surf the Internet, write and manage documents, handle e-mail, etc.). Linux can be as difficult as you want it to be to learn, but for general desktop use and day-to-day tasks, Linux Desktop couldn't be more appropriate for general use.

Why Don't Linux Servers Suffer Same Fate?

The users of Linux Server technology are extremely technical, and with good reason. They support technology on which businesses run.
Users of Linux Server barely blink that Linux is free -- they're much more interested that Linux is excellent. Their measuring stick is based on deep technological understanding, and hence they do not need to look to alternate valuations. And in the server market, Linux thrives in spite of being free.

But Linux Has to Be Free!

Yes, Linux is Open Source and Linux is free. But there are myriad ways to combine the free Linux with added value. Water is free too (kind of), and you don't find people hesitate to pay a buck-fifty for 12 ounces of it because it's in a pretty plastic bottle! There are ways.
Then how?
I wish I knew, but I'm in the opinion business. I do think Linux Desktop gains main street cred when someone finds a way to cut, polish and mount a Linux Desktop diamond in the rough. Polished, packaged and priced like a real product, Linux Desktop offers attractive marketing opportunities. Linux Desktop is ready for prime time. Linux Desktop needs to look, feel, smell and cost like prime time. We're more likely to proudly show off our shiny new desktop we bought. And that is how we create a Linux Desktop buzz.
Linux Desktop buzz is what's been missing. Really. And the company that finds a way to create the buzz puts Linux a chip shot away from real market share. Linux Desktop -- it's going to cost you. And it should.

Dell's 'Love Letter' to Linux: Now You See It, Now You Don't?

Dell gave Ubuntu Linux a wet, sloppy kiss on its Web site recently, asserting that the distro is just plain safer than Microsoft Windows. It was item No. 6 on Dell's list of things people should know about Ubuntu, and Linux lovers were pleasantly surprised by the candor. Within days, though, the mention of Windows had been removed. "To be honest, I'm surprised that Dell had that up as long as they did,".

Well, it's been an emotional rollercoaster ride here in the Linux blogosphere in recent days, thanks to Dell's proclamation -- and then apparent retraction -- of its love for Linux.

"Ubuntu is safer than Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows" read item No. 6 on Dell's "Top 10 list of things you should know about Ubuntu" as recently the middle of this month. "The vast majority of viruses and spyware written by hackers are not designed to target and attack Linux," it added.
"Hoorah!" one might say. "At long last!"
Dell's uplifting words of endearment caused considerable joy and jubilation among Linux aficionados far and wide, including The VAR Guy, Network World and the rowdy crowd over at Digg, among many others.
Too bad it didn't last.

'Ubuntu Is Secure'

Sometime between the June 16 and 21, apparently, Dell thought better of its little public display of affection and carefully reworded that particular item.
The new wording: "Ubuntu is secure," item No. 6 now reads. "According to industry reports, Ubuntu is unaffected by the vast majority of viruses and spyware."
Foul!
Bloggers everywhere could be heard expressing sentiments to that effect when the news broke, and Linux Girl was no exception.
 To be honest, I'm surprised that Dell had that up as long as they did."It's not that Microsoft would take objection to their saying nice things about Linux -- Dell is still saying nice things about Linux, after all -- it's that they were undermining the promotion of a competing product that they also sell." The original wording, in fact, "was an extraordinarily bad idea from a business perspective, and somebody at Dell dropped the copy-editing ball by allowing it to be posted,".
Ubuntu may be safer, "but you have to have a CS degree to run it," he explained. "If I lock a Windows box in concrete and bury it, the box will be pretty safe too, but not very usable."
"As long as Dell isn't saying something like, 'Windows is more secure than Linux' or 'Linux is not secure,' and as long as they're actually providing models they certify for Ubuntu, I'll definitely check dell.com/ubuntu before purchasing a computer,"
Even more to the point: "It's safe and secure. Over 95 percent of viruses, spyware and other types of malware are designed and targeted to attack Microsoft Windows," the video asserts. "So, by definition, if you're not running Microsoft Windows and if you're running Linux, you just don't have to worry about malware and viruses and spyware."

The Disruptive Technology Myth

"Disruptive" technologies do not destroy industries -- they may, however, create new ones. Whether we like it or not, we are in a constant state of flux. The technology industry, just like any industry, is incredibly dynamic and changing -- and with change, comes opportunity.

PC World's Dan Tynan gets it. He called out "The 10 Most Disruptive Technology Combinations". ... There needs to be a "two-part punch" to really disrupt the status quo. Industries evolve based on new technology, but the real test is how companies use the technology to change their delivery model and sales structure.
Currently, Web service providers such as Amazon , Google and even Force.com claim that the Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud offerings will change the way the entire world operates -- and, in so doing, will destroy existing technology businesses.
That simply is not true. In fact, Amazon likely buys more computers and storage systems than any other company in the world.
These powerhouse Web service providers are not changing the game; they are simply buying things in bulk and reselling them virtually. What Amazon, Google and Force.com are doing well is creating a new delivery model and a new sales structure so that customers build additional applications on top of their technology foundation until they are at the core of the business itself.

Let us explore the top three myths surrounding the "disruptor du jour": the SaaS cloud.

Myth: The SaaS cloud is disruptive.

Everywhere you look, the SaaS cloud is being pegged as a "disruptive" technology. Many think that if a solution is "in" the cloud -- whether it is customer relationship management software or a service that ensures any file you send to internal/external business partners gets where it needs to be -- it is automatically disruptive.
Providing something virtually is NOT disruptive; cloud computing is not the disruptor. The real disruptor is how you use it, why you use it and where you use it.

Myth: Throw it into the cloud, and it will be a success.

You can toss it up, but there is no guarantee anyone will be there to catch it. Any technology can be put "into" the cloud, but few will be successful. To have a successful SaaS/cloud offering, the underlying technology must be:

1.) Proven 

2.) Secure

3.) Scalable

If you cannot check "yes" for all of those components, then your solution will not be successful -- in the cloud or on the ground. However, a SaaS/cloud technology solution that works and is mature can effectively transform something that is very complicated and expensive, and make it significantly more simple and accessible. If successful, it becomes available to all users at a very low cost, with a very high service level and an incredibly rich set of services.

Myth: The cloud will ruin the technology industry.

The industry "experts" beating this drum are dead wrong. Virtual offerings will not destroy any industry. While cloud-based offerings will continue to make innovators rethink their delivery models, the need for enterprise software/hardware will not go away -- at least, not any time in the foreseeable future.
Computers, hardware, storage, routers, racks and networks -- they are all still here, and they are more critical to businesses of all sizes than ever. They are simply being used in different ways and for different reasons -- and one might argue, much more efficiently.

The technology industry is fluid, and the innovative leaders across all sectors will use the SaaS cloud to make their technology offering more accessible, grow their bottom line, and build on their success. It opens a new door for technology providers to offer enterprises the tools that they need and pay only for what they use -- eliminating previous infrastructure and cost barriers.
While not every technology is made for the cloud, there is significant opportunity to use the cloud to your advantage, whether you are a technology provider or a technology consumer. So, before you bury your head in the sand, think about how you can embrace the cloud and make it work to your advantage.

Calibre-An Elegant E-Book Librarian

Regardless of your take on the iPad as a do-everything replacement device for laptops and netbooks, other e-book readers (EBRs) are gaining a substantial foothold. Devices such as the Kindle and the Nook provide access to volumes of literature and documents without having to lug a fully-functional computer around.



However, EBRs do not completely replace the need for notebooks and netbooks. Depending on your specific needs, both laptop/netbook-based EBR software and a stand-alone e-book device can be indispensable for portable access to work-related and recreational reading. A Linux app called "Calibre" bridges the gap between both reading devices.
Calibre is a free, cross-platform e-book library management application for Linux, OS X and Windows. This open source app goes far beyond letting you access your collection of e-books on a computer. In many ways, Calibre does for e-books what other Linux apps do for your digital picture libraries and music collections.
My first exposure to e-books other than those distributed in PDF format was a handy EBR app called "FBReader,", a free e-book reader that runs on Linux desktop and portable computers. It is a handy program for accessing the thousands of free titles of literature stored on the Internet. It works great as a basic EBR, but its functionality is limited to that narrow focus.
I discovered Calibre while searching for a program that converted e-book formats to the .fb2 code that the FBReader uses. Do not try out Calibre if you are looking for an app to break the Digital Rights Management (DRM) lock some publishers use to protect the purchase price of ebooks they sell. Calibre will not help you there.

New rules bring online piracy fight to US campuses

Starting this month, colleges and universities that don't do enough to combat the illegal swapping of "Avatar" or Lady Gaga over their computer networks put themselves at risk of losing federal funding.
A provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 is making schools a reluctant ally in the entertainment industry's campaign to stamp out unauthorized distribution of copyrighted music, movies and TV shows.
Colleges and universities must put in place plans "to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network" without hampering legitimate educational and research use, according to regulations that went into effect Thursday.
That means goodbye to peer-to-peer file-sharing on a few campuses — with exceptions for gamers or open-source software junkies — gentle warnings on others and extensive education programs everywhere else.
Despite initial angst about invading students' privacy and doing the entertainment industry's dirty work, college and university officials are largely satisfied with regulations that call for steps many of them put in place years ago.
But whether the investment of time and money will make a dent in digital piracy is uncertain.
Among other things, schools must educate their campus communities on the issue and offer legal alternatives to downloading "to the extent practicable."
Colleges and universities that don't comply risk losing their eligibility for federal student aid.
Many colleges worried they would be asked to monitor or block content. But the provision says schools can get a great deal of flexibility, as long as they use at least one "technology-based deterrent."
Their options include taking steps to limit how much bandwidth can be consumed by peer-to-peer networking, monitoring traffic, using a commercial product to reduce or block illegal file sharing or "vigorously" responding to copyright infringement notices from copyright holders.
Few campuses have gone as far as Illinois State, which raised eyebrows by seeking and accepting entertainment industry money to underwrite a now-abandoned research project on digital piracy.
The university also blocked all peer-to-peer activity in residence halls and on wireless access points, said Mark Walbert, Illinois State's chief technology officer. Students who use the technology for legal means — like tapping open-source software Linux or downloading World of Warcraft game updates — can get exceptions.
For students seeking legal download options, the school developed BirdTrax, a Web page with links to the free movie and music streaming websites such as Hulu and Pandora.
In 2007, the University of Michigan took a different approach, launching a campus initiative called "BAYU," which stands for "Be Aware You're Uploading." At little cost, the school developed a software program that automatically notifies users of university networks when they are uploading, or sharing files from their computer with users elsewhere.
File-hosting services such as RapidShare store infringing content on distant servers, meaning uploaders' identities are difficult to track. Websites that share links to those files are searchable through Google.
"It's a much more complicated battle than it was five years ago because so many new modes of infringement are emerging

From Me To Her

Here is my my first non-technical post

I don’t have to be your first kiss.
I kinda just want to be your last one.

Every now and then, three little words come out.
No, not I love you and no, not I hate you.
But, I miss you.
And for a second, I can’t stand myself.
Because I know you never thought about me.
As much as I still think about you.

i love how our personalities match
how we can talk for hours about anything and everything
how we can sit in silence comfortably
how we can be ourselves 100%
how we don't need to be together every second
but also love it when we get that chance
there's no attraction stronger than the invisible force
that pulls your lips to mine and neither of us can resist!

I love that you get cold when it's 43 degrees out.
I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich.
I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts.
I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes.
And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.
And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

You... complete me!

And the best one:
Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me.

Hope you will like it.

Sorry for going offline without prior information

First of all SORRY from my soul and heart to all the readers, who are reading this blog, for the inconvenience caused by me by remaining absent for such a long time, with giving any prior notice or any reason for this inconvenience.
I am SORRY.
But from now on, i will be regular from my side but i will not be that much frequent. i will not be able to post on daily basis, but on the contrary, i will be posting weekly.
Apart from technology related stuff, i have decided to put my life events and thoughts on the post.
Enjoy the posts.Thank You.

How Long Will Rare Metals Last?

If you were wondering how long will global reserves of some important metals that are used in electronic devices last, here’s a clue.
Tantalum is a rare metal that is used in the manufacture of cell phones and camera lenses but you’ll be surprised to know that if every human on the planet were to consume this metal at the same rate an average US resident today, the metal supplies won’t last for more than 20 years.

Similarly, we won’t be left with any stock of Indium, another rare metal used in LCDs and touch-screen displays, after 4 years if the world consumes this metal at the same rate as US today.
This report, which roughly demonstrates how quickly time is running out for some rare and important metals, was original published in New Scientist in 2007.

What Percentage of Earth’s Water is Safe for Drinking

More than 75% of our planet is covered with water yet only 0.08% of that water is fit for human consumption.

YouTube goes ahead and cleans up its video page

Don’t be too surprised when you discover your favourite video repository has completely changed its look, removing the clutter and most of the red from its video pages. And no, this is not an April Fool’s Day gag.

YouTube is also being very helpful, giving you brief and detailed tours to choose from to aid you in getting to terms with the new interface, or in their words, the “new video page”, where a lot of clean naked boxes make up the page now, with serene white everywhere.

(1) Username , Subscribe button, and "More from User

(2) Video description (+ tags etc.)

(3) Ratings, Favorites / Playlists, and Share options

(4) Data and Statistics from Insight

(5) Video Response

(6) Video Comments 

(7) Respond, rate, and flag comments

(8) Next in series / Up Next Queue

(9) Add to Queue (new version of Quicklist)

(10) Account options

Roccat Pyra Notebook Gaming Mouse

    Roccat's latest rodent for notebook gamers

  +  Good aesthetics, bundled software works well, easy to carry, good bundle, performs well in games

  - No Teflon feet, cord is not braided, feels a little flimsy

 

God of War 3 (PS3)

The best action-platform game of the year and possibly of all time has arrived. Kratos is back and Olympus is in his path. God of War 3 is here!

  
Followed by a neat opening credits sequence that recounts the previous 2 games in a tapestry/painting style, the gameplay throws you literally right into where you left off at the end of God of War 2. It's almost like you've simply inserted your second disc and continuing the second game. It's a great transition.

 

 Graphically the game is amazing. Movement and speed of the screen, actions, and characters are incredibly fluid and nice.

  The controls are still smooth and easy to pick up on.

 The action and fighting in this game is fantastic.Besides additional play throughs on the harder difficulties, there's also the Challenge Mode and the Combat Arena which you can only unlock by getting past all the challenges. You can also try enhanced play using various items you pick up throughout the game. However using the items during play disables your winning of trophies if you want to try for platinum. 

     "Of course I'm serious. This . . . is my serious face."

  This game delivers in every way. With how social videogaming has become with multiplayer, PSHome, co-op play, and other features, it's nice to get a game that simply delivers one of the best single-player story modes of all time.

Final Fantasy XIII reviewed

   As this game is part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series of games, the central theme revolves around the
 uncontrollable and over-bearing power of ‘Crystals’ to influence life and politics. Final Fantasy XIII tells the story of two worlds — a land called the Pulse and a tiny planet called Cocoon that hovers over Pulse. The leaders of the two worlds have ensured that their people are extremely fearful and hateful of each other and the real story behind the struggle is revealed through the exploits of the a group of people from both worlds. One cannot help but notice the striking similarities between the game’s story and real-life events following the discovery of Black Gold that affects the world even today.

 The game’s story will take you to a variety of different locations

 Best way to lay down massive damage is to first stagger the enemies with relentless offensive

 Yes, this one is as bad-ass as it looks

 Snow here plays the role of a cocky hero who lives for flashy displays like this one

 Lighting with her guardian, the Eidolon Odin

 If you are looking for a game with a lot of game-play, Final Fantasy XIII is the deal of the season. Compared to the long hours, the game manages to keep things fresh right till the end and beyond.

IPL 2010 :- FULL MATCH

DC vs MI, 2010-03-28 

RR vs DC, 2010-03-26

 

UK - DC v Kings XI - 2010-03-19

 

CSK v DC - 2010-03-14

 

 

DC v KKR - 2010-03-12

 

DC v DD - 2010-03-21 

 

RCB vs DD, 2010-03-25 

 

KXIP vs KKR, 2010-03-27

 

DD v RR - 2010-03-15 

 

 

DD v CSK - 2010-03-19 

 

 

MI v RCB - 2010-03-20 

 

MI v RR - 2010-03-13

 

 

MI vs KKR-2010-03-22

 

Enjoy The Matches

Care to help Palm make a positive headline?

BTW, in looking at the current I think they are all pretty accurate, but have no idea how the BlackBerry Tour could have beaten the iPhone 3GS. The Tour doesn’t even have WiFi while the iPhone 3GS easily beats that device in terms of hardware and software, IMHO. Who do you think will be crowned Smartphone Champion? I have a feeling that my new T-Mobile HD2 has a good shot and am enjoying the new commercials I see for it on TV and the Internet.

Will there soon be an iPhone HD with 960x640 display and front facing camera?

I personally think we will see a new iPhone with a higher res display, better camera, and updated operating system. I am still not sold on Apple rolling out full 3rd party multitasking though since I have only seen Palm do it extremely well with webOS and Nokia with Maemo 5. Google Android, RIM BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile support multitasking as well, but these devices all seem to experience performance issues with mismanaged multitasking. If you have tried a webOS Palm Pre Plus, then you know what I am talking about when it comes to excellent multitasking that is hard to leave.

Airtel Intros 50Mbps Broadband in India

India has been consistently lagging behind other countries when it comes to the availability of bandwidth and the overall Internet speed. While the situation is way better than what it use to be during our dial up days, even the best mainstream broadband connection

averaged around 2 to 4Mbps in the country. This, at a time when countries like South Korea and Japan boast of average download speeds ranging from 60 to 100Mbps, told a sorry state of affairs.
 
However, in a change of some sorts of late we have been hearing of ultra high-speed broadband speeds in the country with increasing frequency of late. Back in 2009, Tata had announced its 100Mbps service in the country. It was followed by MTNL who launched a 20Mbps VDSL (Very High Bitrate DSL) service. Now, it's Airtel's turn to Launch its VDSL service in select regions of the country. Currently available only Delhi and Gurgaon, Airtel's new VDSL service boasts of speeds of up to 50Mbps!
 

Airtel has informed that it would, in due course, bring the new service to the cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

As expected, services of this kind would never be light on the pocket. This 50Mbps Broadband plan comes at Rs. 8,999 per month rental with 200 GB free data transfer. It also offers you other added services like a Website Builder (Basic), Secure (Anti-Virus software) and even an On line Storage option. For games, there is a Games on Demand (GoD) service as well.
 
If you live in the NCR region, you might want to call up your nearest Airtel office ASAP!

Google mobile service partially blocked in China

Google reported that its mobile Internet service in China was partially blocked but it was unknown whether the trouble was related to a stand-off over censorship there.

Mumbai Indians

The most expensive franchise of the original eight, the Mumbai Indians haven't given their fans enough to cheer about. Owned by Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Mumbai have narrowly missed out on the semi-final berth in the inaugural IPL, and been relegated to an also-ran after being among the favourites in the second season.

After a dismal start in the first season, Mumbai managed to win 6 games on the trot. They lost some very close games - both last-ball affairs - which ultimately sealed their fate. In the second season, they again lost a few close games, but did not win enough.

With their deep pockets, Mumbai have always been able to acquire the flavour of the season. Last year, they bought Jean-Paul Duminy for a staggering $950,000 while this year they've spent an obscene $1.75 mil (amount bid during the silent bid process, Pollard will only get $750,000) on the big-hitting Caribbean player, Kieron Pollard.

Players to watch out for:

Sachin Tendulkar: No matter which team Tendulkar plays for, he will always remain the player to watch out for. He just seems to be getting better with age. Tendulkar's been in superb form over the last year. He's amassed 6 centuries in tests alone and 3 scores in excess of 150 in ODIs as well. The euphoria surrounding his 200* in an ODI against South Africa has still not died down and rest assured, stadiums will be packed whenever Tendulkar is playing. Tendulkar doesn't rely on brutal shots but scores his runs at a fairly brisk pace with mostly orthodox shots and some trademark shots of his own - the upper cut and the paddle sweep to name a couple. His fitness levels are second to none and he's still a got very good throwing arm. Tendulkar has never really tasted much success as captain, whether of the Indian team or his IPL franchise. Can he script a turnaround this time?

Kieron Pollard: He's big, he's powerful and he's the quintessential T20 player that the crowd love to watch. When on song, he can pretty much hit any ball to the boundary as Moises Henriques will testify. Such has been the hype surrounding Pollard post his Champions League pyrotechnics and his IPL auction tag, that he's almost become a household name now. Pollard will be a vital cog in the Mumbai team and most likely, will be used like Yusuf Pathan - being asked to bat when big hitting is the need of the hour. Pollard is also a decent medium pace bowler. He bowls well on slowish wickets, employing his slower ball to good effect.

Strengths: Mumbai are fortunate enough to have some really big names in their ranks. A star studded line-up which includes Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, JP Duminy, Zaheer Khan...the list goes on. Jayasuriya and Tendulkar make for a devastating opening pair but the two haven't been able to have the impact that one would expect them to. JP Duminy's current form has been disastrous but he was brilliant last year. He showed he was capable of playing the sheet anchor role as well as hitting out in the last few overs. His batting at No.3 and 4 was exemplary. Mumbai also have a good bunch of all-rounders in Abishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo, but need to ensure that they extract consistent performances from their big players.

Weaknesses: Barring Zaheer Khan, Mumbai's bowling attack doesn't look too threatening. Sure, there is Harbhajan but he hasn't been in the best of form of late. Malinga's been good, but only in patches. The onus is on the senior players to perform this time around. Mumbai have also got some way to go as far as their fielding is concerned. They've dropped some vital catches which have cost them games.

Its quite strange that a team from Mumbai - a city known to produce some of India's best cricketing talent - has failed to do well in the IPL. Mumbai have almost never come out the winner in tense games and that's one thing they must look to rectify this season. They also need to find a settled team combination.

Priority of the minutest things we don't interpret

Sachin Tendulkar is in arguably the best form of his life. He seems to make batting seem effortless in all forms of the game, including the T20, something he seemed to be ill at ease with so far. Everything he is touching is looking poetic and beautiful and it is difficult to imagine that a few months ago, critics were sharpening their knives and looking longingly at his throat.

It is an interesting concept, this notion of form. In sports of all kind, we see athletes moving in and out of form, going through phases where they can do nothing right, where every effort to hit a ball or swing a club ends in disaster and then suddenly without warning, the sun bursts out of the clouds and divine melodies are sung with the bat, ball, racket and club. Form can change from year to year, as in the case of Sachin, but it can oscillate bewilderingly in a manner of minutes. The same bowler who gets hammered before lunch, makes the ball talk in disconcertingly good Swahili in the second spell. A humiliating loss in the first set can easily reversed with a command performance in the second. The fact that we have a word for this, is comforting for it gives us a sense of what is at work here. We can nod our heads sagely and mutter homilies about form being temporary and class being permanent and offer pointless but well meaning advice from the safety of our perch. But as an idea, the notion of form is mysterious, for in effect it is another way of shrugging shoulders and looking upwards to the sky and muttering about God's inscrutable ways.

What invisible alignment of forces, what alchemy of physics, bio-chemistry, bio-mechanics and hormonal juices makes us soaring geniuses one day and spluttering buffoons the next? More vexingly, what produces the occasional magic, when a ball suddenly leaps off the deck, kisses the bewildered batsman's hairline edge and thuds into the keepers gloves, giving no chance to the batsman, nor indeed to the bowler to repeat what he just pulled off? What makes us take nine catches fast and low and spill the tenth one a sitter begging for refuge in our hands? What do we mean when we talk in terms of 'timing', another word that masks ignorance with its apparent certitude? We know what phenomenon it is attempting to describe, but do not know enough about how to make it happen.We drape a cloak of certainty over the essential uncertainty that surrounds our lives. Explanations abound in classifying the consequences of the uncertainty; we have constructed vast and intricate structures around these artifacts of doubt. We understand reality in its cruder form, it is when we put it under the microscope of the individual event and ask of it direct personal questions that it clams up in sullen silence and offers us words instead of explanations. We think we know how the world works with a far greater sense of certainty than we really do. Our belief in new age remedies and age old attempts to tell and influence our future is a pointer to the essential helplessness we feel over our condition. The answer to Sachin's form might well lie in his stars. It is certainly as good an explanation as anything else.

Wonders with BOUNDLESS TIME!!!!!!!!!!

As the IPL gains momentum, there is only one thing that can be said without malice: Twenty20, as was feared, is not going to be swept away by the stormy young petrel of the game. In the inaugural year, there was reason for alarm though: the so-called veterans seemed completely out of place and visibly struggled with the hustle and bustle of the nano version of cricket. Royal Challengers were the perfect example as their ragtag army of Test players bitterly finished seventh.

In the second year, however, there were signs of a turnaround: led by the irrepressible Anil Kumble, midway through the tournament, the Challengers clawed their way back all the way to Number Two. In Threeller, they are clearly the team to beat, along with Mumbai Indians.

Interestingly, the man leading the charge this time is Jaques Kallis: the burly all-rounder, despite all the right skills, is made in the orthodox mould; he prefers to play the waiting game. So far, however, he has only been attacking with the candor of a fresher.

The young bullies, of course, thrive on confidence, bordering on recklessness; the seasoned pros, on the other hand, survive on the principle of reinvention. You don’t have to look beyond Sachin Tendulkar to understand this transformation.

The ageless warrior has been in imperial form for close to eight months now; in the IPL though, he has been, both, a shrewd general and a valiant soldier. He yields the stage to the Tares, Tiwaris and Dhawans when the going is good; at the right moment, though, he is ready to play the big gun.

After this duo, however, the batting leaderboard is a mixture of young, not-so-young and the old. Fascinatingly, the bowling list is also topped by a wily old hand, and a spinner at that: Muthiah Muralitharan; chasing him is his mate Chaminda Vaas, who is desperately trying to get back into the Sri Lankan scheme of things.

Beyond the charge of the old brigade, though, the script looks fairly familiar: the Knight Riders, after an initial bluster, are on familiar territory. They lost their next three games.

The Royals, on the other hand, have retrieved their winning ways and Shane Warne his magic touch: three straight wins confirm that he can never be counted out. They have risen to Number Three already, and as long as Yusuf Pathan breathes and heaves, dangerous shall remain their second name.

At the moment, Preity Zinta’s dimples look sharper than her Kings; her team has plummeted to the bottom, failing to strike the right balance and groping with the bat as well as ball. Hopefully, she will have something to smile about with the return of Brett Lee.

The Chargers, Daredevils and Super Kings are experiencing the same old rigmarole though: a smile followed by a groan followed by a smile followed by a groan. This is probably the best time to make the move as the players are likely to lower their guard just a little bit; a week later, as the race turns into a scramble, it will be that much tougher to stay cool and play at your best. That is when experience will become crucial, when the veterans will have to summon all their wisdom to tide over the war-like situation in the middle.

Indian cricket team selected for the T20 World Cup !!!!!!! On What Basis??????? REPUTATION OR FORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On paper, nothing seems wrong with the Indian cricket team selected for the T20 World Cup beginning next month. All the right-sounding names are marked present. But dig a little deeper: this is a team selected on reputation, not form.

To begin with, T20 demands athleticism from every player. Tell me, how many in this team are good fielders. Barring Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, nobody can be listed A class.

We also have Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma, two players who have got unlimited opportunities in the past, again waltzing into the squad. How can the two be preferred over Virat Kohli beats me. Neither of the three have done anything special in the ongoing IPL3 but Virat, at least, was in great form in just-concluded ODIs. He is also a far superior fielder than either of the two. One thing is certain: the selectors love Karthik and Sharma.

Yuvraj Singh’s selection is also a gamble. He is out of batting form and not half the fielder he used to be. But then he is a proven performer. His bowling too has improved leaps and bounds. Let us hope he comes good.

The bigger gamble is opting for brittle-as-glass Nehra. Agreed, he is a sharp bowler. But he is such a sub-par fielder and batsman that his overall value is highly suspect.

I am also surprised at Piyush Chawla’s selection. He has been far from impressive in IPL3. Chawla is a good spinner but he bowls at least 1-2 loose deliveries every over. That can be fatal in T20. In any case with both Harbhajan and Jadeja around, he will be sitting in the sidelines.

This team is largely made up of players who have already established themselves in their respective ‘cricket-corporate’ careers. Barring a few, T20 World Cup 2010 will be just another tournament for them. Which is why this team seems to lack hunger.

I would have loved to see young, in-form players like Manish Pandey in the squad. In their batting, you can see a burning desire to make a mark. That’s what the champion team of 2007 had. And that’s what this team lacks. Even Pakistan’s 2009 team succeeded only because it had a great balance of rookies and experience and a larger reason to play for. The selectors have played safe by opting for familiar names. But I hope it hasn’t come at the cost of India.

After the money-minting, energy-sapping IPL3, what does Team India play for?

I am hoping that the genius of Sehwag will rescue us. I am also putting my money on Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Vinay Kumar (if he gets a chance) to come up with outstanding performances. Not because they are the best players in the team. But because they still have something to prove.

The selectors have done one good thing though. They have dropped Ishant Sharma.

Team India Squad: MS Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma

My team: MS Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, R P Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan.

'Watch out, India says Open Source'

Strange are the ways of trade coalitions. They work to promote "the rule of law" and create a framework in which their members companies can do business in a just manner. But when push comes to shove, they are not far from eschewing the same principals that they claim to uphold.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) is a private sector coalition that closely "works with the US Trade Representative to prepare the annual Special 301" reviews. The Special 301 is a document categorizing the countries that are not 'actively' protecting copyright. In other words, countries mentioned in the Special 301 are those where, the US believes, copyright environment is not up to the mark and which require "close watch". In no way does the document advocate any severance in trade ties, but the list is often taken out in backroom trade meetings and used to full effect during negotiations. India figured in the special list in 2009 and if IIPA's recommendations for 2010 are any indication, will likely figure in the list again this year.

Some may argue that India has a loose copyright regime (I will say it's just and not draconian the way it is in the US where copyright Nazis shoot from the hip and often win due to lobbying and money muscle) and there is no harm in a discussion. But the problem with the latest IIPA recommendations is that it mentions Open Source software in the same vein as software piracy.

"The industry is also concerned about moves by the government to consider mandating the use of Open Source software and software of only domestic origin. Though such policies have not yet been implemented, IIPA urges that this area be carefully monitored," IIPA stated in its latest report that recommended India needed to be placed in Special 301.

Open Source software has its detractors. But no one had claimed that it is a form of piracy or is illegal. After all, why should it be a concern to anyone if someone burns the midnight oil tapping on his keyboard and in the name of Penguin, releases his code in public, relinquishing all rights over his work? It's just an individual's choice.

IIPA knows all this. It also knows that in countries like India, government departments often blow up large sums of money on useless software suits in the name of "digitizing" their working. In such a scenario, any attempt to move to Open Source computing has instant ramification for proprietary software companies. Government departments in India move at their own sweet pace and I doubt if there are some babus or politicians who realize how much state money they can save by choosing to use Open Office instead of MS Office, or Gimp instead of Photoshop, or a customized Linux OS instead of Windows XP or Windows 7. In such a scenario if someone high up indeed comes out with clear guidelines asking state officials to have a look at free alternatives of commercial software, it is a cause for concern to IIPA.

A concern big enough to require some underhand arm-twisting.

Open Source is as free as the free market, a cause that is championed by the organizations such as IIPA. There is no doubt that some proprietary software suits are just too good and there is no way you can replace them with Open Source software. But what a government, organization or individual is going to use should be decided by free market mechanism and not dictated down by an organization that is simply trumpeting the cause of its members.

Debate over copyright is something that will shape the digital world of future. And, even as I wish that there could be a more uniform copyright framework across the world, simply toeing the US line is not really an answer. Given that our country is a developing nation, we will do grave injustice to millions of Indians if we shy away from Open Source software and start enforcing the US copyright regime that has been shaped by some hectic lobbying.

TCS Hacked? Not Really, But ...

TechCrunch.com had a post up sometime claiming that India's largest software company Tata Consultancy Services' website, www.tcs.com had been 'hacked'. The update to the post confirms that only some users are seeing the compromised version of the home page ie. this is a classic DNS hack and only certain name servers seem to be affected.A DNS (domain name server) is basically a centralized online directory/database which keeps a list of IP addresses corresponding to the domain names that we type into our browser. If it's compromised, typing in a URL could take you to a completely different site as intended by the hacker, often (though not in this case) with dangerous consequences. When twitter.com recently fell victim to such an attack, the perpetrators could have got access to twitter usernames and passwords if they'd put up a fake login page so that users would think they were entering the information into twitter.com as usual. Luckily it was just a political statement by Iranian hackers.

If TCS is to blame at all here, it should be for poor housekeeping. I mean, which large company, especially in tech, lists third parties (honeybeetechnology.com doesn't even look legit??!!) as its "administrative & technical contacts" on the WHOIS page? Certainly not TCS' competitors! See Infy's WHOIS page here and Wipro's here.

Nevertheless this is going to be a bit of a headache for the TCS PR team, especially since publications like the Washington Post syndicate TechCrunch content, lending the news an air of credibility in the Indian company's primary market. Also, one can always bank on a few idiots to give a racist slant to this news.

Gateway To Web — It’s Living

The Cake is not a lie, after all. Valve, the company which collided energy beams long before scientists in Geneva dreamed of it and gave us games like Half-Life, Counter Strike and Team Fortress 2, is working on a Portal sequel. The official announcement came a few days after some cryptic messages coded inside Morse code and audio streams were released to Steam users. Portal 2, which is expected to pick the story inside decrepit and abandoned Aperture Science Laboratories, will be released in “coming holiday season”, or in other words, at the end of the year.

I am sure that many readers here may not share my excitement at this news. So let me fill you in a bit on the story of Portal and why the game has achieved a cult following. It was released in 2007, bundled inside Valve's Orange Pack. Portal was supposed to be a slick little game that could provide gamers, most of them hardcore first-person shooter players, some relief from the endless cycle of run, gun and sniping.

In a break from the usual fare, in this game you were only armed with a Portal Gun and were supposed to solve a number of puzzles to advance inside the Aperture Science Laboratories created by a mad scientist. In the beginning, puzzles were basic — like creating a portal between two rooms and hence overcoming the wide gulf that separated them — but as the players progressed, the difficulty level increased. The same was true for design of the game. Initially, it seemed very basic where you were the only living creature, trying to make your way through a peculiarly designed science lab full of cubes and lit in yellow and blue light. But once you walked through the levels, you realized it was no ordinary game. After all, captivating the gamers accustomed to thick and fast action with just one gun and puzzles was no mean feat.

Everything about Portal was unique, brilliant and it reflected in countless awards that the game won in 2007 and often featured in list of most influential games of the decade at the end of last year. Though it was supposed to be an add-on, the game went on to eclipse even tremendously crafty and imaginative games like Half-life 2 and Team Fortress 2. Not only did its design and puzzles win some rave reviews, even its script and music — Still Alive became an instant hit — were lauded by gaming industry as path-breaking. The dialogues in the game were particularly impressive, helping Valve designers to make this game — where the character controlled by gamers is the only living thing — more human than the games like Call of Duty that have legions of paratroopers.

Of course, to fully grasp the game-changing nature of Portal, you have to actually play it. The rush starts to build only when you start cracking puzzles, create tunnels between the square rooms, run ahead carrying your companion cube with pink hearts on its sides and face automated turrets that fire at you and cry “no hard feeling” when you disable them. And then the significance of the game hits you in the face as you listen to GLaDOS, the mysterious and cunning A.I. of the facility, as she comforts, cajoles, threatens, pleads, mocks, lies, tells you to “marry the cube”, and even offers “some cake” to you — the Black Forest cake towards which you extend your hand in the end, only to be thwarted by mean machines living inside the bowels of Aperture Science Laboratory.

Why India Shouldn't Gloat About Google vs China........

The short answer: Because we're equally bad if not worse when it comes to policing the web. I would argue 'worse', because we're hypocrites. At least the Chinese make no bones about being an authoritarian state. We on the other hand like to use fancy phrases like "freedom of speech & expression" and "civil liberties" but happily go and notify the 2008 amendments to the Information Technology Act (on October 27th 2009) without any sort of real public debate.


The particularly damning addition to the original IT Act 2000:



69 (1) Where the central Government or a State Government or any of its officer specially authorised by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, in this behalf may, if is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient to do in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defense of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence, it may, subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct any agency of the appropriate Government to intercept, monitor or decrypt or cause to be intercepted or monitored or decrypted any information transmitted received or stored through any computer resource.



FYI: from Article 21 of the Constitution:

“No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”



So while the Chinese had to try hard to hack into Gmail accounts of human rights activists, any Indian official can practically walk up to Google and order the company to hand private data over. No court order or magistrate nod needed - and even something as vague as "friendly relations with foreign states" can be reason enough.
...



It's not a very well kept secret that Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and even board member Ram Shriram avoided visiting India for a couple of years for fear of being detained because of a criminal case against them pertaining to content on blogspot.com, where Google was refusing to divulge information. A similar case against them last year was stayed but only after Google India resorted to some fairly creative arguments. International sites have started putting India on the list of "safe search" countries but the move has had little impact.



The amended IT Act is just the culmination of a decade of 'sarkari' fumbling in cyberspace. Here's a quick jog down memory lane of the best of this century:


2001: The tragi-comic case of India's 'first cyber crime' that was 'cracked' by the Mumbai cops. The lunacy of it all is best summed up in this Wired story.

2002: Delhi Police arrests noted Kashmiri journalist Iftikar Gilani on charges of spying after finding "sensitive information" on his computer. The case falls apart after it is confirmed that the documents recovered from his computer were freely available on the Internet. They later book him for obscenity based on porn-spam mails in his inbox.

2003: Yahoo Groups gets blacked out in India because of one North-east e-group with mild separatist propoganda. BBC report shows that they had a Jt. Secy in the Dept. of IT openly telling them on camera, that "If it's anti-national, we will ban it!"

2004: Baazee (now eBay India) CEO gets arrested by the same cops whom he offered to fully co-operate with, in a case of pornographic content being uploaded on the site. He later told me how they tricked him into coming to the police station on a Friday so that they could jail him over the weekend without a hearing till Monday.

2005: President APJ Abdul Kalam (followed by others including the National Security Adviser) wags a finger at Google Earth. While some claim it's a legit concern, I think that anyone seriously interested in planning an attack is not going to sit and look at 3-5 year old maps that are being sourced from freely available satellite imagery.

2006: The Government goes into overdrive on internet censorship and knocks off most of the blogosphere in the process of targeting 17 (at first random looking, but clearly politically motivated) sites and blogs.

2007: Cops pick up the wrong guy and keep him in custody for 50 days. Apparently the ISP (Airtel) mapped an incorrect physical address to the IP address that was posting anti-Shivaji content.

2008: The government suddenly decides that Blackberry services are illegal nearly 3 years after they've debuted in the country and a handful of operators are offering the service. The issue magically disappears after "meetings" with RIM representatives.

2009: While the Chinese are hacking away at our vital IT, the government decides that banning the Savita Bhabi comic strip is far more important, in the process giving it much wider publicity and readership than it ever had.

In the prison of technology, Lays there a Kinght !!!!!!!

There was a time I could multiply 196 by 832, call my friends, family, lovers without referring to a phone book, remember the birthdays of those who mattered most to me, spell every word I knew without the slightest hesitation. Yes, I had a calculator on my desk but that was not to add, subtract, divide or multiply. It was for multiple calculations, finding square roots of impossibly large figures which I needed while solving mathematical puzzles, my favourite source of short term amusement.

Today I use my cell phone to add and subtract, recall phone numbers and faces, remind me about birthdays. My laptop tries to correct my spellings, language, grammar and often makes mistakes itself.No, I don't need to remember anything at all. Google helps me find it in an instant.When will Rajiv's assassins walk out of jail? Who was India's first Education Minister? Which was the first big scam that shook Independent India? What did Mountbatten say when he first caught Edwina in Jawaharlal's arms? How does one become a citizen of Austria? Google has an answer for most things, from curing your cat's diarrhoea to which old bookshop in London may have the 1921 edition of Lorca's Libro de Poemas. When Google fails, there's twitter. Somebody, somewhere will always have an answer to the question bothering you. The answer need not always be right. None of us look for right answers in life. We look for answers that comfort us. It's a bit like finding God. If he doesn't exist, we'll have to manufacture him.

No, it is not Alzheimer's nor stress (nor the refusal to eat fish) that's slaying my memory cells. It's this continuous acceptance of technology that's being thrust into my face, demanding it be used. I may not be as quick as a calculator but I'm certainly better than a dictionary or thesaurus. I may not be able to do Rubik's cube in under two minutes, as Aamir Khan apparently does, but I'm ready to take a Mental test with anyone. The problem is not in my facilities. It lies in the dependencies being forced onto me by technology I have no need for.I fear I'm becoming a technology victim.

I'm not alone. That's pretty obvious.Do we need so much technology in our lives? Do we really need taps that go off on their own or lights that come on when we walk into a room? Don't we want to do these things ourselves? Do we really need 11 digit phone numbers that no one can recall without assistance? What about simple, easy to remember word/number combinations like Maggie69Wow? Must we perfunctorily celebrate all birthdays? Why not stick to 20 people who really matter to you and call them instead of sending fancy bouquets to hundreds of people with notes from florists? Why send a V-Day e-card when a simple kiss can do? Why do I need 8GB of music on my iPod when running in the gym? Why can't I let my imagination chase that gorgeous babe two treadmills away? Why must technology isolate us instead of bonding us with a real world of real people, real passions? How can internet sex be a substitute for The Real Thing? Yet porn is the biggest business on the net. How can a Tamagotchi (or any e-pet) replace the love of a real pug? Yet the Japanese are hooked on it. How can any cell phone chat (with a zillion call drops) be a substitute for talking face to face with someone you love? Yet 700 million cell phone users here cootchie coo on it.

So as this year stumbles to an end, I make this promise to myself. Let me slave technology, not let it run my life for me.

Is Net distorting our history ?

We have traditionally split history into two eras, BC and AD. Don't ask me about the 32 years in between. I have no clue. But one thing's clear: AD overrides BC as it's much better chronicled. Civilisation and history go together. The Guttenberg press in 1450 was such a powerful instrument of change because it allowed us to preserve history through printed books. If one copy got lost, others survived. Earlier books, hand written, lost us an irreplaceable part of history every time they were stolen, vandalised or lost. That's the reason why burning or destroying books, a la the Nazis, is still considered such a heinous crime. Those who destroy books and libraries destroy history.

But history's no longer easy to destroy. Two technological marvels have changed everything. Digital is one. The other is the internet. It's my belief that future generations will see the world not as BC and AD but as BI and AI, the internet dividing the two eras. I should know. My own life has been sliced into two and I can see the impact of this change. No, I'm not talking about how useful the net is, or digital technology. I'm talking about how the future will remember us, about the making of history, what will be part of it, what will quietly disappear. Technology has become the new arbiter.Everything AI would be incandescent, memorable. Everything BI would be faded, remembered only in bits and pieces, based on whatever survives on crumbling newsprint and scratched, grainy celluloid.

This means even the worst film makers of today will be remembered more than the greatest film makers of the BI era whose works were not preserved. James Cameron will look more important to future generations than Satyajit Ray and Vittorio De Sica. Justin Bieber will appear more popular than Elvis and the Rolling Stones. R-Patz will be remembered as a bigger star than Errol Flynn and Cary Grant put together. Borat will be bigger than Chaplin. Alice in Wonderland will stay alive as a Johnny Depp film. People of the future may be forgiven for thinking Lewis Carroll wrote its screenplay. Just as millions of Indians will remember Aamir Khan as the actor, not as the last century's greatest classical singer. The net, I fear, will distort history, perspectives, our understanding of things.

Will the future remember Balasaraswati or Birju Maharaj, even though digital archives and the net will not give them half the space devoted to Dance India Dance? Satyajit Ray's cinematic tribute to Balasaraswati has disintegrated and even its restoration in California has stopped owing to lack of funds.So will Rahujan Mahajan be remembered, not Balraj Sahni? Rakhi Sawant, not Madhubala? Will anyone read Nirad C Chaudhuri? Can future generations find access to copies of Harijan? Will they forget Dr Ambedkar and remember Mayavati as the great benefactor of the lower castes? Will we think of the Mahatma as Ben Kingsley? Will 3 Idiots outlast Dostoevsky's Idiot? Will we remember Hafeez Contractor as a bigger architect than the guy who built Humayun's tomb? Will future generations remember Amir Khusru when no one even knows what he looked like? Will Mika outlive Kishore Kumar?

How do you expect the net to keep track of it? So, given the way we have archived our past, won't the net distort our entire understanding of history, music, literature, movies and the arts by keeping alive only pop history in the AI era?