Technology and You

Its no big secret that I have been a big fan of Firefox. I have been using Firefox 3.0 beta 5 ever since it got included as the default browser with Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron). Needless to say, I was quite impressed with the new avatar. Ars has a great series of articles that cover the new features introduced in Firefox betas. However, the Linux interface had not changed much from Firefox 2.0.

Today, I was forced into trying the beta in Windows (yes, it's been that long since I've had to use a Windows maching on a regular basis). On one side, I'm disappointed by why a major interface overhaul was not included in the Linux release. On the other hand, I'm practically smiling with joy looking at the pure aesthetics of this release in Windows. The Forward/Backward button integration, the enhanced address bar, the default navigation buttons, the screen preview of text/graphics selected and dragged - wow! (Read this article for a summary of the changes)

The browser is said to be using significantly lower memory than previously releases, and is really fast. And the browser has not crashed on me even once (though, I have to admit, I have not exactly stress tested it yet).

You can download the beta here. As always, the normal warning of beta releases apply - don't use it for anything critical (like share trading, bank transactions, etc.), and don't blame me if anything goes wrong.

Scientists in UK claim to have effectively solved the traffic jam problem. Their simulations show situations where traffic slows to a crawl with their being no real obstructions in the road. From this press release from the University of Exeter:

The team developed a mathematical model to show the impact of unexpected events such as a lorry pulling out of its lane on a dual carriageway. Their model revealed that slowing down below a critical speed when reacting to such an event, a driver would force the car behind to slow down further and the next car back to reduce its speed further still. The result of this is that several miles back, cars would finally grind to a halt, with drivers oblivious to the reason for their delay.

More importantly:

When you tap your brake, the traffic may come to a full stand-still several miles behind you. It really matters how hard you brake - a slight braking from a driver who has identified a problem early will allow the traffic flow to remain smooth. Heavier braking, usually caused by a driver reacting late to a problem, can affect traffic flow for many miles.

What's surprising is that UK which has such a well-managed transport system has researchers optimizing it. I wish someone in India could do the same. I don't even need Google Map Traffic to know that most of Delhi's (only for example, the situation is the same across most metros) roads are clogged everyday during rush hours.

Bear with me as I offload some of my frustration after another endevour across Delhi roads. Now, I know that driving home after a hard day's job is a daunting task. If possible, try practicing these trips the next time you are in a traffic jam:

• Prepare ahead - You know how much time it takes going down that road every day. Compensate for the time. Try leaving before or after the rush hour. Let people at home know that you are going to be late so that you don't have to rush.
• Choose your car wisely - You spend up to four hours in it every day. Go the extra mile and choose one that you love and enjoy being in.
• Make it comfortable - Dish out the moolah to get comfortable seat covers (and a neck support if you like it). Find the angle that you are comfortable sitting in. Spring for a state-of-the-art music system. Buy/burn music that you like and keep a collection of feelgood music handy. This will ensure that you remain entertained along the way and are not quick to loose temper. Trust me, it's worth the extra money. I'll be glad to offer suggestions.
• Try forming a car pool - And not just because you'll save petrol. Hopefully, you'll find someone interesting to speak to during the way.
• Try different ways of going home - Maybe, you'll enjoy a change in the scenery/buildings.
• Keep your cool - Feeling too tired? Stop at a coffee shop on the way and reload on caffiene.
• Don't make sudden changes in your driving pattern - Comes directly from the advice of the scientists in UK. Makes for a better drive and avoids traffic jams. Also, try to anticipate changes that others make and gradually adjust your driving.Be compassionate - Let ambulances and police cars through.
• DRIVE IN YOUR LANE - If there is one thing that you should take home, it's this. Changing lanes does not help. Movement of traffic is usually cyclical. Unless you are stuck in a lane for a long time while other lanes keep on moving (implying that there is an obstruction in your lane) try being patriotic to your lane for a change. More often than not, you will notice that just after changing your lane, traffic appears to advance in the lane you were in. Also, if the person in front of you stops to take a turn - wait! It's easier, and less disrupting than forcing yourself into another lane and becoming a public nuisance.
• Smile - Last but not the least. Smile condescendingly at people becoming public nuisances. Smile at someone who gave you a chance to enter a lane to know that they are appreciated. Even smile at the cabbie who butted into your lane. He might be having a bad day.

End of rant. Anything that you would like to add? Leave a comment.

Another gadget that has caught my fancy of late. Digital photo frames let you display slideshows of your digital photographs. You can just pop-in your camera's SD card, store photos in the internal memory - some models even let you connect to your Picasa/Flickr account through WiFi and stream your photo-album. You can even play movies and MP3 songs. NYTimes created a comprehensive feature comparison chart here that you can choose to select which one is best for you.



Very convenient, very stylish - they look just like contemporary photo-frames. They're available on Ebay India now, though I have not seen it at any retailer. I think it'll make for a great gift too.

So my prediction does come true, albeit, not entirely. Almost two years back I had written about why Google should acquire Goowy. According to TechCrunch, AOL acquired Goowy on Monday, February 4, 2007. It seems that Microsoft's bid to takeover Yahoo has caused some stirring in the market, as a lagging AOL seeks to add some bling to its suite of services.

Goowy is a flash-based "online operating system" if you will - giving you access to basic apps (like email, messaging, online storage, etc.) with a personalized interface wherever and however you login. This basically meant that as long as you had a Flash player installed, you could login from whatever browser and platform, and you'd always get a familiar interface. The webmail is not a pushover either. Goowy's email app provides features that were similar to Yahoo's beta interface (drag-and-drop, etc.) and was launched much before the latter.

Back then when I reviewed it, I was quite impressed with Goowy. Will Goowy die a slow death just like Netscape, which was acquired by AOL and subsequently axed? Or will Goowy bring AOL back into the limelight? Only time will tell. What do you think?

EDIT: Thanks to David for pointing out that Winamp is alive and kicking. It went through a slump in 2003-2004 (as reported in these articles), but since the release of version 5 has regained its share in the limelight. I'm happy - Winamp was my first music player too :)

Finally, something to be excited about. One of the essential requirements in any analysts job is to create charts. However, I find manipulating Excel charts a bit too tedious (most options are hidden inside too many menus). Here's a simple solution: Google Charts API. All you need to do is create an image url that includes the chart options and your data, paste it into the address bar of your browser, and your chart is ready. This means that you can embed charts that are created on the fly directly into a webpage/document/presentation. Here are some examples of the charts that you can generate and the corresponding URLs in green(note that these are not static images, they are created along with this webpage):

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?
chs=170x100&cht=p3&chtt=Sample Chart&chd=s:CDDEFH,Wps679&
chdl=sales|visits&chxl=0:|jan|feb|mar|apr|may|jun|&chxt=x


http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chs=180x100&
cht=bhs&chtt=Sample%20Chart&chd=s:CDDEFH,Wps679&
chco=ff0000,0000ff&chdl=sales|visits&
chxl=0:|jan|feb|mar|apr|may|jun|&chxt=x



http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=v&
chs=150x100&chd=t:100,80,60,30,30,30,10&chtt=Sample Chart


Of course, numerous tools for creating charts using this API have already sprung up. Amongst the official list, I found the Visual Google Chart URL Generator to be the most intuitive (though it does not support Venn diagrams). Another good interface is provided by the Online Chart Builder. You can plot basic mathematical functions using Plot Function Google. For the security junkies, the FAQ states all data used for generating the chart is purged within two weeks.

The icing on the cake: The default color pallette is pleasing to the eyes. So you can worry about getting the data right and leaving the aesthetics to the API.

Another freeware solution to creating charts on the fly is JFreeChart, an open-source Java based library. A good paid and very flexible alternative I have used is Tableau (thanks to Pratik for pointing that out).

Is it time to say goodbye to Excel charts? What do you think - leave a comment.

I've been using my free time to read a lot of webcomics (no superheroes please). I found most of these using StumbleUpon/friend recommendations. I've subscribed to them using rssfwd, a service that tracks changes in RSS feeds and sends a new posting directly to your mailbox (I always forget to open Google Reader).

Here is my reading list:

• Questionable Content - I like the author's sense of humor and his drawing. You only have to overlook the references to music. Can be sarcastic at times.
• Something Positive - My latest read. Sarcasm at its very best.
• Ctrl+Alt+Delete - The author's imagination about video games got me addicted. Plus, Ethan is crazy.
• Sinfest - A black comedy that has interesting characters and some good jokes packed in a single line format.
• xkcd - For geeks only. I love this one :)
• Rob and Elliot - Rob is an amusing character.
• Sluggy Freelance - This guy has about the imaginative mind I have ever encountered.
• Nothing Better - This is not exactly funny and the main theme is teenagers trying to understand the meaning of God. It can get a bit boring, but the characters are well defined and the illustrations are simply awesome.
• Luann - Brad's gullibility is endearing, and Luann is good looking too. Luann reminds me of Betty. This is one of the famous comics out there, and the site is only the online version of the syndicated strip (unlike others that are purely webcomics.

The next time you find an afternoon with nothing better to do (and a working internet connection, of course) - give yourself a laugh.

Beware though - these comics are addictive. Do not say that no one warned you :)

Also, don't forget to check out 'This is our Life' by Rajneesh Kapoor everyday in HT City. 'This is our Life' is about a young Indian who has much the same cribs as you and me - women, cricket, politics and boring television shows. You could also pick up his books from Barista outlets.

What do you read online? Drop me a link in a comment.

EDIT: Another favorite is PHD comics - a comic that I had exhausted 2 years back - but continues to be a hit amongst those who want to look back at those grueling years spent studying.

After almost 55 hours of battling shadow creatures, jumping from chandelier to post, epic sword battles, digging through holes as a wolf, and a copious amount of horse riding, I finally defeated Ganandorf and freed two ladies. Don't know what I'm talking about? Take a look at this video:



Yes, I've completed Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess after being at it for two months. Through the journey I was awed, irritated, angry, sad, frustrated, and ecstatic (all at different times, of course) as I batlled huge and stealthy bosses using a plethora of weapons, including a Gale Boomerang that carries the power of wind and creates a mini-tornado in its flight path, a pair of sling-shots to let Link swing (a bit like Spider-Man), a Dominion Rod that grants the holder to control statues, and of course a Hero's Bow and Arrows. I cannot appreciate the game enough - riveting gameplay, innovate control management, numerous mini-games and puzzles, and a gripping story. I'm actually a little sad that it is all over.

Next stop:

At the risk of sounding overtly geeky, here's what my boot process in Ubuntu looks like (click to show full size):



There's nothing special in the content itself (apart from my boot time of 30 seconds - woohoo!). What's special is Bootchart - a software that traps and records all boot processes, and creates a lovely chart that you can analyze your boot process with. My guess is that it would be a boon to developers. Yes, the same can be obtained through a boot log - but as they say - a picture is worth a thousand words. This chart can help in determining that are increasing startup time and hogging memory, etc. The program was created in response to this challenge:

"The challenge is to create a single poster showing graphically what is going on during the boot, what is the utilization of resources, how the current boot differs from the ideal world of 100% disk and CPU utilization, and thus, where are the opportunities for optimization."

I wonder if any similar utilities exist in Windows. If you know of any, do let me know.

I recently learnt about the Ken Burns effect and wanted to use it in a slideshow I had to make. The Ken Burns effect is a mixture of pan and zoom effects to create a really professional slideshow. During my extensive search for a tool I looked at open source alternatives (such as the dvd-slideshow tool for Linux) and proprietary software (Microsoft Movie Maker which comes bundled with Windows XP is surprisingly useful), I finally landed on the page for Microsoft Photo Story 3.

This tool is exactly what I was looking for. You customize start and end points in a photo, customize motion, add speech, audio, notes, and you're off. You can export your slideshow in a variety of resolutions (unfortunately, only in the windows media video format).

I believe in giving credit where it is due. This is the second Microsoft software after Microsoft Excel that I appreciate. The next time you want to create a slideshow, give Microsoft Photo Story 3 a run.

Here's a screencast of my new Ubuntu installation in all its glory. The screencast shows off the following in order:

• The easy to navigate application menu with classified entries, not just a catch-all menu
• Nautilus - The file manager is highly customizable
• Windows drives are easily accessible - You just need to enter your password once
• The transparent terminal - How's that for eye candy?
• Wobbly windows - whoever would have thought of that!
• Multiple workspaces - You can organize multiple windows and unclutter your desktop
• Firefox is the default web browser - and it should be
• Synaptics package manager is used to get access to thousands of programs for Linux
• Add-remove programs provides an easier interface for programs customized for Ubuntu - All required programs are automatically downloaded, installed and configured
• You can move windows across workspaces - Nice to know that
• Finally, the desktop cube in all its glory - Compiz-Fusion is a real shot in the Linux arm

The video was captured in xvidcap that directly records videos in the FLV format as required by Youtube.