Tuesday, September 7. 2010Ubuntu it is!I finally got an opportunity to try Ubuntu in an official setting - during my time at the Indian School of Business. In summary, the experience is very smooth - but, there were some initial difficulties. I have now reached a place where I use Ubuntu almost exclusively, though there are some things that I cannot use at all - specifically connecting to ISB's Cisco protected network and the Windows domain network (to access server storage space and printers). I tried some solutions for this (Likewise Open), but eventually gave up as the effort was not worth it (I can survive quite well without it). Some of the problems I faced:
The good side - I'm loving a Compiz enabled laptop, and a really fast computer, with all familiar applications available.
Sunday, January 17. 2010
Blast from the past - Hyperterminal Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Education, Windows at
17:04Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Blast from the past - HyperterminalI had to get a folder out of my father's old computer. The constraints were:
I know - it's difficult to imagine such a computer. Yet - it does what it has to and why fix it if it ain't broke. However, I'm not stupid - taking a regular backup of files on this computer is essential, hence this problem, which took six months to solve. The final solution was HyperTerminal - that seemingly useless program sitting in the All Programs > Accessories > Communications folder of the start menu ever since Windows 95. I started this on both computers and made the Windows 95 computer wait for a call, and dialed it from the other computer. I soon had a data connection that could transfer files using the Z-Modem protocol, at an amazing data rate of 4 kbps. One hour and 10 MB later, we were golden. Puts all the communication and data storage media that we have today into perspective. Do you have any such stories of how yesterday's technology helped out today? Leave a comment. Wednesday, January 6. 2010Updates!It's been quite some time that I posted an entry, and a LOT has changed - so I thought I'll update you on what has:
Yet, some things remain the same:
Wednesday, May 6. 2009
Minesweeper is Not as Innocent as I ... Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Games, Windows at
15:19Comment (1) Trackbacks (0) Minesweeper is Not as Innocent as I Thought it to be
I was quite surprised to read about an Easter Egg cheat code in Minesweeper - the game I thought to be the most simplistic and innocent ever made. TechRadar has an interesting post on the history and success of Minesweeper.
The cheat code is as follows (and I quote): Load the game, type 'xyzzy' and press the left shift key. Now, watch the very top left of your screen. When your mouse cursor hovers over a safe square, you'll see one single white pixel. Move over a mined square, and it becomes black. It's an eyesight-killer of an easter egg, but an excellent way to impress your friends.Reminds me of the good ol' Konami code. If "up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-A-B-A-B-Start" holds a special place in your heart - leave a comment :) Sunday, May 3. 2009
The Perfect Mobile Phone Form Factor Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Mobility at
11:58Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) The Perfect Mobile Phone Form Factor
Announcement of Samsung's I7500 Android-based phone led me to pen down what's
So what am I getting at? The perfect mobile phone form factor (IMHO) is out there but refuses to catch on. The Android-based HTC, T-Mobile G1 has not really picked up - most hardware reviews say that the phone is great, but it is not a 'finished' product yet. The recent 'cupcake' update should enable a virtual keyboard for quick 'one-hand' use and the G1 already has a QWERTY keyboard for when you want to write a complete email. Friday, November 14. 2008
Howto: Buy a Cellphone Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Education, Mobility at
15:17Comment (1) Trackbacks (0) Howto: Buy a Cellphone
I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked for advice on buying a phone. Unfortunately, a phone is something very personal. For example, I can't stand typing on a touchscreen with a stylus, whereas I have seen a friend tap away an entire business mail with her stylus. I would rather not have a camera in my phone - it just increases the cost and is of no use when you really need it, I'd rather have a full featured camera. Others (are you one of them?) swear by their tinny (sic) phone cameras.
Of course, this does not mean I send my friends away without any advice. Here is my 6 point phone buying howto:
I have found the Nokia phone selector to be useful in the past. You can shortlist phones based on the features that you want. Of course, that's because I'm a Nokia fan and don't look beyond that. Been on the receiving end of this advice from me (or not)? How useful do you think it is? Let me know by leaving a comment. Monday, May 12. 2008
Firefox 3 on Windows Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Desktop, Internet, Windows at
10:13Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Firefox 3 on Windows
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. Thursday, February 28. 2008
Friends, Delhi-ites, Countrymen - ... Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Education at
22:03Comments (3) Trackbacks (0) Friends, Delhi-ites, Countrymen - Lend me your Ears
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:
End of rant. Anything that you would like to add? Leave a comment. Saturday, February 23. 2008
Relive Your Precious Memories - In Style Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Fun at
02:59Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Relive Your Precious Memories - In Style
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. Tuesday, February 5. 2008
AOL Acquires Goowy - Too Little Too Late Posted by Rohan Dayal
in Internet at
16:32Comment (1) Trackbacks (0) AOL Acquires Goowy - Too Little Too Late
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 :) |
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