Polycom makes some of the best speakerphones. So a compact VoIP product from the company piques my interest. The polycom communicator is not just for hands-free skype conversations but also great for small conference rooms.
All you need is a notebook, a broadband connection and Skype. The device is plug-and-play, but you dont need Skype to use it;I used it with Google talk and it worked seamlessly without any extra software. You need the polycom software though.If you want to use the soft-buttons on the device.This device is equipped with two micro-phones that are strategically placed on the two bottom corners which catch sounds from the remotest corners of a small room. I tested the product from a distance of up to 3m(11 feet) and experienced no voice quality problems. The sound was free of any distortions. The speaker which paced in the center, produces a significant volume of sound-enough for a few people to hear the other party clearly. Since this is a USB-powered device, you dont need a seperate power adapter.
The device has four buttons that are used to connect to Skype, start a call, control volme, or mute a call. There is a headphone jack too, if you want to hold a more private conversation. Flip the device over, and it reveals an extremely smart cable management system. The lid on the storage bay acts as a stand once opened. This allows you to easily pack and carry the communicator.
This product is extremely capable, works well and is ideal for VoIP users but for a hefty price tag.
Price:Rs 7,740
roughly 190 dollars.
14 July, 2008
12 July, 2008
Stupid reasons why JAVA beats .NET :
The answer is a BIG "yes" if you ask me! Though some might argue that these
so called frameworkswere built for different purposes, there are a few
applications that can be built with both. For example web applications.
JAVA has the J2EE libraries and .net has, well ASP.net . Java counters with
JSP if I forgot to mention.
So, why do I like JAVA more than .net?
Reason #1: JAVA suppports an open source mindset, .NET does NOT
Reason #2: With all the inherant complications, JAVA seems like a tough nut
to crack. Ever heard the saying, girls dig complicated guys?? Something like that
Reason #3: .NET just makes things even more complicated by providing an IDE with
drag and drop, and at the same time introducing complex concepts such as assembly,
GAC's and what not. Im thinking of removing .net from my resume', you know why?
Ive never heard a saying which goes "Girls dig overly complex, nerds".
Reason #4: JAVA always gave me options, for example, if I wanted to develop a web
application, I can do it with a JSP page, or an HTML page with a servlet back end.
Yeah, .NET does it too, with its ASP.net, but I never got to use the full functionality
of the libraries, simply because, there are complex types which profess to do stuff, but dont,
or there are variables where there should have been none. If you're an avid .NET programmer you'll know.
Reason #5: JAVA was made by SUN microsystems, whose SOLARIS isnt that much of a money grabber.
And, .net you know, was made by Microsoft...Oh, I always hated Microsoft! Corporate dominance
makes me sick to my stomach!
If you were expecting a complete technology comparison like I do everytime, sorry to disappoint you,
wasnt in the mood today!!
so called frameworkswere built for different purposes, there are a few
applications that can be built with both. For example web applications.
JAVA has the J2EE libraries and .net has, well ASP.net . Java counters with
JSP if I forgot to mention.
So, why do I like JAVA more than .net?
Reason #1: JAVA suppports an open source mindset, .NET does NOT
Reason #2: With all the inherant complications, JAVA seems like a tough nut
to crack. Ever heard the saying, girls dig complicated guys?? Something like that
Reason #3: .NET just makes things even more complicated by providing an IDE with
drag and drop, and at the same time introducing complex concepts such as assembly,
GAC's and what not. Im thinking of removing .net from my resume', you know why?
Ive never heard a saying which goes "Girls dig overly complex, nerds".
Reason #4: JAVA always gave me options, for example, if I wanted to develop a web
application, I can do it with a JSP page, or an HTML page with a servlet back end.
Yeah, .NET does it too, with its ASP.net, but I never got to use the full functionality
of the libraries, simply because, there are complex types which profess to do stuff, but dont,
or there are variables where there should have been none. If you're an avid .NET programmer you'll know.
Reason #5: JAVA was made by SUN microsystems, whose SOLARIS isnt that much of a money grabber.
And, .net you know, was made by Microsoft...Oh, I always hated Microsoft! Corporate dominance
makes me sick to my stomach!
If you were expecting a complete technology comparison like I do everytime, sorry to disappoint you,
wasnt in the mood today!!
11 July, 2008
OPTIMIZE YOUR NOTEBOOK
Network garbage is like desktop garbage, only worse: All that excess activity saps your systems' resources. Anything that unnecessarily drains your laptop battery deserves to get dumped. Aa quick
tune upcan make any notebook more energy efficient.
A POWER MAKEOVER
Choose the right pwer scheme for your work stule. Click Start->Control Panel-> Performance and maintainence->Power options. Under this, pick Max Battery and click OK.
This setting shuts off your monitor after 1 min and puts your notebook in standby if you dont use it for 2 mins. If thats too soon, repeat the steps and choose the portable/laptop power scheme which goes into standby after 5 mins.
Another way to reduce your notebook's power consumption is by dimming the screen. Unfortunately, every notebook manufacturer seems to have a different technique for dimming, so you may have to go digging in your owners manual.
A notebook's built-in wireless card sucks up power as it looks for access points, so disable yours when you're not working on a network. Other laptop power grabbers that you should unplug when you don need them are USB devices and PC cards.
CLEAN OUT THE BACKGROUND
Give autostart programs the heave-ho when you're running on battery power. In addition to following this step, right click icons in your system tray and shut down programs you dont need. They'll start up again the next time window loads.
STANDBY OR HIBERNATE?
Win XP's standbymode stops your HDD and monitor, but everything in your systems memory stays there, using a little trickle of power. Hibernation mode writes everything in memory to the hard drive and shuts down the machine completely.
Windows spriings back quickly from standby mode, but it takes much longer to come back to a working state. If you will be gone for a short while, it makes sense to leave your system on standby, else, leave your system in hibernation.
tune upcan make any notebook more energy efficient.
A POWER MAKEOVER
Choose the right pwer scheme for your work stule. Click Start->Control Panel-> Performance and maintainence->Power options. Under this, pick Max Battery and click OK.
This setting shuts off your monitor after 1 min and puts your notebook in standby if you dont use it for 2 mins. If thats too soon, repeat the steps and choose the portable/laptop power scheme which goes into standby after 5 mins.
Another way to reduce your notebook's power consumption is by dimming the screen. Unfortunately, every notebook manufacturer seems to have a different technique for dimming, so you may have to go digging in your owners manual.
A notebook's built-in wireless card sucks up power as it looks for access points, so disable yours when you're not working on a network. Other laptop power grabbers that you should unplug when you don need them are USB devices and PC cards.
CLEAN OUT THE BACKGROUND
Give autostart programs the heave-ho when you're running on battery power. In addition to following this step, right click icons in your system tray and shut down programs you dont need. They'll start up again the next time window loads.
STANDBY OR HIBERNATE?
Win XP's standbymode stops your HDD and monitor, but everything in your systems memory stays there, using a little trickle of power. Hibernation mode writes everything in memory to the hard drive and shuts down the machine completely.
Windows spriings back quickly from standby mode, but it takes much longer to come back to a working state. If you will be gone for a short while, it makes sense to leave your system on standby, else, leave your system in hibernation.
08 July, 2008
AUTOMATIC UPDATES
Have you updated your computer's anti virus software today?Have you configured your desktop to automatically download and install its security updates?
Presumably, your answer is yes. But there is a problem with many updating systems, as a recent paper by three researchers at the university of Massachusetts makes alarmingly clear.
Many update systems, it seems, are themselves riddled with security vulnerabilities. In the paper, professor Kevin Fu shows that update systems in popular software packages like McAfee VirusScan and Mozilla Firefox can actually be used to take over a computer thats trying to update itself!
The so-called secure update problem is twofold, say the researchers. First and foremost, programs need to have some way of authenticating some their updates to establish their legitimacy. But it is also critically important that programs have an authenticated connection to the update server.
THE CODE'S SOURCE
An authenticated update means that there is some way for the software doing the update to assure itself that the update is an authentic version from the intended source. Without authentication, a clever attacker can arrange for the program doing the update to download and run the exploit instead.
In practice, updates should be authenticated with a digital signature-they should be signed with a private key. The matching public key should be embedded inside the application doing the update. Before the update is run, the application should verify the digital signature. If the nature doesn't verify, the update should be deleted.
The UMass researchers discovered that many programs don't authenticate their updates. This may not be so surprising-lots of software has security vulnerabilities, after all. But what is surprising is that among products that didn't have digitally signed updates were McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Virex, to antivirus, malware programs.
Exploiting the flaw is actually a lot easier than you might think. Most of these unsecured update systems simply goto a web or FTP server, check the time stamp of the most recent file and download the file if it's new enough.
The address of the server is usually hard-coded into the program doing the update, although occasionally it is stored in a configuration file.
To exploit flaw, all the attacker needs to do is send the program doing the update to a server thats run by the attacker. One way to send the program to the wrong site is by using a DNS-based attack.
Though signing updates with a digital signature doesn't prevent hostile code from being downloaded, but it does prevent the code from being run. Unfortunately, this is only half the battle. Even if updates are signed, an attacker capable of intercepting DNS requests or diverting internet traffic can still use an update service to take over an unsuspecting victims computer.
Another way that an attacker can subvert the update process is to run an update server that always responds "No updates today!" clients will then connect, find no update, and disconnect, and never will they know that they have been deceived. A well placed attacker could prevent an entire organization from installing updates for a period of time, then attack all vulnerable machines
Presumably, your answer is yes. But there is a problem with many updating systems, as a recent paper by three researchers at the university of Massachusetts makes alarmingly clear.
Many update systems, it seems, are themselves riddled with security vulnerabilities. In the paper, professor Kevin Fu shows that update systems in popular software packages like McAfee VirusScan and Mozilla Firefox can actually be used to take over a computer thats trying to update itself!
The so-called secure update problem is twofold, say the researchers. First and foremost, programs need to have some way of authenticating some their updates to establish their legitimacy. But it is also critically important that programs have an authenticated connection to the update server.
THE CODE'S SOURCE
An authenticated update means that there is some way for the software doing the update to assure itself that the update is an authentic version from the intended source. Without authentication, a clever attacker can arrange for the program doing the update to download and run the exploit instead.
In practice, updates should be authenticated with a digital signature-they should be signed with a private key. The matching public key should be embedded inside the application doing the update. Before the update is run, the application should verify the digital signature. If the nature doesn't verify, the update should be deleted.
The UMass researchers discovered that many programs don't authenticate their updates. This may not be so surprising-lots of software has security vulnerabilities, after all. But what is surprising is that among products that didn't have digitally signed updates were McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Virex, to antivirus, malware programs.
Exploiting the flaw is actually a lot easier than you might think. Most of these unsecured update systems simply goto a web or FTP server, check the time stamp of the most recent file and download the file if it's new enough.
The address of the server is usually hard-coded into the program doing the update, although occasionally it is stored in a configuration file.
To exploit flaw, all the attacker needs to do is send the program doing the update to a server thats run by the attacker. One way to send the program to the wrong site is by using a DNS-based attack.
Though signing updates with a digital signature doesn't prevent hostile code from being downloaded, but it does prevent the code from being run. Unfortunately, this is only half the battle. Even if updates are signed, an attacker capable of intercepting DNS requests or diverting internet traffic can still use an update service to take over an unsuspecting victims computer.
Another way that an attacker can subvert the update process is to run an update server that always responds "No updates today!" clients will then connect, find no update, and disconnect, and never will they know that they have been deceived. A well placed attacker could prevent an entire organization from installing updates for a period of time, then attack all vulnerable machines
07 July, 2008
Warcraft III screen garbled? Resolution problem?
Is your warcraft III game screen garbled, or reverts to some unknown resolution each time the game starts? Cant see anything on the screen except colored lines?...I have the solution!
I experienced the same problem a while ago, and was jubiliant when I discovered the solution. The method, in 10 steps is as follows :
1. Goto Start -> Run
2. Type "regedit" without quotes. This is to open the registry editor.
3. you would be presented with a screen with 2 panes. The left most pane will have items such as HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,etc
4. Expand "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", then expand SOFTWARE
5. You should see a key called "Blizzard Entertainment", expand that too
6. Now expand Warcraft III then expand Video
7. We'r almost there!! You should see a series of blue colored keys on the right pane.
8. Double click on reswidth. *Click Decimal* THIS IS IMPORTANT! Then,type in 800
9. Double click on resheight. *Click Decimal* THIS IS IMPORTANT! Then,type in 600
10. We are done now! Go ahead and start the game, the resolution should be fine now. I have demonstrated with 800x600 resolution. You can try it for any resolution you want I have also tried it with 1024x768 and it works!! Just replace 800 by 1024 and 600 by 768. That should do it!
I experienced the same problem a while ago, and was jubiliant when I discovered the solution. The method, in 10 steps is as follows :
1. Goto Start -> Run
2. Type "regedit" without quotes. This is to open the registry editor.
3. you would be presented with a screen with 2 panes. The left most pane will have items such as HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,etc
4. Expand "HKEY_CURRENT_USER", then expand SOFTWARE
5. You should see a key called "Blizzard Entertainment", expand that too
6. Now expand Warcraft III then expand Video
7. We'r almost there!! You should see a series of blue colored keys on the right pane.
8. Double click on reswidth. *Click Decimal* THIS IS IMPORTANT! Then,type in 800
9. Double click on resheight. *Click Decimal* THIS IS IMPORTANT! Then,type in 600
10. We are done now! Go ahead and start the game, the resolution should be fine now. I have demonstrated with 800x600 resolution. You can try it for any resolution you want I have also tried it with 1024x768 and it works!! Just replace 800 by 1024 and 600 by 768. That should do it!
The call of convergence
Not long ago, things were fairly simple. To get a landline phone, you went to one service provider, and for a mobile phone, to another.Cable TV services were run by your neighborhood operator,and the phone service provider was your ISP. Choice was limited-if it existed at all-and there was little recourse if you were unhappy with the quality of service or the tariffs.You either put up or shut up.
Over the last few quarters, there has been a big, but largely unnoticed shift in the communications landscape. We are seeing wider availability of services from one operator, and pilot runs of new technologies.Powering this change is the use of new generation technologies that are flexible, scalable- and considerably cheaper for operator deploy.Chief among them is the Internet Protocol(IP), which all service providers have embraced since it provides a cheaper and more efficient way to move data on networks.
Using IP, a telecom network can be configured to handle telephone conversations, internet access and data transfers, video conferencing and even television-all on the same physical link. In fact, IP technology can be used to integrate wireless and wired networks and deliver advanced services to mobile phone users too. The attraction of IP to service providers is patently obvious-it eliminates the need to build multiple dedicated networks for each service, and makes the addition of new services quick. This is one reason why you see cable operators offering internet access and telephony, and telecos promising you television over the telephone line.Device and equipment manufacturers have already jumped on the convergence bandwagon. Think media center PCs, VoIP phones, home theater amps that can connect to the internet and mobile phones that can receive TV broadcasts. For consumers this technological convergence between consumer electronic products and computing devices, and between diverse communication and entertainment services is interesting.For one, it obviates the need to buy multiple specialty gadgets and gizmo's, and second, it reduces obsolescence. For every new service, you don't need a new device, just a software.
On the infrastructure front of convergence will increase competition between service providers and provide the economic incentive to craft and deliver innovative services. For instance, wouldn't you like a mobile phone that automatically switches to a landline or a WiFi network when you go home ,or enter your office-even retaining its identity? How about a video phone service at your desk? or perhaps secure payments at cinema halls with your mobile phone instead of a credit card or even cash? convergence will also enable smaller companies with good ideas bring us useful services, and perhaps even greater personalization of the services we have today.
Over the last few quarters, there has been a big, but largely unnoticed shift in the communications landscape. We are seeing wider availability of services from one operator, and pilot runs of new technologies.Powering this change is the use of new generation technologies that are flexible, scalable- and considerably cheaper for operator deploy.Chief among them is the Internet Protocol(IP), which all service providers have embraced since it provides a cheaper and more efficient way to move data on networks.
Using IP, a telecom network can be configured to handle telephone conversations, internet access and data transfers, video conferencing and even television-all on the same physical link. In fact, IP technology can be used to integrate wireless and wired networks and deliver advanced services to mobile phone users too. The attraction of IP to service providers is patently obvious-it eliminates the need to build multiple dedicated networks for each service, and makes the addition of new services quick. This is one reason why you see cable operators offering internet access and telephony, and telecos promising you television over the telephone line.Device and equipment manufacturers have already jumped on the convergence bandwagon. Think media center PCs, VoIP phones, home theater amps that can connect to the internet and mobile phones that can receive TV broadcasts. For consumers this technological convergence between consumer electronic products and computing devices, and between diverse communication and entertainment services is interesting.For one, it obviates the need to buy multiple specialty gadgets and gizmo's, and second, it reduces obsolescence. For every new service, you don't need a new device, just a software.
On the infrastructure front of convergence will increase competition between service providers and provide the economic incentive to craft and deliver innovative services. For instance, wouldn't you like a mobile phone that automatically switches to a landline or a WiFi network when you go home ,or enter your office-even retaining its identity? How about a video phone service at your desk? or perhaps secure payments at cinema halls with your mobile phone instead of a credit card or even cash? convergence will also enable smaller companies with good ideas bring us useful services, and perhaps even greater personalization of the services we have today.
04 July, 2008
List of service providers who provide servlet hosting
The Adrenaline Group maintains
a list of over 50 ISP's who host Java Servlets (http://www.adrenalinegroup.com/jwsisp.html) . Another list is at http://www.servlets.com.
- I have had "very happy experiences" with
Silicon Valley Web Hosting (http://www.svwh.net/)
for several clients. - Horus Networks - http://www.horus.ch/servlets.shtml
- (http://www.servlets.net)
is an ISP geared towards hosting servlets. - http://www.ebpcs.net
- http://www.mycgiserver.com is free (!) and does EJB too
- http://www.tricreations.com
- http://www.webappcabaret.com
- http://www.cwihosting.com (see comment below)
- http://scorpions.net/
- Rage Media
- Rimu Hosting
A few ISPs have also said that they can host Java applications:
- The Sphere (http://www.thesphere.com/)
- Centralogic (http://www.centralogic.com/)
- Electronaut (http://www.electronaut.com/)
30 June, 2008
Anonymizer
Want to surf the internet without revealing your IP address, cokies or any other information about the sites you visit? use the free anonymous browsing service on Anonymizers' home page, and it displays the page you want!
www.anonymizer.com
www.anonymizer.com
Rollyo
Rollyo is short for "roll your own search engine", which means, you can create a custom selection of search engines and topics and then share the resulting "roll" with others. The free site provides logged-in users some starter rolls of its own, as well as lists of topic targeted rolls created by celebrities and other "high rollers". You can add your Rollyo search rolls to Firefox's search engine toolbar and post your roll on your own blog or web site just by copying and pasting some HTML code.
Trend Micro HouseCall
If installing antivirus and antispyware isnt an option on your pc - or if you use the machine at an internet cafe, do yourself a favor, and visit this site. Trend Micros' software runs in your browser to scan and eliminate malware in your computer.
Panda Activescan
If your antivirus software is on the blink, dont despair. Just stop by panda softwares' site for a free system scan. You'll have to download an applet, surrender your e-mail address, and use internet explorer (or firefox with the activeX plugin, if there is one!) for the duration of the scan.Panda detects and disinfects most forms of malware and will alert you to (but not fix) spyware infestations.
Get it here :
www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
Get it here :
www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
Made in china? Bye bye logitech!
I am writing this article from my new keyboard, because the keyboard I have been using for the last 14 years had stopped working!I miss my old keyboard a lot, and the noise it used to make when I typed in glorious abandon. Anyways, the old keyboards not what this article is about. Its about the new keyboard.
I went to a couple of hardware stores today, and was fascinated at the variety of keyboards available. "Give me a keyboard thats cheap" is what I told the store guy. "Right away sir", he said, with a huge smile. I finally got my hands on my new keyboard. "How much?" I asked. "150" came the reply. 150 rupees is like $4 !I quickly opened the box, to find a fairly handsome piece of hardware in my hands.I was awestruck that such a good piece of hardwares' cost was so low. I turned over the keyboard to find the words "Made in China" written.
As soon as I saw that, I decided it must not be worth the money. So, I asked for a "branded" keyboard. "Logitech will do" I told the store keeper. I was flabberghasted to find the price of a basic keyboard was 450 rupees!! I went for the chinese model, and Im happy I saved myself the 300 rupees!
The moral of the story is that though "top brands" claim to produce quality hardware, there are many other vendors who are never noticed. These companies mainly cater to people like me, and what a bunch of happy customers we are!! Ive promised never to turn to logitech again. Oh, and did I mention?...The keyboard has a warranty of 5 years. Thats good enough for me!!
I went to a couple of hardware stores today, and was fascinated at the variety of keyboards available. "Give me a keyboard thats cheap" is what I told the store guy. "Right away sir", he said, with a huge smile. I finally got my hands on my new keyboard. "How much?" I asked. "150" came the reply. 150 rupees is like $4 !I quickly opened the box, to find a fairly handsome piece of hardware in my hands.I was awestruck that such a good piece of hardwares' cost was so low. I turned over the keyboard to find the words "Made in China" written.
As soon as I saw that, I decided it must not be worth the money. So, I asked for a "branded" keyboard. "Logitech will do" I told the store keeper. I was flabberghasted to find the price of a basic keyboard was 450 rupees!! I went for the chinese model, and Im happy I saved myself the 300 rupees!
The moral of the story is that though "top brands" claim to produce quality hardware, there are many other vendors who are never noticed. These companies mainly cater to people like me, and what a bunch of happy customers we are!! Ive promised never to turn to logitech again. Oh, and did I mention?...The keyboard has a warranty of 5 years. Thats good enough for me!!
23 June, 2008
This is Why piracy is rampant :
I have heard the DMC (Digital Millennium Copyright) act didn't get on well with the pirates of cyberspace. Piracy is rampant through out the world right now, and worse, people don't even know they are involved. People think that there are no "legitimate" softwares and that every copy of windows comes for free. Maybe in western countries such as the United States, there is an awareness and a prosecution to take care of extreme cases, but in eastern countries such as India, Malaysiya, and pakistan, there are absolutely No anti piracy laws in place. This ensures that cybercrime is limited to duping people as in siphoning off funds from others' bank accounts. Its only such activities that are considered a crime. Piracy?? hell, even government employees use pirated software/operating systems, because the government outsources the work to private companies, and they being private companies would want to save a few bucks here and there, and would install the same copy of the OS on multiple systems with the same product key. Unless its an open source OS, ( A rare case these days, cause everyone is addicted to WINDOWS) its a crime. Even crime cells use the same method.
Adding to that is the notion that being bad is actually good! Yes, its like going up to ones' girlfriend and telling her you robbed a bank, in which case she would try to get away from you as soon as possible, and report to the police and later testify against you in court or whatever. But this is different. When you tell somebody you are into software piracy, the listener actually starts looking upto you, as if you are some uber geek persona. So, there are a lot of posers out there, and some really talented programmers who are on the wrong side. Some of them that are noticeable are :
> CORE : Challenge of reverse engineering
These guys are living legends. These guys came to the scene at a time when reverse engineering was the field of uber geeks, thats not to say these guys aren't!
> Deviance
Another group which is very good at releasing cracked unreleased games! Yes, sometimes you will find a game on the pirate bay that you haven't ever heard of. You try to get a proper review of the game before downloading it, but Google doesn't seem to have a clue! You download the game, and the next month when youre watching TV, this games' trailer is being shown! WTF?!
> Dopeman
Does this guy need an introduction? If you are a regular to the bay, you'll know him!
> AxxO
An article on piracy is never complete without a mention of this guys' name. Another living legend in the movie piracy circuit.
I personally dont blame people for downloading crap off the internet, but I really do encourage them to pay for the software they use, maybe its a small amount, but developers need it to continue their work... Atleast thats MY perspective!!
Adding to that is the notion that being bad is actually good! Yes, its like going up to ones' girlfriend and telling her you robbed a bank, in which case she would try to get away from you as soon as possible, and report to the police and later testify against you in court or whatever. But this is different. When you tell somebody you are into software piracy, the listener actually starts looking upto you, as if you are some uber geek persona. So, there are a lot of posers out there, and some really talented programmers who are on the wrong side. Some of them that are noticeable are :
> CORE : Challenge of reverse engineering
These guys are living legends. These guys came to the scene at a time when reverse engineering was the field of uber geeks, thats not to say these guys aren't!
> Deviance
Another group which is very good at releasing cracked unreleased games! Yes, sometimes you will find a game on the pirate bay that you haven't ever heard of. You try to get a proper review of the game before downloading it, but Google doesn't seem to have a clue! You download the game, and the next month when youre watching TV, this games' trailer is being shown! WTF?!
> Dopeman
Does this guy need an introduction? If you are a regular to the bay, you'll know him!
> AxxO
An article on piracy is never complete without a mention of this guys' name. Another living legend in the movie piracy circuit.
I personally dont blame people for downloading crap off the internet, but I really do encourage them to pay for the software they use, maybe its a small amount, but developers need it to continue their work... Atleast thats MY perspective!!
This is Why piracy is rampant :
I have heard the DMC (Digital Millenium Copyright) act didnt get on well with the pirates of cyberspace. Piracy is rampant throught the world right now, and worse, people dont even know they are involved. People think that there are no "legitimate" softwares and that every copy of windows comes for free. Maybe in western countries such as the United States, there is an awareness and a prosecution to take care of extreme cases, but in eastern countries such as India, Malaysiya, and pakistan, there are absolutely No anti piracy laws in place. This ensures that cybercrime is limited to duping people as in siphoning off funds from others' bank accounts. Its only such activities that are considered a crime. Piracy?? hell, even government employees use pirated software/operating systems, because the government outsources the work to private companies, and they being private companies would want to save a few bucks here and there, and would install the same copy of the OS on multiple systems with the same product key. Unless its an open source OS, ( A rare case these days, cause everyone is addicted to WINDOWS) its a crime. Even crime cells use the same method.
Adding to that is the notion that being bad is actually good! Yes, its like going up to ones' girlfriend and telling her you robbed a bank, in which case she would try to get away from you as soon as possible, and report to the police and later testify against you in court or whatever. But this is different. When you tell somebody you are into software piracy, the listener actually starts looking upto you, as if you are some uber geek persona. So, there are a lot of posers out there, and some really talented programmers who are on the wrong side. Some of them that are noticable are :
> CORE : Challenge of reverse engineering
These guys are living legends. These guys came to the scene at a time when reverse engineering was the field of uber geeks, thats not to say these guys arent!
> Deviance
Another group which is very good at releasing cracked unreleased games! Yes, sometimes you will find a game on the pirate bay that you havent ever heard of. You try to get a proper review of the game before downloading it, but Google doesnt seem to have a clue! You download the game, and the next month when youre watching TV, this games' trailer is being shown! WTF?!
> Dopeman
Does this guy need an introduction? If you are a regular to the bay, you'll know him!
> AxxO
An article on piracy is never complete without a mention of this guys' name. Another living legend in the movie piracy circuit.
I personally dont blame people for downloading crap off the internet, but I really do encourage them to pay for the software they use, maybe its a small amount, but developers need it to continue their work... Atleast thats MY perspective!!
Adding to that is the notion that being bad is actually good! Yes, its like going up to ones' girlfriend and telling her you robbed a bank, in which case she would try to get away from you as soon as possible, and report to the police and later testify against you in court or whatever. But this is different. When you tell somebody you are into software piracy, the listener actually starts looking upto you, as if you are some uber geek persona. So, there are a lot of posers out there, and some really talented programmers who are on the wrong side. Some of them that are noticable are :
> CORE : Challenge of reverse engineering
These guys are living legends. These guys came to the scene at a time when reverse engineering was the field of uber geeks, thats not to say these guys arent!
> Deviance
Another group which is very good at releasing cracked unreleased games! Yes, sometimes you will find a game on the pirate bay that you havent ever heard of. You try to get a proper review of the game before downloading it, but Google doesnt seem to have a clue! You download the game, and the next month when youre watching TV, this games' trailer is being shown! WTF?!
> Dopeman
Does this guy need an introduction? If you are a regular to the bay, you'll know him!
> AxxO
An article on piracy is never complete without a mention of this guys' name. Another living legend in the movie piracy circuit.
I personally dont blame people for downloading crap off the internet, but I really do encourage them to pay for the software they use, maybe its a small amount, but developers need it to continue their work... Atleast thats MY perspective!!
Got a dial-up? Listen to internet radio
Ive got a dialup and am experiencing speeds that are right next to pathetic. Now , what do I do for entertainment? I listen to internet radio!
I had a broadband all these days, and I used to download movies, and songs during happy hours. I had a download limit of 2.5 gb per month. I recently shifted to a place where the telephone company didn't have land line connections.
I went in for a wireless telephone with a built in modem. And believe me, it was well worth the effort. For about 5.29 dollars /250 Indian rupees, I get unlimited download, and now what do I do with it? Its too slow for downloading movies, and itll probably take ages.
I hit upon this software called "boombox". Its a handy piece of software that has a listing of all major internet radio stations. There are various genres to choose from including comedy and 80's. I found the software to be very versatile. Although the software doesnt have a built in player, it can utilize your default player such as windows media player or winamp. Whats more, you can even select the bit rate to be sure you can play it with relatively fast buffering.
24 - 32 kbps radio has ought to serve the purpose.
As I do not have a download limit, this just manages to keep me entertained all day long.
One of my favorite radio stations is "Social Crime"
I had a broadband all these days, and I used to download movies, and songs during happy hours. I had a download limit of 2.5 gb per month. I recently shifted to a place where the telephone company didn't have land line connections.
I went in for a wireless telephone with a built in modem. And believe me, it was well worth the effort. For about 5.29 dollars /250 Indian rupees, I get unlimited download, and now what do I do with it? Its too slow for downloading movies, and itll probably take ages.
I hit upon this software called "boombox". Its a handy piece of software that has a listing of all major internet radio stations. There are various genres to choose from including comedy and 80's. I found the software to be very versatile. Although the software doesnt have a built in player, it can utilize your default player such as windows media player or winamp. Whats more, you can even select the bit rate to be sure you can play it with relatively fast buffering.
24 - 32 kbps radio has ought to serve the purpose.
As I do not have a download limit, this just manages to keep me entertained all day long.
One of my favorite radio stations is "Social Crime"
Im going freelance!
Finally, I found myself a means of income, that doesnt involve working for somebody, who is always breathing down your neck. Yes, Im talking about freelancing. Its the newest buzz on the internet. Maybe you should try it to supplement your income, or better yet, make it your sole means of income!
How it works :
> Firstly, you need to get yourself an account on any of the freelancing sites such as
Elance [ Pretty good, has been in the field for a while ]
workbuggy [ Extensive ! ]
freelanceswitch [ Good... ]
There are many others, that are better, but these are my favorites.
>Secondly, start trolling for projects on these sites. Generally, they offer a limited amount of "credits", or "connects" to get you started. These are the tokens that you can use to "bid" on projects. Bidding is a process wherein you, the "provider" are going to "quote" a price for a project that interests you. Make sure you quote the lowest price, so that you get the project. Once you get a hold of things, you can quote higher prices.
>Thirdly, start building projects after deciding the means of payment. And remember, the more money you spend on memberships, the better your earnings will be. The site will start listing your name in premium categories, so that customers will be able to easily get in touch with you.
It amazes me that people/companies are willing to spend upto $500 - $1000 for a simple web page project. NO dynamic pages, NO complicated flash, for just pure HTML and a couple of images, that they will provide you.
Well, Im off to freelancing, until I can find myself a suitable job. Im considering it an important career option.
How it works :
> Firstly, you need to get yourself an account on any of the freelancing sites such as
Elance [ Pretty good, has been in the field for a while ]
workbuggy [ Extensive ! ]
freelanceswitch [ Good... ]
There are many others, that are better, but these are my favorites.
>Secondly, start trolling for projects on these sites. Generally, they offer a limited amount of "credits", or "connects" to get you started. These are the tokens that you can use to "bid" on projects. Bidding is a process wherein you, the "provider" are going to "quote" a price for a project that interests you. Make sure you quote the lowest price, so that you get the project. Once you get a hold of things, you can quote higher prices.
>Thirdly, start building projects after deciding the means of payment. And remember, the more money you spend on memberships, the better your earnings will be. The site will start listing your name in premium categories, so that customers will be able to easily get in touch with you.
It amazes me that people/companies are willing to spend upto $500 - $1000 for a simple web page project. NO dynamic pages, NO complicated flash, for just pure HTML and a couple of images, that they will provide you.
Well, Im off to freelancing, until I can find myself a suitable job. Im considering it an important career option.
22 June, 2008
The hunt for a job ...
These past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me, so haven't been able to get myself to write articles for this blog.
The job offer I had got from Sapient, is almost a distant dream now, as they have "postponed" the joining dates to NEXT july! This comes as a shock to me and many of my friends who were looking to get our BE degrees and go onto join companies as software developers. Our previous batches which had got placed in other companies have been asked to go "home", thanks to the US Dollar recession.
We've been waiting at the tips of our toes to join the companies and what do the seniors tell us?..That they have been kicked out of the companies for no reason whatsoever. The companies are quick to ascertain that their companies arent the only ones doing it... Its like the whole industry has come crashing down!
I got a call 2 weeks earlier from Sapient informing me of this "unfortunate" situation. I asked the HR person to honestly tell me whether or not I would really get a job as promised by them. She said in a confident manner that my employment with them was valid for life, unless I was caught for bad behavior, or ill performance, both of which cannot occur since I havent yet joined their company!
Weeks, After getting a satisfactory answer from them, I got a letter which said, all the things I mentioned above, and went on to drop a bomb at the end :
"......
But your employment with Sapient cannot be guaranteed. Thank you. ..."
Now, I have decided to bring into action my contingency plans. I had almost completed a GNIIT course which guaranteed me a developers job. It was a 3 year course and Ive already completed the 2 years. The third year is supposed to be an industry orientation, in which we'll be sent to a company for onsite projects, and if lady luck shines, we'll get placed in the same company. Im just waiting for my degree, after which I can do this...The results ought to come out by the next month...
The job offer I had got from Sapient, is almost a distant dream now, as they have "postponed" the joining dates to NEXT july! This comes as a shock to me and many of my friends who were looking to get our BE degrees and go onto join companies as software developers. Our previous batches which had got placed in other companies have been asked to go "home", thanks to the US Dollar recession.
We've been waiting at the tips of our toes to join the companies and what do the seniors tell us?..That they have been kicked out of the companies for no reason whatsoever. The companies are quick to ascertain that their companies arent the only ones doing it... Its like the whole industry has come crashing down!
I got a call 2 weeks earlier from Sapient informing me of this "unfortunate" situation. I asked the HR person to honestly tell me whether or not I would really get a job as promised by them. She said in a confident manner that my employment with them was valid for life, unless I was caught for bad behavior, or ill performance, both of which cannot occur since I havent yet joined their company!
Weeks, After getting a satisfactory answer from them, I got a letter which said, all the things I mentioned above, and went on to drop a bomb at the end :
"......
But your employment with Sapient cannot be guaranteed. Thank you. ..."
Now, I have decided to bring into action my contingency plans. I had almost completed a GNIIT course which guaranteed me a developers job. It was a 3 year course and Ive already completed the 2 years. The third year is supposed to be an industry orientation, in which we'll be sent to a company for onsite projects, and if lady luck shines, we'll get placed in the same company. Im just waiting for my degree, after which I can do this...The results ought to come out by the next month...
09 June, 2008
How to Move from Windows to Linux
- Choose a Linux Distro. Research is key.
Look into what distribution of GNU/Linux would be best for you.
Everyone is different, and all Linux distributions are different,
but there will probably be one (or two) that appeals to the most.
If you're new to the operating system, it's probably best to go for
something PCLinuxOS,
Mandriva or Ubuntu - these
distributions of Linux are aimed at inexperienced users and will
help you along the way. The Ubuntu distribution will send you a set
of CDs free of charge, there are other sites on the internet which
charge a small fee for postage. - Try the "Live CD" versions first, assuming your computer will
boot from the CD drive; most will. Most distributions offer Live CD
ISOs on their website, which you can burn to CD. A Live CD means
that Linux will run entirely from a CD and will not touch your
Windows installation - this allows you to test out some of the
functionality Linux offers without wiping your existing Windows
install. - Use Linux applications that have been ported over to Windows.
Fine example are Inkscape and the
GIMP. Using these will get you used to the kind of applications
available on Linux (Although there is a school of thought to the
effect that the GIMP is a bad piece of software). Using open source
applications will be a real boost when you actually switch over, as
it will be relatively painless for, say, an XChat user to use XChat
on his new system, rather than a mIRC (Or other Windows-only IRC client) user having
to learn an entirely new program. - Back up your important data before you do anything else. If you
make a mistake while installing Linux, it's possible you'll have to
format your hard drive to put things right. In which case, you will
lose all data on it. It is very important you back up if you need
to. - Get hold of a Linux install CD - when you boot from this, it
will take you through the steps required to install Linux. Some
distributions, like Ubuntu, actually install from the Live CD, so
you do not need to download an additional CD image. - Partition your hard drive into two partitions, one containing
your existing Windows install, the other containing the Linux
installation. Under Windows, this can be easily done with various
partitioning tools (Partition Magic, Paragon Partition Manager and
others) preserving both Windows installation and existing data.
Note that Windows Vista comes with a partition tool. - Choose which operating system to boot into when once the Linux
installation has finished. This is called dual-booting. It is wise
to do this before completely converting to Linux to give you
something to fall back on if something goes wrong. - Get comfortable with Linux. As time goes on you will find you
need to boot into Windows less and less. Using Linux is a learning
experience, make sure you make the most of the "community" help
which is available from most distributions of Linux. There is
usually a wide community which you can ask questions and there will
be people more than willing to help you out with any problems
you've got. Make sure you use Google and the "search" functions on
community websites because people may get irate at answering the
same questions all the time in forums and on irc. Visit your
distribution's support page or FAQ. - Wipe your Windows partition (devote your entire hard disk to
Linux) once you're comfortable with Linux. You'll probably never
look back!
01 June, 2008
Ever dreamt of becoming a graffiti artist?
Did you ever felt within yourself when you saw some graffiti, the
desire to spray one by yourself? But you don’t want to spray something
at other people buildings, or you don’t have the money to do so. Or you
even want to stop to do it, then here is the website for you.
The Website Vandalsquad.com
I just found today this cool website, VandalSquad
,by accident. It have been around quite awhile, since 2002 to be
correct. On their website you have the possibility to spray graffiti.
The site is made like a Blacklist of Graffiti sprayers which are
searched by the LRPD, you can view at their website also 2 million
graffiti(as they tell) created by other sprayers, the graffiti can also
be voted. The more popular you’re the more you’re searched…
Spray the hell out of yours
You have two possibilities to spray, the first one is online and the
other one is as application which you have to download before.
Spraying Online
The online Graffiti spraying somehow didn’t work, but as much as I
have read it should be the same as the download version, just with one
limitation that you don’t have that much graffiti backgrounds.
Spraying Offline
After you downloaded and installed the Software, you can start
spraying. You have just one graffiti Background, which should be enough
for the beginning to see if you like to spray graffiti. If you want to
make more graffiti after the first one you can go online and grab
around 20 different surfaces for it. Most of them shows trains or
buses, but you have also a helicopter, tank, and a so called wallman
available for download.
You can have the choice out of around 50 colors, which can be
sprayed in different thickness as well as distance. And you can use a
pen to make more filigree jobs. If you sprayed something wrong, that’s
not worse you can simply undo it.
At any time you can preview your work to see how it will look as a
whole, as most graffiti Surfaces are too big to fit in as whole.
When you’re finish with your work you can Save it, which will just keep
it local on your hard drive but not as jpg or so. It’s stored within
the surface file or so in some format you can’t use. You also have the
possibility to upload your graffiti it to vandalsquad.com so other
sprayer can view your masterpiece, and maybe you get the most wanted
graffiti sprayer once?
BOOMBox rocks!!
I got my hands on the BOOMBox software today. Im stuck with a dialup connection, and felt I had a broadband when presented with what BOOMBox had to offer!! Man...This thing ROCKS!!! Take it from me...I dont give that rating just to any software I come across.
Though, the software doesnt have a bundled player, it does a good job of indexing various radio stations throughout the internet. Whats more? It allows you to search according to the genre you're interested in!
It indexed radio stations that winamp, and real player missed out on!.This is the real deal.
Check their site here.
Iam recommending this software to all my friends and to you! Until the next article, chao!
Though, the software doesnt have a bundled player, it does a good job of indexing various radio stations throughout the internet. Whats more? It allows you to search according to the genre you're interested in!
It indexed radio stations that winamp, and real player missed out on!.This is the real deal.
Check their site here.
Iam recommending this software to all my friends and to you! Until the next article, chao!
