Microsoft licenses new way to make friends
watch out Orkut (and Google) ... MS is waking up.
but when will these guys finally put up Vista? Very dismal performance MS... hope the code being written is worth all this wait.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
VP Singh backs reservation in IITs, IIMs
[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 08:35:00 pmPTI ]
"Those forces which opposed the Mandal report are now propagating it. I am happy that they are supporting it", he said while addressing a well attended gathering of All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) convention organised to demand reservation in private sector.
Reservation was not a new concept in the country and had been in existence for thousands of years, Singh, who had implemented the Mandal Commission report facing a stiff opposition particularly in the Hindi belt, when he was the Prime Minister, said.
"I kicked the football. Though I broke my leg, I scored the goal," he said recalling the resistance his government had faced over the Mandal commission report.
"Those forces which opposed the Mandal report are now propagating it. I am happy that they are supporting it", he said while addressing a well attended gathering of All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) convention organised to demand reservation in private sector.
Reservation was not a new concept in the country and had been in existence for thousands of years, Singh, who had implemented the Mandal Commission report facing a stiff opposition particularly in the Hindi belt, when he was the Prime Minister, said.
"I kicked the football. Though I broke my leg, I scored the goal," he said recalling the resistance his government had faced over the Mandal commission report.
Scott resigns...
Saw this today:
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/04/24/ap2693485.html
Scott McNealy was one of my favourite tech giants. did well for Sun, for a long time. Have read some Blog entries from Jonathan Schwartz. former COO and chairman and now the CEO too. Don't have the required knowledge to compare the too but still, Scott had something that made him stand in the league of Steve Jobs, Bill gates and Larry Ellison. Dont know about Jonathan.
And what is James Gosling doing these days. Guess he is mostly busy with his blog now a 
Read this article from today's timesofindia (25th Apr 2006). My additions within << >>
‘Caste system has become subtle and sophisticated’
Former principal advisor and chief economist with the RBI, and author of Untouchables, Narendra Jadhav, now senior advisor to the governor, Da Afghanistan Bank, discusses reservations with Jyoti Punwani:
Will reservations for OBCs lower IIT/IIM standards?
No. Contrary to popular castebased pride, intelligence is not distributed according to castes. If the system were fair, for every caste, job opportunities would have been broadly in proportion to its share in the population. That could not happen because of the hierarchical nature of the caste system. Some castes got a disproportionately large share of opportunities even when many individuals therein did not have the necessary talents. On the other hand, a vast majority of SC/ST/OBCs were confined to degrading tasks, irrespective of their talents. In fact, the demand for continuation of reservations could also be seen as resistance by the so-called high-borns to give up the ‘reservations’ they have enjoyed unimpeded for centuries. For example, can a Dalit with even a PhD in theology and Sanskrit aspire to become a Shankaracharya? Aren’t these jobs reserved for a particular caste? I haven’t ever heard the proponents of so-called meritocracy question these privileges.
<<>>
Do caste-based reservations go against globalisation?
No. Our country was an economic superpower 2,000 years ago. According to American scholar Maddison, in the year zero when the Gregorian calendar began, India’s share in global production was 30 per cent. By 1991, it had declined to a little over one per cent. Can we blame the British alone for this? No country can sustain its growth momentum over centuries if only a small strata of society has access to education. Now, the Indian economy is re-emerging. Our dream to become an economic powerhouse can be realised only if all Indians get an equal opportunity to realise their own potential. Given the highly asymmetric pattern of opportunities we have inherited, this would necessarily involve giving SC/ST/OBCs a helping hand so that they can compete with others. Reservations are needed because of the innate inability of Indian society to be just and fair by itself to all its constituents.
<< ...so that they can compete with others ... - Mr. Jadhav, Where have you talked about competition. If you are favouring reservation, you are indirectly (and may be purposefully) avoiding any possibility of competition. A person from reserved class should get an easier entrance to professional institute. Then he should get easier job opportunity in govt. and if the govt. has its way, in private sector too. Then he should be preferred for promotions too. So what exactly is this reservation scheme doing to competition. Strangulating should be the word, I guess. >>
Is there need for corrective action in our reservation policy? Yes. The caste system today may not be as crude and blunt as it used to be. In fact, it has now become subtle and sophisticated. It now resides in the mindset of the people. In this subtle form it is even more pernicious. There is therefore an imperative need for mass education. There also is need for more effective implementation of the existing reservation policies. Investment in human capital has a very high social rate of return.
<<>>
‘Caste system has become subtle and sophisticated’
Former principal advisor and chief economist with the RBI, and author of Untouchables, Narendra Jadhav, now senior advisor to the governor, Da Afghanistan Bank, discusses reservations with Jyoti Punwani:
Will reservations for OBCs lower IIT/IIM standards?
No. Contrary to popular castebased pride, intelligence is not distributed according to castes. If the system were fair, for every caste, job opportunities would have been broadly in proportion to its share in the population. That could not happen because of the hierarchical nature of the caste system. Some castes got a disproportionately large share of opportunities even when many individuals therein did not have the necessary talents. On the other hand, a vast majority of SC/ST/OBCs were confined to degrading tasks, irrespective of their talents. In fact, the demand for continuation of reservations could also be seen as resistance by the so-called high-borns to give up the ‘reservations’ they have enjoyed unimpeded for centuries. For example, can a Dalit with even a PhD in theology and Sanskrit aspire to become a Shankaracharya? Aren’t these jobs reserved for a particular caste? I haven’t ever heard the proponents of so-called meritocracy question these privileges.
<<>>
Do caste-based reservations go against globalisation?
No. Our country was an economic superpower 2,000 years ago. According to American scholar Maddison, in the year zero when the Gregorian calendar began, India’s share in global production was 30 per cent. By 1991, it had declined to a little over one per cent. Can we blame the British alone for this? No country can sustain its growth momentum over centuries if only a small strata of society has access to education. Now, the Indian economy is re-emerging. Our dream to become an economic powerhouse can be realised only if all Indians get an equal opportunity to realise their own potential. Given the highly asymmetric pattern of opportunities we have inherited, this would necessarily involve giving SC/ST/OBCs a helping hand so that they can compete with others. Reservations are needed because of the innate inability of Indian society to be just and fair by itself to all its constituents.
<< ...so that they can compete with others ... - Mr. Jadhav, Where have you talked about competition. If you are favouring reservation, you are indirectly (and may be purposefully) avoiding any possibility of competition. A person from reserved class should get an easier entrance to professional institute. Then he should get easier job opportunity in govt. and if the govt. has its way, in private sector too. Then he should be preferred for promotions too. So what exactly is this reservation scheme doing to competition. Strangulating should be the word, I guess. >>
Is there need for corrective action in our reservation policy? Yes. The caste system today may not be as crude and blunt as it used to be. In fact, it has now become subtle and sophisticated. It now resides in the mindset of the people. In this subtle form it is even more pernicious. There is therefore an imperative need for mass education. There also is need for more effective implementation of the existing reservation policies. Investment in human capital has a very high social rate of return.
<<>>
http://o3.indiatimes.com/Letter_from_an_OBC
A plea from a guy from OBC who stands up against the current structure of quotas. Comments can be ignored as the mob can never be controlled.
Monday, April 24, 2006
"a lesser evil" : BULLSh!t
Read This - Vatican 'may relax condom rules'
Haven't read something more shitty than this. Here is a group of people, who think its there duty to decide for some billion people on this earth.
Why do people associate India with all the evil-practices, superstitions and human-rights defaulter. How is the west different from us? Isn't the Vatican imposing its ridiculous judgments of all those who call themselves Christians. Wasn't it the Vatican that opposed 'modern thinking' as propagated by Galileo, Copernicus, Newton and many others.
So why do people say that in India women are still tortured, people discriminate on the basis of castes and creed and various other types of shit? Was the western world never plagued by such ailments?
In Europe, basically in Britain, women were burnt on grounds of being witches. There head were chopped off for minor 'symptoms' of witchcraft and that was the punishment which caused minimum pain. There were many others that are difficult to put into words as the writers soul will start crying before completing any such description. All this was done, as orders from the God, relayed through a priest. AAAAAAhhhh ...
Are there absolutely no differences in USA, between natives and whites, Afro-Americans, Spanish or Mexicans?
And when the world is at the verge of explosion under the weight of human beings, Vatican stands up and says "Using condoms is against Christianity". The only purpose of sex is to bear children as they are God's messengers. And other truck load of crap...
Good work dear agents of God. Kindly try thinking in a more rationalized way.
Haven't read something more shitty than this. Here is a group of people, who think its there duty to decide for some billion people on this earth.
Why do people associate India with all the evil-practices, superstitions and human-rights defaulter. How is the west different from us? Isn't the Vatican imposing its ridiculous judgments of all those who call themselves Christians. Wasn't it the Vatican that opposed 'modern thinking' as propagated by Galileo, Copernicus, Newton and many others.
So why do people say that in India women are still tortured, people discriminate on the basis of castes and creed and various other types of shit? Was the western world never plagued by such ailments?
In Europe, basically in Britain, women were burnt on grounds of being witches. There head were chopped off for minor 'symptoms' of witchcraft and that was the punishment which caused minimum pain. There were many others that are difficult to put into words as the writers soul will start crying before completing any such description. All this was done, as orders from the God, relayed through a priest. AAAAAAhhhh ...
Are there absolutely no differences in USA, between natives and whites, Afro-Americans, Spanish or Mexicans?
And when the world is at the verge of explosion under the weight of human beings, Vatican stands up and says "Using condoms is against Christianity". The only purpose of sex is to bear children as they are God's messengers. And other truck load of crap...
Good work dear agents of God. Kindly try thinking in a more rationalized way.
wrote a comment to an article on The Hindu. Thought it should appear here too. it follows:
..................................................................................
I sincerely hope that the voices being raised by the financial institutions and the likes of Rahul Bajaj and all do make an impact in the seemingly deaf ears (and corrupted brains) of our policy makers.
If the two reservations rules, for public educational institutes and private companies, are actually implemented, India might witness the worst brain drain, economic regression and ultimately, public resentment of its history after independence.
Today we happen to stand at a point where there is a chance for us to become a major player at the world level. Any reservation act will force the outer world to think twice before recruiting people from India or handling over job/assignments to Indian companies.
All the hardwork of people who have dedicated their lives in creating a name of the so-called 'Brand India' is at stake.
Unfortunately, the situation seems quite gloomy with none of the political parties coming out against these ridiculous rules. VOTE-BANK Politics... the cause of doom for India.
May God help us all.
If the two reservations rules, for public educational institutes and private companies, are actually implemented, India might witness the worst brain drain, economic regression and ultimately, public resentment of its history after independence.
Today we happen to stand at a point where there is a chance for us to become a major player at the world level. Any reservation act will force the outer world to think twice before recruiting people from India or handling over job/assignments to Indian companies.
All the hardwork of people who have dedicated their lives in creating a name of the so-called 'Brand India' is at stake.
Unfortunately, the situation seems quite gloomy with none of the political parties coming out against these ridiculous rules. VOTE-BANK Politics... the cause of doom for India.
May God help us all.
RFID ... lets see.
Now this is from wired. Shows the immense potential that lies in this field. Coincidently, I've just started exploring this field. Appealed to me, therefore.
RFID 'Til the Cows Come Home
The See Also section contains the following links too:
RFID: Sign of the (End) Times?
Fatal Flaw Weakens RFID Passports
Spychips Sees an RFID Conspiracy
RFID 'Til the Cows Come Home
The See Also section contains the following links too:
now a story that is worth storing in this record. Few of my closest friends appear in this news that found place in Business Standard. The link is:
http://www.businessstandard.com/search/storypage_new.php?leftnm=lmnu9&leftindx=9&lselect=&autono=223225
But why shouldn't I simply copy it from the site itself and store it here forever... so here it is-
Microsoft selects Gujarat students for contest
Our Regional Bureau / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad April 21, 2006
During the Microsoft's Imagine Cup 2006 under the theme 'IT towards Health Care', three teams from Gujarat based institutes were picked up for the national contest to be held in Bangalore on April 24.
Of them, two teams are from Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT), Gandhinagar and one is from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat. All the selected students belong to TY B.tech and are between 19 to 21 years of age.
A team comprising of Parag Kulkarni, Tanushree Jindal and Vasudhara Kantroo, lead by Himanshu Pokhariya, all from DAIICT, designed 'The Navigator', a solution to support people with Cerebral Palsy.
"This will help patients navigate a computer and browse the web easily without having to resort to the use of specially designed hardware or special software or websites," said Pokhariya.
"Out of every 1,000 children, about two to four are born with Cerebral Palsy. We have designed such a remote control, with a combination of software and hardware, which works on the basis of sound produced by the patient," said Pokhariya adding that the patient would also be able to operate home appliances with the remote control.
"The cost of the device is less than Rs 3,000 apart from the cost of a standard PC," he added.
Similarly, the second team of Deepak Jagdish, Mohit Gupta, Shreyas Nangia and Rahul Sawhney from DAIICT are working on a solution called Sonique. "This solution aims to enable visually impaired people to achieve high quality access of day-to-day navigation scenarios and techniques," said Jagdish.
"Sonique will give them the ability to move around easily and in the process revolutionise their sense of mobility. The impact of the solution would be such that blind people can break the barriers of their restricted environment and attain total freedom of navigation," he added.
According to Mohit Gupta, they have made a prototype of Sonique which consists ultrasonic sensors connected to a pocket PC or PDA. "These sensors send and receive ultrasonic waves of the object and transfer it into micro controllers for processing," said Gupta. The output of the device will be the sounds processed in micro controllers through which a blind man would be able to virtually visualise the object at the maximum distance of five metre, he added.
The third team from SVNIT, opted out from the competition as the dates clashed with their final exams. "Our idea was to create a racing game where players across the globe could participate physically, intellectually or morally from one city to another," said Urvang Joshi, the team leader.
Sheela Gulati, director of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft India, said, "Imagine Cup is an annual contest held by Microsoft to help students from across the world to showcase their software development skills. The winners from the National Finals, will compete at the world championships in Agra, in August 2006 for cash prizes of $25,000."
She further said this is for first time that the international competition will take place in Agra where students of more than 181 countries will participate.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the moment, these guys are figting it out in Banglore. Its there D day, they had been preparing for which like crazy. No food, no sleep, no leisure (at least for some of them). Past 15-20 days were spent by them endlessly working on their projects. This extremely high degree of devotion was in itself very motivation to witness. I don't really think that people in IT industry ever work that hard once in the industry. These guys almost killed themselves.
Few slept for like 8-10 hours a week (yes, a week). A guy was spitting blood and still considered it normal. Another one got an asthmatic attack, of the worst possible type. This complete journey has been full of such incidents and memoirs...
And even after they come back, there will be no time to rest as we have our finals coming up from 4th of May.
Wish you guys all the very best and a good night sleep.
http://www.businessstandard.com/search/storypage_new.php?leftnm=lmnu9&leftindx=9&lselect=&autono=223225
But why shouldn't I simply copy it from the site itself and store it here forever... so here it is-
Microsoft selects Gujarat students for contest
Our Regional Bureau / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad April 21, 2006
During the Microsoft's Imagine Cup 2006 under the theme 'IT towards Health Care', three teams from Gujarat based institutes were picked up for the national contest to be held in Bangalore on April 24.
Of them, two teams are from Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT), Gandhinagar and one is from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat. All the selected students belong to TY B.tech and are between 19 to 21 years of age.
A team comprising of Parag Kulkarni, Tanushree Jindal and Vasudhara Kantroo, lead by Himanshu Pokhariya, all from DAIICT, designed 'The Navigator', a solution to support people with Cerebral Palsy.
"This will help patients navigate a computer and browse the web easily without having to resort to the use of specially designed hardware or special software or websites," said Pokhariya.
"Out of every 1,000 children, about two to four are born with Cerebral Palsy. We have designed such a remote control, with a combination of software and hardware, which works on the basis of sound produced by the patient," said Pokhariya adding that the patient would also be able to operate home appliances with the remote control.
"The cost of the device is less than Rs 3,000 apart from the cost of a standard PC," he added.
Similarly, the second team of Deepak Jagdish, Mohit Gupta, Shreyas Nangia and Rahul Sawhney from DAIICT are working on a solution called Sonique. "This solution aims to enable visually impaired people to achieve high quality access of day-to-day navigation scenarios and techniques," said Jagdish.
"Sonique will give them the ability to move around easily and in the process revolutionise their sense of mobility. The impact of the solution would be such that blind people can break the barriers of their restricted environment and attain total freedom of navigation," he added.
According to Mohit Gupta, they have made a prototype of Sonique which consists ultrasonic sensors connected to a pocket PC or PDA. "These sensors send and receive ultrasonic waves of the object and transfer it into micro controllers for processing," said Gupta. The output of the device will be the sounds processed in micro controllers through which a blind man would be able to virtually visualise the object at the maximum distance of five metre, he added.
The third team from SVNIT, opted out from the competition as the dates clashed with their final exams. "Our idea was to create a racing game where players across the globe could participate physically, intellectually or morally from one city to another," said Urvang Joshi, the team leader.
Sheela Gulati, director of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft India, said, "Imagine Cup is an annual contest held by Microsoft to help students from across the world to showcase their software development skills. The winners from the National Finals, will compete at the world championships in Agra, in August 2006 for cash prizes of $25,000."
She further said this is for first time that the international competition will take place in Agra where students of more than 181 countries will participate.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the moment, these guys are figting it out in Banglore. Its there D day, they had been preparing for which like crazy. No food, no sleep, no leisure (at least for some of them). Past 15-20 days were spent by them endlessly working on their projects. This extremely high degree of devotion was in itself very motivation to witness. I don't really think that people in IT industry ever work that hard once in the industry. These guys almost killed themselves.
Few slept for like 8-10 hours a week (yes, a week). A guy was spitting blood and still considered it normal. Another one got an asthmatic attack, of the worst possible type. This complete journey has been full of such incidents and memoirs...
And even after they come back, there will be no time to rest as we have our finals coming up from 4th of May.
Wish you guys all the very best and a good night sleep.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Introduction ... what else?
Well, I don't actually know what is a blog for and why should I be doing this. So don't expect something special here.
I'm gonna use this space just to store different links... links to news that I feel should be read by others... news that has the potential to change something somewhere in some significant way.
Nothing else... nothing more...
I'm gonna use this space just to store different links... links to news that I feel should be read by others... news that has the potential to change something somewhere in some significant way.
Nothing else... nothing more...
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