The wired features a very interesting article today: Tweet the new size of thought?.
Twitters success has been a much debated topic in the tech circles. And I am yet to see a convincing argument in favour ot twitter. The way we have kept in touch with our friends and family has seen dramatic changes in the last decade.
From email to chatting to social networks to micro blogging. Yet what is it that twitter has that none of the above can offer?
The thought that a twit could be the new size of thought is at the same time a very scary thought indeed. The pessimists would view this as the beginning of the end of coherent thought. And they would seem right, if you were to look at the seemingly pointless twits that people seem to be sending. However there is an opportunity here.
Historically all our published works have been coherent sets of thoughts that have concluded something based on a lot of serious thinking. However, what about all those incomplete thoughts that do not get published or discussed as they have not been taken to a logical conclusion? Are they lost for ever?
What if these could be taken to completion by someone else? This is what twitter has the potential to do.
The silliest of ideas that would normally not be talked about could become serious discussions on twitter.
However will it go down that path? Will twitter result in the next great invention? I guess only time will tell. But we are ready to capture every thought that occurs to people. Go send that twit out people!!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Its time for IT IN India...
For long this country has earned its name for the high quality IT Services delivered FROM its shores. Its time some of these are delivered IN its shores now.
The global recession has expectedly had its impact on the Indian IT Services industry as well. With the IT Budgets being slashed across the US and Europe, the industry is looking to reinvent itself.
The huge IT Talent pool in the country needs to continue to be productive. What better time than now to deploy this talent pool to develop a NATIONAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE.
Its time we think about Centralized Identities to track citizens. i.e linking licenses, PAN Cards, Bank Accounts, Property documents, Insurance etc to a single identity.
The absence of this ability to track has been the root cause for most of the problems our country faces today. The basic premise that one can get away easily, even if one does not follow a rule, even if it is the smallest or most insignificant like parking in a No Parking Zone, has given us a Freedom thats more akin to what animals experience in the wild.
It is not that we lack discipline. Its just that when we defined "Freedom" for ourselves in this country, we seemed to have forgotten the duties to our fellow citizens that this freedom demands. For 60 years now we have experienced "Freedom" in the truest and wildest sense of the word.
This can change if every action has a consequence, even if it is minimal. And this is not rocket science, it has been done elsewhere. Yes, we do have challenges in terms of scale of implementation and we have to keep this in mind when try to solve this problem.
National Identity Cards with chips in it that store everything from one's DNA are probably not the best solutions for us. Is it feasible to deploy such a solution to a billion people?
What we need is a simple, clean solution. For example, Assign a number to every citizen and make sure that number is mandated on every legal document like a license, property, bank account, PAN Number or insurance.
This solution, in whatever form, if scalable, will be an investment whose ROI can be boundless.
The global recession has expectedly had its impact on the Indian IT Services industry as well. With the IT Budgets being slashed across the US and Europe, the industry is looking to reinvent itself.
The huge IT Talent pool in the country needs to continue to be productive. What better time than now to deploy this talent pool to develop a NATIONAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE.
Its time we think about Centralized Identities to track citizens. i.e linking licenses, PAN Cards, Bank Accounts, Property documents, Insurance etc to a single identity.
The absence of this ability to track has been the root cause for most of the problems our country faces today. The basic premise that one can get away easily, even if one does not follow a rule, even if it is the smallest or most insignificant like parking in a No Parking Zone, has given us a Freedom thats more akin to what animals experience in the wild.
It is not that we lack discipline. Its just that when we defined "Freedom" for ourselves in this country, we seemed to have forgotten the duties to our fellow citizens that this freedom demands. For 60 years now we have experienced "Freedom" in the truest and wildest sense of the word.
This can change if every action has a consequence, even if it is minimal. And this is not rocket science, it has been done elsewhere. Yes, we do have challenges in terms of scale of implementation and we have to keep this in mind when try to solve this problem.
National Identity Cards with chips in it that store everything from one's DNA are probably not the best solutions for us. Is it feasible to deploy such a solution to a billion people?
What we need is a simple, clean solution. For example, Assign a number to every citizen and make sure that number is mandated on every legal document like a license, property, bank account, PAN Number or insurance.
This solution, in whatever form, if scalable, will be an investment whose ROI can be boundless.
The Bangalore Buzz...
My association with Bangalore dates back to the early 1980's, a quaint lazy little city, a pensioner's paradise. For the futcha's in Bangalore, you may be wondering if I am talking about our Bangalore.
Indeed the city has exploded in the last 10 years. This unprecedented growth coupled with our city planner's myopic vision and bureaucracy have brought the city down to its knees.
This city is still capable of attracting millions of visitors, immigrants and businessmen, with its delectable mix of great weather, great cultural mix and snazzy new businesses, offering something that meets every taste.
However, this may not be for too long. The effects of this growth are beginning to show. And unless we take this seriously, it will not be too long before the damage becomes irreparable.
Over the last 10 years there has been a lot of clamour from the media, the public, social welfare groups and the government about improving bangalore. Sadly though these voices dont seem to be complementing each other. Worse still, they seem to be detrimental to the overall growth of the city. There needs to be a holistic approach to city planning. Yes, there will be many issues and concerns and all steps taken will not benefit everybody, but so long as we make progress we have to push for these initiatives.
For example, we need infrastructure. There is no doubt about that. Now this will not come without losing some green cover. But at the same time, we need to make sure that we are compensating this loss with adequate planning for green cover going forward.
The challenges are immense on all fronts : education, public health, transportation, infrastructure, public amenities and even basics like water and electricity.
And we do not have a bottomless exchequer either. So this demands proper prioritization and planning so that our money is not wasted. We are not a rich nation like the united states. But we can still afford to leave our street lights on during the day time, while the Americans cannot do it still.
Its time we mend our ways. We, the citizens, the government, the bureaucrats, NGO's need to pull up our socks and back each other up to deliver.
Indeed the city has exploded in the last 10 years. This unprecedented growth coupled with our city planner's myopic vision and bureaucracy have brought the city down to its knees.
This city is still capable of attracting millions of visitors, immigrants and businessmen, with its delectable mix of great weather, great cultural mix and snazzy new businesses, offering something that meets every taste.
However, this may not be for too long. The effects of this growth are beginning to show. And unless we take this seriously, it will not be too long before the damage becomes irreparable.
Over the last 10 years there has been a lot of clamour from the media, the public, social welfare groups and the government about improving bangalore. Sadly though these voices dont seem to be complementing each other. Worse still, they seem to be detrimental to the overall growth of the city. There needs to be a holistic approach to city planning. Yes, there will be many issues and concerns and all steps taken will not benefit everybody, but so long as we make progress we have to push for these initiatives.
For example, we need infrastructure. There is no doubt about that. Now this will not come without losing some green cover. But at the same time, we need to make sure that we are compensating this loss with adequate planning for green cover going forward.
The challenges are immense on all fronts : education, public health, transportation, infrastructure, public amenities and even basics like water and electricity.
And we do not have a bottomless exchequer either. So this demands proper prioritization and planning so that our money is not wasted. We are not a rich nation like the united states. But we can still afford to leave our street lights on during the day time, while the Americans cannot do it still.
Its time we mend our ways. We, the citizens, the government, the bureaucrats, NGO's need to pull up our socks and back each other up to deliver.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Sea World - Orlando
Saturday Morning saw us heading towards Orlando, with tickets to the Sea World. Its a 2 Hour drive from jacksonville to Orlando. Florida can be so lush green that we were left wondering if this wasnt "Gods own Country!!".
Though this was my second trip to the Sea World, I still found it every bit as exciting as the first time. Its amazing to see how the trainers bond with the animals. Its evident that its not just a job for them, its a passion and a love for these animals that goes well beyond the calls of duty. And this is what makes these shows so special. Its simply a must visit place for anyone, kids especially.
We did see quite a few unexpected animals as well, a manatee - closest relative of an elephant apparently, an ant eater, a lemur , a koala, a kangaroo, a camel!!, foxes and cheetah's to name a few.
And ofcourse Shamu, sea lions and the dolphins. A fun day overall.
And do you know why Flamingo's are pink?
he he.. cos they eat shrimps.
Though this was my second trip to the Sea World, I still found it every bit as exciting as the first time. Its amazing to see how the trainers bond with the animals. Its evident that its not just a job for them, its a passion and a love for these animals that goes well beyond the calls of duty. And this is what makes these shows so special. Its simply a must visit place for anyone, kids especially.
We did see quite a few unexpected animals as well, a manatee - closest relative of an elephant apparently, an ant eater, a lemur , a koala, a kangaroo, a camel!!, foxes and cheetah's to name a few.
And ofcourse Shamu, sea lions and the dolphins. A fun day overall.
And do you know why Flamingo's are pink?
he he.. cos they eat shrimps.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It happens only in India 2
Its a rat race out here. And you are a part of it whether you want to accept it or not.
If you are a small electronics shop owner by the street, with no big brand backing you, you'd probably relate to this incident. But it simply left me speechless.
I walk into a store marked Nokia Priority Dealer, to replace my almost dead phone batteries. The man at the counter certainly knew his business and one look at my phone and he says "Battery badalna padega!!", confirming my suspicion. The Original Nokia battery replacement would come to Rs 750 he said. So then i asked for the cheapest, most basic handset that i could get and apparently i could get handsets for nearly Rs 1200.
Following my line of thought, the man said "Saab yeh handset kaafi accha hai! Aap Battery badal lo". I could get local batteries that would do the job, just for Rs 200, he said. He also went on to point me to the shop next door, where i could get the local batteries.
Thanking him for his help, I proceeded to the shop next door to see if that indeed was an option. A boy sat at the counter, and once i explained my problem to him, he said he'll be right back. A few minutes later, the man from the first store (the Nokia priority dealer, who had redirected me here) walked in. In one swift motion he slid across the counter. Without batting an eyelid, in the most solemn tone asked me "kya Problem hai sir". I was speechless. He did not even pretend that he had seen me a few minutes earlier. In his now familiar solemn voice, he went to explain that i needed a battery replacement!!.
Well!! You have to do what you have to do to survive. But this was the best i have seen. Certainly an "it happens only in india moment!!"
If you are a small electronics shop owner by the street, with no big brand backing you, you'd probably relate to this incident. But it simply left me speechless.
I walk into a store marked Nokia Priority Dealer, to replace my almost dead phone batteries. The man at the counter certainly knew his business and one look at my phone and he says "Battery badalna padega!!", confirming my suspicion. The Original Nokia battery replacement would come to Rs 750 he said. So then i asked for the cheapest, most basic handset that i could get and apparently i could get handsets for nearly Rs 1200.
Following my line of thought, the man said "Saab yeh handset kaafi accha hai! Aap Battery badal lo". I could get local batteries that would do the job, just for Rs 200, he said. He also went on to point me to the shop next door, where i could get the local batteries.
Thanking him for his help, I proceeded to the shop next door to see if that indeed was an option. A boy sat at the counter, and once i explained my problem to him, he said he'll be right back. A few minutes later, the man from the first store (the Nokia priority dealer, who had redirected me here) walked in. In one swift motion he slid across the counter. Without batting an eyelid, in the most solemn tone asked me "kya Problem hai sir". I was speechless. He did not even pretend that he had seen me a few minutes earlier. In his now familiar solemn voice, he went to explain that i needed a battery replacement!!.
Well!! You have to do what you have to do to survive. But this was the best i have seen. Certainly an "it happens only in india moment!!"
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It Happens Only In India
India.. the land of mystics, the land of yoga, the land of meditation..
If this is the india you have read about and find intriguing, all you need to do is step onto one of our roads. In that single act you will have thrown yourself into the depths of indian mysticism, yoga and meditation...
After all after being thrown into the deep end of a pool, you have no choice but to learn how to swim.
Step onto an indian road and you would have learnt your first few lessons in Yoga. Ofcourse if you had bigger plans, it requires knowledge of extreme asanas and flexibility to navigate through the traffic on foot or a two wheeler. It is not surprising then that Yoga is given such importance in our country. Ofcourse the art of meditation and breath control are extremely essential to survive on a long term basis.
During one such session of yoga and meditation, stuck in an autorickshaw at a signal in Bangalore, I witnessed an act of extreme creativity and brilliance.
Ater about ten minutes of meditation at the signal, my auto walla got his turn to cross the road. To my dismay however, the signal did not seem to apply to anyone else on the road and vehicles kept coming in all directions. This is when it all happened. I saw my autorickshaw walla slip his hand into his pocket. A couple of seconds later i heard a shrill whistle, that caused the traffic on all sides to pause for a sec thinking it was a cop. My autorickshaw ofcourse continued and managed to cross the signal. And then i saw my auto walla pocket the whistle very calmly and continue as if nothing had happened. He must have slipped back to his meditation.
But he had me in splits for the rest of my journey. I am sure he had no clue why i was laughing.
Well, I suppose this is why we love this place so much, despite all the problems we have. This happens only in India!!
If this is the india you have read about and find intriguing, all you need to do is step onto one of our roads. In that single act you will have thrown yourself into the depths of indian mysticism, yoga and meditation...
After all after being thrown into the deep end of a pool, you have no choice but to learn how to swim.
Step onto an indian road and you would have learnt your first few lessons in Yoga. Ofcourse if you had bigger plans, it requires knowledge of extreme asanas and flexibility to navigate through the traffic on foot or a two wheeler. It is not surprising then that Yoga is given such importance in our country. Ofcourse the art of meditation and breath control are extremely essential to survive on a long term basis.
During one such session of yoga and meditation, stuck in an autorickshaw at a signal in Bangalore, I witnessed an act of extreme creativity and brilliance.
Ater about ten minutes of meditation at the signal, my auto walla got his turn to cross the road. To my dismay however, the signal did not seem to apply to anyone else on the road and vehicles kept coming in all directions. This is when it all happened. I saw my autorickshaw walla slip his hand into his pocket. A couple of seconds later i heard a shrill whistle, that caused the traffic on all sides to pause for a sec thinking it was a cop. My autorickshaw ofcourse continued and managed to cross the signal. And then i saw my auto walla pocket the whistle very calmly and continue as if nothing had happened. He must have slipped back to his meditation.
But he had me in splits for the rest of my journey. I am sure he had no clue why i was laughing.
Well, I suppose this is why we love this place so much, despite all the problems we have. This happens only in India!!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
10 ways the world could end : Stephen Petranek on Ted.com
An old speech, but still very relevant and leaves you with lots to think about.
Click here to watch the video.
Click here to watch the video.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
How costly is Outsourcing?
Well the success of India's outsourcing industry has been widely written about and discussed threadbare in almost every forum. It is something we as indians have found reason to be proud of and hope to better ourselves in. From basic call centres to actuarial work, reading MRI scans, financial consulting and ofcourse software. The journey has been great so far. And now we have taken the next step. The step that we think is going to take our country to greater heights. Manufacturing.
I read in a recent publication, that 'Many production processes are shifted to other countries, mostly developing countries. This is based not only on economics but also the decreasing acceptance of environmental pollution in industrialized countries, because policy makers and people in developing countries like India are unaware of or indifferent to long-term benefits and costs. They cannot see beyond the tips of their noses.'
This is not something that can be brushed away or taken lightly. Pollution and quality of life are taken seriously world over, and rightly so. After all, like someone said - "Life is not the destination, but its the journey itself".
These countries have been where we are now and are out full swing correcting their mistakes. We just need to learn from their mistakes, instead of repeating them. Just do it right from the beginning.
But thats easier said than done. In India its always been "chalta hai", "swalpa adjust madi".. or simply "I keep my house clean!!!".
While the government can be blamed for everything, from ineffective policy implementation, lack of farsightedness or not providing sufficient facilities, we as Indians ought to learn some self discipline. The government can provide dustbins, but people need to see some use for it.
And of course there is no dearth of argument's. "But the government does not empty the bins on time." will be the prompt reply.
For a majority of us Indians, this is life. It is probably because we have seen/heard no better. And having been in such an environment all along we dont realise what a mess we are in. Just today my parents, back from a train journey in a 3rd AC compartment, casually mentioned how the entire compartment was littered with the covers/bags in which the railways bed sheets are delivered in. The sheets were used and the covers were thrown, well, no place in particular. And people just walked around treading on these covers, least bothered. I guess that in a nutshell is what happens everywhere. There is a general lack of concern.
Only when we as individuals understand and respect the simple need for a clean public environment, can we think of effectively setting up safe, clean manufacturing units without damaging the environment.
I am all for development and more manufacturing work coming to India. But this should be done keeping in mind the impact it could have in the long run.
There is hope, and plenty of it. It is the emergence of the well read, well traveled bourgeoisie Indian, whose voice is gradually being heard above all the political hue and cry. Lots of NGO's are mushrooming all over the country helping these voices. I am sure very soon these voices will reinforce each other to drown out everything else.
It is important that people are given the opportunity to see something done right. And am sure it wont be long before they realize what they have been doing wrong.
Like someone said - " We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren."
And we owe this to them. So guys, its your turn to do your bit.
I read in a recent publication, that 'Many production processes are shifted to other countries, mostly developing countries. This is based not only on economics but also the decreasing acceptance of environmental pollution in industrialized countries, because policy makers and people in developing countries like India are unaware of or indifferent to long-term benefits and costs. They cannot see beyond the tips of their noses.'
This is not something that can be brushed away or taken lightly. Pollution and quality of life are taken seriously world over, and rightly so. After all, like someone said - "Life is not the destination, but its the journey itself".
These countries have been where we are now and are out full swing correcting their mistakes. We just need to learn from their mistakes, instead of repeating them. Just do it right from the beginning.
But thats easier said than done. In India its always been "chalta hai", "swalpa adjust madi".. or simply "I keep my house clean!!!".
While the government can be blamed for everything, from ineffective policy implementation, lack of farsightedness or not providing sufficient facilities, we as Indians ought to learn some self discipline. The government can provide dustbins, but people need to see some use for it.
And of course there is no dearth of argument's. "But the government does not empty the bins on time." will be the prompt reply.
For a majority of us Indians, this is life. It is probably because we have seen/heard no better. And having been in such an environment all along we dont realise what a mess we are in. Just today my parents, back from a train journey in a 3rd AC compartment, casually mentioned how the entire compartment was littered with the covers/bags in which the railways bed sheets are delivered in. The sheets were used and the covers were thrown, well, no place in particular. And people just walked around treading on these covers, least bothered. I guess that in a nutshell is what happens everywhere. There is a general lack of concern.
Only when we as individuals understand and respect the simple need for a clean public environment, can we think of effectively setting up safe, clean manufacturing units without damaging the environment.
I am all for development and more manufacturing work coming to India. But this should be done keeping in mind the impact it could have in the long run.
There is hope, and plenty of it. It is the emergence of the well read, well traveled bourgeoisie Indian, whose voice is gradually being heard above all the political hue and cry. Lots of NGO's are mushrooming all over the country helping these voices. I am sure very soon these voices will reinforce each other to drown out everything else.
It is important that people are given the opportunity to see something done right. And am sure it wont be long before they realize what they have been doing wrong.
Like someone said - " We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren."
And we owe this to them. So guys, its your turn to do your bit.
We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren
Now thats something we ought to always keep in mind!!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Mesothelioma
Wondering what the hell that title means? Well i just came across an article that says that this is the costliest word on the ad world.
This is what wikipedia has to say about Mesothelioma - "Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2]."
That proves one thing for sure.. "Health is wealth!!". Mesothelioma costs as much as 84$ per click.
This is what wikipedia has to say about Mesothelioma - "Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2]."
That proves one thing for sure.. "Health is wealth!!". Mesothelioma costs as much as 84$ per click.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
PPA Advertising
Google today announced its new 'pay per Action' advertising product today.
Advertisers will need to pay only for completed actions that they can define, like submitting a request, filling a form, buying a product etc. This will make the entire ad world a lot more complicated. It will not be sufficient for google to monitor clicks now. They will also need to know what the user does after clicking on the ad.
The advertiser will need to report these actions back to Google.
Now ofcourse the advertiser has an incentive to not report these actions as he will need to pay for the same. But Google can effectively counter this by ranking the ad based on profitability to Google and value of each click to the advertiser.
Now all this makes sense in say a country like the US, where purchasing something online has become the order of the day.
In a country like india for example. Online sales are still not very common. Even the most tech savvy indian would prefer to check the product out online and then go down to the store, examine the product and then purchase it.
Online advertising in India, has never been the most attractive of options. As an advertiser, all you could expect from an 'online ad' is only visibility and mindshare and not an actual purchase online.
This being the case PPA is an attractive option from the advertisers perspective, as in most cases an advertiser in india is not looking for anything more than visibility. No 'action' is expected online.
So if given a choice they would gladly jump for PPA ads to CPC ads any day.
So is google taking a big risk here? Or do they have the wares to ensure that advertisers dont get what they want without paying a dime for it.
Techcrunch has a well written article describing the impact this could have on the advertising world.
Advertisers will need to pay only for completed actions that they can define, like submitting a request, filling a form, buying a product etc. This will make the entire ad world a lot more complicated. It will not be sufficient for google to monitor clicks now. They will also need to know what the user does after clicking on the ad.
The advertiser will need to report these actions back to Google.
Now ofcourse the advertiser has an incentive to not report these actions as he will need to pay for the same. But Google can effectively counter this by ranking the ad based on profitability to Google and value of each click to the advertiser.
Now all this makes sense in say a country like the US, where purchasing something online has become the order of the day.
In a country like india for example. Online sales are still not very common. Even the most tech savvy indian would prefer to check the product out online and then go down to the store, examine the product and then purchase it.
Online advertising in India, has never been the most attractive of options. As an advertiser, all you could expect from an 'online ad' is only visibility and mindshare and not an actual purchase online.
This being the case PPA is an attractive option from the advertisers perspective, as in most cases an advertiser in india is not looking for anything more than visibility. No 'action' is expected online.
So if given a choice they would gladly jump for PPA ads to CPC ads any day.
So is google taking a big risk here? Or do they have the wares to ensure that advertisers dont get what they want without paying a dime for it.
Techcrunch has a well written article describing the impact this could have on the advertising world.
Thought for the day
Holding onto anger is like grasping hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
Thursday, March 15, 2007
GizmoSMS
Michael Robertson, the man behind mp3.com and Linspire has added a new twist to his Gizmo free phone project. Gizmo has launched its new Gizmosms service.
While the SMS market is huge, 45 billion dollars worldwide approximately. This service is certainly not the first of its kind.
So whats exciting about this service, besides the man behind it all, when we have already seen so many sites providing an sms service.
a) With Gizmo, you do not need to know the carrier of the number you are smsing(or texting as it is known in some parts).
b) There doesnt seem to be any restriction on which carrier is supported. Or a large number of carriers are supported and this ofcourse is hidden from the user.
c) That makes the user interface clean. Requiring you to just know the number and the country where the sms needs to be sent to.
d) the site doesnt require you to register.
Michael does make tall claims of it being the best of its kind and the fastest. But I havent received my sms in the last 15 minutes. But all u text freaks, do check it out.
While the SMS market is huge, 45 billion dollars worldwide approximately. This service is certainly not the first of its kind.
So whats exciting about this service, besides the man behind it all, when we have already seen so many sites providing an sms service.
a) With Gizmo, you do not need to know the carrier of the number you are smsing(or texting as it is known in some parts).
b) There doesnt seem to be any restriction on which carrier is supported. Or a large number of carriers are supported and this ofcourse is hidden from the user.
c) That makes the user interface clean. Requiring you to just know the number and the country where the sms needs to be sent to.
d) the site doesnt require you to register.
Michael does make tall claims of it being the best of its kind and the fastest. But I havent received my sms in the last 15 minutes. But all u text freaks, do check it out.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Gmail is down!!!
Gmail seems to be down for a while now. Wonder what google's up to?
Its been almost 15 mins since i noticed...
Its been almost 15 mins since i noticed...
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Google Maps : Zoom away
Well i havent checked this out yet... im going to do it as soon as i get home.. :)
But if this is possible.. wow!! but google may have some answering to do...
Time to go see if your car is still where u left it...
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2007-03-07-n12.html
But if this is possible.. wow!! but google may have some answering to do...
Time to go see if your car is still where u left it...
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2007-03-07-n12.html
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
:Derailed on Ruby tracks
Well if you have been trying to figure your way around ruby on rails and have been wondering what the so called :action's and :controllers and :id's are.
and Why do you need them in the code for?
and What do they do? etc etc. You have come to the right place.
Firstly these are called Symbols. And many have tried to explain the concept of symbols and have failed quite miserably.
Alas!! Its not me thats going to solve the mystery here for you. But yes I am going to show you the path : http://glu.ttono.us/articles/2005/08/19/understanding-ruby-symbols
A neat little blog by Kevin Clark that finally clears the air a little.
Cheers
and Why do you need them in the code for?
and What do they do? etc etc. You have come to the right place.
Firstly these are called Symbols. And many have tried to explain the concept of symbols and have failed quite miserably.
Alas!! Its not me thats going to solve the mystery here for you. But yes I am going to show you the path : http://glu.ttono.us/articles/2005/08/19/understanding-ruby-symbols
A neat little blog by Kevin Clark that finally clears the air a little.
Cheers
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Spotplex
Spotplex has added a twist to the Digg story. Here users do not submit stories. Instead sites that want to participate include some java code in their sites. This code then monitors the traffic to blog posts on the site and decides which ones need to appear on the Spotplex page.
This makes Spotplex clean as it cannot be manipulated externally. However i think these guys will still need to build trust around their algorithm and it is this that will prove to be their ‘tipping point’.
Like Michael A correctly mentions in his article on Techcrunch, the algorithm must prove itself to be unbiased to the already popular blogs.
We’ll have to see if this NKOTB will turn out to be the Digg killer.
This makes Spotplex clean as it cannot be manipulated externally. However i think these guys will still need to build trust around their algorithm and it is this that will prove to be their ‘tipping point’.
Like Michael A correctly mentions in his article on Techcrunch, the algorithm must prove itself to be unbiased to the already popular blogs.
We’ll have to see if this NKOTB will turn out to be the Digg killer.
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