Lost in Transmission..

Meatless Spam..

2005-09-21T12:00:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has apparently warned that if spamming is not checked, it may lead to the end of the Internet. According to a report, some 15 billion spam mails are sent out each day. Well, it's a different debate all together that out of 20-odd spam mails that I receive each day, at least 15 come into my hotmail account (a Microsoft enterprise).

Excited by the [unofficial] warning issued by Microsoft, I decided to spend some time on the whole concept of spamming and the hoopla about it. (When I say "spend some time", I, in this Internet age, mean, "a few clicks on Google"). My search returned various results. While some were destructive, most of them (search results) were relevant. Some results were links to tutorials on how to create spam? (that would eventually lead me to howstuffworks.com, where they even tell you how to pee).

Origin of the word Spam to mean net abuse goes back into the 1980s, though it is believed to have gained popularity only in 1994 when two lawyers from Phoenix posted a message advertising their services in an upcoming U.S. "green card" lottery, it was the first deliberate mass posting to commonly get the name spam. The first email spam, as commonly reported, was an announcement sent to all ARPANET addresses on the west coast about a new DEC-20 machine in 1978.

Wikipedia, amongst its several definitions of spam, quotes the following in one of them, referring to the derivation of the term spam in electronic communication:

"Spam" is a popular Monty Python sketch, first broadcast in 1970. In the sketch, two customers are trying to order a breakfast without SPAM from a menu that includes the processed meat product in every item. The term spam (in electronic communication) is derived from this sketch.

Most of us know what spam means? Most of us receive several spam messages on email everyday. Perpetrators of such spam often harvest addresses of prospective recipients from Usenet postings or from web pages, obtain them from databases, or simply guess them by using common names and domains (wikipedia). According to BusinessWeek, in a single day in May 2003, AOL blocked 2 million spam messages.

To find how so much spam can be sent, I looked it up on howstuffworks.com. They duly returned me the information (enhanced by Google) that I was looking for, in the following order:

"How Spam Works?"
"How Firewalls Works?"
"How Viagra Works?" (Holy Mother of God!)

According to them (the Viagra advocates), spam is very easy to create. Here's an example they quote:

Let's say that you have a recipe from your grandmother for the best blueberry muffins ever created. A friend suggests that you sell the recipe for $5.

You decide that your friend might be on to something, so you send an e-mail to the 100 people in your personal e-mail address book with the subject line, "These Blueberry Muffins Have Been Described as Heaven -- You Can Have the Recipe for $5!" Your e-mail contains a link to your blueberry muffin Web site. As a result of your 100 e-mails, you get two orders and make $10.

"Wow!" you think, "It cost me nothing to send those 100 e-mails, and I made $10. If I sent 1,000 e-mails I could make $100. If I sent a million e-mails I could make $100,000! I wonder where I could get a million e-mail addresses..."

Sounds incredibly easy, doesn't it? Well, now to address the question that how does a spammer get your address? Turns out, there are many professional companies that sell CDs full of valid addresses for a nominal price. Those companies collect their data from newsgroups, chatrooms, and may such forums. Spambotting is another way of piling up email addresses. Spammers can create software programs that spider the web looking for the @ sign that indicates an email address. The most common source, however, is the dictionary search of the email servers. (Such a process is described in the article Hotmail: A Spammer's Paradise?)

Spamming is increasingly becoming unavoidable. Spam filters do their best but still fail at least 15 to 20 times a day. Moreover, there is always a risk of loosing legitimate messages in the process of filtering spam. According to one report, more than 45% of the email traffic classifies as spam.

So, if you are a victim to spam, be a more aware user of the Internet. There are several ways to avoid spam. But, if you are a spammer, remember, if God has an email account, chances are, she is not very happy with you.

(Some backronyms for the word SPAM - Stupid Pointless Annoying Message or Several Posts A Minute. Spam, in most cases, means both of them.)

Small Wonders..

2005-09-02T12:50:00.000+05:30

Imagine the world of tomorrow (sooner than the typical authorial tomorrow)..

It's Monday morning. You have an alarm set on your cellphone for 6am. The clock strikes six but the phone doesn't beep. Instead, it sends a message to your nervous system that then signals your mind that it's time to wake up. Your brain processes the signal and sends an instruction to your eyes to unshut immediately.

Good Morning, and welcome to the world of mobile technology. In the past 20 years the mobile technology has come a long way. The oldest cellphone owners were only the people who believed in God. To be able to make a call from those handsets one needed 1) faith and 2) big hands. The phones today are a lot slicker, so tiny that their primary selling point, much to dismay of mankind, is almost always their small size.

The recent trend in the models of handsets that are being manufactured and sold is a clear indication of consumer's ulterior need to use the [mobile] technology beyond the simple objective of making a call. With the arrival of 3G options like Bluetooth, Multimedia exchange and GPRS, cellphones are fast becoming the drivers of modern communication where, voice [communication] has taken a back seat to let information travel through other means.

Moreover, the idea of a cellphone as a tool that has it all is already very popular. The most recent handsets are loaded with features that are capable of running and sharing MS applications, PDF documents, music files and much more. The underlying technology, as smart as it can get, can transcode the data that is being shared to suit all devices.

There is [probably] a lot more going on in the labs of mobile technology. The ever evolving cellphone devices are adapting to the change in technology faster than we can imagine. The little devices in our pockets that come across as phones [that listen and allow one to talk] are, much in contrast to their appearances, huge in ideas and their implementation.

Outsource my thoughts..

2005-08-17T15:15:00.000+05:30

Recently, while reading through a random selection of weblogs, I have come across a common, but, disturbing percpective (amongst many) that abhorrently goggles at the concept of outsourcing. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that the countries (or economies) that willingly host the offshore-model are becoming subject to criticism and, in many cases, hatred. Quoted below is [a part of a] text from an evidently popular American blog that has managed to get at least 15 comments supporting the thought reflected in the post:

"Keep jobs in America, there is no reason for me to be paying for 1st rate tech support from a third world country. I know most people have a story like the one I wrote about so hopefully some people out there can relate.. and I also know that most people probably didn’t get as irritated and pissed as I did but I assure you that I was dealing with an extremely uninformed tech support agent.. so for all the people with similair stories about Indian tech support I hope this give you a chuckle and remember It is not healthy for American’s to have to deal with some third world camel humping indian when they need serious help with their computers."

Clearly, the writer [above], profuse of ignorance and prejudice, finds it almost compelling to shed his beliefs in a fashion that is utterly aimed at manifesting racial superiority. Sadly, the view above, as outrageous as it may read, is held by many, amongst the thinkers of the modern world.

Outsourcing is a business tactic that is prevalent for many years. It is a mutually-beneficial trade agreement between large corporations and developing economies that seek to earn (foreign currency) by offering [comparatively] cheaper skilled labor. Corporations, on the other hand, gain (save cost) by delegating the expensive jobs to intelligent but cheap labor that specialises in those operations. The concept is so simple that its unacceptability to so many people worldwide is anything but apparent. The shift of car [and many other products] manufacturing from America to countries like Japan, China and Korea was not a resultant of some imaginary labor unrest in America, but plainly a business decision to get them manufactured cheaply elsewhere. Don't the consumers want a cheaper product?

The idea of outsourcing, as many of you would agree, has gained publicity only in past few years. The reasons are manifold, including an aware media and the not-so-outperforming-anymore American economy, where corporates are [now] akin to cost and competition. Also, the fact that the theory of outsourcing has been extended to accommodate service outsourcing, has contributed to the much hyped hoopla over the same.

There is, however, a need of [respectable] concern over the whole outsourcing issue. The governments (and also business corporations) of presently insecure nations (job-markets) must begin to understand that the transition of tasks from developed to developing countries must also include creating new alternate opportunities for the people in developed countries. In today's world that [owing to the weight of globalization] has become flat, it is almost obligatory [for employers] to have opportunities for all. Great economies like American, should invest [its resources and people] in digging options in avenues that are still challenging for many developing countries. Only such a process of constant revision of one's skill will lead to a world that is truly global.

UPDATE: This article was also published on blogcritics (here). The comments and opinions that were received on blogcritics have been reproduced here. [Friday, 26th August 2005]

From God's Laboratory..

2005-08-12T17:15:00.000+05:30

The age of the Earth is estimated to be 4.55 billion years (a figure determined by C.C. Patterson, in 1956, using Uranium-Lead dating on fragments of a meteorite). We are living on a planet that is 233,000 times older than we are (the bones of early humans found in Herto, Ethiopia are believed to be 195,000 years old).

In those 4.549 billion years (the time we took to come into the world), I wonder, if we (assuming we were we) went through many phases of endure-only-to-vanish eras. Imagine, if the [earlier] world (n.) had it all figured out - Newtonian Laws, Theories of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Elements, Galaxies, Atoms, Electricity, Automobiles, F-16s, Refrigerators, Mobile Phones, I-Pods, Robots, Clones, Beer - only to wake up to [clumsy] God one day, who accidentally pressed the reset button last night.

Many scientists, including the likes of Newton and Einstein, strongly believed in God. In fact, Einstein refused to accept the theories established through Quantum Mechanics only because he couldn't comprehend the thought of God having a different set of rules for the Universe at large and, for the things at small scale. To him that was like God playing dice with the Universe.

Being such believers in God, did they never wonder (do you ever wonder?), if God could one day decide to create the Universe and eventually the Earth, which now is a world full of us, thinking animals (no pun-intended), why could she [God] have not tried this more than once? After all, in a game of dice, one rolls again, if one scores a perfect square. And with a world so amazing, living in the Universe so abstract, God has long scored a perfect square.

The Bad-Ad World..

2005-08-09T12:20:00.000+05:30

While there are plentiful TV commercials that are literally bad, there are also some [or at least in discussions] that are wickedly bad. Check out this blog entry by David Kiley where he talks about the recent fix that Ford awkwardly finds itself in over a TV campaign idea for their Ford Fusion.

The article also reminds me of this recent posting on TOI about the changing ad-scene in India. It is only engaging to find out that the growing face of India is comprised of a few grown ups too. Way to go!

Are we there yet?

2005-08-05T17:15:00.000+05:30

TOI [on 5 August] has a posting titled "India Drowning", with an array of pictures from the recent floods in Maharashtra and other parts of India. This dreadful incident has killed over a thousand people, bringing losses worth more than Rs.10,000 crore ($2000 million) to the Indian Government.

58 years of Independence and we are still struggling with our infrastructure needs. But, I will be an ignoramus, if I fail to note India's accomplishments.

India has an economy ranked as the tenth largest in the world [in terms of currency conversion] and fourth largest [in terms of purchasing power parity]. It recorded one of the fastest annual growth rates of around 8% in 2003, and it has only got better since then. Bangalore, known as the 'Silicon Valley' of India, is a hub to many multinational corporations. It facilitates operations for over 200 global IT firms and is a growing base for Biotechnology. Only 58 years of Independence and we are already [owing to a large population] ranked 120th by the World Bank.
(Note: The statistical content in the above post is cited on Wikipedia)

FW: You've got Mail

2005-07-28T19:32:00.000+05:30

Forwarding mails has become a popular medium to remain in touch with friends. More so, with people that one occasionally thinks of, but not enough to write a mail specially addressed to them.

Apparently, Aishwarya Rai knows this, why else would she put up her application form for a Reliance phone connection on a forward? Obviously to remain in touch with her fans.

Anyway, if she's aware of such an email doing rounds, I'm sure she's denying the credibility of it. (Between, I can't wait for TOI to publish an Alec Smart, referring to Ms. Rai that could go something like this: No phone for me please, I'm too phony!)

I received the above clipping in a forward, and keeping up the spam chain, I forwarded it to other people. I was slenderly amused to receive the following reply from one of the addressees:

"Is this true? Have you tried calling her!!!"

Am I a Geek, God?

2005-07-27T10:47:00.000+05:30

I have never thought of myself as someone who has an odd personality, nor have I ever noticed myself doing disgusting acts at a carnival performance, then why did my girlfriend tell me that there are a few things I say that sound too "geeky"?

I was telling her about the Gurgaon incident (which is quite a bloggable story, by the way). Like a good girlfriend she is, she expressed surprise and happiness at the fact that I happened to know a lot about the story in subject. Filled with pride (imagine the look on my face, with my head held high and my chest upright), I told her that I collected my facts by doing some research on the Internet (and I had to say that with an accent).

"Research? You mean you read up about it? Research sounds too geeky?", came her innocent reply.

Let there be light

2005-07-15T12:31:00.000+05:30

Last evening, Radhika and I, went to see Dus (yes ladies, Abhishek Bachchan has acted well and does look alright in the movie). Anyway..before the movie began and after a whole lot of HP Club and Kingfisher ads had been screened, the preview for Maine Pyar 'Kyun' Kiya was played. Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya stars Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen (yeah baby!) and Katrina Kaif (have mercy!). While watching the preview only I received an SMS from Manhattan Credit Cards, offering me the tickets to a weekend screening of the same movie (i have a feeling, technology had little to do with this coincidence). We immediately decided that we'll come and watch the movie for sure, the preview looks good, star-cast is impressive and who minds a li'l bit of Katrina.

At about the same time, when Radhika and I were moving and shaking (nope, it's not what you think) to 'Dus Bahane', Hindustan Times (HT), a Delhi-based popular English daily released, to the rest of the world, a cassette recording that had "a Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai telephonic conversation" from the past (sometime in 2001).

The timing of such a tape couldn't have been worse for Salman. His new movie - MPKK - had it's premier last night, which he could not obviously attend. According to the reports today, succumbed under the pressure from Bajrang Dal and VHP, many theaters have agreed not to screen his movie. It's a pity! that political groups find motivation in anything that's controversial, somehow they feel it's an obligation to give things a religious shape.

On the other hand, the timing of such a release couldn't have been better for HT. Their much awaited launch in Mumbai took place only yesterday (i'll leave it to you guys to establish a link there). Vir Sanghvi, the Editorial Director of HT, was all over the news yesterday confirming the authentication of the tape and commenting on the underworld-bollywood relationship.

The debate is not whether Salman Khan is what he is. The argument is:

why didn't anybody, including the police did anything about it four years back?
why has the tape been released on the day of Salman's biggest movie this year?
and, why has the tape been released by HT on the day of their esteemed launch in the city of Mumbai?

In an attempt to answer the above questions, I tend to forget about the issue here, but am I to be blamed for it? If one reads the transcript, one will find it extremely hard to care about it. The fact that this has come out in the darkness of such an ambiguous evening, only makes me wonder if I'm being purposely misled.

Time to move on!

2005-07-14T12:22:00.000+05:30

Undoubtedly, Apple Mac has been a revolutionary concept. And Windows may have, as many claim, copied the idea to build an experience called PC. But, isn't it about time that Mac supporters stop cursing Bill Gates for it.

Read this post by Olga Kharif, where the main motivation behind the article seems - to bitch about Windows.

Consumers want music phones

2005-07-14T11:34:00.000+05:30

Read this article by Sinead Carew.

It's a classic expample of how advent of new technology results into creating a need for more engineering conceptions.

Horticulture goes the Ferrari way in Bangalore

2005-07-05T14:46:00.000+05:30

A picture from the Victorian Walk

The Horticulture Department in red, "overshadows" the Mayo Hall building on MG Road in Bangalore.

Can't Shop, Won't Shop!

2005-07-05T13:23:00.000+05:30

A picture from the Victorian Walk

A massive shopping arena sitting on the remains of Victoria Hotel, a famous British time building.

Anybody home?

2005-07-05T13:16:00.000+05:30

A pitcure from the Victorian Walk

A house constructed at the time of Britisher's stands abandoned on MG Road in Bangalore. Surrounded by corporate buildings it is not long before the house collapses under peer pressure.

South Parade

2005-07-05T12:56:00.000+05:30

A picture from the Victorian Walk

A distant view of the Mahatma Gandhi Road from inside the Holy Trinity Church. MG Road was known as South Parade at the time of British, so called because it was to the south of the Parade Ground.

The Victorian Walk

2005-07-04T15:45:00.000+05:30

"He being Dead, yet Speaketh." [1870]
A quote read from an inscription in Trinity Church, Bangalore.

So many times I have imagined how a place would look like in near future. The growing infrastructure of cities in India often leads me into fantasizing the look of tomorrow. Moreover, the kind of profession that I am in is very ulterior in nature. And, there's always a Star Wars engine running in my head that is producing thoughts that pertain to 2000 years in future. More than often we allow ourselves to live for what is to come. On the other hand, I seldom sit together with people to talk about the times that were. However, this Sunday, I spent 4 hours discovering the past of where I currently live.

Bangalore is not an ordinary city. Apparently, as I learnt yesterday, it's never been an ordinary city. It had a huge significance at the time of British India and, as most of us would recognise, even after 50-odd years of independence people from all over the world continue to get "Bangalored".

A friend of a friend, invited me and a few others for a Heritage Walk on MG Road in Bangalore. Heritage Walk is a very common concept in most famous cities around the world. This was the first time I was going for a heritage walk. The itinerary had us start from the Trinity Church on MG Road and walk 2 kms till we hit Cubbon Park. As planned, we started off early on Sunday morning aiming to complete the walk in 2 hrs. Arun, an informed man and our guide narrated us the history and significance of various historic spots and buildings we visited on our way to the Cubbon Park.

We were a group of 13 people, young and middle-aged professionals, all enthusiastic about the history of Bangalore. We walked around for about 3 hours, stopping every 200 meters and discussing the history of each place where we made a stop, talking about British India and Britisher's presence in Bangalore at that time. Arun spoke of various facts and stories from all the places that we stopped at. I'm not going to talk about those stories because they are Arun's selling points. However, I barely hesitate to talk about my feelings of the event and the concept in general.

The short Victoria Walk was gripping in portions. Arun's excellent narration kept me interested for most of the time. To our advantage, we had an historian with us in our group who always had something to add to what Arun said. I now know which renowned English figure, who later went on to become the PM of Britain, was a member of Bangalore club. I now know how Tamilians ended up owning most of the prime Bangalore. I also know that there is a stronger than an average chance for me to become a cricketer if I played at the St. Joseph High School park. Last but not the least, I have found another more meaningful reason to not take my girlfriend to Bangalore Central for shopping.

In spite of, the whole experience being so amazing in so many ways, I hate to admit that I had little to take away from the walk. I have learnt that MG Road was a residence to many British officers, however, I can only rely on my imagination to know the kind of houses they lived in. Out of the 3 houses that we saw from outside, I could explore or photograph none from inside. The Mayo Hall, that was brought to my notice by Arun, looks nothing but like an old worthless building from outside, but I probably would have had a different opinion, if I could look at it from inside. I, for myself, have never before focused on places and the history attached to them. But people, who have lived and learnt in more historically rich places, like Delhi or Calcutta, will find little to satisfy their history appetite from this walk.

Arun, appears to me - a high spirited man, who is rediscovering Bangalore and has taken it upon himself to generate awareness about this beautiful Garden City. His efforts are worth an applause, but he probably needs to get more data or, as we call them in IT, artifacts together. Undoubtedly, the Victorian Walk was an experience that I would have hated to let go. I would strongly recommend it for people who travel to Bangalore for business or holiday reasons.

[Watch this space for pictures from yesterday's event.]

Communication...

2005-06-24T15:30:00.000+05:30

..not just conveying anymore, but, experiencing technology.
In this ad clipping..that excites me is not only the part where the world is witnessing the greatness of M.K.Gandhi, but, how technology is [to which, I'm a very insignificant contributor] bringing the world together.

Time Travel: Not so unachievable after all

2005-06-22T18:06:00.000+05:30

New model 'permits time travel'

Whenever I read or hear about Time travel, my memory takes me back to the wavering snapshots from the Steven Spielberg hit - Back to the Future. In Part - I of that movie, Michael J. Fox, the central character, accidentally replaces his future dad in his future mom's life only to threaten his own existence.
This article [at BBCNews] talks about a new model that gets rid of the famous time-travel paradox [like the one in the Hollywood movie].

A Race To The Top

2005-06-17T15:32:00.000+05:30

PAUL KRUGMAN IS ON VACATION. (NYT - 3rd June)

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

It was extremely revealing traveling from Europe to India as French voters (and now Dutch ones) were rejecting the E.U. constitution - in one giant snub to President Jacques Chirac, European integration, immigration, Turkish membership in the E.U. and all the forces of globalization eating away at Europe's welfare states. It is interesting because French voters are trying to preserve a 35-hour work week in a world where Indian engineers are ready to work a 35-hour day. Good luck.
Voters in "old Europe" - France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy - seem to be saying to their leaders: stop the world, we want to get off; while voters in India have been telling their leaders: stop the world and build us a stepstool, we want to get on. I feel sorry for Western European blue collar workers. A world of benefits they have known for 50 years is coming apart, and their governments don't seem to have a strategy for coping.
One reason French voters turned down the E.U. constitution was rampant fears of "Polish plumbers." Rumors that low-cost immigrant plumbers from Poland were taking over the French plumbing trade became a rallying symbol for anti-E.U. constitution forces. A few weeks ago Franz Müntefering, chairman of Germany's Social Democratic Party, compared private equity firms - which buy up failing businesses, downsize them and then sell them - to a "swarm of locusts."
The fact that a top German politician has resorted to attacking capitalism to win votes tells you just how explosive the next decade in Western Europe could be, as some of these aging, inflexible economies - which have grown used to six-week vacations and unemployment insurance that is almost as good as having a job - become more intimately integrated with Eastern Europe, India and China in a flattening world.
To appreciate just how explosive, come to Bangalore, India, the outsourcing capital of the world. The dirty little secret is that India is taking work from Europe or America not simply because of low wages. It is also because Indians are ready to work harder and can do anything from answering your phone to designing your next airplane or car. They are not racing us to the bottom. They are racing us to the top.
Indeed, there is a huge famine breaking out all over India today, an incredible hunger. But it is not for food. It is a hunger for opportunity that has been pent up like volcanic lava under four decades of socialism, and it's now just bursting out with India's young generation.
"India is the oldest civilization, the largest democracy and the youngest population - almost 70 percent is below age 35 and almost 50 percent is 25 and under," said Shekhar Gupta, editor of The Indian Express. Next to India, Western Europe looks like an assisted-living facility with Turkish nurses.
Sure, a huge portion of India still lives in wretched slums or villages, but more and more of the young cohort are grasping for something better. A grass-roots movement is now spreading, demanding that English be taught in state schools - where 85 percent of children go - beginning in first grade, not fourth grade. "What's new is where this movement is coming from," said the Indian commentator Krishna Prasad. "It's coming from the farmers and the Dalits, the lowest groups in society." Even the poor have been to the cities enough to know that English is now the key to a tech-sector job, and they want their kids to have those opportunities.
The Indian state of West Bengal has the oldest elected Communist government left in the world today. Some global technology firms recently were looking at outsourcing there, but told the Communists they could not do so because of the possibility of worker strikes that might disrupt the business processes of the companies they work for. No problem. The Communist government declared information technology work an "essential service," making it illegal for those workers to strike. Have a nice day.
"This is not about wages at all - the whole wage differential thing is going to reduce very quickly," said Rajesh Rao, who heads the innovative Indian game company, Dhruva. It is about people who have been starving "finally seeing the ability to realize their dreams." Both Infosys and Wipro, India's leading technology firms, received more than one million applications last year for a little more than 10,000 job openings.Yes, this is a bad time for France and friends to lose their appetite for hard work - just when India, China and Poland are rediscovering theirs.

2005-06-17T13:22:00.000+05:30

The replica of Statue of Liberty in Vegas appears imprisoned from inside our car.

2005-06-17T13:20:00.000+05:30

Standing at 6ft, I don't look so tall anymore.

2005-06-17T13:18:00.000+05:30

Happiness rediscovered in the middle of the desert.
That's the view of Las Vegas from about 20 miles away on I5 North.

2005-06-17T13:13:00.000+05:30

In the backdrop is the set of Van Helsing, a horror movie.
We don't look so scared but the movie was good.

2005-06-17T13:09:00.000+05:30

The passionate expression of my love, made the Coca-Cola lips swell.

2004-04-07T18:07:00.000+05:30

Work Ethics - If offshore outsourcing is unfair, so is obsolescence
A point of view that supports outsourcing and explains in a

perspective of econmic growth how outsourcing is a necessary change.

2004-01-24T12:47:00.000+05:30

Bush on Steroids - Why must sports be drug-free?
This piece by Jacob Sullum makes an interesting read
for many who take the usage of drugs in athletic competition

as wrong and fail to justify so. The arguments given by the author

in defense of drug use make a valid point on several grounds but

fail to do so on the grounds of morality. But then, who are we to define morals?

2004-01-22T16:18:00.000+05:30

What WMDs?
An interesting point made by Ronald Bailey on Reason Online
about the so-far-not-found weapons of mass destruction and
the 'Dishonest War' against Saddam and Iraq.

2004-01-20T17:26:00.000+05:30

China's mistaken high-tech strategy
China's technology advancement is not properly understood.
According to this article featured in The Economist, Chinese
economy still mainly focuses and relies on the use of cheap labor.
However, the technology strategy is slowly coming into action.
But, it'll be years before China can be called a high-tech economy.

2004-01-19T11:44:00.000+05:30

Human beings on Mars? It is just a matter of time
An interesting discussion with Dr Seth Shostak , senior astronomer,
SETI about the possibility of life on Mars and whether it is possible
to set up human settlements on Mars.
Some facts about Mars

2003-10-01T17:33:00.000+05:30

Microsoft shutters chatrooms in all but a handful of countries
Microsoft has recently shut down its Internet chat service.
There is some kind of speculation doing rounds that the motives
behind this shut-down are more commercial than moral.
Read this article that discusses the possible reasons that may
have led to this decision by the Microsoft on the its chat-service.
(Source: The Ecnonomist)

2003-10-01T16:37:00.000+05:30

Sun presents a new plan to show it has a future
Sun Microsystems is thinking of making some radical changes
in it's pricing policy. The planned reduction in cost is targetted
at venturing big time into the software industry.

2003-09-17T11:39:00.000+05:30

Shut Up 'n' Play Yer Guitar
The music makers are spending a lot of time and money in
trying to stop the illegal download of tracks over the Internet.
Instead, they should try and give their audience enough output, value
and reason to assure that their music is sold legally.

2003-09-16T19:59:00.000+05:30

Cancun Trade Talks Fail
The failure of Cancun talks shouldn't be seen as a negotiation-complete
situation by the member countries. Some success in bringing about
meaningful changes to the exisitng trade policies could have benefited
millions of poor and not-so-fortunate traders.
Read Ronald Bailey's interesting obeservation where he covers all that
the poor and rich countries have lost in the process of failed
compromise at Cancun.

2003-09-16T12:14:00.008+05:30

Linux in Space
The first element of the International Space Station (ISS)
has already been launched from Baikonur, Russia.
The Eurpoean Space Agency has come up with some softwares toward
its contribution to the ISS Space program. Two of these software programs
run on Linux. This article presents an overview of these products, and the
future of Linux in the space industry.

2003-09-12T18:21:00.000+05:30

Turn raw data into intelligence
Organizations today laregly depend on the information
they possess that they can use to drive towards customer
satisafaciton and hence, better business. However, vast
volumes of data collected does not necessarily become
information unless processed in an efficient manner.
Read this interesting article by Reena Choudhary, where
she discusses a statistical strategy to capture data, called
Business Intelligence.

2003-09-12T16:53:00.000+05:30

The Origin of Sex
The reproduction behavior of many living beings
is a mystery to space scientists and astro-biologists.
They are trying to know the real reason that caused
the origin of sexual intimacy. Read this thought provoking
article by Robert Roy Britt, which describes a possible cosmic
solution to why we ever chose to indulge in sex.

2003-09-11T21:05:00.000+05:30

Trade is the way out of poverty
The protestors of WTO at Cancun are stripping naked
to shut the free-trade down. WTO policies need certain
reforms in order to truly pull the world out of the poverty
mode. The protestors need to be persuaded that WTO is a
goal worth fighting for. Read Ronald Bailey's view on the subject.

2003-09-11T17:03:00.000+05:30

SUV critics hold consumers in contempt
Is Big Bad? Read this article to find out if it is, when it comes to SUVs.
What is an SUV?