India at world solar challenge

The World Solar Challenge is a biennial event based on a competitive field of solar cars crossing the Australian continent powered by nothing but the sun.

As the fossil fuels are exhausted, the fuel cost is increasing drastically. Thus, the need to use alternative sources of energy is of utmost importance. For a country like India, the need for such initiatives is imperative due to its economic situation. The present rate of growth can be sustained only with innovations in the field of alternative energy.

India is being represented by "Team Solaris" with car number-95 in Challenge class. Its great to know that a team from Delhi College of engineering is in the race with teams from all over the world.

Lets wish team solaris all the best for the panasonic world solar challenge which is to take place in the month of October.

Orkut closed for maintenance

Have you ever caught Orkut when they are doing maintenance? It looks like i did..The error message that i got is shown below.

The site however, was accessible just a minute later. I wonder if it is a result of increased traffic or other maintenance work.

Askreamaor write about windows and linux

Askreamaor writes a blog about windows and linux.
He writes posts about diverse topics ranging from firefox to SEO. He even wrote some stuff about exploiting digg(buy-yourself-to-the-top).

He has just now stated a competition to increase the popularity of his blog. To know more just see the Contest information and Rules page.

Very recently he had gotten into a lot of controversy after writing about the things he is tired of hearing from linux users. But actually he was writing about the other operating systems as well.

Make sure that you check all the stuff he has written about geekism. He has also started of many different sections on topics like search engines, firefox browser, SEO and internet just to mention a few.

Things u will need for world domination

In case you are planning on becoming the sole king or presidente of the whole world, you will be needing the following things

1. A secret island hideout
2. A weapon of mass destruction or some new secret weapon
3. A peculiar characteristic such as a inimitable laugh
4. At least one follower who agrees to everything you have to say
5. A very interesting costume to wear
6. A arch rival with lot of "Hero" like attributes
7. A scientist whom you can kidnap (not compulsory)
8. A self destruct button for your island hideout. This should be the first thing you need to put after making your island hideout.

But i really hope for your sake that you are not trying to get control of the whole world. As it generally leads to your own defeat.

Pacman on google homepage

The arcade game Pacman has come onto google homepage as well. After finishing the game you get the chance to put up your high score. The score can be compared with the top scorers from around the world playing Pacman on google homepage.

The game can also be played on a poped out window. The game can also be put on your website as any other google gadget or module can be added. Just goto to Pacman search results and add any of the many pacman games.Its a flash game in a module. It would be great if it was made using javascript.


The four main modules for pacman are PacMan v2.4, PacMan, PacXon v1.0 and Pacman.All the four are worth playing. The game is as addictive as it was when you played it the first time.

The games are by and large ad free, except for PacMan.For more variety in the game try PacXon v1.0.

So Get ready! and start eating the dots.

Is web2.0 just read write web or more?

Although there is a controversy surrounding this word..(some consider it to be just a marketing buzzword) most wold agree that web 2.0 can be used to refer to the shift of the internet towards a read/write approach. Wiki's and blogs would top the list of web 2.0 sites. customised search, content sharing would also be covered by this definition.

The small changes that became popular with web 2.0 are forgotten in this confusion. The way URL's are made has been fundamentally changed.The two main changes are-

1. The URL contains the year and month of publication. Blogger is a good example for sites that use URL's of the type "http://www.xyz.com/2007/06/hello-world.html"
2. The URL is a single word tag. The various tagging services have popularized the idea of having the tag as the folder name. For example, we would have "http://xyz.com/blog" which lists all the content related to the word blog.Even wikipedia follows this method.

This trend seems to make the URL's more organised and easier to understand than using numbers and abbreviation.

Blogosphere-stop three

Wolfstone has to say he is a "university student in Vancouver, Canada, who recently discovered the world of investing. Since i invest mostly in micro cap resource stocks, this blog will focus on covering news and analysis regarding resources with a dash of fun."

from the blog roll of wolfstone we find the next link to carlfutia


The blogosphere that we have followed had one blog about advertising, followed by two about investment. Its yet to be seen if the blogopshere is made up of little pockets of similar blogs or diverse topics interacting together.

5 creatures that prowl the Internet

These creatures prowl the world wide web for various reasons.

1. Spider- web crawler (also known as a Web spider or Web robot) is in search of information.
   
2. Worm- a computer worm is a self-replicating computer program.
3. Virus-A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user
4. Bots- Internet bots, also known as web robots or simply bots, are software applications that run automated tasks over the internet.
5. Humans of course.

Blogosphere-stop two

I continue my journey Around the blogosphere further. I found the next link to follow at Andydang, it was in the recent comments section. So the journey proceeds from a blog about

"Andy Dang, a student at Cal State Fullerton. In the process of designing, printing, marketing, and selling his own branded T-Shirts. His goal and the reason behind this entire blog is to sell One Million Shirts! Laugh and cry with him through his endeavors!"

to the blog of Wolf Stone.

May the almighty give Netpiler the courage to sail across the blogosphere and find if the blogosphere is flat or spherical..

Why spam is called spam?

We come across spam everyday in various forms ranging from the common e-mail spam to search engine spam, comment spam, link spam and what not.Why do we actually call spam as spam?

"Spam" is actually a trademark of Hormel food corporation. It refers to a type of canned precooked meat produced by them. Spam was one of the few meat products that was not rationed by the British during world war II. It was the only food that was easily available to the British.

Monty Python used this in their play, the greasy spoon cafe had dishes containing one or more portions of spam. The repetition of e-mail messages is similar to the repetition of the same dish. Thus, the word "spam" is used to refer to bulk unsolicited e-mail. The word spam has also refers to other types of bulk and unsolicited input, generally done by bots. The popularity of the word in relation to the e-mail has grown so much that, spam recipes have to be advertised on the spam box of gmail.

"SPAM SKILLET CASSEROLE" has to advertised along with other spam recipes on the spam box of gmail..due to the popularity of the word spam.

Pocket tanks-winner

The pocket tanks game is fun to play, even after palying a 100 games.

The simplicity of the game is what makes it so appealing. Just set the angle and power. Press the FIRE button.

With a very broad range of weapons to use, its fun just to see the firework display. The game has options to play one on one or against the computer.

The AI of the computer can be changed by changing the difficulty level.The weapon to use at a time can also selected from the set of weapons. Every time a tank is hit, the opposite side gets points and the tank that is hit looses points. The dirt ball weapon is useful to cover up the enemy tank and prevent him from firing.

Happy gaming..you can get the game at their official site.

Around the blogosphere

The word "blogosphere"is used rather casually to refer to the blogging community. But is the "blogo-sphere" really spherical?

Although blogosphere can actually be interpreted as "world" of blogs, i would like to know whether the blogosphere is really spherical. The spherical nature can be verified only by going round the sphere--right?

The trackbacks, blogrolls, comments,links in the main blog posts are the path to traverse. These links are the route that has to be followed. So if the blogosphere is spherical, i will end up at the same place at which i started after "some" finite time by following such a route.

I have decided to go round the blogosphere, just to find out if it is spherical. So journey begins...

But to reach any destination we have to follow some sense of direction. I plan to follow the following rules to find if the blogosphere is spherical.

1. I will avoid going to the same blog twice.(it would mean i am going in circles)
2. To prove that i visited a blog i will leave a comment on that blog. (if somebody thinks i am a freak trying to spam a blogs comments-i will just have to go back and start from the place where my last comment was accepted.)
3. I will choose a link to follow at random.(only condition is it should be a blog)

My blog seems to be a good place to start..I was going through the blog and found "Andy Dang" in my comments. So the next stop is Andy Dang.

Evil turns good

The recent popularity of Harry potter books signifies a break from the popular belief held in the Post-Christian European cultures. We have come a long way from the days when anybody suspected of witchcraft was burned alive to hero worshiping the same wizards.

The sequel pirates of the Caribbean went along way in painting more acceptable picture of the pirates.The pirates have come to be accepted as the "good guys" from being the "bad guys" in the movies.

Does this suggest a tendency we as a people are developing to admire the evil or is just the end of European influence on popularity?

Both the pirates and the witch's are held as evil in the European context. With a change in the cultural context the witch and the pirate can be seen as more sane creatures. As the globe shrinks, we develop a more unified culture which reflects what was good in every group. The pirates were cruel merciless robbers but the society wants to appreciate the bravery and skill in them.

Gmail captcha?

Wonder of wonders i got a captcha to fill up before logining into gmail. I had made the mistake of leaving the password field empty. So it got me wondering as to why Gmail needs a captcha in the first place?

Then i came across a post that explains how to get pop access to gmail using many methods. You can use your outlook express to download the mail from gmail. Top reasons to use a pop mail client are-(need for pop mail)

1. You have limited storage on the server and need to empty the mailbox.
2. You like to read your mails after printing them out
3. You organize your mail into very intricately complex folders
4. You just did not like the idea of net based mail
5. You may not be able to have access to the internet when you want access to information in your mailbox
   

Windows-boot.ini file manipulation

The windows file "Boot.ini" is very important in dual boot systems. If you are installing Xp and win98 or two installations of xp, the default booting OS and the time to wait for allowing the user to choose the OS can be set by modifying this file.

The file can be found at "c:\boot.ini" in all windows systems. as it is a system file it will hidden and wont be visible in the c:\.
To open the file

1. first goto C:\ and choose the "Tools" menu.
   
2. In tools Goto"folder options"
   
3. In folder options goto "view" and choose the show hidden files. This will show the operating system files. be careful and don't delete any operating system files.
4. Enter "C:\boot.ini" in the address bar of the "C:\" folder
   

A file will open in notepad and it will have the following data

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

1. Now the default boot OS is the OS on "partition(2)". You can set the default OS to partition(1) by changing the line"default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS" to"default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS"
2. The time to wait can be set by changing the value of the number in the line "timeout=30"
3. After making the required changes save the file.

When you reboot the changes would have taken place. Its a good idea to have a copy (in a separate place)of the boot.ini file before making any changes to it. Even after this if you have problems just comment below and i will try to help.

Television Vs internet-why do we like net ads better

Previously i did a post entitled 5 crimes that you do when you watch Television. It was widely criticized and some even considered it downright stupid. There was also the line of thought that the money obtained by the service provider ought to cover the cost of television!! If really covered the cost as it happens in a few services you would not be seeing advertisements in the first place. The very fact you are getting ads is a proof that the producers have not got enough! money for their efforts.

Ok just to see what will happen if we were to do similar crimes on the internet.

1. You use the adblock on your browser and don't see the ads(even on the google search engine)
2. Keep moving from one site to another at the same speed at which you flip channels.(Warning-It may lead to many ad publishers loosing their google account-not to be done)
3. Save the files after having removed the ads using adblock.

There are many reasons why net based ads can be annoying, such as the slower rate at which the ads load, the improper positioning of the ads(i hate it when i have to scroll down a long list of ads before coming across something i really need to read) just to mention a few. And if you are thinking on claiming that you pay for your internet connection, so you have a right to use google (cant say anything).

That apart "When asked if they would pay to use google" a mixed response was obtained, but majority of them gave a "NO". So we do want ads on the net but not on the television.
Are we being unfair to the television (Not to be confused with the Direct-To-Home television)?

The main argument in favor of net based ads is that they are "related to the Context ". Well the very fact that they are related to what we are reading makes them more of a distraction. If that information is really that useful for me, it should come up either on the search results or at least as one of the references. So if every person removed the ads using adblock, because they are "mind numbing", we may one day not have an economic model to sustain "google".

So its a time to think of a new economic model for our net based applications or change our attitude towards these mind-numbing advertisements.

Calculating logarithm of a number in excel

The logarithm of any number can be calculated in excel using the formula function.

To do so go to "Insert" menu and select "Function" which has a "Fx" symbol. In the dialog box choose the math and trig functions. In Math and trig functions choose "log" function or "Log 10" function as need be.

A box asking for the number and its base appears. You can either enter the number directly or choose a box from which the number has to be taken. For choosing a box press the button at the right end of the input column asking for the number. After selecting the box you can come back to the main box by pressing the same box again. Press ok and you have got the results.

6 tips to reduce the noise your computer

1. Make sure the CPU fan is working properly. Replacing old fans can reduce the noise considerably. If any wires are dangling on top of the fans, tie them up so that they don’t touch the fan.
2. If the CPU casing is open the noise level is more. By screwing it up the noise can be deafened. The casing should be placed flat on the surface to reduce noise.
3. Remove any dust that is accumulated inside the CPU. Keeping the computer clean will reduce the chances of wear and tear. A vacuum cleaner can be used to clean inside the computer using a special attachment at the end.
4. If you are using a mouse with a rolling ball, switch to an optical mouse. The sound made by the rolling ball can be eliminated. The noise made by a CRT(Cathode ray tube) monitor can be overcome by using a better technology.
5. The speed of the CPU fan can be controlled in some of the newer machines, check if you have that facility and install fan speed control software.
   
6. Keep any other electronic devices like mobile phone, television etc. away from the computer as they can cause interference.

Change the background color of PDF file

You need to have at least Adobe reader 7.0 or higher for doing this. It is free to download at Adobe.com.Now lets see howto do it.

1. Go to the Edit menu and select Preferences (or just press Ctrl+k)
2. A new window with the heading Preferences will open
3. Select Accessibility as an option from the choices on the left side column
4. Mark the custom color option
5. Choose the required background color
6. Press ok. Save it and the background color will be the same the next time you open the file.

You have achieved the goal of Change the background color of PDF file.You may also be interested in the following post

5 tips to make reading from the computer easy

5 tips to make reading from the computer easy

Reading very long pages on the computer can be very tiring. It feels better to read it after taking a print out. Here is a list of things you can do to make it easier to read it from the computer monitor.

1. Get the text Read aloud using software, use adobe acrobat reader or other text to speech software’s.
2. Use a Pre-timed scroll rate. This can take sometime to get adjusted to.
3. Use a background color that is not very glaring. Grey would be more pleasing than white. The background color can be changed in PDF files also.
4. Use a translucent screen to cover the monitor that reduces the intensity of light.
5. Don’t stare at the monitor continuously. By blinking at regular intervals the strain on the eye can be reduced. Take 5-minute breaks while reading.

5 uses for the coin

The coin that we use everyday has many uses; in this post lets see 5 of them

1. As a scratch card scratcher-The coin can be used to scratch the coating on the scratch cards-the kind you find in lotteries, pre-paid cards etc.
2. As a drawing tool-Outline of the coin can be traced to draw a circle.
3. Fuse blower-I really hope you don't have to use a coin in this way. The coin being a conductor can be used to short the electric current and blow the fuse. (Note: In the modern home protected by electronic trip sensors this is not needed nor can it be done. The need to blow the fuse will come only in old houses.)
4. Creating coin art-Coin art is made by placing a piece of paper on top of the coin and shading on top of the coin using a dark pencil. The marks on the coin are then transfered onto the paper.
5. Money-Of course it can be used for what it was made, to act as a means of commerce.

Vertical Cutting and Pasting-Howto

If you want to cut or paste vertically in a word file this post explains how to do it. First of all lets see what vertical cutting means. Consider the following example,

You have a set of names, say

Alexander Fleming

Alexander the great

Alexander Graham Bell

Cutting vertically

You want to cut out only the second part of the name. But you don’t want to delete all the “Alexander’s”. Just use the Replace all function of word to replace “Alexander” with “Alexander^t”. The “^t” is the character for a tab. Now copy the entire list into an excel sheet. The first part and second part of the name are separated into two different columns.

Pasting vertically

You have a set of conditional statements and you want to add the word “for” in front of each of the conditions. Create a column with the word “for” in each row using excel. Paste the list of conditions on the column next to it. Copy both the columns into notepad and replace all the tab spaces by a space. For example you will go from

(i=0;i<5;i++){}

(j=0;i<5;i++){}

(k=0;i<5;i++){}

(l=0;i<5;i++){}

(m=0;i<5;i++){}

to

For (i=0;i<5;i++){}

For (j=0;i<5;i++){}

For (k=0;i<5;i++){}

For (l=0;i<5;i++){}

For (m=0;i<5;i++){}

The tab character can be used in notepad by selecting a tab space in word and pasting it into the replace option. It should look like a small vertical rectangle (notepad does not show many symbols but can differentiate between them).

5 crimes that you do when you watch Television

Every time you watch your favorite television serial, you are being entertained at the cost of the advertisers. So if you were to see a 30minute program with about 8 minutes of ads, the money generated from these advertisements that are run for 8 minutes provide for the creation of the serial (including actors salary etc.) and also for it to be broadcast.

Although the advertisers don’t seem to be very concerned about the viewer fraud, by comparing TV viewer fraud with click fraud, you commit a crime of getting free entertainment from the television when you--

1. Mute the ads-As soon as the ad starts the television is muted, so that you don’t have to hear the same boring ad!
2. Changing the channel when ads are played-The habit of seeing two serials at the same time is not new, switch the channels to see the programs in two or three channels by avoiding the ads
3. Removing ads using computer software- Yes it is possible to remove ads from Video Streams Using Acoustic and Visual Cues.
4. Channel surfing-Just keep changing the channels for the fun of it.
5. Recording only the program by leaving out the ads-As the money of the advertisers not only paid for the broadcasting of the ads but also for their creation, any recorded copies of the program should also carry the ads.

So the next time you pick up your remote think again.

Bitty Browser-from tabbed browsing to simultaneous browsing

Bitty browser is a browser inside a web page; it allows you to browse web content on sites like Google and Netvibes.

What is its use?

Using Bitty browser you can browse different sites without having to leave the parent site. For example you could read news while watching a movie clip on youtube (as it takes time to load).

Or add Bitty to you site/blog via a simple HTML copy/paste. Retain readers as they can watch other sites from you blog. However, the speed at which it is loaded has to be monitored.

Why should I provide a version of my site that is compatible with Bitty browser?

You can maintain a closer contact with users of your service or blog. A blog reader does not allow for adding comments, view other additions to your blog etc.

A larger audience can be reached by providing content with easier access. A more detailed analysis of why you need to provide a version for mobile browsers is put up at Digital Inspiration.

Is it fast?

The response time is as good as the conventional browsers. As many as six web sites can be simultaneously browsed in a single tab using google homepage. But the advertisements put up in between seems to slow down the browser. Sites that are bitty compatible can be browsed at sensible speeds.

Netpiler-main deal

Netpiler hopes to translate the internet into utility.

1. Link Exchange-Link to Netpiler and drop a comment on the blog, you will surely get a link back.
2. Copyright issues-If have issues with netpiler feel free to comment--all the content is copyright to Netplier.
3. Denetpiling-Taking internet/things apart.
4. Advertising-analysis of different types of advertising.
5. Howto-how to do something
6. Uses-for everything you can see
7. Internet-Knowledge you can use on the internet
8. About-posts related to the blog.
   
9. Etc.