Oct
15
WebOSS ’07 – Web and Open Source Conference in Kolkata
October 15, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
Finally, the day arrived this Saturday, October the 13th, when the first Web & Open Source Technology Conference took place in Kolkata. It was a great initiative to bring like-minded people on the same platform and share our views on all things Web, OSS and Technology. Since the venue host was WBUT , a large percentage of the audience were IT and Comp. Sci. students of the university who were eager to get a peek into the REAL things, and learn the tricks of the trade from the people in the Industry.
The auditorium was good enough with a capacity of around 150, well-airconditioned and the stage space more than enough. The LCD projector could have been more to the center of the stage, rather than just behind the dais, with speaker coming right in between the screen and audience. The only and a very big disappointment from the arrangements point of view was the absence of microphone!! Huh! A seminar without a microphone! Well, the equipments were there but the keys to them were with a gentleman who preferred skipping the college that day and was untraceable!
So after lot of failed efforts by the volunteers to get the microphone working – they even brought another one, but it didn’t work – the event got underway at 11:30 AM, 1 hour behind schedule. Hussain was the first one to start off on RIA – Rich Internet Applications. It was a great insight on the Web 2.0 client side technologies which are riding most of the snazzy websites today and threw light on AJAX, Flex, Flash , OpenLaszlo among others. His thoughts were well received by the audience with quite a few questions popping up on the subjects.
Next came Pradeep with a talk on what is AJAX and how to implement it in Web Apps. He showed some nifty piece of code on how to create xmlHTTPRequest and fetch data from the server in asynchronous mode. Also included were examples on how to use JSON instead of xmlHTTPRequest to implement AJAX. The content of his presentation is available at http://www.go4expert.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6829&referrerid=146 and can be downloaded from http://www.slideshare.net/s_pradeep/building-applications-using-ajax
Shabbir bhai resumed the proceedings after a well deserved lunch break with his expertise on optimising web pages, and gave a lengthy (detailed) talk on Speeding up your Web Pages. He covered topics such as Database Design, Query Optimization, Web Server & Programming tips and tweaks among others.Although his soft voice was finding it hard to make up for the lack of mic, he too put up a great show.
I was next on the block. With fears of rushing too fast and getting over with my stuff in 10-15 minutes, I started off on Web Development in Perl. Since most of the audience were students with little or no previous exposure to Web Development, Programming and Perl, added to the fact that previous sessions were a bit too technical for most of them, I had to make it as simplistic as possible. So I stressed most on the introduction part which dealt with explaining the Web Development cycle, internet in general and programming. Yet, technicalities about Perl needed to be covered as they were a part of my presentation and most importantly, were the focal point of the show! After around 30 minutes Hussu started prompting me that we were running out of time and I needed to pack up fast! So I hurried with the last part of the presentation by going through the points of difference between Perl and PHP.
The presentation can be downloaded from http://www.slideshare.net/naveeng/web-development-in-perl/
Oct
9
I’m Speaking at WebOSS ’07
October 9, 2007 | Tagged Open Source, Technology, weboss | 1 Comment
The first of its kind Web Technology Conference on Open Source Technologies, WEBOSS ’07 is being organised in Kolkata on Saturday 13th October, 2007. I was pleasantly surprised when Hussain (Hussu) , friend of Pradeep, called upon me to ask whether I would be interested in speaking at the event. The event focuses on Web 2.0 technologies and is a great attempt by Hussu’s Teks to create awareness about what standards and practices are dominating the industry today. Other speakers include Hussu himself – on RIA, Choosing the right Technology and Ruby on Rails , Pradeep on AJAX, Shabbir bhai on Speeding up Web Apps.
I will be sharing my thoughts mostly on Perl and CGI with some flavour of Web 2.0 as well. Its really exciting to be a part of such a great initiative and kudos to Hussain and his team for pulling it off!
The venue will be WBUT Main Campus (West Bengal University of Technology) in Salt Lake, Kolkata – Click Here for Google Maps Location. So a good proportion of technology students, who will be joining the industry very soon, will be a part of the audience.
It is a free for all event and participation/volunteering is highly appreciated. The details of the event can be found at http://weboss07.pbwiki.com/ . So register yourself for the event and be a part of tomorrow. Sponsorships Welcome 
Oct
1
Durga Puja – 17 Days to go
October 1, 2007 | | 1 Comment
Flash Movie Courtesy – http://www.friendskolkata.com/
Durga Puja, or better – Durga Pujo. You don’t need to be a Bengali by birth to know the significance of this great festival. People like myself, who have become de facto Bongs by the virtue of making Kolkata their home city, have long felt the fervour that prevails during the Pujas in this part of the world. The four days bring with them a lot more than joy, belief, celebration, shopping and what not. The city becomes the scene for the most electrifying display of artistry, faith, madness, populace and sheer awe, anyone can ever witness, anywhere. Thousands of pandals are setup in different themes housing Goddess Durga along with other Gods and Goddesses, and are thronged by millions of devotees from all over the globe all day all night. The craftsmanship is jaw dropping, illuminations – just scintillating, and crowds – maddening. Many people take this opportunity to have a vacation somewhere else, but its the bustling streets and lanes and by-lanes which reinstate the fact that India is a country driven by its culture, a culture so rich that in spite of all the wrong doings that blemish her almost every moment in some corner or the other, sanctity finds its way out to the open air and compels even the hard core atheists to simply stand and take notice!
Oct
1
For World Peace
October 1, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
Another forwarded email which I could not resist posting!
Oct
1
Multiple Yahoo Messengers simultaneously
October 1, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
I just received this forwarded email with instructions on how to activate multiple instances of Yahoo! Messenger on the same machine without the use of any software. I tried it out and its awesome! Working really fine. Just follow the instructions below and you are all set:
- Go to Start —-> Run . Type regedit, then enter
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER ——–> Software —> Yahoo! —–>pager—->Test
- On the right pane , right-click and choose new Dword value
- Rename it as Plural
- Double click and assign a decimal value of 1
- Now close registry and restart Yahoo! messenger .For signing in with new id open another messenger. Open as many messengers u need
The above has been tested on Windows XP and Yahoo! Messenger Version 8.1.
Cheers
Sep
27
It Ain’t Over Yet!
September 27, 2007 | | 3 Comments
Perhaps I wrote my previous post (WTF!) too early! Continuing its assault of emails, the count reached a phenomenal 207!! Way to go Calcutta Telephones Click on the following image to get an idea:
Sep
26
(Click on the image to enlarge)
I guess the guys at BSNL need a good sleep! I opened my mailbox a while ago to be shocked by the number of times the payment notification mail had been sent by their mail server. I know that it is an automated process but something is going amiss big time. Just imagine the magnitude of bandwidth and network resources this dirty exercise would have consumed, as the same would be have occurred for all customers who have opted for email notifications (and by conservative estimates, it should run into lakhs). Thank God for Gmail, which has a conversation view which condensed the whole mess into just 2 rows, else 3 pages of my inbox would have been gulped by the same trash! WTF!
Sep
25
Celebrations Galore!
September 25, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
It was an occasion which probably comes once in a lifetime – India vs Pakistan in a World Cup Cricket Final, and no one would have dared to bite the nails in the solitude of their living rooms. So all gathered at Rahul’s place at 5 PM sharp to cheer up Team India. I left office at 4:30 sharp hoping to beat the incessant rain and reach on time. With knee deep water logged at most places, I still managed to enter the arena 5 minutes before the start of the extravaganza, and boy, was that place prepared for the match! The Indian Tricolour donning the front wall, most were dressed in blue (so was I) and eyes fixed at the idiot box as the Indian warriors descended the pitch. Each shot was followed by deafening shouts of cheer and every wicket brought pin drop silence in the room. Pulses raced as close calls were made and after a rather decent start, India started to lose it in the later stages. With the fall of Yuvraj, dejection loomed on everyone’s face as a winning target seemed more difficult.
As everyone waited for the final overs to see India make a match out of it, a thunderous bolt in the sky set the cable signals off and alas, we were left with no coverage of the match! Before we could even think of rushing to someone else’s place to catch the action, we were given a harsh reality check by the incessant rain outside – the whole of C.I.T Rd submerged in waist deep water! Even the car could not be taken out, nor was any conveyance available. So the final 7 overs we just managed to cover through live scores from the internet.
But at no cost we could afford to miss the 2nd Innings. So after the cable operator confirmed a non-resumption of services indefinitely, we set out to Nivesh’s place in heavy rainfall! A 100 meter distance was covered in about 15 minutes, as the guys had cartons over their heads. With the cellphones, wallets and other belongings already back home, no one cared getting drenched any more. As a bunch of 8 guys, with water dripping from all over them, entered the living room, we all erupted to see the back of Pakistani Opener. But soon Imran Nazir sent Sreesanth’s over for a toss and gloom prevailed. Each wicket was then cheered with a frenzied fanaticism as we inched closer to the victory which had eluded us for so long. Towards the end of the match, everyone was on the edge of their seats and every bad ball by Joginder Sharma was greeted with curses and abuses from me! But as it was destined, India won sending all of us rollicking over one another!
The scenes and sounds from out on the streets were unimaginable, as hoards of men, women and children took to the roads-turned-canals with trumpets, drums, whistles and ever-lasting songs of victory. Victory never tasted so sweet, with the victim being Pakistan and World Cup coming home after 24 years. On a day when it rained more than 200 mm, and it still continued, all of us set out for a victory lap and the scenes were amazing! Saffron, White and Green seemed to be the only colours around as we waded and chanted, giving the odd ambulance-stuck-in-water a much required push. Pictures and Video (apologies for poor picture quality, but its just a cellcam!) follow, as I was the only one carrying his stuff
Download Frenzied Celebration in Muddle!
Sep
25
India are World Champions!
September 25, 2007 | | 1 Comment
Yes! The dream has finally been realised, after quarter of a century – in a manner almost identical. Only the stage is different, as are the protagonists. 25th June, 1983, English Summer producing the best of One Day cricket, who would have given the Indian daredevils under Kapil Dev whisker of a chance to beat the almighty West Indies to lift the World Cup of Cricket? Similarly, MS Dhoni went to South Africa with an inexperienced, young but inspired bunch of lads to compete against the might of Twenty-20 powerhouses such as Australia, England, South Africa and Pakistan. And let alone redemption of the pride lost in West Indies earlier this year, no one cared to care much about this TEAM. But they themselves cared, and cared so well that the Indian swansong still continues even after 24 hours of the historic World Cup triumph against arch rivals Pakistan.
The architects of the emphatic victory were energetic, confident, young, talented, and above all, proud. Proud of being at the big stage against all odds.
Gautam Gambhir once again showed pure class by knocking a flamboyant 75 en route to providing once again a solid start for India. In the absence of Virender Sehwag, and with wickets regularly falling at the other end, the dashing Delhi opener held fort at one end and denid Pakistan a run over the Indian Team. Along with Gambhir, if there was any other man who can be singled out for his contribution to the win, he is Irfan Pathan. The mercurial all-rounder tore apart the Pakistan middle order with 3 quick and important wickets and sounded an astounding comeback into international cricket.
Yet the Pakistani team also deserves equal praise for the manner in which they fought the battle. Accurate bowling restricted India to a modest total below 160 and then they came out to bat in a positive fashion. Imran Nazir stroked the ball beautifully but it was poor shot selection by Pakistani batsmen that took the game away from them. RP Singh was special in this tournament, with miserly bowling and wicket taking knack. It was left to Misbah ul Haq again to get Pakistan to the shores, and boy did he make a match out of it! With late strikes by Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir, he ensured that it would be a cliffhanger, as 13 were needed from the last over. A poor Joginder Sharma, who perhaps has learnt bowling in an altogether different school was entrusted with the hopes of 1 billion Indians, only to send them on a toss by starting with a wide. A shocker followed as super cool Misbah despatched a pathetic full toss over the ropes. With 6 required off 4, the last thing that was required was a poor ball, and bingo! Joginder obliged by bowling another help yourself full toss outside the off stump. Only this time Misbah had made up his mind too early to clear short fine leg and mishit the ball to Sreesanth, thus handing the victory to India.
Huh! 5 runs was the margin of victory, but no one will remember that. The bottomline reads,
INDIA – WORLD TWENTY-20 CHAMPIONS!
Sep
24
New Version of Gmail?
September 24, 2007 | | 1 Comment
Slashdot Reports:
“Gmail was launched on April 1, 2004, and has revolutionized the way many of us use email. The interface has remained largely untouched since it launched, but get ready, it’s soon to undergo a change in what they describe as a ‘New Version’. …..”
So do we have in store another Google masterstroke? What more an average email user could have asked for – unlimited storage space, free POP access, super quick clutter free interface, among a host of others. Gmail has evolved into a lot more than an email service, as much as, not having an @gmail.com address being almost a blasphemy. And integration with other Google Services is just the cherry you’d want on your cake. I just can’t wait for the new version to come out, and the feature I’d want to be on top is a little more colourful interface (a true MS fanboy I am!). Remains to be seen when it is rolled out for public in general.
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