Microsoft vs Rest of the world

We all know about the incompatible standards for the upcoming DVD generation (HD-DVD and Blu-ray). Microsoft takes the stand on HD-DVD, while many other companies take the opposite stand. Reasons are evident as Java Runtime Environment is used by the Blu-ray devices. If no single standard solution can be framed, it will then be interesting to let consumers decide which one to eliminate in near future.

Yet another battle of technologies... Its the Microsoft InfoCard versus Project Higgins that is lead by IBM and Novell. Project Higgins is an open-source effort managed by the eclipse foundation. It deals with the idea of managing personal identity of an internet user in a convenient way.

Interestingly, Windows servers for the first time topped Unix for the quarterly results. However, combining all flavors of Unix (Unix, Linux, Solaris) beats Windows without doubt. Check it out here. Moreover, the single-user nature of MS-DOS makes it really hard for Microsoft to compete with the multi-user nature of Unix.

Silver Anniversary to my Parents

I wish my parents a very happy Silver Anniversary. I wish them boundless happiness on this special occasion and forever. I love you... Mom and Dad. I had a video-chat with them, and shared the joy in celebrating this occasion. Thanks to technology for making the world look smaller.

Going BACK on my Time-Machine

If I have a time-machine to move back in time, and if blogging exists at all times, what would I be blogging during my stay in each of the time-periods? Here it is...

10 yrs ago (Year 1996)
Just started my high school days and its so much fun already. The study load is definitely much more than before, but its not a big concern if accompanied by friends. There are mid-terms, half-yearly exams, pre-finals and the finals on each of the 8 subjects... wow! Thats sooo much~

Inspite of all that, I play cricket with my friends in the weekends. Watching television takes away some portion of evening, and I read around 2 hours per day before dinner. Every morning, I get up way too early and go for the Martial Arts class. I have my best friend to accompany me for this too. Hmmm! Its good to realize the amount of time I have in addition to daily schooling & homeworks.


6 yrs ago (Year 2000)
I'm now a sophomore at R.M.K Engg college, which is known for its campus-rules, strict attendance policy, and good food. There is very little or no scope for quiting classes or chatting with pals. Good news is that the class strength is just 32, making it easier for the teachers to concentrate on individual students. I fit into a group of 6 friends, and we usually have fun together.

My daily routine starts at 5:30 in the morning by trying to get up from bed and catch my college bus. Its a 1 hour drive to the college campus, and the breakfast is offered before the classes start. At 12:30 pm, its time for a very good lunch whose items are different everyday. I reach home at around 6:00 in the evening, giving me less time for all my other activities. I would dream how different my life was 5 years ago, with more time than I could ask for.


4 yrs ago (Year 2002)
Getting closer to the final year in college... but my daily life is all the same as my sophomore year. The only difference is that I'm preparing for the GRE exam and have started my research on which US universities to apply for my Masters degree. All my weekends and every frame of time on other days goes in preparing for the GRE (especially verbal portion). As usual, exam preparation is just 2 days prior to the exam... (1 week prior in some cases). All my friends are also taking up the GRE... and hence, a lot of competition among us to excel.


2 yrs ago (Year 2004)
Its a different story altogether... Getting used to life in US (far away from my homeland), making new friends, adapting to the new culture, self-cooking everyday and trying to excel in my courses at the same time. Its like starting a whole new independent life. I started appreciating the life style in US, and continue to blog my thoughts/experiences regularly. I end up spending most of my time on my programming assignments, and work for 20 hrs per week as a computer-lab assistant in my university.

This summer (June'05 - Sep'05), I am spending my time learning Java and preparing for Sun certifications. I opted to take certifications as I have nothing better to do at home... and also in the hope of finding an internship at the earliest.


1 yr ago (Year 2005)
Got my first exposure to the job life (an internship at Viewlocity). I'm very excited and showing a lot enthusiasm at work. In the mornings, I go to work atleast 1/2 hr before the rest of my team, get my work completed well before the given deadlines, and ask for more work. My team lead and the senior developer in my team seem to be happy with my performance. Having taken just 2 courses this semester, managing work and study is no problem. This being my first job, there is indeed a steep learning curve involved. I am absolutely enjoying my work...


1/2 hour ago (Today)
Sitting in front of my PC, writing this blog.

Action - Adverb Combos

Here is a good list of action-adverb combination to lead a better life... I found this list on the web, and thought it would be a good idea to publish in my blog.

Relish-----------Fully
Converse---------Softly
Walk-------------Humbly
Eat--------------Sensibly
Breathe----------Deeply
Sleep------------Sufficiently
Dress------------Smartly
Act--------------Fearlessly
Work-------------Patiently
Think------------Truthfully
Believe----------Correctly
Behave-----------Decently
Learn------------Practically
Plan-------------Orderly
Earn-------------Honestly
Save-------------Regularly
Spend------------Intelligently
Love-------------Passionately

Interesting Pic... Before you ask !