Google Chrome, the web browser of Google somehow doesn't conform to Google's created rules. Here's why:
1. I have never seen Google's products being advertised in places. Never seen an advertisement for Gmail/ AdWords /Orkut etc. Ads of Google Chrome, keep popping up on the otherwise surprisingly clean Google page, my Gmail suddenly tells me I can access my mails faster if I use Chrome. Not very interruptive, but annoying to a degree. Essentially, I don't like seeing what I don't want to see.
2. Google chrome is a definitely faster web browser but I don't need it. I have problems with Internet explorer but still haven't switched to FireFox( I am lazy and I still can browse the net on IE). For once Chrome isn't a product I am in dire need of.
3. Chrome is not a refreshing breath of fresh air like other Google products. I am a huge fan of their search engine, their AdWords, Gmail but not Chrome.
I don't want a drastically different web browser, IE works fine for me(especially after the improved tabbed browsing on IE8) .
PS: Here's a review for Chrome I did in the Battalion when it came out.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Susan Boyle Surprise
When Susan Boyle, a 47year old walked on the stage of Britain's Got Talent 2009 everyone expected it to be the producer's way of bringing comic relief to the whole line of auditions.
Predictably so. The rise of pop stars and stage events has made us associate amount of glamour to singing, and the image of Susan Boyle was quite the opposite of what we are used. Add the age and on top of that when she opened her mouth to speak it never betrayed what the voice was capable of.
To say everyone was shocked is to say the least. Her voice was endearing and moving and raised everyone to their feet.
Reminds me and everyone how important it is never to underestimate without giving them a chance. I loved her spirit and her belief in herself.
God bless her!
Predictably so. The rise of pop stars and stage events has made us associate amount of glamour to singing, and the image of Susan Boyle was quite the opposite of what we are used. Add the age and on top of that when she opened her mouth to speak it never betrayed what the voice was capable of.
To say everyone was shocked is to say the least. Her voice was endearing and moving and raised everyone to their feet.
Reminds me and everyone how important it is never to underestimate without giving them a chance. I loved her spirit and her belief in herself.
God bless her!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Always a first time
Here are the phases you go through under high stress:
1. Phase one:First your frustration limit, your stress levels are at the highest point.
2. Phase two: you surprisingly don't care anymore about anything in the world, that's what happened to me yesterday.
3. Phase three: You are for some reason happy and calm, when you shouldn't be.
PS: For some reason I really really want to write.. and I can't think of anything to write on. Also for the first time I don't have a deadline looming on me for some article!
1. Phase one:First your frustration limit, your stress levels are at the highest point.
2. Phase two: you surprisingly don't care anymore about anything in the world, that's what happened to me yesterday.
3. Phase three: You are for some reason happy and calm, when you shouldn't be.
PS: For some reason I really really want to write.. and I can't think of anything to write on. Also for the first time I don't have a deadline looming on me for some article!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I don't care
This is seriously scary: I don't care about the all the crap going on in my life anymore and it bothers me that I should be worried. The level of uncertainty doesn't get to me anymore.
Th crap:
1. I have no idea what I will be doing in summer which is three weeks away
2. I still don't know when to graduate
3. My degree has been blocked and I won't be registering tomorrow for fall classes when the rest of the world will. I might not get the classes I want.
4. Interviewers, companies are non responsive
5. I am binging on sweets stuff and gaining weight.
Arrggh..Why don't I care?
Th crap:
1. I have no idea what I will be doing in summer which is three weeks away
2. I still don't know when to graduate
3. My degree has been blocked and I won't be registering tomorrow for fall classes when the rest of the world will. I might not get the classes I want.
4. Interviewers, companies are non responsive
5. I am binging on sweets stuff and gaining weight.
Arrggh..Why don't I care?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
IIT tougher than MIT/Harvard? You are kidding..
In India I used to hear everyone saying( and all the media hype surrounding it) that it is tougher to get through IIT than even Harvard/ MIT. This is said mainly on the premise that the acceptance rate( the number of students who apply vs those who get through ) is lower for IIT than for the others. Lets explore the reasons why this isn't true:
1. Everyone remotely connected with science in India gives the IIT exam. If you have taken Maths in class 12 it goes without saying that you will be sitting( or your parents will coerce you into sitting) for the exam. No one just applies to Harvard or MIT, it is not a by default phenomenon.
2. You apply individually to Harvard/ MIT and it is not a joint entrance examination. I know quite a few people who apply to some really good colleges but not to MIT because they feel they aren't good enough to get through. I have never heard anyone saying I they won't be giving the IIT exam because they aren't good enough, people just give it.
3.The cost of attending Harvard is so much more than attending IIT. There are people who don't think of attending such schools solely because of the cost and never apply. Never happens with IIT.
IIT is tough to get through but I am pretty skeptical whether it is tougher than Harvard/ MIT.
1. Everyone remotely connected with science in India gives the IIT exam. If you have taken Maths in class 12 it goes without saying that you will be sitting( or your parents will coerce you into sitting) for the exam. No one just applies to Harvard or MIT, it is not a by default phenomenon.
2. You apply individually to Harvard/ MIT and it is not a joint entrance examination. I know quite a few people who apply to some really good colleges but not to MIT because they feel they aren't good enough to get through. I have never heard anyone saying I they won't be giving the IIT exam because they aren't good enough, people just give it.
3.The cost of attending Harvard is so much more than attending IIT. There are people who don't think of attending such schools solely because of the cost and never apply. Never happens with IIT.
IIT is tough to get through but I am pretty skeptical whether it is tougher than Harvard/ MIT.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Orkut copying Facebook
I have been noticing for a while, Orkut adding more functionality to its site to make it look more like Facebook.
Latest addition: you can chat with your friends who are online.
Started with replying easily, comment moderation on photos, tagging friends etc.
What I wish Orkut had( hope they do it next): the same network functionality of Facebook. You can only view profiles in your network. Higher privacy settings.
Latest addition: you can chat with your friends who are online.
Started with replying easily, comment moderation on photos, tagging friends etc.
What I wish Orkut had( hope they do it next): the same network functionality of Facebook. You can only view profiles in your network. Higher privacy settings.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Scalability of jobs
I am currently reading Taleb's the Black Swan. I like the perspective of how he has explained why actors, writers are such extreme professions and why it is so difficult to become an A grade actor.
My explanation was that they require no formal training which makes the field so wide open and increases the competition. I mean formal training is available but for most part inherent talent rules the roost.
According to Taleb, the problem with these type of scalable( extreme) professions is that one person takes a huge( or almost every part) of the benefits and most of the people in the group get none. Like there is one Julia Roberts and so many insignificant actresses who don't get much while she gets to take home 20 million dollar paychecks. The economics of getting into such a profession is extremely unbalanced.
Another factor which hypes these professions is that the media always projects the glamour of these professions and delude people into thinking it is somewhat easier and all what one could want. This is turn increases the competition making it tougher to crack it in the first place.
A lot of things have to be fall in place( some random) to be really successful in these extreme fields.
My explanation was that they require no formal training which makes the field so wide open and increases the competition. I mean formal training is available but for most part inherent talent rules the roost.
According to Taleb, the problem with these type of scalable( extreme) professions is that one person takes a huge( or almost every part) of the benefits and most of the people in the group get none. Like there is one Julia Roberts and so many insignificant actresses who don't get much while she gets to take home 20 million dollar paychecks. The economics of getting into such a profession is extremely unbalanced.
Another factor which hypes these professions is that the media always projects the glamour of these professions and delude people into thinking it is somewhat easier and all what one could want. This is turn increases the competition making it tougher to crack it in the first place.
A lot of things have to be fall in place( some random) to be really successful in these extreme fields.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Altered
I found this quote in a design book( on good PowerPoint presentations)I am currently reading which alters a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.
"Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man's character give him power".
The altered one:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man's character give him powerpoint" !!
"Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man's character give him power".
The altered one:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man's character give him powerpoint" !!
Book Recommendation: Outliers
" The three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying and meaningful are: autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward."- Malcolm Gladwell In Outliers.
Picked up this book by Gladwell(his latest) called Outliers. It is such an insightful read. In case you haven't read any of Gladwell, you must do, they provide insight and dimensions to ordinarily accepted phenomenon.
In Outliers he questions the really famous and successful people(like Gates) and probes into what makes them so successful. The answers extremely hard work( 10,000 hours), getting the right opportunities( luck) and the right cultural legacy.
The best of Gladwell: He weaves stories to make his point. Strong stories that stick. Makes his books so riveting and drives the point home.
A point he makes about why Asians are ordinarily better at math(with a few tweaks): "We sometimes think of mathematics as an innate ability. You either have it or you don't. But mathematics is not so much ability as attitude. You master mathematics if you are willing to try. Success is the function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for 22 minutes to make sense of something that most people give up after 30 seconds".
From my experience, that 's pretty much true for everything.
Loved the book.
Picked up this book by Gladwell(his latest) called Outliers. It is such an insightful read. In case you haven't read any of Gladwell, you must do, they provide insight and dimensions to ordinarily accepted phenomenon.
In Outliers he questions the really famous and successful people(like Gates) and probes into what makes them so successful. The answers extremely hard work( 10,000 hours), getting the right opportunities( luck) and the right cultural legacy.
The best of Gladwell: He weaves stories to make his point. Strong stories that stick. Makes his books so riveting and drives the point home.
A point he makes about why Asians are ordinarily better at math(with a few tweaks): "We sometimes think of mathematics as an innate ability. You either have it or you don't. But mathematics is not so much ability as attitude. You master mathematics if you are willing to try. Success is the function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for 22 minutes to make sense of something that most people give up after 30 seconds".
From my experience, that 's pretty much true for everything.
Loved the book.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Book review: Unaccustomed earth
Just finished Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri on Divyani's recommendation.
Its been a while I have read fiction that I liked.
If you haven't read this book, it is awesome.
And I was no Jhumpa Lahiri fan, especially after reading the Namesake( don't read it its terrible). I was also tired of people writing about immigration and the issues people deal with , but that is besides the point.
I haven't read the whole book only half of it: the story of Hema and Kaushik. Its amazing.
Read it as soon as you can.
A note on Lahiri's writing style: It's simple. Love the underlying humour in places. And loooove her excellent observation and the nuances of which she incorporates in her writing. Appreciate it even more since I have stayed in the US as well now.
Go read Hema and Kaushik. I won't spoil the story for you even a bit here.
Its been a while I have read fiction that I liked.
If you haven't read this book, it is awesome.
And I was no Jhumpa Lahiri fan, especially after reading the Namesake( don't read it its terrible). I was also tired of people writing about immigration and the issues people deal with , but that is besides the point.
I haven't read the whole book only half of it: the story of Hema and Kaushik. Its amazing.
Read it as soon as you can.
A note on Lahiri's writing style: It's simple. Love the underlying humour in places. And loooove her excellent observation and the nuances of which she incorporates in her writing. Appreciate it even more since I have stayed in the US as well now.
Go read Hema and Kaushik. I won't spoil the story for you even a bit here.
Encarta gone?
I read recently that Microsoft shut down its encyclopedia Encarta.
Brought back a few childhood memories when Encarta was the sole source of doing class projects. For picture, information... our very own know-all.
God wish someone had predicted what Google and Wikipedia combined would do.
Then you look around and see it happening in other things as well: newspapers for instance.
So if you are in Encarta's position what do you do?
Provide your information free? Go for a premium subscription with most of it free?
Its tough to compete when you know your opponent gives it for free. And almost impossible to displace it.
How does one compete with Wikipedia?
But maybe someone can attack Wikipedia's weakest link:( which is why it can do so much for free):The credibility and source of information since anyone can edit it. Thus Wikipedia can never be quoted as a reference anywhere legitimately.
For an instance even if I find some piece of useful information for my articles on Wikipedia I am never allowed to quote them. So I spend so much more time searching for places which I can provide as authentic references.
How about a site which provides us information and also legitimate sources for references to quote in articles, projects, papers. Limiting who can contribute and making it a knowledge powerhouse.
I hope someone does this in the future.
Brought back a few childhood memories when Encarta was the sole source of doing class projects. For picture, information... our very own know-all.
God wish someone had predicted what Google and Wikipedia combined would do.
Then you look around and see it happening in other things as well: newspapers for instance.
So if you are in Encarta's position what do you do?
Provide your information free? Go for a premium subscription with most of it free?
Its tough to compete when you know your opponent gives it for free. And almost impossible to displace it.
How does one compete with Wikipedia?
But maybe someone can attack Wikipedia's weakest link:( which is why it can do so much for free):The credibility and source of information since anyone can edit it. Thus Wikipedia can never be quoted as a reference anywhere legitimately.
For an instance even if I find some piece of useful information for my articles on Wikipedia I am never allowed to quote them. So I spend so much more time searching for places which I can provide as authentic references.
How about a site which provides us information and also legitimate sources for references to quote in articles, projects, papers. Limiting who can contribute and making it a knowledge powerhouse.
I hope someone does this in the future.
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