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Monday, February 25, 2008

Adobe launches Adobe AIR

First the Microsoft launched the Silver Light Technology, then the Google came with their Gears and Now its Adobe's turn with their Adobe AIR.

In simple AIR is a software that will let computer users to use the online applications, off line.

Using the AIR, the online application developers, can easily develop a desktop interface for their online application.

Few tit-bits:
  • Currently supporting only Windows and Macs. Linux Version to be launched by this year end.
  • The software and the SDK are FREE.
  • Security Issues??? - Adobe advices to install AIR applications from sources that the users trust.

EBay has already developed their application using Adobe AIR. Some of other showcase applications are available HERE.

As the software-as-a-service concept is getting hotter and hotter, such technolgies will definitely bring seamless transition between the online and offline worlds. We need to wait and see who wins in this race.

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will the willow reply????

"Another problem that India have these days when they bat second on a good pitch, is that their most experienced batsman, who bats at such an influential position in the batting order, becomes almost redundant"
- Sanjay Manjrekar
(Former Indian Cricket player)


"The run-making for the top order hasn't been the story till now and it could make things so much easier for the lower order batsmen"
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(Indian Cricket Team Captain)


His batting average in last 51 matches:
when India batting first - 62.50 (24 innings)
when India batting second - 26.00 (27 innings)

In the recent CB Tri Series:
Innings : 7
Total Runs : 128
Avg. : 18.28

Dear Sachin ,
Too many stats and buzz in the media.
Please hit a century and then you can take rest for next 10 matches.


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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Latest jollu... [;-)]


Even after crossing the teen age, continuing to flow [;-)]

btw, this is happening....

When the team is asked work on a weekend...

when the whole team is making a mess around for the next hot fix release...

when I m suppose to work on a critical bug, which is delaying the works of other team members...

when the boss is regularly asking for the status - just like the cuckoo bird in the alarm clocks [;-)]


He.. He.. He.. life is always Khooool and the link to album is HERE.


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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Castrol Bike Zone, Velacherry - the worst bike service center

To put in simple words, to me the service at Castrol Bike Zone, Velacherry is horrible!!!

Few days back when I left my bike for service to this people, they said that there is a major problem in the engine. To fix that problem it would cost INR 8k +.

Since that was a little big amount, I asked them to only service the bike then and I would do that reboring in the coming month.

The bike was not ready at the promised time. I had to call them several times to get my bike.


When I took my bike after the service, there was a strange rattling sound coming from the engine. They argued that sound was already there when I left the bike for service. They said that the sound was because of that engine problem. They added that if I dont do that reboring, smoke emission will be more, milage/pick up will go down and many more threatening blah blah blah

After one week the sound started increasing. This time I took the bike to a near by authorized hero honda dealer. Their mechanic inspected the noise and said there is nothing to worry about engine, the problem might be with the small timer chain within the engine. They quoted only 800/- for this.

Later when they checked the engine, they found nothing was wrong with the timer chain. They only had to tighen the chain and replace the cam chain. They charged only Rs. 300/- for this.
Now my bike is smooth and normal.

For such a small problem, those people at the Bike Zone wanted Rs 8000+. If I had listened their words, then it would have been a loss on my part. How cheap they were to cheat me, who didn't know much about the engine details of the bike.

From the internet, I find that I m not the only victim for these people. There are many incidents like this. Now I doubt, if they themselves had loosened that chain to increase the noise in my engine.

Whatever it may be, now they have lost another customer. I feel the small workshops on roadside are more loyal to customers than this branded service center.

Hope they correct themselves in future, so that such things don't happen again.

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Yahoo india sacks forty employees

Pink slips have finally reached the Indian software industry. Today, the internet company Yahoo, had asked 40 of its employees in Bangalore (mostly from the R&D division) to leave the workplace within 30 minutes.

Even though, this is a part of Yahoo's global cut in workforce, such pink slips are surely an emotional shocks for the Indian society.

Detailed Article HERE.

I really can't understand why these companies are firing the employees by branding them as Non-performers. Why only low level engineers and inexperienced folks are branded as Non-performers? Aren't the higher officials responsible for such poor performances?

Strange life!!!

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Tuesday, February 05, 2008

TCS asks its employees to leave....

Following the poor performance in the last quarter and then the salary cut (though only a part of the variant in the pay package), now TCS has asked its employees, who were not able to perform as expected, to resign and leave the company.

TCS has asked 400 employees, who have under 2 years of experience, to resign, reports NDTV Profit. The company says it is a part of the annual performance driven exercise. The TCS stock is trading at Rs 954, down 2.3% on the BSE.

"Those who cannot meet the performance requirements of our company are asked to look for another job commensurate with their abilities," a spokesman for Mumbai-headquartered Tata Consultancy told Reuters.

"This (financial) year so far about 500 people have resigned voluntarily."

Some news HERE and HERE.

whatever reason it could be, such moves will only create fear among the TCS employees and of course a bad impression in their name. Instead of such sudden surprises, TCS shouldn't have recruited so many people in recent times and asked them to just sit in bench for months.

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Friday, February 01, 2008

Microsoft bids for Yahoo...

This could be the biggest consolidation in the software industry in recent times. Microsoft wanted to invest more into the online services market, understanding the future potential of this market. The Yahoo had suffered a heavy revenue loss during the last few quarters. Now as a next move, Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for nearly 44+ billions USD.


QUOTE:
Microsoft said the online advertising market is growing rapidly and expected to reach nearly $80 billion by 2010 from over $40 billion in 2007. It added it is "increasingly dominated by one player" referring to Google. "We have great respect for Yahoo, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market" Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

Detail article HERE

Well 10 years back, both the Microsoft and the Yahoo - who were the software giants then - wouldn't have thought they will have to join together as this to compete with Google which was only a small software startup at that time. Just another reason, why I think Google is an inspiration story for software startups.

Anyways Google itself will have to continue their work, if they don't want to surrender to some XYZ startup after 10 years. This isn't going to be a cake walk for them.

KEYWORDS:

Microsoft buys Yahoo, Microsoft Bids for Yahoo, Microsoft Yahoo merge, Google, Online Market, Online Services Market, Microsoft acquires Yahoo, Microsoft Yahoo acquisition