Apple iPad: But Does It Have Wings?

Were this anyone else, I’d say they had a snowball’s chance in hell of making it, but this is Apple, which likely has a patent on hell snowballs, so let’s chat about the Apple iPad this time.

Acer Chairman J.T. Wang among the many people in the tech world awaiting the debut of Apple's (AAPL) new tablet computer. "I'm eager to see what Apple has done," says Wang, the top executive at Acer, the world's second-largest PC vendor behind Hewlett-Packard. Trust Apple to create Hype for almost everything and have the crowd salivating weeks, even months before the actual release of their Products. So was the case with their latest kid: The iPad.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company's highly anticipated new tablet device, called the iPad, at a media event in San Francisco. This ultra-thin tablet, a 9.7-inch capacitive, fingerprint-resistant touchscreen display, 0.5 inches thick, weighing at 1.5 lbs. is powered by a 1 GHz processor built by Apple. The device has built-in speakers and a microphone, but no camera, and can get upto 10 hours of battery life when surfing the Web on WiFi. iPad will allow users to surf the web, check email, play games and watch videos, among other things.

The iPad is scheduled to arrive as early as March 2010 and will be available in Different Flavors. The WiFi-only version of the iPad will be available , while the WiFi/3G version will be available in three months. The WiFi-only devices will be sold for $499 for a 16 GB model, $599 for 32 GB and $699 for 64 GB. The 3G models will start from $629 for the 16 GB, $729 for the 32 GB and $829 for 64 GB version. The device is fully unlocked and supports GSM micro-SIM cards.

It doesn't enable traditional wireless voice services, Which means that you'll still need your iPhone to make those Calls. Also,if you're already on a Data Plan for your Iphone there is no way of clubbing it with your iPad Data Plan. You'll have to subscribe to the Pre-Paid Data Plan separately for iPad. Apple and AT&T continue to be attached at the hip, The question here is whether AT&T can handle the additional data load? Its struggle with the data onslaught from iPhone users has been bothersome. For Indian Consumers, the only option they have is to use Home/Office Wireless network for serious surfing as most of the Network Providers are still not on 3G yet. Also the fact, that it runs all iPhone/iTouch Applications, many consider it nothing but an obese iTouch. With Networking Capabilities of course.

The problem for Apple, much like it was for the iPod, which it got done, and Apple TV, which it didn't, is getting access to the media folks who want to watch and play with on the device. there are already Kindle reader Applications available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but then Amazon even doesn't have the perfect content for its very own Kindle. for instance, the always popular Harry Potter books are not on Kindle. Imagine That. Plus, the fact that Apple never likes the idea of anyone else owning any service critical to their device in the first place.

I wouldn’t bet on Apple to fail, though. It does that very seldom, and given this may be Steve Jobs’ swan song product, there likely will be more emphasis on getting it right than on any product that came before it. This thing could actually become an eBook, smartphone, and netbook killer, and if it did, what a swan song for Steve it would be.

Coming of Age: Nexus One. RIP iPhone

Android and the Nexus One are charging at full steam. If Apple isn’t careful, it could eventually find its cell phone in second place.

OK! Not just me but Cnet UK said it too: iPhone is the worst phone Ever! There. Period.

And now with the Google (and HTC) Nexus One out it's time the Folks at apple get a wee bit concerned. I mean, yeah, iPhone has like Zillions of Apps for almost everything, it doesn't do anyone good if you can't make decent phone calls with it. For all these features that make smart phones live up to their names, the iPhone does a bang-up job. Just don't try to actually make a phone call on one. Here's what Cnet had to say about it and in their own words I Quote:

Say what? iPhone call quality is bad

Call quality on the iPhone is pathetic, and it's mostly because of the tiny speaker. It has to be aligned with your ear canal with the accuracy of a laser-guided ninja doing cataract surgery, or else the volume cuts down to nothing as the sound waves bounce uselessly around your ear shells.

Dropped calls and data gaps

If, like Will Smith in Enemy of the State, you're trying to avoid the eagle eye of Big Brother, the iPhone could be for you. It drops calls, fails to connect and doesn't even ring sometimes -- not for everyone, but more often than any other phone we're currently using.

You can't answer if it doesn't ring

Perhaps the worst of the iPhone's problems is its ability to sit there stealthily and ignore incoming calls. With no ring or vibrate to clue you in, your friends and family are redirected to voice-mail... or just treated to silence. If you're in a two-iPhone family, it can be a case of the deaf leading the mute.

Phone battery life

Battery life is the first casualty of smart-phone development, as the power of 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and heavy-duty processing sucks the power out of over-miniaturised cells. But the iPhone was the first to really flaunt its slim body while you watched the bars drop almost in front of your eyes. A couple of hours of Google Maps over 3G and you'll be lost in the woods without even the possibility of phoning for help.

Smart Phones: Coming of Age. Enter Nexus One

Here's the real Deal: Google and HTC in collaboration have come up with their own version of the Smart phone - The Nexus One. Call us geeks, but we can't hear the word "Nexus" without thinking of the Utopian dimension in Star Trek where all wishes were fulfilled. So How does Nexus one Stand up against our most popular Defending Champion iPhone?

Heavyweight Champions no more

3Gs weighs 135 grams while the Nexus weighs about 130 grams, no significant difference.

Hardware in your Pocket

The processor of the iPhone works at a clock speed of 600 MHz processor while Nexus One works on the speed of 1 giga Hertz. RAM inside of Apple’s device is about 256 MB in memory and the one of the Nexus is about 512 MB. In front of Nexus one Tech Specs iPhone is just craptastic. Score one for Geeks.

The Art of Networking

Both devices support HSDPA network of the cellular operators, and they support the download speed of 7.2 mega bytes per second. Upload end of the iPhone is about 384 K Bytes and the one of the Nexus is the 2 mega-bit. Score two for Geeks. Yaay!

Look At Me

The iPhone comes with 3.5 inch screen and supports 16 million colors at a resolution of 480×320 pixels. On the other hand Google’s device comes with a screen 3.7-inch with a resolution of 800X480 pixels. The Nexus screen display makes the iPhone pale in comparison.

Got Juice?

On the iPhone, unlike other devices, there is an internal battery that can not be replaced - Compared with the iPhone, Nexus comes with a replacement battery. More importantly: Nexus has a stronger battery, which provides a longer time between charging.

Shoot Me!

Here the cards are clear and open: Nexus five mega-pixels sensor against three mega pixels in the iPhone, the existence of flash compared to the total absence on the iPhone, but also performance wise- Google’s camera obtains images better, more alive and sharp. And also important: Google’s camera device can also shoot at night, where the iPhone can not do even with the third generation of the device.

Bottom line: no surprises. Nexus’s camera wins with his hand on top.

Multi-Tasking and Parallel Parking

Running parallel applications is essential for busy people . Apple has not managed to do it well, or in fact – not at all. Push messages on the screen, are really poor solution for an innovative company like Apple, and operating parallel applications on the device of the iPhone is not possible.

It’s frustrating especially when playing a game and to getting an SMS message that jumps on the screen – and throws you out. Android on the other hand can do that easily, especially with Google’s powerful processor.

Nexus wins this round in a knockout.

In fact, on Mashable the Nexus One Annihilated iPhone in the readers Vote.

So if I hadn't just poured in my Pocket money on the Dinghy N97 I would've been buying myself The Nexus One. After All I'm an Out and Out Google Boy anyway. Well maybe, Nexus Two when it comes around.

The Hoaxes and What people will believe

Sometimes it is so irritating what people will put on the net and others believe! I've been literally spammed with emails about these two revolutionary expose that should put rest of the world to shame. Let's listen to the hoax first and then let's list down the facts.

But before I'm alleged for plagarism, let me put my credits in line. Thanks to Sufi S. who've put the information on the net and debunking these claims.

Hoax of Mr. G Vaidyaraj and his Diamonds

"Shock for the Nation !!! (Believe it or not) Do you know that India is the richest country in the world! (They don't even get their Grammer right!)

Right now, India is the richest country in the world! Wondering how? It's

really amazing.

It's due to Mr. G Vaidyaraj, who donated all his wealth, about which he

actually did not know. He is a descendent of Raja Krishnadev Raya from Mysore district.

For the last 300 years or so, three stones were worshipped in his house.But nobody tried to see what it was, except this person, who is a lawyer by profession. One day, when there was nobody in his house, he took the stone out to see what it was that they worship.

Due to the dust deposited on it, from many many years, it looked only like a simple stone. But when he touched it, some portion of the stone was cleansed. And he saw a bright ray of light.

He saw something which attracted his attention. And he was amazed when he cleaned all of them.The whole room was filled with light. He discovered they were diamonds of about 4600 carats each.

He informed the Govt. of India and the news is censored with its security (Did These Guys ever leanr English?). It's now deposited in a Swiss Bank. (Why? Indian Banks are not safe Enough?) The cost of single diamond exceeds the GDP of USA + UK. India can buy

virtually 7 developing nations. Even World Bank does not have enough money to buy it. One diamond costs thrice the debt of World Bank over India. One such diamond can buy 10 Bill Gates to you. And the World Bank has proposed the Indian Govt. that it can pay India in Installment if it wishes to do so.

1. India's GDP is 34.25 billion dollars.
2. Bill Gates property is 95 billion dollars approximate so that is the way 'nature changes' (Huh?).

Our Prime Minister has refused to sell it. He said it will be sold or mortgaged for credit when we need it. Otherwise right now we have no problems.

You can go through Times of India with a small column on it a week ago (Give me the date if you've really read it!). Star TV presented a 115 min documentary on it about 15 days ago.

The Hindu with its half page article in it. After that it was censored as classified."

Now the Facts:

someone decided to do a little bit of search in internet to find out more about this and typed in "proud to be indian". They found out that this is a mantra that is chanted again and again, as if it took some repetition before you could believe it?

Google said "proud to be indian" has been indexed 14, 300 times.

Not happy with that, they did some cybersearching on G Vaidyaraj and his diamonds. Vaidraj + diamonds yeilded only 976 results. But its amazing to take a look at what they are. Click on the previous link to see the results. While the whole email was pasted virtually everwhere, no one had either proved or disproved the claims mentioned in it.

Now Dig This:

"The cost of single diamond exceeds the GDP of USA + UK"

Well now, here's the thing. The GDP of the USA is $11.75 trilllion. The GDP of the UK is $1.174 trillion. Adding those together you get $12.984 trillion. Now if you divide that by the diamonds weight of 4,600 carats, you get a cost of $2.8 billion PER CARAT. Some time ago someone brought his wife a half carat diamond, and it did not cost him $1.4 billion for it!

Now for some simple arithmatic:

"India can buy virtually 7 developing nations."

Meaningless statement. which developing nations? Tuvalu? Viet Nam?

"Even World Bank does not have enough money to buy it."

Why would they want to? What would be the point?

"One diamond costs thrice the debt of World Bank over India."

Make your mind up! First you say that it's worth $12 trillion, now you are saying they are worth 3 X $42 billion = $126 billion. Way less than $12 trillion we think you'll agree!

"One such diamond can buy 10 Bill Gates to you."

Here you go changing your mind again. Bill Gates is currently worth $43 billion (ish). Which now makes your diamond worth $430 billion.

"And the World Bank has proposed the Indian Govt. that it can pay India in Installment if it wishes to do so."

But why would it want to? What would be the point?

"India's GDP is 34.25 billion dollars."

No it isn't. India's GDP is $568 Billion.

The Hoax of the Indian boy in his 12th standard who disproved Einstein's "Theory of Relativity".

The Story goes as: "Shocked? Read on... Sudarshan Reddy has theoretically proven the existence of a sub-atomic particle, which can travel at speed greater than that of light, thereby challenging one of the fundamental postulates of the 'Theory of Relativity'. In his recent research paper submitted to the Institute of Advanced Physics (IAP) at Trieste (Italy), Sudarshan has proved the existence of a class of sub-atomic particles called leptons', which can travel faster

than light. The international physics community is shocked by this discovery.

Dr.Massimo Martelli, President of the IAP has this to say about the paper submitted by Sudarshan. 'After long, careful and critical analysis, I can confidently say that Sudarshan's re search papers show tremendous leap in our understanding of physics. His investigation mounts up on 'leptons'.

His work builds substantially on the work of Einstein and others in the field of relativity.' When physicists from Princeton University tried to measure Sudarshan's IQ with an IQ-meter (at the American Embassy in Delhi), the meter broke down. Sudarshan, incidentally, is the brother of

Madhu Reddy, the Indian whiz kid who developed an operating system superior to Microsoft Windows. We should all be very proud of these boys."

1. There is no such thing as the Institute of Advanced Physics in Trieste.
2. Dr. Massimo Martelli is a Cardiologist, not a Physicist.
3. There is no such thing as an I.Q. meter.
4. Sudarshan doesn't exist. Neither does his supposed brother, Madhu.
5. Anyone who thinks making a superior OS to MS windows is a Wizz, doesn't really know what he's talking about! Hasn't he heard of MAC - OS.

Burst you Bubble? Ces't la Vie!

Blinding Love

If love had a taste what would it be?

If it had a color what would I see?

My days are dark without the spark

And painted grey in the shades of clay.

What do you feel when it rains outside

To me it's the same without my pride.

I gave it all nothing in return

Feel within the fire burn.

It's not of love, passion or desire

To such a fate how can I retire?

Being someone and no one at all

To such a state when did I fall?

With faltering steps and the empty feeling

With all this time where's the healing?

Being together yet junctions apart

Love is a scythe in my bleeding heart.

I feel not pain the wound is numb

It goes unnoticed with people some.

My smile or tears it did not matter

Vulnerable as glass it had to shatter.

For love is weak but desires strong

Hate befits in the matter long.

Farewell cynics, welcome Valentines

(Advisory Note: Again -I'm not trying to be an MCP or proving superiority, or blaming the fairer sex. Last year, I read an article from a Girl on Merinews which Pissed me off bad! So I submitted this article too which got published. I thought it all ended there - until someone (surprisingly happens to be a female again) popped up on the grid sharing similar cynical thoughts. Now I am not one of those 'Creative' writers who'll write a new article as a reactive response. So I'm just re-stating what I said the last time. And why not, It was well said then - holds true today too).

Visit the link below to read the original post on Merinews.

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=124306&category=Lifestyle>&catID=7

IT IS THE season of love with lovers cooing lovey dovey in each other’s ears on Valentine’s Day. And as they say one can feel ‘love is in the air!’ But hey, wait, I hear someone shout... they exclaim, “love? There’s no loving in Valentine’s Day! It’s all about sex, sleaze and seduction! Its materialism incarnated.” Well, of all other words, the word I expect to hear last was - materialism. Alas! Another black spot on the pink color of Valentine! Sure, there’s a lot of sex and sleaze and one-night stands associated with this wonderful day (and to which some would say, making it all the more wonderful), but materialism?

 

Maybe yes. But then I wonder which part of our life is not affected by it? Doesn’t the whole world seem to be running behind the American Dollar? People take up jobs more on the basis of pay rather than the content, girls marry guys because “...Oh so what he’s fat and bald? Everyone’s got flaws. But see, he’s an NRI too...”

 

Open up your eyes people - materialism is everywhere. And no festival, society or place remains unscathed by it. But isolating Valentine’s Day by marking it as a celebration of materialism isn’t the right thing to do.

 

As for sex, sleaze and seduction – they too are just around the corner. They don’t just burst out revolving on the day of Valentine’s. It’s only on that day the cynics (who probably don’t have a date) decide to notice how appallingly pathetic the world is. Some one mentioned somewhere about the Valentine cards being an invitation for date who fits our definition of attractive. Well first, we don’t date unattractive people. Accept it ladies. And second, it’s a start and you never know to whom a simple date may lead you to – perhaps, your soul mate for life?

 

Just because people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars (or rupees in our case) doesn’t make it a materialistic issue or having a causal relationship makes the whole society scandalous. The world is changing and so are our lives. Long gone are the days when there used to be just candies in the stockings on Christmas and a birthday cake (only) on your birthdays. Children of the rich now expect PS-2 or XBOX or maybe even the latest model of a cell phone on the shelf. But then again, it’s only a matter of perception that you chose.

 

Practically thinking, when did a rich kid wait for Christmas for laying his hands on their spoils, even when we look back in time? And the lesser privileged don’t dream of them even on a Christmas. And so holds true for a Valentine’s Day too. It’s about capacity and the capability to which you feel comfortable to spend for the one you love. Period. You cannot persuade Brad Pitt to celebrate Valentine’s Day with just flowers nor can you convince a mere peasant to celebrate Valentine’s Day with anything but flowers. There are still (and trust me, many) who still say it with flowers. And yes, they pay for it (rather be blamed for being materialistic than to be blamed for stealing flowers and ruining your neighbour’s garden). I know what you’re going to say... “Flowers ain’t that bad, it’s the expensive diamonds and the extravagant candle light dinner we’re talking about!” But then listen people; it’s not a choice we guys make. We know that mere flowers and a good sense of humor won’t get us a date.

It’s our lovely ladies who will have to lower their standards and look into our well, ‘un-materialistic’ charming qualities and settle down for flowers. And thanks to Valentine’s Day, our poor farmers in Pune aren’t that poor anymore.

 

As for those who cry upon our lost cause and drifting away from our culture (aping the West to be more correct) – I have news! Thanks to globalization and our fast adaptation of the West today, we’re what we are becoming a more prosperous India! And if it makes you feel better, you have a choice to look towards and East (Japan, Korea Taiwan, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia…) where they celebrate Valentine’s Day too and say “Hey, we’re successfully aping the East now (pun intended here)!” Or perhaps, you like the conservative countries where Burka is still on vogue and Valentine Day a Taboo?

 

Have a Lovely, Romantic, Happy and Extravagant Valentine’s Day!

Season of Love

So St. Valentine's Day is just around the corner - roses and chocolates selling at atrocious prices and still running out of stock, people turning cheesy and buying from a new perfume to entire new wardrobe just for this special occasion. And why not? This is the time to celebrate love. And don't tell me that you don't need a special day to celebrate love - because the likes who've told me this have spent the most for valentine's day already.

But just to be in the spirit, I've decided to act cheesy myself. Being cheesy works - trust me. I've got out of tough spots with my girlfriend by being delicate along with being a romantic idiot at the appropriate time. Key phrase here is Appropriate time. 

But enough of this banter - here's my first dedication to this Romantic Festivity:

No matter how cloudy be the night 

Or hardy storms the beasts of might, 

there is always comfort and solace 

within her arms embrace.

Deceit and tricks or the world in vain

longer may be the darkest lane,

With time i have learned to trust

warmth of love and patience just.

The off time hell of moody swings

along with the chaos it brings,

Is just a color or a shade

of this loving angelic maid

with all its glory, it has its downs

But on love - how can I frown?

she stands by you in pain and pleasure

among moments of joy you always treasure.

forsake the sins that I've done - Heaven on Earth I have one.

What's with the vampires?

I wonder if the Vampires ever considered using Sun screen lotions with SPF 30+ which blocks harmful UV rays, both UV-A and UV-B? Or is it just incorrect advertisement on the part of Cosmetic manufacturers. In fact, here's an idea for a Sun Protection product - "A lotion so effective that even Vampires use it"! And then they could have Endorsements from Vampires like, Edward Cullen, "I first started using this amazing Sun Screen lotion when I got it as a birthday present on my 40th Birthday..." 

The Lycans can also endorse the product saying that how soft and silky their fur has become in just seven days that it glows in the moon.

And then the commercial could end with an Offer like "... first 500 hundred callers will also get a free pair of anti- Radiation Sun-glasses from Ray-Ban. Beware of Imitators - It could be hazardous to your er, health"

Of course, Blade won't profit from such commercials since he's already a "Daywalker". 

Hasn't the world already has enough theories about mythological creatures like vampires and werewolves that we need authors to come up with new ones every now and then? I mean if I am to be an Avid follower of the Vampire's coven and lover of Dark literature - How do I know which theory to follow. They don't really have an “All you need to know about Vampires” Encyclopedia, and since the volturi clan is being so secretive about protecting the secret, I doubt they would list a visiting centre's address in the phone book.

Like recently I was reading the Twilight saga and here it is - A brand new theory about Vampires. According to author Stephenie Meyer: "Vampires in the Twilight series, possesses superhuman beauty, strength, speed, endurance, and agility. Their scent and voice are enormously seductive". 

So much is common with all other vampires from other books. But instead of being burnt in the Sunlight the Vampires here shine like Diamonds when exposed to it. They have Bullet proof skin and they're immune to Silver, Holy Water and don't shrink at the sight of a Cross.

So how do you kill them (Twilight series Vampires)? 

The only sure way of doing it is by tearing them into pieces and burning every part of theirs. Which essentially can be done by other fellow creatures, children of the moon a.k.a. werewolves and shape shifting wolves, since humans don't have the strength nor the tools to do it. (Yet, Edward Cullen was able to inject himself with a syringe and take out some of his venom and pump Bella with it). Interesting.

So much for Blade coming around and slicing and dicing them with his impressively sharp sword, silver stakes and ammunition made out of silver nitrate or which emits UV light upon impact. In fact, this puts the very existence of blade in question - Blade is Half human, Half Vampire. But so is Bella Swan's daughter from the book The New Moon. And they're entirely different.

And what's with the Silver nitrate? I mean of all available salts of silver why silver Nitrate always? Why can't we use Silver Oxide instead? The bullets will be virtually maintenance free.

Then the question comes about UV light. Well Sun isn't the only source of UV light - Half of the vampires would be dead the moment they step into a Night club (And they love to visit night clubs). Neon lights and fluorescent tubes are supposed to have the same luminosity as Sun light and it they aren't already cringing away from all the sign boards on the streets, is it Vitamin D then to which they're fatally allergic to?

And how does this Vampire Venom/virus work exactly especially on the physically beautifying part? Every Vampire turns out to be Attractive as hell. Imagine them coming up with another Commercial like "New Anti-ageing treatment - You just don't look young, you stay young!" 

Or maybe like "No matter who your parents were and how ugly you were in high School, with this new improved Vampire Formula you'll dazzle in the Sun - literally!!"

So if I am fat and balding, being bitten by a Vampire gives me a well toned body and good long hair? Which again raises the question - Do Vampires need a hair cut?

I still feel sorry for Blade...

Square Root of Three

This definitely would come under the lame poems category if you sing it to your valentine. But for some reason, I found the poem very interesting and good. Maybe, that's the geek inside me speak (and perhaps the poem was meant to be for geeks only) but then again, it's a well thought - of poem 'arithmatically' if not romantically. Read on... 

I’m sure that I will always be

A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,

Why must my three keep out of sight

Beneath the vicious square root sign,

I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,

with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321

Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,

Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,

Together now we multiply

To form a number we prefer,

Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds

With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued

Your love for me has been renewed

--- Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Welcome To Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the eight-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571. The city's downtown retains substantial economic influence, ranking at 25th in the nation for jobs within the urban core (and is sixth in job density).
The characteristic shape of downtown is a triangular tract carved by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, where the Ohio River forms. The skyline features 151 high-rise buildings, 446 bridges, two inclined railways, and a pre-revolutionary fortification. Pittsburgh is known colloquially as "The City of Bridges" and "The Steel City" for its many bridges and former steel manufacturing base.
While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today it is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, fashion, and financial services. The city has made great strides in redeveloping abandonded industrial sites with new housing, shopping and offices, such as the SouthSide Works. While Pittsburgh faced economic troubles in the mid 1970s as the steel industry waned, modern Pittsburgh is economically strong. The housing market is relatively stable despite a national subprime mortgage crisis, and Pittsburgh has added jobs in 2008 even as the national economy is in a significant jobs recession. This positive economic news is in contrast to 30 years ago when Pittsburgh lost its manufacturing base as those jobs moved offshore.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine named Pittsburgh the 10th cleanest city, and in 2008 Forbes listed Pittsburgh as the 13th best city for young professionals to live. The city is consistently ranked high in livability surveys. In 2007, Pittsburgh was named "America's Most Livable City" by Places Rated Almanac.

44th President of the USA

So finally, after months of campaigns, speeches, speculations, polls, skepticism it came to an end last night - Democrat Barack Obama wrote his name indelibly into the pages of American history on Tuesday, engineering an upheaval to become the country's first Afro-American President-elect in a runaway victory over John McCain. The 72-year-old McCain quickly called his opponent to concede defeat and congratulate his rival in the longest and most costly Presidential campaign in American history.

And since the speculations come to an end - autopsies begin. My News feed is flooded with articles like Why McCain lost or End to the Palin - McCain relationship, 10 reasons why Obama had to win....

C'mon, wasn't the pre-election exciting enough? Can we all now rather worrying about why Obama won and McCain lost, be concerned about how our new president is planning to steer the most powerful democracy in the world out of the troubled times? Stop spamming my inbox with news articles of poll results I already know. Everybody is sharing the same article again and again. My Google reader alone has the article "The US elections--World parties as Obama wins" sent to me by 52 peers as article I should read!

Congratulations Obama for being the 44th President of the USA. We're expecting a lot from you. I do hope you will be able to cap the inflation, stabilize the stock market and get us out of this credit crunch. And the global economy depends on it.

Fallingwater

Fallingwater is the name of a very special house that is built over a waterfall. Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most famous architect, designed the house for his clients, the Kaufmann family. Fallingwater was built between 1936 and 1939. It instantly became famous, and today it is a National Historic Landmark.

Why is it so famous? Think about it! A house that doesn’t even appear to stand on solid ground, but instead stretches out over a 30’ waterfall. It captured everyone’s imagination when it was on the cover of Time magazine in 1938.

Fallingwater was entrusted to The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kaufmann, jr. who said, upon its dedication: “As the waterfall of Bear Run needed the house to enter the realm of art, so the joint work of art, Fallingwater in its setting, needed the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to enter a new life of public service…. I believe the Conservancy will give nature, the source, full due, and art, the human response to nature, full respect.”

If you're interested in conserving the place then you can become a Friend of Fallingwater at the level that is most comfortable for you. Beginning at the $100 level, you’ll enjoy a suite of privileges and benefits at Fallingwater and through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy as well.

You can also make Donations otherwise or you can even sign up as a volunteer if you're passionate about Fallingwater.

And if nothing else, you should make it a point to visit this place at least once. It presents itself beautifully and very differently in every season. With Frozen creek and snow covered landscape in the Winter to the lush green landscape and cool flowing water in the Summers. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy really care about the natural environment and use recyclable products which in a way even moves you to do the same.

Go trek, hike, sketch, paint, click pictures. If you're an outdoor loving person then mark visiting this place in your "... Things to do before I die" list.

Summer Classes for Men

(This is what my girl sent me the other day...)

Summer Classes for Men at
THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Friday, August 17th 2008
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMIT ED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1
How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2
The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours. 

Class 3
Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning
at 7:00 PM

Class 6
Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Learning How to Find Things--Starting With Looking In the Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10
Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--Basic Differences between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12
How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling when you’re Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Happy to Help

The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have an excellent sense of humor.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? (UK).

A:  We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q:  Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia?   (Sweden)

A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q:  Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)

A: What did your last slave die of?

Q:  Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia?  (USA)

A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not... oh forget it. ..... Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross.  Come naked.

Q:  Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q:  Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK)

A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q:  Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)

A:  Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it.  Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races.  Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? (UK)

A: You're a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name.  It's a kind of bear and lives in trees.  (USA)

A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them.

Q:  Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)

A: No, WE don't stink.

Q:  I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia?  (USA)

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q:  Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)

A: Only at Christmas.

Q:  Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)

A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first!

Rate me at Humor-Blogs.com

Daughter's ESP

A father put his three year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which she ended by saying  "God bless Mommy, God bless daddy, God bless grandma and good-bye grandpa."

The father asked, "Why did you say good-bye grandpa?"  The little girl said, "I don't know daddy, it just seemed like the thing  to do."

The next day grandpa died.

The father thought it was a strange coincidence.

A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her  prayers, which went like this: "God bless Mommy, God Bless daddy and good-bye grandma."

The next day the grandmother died.

Oh my god, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side.

Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say, "God bless Mommy and good-bye daddy."

He practically went into shock. He couldn't sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch sent in and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day. He stayed there, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally midnight arrived; he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.

When he got home his wife said "I've never seen you work so late, what's the matter?"

He said "I don't want to talk about it; I've just spent the worst day of  my life."

She said "You think you had a bad day, you'll never believe what happened  HERE.

He asked "What??"

She said "This morning our neighbour James suddenly died.

The Dark Knight – Enlighteningly Dark

Holy Smoke! Till now I thought that superhero movies are all about action, bloated egos and special effects but not deep. The dark knight which is sequel to the 2005 Batman Begins is without question one of the most demonic, pure incarnations of nightmarish instant classic movie.  I am so very over awed by the movie and still so very reeling that I cannot even put my own thoughts together and pen down anything which could be coherent even at the slightest level. I am just putting together below what I’ve heard other people say or write about it. The Dark Knight' offers a glimpse into the darker places within each of us, which might be cathartic for some, but others will simply be afraid. It is a supreme achievement in its genre. It doesn't transcend its comic book origins, but rather faithfully represents them, wholly unembarrassed to deliver its story on its own terms.

It deals with the so-called post 9-11 era and America's response to 9-11 if you want to look at it with a political undertone. Think about it - joker is the ultimate terrorist, all he cares about is destroying order; he doesn’t care about tangible things such as money or gaining power like the other mobsters. He tells us that when he burns huge pile of money in front of the mobsters, he’s introducing us to a different class of villain. That’s what the terrorists did on 9-11; they didn’t attack America because they really wanted to kill a couple thousand of people in the world trade centre or in the Pentagon, but wanted to destroy symbols of our society. They wanted to set off a chain of events, change the world order that they perceived to be unfairly dominated by America. These people and the joker are despicable and deserved to be stopped because killing people is not the way to effect change but the parallels are impossible to miss.

The political undertones are so obvious, Lucious Fox objecting to batman's use of the sonar technology to hack into to all of Gotham's cell phone conversations. Batman stating its only for this short term use, this movie is a social commentary on the patriotic act, use of torture to combat terrorism, and just the entire way the world has gone about attempting to stop the threat of terrorism.

Heath Ledger's Joker self-mutilated danger junkie, misery loves company chaos freak in hellish warpaint may be gone, but will never be forgotten. The oft-mentioned violence is not of one of gore, but more of the heart—and thus potentially more terrifying. 

The main thing is that it is a very dark movie. So dark that it binds you to your seat even when the show’s over.

IN MEMORY OF GEORGE CARLIN

You have probably read these "rules" before, but when I received them today I decided to put them here as a tribute to a man that I thought was a one of a kind, rare person. He was no "saint" - he never professed to be one. He just always told it "like it was".

GEORGE CARLIN'S NEW RULES FOR 2008

New Rule: No more gift registries.  You know, it used to be just for weddings... Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting. 

New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days --- mowing my lawn. 

New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Lobster?

New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keep sakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men. 

New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: Do you have two of them? Good! We're done. 

New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There’s a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket... water, but without that watery taste.  Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water. 

New Rule: Stop screwing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis. 

New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a 'decaf grandee,  half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low, and One NutraSweet,' Ooooh,  you're a huge asshole. 

New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from  sliding my card, entering My PIN number, pressing 'Enter,' verifying the  amount, deciding, no, I don't want Cash back, and pressing 'Enter' again, the  kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy. 

New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you Spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to 'beef with broccoli.' The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.

New Rule: Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN Recently televised the U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait, they're already doing that. It's called 'The Howard Stern Show.' 

New Rule: I don't need a bigger mega M&Ms. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two. 

New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what’s playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie. 

New Rule: And this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don't want to be on your webcam, Dude. I just want to wash my hands.

New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to hear '27 months.' 'He's two' will do just fine. He's not a cheese. . . . And by the way, I didn't really care in the first place. 

New Rule: If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than Minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, 'Do you want fries with that?'

Rest in Peace, George.

iPhone3G – Phone, iPod, Internet and More

Go ahead and get yourself one. Seriously! I mean it.

You have to admit (I too have to admit it and I do so vehemently and irrespective-of-my-previous-post) iPhone definitely has the Wow factor!

And no matter what the Non-iPhone-Cell-Phone-User community (myself included) has to say or crib about its limitation (read my previous post), people will buy it, no matter what! Most of them will buy it just for the Zing, and I hate it. Like one friend of mine who has the 1^st Generation iPhone uses it to simply text and call. He eternally hopes that his flashing of his iPhone in clubs will get him the much needed attention from the fairer sex. Get real dude! On other thoughts, let me know if it works! I can do with some female attention myself. It might be the motivation which may drive me to buy an iPhone.

Then there are those (who command a lot of respect from me in a way) who probably have dissected their iPhone ‘n’ number of times and put it back again and have uncovered features which Apple Developers wouldn’t  know themselves existed (few of them helped me list down the limitations of the first Gen iPhone). Like the one who’s been desperately trying since the dawn of iPhone to somehow get some crappy local GPS software to work with his iPhone. Good luck pal!

So why Am I writing this post? 

Well, one to let those know who’ve taken a hint from my earlier post that iPhone sucks! I admit – it doesn’t suck that bad and you never know what the next-Gen iPhone has to offer (on the limitation side yet!). Go ahead and buy one if you want to, personally I don’t care. Apple isn’t going to pay commission to me for every iPhone they sell nor will they stop me from blogging against it. They perhaps (if ever they visit my blog) would know that hardly anyone actually reads the stuff I put here.

So why buy the iPhone? I’ll stick to my earlier post and still say that don’t get the 1^st Gen iPhone even if someone gives it to you for free. I won’t - I’m kinda’ idealistic that way. It’s not worth the trouble of moving your contacts, mails, settings etc to a new phone and then frustrating yourself with it later. And I’ll be smirking and saying “I told you so…”

Okay, coming back to point again, why buy the new iPhone? 

Well, for starters, it’s half the price (at least with the AT&T plan). I’m not sure if it’s available without a plan in the States, but it sure is available in other countries but with a heavy’ premium’ price (of course)! Then it’s twice as fast because it’s 3G. Or at least that’s what they (at Apple) say. My Nokia N70 is also supposedly 3G and it’s still the slowest phone I’ve ever owned. Anyway, so no more clicking on your contact list, going for a cup of coffee and coming back hoping that it would’ve opened.  I thought of putting some technical details about the speed test but that would be a bore and as if this blog isn’t already such a drag.

Also, they’re kind of clairvoyant – they fixed quite a few of the limitations which I cribbed about in my previous post (even before I posted it)  :D

You now do have a text box search support in the contacts along with the older cute index thingey. You can now select MULTIPLE items at least in the mailbox and do mass move and delete.

They have a better (than before) email attachment support. You can now even open power point files in your mails. They’ve thrown in a scientific calculator and complete dictionary sets for multiple languages (I care only for the English one still).

They’ve added push email, calendar and contacts from work if they’re on a Microsoft exchange server. Lookey here, Apple’s endorsed Microsoft. Who says, MS sucks. Well I do, but then that’s beside the point. So with these features and plus a few more like enterprise-grade networking capabilities for Cisco IPSec VPN, WPA2 and even 802.1x authentication. So if you own a blackberry you might ‘just’ think of trading it in for an iPhone.

Then they’ve got GPS as a standard application and you can access the App Store (applications for iPhone from Apple) through your iPhone. And if you’re ready to pay and subscribe to MobileMe, you’ve got your synchronizing problems solved. Well, I personally think MobileMe will be a really cool feature, especially if you're a geek like me who likes to tow a dozen of devices everywhere you go.

If you’re still speculating whether to buy an iPhone (rudely ignoring whatever I’ve already said) then you might want to consider Samsung Instinct too. It comes with a plan from Sprint in the States for about $129 USD (even when iPhone was priced at $399 and above).  It’s quite a competition to the iPhone as well as to the LG Vu. 

Otherwise, go ahead and buy one if you want to. With the price cut down, one can venture into the unknown. You know what - I might even go ahead and pick one too for myself. If nothing else, I can still try flashing it around in a club trying to get some female attention.

PS: This is a very ‘iPhone’ cool link I found. The very first 10 people to own a 2^nd Gen iPhone in the world. Check ‘em out!

The Very First iPhone 3G users in the world!

Why I hate iPhone

I love Apple. Seriously. I in fact, would endorse and with quite a bit of pride too, different products Apple has to offer. Take for instance, I prefer using Apple Safari on my Windows box and not IE or firefox; iPod is a must when I workout (Fitness One plays pathetic songs) or when I am on those long haul, you-can-do-nothing- while-on-board, international flights. And I was quite ecstatic when I heard the first time iPhone’s being released. 

Why? Well, for starts it’s from apple; then there are those cool ads you see on the net and on the TV as how and what all you can do with your iPhone; then the fact that I am a total complete gizmo freak that too in a typical ‘nerd’ kind of way. (I have like a dozen or more cell phones; My PC is jam-packed so badly with peripherals that most of them just hang out of the box with a mesh of wires so tangled up that I would’ve have to cut through half of them if ever I have to move it to someplace else… you get the idea).

So my friends were surprised when they saw me coming out of an apple showroom without an iPhone. And while iPhones are still a rage, I was surprised to find that the iPhone is a lot more limited than I expected. And I’m not talking about lack of wireless broadband support, either. Perhaps, I should’ve put this post earlier. You never know – it might’ve saved someone’s green-backs.

It turns out that, despite Apple’s claim that “This is not a watered down version of the Internet” on the iPhone, it is a watered-down version. I don’t even need to get overly technical. The iPhone doesn’t support Flash. Seriously? No Flash support? I can't live off YouTube videos. Even when using YouTube, you can’t save the clip on the phone. Its support for JavaScript is limited to five seconds. It doesn’t handle frames well. A lot of Web sites won’t display properly, or even well, on the iPhone.

Then why can't you select just a specific bit of the text? Why delete all those characters?

I am browsing the web or perhaps, visit the iPhone Wallpaper gallery. I find my image I want. And then I... wait, I can't download it? I can't choose to set it as wallpaper? I have to go to my PC, browse to the URL again, download the photo, purchase and install iLife, import the photo into iPhoto, set it to sync with the iPhone, open up iTunes, hit sync, then browse to it on my iPhone and set as wallpaper? 

Let’s talk about the camera now shall we? My girl friend’s ancient Sony Ericson k750i has better quality than the iPhone’s 2 MP camera! There are absolutely no options available – No zoom, no exposure and no resolution control. I take a little pride in my photography skills but c’mon, any movement and you get a blurry image. No video capture? That does it!

How we all love texting! So here are some notes on iPhone’s SMS incapability. No MMS - which century are we living in btw? You can't forward the SMS; can’t call chat-buddy from SMS view - WTF? Can't send phone numbers via SMS; when receiving phone numbers/contacts, e.g. VCARD, you can't save them to contacts; crashes if receives alphanumeric SMS sender; can't click on MMS notification to go to Safari to view.

Other not so nice limitations

You can't select multiple ANYTHING, which becomes most prevalent in Mail. So if you have 10 messages you want to delete, you have to individually delete every one of them.

No Contextual Menus - Where are they? You'd think holding your finger on an item for a couple seconds would bring up a contextual menu with items like Delete, Copy, Move, etc depending on what you had selected. These menus are also not available via a button anywhere - they just aren't there. This brings me to the lack of copy and paste functionality.

There is no way to save files which are attachments in your Mail, nor from Safari.

They want Business users? I am a power user and I can do with a text box kind of search which can find names, company, categories, anything?

They give you a Bluetooth headset, a f***ing expensive Bluetooth enabled phone and no voice Dial? Bluetooth stereo headsets work perfectly well when you are on a call. But due to a redundant Bluetooth stack, you cannot stream your music. What good is Bluetooth then? You are not calling people all the time, but you are listening to music all the time.

I agree that iPhone is still quite a buy due to the wow factor, but I guess, I still would want to stick to my O2 XDA II for some more time.