Bits and Pieces

I have a 80 GB Hard disk, and now only 2 GB is free. Thanks to my friend (Karthik Balaji), I have a whole new set of movies to be watched. hmm. I need to fund this one soon.

BSNL Broadband users may need to note this up. We may have a free unlimited download, from 0200 - 0800 hrs, every day. Thats a great news (or speculation). Wait for confirmation.

Kamal's Vettayadu Vilayadu shooting has begun (thanks to Bala-Karthik on Sambharmafia). I hope the movie is directed Gautham's way, rather than Kamal's way of making films. Kamalhaasan badly needs a super-hit movie.

Tomorrow is Avani Avittam (and Varalakshmi Nombu). If you are not in Chennai, you may need this for Avani Avittam. Think the festive season has begun. Next week has Gokulashtami (thats a Holiday for me, woohaa !). Last few months hardly had holidays, and all of a sudden, we have an outburst. Thats a good sign.

Also take a look at this - 24 hours of air travel in the continental United States.

Have a great day.

Straight from Desktop

I’ve heard many bloggers type it up on word or notepad, and then publish it on Blogger. I mean the posts on their blogs. Now there’s someone coming to our homes to take delivery of our posts. Please welcome, Blogger for Word Toolbar.

This Toolbar helps you, type up your text and pictures on Microsoft Word, and publish it straight away. This helps in a single point spell-check. It also Saves Drafts, and enables you to open Previous posts. It certainly is worth a try. DNLD it (

Another Software that caught my attention yesterday was “Kural”. It is a all-Tamil Processing software. Also includes a “Kavithai” Word processor, which is neater than any other softwares. Tamil Bloggers can give it a try. Available here.

*Update* - I published from Word with this picture, but the picture never got posted. So, it is again your Job to edit and upload a picture. Dear Google, can you do something for this too. :)

DMaran - a Minister with some energy

Of late, Dayanidhimaran is available on all news editions and Newspapers too. It happens to many politicians this way, only if they are in some controversy. But this Gentleman is on the news, because he is doing something, something better than what other ministers are doing. Of course, Manishankar Iyer would be doing the same efforts, yet, Dayanidhimaran has clearly out-beaten all other ministers in terms of performance and reach. It may be true that Natwar Singh is sitting on delicate foreign issues, but still in terms of results (though easily reachable) Dayanidhi Maran has proven better.

Please understand, that im not inclined to any political party. But I admire that this man is doing some work, that is of critical importance. I remember the communication minister in Mr. Narasimha Rao's cabinet did something valuable (besides corruption).

Dayanidhi Maran has been instrumental in introducing a lot of schemes to BSNL and other communication sectors. His ".IN" seems to be a success. His broadband schemes, and continuing efforts to improve the services of broadband, has certainly impressed the younger generation.

It is nice to see an educated person (Anbumani Ramadoss is MBBS, you know ?) in the cabinet. Look out his website maintained by nic - click here.

I can still remember, Dayanidhimaran was nobody, weeks before the general elections. Where is he now ? whoopa !!! We certainly need people like these, working. I would like to see all the MPs, swiping in their attendance cards, and going into the Parliament - discuss strategies like what Project Managers do, and come out with results. Am I only dreaming ?

August 15 - a day to remember

Click Picture to see the bigger version.

V a n d e M a t h a r a m B a n d h u !

New Picture / wallpaper on photo[shop]blog

Update : BSNL guys today informed that the 250 plan is offering only 400 MB.
Apologies for the erronous information.
I was carried away by the customer-care guys words.They seem to be unsure.

Whats your Time ?

[pic - germane softwares ]

Few days back, I was showing off to a friend, that I never wore a watch for the past 6 years. The reply was, "Know what !! I never wore a watch in my lifetime". Well, ????

There are few people in my life, I have met or I have lived with, who had some crazy idea of manipulating the time. If it were 7.00 AM, their watches show 7.15 AM. With a intelligent smile they would say "I always keep it 15 minutes faster, so that I can keep up with time.."

Thats really crazy. They realize, everytime they see a watch, that their watch is showing a time thats going to come 15 minutes later. Whats the whole point in doing so. I dont get the idea.

Can someone explain, if there is something really a time-management Sutra in having your watch with manipulated time. ?

BTW, Double checked twith BSNL. The previous news on BSNL broadband holds good. :)
I can save Rs. 250 per month now. Wow ! Atlast some income.

JIGINA (Dan Brown effect for Gajini)

Gajini
Surya - AC Murugadoss - Harris Jeyaraj

The Music is out, and Im still on for MP3. :)

You will be surprised to see just 5 songs. And the album doesnt have a theme song. Thats a relief. Even Mumbai Express and Sachin had theme music, when the movie by itself followed no theme.

5 songs. Im already hooked to "Oru maalai Ila veyyil Naeram !!" sung by Karthik. Cute song.

Shankar Mahadevan and Sujatha voice to a song - "Rangola" with beats reminding "Thillana Thillana" from Muthu. Cant help it, huh! Worth a listen

Oru maalai Ila veyyil Naeram - Karthik. I wish this song gets noticed, better than others. Karthik's voice is very ordinary, and that makes it so very special. Im getting to like Karthik's voice for this reason - a very usual voice :)

"X machchi !" - Anupama sings this song, reminds Harris's own "Arakkonathil Aarambam" from Arasaatchi. Nah ! not again ! When it comes to Hunky music, i feel Music directors including AR Rahman dont strain themselves that much, and just place any instrument and completes the song. How long !! Give it a break, guys. BTW - Anupama has sung it good (few places are really notable).

"Rahatulla" - Nakul and Mathangi. Im not sure if this song has Lyrics in Tamil. Have to decode yet. Another fast song...

"Sutrum Vizhi" - a trend setting song. You may not like it the first time. But this one is cute, with Sriram Parthasarathy singing it along with Bombay Jayashree. Mild and wild song. Like it !!

Songs Good ! What about movie ? I have a greater expectation for the movie. Lets see.

B r o a d b a n d now cheaper

BSNL Broadband Prices Slash.

Woo Haa !! Thats a relief.

BSNL Dataone monthly rent is Rs. 250 per month for 1 GB. Thats a biggy ! This beats all other service providers in Chennai.

Talking in Ramya's words, "Chennai Dataone folks ! Let the power of Bandwidth be with you !"

Pic CTSY - Google Images

Update : The news may be wrong, as Kiruba, and even the BSNL Site says, It is just 400 MB per month for Rs. 250. Thats ridiculous. But 1600-424-1600 promise that it is 1GB per month for Rs. 250. Im not sure though. Will visit the customer center and let you know.

Cool Eyes

How do you like it. !!

Im eyeing on this Titan Fastrack eye-gear for the past few weeks. We got one as a gift to our friend. All the collections inside look cool and amazingly stylish.

Few pieces are even affordable.

I usually drive without helmets, and you guys know what is bound to happen. Cant help all the dust that disturbs the driving by getting into the eyes. So, badly need this one.

Click here to view all the product ranges of Titan Fastrack (eyegear section).

Last week, I was again in Titan world buyin a Fastrack watch for my friend. Some nice collections, there too.

One Quick question, do we have a plan to celebrate and project our Independance day, in some way on our blogs ? Someone come out with a plan. We shall execute it.

New Picture / wallpaper on photo[shop]blog

Vettayadulu Vilayadulu !! (there's no Lu in Kannada ??)

[ctsy - Avyukta's Photoshop works :) thanks to Indiavarta ]

Tamil's Sathileelavathi is now Kannada "Rama Shyama Bhama". Kamalhaasan Rocks on Kannada language with Hubli accent. I havent heard Kannada, itself. So not sure, if im prepared to watch this movie.

Imagine "Kappakhazhangaaaa !" from Kovai Sarala... this guy is a master of comedy.

Newspaper Online - Literally

What is heaven ? Having a cup (Davara Tumbler in my case) of Hot strong filter coffee early in the morning, accompanied by the bits and pieces of information flowing in from the Newspaper.

Hope you guys saw the Ad promo for "Sunday nna Rendu !!". It kept me and most of us in chennai guessing.. what could the product be. I was having an impression of a coffee ad. Could have been Bru. But then, Dinamalar broke the suspense, right on time, without irritating us just like few other ads did, earlier.

I dont remember with which product this kind of intutive advertisements evolved, in India. Intutive in the sense, making the public guess about the product, on seeing an ad promo that doesnt display the name of the product.

I had a good email forward yesterday, and that gave me a link to a website, that displays newspapers as it is printed. This is amazingly clear in picture clarity and the fonts are good. This site displays all leading newspapers from mostly all the countries.

Economic Times, Hindustan Times, Malayala Manorama, Times of India, Times of India Mumbai edition and in Tamil - Dinamalar. :)

Click here to go to the site.

click on the pic, to my new blog for photoshopps

Vista Wall

Here's one of the very few wallpapers coming out for the Windows Vista.



[thanks to Jammie from MSDN ]

I had a lot of them for Longhorn. Will post up my version of Vista tomorrow.
I decided to make a Photoshop Blog, instead of a Photoblog.

2 Photo Blogs - 2 Good

Friday Already. I’m trying to Quickly end this day, and go hug the seducing weekend. I have a backlog of movies still pending to be watched. Did anybody understand “Pulp Fiction” ? I watched a few scenes from it, but think I need a subtitle for the movie. Will post on it later.

Two photo blogs that recently caught my attention (this line got deleted when I first posted )

The photo blog of Magic Lens. The profile doesn’t say much about her (it says that it’s a “She” from USofA alone). But her photos say much about her (Dhoda !). It’s a vibrant collection of amazingly simple natural elements, enriched with God given colors. I’m awaiting to see more photos from Magic Lens. Been there ? Go Now.

Our Karthik has began his own photo blog “Memoirs”. His photo’s apart, he has implemented Google Maps in his site. The map shows the location of every photo taken. I don’t know what good it does, but then.. nice technology. Magic Lens could post the location of the photo as a first comment in her blog. (just a suggestion ).

I would like to start a photo blog too. Is it necessary that I have a camera ?

DIVINE CODE HAS DEALT CHAOS

Are you Dan Brown fan, then you'd certainly like this site.

Click here

The Word Jumble when the flash is loading, itself will keep you guessing and Wow ! what a beautiful flash. You gotta see it to experience the beauty of computer technology.

Initially I was thinking that the Movie may not be as good as the book was. But then, the teaser trailer and the Flash has given some confidence to wait for the movie and watch it.

For those of whom, this topic is new, "The Da Vinci Code" is a book by Dan Brown which is a story of continuous mystery solving adventure, that reveals many devastating secrets.

That is being attempted into a movie, "The Da Vinci Code". It comes from the director of my favourite movie "The Beautiful Mind". Da Vinci has Tom Hanks starring in it.

2006 is a good year with many such most-awaited movies coming up. Ice Age II, Woman with Water (MNShyamalan), Da Vinci Code, Mission Impossible 3, Indiana Jones 4(Spielberg again) and the Italian Job 2.

See if you can crack the Title of this Post !

BTW, I've added Amazon Ads to my side bar. Any suggestions ?

Usshhh ! Private

Click on this picture, to see the bigger version.

[Pic ctsy- Boing Boing ]

You will see a Cubicle with PVCs and Cheap curtain cloths, providing the ultimate privacy to some worker in some company.

Why did we, all of a sudden, require this much of privacy ? I, personally, would require a lot of privacy when I know Im doing something really stupid. (which will be "most of the times" ). When I'am about to go crazy, I simply take a 360 scan, to find out no one is watching me. Also explore the possibility, if someone would after doing this. Unfortunately, most of the times, everyone will be watching me.. when I think Im done.

Probably, I should try and put up some curtains like this ;) This way no one will care even if I sleep inside.

But then, we seriously need privacy when thinking. Have you seen a programmer's face when he is thinking about some Logic ? Gawd ! I have. It is the most reactionless, close-to-dead face you will ever see. You will wonder if this person is alive at all.

Im wondering how I'd look.. but hey.. i never think logically ;)

Firefox - Thirumazhusai

Have you ever seen the Easter Eggs of various softwares, that you use everyday. For those who have not, here's some ways to identify the Easter Eggs in programs - Click here.

For those who are not aware of the Term Easter Egg - It means the Credits of people who worked on making the product / Software. Few softwares have them Hidden. (IE4.0 for instance, had a very interesting Easter Egg, where you would use Key combinations and some Unlocks to finally discover the Egg) . But many other softwares like Adobe products and Firefox have them explicit.

I was watching the Firefox 1.0.6 credits roll on. And This is possibly the first Tamil name that struck - Namachivayam Thirumazhusai. Wow !! He cant be from any other place.. can he be. It is kind of proud (i know it is unnecessary) to see names of Indians / Tamils / God Names in Software Credits.

One other popular name is Seetharaman Narayanan. I know many would have guessed the Software, with this name. Yep, Seetharaman Narayanan is the Third name in almost all versions of Adobe Photoshop.

I make very interesting Easter Eggs in my applications, thats difficult to crack, and that would display my photo and name. But Damn, no one uses the applications. Let me try and put up some Eggs on this blog..

Im not sure if you did - Firefox 1.0.6 updates available now.