Music Subscription Services: Partial Album Catalogues
I do not quite understand at this point what could result in only a partial album to be available through a subscription service. Maybe since this is a Motion Picture Soundtrack comprising of different artists, each of the individual artists is prevented by their labels from being available through particular subscription services. I am glad that each of the subscription services isn't mutually exclusive though, it would be really bad!
Personalized Auto-Mix on URGE
So now URGE is trying to close the gap between it's service and Yahoo! Music Unlimited. I hope it is at least as sophisticated as Yahoo!
Conversations at SI
Him: What was your undergrad major?
Me: Computer Engineering.
Him: Wow!!!
Me: How about you?
Him: Psychology.
Me: Wow!!!
[We both are interested in Human Computer Interaction]
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits – Alchemy Live!
Alchemy version of Sultans of Swing seems to be one of the most beautiful songs ever!
He had performed it again when he was in Mumbai - it was really amazing - but not quite like the Alchemy version.
Microsoft Zune – A new social experience?
So Microsoft has finally declared that the Zune will be priced at $249. They make a bold statement there on the press release:
“On Nov. 14 we’re delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune. “We’re infusing the spirit of discovery and sharing into everything we do — from the experience we crafted around the device and service to pre-loading music and videos on every device to expose people to something new.”
We will only know for sure once we experience it, but this sure has me all excited. So now you know what I want for Thanksgiving.
Closure
So you quit your job in a good software company, move to a new country, start school again but it just doesn't feel complete until you do that one thing: Format+Clean+Reinstall Windows on your laptop.
I finally got around to doing that yesterday and it's only now that I feel like my "transition" is complete.
Interestingly, as a cheaper alternative to Microsoft Office 2003, I go ahead and install Microsoft Office 2007 Beta (which can be had for as low as $1.50 which gives you a valid license till Feb 2007). And I am quite impressed by it. Coupled with Microsoft OneNote 2007 Beta, I feel all set for school. Proudly using Microsoft Outlook 2007 Beta for all my structured and non-browser information needs I am happy that they have removed the Exchange Server bias and treat IMAP accounts with more respect. I also go ahead and install Internet Explorer 7 RC1 and I am surprised at myself for not using Firefox anymore. More interestingly, I also go ahead and Format+Clean+Reinstall the OS on my phone and I suddenly become aware of how stress-relieving this activity can be.
Ofcourse, I do not feel complete until I have installed Zonetick which I so willingly bought as the best solution to the "what time is it there?" problem. 
Nor can I feel at ease until I install my good old Babylon - a tool which is surprisingly indispensible despite the fact that a browser can probably get you more information than it. Probably its only winning factor now is that it's a more efficient and structured interface to the big-bloated-information-blob the Internet is.
With a light heart and a light mind I sleep at peace when I retire to bed.
Geocaching – Elephanta Caves (GCRVP9)
I went to Elephanta Caves this weekend to look for a cache hidden there.
After a ferry ride, a rattling train jourey & an hour of fighting flies and thorny bushes, I found the cache. You are supposed to add something to it, take something from it, make an entry into the log and put it back.
This cache was here since 1.5 yrs, but no one had seeked it so far. However, it turned out to be a rush for "First To Find (FTF)" that day.
I found it at 12:20
Someone else found it on the same day at 14:10
Someone else found it yet again on the same day at 17:00
Quite a coincidence.
That’s Daniel (from Sweden). I saw him on the way down; didn’t know he was on his way up in search of the same thing I had found an hour ago and hidden back.
Later in the day, this gentleman found it:
His name is Fennster (from US)
This guy hid the cache to begin with:
He is Ralf from Germany. He geocaches very professionally.
It’s a small world after all.
You can visit this link to see the web-record of all that transpired.
This is the rattling train that covers the 1km jetty.
Spoiler pictures and GPS tracks will be put up shortly.
Sling the Media
Well, it's gadget & accessories time again. The latest acquisition being SlingMedia.
It works extremely well, did have to do quite some "jhol" to make it work in India (It only supports NTSC, but India has PAL signals). I will leave that to another time.
Q) What to I like most about it?
A) Late Night [V] & Vh1
“No Oxygen? But Pro Trek” By Casio
Due to ubiquitous cellphones, data watches are currrently passè. Being a very big fan of the databank watches of casio when in school, I have possessed almost each and every model. One with 30 telephone numbers without a keypad right upto the one with 150 telephone numbers and an electro-luminiscant(illuminator) keypad, and also the recent Twin-Cept watches. Must say, those watches have been pieces of art.
Well, wanted to buy a new watch and realized that in the absence of good GPS watches, the real sensible purchase, which would assist me in my Outdoor and Exploratory lifestyle would be the Casio Pro Trek.
Fine points:
- Tough Solar
- Barometer
- Thermometer
- Magnetic Compass
- Pressure Altimeter
- Black Titanium front-face and belt
Show-Off Features:
- Auto Backlight
Is it dark? Well, just flip your hand like you normally do to see the time, ignoring the fact that it's dark. Viola, the watch senses that you want to see the time and automatically turns on the EL backlight! Very often, even in normal situations, like riding a bike, I want to see the time in the Dark. This way, i don't need to leave both hands to turn on the light and see the time. - Tough Solar
No batteries needed. This watch is the only watch I know that has EL backlight and is fully solar powered. On a full charge, the only way to stop the watch is to keep it in pitch darkness for 10 months! - Triple-Sensor
Well, it's amazing to have all this data raw. The compass comes in very handy when I don't have enough time to fish out my GPS. Also, a GPS needs motion to give an accurate bearing. The magnetic compass doesn't need motion.
Price:
Don's ask. But if you must, it's around USD $200.
Microsoft MCE 2005 Keyboard
Please buy me this Microsoft Media Center 2005 Keyboard. I am building a MCE based system for home, this will prove to be extremely handy!
iPod nano – Apple does it again
Apple always unleashes things with great shock value.
This is amazing. A negligibly sized piece of plastic that stores over 4 GB of songs!?
This is going to sell like anything. But I guess people will wait till Christmas to gift it to each other 
A Good GPS device
A GPS Device
I really want a GPS device. I have a smartphone, so I want a bluetooth GPS receiver so I can use them together. Read a lot about them, SIRF chipset or XtracSIRT chipset. Finally liked the Fortuna Clip-On, but its not available easily in the market Am attaching a Doc file which shows a real-size comparision of all the Small GPS devices available in the market. Take a look at it to see how big (or small) these devices really are.
Mark Knopfler in Concert in my Hometown
Sure I went for it ! ! ! ! 
More pics coming soon. Shot the whole concert. Almost the whole thing. The cd will be available soon somewhere!
HP ZT3000
The HP ZT3000 Series Notebook can be categorized as either a desktop replacement notebook or a mid-range, thin and light model. Because it comes with an Intel Centrino Mobile processor rather than a Pentium 4, the ZT3000 is really made for portability. It is only 1.3 inches thin. However, It’s large 15.4-inch widescreen makes the notebook too large for practical mobility. Personally, I was more concerned about performance than how large the notebook is; therefore, the ZT3000 was the ideal choice for me.
HP ZT3000 Left-Side
HP ZT3000 Right-Side
Lappy Bag
Wanted something small. something compact. and most importantly, something that could let me use the lappy without requiring me to remove the lappy from it.
- This bag is an exact fit for my lappy
- has enough room for the adaptor, mouse and other accessories
- is the bestly padded one in the market (found it better than samsonite)
- has a very low self weight
- and i can use the lappy right from within it when i am travelling
what more can a man want?
Delsey
COMPUTER CASE
Dimensions and weight
Inch : 15,5x12x4,5
1,5 KG
6,5 L
Color(s)
Black
Price: Rs. 2,245 (or around $50)
U2 + Hot Lemon Tea
The album POP by U2 and Hot Lemon Tea, a sure way to wake yourself up in a drowsy post-lunch period.
Yes…it was a planet
While star gazing recently, there was an extra bright spot which kept troubling me.
I had quit star gazing around 8 years ago. So I just had an intuitive idea of the sky. Something abt the pattern observed seemed amiss. So I concluded it was some planet but my star almanac expired in 1994 so could not verify it.
Now it's pretty embarassing for an amateur start gazer to not know where Mars Saturn and Jupiter are in the night sky, but i was so caught up in other things, that I had grown very rusty about this.
Finally, today, after over a month, i verified that it was Saturn.
Am attaching a picture of it:
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