Friday, April 21, 2006

Go tech

Lets go geek this time.. ;-)   Here I've put top tech products the world expects in 2k6.  Comments welcome.

1. Windows Vista  - Ending a long wait, microsoft is coming back with the newest version of Windows - Windows Vista (previously Long horn) at the later half of this year.   Its translucent UI and rich features have already booked its place in top gadget sites.

2. Playstation 3 - Possibly the killer gadget of the year.  Sony playstation 3 is a major improvement from its current PS2.  Sony is also planning an online service that enables the PS3 users to communicate each other and play thru internet.  It also sports a Blu-ray disk drive.

3. UMPC - Supported by Microsoft and Intel, Samsung and Asus are coming with the UMPC (Ultra Mobile  PC).  It comes between a laptop and a PDA.  Featuring Windows XP tablet edition, with audio/video/gaming features and connectivity with Wi-fi, bluetooth, GPRS, it could be a replacement for portable media players, PDAs and portable game consoles.  Also optional support for GPS is a possibility.  Having a 7inch touch screen, it will give a better user friendly experience compared to a PDA. 

4. Intel Macs - Apple Macs used Power PC processors for a long time, which prevented it from using popular OSes like Windows.  Apple recently switched to Intel processors.  It also announced a software called Bootcamp, which enables dual boot for Mac machines.  It has started rolling out Intel Macs recently and is hoping to penetrate to the PC market giving users an option few can resist.

5. Motorola Q - A Blackberry Killer?  Quite possible.   Moto Q is a Smartphone with a QWERTY  keyboard.  Featuring Windows Mobile 5.0, 1.3 megapixel camera, MiniSD, and Bluetooth etc etc..

6. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players - Talk of the year.  Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are successors to DVDs.   Supported by 2 rival groups, both are poised to take on each other to win the format war to become the market leader.  Blu-ray supports around 30GB and HD-DVD around 25.  Both carry High Definition(HD) content.  Players and discs are expected later this year. 

7. A next-gen iPod?   - While there is no official announcement of a next-gen iPod, rumours are flying high.  It could be a touch screen, bigger LCD, higher capacity nano or anything like that..   Lets wait n watch..

8. 750 GB HDD - A new technique named Perpendicular recording is going to change history of hard disk drives.  It increases the capacity 10 times.. That is .. we'll see normal PC hard disks ranging from 500 to 1000 GB, while portable mini hardisks will have 50 to 100 GB?  

9. Mac OS X Leopard - Next version after OS X Tiger.  Coming in August.  It supports bootcamp, runs on Intel and obviously much more.

10. Gadget X -  Leaving this space for a gadget not yet announced.

Note: 
The numbers doesn't mean ranking.. :)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

On the streets, with an RJ..


This event happened almost one and a half years back.  Thought it'll be 'informative' for others and worth sharing with.  :)

I was crazy abt cars and it was my dream to buy one once I get a job.   Managed to buy a second hand Indica with a chain of loans. Booked that in Nov 2k4. The morning I was supposed to take delivery of the car, I found myself affected by Chicken pox.  But anyway I had to take it..  So paid the balance took delivery of it and parked the car in my office, left for Kerala to take a 2 weeks bed rest. 

It got cured pretty fast and I was back after 2 weeks.  Meanwhile, I had to shift house from Indira Nagar to HSR layout.  The first thing I did was to get it from my office in white field. Then packed everything, filled my gaadi with all the stuff and headed towards HSR.

Its only the 2nd day I'm using it and I was enjoying the drive.  While in Koramangala, the car ahead of me suddenly stopped.   Me too.. But..
I saw in the rear view mirror a speeding red indica getting closer and closer..  and .. BAAAAAAAAANG......    It hit be from the back.   :((

I just got out and saw a fair girl leaping from the driving seat and asking in a lovely voice..  Did I damage your caaaaaaaaaaaar???  Me:  ^%$@%^#$@&@#%   (that was silent)    Yes of course you did.

Then some ppl and a traffic policeman came from somewhere, and we started blaming each other for the accident.  But finally I took the lead coz everybody saw that she cudn't stop the car in that reasonable distance.   :)

She agreed to pay for the damages finally..    But I shud go in the evening to the service center and she'd pay it directly.   Agreed.

Also the name she told sounded similar....   I thought its just a coincidence.. Later it proved false.

Since that was my come back day after 2 weeks, our gang had a get together and in the evening we decided to go to serv center together.  Means 5 guys. She came with her father (maybe for a small negotiation, who knows) ..  but she was rather shocked at the sight of 5 guys jumping out one after other.. :D

And Arun was our master negotiator.. He stood with me while the other 3 enjoyed the show from behind.  But the girl didn't like his presence and sarcastically called him my advocate. 
While we were assessing damages, there was an interesting conversation..

G:  (to arun) Is this your car?
A: Nope
G: Then could you step aside?
A: Wht do you mean?  Is this some kinda show off?
G: You'll have to sign a paper telling you won't raise any more complaints
Me: Ok
A: We'll need some assurance from serv center that you'll pay directly.
G: (to arun, angrily)  What's your name?
A: Thats none of your bloddy business..


And that ends there..  Everything went peacefully *after* that..

THE GIRL TURNED OUT TO BE A HOTTIE RADIOCITY RJ IN THE TOWN..   :)
But..  who cares??????






Monday, April 10, 2006

I changed my mind

Hello world !!!!!!

Thts how you start something new...

When I created this blog, I had decided that I won't write anything stupid at this space.. In fact I signed up for blogger because of the s/w "Picasa" (A photo organiser from google). The sole purpose was to upload my photos somewhere easily.

Hell lot of peer pressure and 'external encouragement' pushed me to this unknown and unexplored area.. ;-)

I thought I'll wait till I get broadband at home. That also seems like a distant mirage... :(

Anyway, now I'm also a blogger.. Well, a newbie blogger to be exact...
Watch this space.. I'll be back with something that can bore you for sure... ;-)(Till then, scroll down and see some of my photos collection)

Cya next week - same channel, same time... :) Bye Bye..