0 Comments Quote of the Day…(Dalai Lama)

Someone once asked the Dalai Lama

What surprises you most about humanity?

He replied

Men....because:

• They loose their health to earn money, then they lose that money to stay healthy;
• They think anxiously about the future and forget the present...so they neither enjoy the present nor the future;
• They live as if they are never going to die and die realizing that they never really lived!
  

The last one really hits you, doesn't it?

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0 Comments Lose a bet, win a job!

Apparently, Feross Aboukhadijeh, a Stanford Computer Science student, made a bet with his roommate, after Google Instant was launched, that he could create YouTube Instant in less than an hour.

Well, he lost the bet but before we went to sleep that night, he did finish YouTube Instant and posted an update on Facebook. He is now a celebrity and has been offered a job by YouTube CEO Chad Hurley on Twitter!
Courtesy: http://www.feross.org/

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0 Comments HTC Desire vs. Samsung Galaxy S

I have finally decided to let go of my HTC Touch Dual after using it for 2 years. The experience has been mostly positive though I did have some problems with the touch screen and had to get a new one about 6 months ago. Anyway…

 

With so many new phones in the market, buying a phone can be laborious. For about 2 months now, I have been waiting for the launch of HTC Desire in India and now that it is finally available, I have a problem. At the Delhi airport recently, I could lay my hands on a Samsung Galaxy S and I have to say, I was impressed. More than anything else, by the 4-inch touch screen.
A difficult choice. I re-reviewed several reviews (!!) on Engadget, Gizmodo and numerous other TechLogs…you name it and I have probably been there. I laboriously scanned through thousands of comments from users and non-users on forums (e.g.. here). I even posted a status message on Facebook and tried to get more views. At the end, here is my summary for anyone who cares:

HTC Desire	Samsung Galaxy S
Pros Spandragon 1GHz 3.7” AMOLED Screen (Already updated to) FroYo (Android 2.2) Sturdy built quality 5 MP Camera, with Flash Excellent UI (HTC Sense)	Pros Hummingbird 1GHz 4” Super AMOLED Screen Swype 8GB/16GB + 512MB Dedicated Memory Superior Gaming Experience
Cons Inferior display in bright sunlight 576MB Shared Memory Poor battery life (expected to improve with FroYo)	Cons 5 MP Camera, No Flash Plastic body; low-cost iPhone feel TouchWiz UI, not even remotely as good as HTC Sense Eclair (Android 2.1), FroYo update expected Slightly more expensive

I was always leaning towards HTC Desire, given my positive experience with HTC over the last two years. And when they announced the FroYo update for Desire, the choice was made. What do you think?

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0 Comments iPads for Peace

I have a plan for the universe and it involves iPads, mobile phones and the new Almighty…the internet! There is a lot of talk of promoting religious tolerance in these times of crisis. Lets call this my little tribute to the anniversary of 9/11.

People say Muslims need to introspect and Islam needs to reform away from fundamentalism. Why only Islam, I think every religion needs a reform that will lead it in the direction of greater tolerance. Geert Wilders is not Muslim and hell he is unbearably intolerant. The same goes for Muthalik and his band of goons, Togadia et. al. But hey, I have a solution. Some might find it ridiculous, some might find it funny, but I am serious; I really think it can work!


So here is how you do it. Gift each and every religious leader in the world an iPad (or any other tablet); force them to install instant messengers of their choice and to add each other as friends; make them open an account on Facebook; have them join an online discussion forum. Simple? Well, that is almost all I am asking for. You do this and viola, in no time, you will find this world a better place to live.

Even if they just poke each other on FB, even if they just frequently buzz each other on messenger, even if they have serious and abusive fights on the discussion forums, I think it will help. 

Want to do it even better? Make all their interactions public and throw in a few infidels (non-believers) too. Let the world see what the Rabbi had to say to the Imam when they ran into each other online. Let the world know what was the first wall post from the Shankaracharya to the Pope. And of course, let the infidels comment on their actions…just for fun! :P

Give them cell phones too, it wont cost much. Let the world pay their internet and phone bills, as long as they talk to each other, not only amongst themselves. Let them preach, as long as they don't preach only to their blind followers but also to the non-believers; let them argue as long as they are also willing to listen and to answer any question from anyone.

Make them go out for a beer (oh well, at least a Chai) and force them to hang out at TGIF every Friday evening. No, stop laughing...I am serious! :)

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