Declaration Of Freedom!

What does the word freedom mean to you? And how free do you feel. How free are you to play with your car and your bike or the hardware of or PC? You are absolutely free. But you can't change a bit of your Microsoft software and you are completely on its mercy. Where is the statement by Gandhi that "Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right."

How can you have that freedom in the closed air tight compartment of closed source technologies. Open source/ Linux offers that freedom. And on the wake of completion of 60 years of freedom, India has taken another step towards declaration of freedom. An Indian tech publication, which already embraces the freedom of speech has announced a new platform where you can speak freely.

If you notice some new technologies curbing your right to freedom, if you thing some news technologies opening new windows to freedom come here and join the league of like minded people. OPEN IT IS really!

Log on to openitis a new portal launched today by the publishers of LINUX For You magazine.

What's best? The birth of this new platform is marked by one of the biggest interview of the father of Linux, LINUS TORVALDS himself.

Now enter the world of freedom and feel free to speak...even shout...coz its your world

Click here to log on to openitis.

Omkara Misses An Oscar

I am shocked to see that Omkara is not selected for Oscars; India's official entry is Aamir's RDB. That's pretty reasonable: Aamir has a strong lobby. However, Omkara not becoming India's official entry to Oscars is not a tragedy for the movie, but for the country that has just missed a sure shot chance to win an Oscar.

I guess what Langda told Rajju, goes true for Indian selectors as well -- "Sach keh riya hai to Rajjo, asal me hum dono ki kismat gadhe ke **** se likhi gayi hai sali."

Also Read: Omkara : Return Of Good Cinema

Omkara: Return Of Good Cinema

"Bekoof aur chootiya me dhage bhar ka phark haiga bhaiya. Dhage ke ek taraf bekoof aur dooji taraf chootiya. Je dhaga aich lo, te phir kon bekoof aur kon chootiya, karor rupaiya ka prasan hai bhaiya."

These are the opening lines of a movies which has magical music, captivating cinemetography and over all -- a very powerful story line. Credit goes not only to Shakepeare's Othello, but also to Vishal Bhardwaj who has done an excellent job of adoption. I would say, very powerful. The common thread in the movie that weaves all other characters and events together is langda Tyagi. Saif Ali Khan has given a power house performance -- a word I use only for Densel Washington. Besides, I am not a fan of Khan, but of Tyagi.

Music and songs are great -- Naina, Omkara and Saathi are par excellence. The music supports the mood of Langda or Omi and actually takes you into the depth of their minds.

Well scripted, the movies flows like a hot knife on a slice of butter, smooth without any jerk. The way story moves ahead and shapes Lagda's characters is worth watching. How a dedicated man, filled with vengence plans a flawless tragedy. The end will make you think, even cry, that much faith I have in the story of Shakespear and narration of Bhardwaj.

Performace wise Saif is the best, rest played there parts, Ajay Devgan maintained the grace, Kareene looked gorgious throughtout the movie -- best after Chameli. Nasir did a chore; Vivek was avarage; and Konkana did justice to her part. But once again standing ovation to Langda Tyagi: Saif.

However, there were minor flaws in the script: 1. There was no preparation to steal the cell phone from Kesu, it fell out his pocket and seemed like a fluke to Langda. What appears is, Langda never came out with a concrete plan, except having the "kamarband" stolen, with the help of Indu. Had Bhardwaj kept this in mind, it would have been a masterpiece.

Nonetheless, it still is.

Those who are frightened of language, don't worry, its only in the .00009 percent of the movie. You hear worse on Indian roads. So, just go out and watch Omkara.

Satellites Launched To Study Clouds:Washington Post

NASA yesterday launched two long-awaited satellites designed to provide the first three-dimensional views of Earth's clouds and help predict how cloud cover contributes to global warming.

CloudSat and CALIPSO lifted off at 6:02 a.m. EDT aboard a two-stage Boeing Delta II rocket from the new Space Launch Complex 2W at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. Sixty-two minutes later, CALIPSO separated from the second stage, and CloudSat followed 35 minutes after that.


The two spacecraft will stay in a "parking orbit" for up to a month while their instruments are checked, then join the "A Train" of Earth-observation satellites in polar orbit at an altitude of 438 miles. Scientific operations will begin in about six weeks.

CloudSat and CALIPSO -- for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation -- were scheduled to launch in midsummer last year, but technical problems followed by a prolonged strike by Boeing aerospace workers delayed liftoff until April 21. A variety of communications, logistical and weather glitches scrubbed successive launch attempts for another week.

The two satellites, designed to image clouds from top to bottom, are the first Earth- or space-based instruments capable of viewing cloud layers and analyzing possible effects of the moisture and airborne particles within them on global weather and long-term climate patterns.

"It is important to understand how much water exists in clouds and how they are vertically structured," Colorado State University's Graeme Stephens, CloudSat's lead scientist, said at a pre-launch news conference. "The views of clouds we see today are two-dimensional, so we can't tell you [that], or what fraction of the moisture produces rain and snow."

CloudSat, a 1,870-pound spacecraft that cost $185 million, uses an ultrasensitive radar to send pulses downward into and through clouds. The pulses rebound from condensed water particles and ultimately from Earth, allowing scientists to map the clouds top to bottom -- not only for location but also for moisture content.

"Knowing the vertical structure is crucial" in learning about climate change, said Boston University climate scientist Bruce Anderson, who is not affiliated with the project.

Most scientists regard as "pretty solid" the evidence that human-induced emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are driving global warming, he said, "but the question is, how much?"

CloudSat will help answer that question. For the first time, scientists will be able to profile how low-level clouds reflect the sun's heat, dampening the effects of global warming, and how high-level clouds "trap" heat emanating from Earth, thus contributing to global warming.

"Every computer model predicts significant warming over the next 100 years, but is it going to be 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit, or 9 degrees Fahrenheit?" Anderson said in a telephone interview. "The uncertainty is due almost entirely to clouds, and the answer that CloudSat can provide is exactly the answer that scientists need."

CALIPSO, smaller than CloudSat at 1,294 pounds but more expensive at $223 million, carries three instruments. The primary one is a three-channel laser ranging device known as a lidar, which uses light pulses to profile cloud aerosols, tiny particles of dust and other materials floating in the atmosphere. These can be natural, such as smoke from volcanoes or dust kicked up by the wind, or human-induced, such as soot from power plants.

Some aerosols are reflective, helping dampen the effects of global warming; others absorb and hold heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect. In addition, water droplets in clouds form around aerosol particles, so the size and quantity of the particles help determine the amount of rainfall a cloud will produce, how reflective a cloud will be or even whether a cloud forms at all.

"CALIPSO will collect unique information," said CALIPSO lead scientist David Winker, of NASA's Langley Research Center.

CloudSat, followed 15 seconds later by CALIPSO, will be the second and third satellites in the A Train "constellation" of Earth observation satellites led by NASA's Aqua, and including France's PARASOL and NASA's Aura. "A" in A Train stands for "afternoon," because the constellation crosses the equator every day at 1:30 p.m.

CloudSat is designed to operate for two years but will probably last much longer. CALIPSO is nominally a three-year mission.

Courtesy Washington Post
(This blog is for readers who cant access news websites)

EFY Times

EFY Times

EFY Times

EFY Times: "The Real World Is Not Enough: Level Up
Swapnil Bhartiya, EFY News Network

(Tuesday, November 01, 2005 8:37:19 AM)


Level Up is all set to take you to a ride to a world where your meet the unseen, the unknown � into a virtual world of online gaming.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005: Level Up, India's only publisher of online games, has tied-up with over 1500 gaming cafes to promote community-based Online Gaming across the country. Level Up also unveiled a communication campaign to create awareness about the social aspects of online gaming and grow the online gaming market.

Speaking about the popularity of online gaming, Venkat Mallik, managing director, Level-Up, said, 'The social aspect of online gaming is the reason for its popularity globally. Online games are virtual communities, where players can create an Avatar and make friends with other players from different parts of the country. The community spirit of these games keeps the excitement alive.'

Level Up is educating the Indian Youth about the experience that online game environments provide. Currently, the company is creating awareness about online gaming through Ragnarok Online, its popular online game, and is positioning the game as 'The Other World'.

Added Venkat Mallik, 'In India, we see Internet-caf�s transforming into gaming cafes. We have entered into partnerships with all leading Internet-cafe chains in the country. We are already witnessing a number of caf� owners looking towards gaming as a major revenue earner. Player meets at cafes are another critical element for extending the community experience outside the game.'"

The Hindu Business Line : SQL Star pref. offer for Bennett, Coleman

The Hindu Business Line : SQL Star pref. offer for Bennett, Coleman: "SQL Star pref. offer for Bennett, Coleman
Our Bureau
Hyderabad , Oct. 31
SQL Star International Ltd has decided to issue 1.75 million equity shares of Rs 10 each to Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, The Times of India Group, on a preferential basis at the price of Rs 40 per share (including a premium of Rs 30 per share).
Alongside, the company has informed the BSE that the board of directors at a meeting on Monday decided to issue 0.8 million equity warrants convertible into equity shares of Rs 10 each on a preferential basis at a price of Rs 40 per share warrant � a price arrived at in terms of SEBI guidelines."

This Is What I Have To Tell You Manisha!

Dear Manisha,

You are a writer yourself; you know value of words, please read each line carefully.

I never meant insulting you.

My life has been a lot complicated, twisted. Whether it is Shahid Jamal, Pooja, or …every time people whom I adored the most disappointed me, they neither stood by me in happiness nor in pain – I have to take all of it alone.

Looking back at life, I have got little of what I ever deserved. My concern, fretting and things I did - getting out of my way for the persons I adored the most in my life - remained unanswered. And I have learned not to say a word. Why? Because I know people don’t care.

The reason why I stayed in touch with you, tried to assist you in getting a job – for this thing I apologize I failed despite my efforts -- and to help you keep your moral high, is: you have been a good friend. And it’s difficult to find fine people.

I definitely have had feelings for you and only my heart knows their truthfulness. Nevertheless, it is past now; only a fading memory. And present is bright and clear: our ways lead in different directions, almost opposite. That sums up things, we are friends and that’s the only thing we will ever be. I don’t want anything from you, because I can’t have it. It’s something that has been made abundantly clear. And I am no stupid.

There is nothing for me to win or to lose. However, I do care about you, I always had and I always will. And that leaves no space for insulting you.

I never meant insulting or abusing you. I can’t understand, why would I, returning from office after a long hectic day stop by a PCO - before going to my home, before having a glass of cold water, or before taking some rest – and call you up to only insult you! I don’t understand that I would call up people to see if there are any vacancies; or to sit at night surfing for sites to see if there are any openings…all of it only to insult you?

I always believed that the fragile friendship, which I constantly try to keep intact, needed no sophisticated pretence; no fabricated formal treatment. Thus, as a friend I was analysing things as I would about myself in any given situation, but I don’t know why you minded them.

I want you to get up and grab the opportunity you deserve. I want you to be there…I don’t know if you ever dream…dream of what you want to be, what you would make out of this life…I am sure you do. I want you to realise those dreams on your own.

We are here to hold you if you stumble, and to cheer and shout and scream and dance when you touch the line, achieve your dreams.

You do have big dream I am sure. Go touch them, pluck them and save them in your pouch. A talented person you are, a rewarded one you will be. That’s my belief.

I am sorry, but I am a bit choosy. I always keep best of the people around me. I kept you!


Swapnil