Reversing the brain drain

Continuing the series of links to BBC articles, here's an interesting one about indians going back home in droves after gaining experience overseas - India's IT prodigals return home

I think this is a good thing; App and I have thought much about this.

World's first Hindu theme park

The BBC reports that Shiv Sagar, the grandson of Ramanand Sagar (yes, *that* Ramanand Sagar of 'Ramayan' fame) is going to build the World's first Hindu theme park called Ganga Dham on the banks of the Ganges.

I have to admit it is a really neat idea. Whether it catches on with today's kids and turns commercially viable, remains to be seen.

Airbus v Boeing: The next battle

BBC NEWS | Business | Airbus v Boeing: The next battle: An interesting write up about the current battle between the US and the EU for control of the aircraft market.

Air travel in India is booming right now. The BBC also reported big aeroplane purchases by Air India and Indian Airlines.

iPod Mini Photo!

Could be just me, but this conceptual image of an iPod Mini Photo just rocks! I dig the brushed metal finish - just like my current MD player!

Update: Here's another pic!

Via Ubergizmo

Parents on the way here

So the time is finally here, my parents are visiting me. It is a special event because this is the first time they have visited me since I starting working away from home - in 1999. I moved far and away, worked different companies in different cities and got married. I visited home in between of course, but those were predominantly short visits except for the time I worked in Madras before I moved to the US from the UK. Things never worked out for them to be able to visit me until tomorrow, that's when they arrive here in the bay area. They will be with us for a little over 5 months and I am looking forward to making the most of that time. They are retired now, without the pressure to provide for their children but unfortunately their children are far away. Our family has always been close knit and I miss them and feel with them their / our loneliness. We are fortunate to be able to host them. I look forward to it :)

So I love the iMac G4

The iMac G4 is the best of all the iMacs! I've always loved it and always will. Jonathan Ive cemented his position as the modern age God of industrial design with this masterpiece. I could go on writing about his genius but the page I have linked to will show you his most popular creations - each one inspires more than 'wow!'. The iMac G5 is wonderful and is probably the mac I would buy if I was in the market; however, its design is far simpler than the G4.

The screen rises gracefully like a flower. The circular base neatly houses all the components connected to the screen with what can only be described as a perfect arm. The arm is strong but can be adjusted with a single finger, you have to use this computer to appreciate its beauty. I'll bet that this arm added a significant amount to the cost of the computer and its absence no doubt makes the iMac G5 cheaper to produce than the iMac G4. However, the screen on the G4 is as flexible as a screen can be. It is perfect. The iMac G4 is as perfect as a computer is ever going to be in the near future. (To my knowledge) No PC manufacturers even attempted to reproduce this work of art. We know that perfection is hard to improve upon but in this case it was not even reproduced!
There are no screws or wires visible. The iMac G5 is not as radical a departure from the traditional form of a computer as the G4, it also makes a few sacrifices to achieve its all-in-one form, wires wind down from the back and are very visible. The G4 has no such issues, the wires are at ground level and can flow down the back away from sight. I feel lucky to be using this machine at work over the last week, hopefully I'll be able to use it longer. If not, I'm sure that I will pick up a used G4 for a good price on craigslist in a couple of years! Long live the iMac, long live Ive! :)

Lazy weekend

Well, its turning out to be a slow weekend after a pretty busy week. Apart from work, went to Cupertino (the mothership) and visited the Apple Company Store, the employee store that is also open to visitors. Ended up buying an Apple mug and pen. Met old friend Prasanth and went to dinner at Saravana Bhavan. Prasanth hasn't changed much at all, it was good to catch up with him. He did ask the dreaded question - "do you still have those tapes?". The tapes in question are mini dv tapes that Prasanth had given to me to convert to disc. Nothing wrong there, except this happened when I was living in the UK, a little over 3 years go.. and the disc I was supposed to make was a VCD. Of course, thanks to new technology I can now make a DVD.. let me see if I can finally have them ready before he leaves in a couple of weeks. That reminds me, I have to mail those pictures Raghu has been asking for .. :)

Apple a day keeps the music at play

With impending hardware updates from Apple, time to turn the focus back to the Mac!! The BBC says Apple a day keeps the music at play.
Mac OS X.4 Tiger is to be launched next friday April 29th with much fanfare. I think I will stop by our local Apple Store to witness the launch party at 6 p.m. Even my parents will be around to witness the event!!
Tiger has lots of new features and seems to be a worthwhile upgrade, check Apple's Tiger page for all the juicy details. It is $129 to buy, only $69 if you're a student or teacher. However, if you also don't have iLife 05 ($79) then the Mac Mini now presents itself as an absolute value purchase. Available for $499 or lesser, it comes with both Tiger and iLife '05. For the extra $290 over the value of the software, you can pick up a whole new Apple machine. I am reluctant to replace my beloved Apple Cube but even with 768MB RAM, it does show signs of its age when using iLife especially iMovie. There is still plenty of potential for the Cube though - it could serve as a music server or even as a HDTV recorder connected to my cable box (using Virtual DVHS).
I have a little time to think about the options, the mac rumor sites are reporting that the Mac Mini is about to receive a boost in the standard RAM from 256MB to 512MB (that makes a lot of difference with OS X, believe me). So wait I shall..
Ah, the tough choices for a value-conscious mac addict!! :)

Stop the death of Redwood forests

Take a moment to sign this petition and voice your opinion against logging in the Sierra Nevada. Thanks!

Chandramukhi!

Iniya Tamizh Puthaandu Vazhthugal to all!
Today is the Tamil new year - yes we have a separate calendar where we're from!
To celebrate, we went to see the first show of Chandramukhi - the new release from the one and only Superstar!! It was the first time seeing Thalaivar's movie in the cinema for App and she enjoyed it thoroughly. Unlike the damp squib that was Baba, Chandramukhi will appeal to the masses we think. You should definitely check it out - it puts the special effects in the Matrix to shame!
Anyway, a decent plot (apparently a remake of a hit Mallu movie) keeps your engrossed and entertained throughout the movie!!
No other plans for the new year right now, I have to be going to the Airport to send Ranjit off for his marriage.

Edit: Here's more from The Hindu.

Edit 2: I haven't checked out Kamal's offering yet but apparently it is hilarious!

Tiger comes roaring

I'm back again!! Apologies for the silence from my end but glad to see that App has been filling in.
There are updates galore but first, the news of day - Tiger has been announced. Read at Apple.com
This means that it is definitely time to pick up a Mac mini which is now a real bargain - it comes with Tiger and iLife 05 - worth about $200 in itself!
When checking out Tiger make sure you read the iChat AV compatibility chart here. Looks like you'll need a pretty beefy machine to start a 4-way video chat. Hmm.. time for an iMac? ;)

Getting better...

I'm much better. My wonderful husband took me out on Saturday to Foster City. It was great to see that city again, its lake, we re-lived those good nice moments in our life. Arvind has introduced me to Napster now. Loving it, heard all my old hindi music. So goooooooood. We have started walking up the hill, life getting back to normal, that's a good sign.

So I'm slowly getting out of my depression. Thanks everyone for your comforting words. Too much stress at work. I can't wait to start working in a real office!:)

-App (so naddeem doesn't think it was posted by arvind ;))

BTW, in all the confusion I forgot to mention that I took a complete physical checkup and results came on Friday. I'm perfectly heathly and fine. Thyroid levels are normal.

life sucks!!

what a day! I'm still dealing with so many different issues both personally and professionally. I'm so fed up, frustrated about everything. Its not easy working from home. Someday, I will start going to office, that would be a welcome break.
Sometimes I wonder what's the point of living this life like this? Lonely and boring. Yeah you keep yourself occupied with something (gym, work, vacation) but life is so empty and dull here in US. Some people love it, some hate it. I love it for the independence it gave me and for the knowledge I've gained. But I'm in the hate phase where I feel depressed that I don't have a lot of friends around. No one to turn to when you feel so bad and depressed. Atleast in India, you would have someone to talk to, be it friend or family. I'm tired of computers, phone, tv, electronic gadgets and the life in itself!! The world news is depressing too, some kid shooting 10 kids and killing himself. What kind of world do we live in?

The only thing thats going good is my gym. I'm happy that I'm atleast working out regularly. Spring is here, so hopefully I will go out of this depression soon. I wish I can take a break from everything and go away for a week to some unknown land. may be I will!!