TechnoMumbling

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2009-07-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

Vermilion

2009-05-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I came across this word called Vermilion. I've heard both parts of Slipknot's rendition of this word and they're both regulars on my playlist. N today, when I come across this word in reading, it leaps out at me. And fills me with guilt because I've heard it before and I dunno what it means. That kinda thing infuriates me.

I'm from a generation of people who don't mind looking up a dusty bulky old dictionary even if its well past midnight simply cuz they CANT sleep unless they find out what a word means. Guess I'm have different jeans or is this wat they call generation gap?

Anyway, like most losers in this god-forsaken world, I google it (here). and I'm told its a reddish orange color. So I decide to view the images section for the same query so I know which color it is, cuz u cant teach colors to a blind man can you? And there I see something beside the usual options in the image search.

Several times I have searched for images and sorted them using the size. Mostly I might need a widescreen wallpapers. Or some thumbnails. So I filter them using their size. And today there were two new options one is sort by content. This filters images based on where u want it from be it from a news article or somethin like that. Not impressive. Maybe cuz I personally wont be using it, I guess.

But the other feature that really caught my attention is the sort by color. I tried it out. It works for perfectly fine. What did I expect from google? I can now search pink images or mages with red color and this is a HUGE advancement. Google leads the internet search and now they make it possible for us to search for images with "faces" "orange color" and of a "large size". Which is so Wow! G rocks!

Gmail Themes

2008-11-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

Did u check out yahoo's new Glue search result page? with news, blogs, web results images and all in the same page? Guys check out Flock, a media and user centric web browser..A product of mozilla.

This post is with relevance to Google's new Gmail themes.

Google generally has this aversion to good designs. Generally their aim is to make simple and efficient software they dont concentrate on design. Take for instance google search or gtalk..plaing white and easy to use. Also, their themes I feela re never too great. Take for instance, blogger templates, google offers a very little selection. Third party blogger templates are out of the world. Only if they do the same for orkut and gmail will it look more appealing. There are a million amazing designers out there and if they allow third part functionality, Google themes can look great. The problem is this creates security risks but "Google" has to know how to work around that. Horribly long comment I know..Should have blogged it.. Am publishing it in technomumbling.

Learn to build websites for free.

2008-11-18T05:26:00.000-08:00

Off late, web designing has been so lucrative that I just cant help wasting all my man-hours gawking at simply stupendous designs. Who said geeks cant be creative? I mean there are a bunch of truly AMAZING web designers out there. And I also found there are some really cool free resources.

I have been following a blog called Smashing Magazine They collect resources and show you sample designs, examples of exemplary photography, free fonts, links to free stuff that can help you become a great designer yourself.

I jus sat and asked myself what are the ingredients required for a completely SMASHING web design?

1) Simplicity

Try this website here. They have some really bold ideas that highlight simplicity and it works really well.

2) Home Page

The home page shouldn't be long enough for a user to scroll. Thats the thumb rule. You can have the rest of the details on other pages neatly laid out.

3) Navigation

The navigation has to be simple and understandable. We dont want users lost in some page or looking for directions. We want them to know how to get where and no matter which page they are on i tmust be easy to get back HOME.

4) Colours

This has probably been the toughest thing for me as a self proclaimed designer. Sometimes I look at smashing designs and wonder how on earth do these people come up witht hese colors? And guess what? There is this aazing site that gives you color themes!

http://kuler.adobe.com

5) Theme

A color and its contents have to go hand in hand. Thismeans the theme you choose has to correllate to the content of your website. Professional ones need pleasant colors while kid's websites need flaahy clours and icons.

6) Resources

One hardly hs to move a finger. There is a world of free resourcces and there's google to help you find it. there are free CSS menu generators that provide wonderful pleasant designs for menus and u can select from horizontal, vertical or drop down. There's a resource for almost everything.

The web is your friend. google whatever you want and use the free resources. Also there is no better way to learn than tweaking the code u download. Learn to build websites for free.

images to create your own blogger template

2008-11-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Say hello to SMS from Google

2008-10-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

It never fails to amaze me, the kinda stuff google can come up with. I've not even got over the Google chrome, sometimes cribbing sometimes being lavish with praise, but check this out..SMS from google.

Up until now I thought this was just available in the US. Yes it takes you some time to search thru all the labs and come up to the indian labs section and then check out the SMs channels. Really cool..u can get feeds from news sources, blogs and sports websites..all for FREE. Yep, thats the best part. And its a steal, you can create your own channels, you can subscribe to channels, u can invite people to check out ur channels and a better feature, something I believe will put an end to those annoying group e mails, is the possibility of u creating a channel that allows users top publish stuff, so everyone in the channel gets that..kinda like the contact groups in your phone. :D

But I dont understand why Google doesn't advertise these things..maybe they can hire me :D

U can configure the number of SMs's u receive..If u r from in india check the link here(hey jus google it will you?) and the FAQ section so u can get the technical know how on how what and whatever the fuck..

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cross posted at Trashcan

Say Hello to Microsoft OneNote

2008-09-21T08:14:00.001-07:00

The Microsoft OneNote is a note taking software and a highly addictive one. The one stop solution for your entire note taking needs be it web clipping, taking lecture notes or taking notes at a meeting. No more having to wait for that irksome Google gadget to load and save everything online. Of course the google note taking machine is definitely good considering its free and comes right into your browser, Itna Paise me itna ich milega.

The OneNote Software is highly impressive, especially to someone like me who has to make a lotta notes, courtesy short term memory loss. You can have a notebook a it can hold loads of Pages. An auto save option where anything you type is automatically saved is probably the best feature. The built in templates are a boon.

But then as always, it has only one problem. It takes you sometime to feel comfortable around this softy and get to know the shortcuts and stuff but Microsoft has delivered the goods big time and in a way no one has done. What with an option to blog your notes automatically? I don't really appreciate MS that often. But this time I make an exception, this is AMAZING and highly ADDICTIVE.

Browser wars

2008-09-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am stuck amidst a flurry of browser activity. Thanks to google launching its superior browser that caters to today's needs, I have started analyzing all the browsers I consider decent.

IE. I used to be an Internet explorer loyalist back then during the times of netscape and IE wars. But its been a long time since I used IE. There are still a few websites that look better on IE than any other browser. Like my broadband modem settings page can be accessed only via IE. But then the IE tabbing option is a huge disappointment. It looks kinda weird the tabs keep growing and shrinking everytime you open or close a new one and its confusing. So mind you this is not a technical evaluation or somethin. Its personal.

Firefox is the best according to me. Maybe am being a loyalist. But then google chrom e has taken so many ideas straight out of firefox.

Chrome is superior to other browsers in that it can take care memory fragmentation problems. Otherwise looks really simple and thats good. And I dont really find it that fast. Searching downloads is a real good idea but I believe its available in firefox as well.

Safari supposed to be the fastest and looks great too. I dont like it. I somehow still feel firefox has the best download speed.

And what google chrome has done is taken a leaf out of all the available browsers mashed it up and marketed it really well. Anything chrome can offer, firefox can offer too. Only its not already installed u need plugins. Wait and watch for the next firefox version. Chrome will have to eat dust.

How to grab any video

2008-09-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

I know its been a long while and one of the best posts on this blog is the clipnabber one. I think that received maximum comments, relatively speaking.
Okay so this clearly shows that people want to grab vids and here's how to grab any video...thats right ANY GODDAMN VIDEO from ANY FUCKING SITE. Just download the latest real player version. :D

Solution to Display woes

2007-11-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

The future of mobiles is larger and clearer displays. Every mobile creator is striving to making mobiles with larger displays. There are two main obstacles to this.

One, the mobile phone has to fit in the hand and hence has to be small.
Two, there has to be room for the keypad as well.

Check out mobiles like the Nokia 3230, which attempt at having a bigger display by compromising both on size and the keypad. The 3230 is a failure when it comes to size. It feels like a brick in your pocket even though the weight is lesser than what would appear to be a heavy mobile, it loses out on size. The keypad is also big drawback because it is way too small.

The solution to this problem was unveiled by Apple's iPhone. Touch Screen is the solution to a wider display without compromising size and keypad restrictions.

I feel hat the iPhone is the best innovation to come the way of mobile phones. To be able to use your fingers instead of a stylus and give you the feeling of turning the pages like you would on a book takes mobile computing to the next level. It's not just the most advanced mobile phone but also the best i-Pod ever and also the best ever internet communication device too.

However, there's always a catch. The iPhone comes only with a Cingular connection, which is more or less an equivalent of the CDMA phones(of Reliance or Tata Indicom) in India.

Follow this link to get up close and personal with the iPhone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgW7or1TuFk

Vision Windows II

2007-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

For Part I Click Here

===============

This post is here to extend my views on how to get a better windows experience. In future versions, I would like to see the following changes:

1) Span Multi Select to Several Folders:

Have you ever wanted to select ten out of twenty files in a folder? And then combine this group with another ten files from another folder? The only possible way to do this currently is to create a new folder and copy/move the required files here and then move that to where you actually need it. However, it would be a lot better if one has the ability to copy several items on to the clipboard and choose which ones to paste like the clipboard option in Word when you copy several items, word automatically opens the clipboard which has tall the copy items in it and you can choose to paste any of them.

I actually got the idea when I was using winamp. I wanted three songs from one folder and two from another. I could use ctrl+click on the required files in a folder and then I tried going to the other folder while holding the control button and clicked on two other files in the new folder. But this did not work. The previous copy was over written.

Why Word Verify comments?

2007-08-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

Blogger has this option of Having a word verification before someone adds a comment to your blog. I've turned that option off. And that is because I feel it is the most irritating thing on earth...Next to an itchy armpit.

First things first.

What is word verification?

In certain forms, you will be shown a small picture with letters or alpha numeric characters in a jumbled or zig zag form and asked to type the letters on it. This is known as word verification.

Why is it done?

Now this concept is known as human computing. There might be certain idiots who would write a program that would say...keep creating free e mail accounts in yahoo(jus an example).

Now all this guy'd have to do is simply run the program type in a user name like ...fuckyoumorons00..

and go for a coffee break while this program keeps creating accounts like

fuckyoumorons01
fuckyoumorons02
.
.
.
.
and so forth. To prevent this...we must make sure that it is a real person who is registering and not a program. Since computers cannot understand what's in a picture...we use this simple technique to avoid such disasters.

My Question:

Why the heck is this there in a comments section for a blog??
1. No one would be crazy enough to write a program that's gonna flood my comments section.
2. More importantly, I wouldn't mind it someone did.

So why is there a word verification option? This is to all fellow bloggers...I hate this thing and feel it's absolutely unnecessary. And I think it annoys a visitor who's courteous enough to write a comment. So please turn this option off.

Blogliterati My review

2007-08-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

There is always this nice feeling when people say "Young" and "Fresh". Well Blogliterati is created by a bunch of young and fresh entrepreneurs and here is how I find the concept. I say concept because they don't sell it as a product, they sell it as a concept.

Blogliterati:

Its a blend...a mix that brings the best of both worlds...namely orkut and blogger. The colors reminds us of Orkut and creates an instant rapport cuz most of us are so used to orkut that its lack of colors doesn't bother us. Yes Orkut lacks beautiful colors..the blue is boring but th blue in blogliterati works wonderfully for them because it makes us feel at home.

Signing Up:

One thing I love about the signing up is that they dont require you to have a separate username for blogliterati(lets call it B hence). I have so many accounts in so many forums...though I use the same names mosta the times, I tend to forget some of those off beat ones I created...but that won't happen in B because I cant possibly forget my e mail.

Home Page:

The home page shows us that B is up and running full time. Several sections invite you to take a peek at others blog...They score over blogger here because though it has a colorful home page it has only text links "Blogs of Note" and it doesn't give out any details. These folks at B have Latest comments, latest bloggers, latest posts, top rated posts et al. Thats a really innovative idea. kudos.

What I'd like to see here:

1. A little text from each post that is featured, rather than the number of comments or along with it...even if its one line, it would give me more idea as to whether I'd like to read it or not.

2. The sign In link's black in color in a blue background...I had to search for it. It's hover color white contrasts better...so it'd be nice if they'd swap the link color and hover color for the sign in links.

Signing In:

Straight forward. Easy to remember because your e mails your id.

Once you're in:

1. The name of my blog is so little. Could be bigger and brighter.
2. Today's whacky one liner is a smart idea but it never changes in my profile.
3. The main page shows recent profile visits(only in numbers??) I wasn't able to know who visited my profile.
4. The blog itself, I found I had to type the address of my blog to view it. It'd be better if they could display the blog below Latest comments, my buddies and from editors desk.
5. In the main blog page, which is ur profile and your posts below them, there are only links to posts...again it'd be better to show the entire text of the post rather than just a link. Or atleast they ought to let the user select these settings.

My favorites:
1.The mood is a cool idea.
2.About me section: in blogger u cant insert a line break!! U can in B.
3. Albums personalize it...again the orkut influence

On the whole...I like it. Hope it gets enough people. I'll recommend it to my friends...only if asked:p. So here's to the team:

My requests:

1. Wherever a post is concerned, please have the first few lines also visible.
2. Change link colors from black to white in the blue ribbon on top and bottom of the pages.

@ Supriya: Am sorry if I sounded rude.
@ Rest of the team: Great work. Keep going.
@ anyone who cares: http://technomumbling.blogliterati.com

Blogger template tips

2007-08-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

There are several Templates available for Blogger. Be it on blogs themselves or separate pages, some of which allow you to create your own templates. Here are a few tips on how to choose your blogger templates.

1. Choose a template that has a small header logo or picture. Most of the blogger templates have a huge logo or title block that takes up almost half of the computer screen(unless you have a mega 21 inch LCD flat front super high tech screen).

This is a waste of space. For any blog, the visitor should be able to get to the text directly. Beyond that its your talent in keeping the audience coming back.

2. Try three column templates:

Three column templates are best for those who have too much of widgets or ads on their blog. These kinda templates utilize that blank space that all blogger default templates leave aside...almost 20 percent of the space is blank. This space can also be utilized using three column templates.

How to get your blog on top of searches

2007-08-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Blog Name:

Always have a blog name which is apt to your blog or at the least relevant to the kind of posts you make. If it is a personal blog, it is better to have your name. If it is regarding a specific field, make the name as specific as possible.

Blog Posts:

Blog posts have to be short. No one has the time to read long posts. Unless you really need to write something long, go for shorter and crispier posts. One paragraph is optimal. (I may not be the best qualified person to tell you this...still)

Blog Labels:

Labels ought to be precise and directed towards the content you've posted. Put yourself in the position of a person searching for your post on the Internet. What are the keywords you would type in a search box? That should be your label. When it is better to keep your labels short and small, there is no rule that blog labels should be short and small in number.

A small Tip:

Type the following in capitals, select "Smallest" font size and then change its color to match the background of your blog template. This way. the text is not visible but will be regarded by web crawlers as part of your post. So anyone who searches for the following keywords might find your blog on the search results.

1. Blog name
2. Your name
3. post title
4. post Label

Frequency of Posts:

I know its impossible to write something daily. Especially if you run multiple blogs. But the more regularly you add content, the more regularly you will be evaluated. Doesn't mean you are going to go up any higher in your ranking but you will be on the watch list.

Links:

This is by far the best method to get more visitors to your blog. Find out people who have blogs on similar interest and swap links with them. If you get to be linked by a famous blog, your blog gets better.

Poor Software for Nokia mobiles

2007-08-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah Folks thats my new phone. I did feel really bad having to let go of my old phone...she was such a sweetheart(Cross Reference - Bidding her goodbye)

Coming to the point, Nokia scores major points when it comes to Battery Life and sturdiness of the mobile. Her camera's are pretty good(Nokia, By the way, is the leading producer of cameras. That leaves behind original camera producing houses like cannon and Konica et al), the MP3 players are decent...bad by no means. But where Nokia loses out is in its software. The User Interface(UI), the menus and stuff, its cryptic and is sub-standard.

I haven't used all Nokia models so I cannot Comment on them. What I am using currently is the one you see in the picture. Let me tell you how awful the UI is. Now take a close look at the picture. The keypad in specific.

$ There are two soft keys(the blue dashes on either side)
$ plus the center button(that shiny round button in the center)
$ with four navigation keys(the silver lining surrouding the button)
$ plus a red key and a green key.

For Instance, If I had to change my profile to "Silent", here's how I'd have to do it.

Menu>>(Scroll down four times)Settings>>Profiles>>(Scroll down once)Silent>>Activate

The shortcut(so called) would be to press the left soft key that opens a "Go to" menu>>Scroll down five times>>Select Ringing Volume>>Move the indicator to zero(left button twice)>>Then Press Save.

In any Sony Ericsson phone, I could invoke the silent mode by pressing and holding the # key. Thats all it takes! One key!!

The reason for this is the software must be written in general for all phones and not specific to this particular model. So this way, irrespective of whether the phone model consists of five buttons or eight redundant buttons, it'll use the same software. So whether you buy a phone thats worth Rs.1000 or Rs.12000, you get the same product(in terms of software). This reduces the costs for the company by a great deal.

This is how it would have been if Nokia had a specific UI for this particular phone. It would still be a cumbersome process but we can reduce it a bit.

Say...Instead of having to go through yet another menu to select a profile, simply pressing the green button would activate the profile while pressing the central button will invoke the menu or directly go to editing the profile while the right button can be used to set the time for a particular software.

People, what we have seen here is just one instance and what I have shown you is only my idea of how it can be improved. There can be a million improvements done to the mobile software of Nokia if a group of software tech guys sit and have a brainstorming session.

The bottom line is Nokia's software can be improved a lot and right now it sucks and is outright pathetic.

Vision Windows

2007-08-02T07:14:00.001-07:00

Here's a little view of what I would like to see in future version o Windows.

Dockable Start Menu

Instead of Having to click on the start menu, which is used most of the times, It would be better to have the Start menu on display all the time. Since all the Programs can be accessed from here, It would be a great advancement.

Animated Icons

We've come from small 16 x 16 Icons to 256 x 256 icons in vista, which allows you to zoom into the folder and view icons(see picture). Maybe all time animation would be too irritating, so lets make that an animation when the cursor is placed on the file. Maybe like a mobile phone menu.