I'm back!

Hey everyone. I know I haven't blogged in a while, actually, in almost 2 years now. I don't know why, but somehow I never had anything to write about. Its not that nothing "happened" in my life - oh no, LOADS of things have happened, and are happening as a matter of fact. Its just that, somehow, I was never motivated enough to actually log on and write things.

So, as this new year begins, I've decided to become an active member of the blogging community once again. I know, I don't write particularly insightful stuff, and I'm pretty sure not too many people read this too. But I've decided to write, and it would be great if you reciprocated by reading.

As an update, I'm not a school student anymore - I've finally made the transition to college. And to another country, the US of A. Obviously, a lot has happened since my last post, but I'm not going to bore you with the details - only the most legendary tales shall be told :)

So, here's to a new beginning!

An ode to someone

She keeps her secrets
In her eyes
She wraps the truth
Inside her lies
Just when I can't say
What she's done to me
She comes to me
And leads me back to paradise

She's so hard to hold
But I can't let go

I'm a house of cards
in a hurricane
A reckless ride
In the pouring rain
She cuts me and the pain
Is all I wanna feel
She'll dance away just like a child
She drives me crazy
Drives me wild
But I'm helpless when she smiles
Maybe I'd fight if I could
It hurts so bad
But feels so good
She opens up just like
A rose to me
When she's close to me
Anything she'd ask me to
I would

It's out of control
But I can't let go

When she looks at me
I get so weak

The Race of Life

I often feel like I have been running my whole life. To me, running is more than the mere indulgence of competitive whims. The steady stride of a long distance runner and the explosive speed of a sprinter vaulting from the blocks are metaphors for life. We are born with the world an open track before us, the starter’s gun unleashing its deafening sound long before our senses perceive it.

Like runners toeing the line, we all choose our own path, whether to take this turn or that, and whether to pass the opposition or simply coast and fall back. Some of us run further; others run faster. The race of the long-distance runner is often lonely, his steady gait unrelenting and his pace even. He endures long trials and has many visions, following a steady path as his endurance is tested. In contrast, the dashing sprinter barrels forth and cuts through life with swiftness and vigor.

We all confront the same hills to climb and descend; life can seem an impossible ascent or a bounding plunge as we run steadily along. We slip and falter, a sprain here or a fracture there. Some will be tested, limping forward until time slowly heals our injuries. Others will find a partner to keep our stride and help maintain the pace. A few will always run well, leading the pack of eager followers. Others may struggle, never seeming to catch their breath as they promise to run better tomorrow.

We all run against the clock, hoping to finish the course long before time is called. Some stop long before they reach the finish line, giving in to the race’s pressures on both body and mind. We run against each other, striving to beat our fellow runners. We also run against ourselves, pushing our limits so that those whose race has not yet begun will remember our feats with awe and pride.

I have not always known the right path, missing turns and struggling through stretches. At times I have run off the path, losing my focus and seeing the race as a means to an end. I have struggled up many hills and careened down many others. I have faced injuries and lost fellow runners. However, through it all I have learned from the race and found the determination not to repeat my mistakes. I have run the race both fast and slow, taking in the view along the route and the emotions of the running.

I now believe that the race of life can be examined in retrospect, but that you must always keep running towards the finish line. Sure, success in this race is important, but the experience itself is a gift. I believe that you must run a race worth running, for as running legend Steve Prefontaine said, “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” If the race is run with heart and passion, then the finish will be victorious.

Wii will rock you!

The years 2007. Computers have become FAST. And game consoles couldn't be too far behind, could they? This was something the Big 3 have noticed too. And in the rush to get their consoles ready for Christmas '06, some of them managed to build winners. Of course, their global launch has happened only a few months back. But nonetheless, most folks were talking about Microsoft's XBox 360™ or Sony's PlayStation 3™. But Nintendo seems to have won this round, with it's wildly popular Wii™. Launched around the same time as the XBox 360™, it wasn't expected to make much of a dent in Microsoft's console market, because, face it. The XBox was faster and had higher specs that the Wii, which, on the other hand, shared it's specs with the older generation XBox. But Nintendo seems to have targeted a different market with it's Wii.

To compete with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo has re-invented videogaming, making it more social, more intuitive and surprisingly physically engaging. The Wii is indeed revolutionary, and it's potentially the device that will make videogaming as widely enjoyed as board or card games.The feature that sets the Wii apart from both its competitors and its ancestors is the Wii remote, the device's control pad. Instead of a bulky, button-studded joystick, Nintendo has produced a slim wand that looks like a television remote control. It's connected to the console wirelessly, and more important, it's equipped with an innovative motion sensor that detects movement and rotation in three dimensions.



In other words, the Wii remote allows users to get up, move around the room and become part of the game. If you want your character on the screen to swing his sword, you wield the remote and make the thrusts and parries yourself. In a game of baseball, you hold the remote like a bat, and swing for the stands when you want your virtual player to do the same.

By giving players the ability to physically interact with a virtual world, Nintendo has significantly changed the experience of videogaming. It's suddenly more immersive, more compelling and potentially more appealing to consumers who have never considered buying a videogame console before.There's no sequence of arcane button combinations required to throw a baseball: You just wind up and mime an actual throw. Suddenly, videogames are fun for everyone--old or young, male or female, regardless of prior gaming experience.

Now here's something. Sony's and Microsoft's consoles cost $500/$600 and $300/$400 respectively. Compare that to the Wii's $250 price tag, and Nintendo's already got a leg up in the upcoming console war. By concentrating on innovating through game play, and ignoring its competitors' most high-tech features--super-powered processors, support for high-definition televisions and DVD formats--Nintendo has not only been able to keep its costs down, but it's hit upon the single thing that sets apart an entertainment device most: It's fun.

Honey, I Shrunk the PC!

PCs come in all shapes and sizes. The larger they are, the more performance they tend to offer, and that's the metric that drives a market still ruled by Moore's law and its myriad derivatives. There's a certain appeal to small systems, however -- especially if you go the DIY route, proving once again that even if small can't quite run World of Warcraft, it sure can be beautiful.

Picotux doesn't do sexy. Picotux doesn't do games. Picotux doesn't do much of anything. What picotux does do is be a truly minuscule computer, not much larger than the ethernet jack that brackets it. An inch long and only 19 mm wide and deep, the ARM-powered little winder has 8 MB of RAM, 100 Mbit ethernet and a 55-MHz CPU. It runs uClinux and makes a wonderful web server.

Take a look at it's tech specs here.
Or visit it's makers here.

So you want to be an engineer..

So you're done with 12th grade, and school in general. And now, you're at the threshold. Neither here, nor there. You're not a school kid anymore. So you have to make your choices for yourself. Not your teachers. Not your parents. YOU.

It's a bit hard to comprehend all the choices out there. I mean, after all, the world is a pretty big place right? With over a billion people in our nation alone, and each one following a different career path, how do you know which one's the best for you?
There are a few ways to decide, I've discovered. One - you listen to your parents/teachers and do what they think is best. But that's not very interesting, and definitely not highly recommended. What if they want you to become a doctor, and you can't even stand the sight of blood??! The other way, is to choose for yourself what you want to do, and what you want to become. It IS rather hard, but I believe we've seen and done enough to figure out exactly what we're good at!

As a kid, I'd fallen in love with computers, and today, computer science is the subject that I'm best at in school. So for me, the choice was pretty much straight-forward. Computer Science and Engineering. But then there was this big question I had.. what exactly is "Engineering"? So I did some research..
"Engineering is the professional art of applying science to the optimum conversion of natural resources to the benefit of man."
- Ralph J. Smith , Stanford University

The quote above sums it all. Engineering is about the innovative and creative application of mathematical and scientific principles to the creation of products, technology and services for the good of mankind.
Engineering touches almost every aspect of our lives and is at the heart of contemporary life. The dramatic changes of the last century, and even the last decade, are the direct result of engineering.

Engineers are not only at the forefront of making new scientific and technological discoveries, but also actively involved in turning that knowledge into something practical and valued. Everything that is made results from the expertise of engineers; from expressways to the information superhighway, from video phones to digital television, from automobiles to spacecraft and the list goes on and on.

Engineers make a significant contribution to creating wealth in a country. Many successful economies have a high number of engineers. Engineering offers more career options than any other discipline. Engineers are able to pursue a wide spectrum of careers in both the private sector and in government, and in fields as diverse as financial services, logistics, and the biomedical sciences. Engineers may be designers, planners, managers, analysts, researchers, consultants, sales specialists, and much more. Engineering is a distinguished profession and engineers have helped to transform our world with many technological innovations.

That pretty much sums up what I've learnt about Engineering. And thus far, it seems to be pretty interesting.. VERY interesting as a matter of fact! Now, I only need to find out more about Computer Science!

Schizophrenic Celebrities

I'm sure you've watched the news this week (or even last week). That's all I can do, since those are the ONLY channels I subscribe to. But the past two weeks have been pretty hard for us news-watchers. Paris Hilton is the biggest celebrity on the news these days, on the international bulletins of all Indian news channels, and, surprisingly, even on BBC! For what you ask? Well. She was arrested. For drunken driving, or whatever the offence is. Till last night, I could even quote the exact section under which she was charged. Then ofcourse, there were discussions on whether it was "fair" or not. Hell. She's just another person. She's not someone GREAT. If we were having this discussion about someone who'd actually achieved something (Bill Gates/Sergey Brin/Steve Jobs top my list) I wouldn't mind watching the news.. but HER? Someone's whose sole claim to fame is a disgusting home "video" and a fancy surname? I think not. But I just came across this interesting question on Ask Yahoo!. I'm sure you're gonna be wanting to ask the same thing.

Dear Yahoo!,
Did Paris Hilton finish High School?
Yvonne
Louisville, Kentucky

Paris Hilton is known as many things. "Scholar" isn't one of them. Still, while nobody would confuse the heiress with a rocket scientist or brain surgeon, she did manage to graduate high school -- in a way.

According to several sources, Hilton attended The Dwight School in New York City, but didn't stick around long enough to wear a cap and gown. However, Ms. Hilton later earned her general equivalency diploma (GED) after some homeschooling. Passing the test certifies the taker has academic skills on par with a typical high-school graduate. Connect the dots and you'll realize that, according to our educational system, Paris possesses the intelligence of an average American high-school graduate. Whether that's merely terrifying or a sign of the coming apocalypse, we leave to you.

But maybe we're being too hard on the starlet. After all, by nearly anyone's definition, Paris is a successful person. Granted, she's currently in jail and has been publicly humiliated more times than we can count, but she's a genius at marketing herself and continually places among Yahoo!'s most popular searches. Maybe she ought to teach a course.

That's saying something isn't it?