Harsha's Blog

Moved to Wordpress !

2010-11-02T11:29:00.000+05:30

Hello All !
This blog is permanently moved to Wordpress . I was sad about this decision as blogger was my first Blog.As in Wordpress many features are inbuilt and also it is easier to move to self hosted blog, this is worth it :)

Do Like my Facebook page for updates and posts. Thank you - See you on the other side =)

Tech: Google Music, in India !

2010-10-23T00:06:00.001+05:30

If you have not tried Google Music yet, try it out now. Great portal to stream music online.It is still part of Google labs, so we can expect lot of improvement in coming days.Currently only Hindi is available, English will be soon I guess. It would be a nice tool to search , listen and explore music when many languages are out especially Indian languages. Here are some things that makes Google Music a cool site to have

1. Social Plugin : You can share the music you like with your friends, and vice versa. Like ping for iTunes, we could buy songs from music soon. But we need to wait and watch how people respond to this, as they can always download the song from other websites.

2. Search ! : Allows you to search by the name of the song, album name, artist name etc.While listening to song, you can click on the artist name to know more songs from the same artist.

3.Sync: I personally feel, google is definitely going to allow users to login to google music with google mail ids soon. So you can favorite, create your own playlists. Guess what, you can sync your playlists across browsers, desktops etc. And a mobile app will be awesome.

4. Streaming : With powerful servers google have, it can serve zillions of people simultaneously.

Bonjour Paris : Photograph

2010-09-19T23:20:00.009+05:30

Pictures I took in Paris.

From Eiffel Tower

Inside Notre Dame

Street Near Notre Dame

The Eiffel Tower at Night

Antonio Canova's Psyche revived by Kiss of Love

A Kid drawing at The Louvre Museum

On the streets of Paris near The Eiffel Tower

One of the shops on av. champs elysees

Colors : Photography

2010-09-18T15:15:00.000+05:30

This picture taken at Wayanad from my cell phone camera K790i

These two pictures taken at Bordeaux from my Canon camera

Android App of the Day : Skyfire browser

2010-09-13T22:09:00.003+05:30

Skyfire is an excellent browser for android (1.5 and above) which plays flash videos also !!

To get Skyfire via the Android Market, launch the Marketplace application and search for "Skyfire" or use the QR code.

Important Features:

VIDEO: magically offers up videos that appear as broken links on all other mobile browsers, enabling Flash video to play quickly and smoothly.
EXPLORE: reads your mind and presents smart recommendations for related media content from sources such as YouTube, Twitter, Google, Digg and more.
SHARE: makes browsing social, with one-click share features to help you get the word out.
FLASH : supports Flash web video with patent-pending adaptive streaming technology for smooth playback.

Android App of the Day : Moodagent

2010-09-11T09:18:00.005+05:30

Awesome music player I recently found on market. Lets you play music depending on your mood. It profiles all the song from the web.

To download search for Moodagent on Market from your android device or simply scan this 2D Barcode from your device

Main Features :

Automatically profiles your music based on emotion, mood, genre, sub-genre, style, tempo, beat, vocals, instruments and production features
Instantly create mood-based playlists
Create playlists based on seed track
Share your mood and taste in music on Facebook and Twitter
Exclude tracks or artists you don’t want to show up in your playlists
Supported languages: English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

For more info go to moodagent site

Android App of the Day : Awesome Drop

2010-09-09T08:31:00.001+05:30

Transfers files from any computer to your Android phone. Great App

Download from Android Market here (link works only from android device)

Tip: Use any barcode reader from your phone

No account required
Works over WiFi and 3G
Transfer files from any computer with a compatible browser*
Works with music, photos, documents, any type of file you want on your phone
Send and receive files with friends

* Compatible browsers include FireFox 3.6, Safari 5, Chrome 5

Programmer Jokes

2010-09-08T22:09:00.001+05:30

I found these here. Have selected few good ones and posted here

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A SQL query goes into a bar, walks up to two tables and asks, “Can I join you?”

———————————–

When Shakespeare asked, To be, or not to be?, he did not provide the answer. But programming can. Well the answer is FF.

2B |~ 2B = FF

———————————–

Q: “Whats the object-oriented way to become wealthy?”

A: Inheritance

———————————–

A programmer puts two glasses on his bedside table before going to sleep. A full one, in case he gets thirsty, and an empty one, in case he doesn’t.

———————————–

Q: Why don’t jokes work in octal?

A: Because 7 10 11.

———————————–

In C we had to code our own bugs. In C++ we can inherit them.

———————————–

Q: How many programmers does it take to kill a cockroach?

A: Two: one holds, the other installs Windows on it

———————————–

A son asked his father(a programmer) why the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. His response?

It works, don’t touch!

Future of Screen Technology

2010-09-04T14:59:00.004+05:30

Just came across this link recently. Cool Stuff , check this out :)

Ghatikallu - Some pictures

2010-08-08T13:43:00.011+05:30

I took this picture at Ghatikallu, an awesome place. For more details about the place visit their website . I am not a great photographer or something , but want to pursue it as a hobby :)

You can download original files from here (file size : 6.43 MB) and use them as wallpapers !!

Happiness - Quote

2010-08-04T22:40:00.004+05:30

"Many times moments become happy just by sharing in contrast to sharing a happy moment " ~Harsha

We part only to Meet again

2010-07-30T19:50:00.006+05:30

My recent poem I wrote for my friend :)

Known I have you, its been a while.

But memories I have of you is a huge pile.

Always nice to see you speak with a beautiful smile.

Want you to always go an extra mile

Happy I am for you, for you fly across oceans.

You won't be near , so there will be few sad notions.

I know you'll have a plethora of friends.

So the fun in your life never ends.

I admire you, coz you are hardworking and dedicated.

You are tough-minded at the same time tenderhearted.

You have a strong mind and a strong will,

U have a plan and implement you will.

I know in life you reach greater heights.

And in times to come achieve greater feats.

You have been an awesome friend.

People like you are very hard to find.

Here is me with lots of love and care,

Wishing you all the best and great future.

- Harsha

How to unlock iPhone 3G in one step ?

2010-07-05T18:27:00.005+05:30

This blog lets you unlock iPhone 3G in one simple step, no big deal :)

1.Touch the button (with right arrow on it) and slide it to your right.

thats it !!!! simple right :P

catch you next time with next tutorial !

iPhone4 Vs HTC Evo

2010-07-04T22:52:00.005+05:30

Found this video on youtube, its friggin awesome. Apple fans I hate hurting you but sorry i just love this video :)

Alert: Profane language used.

In this video one character slams iPhone4

Android Apps

2010-07-02T22:16:00.021+05:30

I am making a list of useful,clean and cool apps that i use.Please suggest if you have better apps to do similar tasks :)

Please bear with me as I use Xperia X10 which sill runs 1.6 :( if the app is not available for you

Ill be adding Apps to the same thread instead of having separate entries every time I add new ones.

Basic Apps : Apps that you use to in day to day activities

Handcent SMS : Has good UI and choice to choose from many styles.

APNDroid : to turn on/off Data on the go.

NetCounter : to know how much data you have used.

Gesture Search : Killer app from google, simply amazing. Lets you search almost anything on your phone with gestures.

OperaMini : Really nice browser, loads pages very fast because its servers reformats it to the phone you are using.

DocumentsToGo : Very nice document viewer. Supports .doc, .xls , .ppt, .pdf viewing. Paid version allows editing also(except .pdf)

AstridTask : My personal favorite. Lets you keep track of your tasks , gives reminders, prioritize, postponing tasks and many useful functionalities.

appInstaller : Lets you install third party apps (apps not from market)

BarcodeScanner : Usually used to read QR codes. Can read 1d and 2d Barcodes. Has option to do book and product search.

Ebook Reader Apps : Apps that allows you download and read Ebooks

Aldiko: It is a good ebook reader. Allows you to download , read and import books also (EPUB format)

Laputa: Similar to aldiko, had more books that can be downloaded.

Kindle for Android: Well known product from Amazon. Huge book library from where books can be downloaded.

Media Apps: Apps used for audio and video media

DoubleTwist: It is like iTunes for Android, has a PC/MAC application where you can sync media to an android device. Gives option to automatically mount SD card when connected to computer.Allows you to listen to podcasts too. Well designed UI is a big plus. Support only codecs supported by your device.

TuneWiki: Wonderful app, distinguishing feature is it can connect to internet and display lyrics for songs for which lyrics are available. Download album art. Also searches for video of the song being played on youtube. Support only codecs supported by your device.

Ringdroid: Allows you to cut ,copy and merge different mp3 files.

RockPlayer: It plays mkv, avi, rmvb, flv, mp4, wmv, 3gp, mov, asf, divx, xvid, h.264 and rv40. Awesome app , do check it out

Downside of Android

2010-06-12T16:29:00.011+05:30

I am an Android Fan.

After a month of using my Xperia X10 I thought of writing this blog. If there is anything that has come near competing with Apple iPhone OS(now iOS) , it is Android. But the package comes with a serious downside, downside that hurt fans and on a long run hurt mobile manufacturers.

My Xperia X10 is a masterpiece.It is an amazing hardware limited by the software running on it. One may argue that android 1.6 is enough and not so bad to say it is a limiting factor, but i disagree. It is like saying it is ok to have a day old food, when others are having it fresh.

Anyway my point is not exactly that, my point is why Xperia X10 is running android 1.6 (Donut) when Nexus One is running android 2.2 (Froyo). I say if android releases new versions in the same frequency as now, it is going to do more bad than good to itself, it will be a suicide.

Since android is common for all phones , it is obvious that manufacturers compete on hardware. But the truth is they cannot compete on hardware as it is easily possible for all the manufacturers to have the similar hardware, so they try to add their own "signature" upon android to differ from their competitors(Sense UI from HTC, UX platform from SE etc.,) This takes time since every release there are lot of changes in the android. As manufactures cannot cope with androids fast releases they take time to add their UI platforms , they release them late, many times so late the next release of android has happened.

One solution could be to give the stock android without any manufacturer specific UI on it, but it is again a serious limiting factor. Imagine when you use a SE phone there is nothing on it to feel it as SE phone(camera, music, UI etc), so this option is not a practical one.

Other option is that Google has to delay the releases, which is better option for both Google and the phone manufacturers and therefore for the consumers.

I hope Google has learnt a lesson and starts thinking practical instead of being greedy of showing off its capabilities soon to the public, and allows phone manufacturers to imbibe into the phones their styles and signatures which proves profitable , a win-win situation.

My Quote

2010-02-17T19:45:00.002+05:30

a drop of water cant create an ocean, but minutes of talk with loved ones can create oceans of happiness #myquotes

ConFessions of My heaRT

2010-02-06T20:42:00.013+05:30

Some times i lie to myself that i no longer miss you.
Only to fool myself,to live in an illusion.

Sometimes i miss you more than anyone else in this world.
Only to relax and say to myself i'm wrong and yes I'm a liar.

Sometimes i hate myself for being a hypocrite.
Only to convince myself that it is ok.

Sometimes i forget many things i need to do.
Only to know i'm completely obsessed with you and i have no room for anything !

Sometimes i feel life for me is only you and nothing else.
Only to understand that is true always:)

Sometimes i feel you hate me the most.
Only to calm myself hoping that feeling wont last lonG.

Sometimes i feel i'm the most selfish person.
Only to think i'm right and i'm fair to myself.

A beat of a touch

2010-01-22T19:26:00.021+05:30

We feel, we miss, we talk,
Drawing pictures in white sand.
Along the beach we walk,
Just You and I, Hand in Hand.

Is it because you are so dear?
Or could it be that love so near,
that I will die the day I will see,
somebody close to you other than me?

Feel so close, yet so far
With one touch, I know how close we are

I pray to God, let the time freeze,
then its you and I, forever at ease.
I’m in illusion, that I’ve grown into you
I’m at bliss, for me this feeling is all new

They say the lines on our hand,
they decide our fate and where we land.
Now that the lines on our hands met each other,
who decided their fate, to meet one another?

Feel so close, yet so far
With one touch, I know how close we are

Love the feelings It brings,
When your fate and mine become us
Can you hear the heart singing?
Can you see the eyes sparkling?

I feel the embrace of two hearts,
Through this simple one beat of a touch
I will keep this feeling even when we’re a part,
I will keep the memory at the corner of my very heart

Feel so close, yet so far
With one touch, I know how close we are

In collaboration with - Milana and Harsh Ajmera

follow them on twitter @rmilana and @Harsh_Ajmera

Photo from flickr at Wall Of Peace – Moscow from Jeff Bauche._.·´¯)

Time for "my" quote

2009-12-19T22:32:00.002+05:30

"You hate me the most , no wonder my love cant escape newton's third law of motion "
-Harsha K N

Microsoft - a year that was ....

2009-12-17T21:34:00.012+05:30

It has been sometime since my last blog, if you don't know i am a die hard fan of Google (not just bcoz most of its products are free) but coz of really fast, innovative products that utilize the power of web and help in transforming our lives.

With that in mind , I jot down what the year 2009 was for Microsoft ; with failure of Vista and Windows search really not doing well it was not the start MS desired , so MS had to invent (not discover) what it lacked these days.

Eureka ! came Bing, the Microsoft search which made lot of news on arrival, MS invested a lot in publicizing the Bing which helped a lot. The Bing was first taste of real success for MS, which was also recognized by Google, which allotted people to study Bing.Also the search deal with Yahoo! added to Bing's growth. The deal made Bing the common platform for both Bing and Yahoo search. With Google being the dominant search player, it was a welcome move for both Yahoo and MS. It also gives more choice to user in a monopolized search world.

Then came Windows 7 in October which is here primarily to wash away the 'sins' of Vista.Also Office 2010 was spoken about mainly because of its web editing that enables collaboration ( like Google Docs). All n all it has been a good year for MS compared to last one.

As a footnote what we can read from it is MS is trying to catch up faster than before. It has always been a late entry Eg. Zune (Ipod), Bing (Google Search), WebOffice (Google Docs), MS Mobile Apps- yet to be out (Apple Apps) ; (do comment if i have missed any). But has a clear advantage in sectors like .Net Framework for mobile( against Android Platform) - 46% people opt for MS .Net (Source : Technology News )

Source : Mashable and Technology News

Bloging from Wave

2009-11-22T23:22:00.002+05:30

Just trying how it is bloging from wave :) This blog is synced with the wave

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Interview

2009-11-11T22:04:00.006+05:30

Click on the heading

(via http://www.theindicast.com/point-blank/point-blank-with-shashi-tharoor/)

Google search by Voice - For Nokia S60 Phones

2009-11-02T22:10:00.004+05:30

Posted at google mobile blog, this new product from google has voice recognition support for nokia phones. It is just like any mobile app that runs on Nokia phones , It facilitates google search with voice capability. So no typing keys anymore. Hope google extends the app to all java supported phones soon. I'm looking forward to run this app on my cell phone :) Check the video to witness the power of voice recognition. Location based query results adds more value. With voice reco becoming one of the stronghold of google (after acquisition of Grand Central) it definitely has an edge over other mobile apps.

Did You Know 3.0 (Video)

2009-10-19T09:34:00.003+05:30

A very nice video, powerful yet simple

My Favorite Picture Sketched

2009-09-21T08:18:00.003+05:30

I love this pic, so i sketched it. Thi is the second time im sketching this coz i lost the first one. Im sad that it didnt come out so well as the first one (it is like that always - first is the best) Do comment!!

X Factor

2009-06-19T13:09:00.004+05:30

Tech: XYZ Company this is so-and-so speaking. May I have your username please?

Female Customer: Yes I want to speak to the person in charge immediately!

Tech: Speaking. What can I do for you?

Female Customer: I want to complain about the pornographic bookmarks your company put in my web browser!

Tech: We didn’t put any pornographic bookmarks in your web browser.

Female Customer: Oh yes you did! I’m looking at them right now!

(Tech remembers the Netscape history list and grins to himself)

Tech: Where exactly are these “bookmarks” located?

Female Customer: In Netscape!

Tech: And where exactly in Netscape would that be?

Female: In that little list that comes down when you click the little down arrow!

Tech: The one right above the Net Search button?

Female Customer: Yes that one!

Tech: Miss, that’s the Netscape history list. Netscape keeps the past ten links you typed in that box. The only way to put an address in that box is for someone to physically sit at your computer and type in a web address.

Female Customer: Well I certainly didn’t type in those X rated web addresses!

Tech: Well somebody did. Who else has access to your computer, and uses the Internet?

Female Customer: Just me and my husband!

(Several seconds of silence pass … Hey! I wasn’t going to say it!)

Female Customer: …….. oh …………. OOOH! … Thank you.

(She quickly hung up)

GM Vs Bill Gates

2009-06-19T13:01:00.004+05:30

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, “If GM had kept up with the technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.”

In response to Bill’s comments, General Motors issued a press release stating, “If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they painted new lines on the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull ove r to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue.

For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Only one person at a time could use the car unless you bought “CarNT,” but then you would have to buy more seats.

6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive — but it would only run on five percent of the roads.

7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single “general protect ion fault” warning light.

8. The airbag system would ask, “Are you sure?” before deploying.

9. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the antenna.

10. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of Rand McNally Road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither need nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately cause the car’s performance to diminish by 50 percent or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.

11. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

12. You’d have to press the “start” button to turn the engine off.

Google Hack / Tips n Tricks

2009-04-26T22:45:00.006+05:30

#1) "intitle:index of" addison pdf
It's for search in google for mp3 or pdf (Mostly ebooks)kinda search in the index of a website
Another example is jus try "intitle:index of" nero .

#2) inurl:"viewerframe?mode=refresh"
For Hacking network cameras

#3) intext:"UAA(MSB)" Lexmark -ext:pdf (also) inurl:"port_255" -htm
To print stuffs..

#4) inurl:/view/index.shtml
For network cameras(mostly traffic cams)

#5) intitle:"Usage Statistics for" "Generated by Webalizer"
For usage statistics in blogs

#6) "robots.txt" "Disallow:" filetype:txt
To search files that are disallowed

#7) "intitle:index of" ws_ftp.ini
For ftp files search

#8) "intitle:index of" passwd passwd.bak
To get password if stored in file " passwd.bak"

#9) inurl:_vti_pvt "service.pwd"
Front page hacks

#10) inurl:"phphotoalbum/upload"
Photo upload hack

#11) "vnc desktop" inurl:5800
VNC desktop hack

#12) intitle:"index of" cookies.txt
To get info about cookies

#13) intitle:phpMyAdmin "Welcome to phpMyAdmin ***" "running on * as root@*"
To hack phpadmin control panel

#14) intitle:liveapplet inurl:LvAppl
getting control of live web cams

#15) "intitle:index of" server at
to hack projects from college sites

#16) inurl:"nph-proxy.cgi" "Start browsing"
use your online proxy servers to enhance your security

#17) "intitle:index of" admin
access admin resource

Other google codes
intitle:"live view" intitle:axis
intitle:liveapplet
allintitle:"Network Camera NetworkCamera"
intitle:axis intitle:"video server"

liveapplet
inurl:view/view.shtml
inurl:view/index.shtml
inurl:view/indexFrame.shtml
inurl:axis-cgi/mjpg
inurl:axis-cgi/jpg
inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=Refresh
inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=

Use Pen drive as RAM (Vista/Windows 7)

2009-04-26T22:20:00.007+05:30

Recently i came across an article that said that Pen Drive can be used to speed up windows vista.USB 2.0 and above, SD card, Compact Flash or any other massive portable flash drive can be used to speed up the working of vista using the ReadyBoost feature.

When a removable memory device such as a USB flash drive is first inserted into a port, vista checks if it is fast enough to work with the Superfetch mechanism that ReadyBoost uses. If so,we are asked if we want the drive to be used for improving system performance. We can then choose to allocate part of a USB drive's memory to speed up performance and use the remainder to store files.

The performance is drastically improved.In some cases a system whose memory is increased from 512MB to 1 GB through the external plugged device can see the speed improving from 11 sec to 2 sec. The performance is even better in the case of laptop systems as laptops have a relatively low 'rpm's than the desktop systems.It also saves the battery power of the laptops.

A Special Poem

2008-11-14T19:09:00.007+05:30

Dear Angel,

Thinking of you ,wherever I go,
Oh! dear Angel, in front of you I bow.
For a promise, you will be near,
With just as care and love forever.

You look beautiful just like your mind,
people like you are very hard to find.

Even if you are far from me,
I dont have to search for you.
You rest in peace, here in my Heart.
So, nothing on Earth can set us apart.

I wish one day I would be great.
If I succeed, for you I would dedicate.
These words from the depth of my Heart is for you
People who respect you like me are very few.

Thinking of you ,wherever I go,
Oh! dear Angel, in front of you I bow.
For a promise, you will be near,
With just as care and love forever.

- Harsha

Sketch

2008-10-12T15:22:00.003+05:30

K790i Review

2008-10-11T18:01:00.005+05:30

The K790 is one heck of a cell phone. Inside the stylish and sleek design, you'll find a wealth of well-designed and high-performing features. And as Sony Ericsson's first Cyber Shot-branded phone, the 3.2-megapixel camera is top notch. There were a couple drawbacks here and there - it lacks world phone support, and the navigation controls took acclimation - but otherwise the K790 is a solid device all around. At present it's priced at $499.

Design of Sony Ericsson
K790Like most of Sony Ericsson's cell phones, the K790 sports a simple candy bar form factor. Though it's almost perfectly rectangular, it still has a sleek and stylish design that's sure to catch attention. What's more, the black and gray color scheme accurately reflects the high-tech features inside. The K790 is far from compact (4.1 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches; 4.1 ounces); a solid construction and comfortable feel in the hands is a worthy trade-off. Just be advised it won't fit in smaller pockets.

Like many Sony Ericssons, the K790 has a brilliant 262,144-color display that richly captures whatever content it shows. At two inches diagonally, it takes almost half of the real estate on the phone's front face, while the 240x320 pixel resolution makes for eye-popping colors and sharp graphics and animation. You can change the brightness but not the font size. Below the display is the main navigation array, which is a throwback to the controls on the Sony Ericsson K700i. A five-way joystick doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, while the two soft keys open the recent calls list and the main menu when the phone is in standby mode. You also get dedicated Back and Clear buttons, a key that launches the Web browser, and a nifty control that opens a submenu of user-defined shortcuts and a list of upcoming calendar events. Overall the navigation controls were tactile and easy to use, but they are squashed between the display and the keypad buttons. As a result, they take some acclimation due to their relatively small size.

Speaking of keypad buttons, we were pleased with those on the K790. While previous Sony Ericssons such as the W300i often slipped in the design of their keypad buttons, the K790's are a big improvement. Rectangular in shape, they're large enough for most hands, and since they're raised just above the surface of the phone, it was easy to dial by feel. They're brightly backlit as well, so dialing in dim situations was not a problem.

A music player button and the Memory Stick Micro slot sit on the left spine, while the right spine holds a volume rocker and a camera shutter control. The most interesting feature is on the back of the handset, however. Just slide down the back cover to expose the camera lens and self-portrait mirror. Above is the large flash, which, believe us, is like no other flash we've seen on a camera phone (see Performance). When viewed from behind, the phone looks very much like a standalone camera; the camera shutter even shifts to the top of the phone when it's held horizontally. Completing the exterior is a small speaker next to the camera lens.

Features of Sony Ericsson K790
There's a lot to tell about the K790's innards, but we'll get the basics out of the way first. The phone book holds a respectable 1,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five phone numbers, Web and e-mail addresses, a work title and company name, work and home street addresses, a birth date, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can organize contacts into groups and pair them with a photo for caller ID. You can pair contacts with a ring tone as well, but oddly only 16 72-chord polyphonic tones are included. Fortunately the K790 supports MP3 tones, and you can even use videos for caller ID as well. Other essential offerings include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a timer, a stopwatch, a calculator, a notepad, and a voice memo recorder (space is limited by the available memory).

The K790 also comes with a wealth of business-friendly features that should please most worker bees. You'll find full Bluetooth for connecting to a wireless headset or sending files or your electronic business card to another Bluetooth device. And like with many other Sony Ericssons, you can use the phone as a modem and use the Bluetooth feature as a remote control to connect with other Bluetooth devices. Other high-end goodies include a speakerphone, an RSS newsreader, an infrared port, PC syncing for contacts and other files, USB cable support, e-mail, voice dialing, and a code memo for storing passwords and other secure information.

While Sony Ericsson's Walkman phones focus on music first and photography second, it's not surprising that the company's Cyber Shot phones do just the opposite. And as the K790 is the first Cyber Shot handset we've inspected closely, we can report that it rises to the challenge successfully. In short, the 3.2 megapixel K790 is the most advanced camera phone we've reviewed, surpassing the Nokia N80 and the Nokia N90 in features and in performance. It marks a very long leap in the direction of making camera phones truly functional devices rather than just a fun novelty. While previously we thought cell phones and MP3 players made more logical convergence devices, the K790 has caused us to rethink that theory.

The camera's feature list rivals that of many standalone shooters. You can take pictures in four resolutions, from VGA up to the full 3 meagpixels, and choose from two image-quality choices. Other standout features include a panorama mode; 16X digital zoom; a BestPic function for taking several photos in rapid succession; 15 fun frames; a self timer; six lighting settings, including beach/snow and twilight; four picture effects; a white balance control; spot metering; four shutter sounds; autofocus; and a macro setting. There's also an image stabilization feature, which effectively corrects the blurriness that plagues many camera phone pictures. The camcorder, which takes MPEG-4 clips with sound in one resolution (176x144), also comes with a generous feature selection. You can use the auto or macro focus setting, adjust the white balance, activate a night mode, choose from four video effects, or use spot metering. The remarkable Xenon flash is the most powerful light we've seen on a camera phone. It flooded our photos and videos with light even in dim situations. The default setting is auto, but you can turn it off completely or use a red-eye reduction mode.

Picture quality was very good, with bright colors, distinct object outlines, and sharp effects. The washed-out effect visible in many camera phone pictures was hard to find overall. Yet because the flash is so strong, it flooded photos with too much light in some situations. We advise using it at your discretion. And keep in mind that even though it's an excellent camera phone, we still wouldn't toss our standalone shooter just yet. Video quality was also satisfactory, but don't expect too much; clips were a bit grainy. Videos meant for multimedia messages are capped at two minutes; otherwise length is limited by the available memory. Creative types can use the Photo DJ to rotate the shot's orientation and use various editing options such as brightness and contrast adjustments, light balance settings, red-eye removal, color effects, and photo marking. There's also a Video DJ function with similar options.

When you're finished with your photos, you can save them to the phone's 64MB of shared internal memory. With such large photo files, however, space is likely to go fast, so we recommend investing in a Memory Stick Micro. Fortunately a user-friendly file manager lets you transfer images back and forth. To get pictures off your phone, you can send them wirelessly via Bluetooth or an e-mail or a multimedia message, upload quickly them to an online blog, or transfer them to a computer via a USB cable. The K790 also comes with an HP Print function for wirelessly printing photos, calendar entries, and contacts to a compatible HP printer. And in case the camera is too much for you, the phone comes with a handy Photo Mate feature, which describes the various camera settings in detail and gives tips on taking and sharing photos.

Music fans can get use out of the K790 as well. The phone comes with a digital music player similar to the player found on the Walkman phones but with a slightly different interface and functionality. Opening the player takes you directly to the main menu, where you can organize music by artist, track name, or playlist. Settings include album/song shuffle and loop, stereo widening, and an equalizer. Switching between the cell phone and the music player is seamless, as music automatically stops when you receive a call. Hang up, and your song picks up from the point you left off. There's an airplane mode that lets you listen to your tunes in flight with the cell phone turned off, and you can minimize the player while using other functions. There are stereo speakers on the back and the front of the phone as well, and we're thrilled that the phone supports a stereo Bluetooth profile.

Music capacity is limited by the available memory, so again buying a Memory Stick Micro is a good idea. Getting music on the phone is relatively easy. In addition to using the included USB cable, you can send tunes via Bluetooth or the infrared port. You also get an FM radio with 20 presets, though you must use it with a headset, which acts as an antenna. You can set it to automatically scan and program Radio Data System info from stations that digitally broadcast their names and call letters, and you can use the radio as an alarm clock.

You can personalize the K790 with a variety of themes, wallpaper, and screensavers. As always, you can purchase more options and ring tones from Sony Ericsson via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Alternatively, the phone comes with a Music DJ application for composing your own ring tones. Gamers can enjoy three Java (J2ME) titles: FotoQuest Fishing, Mini Golf: Castle, and WTA S.R. Tennis, with additional titles available for purchase. The 3D games were a treat to play on the K790's gorgeous display.

Performance of Sony Ericsson K790
I tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900; EDGE) Sony Ericsson K790 in San Francisco using Cingular service. Call quality was very good with nice clarity, little static, and no interference from other electronic devices. We also had no problem getting a signal, and though volume could be a bit louder on our end, it should be quite serviceable for most users.

Things to Ponder

2008-10-11T17:30:00.003+05:30

What do you call the process of learning and unlearning.... ??

What is the place called where chaos is as important as calmness...??

What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force....??

The "uncertain" is no more that way if you are uncertain about it ... so what exactly does it mean....??

If you equate believability to visibility ...then the pure air is invisible.... but does it mean its unbelievable... if it does then can you breathe smoke which you can see...??

Again if you see chaos and unrest and if its bad.... and if you want the exact opposite then why do you deny the existance of THE ONE .. because you cant see it...??

Where is the refuge for people who want to skip thinking .... for thinking takes you nowhere .... thats why its important to transcend thought and perceive the voice behind the thought ..... ???

Why does morality and luck become a part of the lives of successful people .... well i would say thats its all a question of mere chance.... there you go ... its no more a question of luck .... or is it..??

How can you ever define human mind.... or thought for that matter without thinking....??

Finally some respite

2008-07-05T20:37:00.002+05:30

hi,,,,today is offf,,,,so i can relax before starting to fire again,,,,been to JTYJN today,,,it was awesome,,,,,had lots of fun,,,,do watch it,,,u will really have fun too,,,,,nothing much to say,,,,,c ya,,,tc

-Harsha

First day at work

2008-07-02T21:15:00.002+05:30

it was nice to get back to work after sometime,,,,particularly after a stint of college,,,had to listen to few repeated ppts from various heads of company,,,quite a number of forms to fill,,,,,,an ok food,,,,,tooo much names to remember,,,,i have to leave now,,,,catch u later
harsha

Serial Port Access using RXTX in JAVA

2008-06-29T15:25:00.003+05:30

This is the sample code to access serial port using RXTX in java,,,,
the packages can be downloded from rxtx.org and to be placed in the locations specified in that link,,,,,

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
import java.sql.Date;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Enumeration;

import gnu.io.CommPortIdentifier;
import gnu.io.SerialPort;

public class Port {

private CommPortIdentifier portId;
private SerialPort port;
private OutputStreamWriter out;
private InputStreamReader in;

public void open(String comportUsed) {
try {

Enumeration portList;
String defaultPort;

String osname = System.getProperty("os.name", "").toLowerCase();
if (osname.startsWith("windows")) {
// windows
defaultPort = "COM1";
} else if (osname.startsWith("linux")) {
// linux
defaultPort = "/dev/ttyS0";
} else if (osname.startsWith("mac")) {
// mac
defaultPort = "????";
} else {
System.out
.println("Sorry, your operating system is not supported");

}

portList = CommPortIdentifier.getPortIdentifiers();
while (portList.hasMoreElements()) {
portId = (CommPortIdentifier) portList.nextElement();
if (portId.getPortType() == CommPortIdentifier.PORT_SERIAL) {
if (portId.getName().equals(comportUsed)) {
System.out.println("Found port: " + comportUsed);
break;
}
}
}

this.port = (SerialPort) this.portId.open(comportUsed, 2000);
port.setSerialPortParams(19200, SerialPort.DATABITS_8,
SerialPort.STOPBITS_1, SerialPort.PARITY_NONE);
in = new InputStreamReader(port.getInputStream());
out = new OutputStreamWriter(port.getOutputStream());
System.err.println("Port Open:Success");

} catch (Exception e) {
System.err.println("Port Open:Failed");
System.out.println("Port is already used from other application,");
System.out.println("Close that application and re-run this application");
}
}

private void write(String s) throws Exception {

out.write(s);
out.flush();
}

private void write(byte s) throws Exception {
out.write(s);
out.flush();
}

private void write(int s) throws Exception {
out.write(s);
out.flush();
}

private String read() throws Exception {
int n, i;
char c;
String answer = new String("");

for (i = 0; i <>
while (in.ready()) {
n = in.read();
if (n != -1) {
c = (char) n;
answer = answer + c;
Thread.sleep(1);
} else
break;
}
delay(1);
}

return answer;
}

private void delay(int a) {
try {
Thread.sleep(a);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
}

public void close() throws Exception {
try {
port.close();
System.err.println("close port");
} catch (Exception e) {
System.err.println("Error: close port failed: " + e);
}
}

}