Google Toolbar Tracks Browsing Even After Users Choose "Disable"

Google Toolbar Tracks Browsing Even After Users Choose "Disable": "In this article, I provide evidence calling into question the ability of users to disable Google Toolbar transmissions."

Nitish doing great work: Bill Gates

Nitish doing great work: Gates: "Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in his second annual letter, has lauded the efforts of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the area of healthcare."

Henin advances to semis in Grand Slam comeback

Henin advances to semis in Grand Slam comeback: "Former No. 1-ranked Justine Henin reached the semifinals in her Grand Slam comeback, beating Nadia Petrova 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Tuesday to take out the last seeded player in her half of the Australian Open draw.

Henin, unranked and playing on a wild-card entry at Melbourne Park, will next play 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, who beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 to equal her Chinese record for the best run at a major."

Paraguay's top footballer shot in the head, critical

Paraguay's top footballer shot in the head, critical: "Doctors are fighting to save the life of Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas after one of Latin America's most prolific goal-scorers was shot in the head at a bar just before dawn on Monday."

Happy Republic Day !!

Rajendra Prasad flagged off Indian Republic's journey: "'Today, for the first time in our long and chequered history, we find the whole of this vast land brought together under the jurisdiction of one Constitution and one Union which takes over responsibility for the welfare of more than 320 million men and women who inhabit it,' Rajendra Prasad had said on January 26, 1950."

Indian politicians should retire at 60

Elders want politicians to retire at 60: "The results of our State of the Nation Poll conducted by GFK Mode for CNN-IBN in partnership with the Hindustan Times reveals that a majority of our elders want politicians to hang in their boots at the age of 60."
I think if it can not be 60 than at least they should retire from active politics by 70.

Google SideWiki

Just checking Google SideWiki !!

in reference to: The Times of India: Latest News India, World & Business News, Cricket & Sports, Bollywood (view on Google Sidewiki)

Chak De! India

This Shimit Amin directed movie was a huge hit in India. Shahrukh as Kabir Khan, coach for the Indian women's hockey team, turns sixteen contentious players into a champion team. This movie tries to exhibit the prevalent sexism in Indian sports, regional & individual prejudice and religious bigotry. These weaknesses or divisions could be easily debated, however these can not be completely denied. The most apparent example of these malaises afflicting Indian sports is Indian Hockey itself.
Just a few days back the entire national team went on strike citing non-payment of the dues for 2009 when the national team was involved in international engagements like the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which they won, followed by tours of Canada and Argentina before finishing with a bronze medal at the Champions Challenge tournament. This incident was again indicative of the larger shortcomings of democratic functioning in sports institutions like 'Hockey India' in India. Though a few changes happened in the Indian Hockey Federation in 2008 which resulted in the removal of KPS Gill as IHF Chief after 14 years, nothing much has improved on ground. Hockey in India is still languishing in a much dilapidated state. Even though India is the host to the World Cup this year, Hockey India is without a president and the team is lacking its much needed practice. India has earlier won 8 Olympic gold medals, however now it has to even struggle for the qualifications for the international tournaments.
This is not a one-off situation. Sports in India is winning laurels either because of individual players or because we citizens are great followers of some of the sports. This deteriorating situation is occurring because almost all the sports bodies in India is either headed by a politician or a bureaucrat. Many of these have been heading the bodies for decades. Suresh Kalmadi is heading Indian Olympic Association since 1996 and Athletics Federation of India since 1989. Priyaranjan Das Munshi was the President of All India Football Federation for almost 20 years. Now it is headed by Praful Patel. Many of the state cricket boards are also headed by political leaders.
The issue with sports in India is the lack of democratic functioning of sports bodies and the attendant absence of structures that can ensure accountability. God knows when the world's largest democracy will have democratically elected sports bodies and better sports administration. God knows when India will start getting medals in sports proportionate to its population.

Motivational Bakar

Most of my school and college friend are 'Bakar'. 'Bakar' means one who can speak on any topic continuously. My friends are not only 'Bakar', I think they are among the best in this field. One section of this 'Bakar' field is 'Funda Baazi', i.e. to give motivational or spiritual 'Gapp'. Many a times we have recorded these 'Bakar' and showed them to others.
Just a few days back I had my appraisal meeting with my Project Manager. This was my first official meeting with him. Due to the occasion I was very calm and composed. But then my Project Manager was in another mood. He himself started a motivational talk, what we call 'Funda Baazi'. I was surprised and at the same time comfortable. He showed me a video of Harsha Bhogle giving a lecture at IIM Ahmedabad. I really liked that video.
That day when I returned to my home, I downloaded the complete video. First I saw it alone and then I showed it to my room mates. All were very impressed. I even posted the video's link on my Facebook account and it got many 'Likes'.
I am here embedding both the parts of the video for the rest of my friends to watch them.


Harsha Bhogle @ IIMA - part 1


Harsha Bhogle @ IIMA - part 2

We are so Connected

Just a few days back I was thinking as to how much connected are we. Orkut or Facebook was not there 5-6 years back. Even phone call rates were so high. We rarely used to make out of station calls. We rarely used to make regular communications via emails. We had never heard of anything called Social Networking. Now many people claim Social Networking to be their hobby.
For me, at least, these tools of networking have helped a lot. Now I can make occasional pleasantries with my cousins. Even though I do not attend their weddings, I can see their marriage pictures. I have got connected with lots of my first cousins with whom I have last met more than a decade back.
I also make calls, send SMSes to my friends, ping them on Facebook. These have become dirt cheap. Calls and SMSes are now at the rate of paisas. Internet rates have also decreased a lot with much higher speed.
The latest leap in connectivity is the accessing of internet from phone.
I can now update my Facebook status while sending a local SMS. Even reply to Facebook's messages with SMS. If I tweet then it will get updated on Facebook. Even LinkedIn's statuses go to Twitter and Facebook. While reading any article I can update my Facebook, Twitter etc account direct from the news-site.
I wonder 2-3 years down the line what would be the face of the 'Connectivity'.

Swades being Re-Enacted in Bihar

Husk Power Systems
I am mentioning about this company here in my blog because it is an unimaginable story coming out of the remotest of villages of Bihar. I was reading an article "Exploring New Frontiers" in Business World magazine, early Monday morning at 3. Here they have mentioned about this small technology start-up in Patna which produces rice husk-powered generators that bring clean and cheap electricity to 60 remote villages in Bihar. Timothy C. Draper, the founder of the global venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, says that it could be the electric company of the future.
Husk Power Systems Wins Cisco-DFJ Global Business Plan Competition
Husk Power Systems’s four young founders, Manoj Sinha, Charles Ransler, Ratnesh Yadav and Gyanesh Pandey, entered Draper’s league of “extraordinary entrepreneurs” this June quite by chance. They beat 16 start-ups from as many countries to win a global business plan contest hosted by DFJ and Cisco Systems. The reward was $250,000 in funding.
I would suggest you to both the mentioned articles completely as I think these tells us about the emerging India, the India we dreamt of after watching movies likes Swades.