Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Lost in the last round

In search of a better job n company, by default better pay, I attended for the interviews of a company. I faced 4 rounds, of which 3 I could make through. I was kicked out in the last round. The reasons: we need at least 6 months of experience on VB and your(mine) performance was not upto mark in the last round.

Even before I sat to write the written test, the first round, I explained to them that I had 2 years of experience in coding using VB.Net and I had no coding experience in VB language even though I was the part of the team developing the product using VB. 2 days of leaves I had to spare to attend the rounds and after the round 4 on second day, they realised that they wanted a person with VB coding experience.

No blames buddies... u got a better software developer than me I guess....

Friday, September 19, 2008

Duniya Vijay gets hurt in Junglee Shooting

In a tragic incident, Duniya fame Vijay got hurt while shooting for his next film Junglee directed by his debut director Suri. Nothing much serious but a fracture in his leg. This happened while Vijay was shooting for an action sequence in the film.

Wishing him a speedy recovery....
Get well soon bhaiyya

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

RGIA becomes 1st Asian airport to get LEED NC Silver rating

Rajeev Gandhi International Airport(RGIA), Hyderabad, becomes the first Airport in Asia and second in the entire world to get a LEED NC Silver ranking.

What is LEED NC?
Leadership in Energy and Environment Design New Construction.

What is it?
Any construction undertaken following certain guidelines to be green and environment friendly.

This certainly is a good news. The first Airport to have the ranking is Delta Terminal 'A' Redevelopment and Signature Logan Terminal of East Boston in USA, actually 2 terminals are contained here. RGIA holds the Silver ranking based on the points given for each individual feature present in the construction. Refer the link below if u r interested to know more about the rank n LEED NC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design

Monday, September 15, 2008

Using Google or Utilising Google? Tips for better search on Google

Just a Q for u..Do u use Google or utilize Google? Well most of us just use Google. I am sure, at the end of this article, Google search looks to u in a different way.

1. Using the double quotes or a plus operator in between the words
eg: Type sundar swaroop in your google search box and search. On the right hand side of the screen in the results page, you can see the number of results, google has brought for u.
Now change the keyword(the word or words u give to search the required information) to "sundar swaroop" and search again. Compare the number of results displayed n u find that there is a variation of few thousands.

Explanation: As we search with the first keyword, the google algorithm looks for all the records which contain the phrase sundar or swaroop or the combination of both. We certainly are not looking for sundar or swaroop but we are looking for sundar swaroop together. So that makes the difference.
To evaluate technically, with out the qouble quotes, the search query had like but the double quotes forced the query to use equals or =

The plus operator in between also functions almost the same as the double quotes. but the difference is , any content ending with the sundar and followed by swaroop is displayed.

2.filetype:
Syntax:filetype:fileformat keyword
This is a key word which is highly productive to u after this article. Suppose we are looking for some data in a specific file format like a pdf or doc or a power point presentation or an excel file etc.
eg: Search for a book titled Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum as u were searching earlier.
Also in a next tab or page, search with the keyword as filetype:pdf bourne identity.

Explanantion:Compare the results. For the usual keyword, we get lot of results but we need to go on a manual hunt to figure out, where the pdf file link is present. May be we need to navigate through multiple result pages also. But if we see the second keyword, filetype:, we find that the search results contain more of the pdf file links than the usual HTML or page links. Not just pdf, we can search using any other valid file format.

Limitation: The key word we enter should match the file name contained in the uploaded page.

3.Site:
Syntax:site:sitename or site extension keyword
We go a step ahead. With in a particular familiar website, we need to look for some content. Instead of searching through out the net for the content, we reduce the risk to the particular location.
eg: Search for the wallpapers of Katrina Kaif as the usual search, we used to do. Now search the same with site:santabanta.com katrina kaif

Explanation: Here we already know that the particular wallpaper we are looking for is in the santabanta.com website. So instead of searching through out again n going to the website and using an internal search in the site, bla bla... all that is no more, just use the key word site: and get the pic.


The site: keyword also is very much useful while looking out for some public docs in a government website. Something like a particular G.O or an amendment in some particular Act etc.. Here I was able to know some of the content of 610 G.O, related to the Andhra Pradesh Govt.
(Caution: Dont try to mess up with the govt sites, use this for constructice purposes only. Google also does not take responsibility for any illegal activity.)
Let us go further in the site: key word. Just try the search as site:sundarswaroophere.blogspot.com html
The results display all the pages with extension .html which are posted by me from the beginning of the blog. Just try the search with your company site and other sites with other extensions like aspx or php or htm etc.... U can know all the publicly accessible pages available on the site.

4.Using *
eg:
What is the height of mount everest?
Mount everest is * feet high
Search using the above keywords.

Explanantion: Of course not much difference can be made out with the results, as the content is the most popular search. Try some other searches like the number of parliament members of India or the relation of two people like: * is the son of Mahatma Gandhi or AK 47 was invented by * etc..
So the logic here is, modify ur search from a question to a statement and the results are refined.

5.Conversions and Calculator
Google search can be used to convert one type of value to the other desired type.
Eg: 1 INR= ? dollars
This gives us the result as the value of a single rupee in dollars. Similarily, 1 foot= ? metres, 1 pound=? grams etc...

Google search can also be used as a calculator.
eg:4*7/2
This gives us 14 as result. This is a simple arithmetic, we can use the complexities like algebraic sin or cos values or square root functions etc

6.Range of numbers like price ranges etc using ..
We plan to buy a mobile or any other item with a fixed amount of budget and search for a mobile on the internet. We get lot of sites showing the prices. We need to fix a range of cost like 5000 to 10000 rupees and refine the search.
This can be achieved by just specifying range as mobiles $100..$200
The search now gives us the list of mobiles whose cost lies between 100 to 200$.

Limitation: Currently this search works 100% with in the US currencies. The Indian or other currency ranges may not give us the desired results.

7.Local Search
syntax:keyword location or keyword pincode
Most of us dont know that Google provides us with a lot of local search options. For eg, I need to search for some hotels with Italian food in Bangalore. Just search as italian food bangalore. We are welcomed with a list of well-known hotels in Bangalore city serving the Italian dishes. Even the route maps are located if the business entity has marked the location in Google maps, no fee of course n absolutely free.
Try the search for other options like movies or shopping or colleges or institutions or cabs etc...
eg: Righteous Kill Bangalore, Homam Hyderabad.
Note: The search results provided here depends on the sites containing the relevant information. The pincode option is limited to US and some other countries.
This feature is very much effective for the e-commerce listings. They can register with Google and get their business location displayed in the search results.

Some of the features discussed here are limited to certain parts like US only, Google is in the process of extending the services world-wide.
Happy Googling
Refer the links for the original documentation n videos from the senior Google Engineers like Matt Cutts etc..
http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/help/features.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXHCcwS00bk

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Mistaken Mistakes

To err is Human, To forgive is Divine.

Every Human does mistakes, heard any one tell they never did a mistake? well the person must be the most sincere n honest liar.
When every body does a mistake, why do we hate a person who has done it to us? A mistake he/she does, hurts us a lot and we tend to hate the person. But when we commit a mistake we expect the same forgiveness which we had not given them. That's an irony we never think of.

To confess, in my life I have done many mistakes. Most of which showed me the real part of life, dimensions of failure, the real ME. How do we take the mistakes we do and the mistakes others do? In the right spirit or do we mis-take them? There is a line in the movie The Departed, it is not that we misunderstand some one, it is that we dont understand them. That line is very much true but a difficult one to make it a part of our life. Every mistake done has certainly a motive, intentional or unintentional, but the after effects are the same- hatred n seperation is the most sought solution.

Some times in life, we take sides for the ones we love. While doing so we hurt the friends who have been with us till the moment in the thick n thin phases of our life. May be we dont feel it as a mistake but the ones on the other side feel the heat. Give every one the chance to confess , take the chances to confess and forgive and forget all that negative ambiance whole heartedly. Rethink once, was it their mistake or was it a mis-take??

Friday, September 5, 2008

Whole hearted thanks to all my teachers

Teaching is an art; learning as well. Till death we involve in one or the other directly or indirectly.

Teacher, lecturer, professor, guru, sir, madam, ayyavaru, mentor.....

Hello reader have u ever thought about the time we have spent with teachers in different aspects of our life. Now that most of us have stopped in to regular academics, consider the past time till the day u quit the college or university.

It is really hurting to see the educational system today. Completely commercialized. Gone are the days where teachers were given importance, respect and role as the next parents. Teachers were an alias to parents. Earlier teachers had such an impact on students that before taking any step in their lives, students used to have a word or two with their favorite teacher and move on. Times have changed so have we.

Corporate education is on high these days. Scheduled teaching and forget about the class n students. Teach as per the pay.

Even though the society is losing the importance of the teachers and their role, literature and movies have never left. Recent blockbuster in Bollywood Taare Zameen Par has brought into lime light about the greatness and the real heart of a teacher. Superb performance from Amir Khan. In many south Indian movies, teachers are shown as a comedy element. It is bad that they are made fun of but good that the teacher concept is still unforgotten.

APJ Abdul Kalam has mentioned many times that he prefers teaching first of all the jobs. Many politicians have been teachers in their earlier lives like our Prime Minister ManMohan Singh, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Jana Reddy, only to name a few. They have excelled in the fields they have been and an impact has been created by them on few individuals.

The growth of a nation depends on the literacy rate. Georgia is the country with 100% literacy rate. India ranks 147 with a literacy rate of 61%. It is a welcome move from the Times of India. Teach India program rather a movement is a welcome note towards a better educated society. The role of teachers is on the top. Not that people who are specialised in the teaching courses and degrees need to teach, any educated can be an effective teacher. Educate the very next illiterate to you and u r the teacher. Looks as simple as such but a very very hard task to do. Its not enough if we just plan things, DO is the keyword.

Poverty is the hindrance for literacy rate. The price of education has gone too far that a parent with a meager salary is scared to put his children into school. May be we need to take the lead and educate the people. Reach out to where there is no school. Fund the students to pursue higher education. Educate the parents before the children are educated.

But to be frank enough, we think about this today as it is Teacher's Day and tend to forget the next morning and I am no exception too. I am on a stronger mind to take on oath and shoulder a responsibility today not to forget.

My whole hearted wishes to my favourite teachers with out whom I am a nobody today.
Mrs. I.G.Vasanthi
Head Mistress of L.R.G.Vidyalaya, Hindupur
Mr. Joseph
my english teacher,Deepthi High School Hindupur
Mr.Vemanarayana Reddy
founder of Sri Vani Vidyanikethan, Gorantla

Thank you, thank you very much. You have been an inspiration to me.

Persistence

Persistence is the number one reason for our success. Joe Kraus