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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Movie: My Name is Nobody (1973) - A comic spaghetti western

Spaghetti westerns had ceased to be serious stuff by the early 1970's, and people had started making comic westerns such as the Trinity series. Terence Hill was the new master of such movies, and when you combine him with the serious western star Henry Fonda, with some direction (not overall) by Sergei Leone, and with some great soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, you get a great movie. And this is what 'My Name is Nobody' was all about. Read more at this link:


The movie was mostly directed by Tonino Valerii, with Sergei Leone directing a few scenes, but since there was the involvement of Sergei, the movie came to be known as a Sergei Leone movie (something that Torino was not happy about). The music by Ennio Morricone was superb as usual.



However, 'My Name Is Nobody' is the story of a famous (and old) gunslinger Jack Beauregard (Henry Fonda); since he is famous, he is constantly hunted by the younger punks who want to challenge him, and if they win, they will be the next famous ones. Jack, after a lifetime of fighting, now just wants to hang up his boots, and is in Europe, hoping for some peace and quiet.


My name is Nobody (1973) (partial direction by Sergei Leone and starring Henry Fonda, Terrence Hill, and Jean Martin)

English classic - Vanity Fair (1847-48)

A classic book by William Makepeace Thackeray, a satire about society in Victorian times, around the time of Napoleon, and contrasts the tale of 2 women, one of whom will do anything to get what she wants, and the other one, who is honest, believing, and trusts people even when they are not to be trusted.
A review of this book (link to article):

The title of the book, Vanity Fear, is taken from an earlier work, John Bunyan's allegorical story The Pilgrim's Progress, published long before in 1678, and supposed to represent a place called Vanity, where there is a ongoing fair that is meant to represent man's attachment to worldly things, and supposed to represent the sin of man. The book was seen as a bitter satire of society, as showcased in the quest of one of the anti-hero (or anti-heroine, to be more accurate), who is cunning, and uses all her qualities to work her way up in life.

Hindi Film Song - Kabhie Kabhie - Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari



Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari (link)



Lyrics of song "Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari" from film "Kabhie Kabhie"

Mere ghar aayee yek nanhee paree
chaandanee ke haseen rath pe sawaar

us ke aane se mere aangan me
khil uthhe fool gunagunaayee bahaar
dekh kar us ko jee naheen bharataa
chaahe dekhoo use hajaar baar

maine poochhaa use ke kaun hain too
has ke bolee ke main hoo teraa pyaar
mai tere dil mein thee humeshaa se
ghar mein aayee hoo, aaj pahalee baar

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Hindi Movie Song - Kabhie Kabhie - Pyar Kar Liya To Kya



Pyar Kar Liya to Kya (link)



Lyrics of song "Pyar Kar Liya to Kya" from movie "Kabhie Kabhie":

pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi - (2)
teri meri umr mein kisane ye kiya nahi
pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi

tere honth mere honth sil gaye to kya hua - (2)
dil ki tarah jism bhi mil gaye to kya hua - (2)
isase pahale kya kabhi ye sitam hua nahi
pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi

(main bhi hoshamand hoon tu bhi hoshamand hai
us tarah jiyenge ham jis tarah pasand hai ) - (2)
unaki baat kyon sunen jinase vaasta nahi
pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi

(rasm kya rivaaz kya dharm kya samaaj kya
dushmanon ka khauf kyon doston ki laaj kya ) - (2)
ye vo shokh hai ki jisase koi bhi bacha nahi

pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi - (2)
teri meri umr mein kisane ye kiya nahi
pyaar kar liya to kya pyaar hai khata nahi

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Kishore Kumar

Hindi Movie Song - Kabhi Kabhie - Tere Chehere Se Nazar Nahin



Tere Chehre Se Nazar Nahin (link)



Lyrics of song "Tere Chehre Se Nazar Nahin" from "Kabhie Kabhie":

Tere Chehre Se Nazar Nahin Hat Ti
Nazaare Hum Kya Dekhen
Tujhe Milke Bhi Pyaas Nahin Ghat Ti
Nazaare Hum Kya Dekhen

Pighle Badan Teri Tapti Nigaahon Se
Sholon Ki Aanch Aaye Barfili Raahon Se
Lage Kadmonse Aag Lipat Ti
Nazaare Hum Kya Dekhen...

Rangon Ki Barkha Hai Khushboo Ka Saath Hai
Kisko Pataa Hai Ab Din Hai Ke Raat Hai
Lage Duniya Hi Aaj Simat Ti
Nazaare Hum Kya Dekhen...

Palkon Pe Failaa Teri Palkon Ka Saaya Hai
Chehre Mein Tere Mera Chehra Chhupaya Hai
Tere Jalwon Ki Chhund Nahin Chhat Ti
Nazaare Hum Kya Dekhen...

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar

Hindi Movie Song - Kabhi Kabhie - Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein



Kabhie Kabhie Mere Dil Mein (link)



Lyrics of song "Kabhie Kabhie Mere Dil Mein" from film "Kabhie Kabhie":

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Ki jaise tujhko banaya gaya hai mere liye
Ki jaise tujhko banaya gaya hai mere liye
Tu abse pehle sitaaron mein bas rahi thi kahin
Tu abse pehle sitaaron mein bas rahi thi kahin
Tujhe zameen pe bulaya gaya hai mere liye
Tujhe zameen pe bulaya gaya hai mere liye

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Ki ye badan ye nigaahein meri amaanat hain
Ki ye badan ye nigaahein meri amaanat hain
Ye gesuon ki ghani chhaon hain meri khatir
Ye honth aur ye baahein meri amaanat hain
Ye honth aur ye baahein meri amaanat hain

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Ki jaise bajti hain shehnaaiyaan si raahon mein
Ki jaise bajti hain shehnaaiyaan si raahon mein
Suhaag raat hain ghoonghat utha raha hoon main
Suhaag raat hain ghoonghat utha raha hoon main
Simat rahi hai tu sharma ke apni baahon mein
Simat rahi hai tu sharma ke apni baahon mein

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Ki jaise tu mujhe chaahegi umr bhar yoohin
Uthegi meri taraf pyaar ki nazar yoohin
Main jaanta hoon ki tu geir hai magar yoohin
Main jaanta hoon ki tu geir hai magar yoohin

Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai
Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar

Hindi Movie Song - Kabhi Kabhie - Main Har Ek Pal ka Shayar Hoon



Link to video



Lyrics for the song "Main Har Ek Pal Ka Shayar Hoon"

Maein Har Ek Pal Ka Shaayar Hoon
Har Ek Pal Meri Kahani Hai
Har Ek Pal Meri Hasti Hai
Har Ek Pal Meri Jawaani Hai

Rishton Ka Roop Badalta Hai, Buniyaden Khatam Nahin Hoti
Khwabon Ki Aur Umango Ki, Miyaden Khatam Nahin Hoti
Ek Phool Mein Tera Roop Basa Ek Phool Mein Meri Jawaani Hai
Ek Chehra Teri Nishaani Hai, Ek Chehra Meri Nishaani Hai
Maein Har Ek Pal Ka Shaayar Hoon...

Tujhko Mujhko Jeevan Amrit, Ab In Haathon Se Peena Hai
Inki Dhadkan Mein Basna Hai, Inki Saanson Mein Jeena Hai
Tu Apni Adaen Baksh Inhen Maein Apni Wafaen Deta Hoon
Jo Apne Liye Sochi Thi Kabhi, Woh Saari Duaen Deta Hoon
Maein Har Ek Pal Ka Shaayar Hoon...

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Mukesh

Hindi Movie Song - Kabhie Kabhie - Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon

Kabhie Kabhie was an incredible movie, with some great acting and excellent music. The songs will be remembered for a long time, and evoke a lot of emotion.



Link to video



Lyrics of song:

mai pal do pal kaa shaayar hoo, pal do pal meree kahaanee hain
pal do pal meree hastee hai, pal do pal meree jawaanee hain

muz se pahale kitane shaayar, aaye aaur aakar chale gaye
kuchh aahe bhar kar laut gaye, kuchh nagmei gaa kar chale gaye
wo bhee yek pal kaa kissaa the, main bhee yek pal kaa kissaa hoo
kal tum se judaa ho jaaoongaa, wo aaj tumhaaraa hissaa hoo

kal aaur aayenge, nagmon kee khilatee kaliyaa chunanewaale
muz se behatar kahanewaale, tum se behatar sunanewaale
kal koee muz ko yaad kare, kyo koee muz ko yaad kare
masaruf jamaanaa mere liye, kyo wakt apanaa barabaad kare

Information about movie:

Name: Kabhie Kabhie
Year of release: 1976
Produced by: Yash Chopra
Directed by: Yash Chopra
Music by: Khayyam
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Starring: Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor
Singer: Mukesh

Make money from blogs - What does fair use actually mean ?

Fair use is one of the most debated terms in copyright / content issues. At a very non-legal level, fair use means that a person is allowed to refer to a section of somebody else's content as long as it is meant for purposes of reviews or as part of creating new content. There are limitations in this though, since even for fair use, you cannot copy the main idea or use something that is published very minimally, and other restrictions. To learn more about what fair use means, refer to this blog (link to article):

So, let’s start with a fairly common sense definition (and since I am not a lawyer, you should take anything said in this article as common sense, not legal advice). Fair use is meant for the case when somebody wants to use your work to do a review, praise or criticize. That is allowed and perfectly legal, but what is not allowed is to copy the main few concepts from your content and use that under the guise of fair use. When somebody uses a small section of your content, they are actually using your content to create new content, not creating a copy of your content.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Make money from blogs - Using CreativeCommons to protect your work

If you post content on the internet, then people will find ways to get to this content. They can get your content using your RSS feed, or directly copy from your site, and there are very few tools that can actually stop a dedicated thief from stealing your content. However, for the other people who copy your content in the belief that content available on the internet is free, and can be copied without any problems, a brief insertion of legal terms and a copyright notice can be enough to scare them. Read more information on this in a post (link to article):


You can put a small copyright policy on your blog such that it stops people from copying your content, and one easy way of doing that is through a site called http://creativecommons.org/. On this site, you can setup a copyright policy by asking a few questions, and you get a small HTML cope that you include in the template on your site. If you go to the specific site called http://creativecommons.org/choose/, you can specify whether you want your content to be copied to be used for commercial purposes, or even prevent modification of your work.

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Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player

A progressive scan DVD player that upsamples your DVD content so that it can be properly displayed on your HDTV's. It hooks up to your TV via an HDMI cable and this device has HDMI-CEC which means you can control compatible devices with the same remote. It supports Dolby Digital sound and also has a USB port. It also supports a wide range of formats including DVD-Video, DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W. It also has a CD ripping feature and it will even play DivX and MPEG-4 video files. There are several upscaling DVD players on the market in this price bracket but this Samsung model has more features than most of its rivals.



Customer feedback:

1. My first concern when I buy equipment is how well does it perform what it's supposed to do and a DVD player should be about as simple as an electronic device should be. Connect it, plug it in, turn it on, - play a disc.
This Samsung easily answers all this with a short set-up due to the choice of television options available today. Some may not like the compact size of the remote, but it suits my needs. I'm sure this model can be programmed into most Universal Remotes and since it's a DVD player it doesn't require any unique control. Additionally, it has controls for Samsung TVs on the romote, but I cannot say if it works flawlessly since I don't have that brand TV.
The console has minimal controls on it, Play/Pause, Forward, Reverse, Stop on a round panel an open/close button and the power button so searching menus or any other tasks will have to be by remote. Again, very simple to operate.
Now for my last consideration; Appearance.

2. First a note about up-conversation. This DVD player or any up-converting DVD player does not give you anything close to BluRay quality. HDTVs, particularly inexpensive ones, often do a very bad job of displaying low def content. What up-conversion is all about is resampling the image to a resolution the TV can display naively. If all else was the same you could expect about the same quality of image from a up-converted image on a 1080p TV as you would have seen on a much older 480p TV of the same size with a progressive scan DVD player. That being said, if you have a 1080p TV then you will most likely benefit from up-conversion, just understand that what you will be getting is still DVD quality, nothing more.
Onto specifics about this player. My biggest complaint about this player is that its remote (which is not a universal but can control Samsung TVs) has shared buttons for the TV's volume. If you are watching a movie and try to change the volume without remembering to first push the TV button you will instead get rewind or chapter back. If you do have a Samsung TV then its remote will most likely be able to control this DVD player and that may be a better fit, especially if the TV supports Anynet. Another disappointment was the sound and overall slowness of the eject mechanism which wines and seems to struggle to open and close the tray. There is a slightly longer than expected delay when pressing the eject button or waiting for a disc to load. The DVD tray is very shallow, making it harder to get a disc into the "sweet spot" by feel, but even my kids have not had many problems. All-in-all none of these complaints are horrible, just not what you might expect from one of the most expensive players on the market.

Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player

Samsung LN26B360 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Product Features:
26-inch high definition TV with 720p resolution
Two HDMI, one component, and one composite video input
Improved picture with 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 8ms response time and Wide Color Enhancer 2 technology
Two 3W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for a rich surround-sound experience from two speakers
One-year parts and labor warranty

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Resolution: 1366(H) x 768(V)
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1
Response Time: 8ms
LCD 120Hz: No
Native Resolution: 720p
Audio Sound Effect System: SRS TruSurround HD
Sound Output(RMS): 5Wx2
Input/Output
HDMI: 2 (rear)
Composite (AV): 1(rear)
Component: 1 (rear)
USB: No



By being ENERGY STAR compliant you are assured that your SAMSUNG model is helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy promoting energy efficiency. Get in the game with enhanced blacks, sharp picture quality and optimum audio. At the touch of a button, game mode speeds up the image processing response so you get the most out of your gaming experience.

Samsung LN26B360 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

LG 32LH30 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black

A 32 inch TV makes for a great LCD HDTV, and LG is well known in the area of electronics. hink there’s no such thing as an affordable 1080p TV with great features and technology? You’ll think again when you take a look at the LH30. It delivers a stunning picture in Full HD 1080p and LG’s innovative Core Technologies deliver an enhanced audio and video experience. With the LH30, affordability doesn’t mean compromise. It means getting a great HDTV—period. See for yourself. Make all your favorite sports, TV shows, movies, and video games more realistic. Get nearly double the pixel resolution of standard HD with Full HD 1080p Resolution.
Enjoy enhanced picture quality over standard HDTV with almost double the pixel resolution. See sharper details like never before. Just imagine a Blu-ray disc or video game seen on your new LG Full HD 1080p TV. Great picture needs a great contrast ratio, which is defined as the ratio between the bright whites and dark blacks being displayed. With the superior 50,000:1 Contrast Ratio, you will experience deeper blacks and greater picture clarity, especially in shadowy scenes.



You won’t believe what you’re hearing. Fine-tuned by renowned audio expert Mr. Mark Levinson, LG TVs utilize a unique, hidden speaker system that delivers a clean, polished look with a wider sound field. Where some sound systems and speakers only project their best audio towards the center of a room, the Invisible Speaker System projects great sound throughout.
Quickly and easily select from one of three AV modes for "Cinema," "Sports," or "Games" to enjoy optimized HDTV picture and audio quality easily set with a convenient button on the remote control.

LG 32LH30 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black

Samsung LN22B360 22-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

One of the most important features for an LCD panel is the pixel response time. Response time refers to the amount of time it takes a pixel to "refresh" itself-to go from being active to being inactive, (ready to be re-activated). The lower the milliseconds, the faster the response time. A very fast 8ms response time virtually eliminates any blurring and gives you smooth-motion action scenes.

Technical Details:
22-inch high definition TV with 720p resolution
One HDMI, two component, and one composite video input
Improved picture with 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 8ms response time and Wide Color Enhancer 2 technology
Two 3W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for a rich surround-sound experience from two speakers



Customer feedback:

1. We also purchased this TV specifically for our bedroom. Yes, the speakers could be better, however for use in a smaller room, they are fine.
The picture quality is great and certainly what you'd expect from a screen of this size.
I would not hesitate to recommend this TV.

2. After checking out LCD TVs of similar size in person at Best Buy, this Samsung model stood out for the quality of the display. It was much sharper, denser, and brighter than a comparable LG model, and it seemed sharper than the older Samsung models as well. I bought the Terk HDTVa antenna to go with it (I am using over the air reception instead of cable), and the picture on the HDTV channels I get is outstanding and never the slightest bit fuzzy or speckled. Analog channels look bad but you're not going to watch those anyway if there's an HD version. Without cable, I just pick up NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS but they all look great in HD. Just as an experiment, I switched the Terk Antenna on and off to see how well the built-in Samsung digital tuner worked without an antenna, and it seemed really similar but with a very tiny amount of speckling of images. So you could probably get away with not using an antenna if you live close to a tower(I live a couple blocks from a tower) I have no problem with the sound- I like how crisp and understandable it is at low volumes. This TV was extremely easy to set up as well- 20 minutes max.

Samsung LN22B360 22-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Samsung LN55B650 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Technical Details:
55-inch LCD HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution for the sharpest picture possible and red Touch of Color design
Auto Motion Plus 120Hz for amazingly fluid motion, 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4ms response time, Wide Color Enhancer 3 for more vivid colors
Internet@TV online content service from Yahoo!, Flickr, YouTube via your broadband connection
Inputs: 4 HDMI-CEC, 2 component, 2 composite, 1 PC, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 optical digital audio output
Includes removable stand; measures 51.6 x 35.2 x 12.1 inches with stand; 15-watt x 2 bottom mounted speakers with subwoofer

A wide variety of multimedia devices can be connected to the set through any one of the four HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side), and the handy Anynet+ feature (HDMI-CEC) lets you control all your CEC-enabled peripherals--such as a DVD or Blu-ray player--using just one remote. Connect HD digital devices like disc players, game consoles, and satellite dish components into the two rear connections and use the side-mounted input for cameras, camcorders, and laptops. HDMI is the best performing interface for displaying an HD source on an HDTV.



The NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) has established the color standards all TVs in America try to meet. And typical LCD TVs only meet about 72 percent of this standard. Samsung LCD HDTVs use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp backlights to give you 92 percent coverage of the NTSC standard, ensuring truer, more breathlessly vivid colors.
Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer 3 technology delivers more brilliant colors by expanding the gamut of color expression into a third axis, creating a 3D diagram of luminance. This creates a dynamic display of on-screen color and allows traditionally weak colors, such as green and blue, to look vivid and deep. In addition, red colors are enhanced to provide strong colors across the spectrum and the perfect balance of RGB.

Samsung LN55B650 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Samsung UN32B6000 32-inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

It’s time to change your view – Samsung’s brilliant new LED experience starts with the UN32B6000. Look to the 32-inch LED screen for the most vibrant contrast providing blacker black tones, whiter whites along with the richest color possible. The versatile 1.2-inch Ultra Slim Design stands alone as the slimmest HDTV on the market today and that’s including the tuner! The accented Touch of Color™ bezel adds a graceful flair. Samsung’s InfoLink™ feature puts up-to the-minute RSS info – including weather, stocks, sports and more – right at your fingertips, without missing a beat. USB2.0 lets you quickly and easily connect your media player, digital camera, or other devices to your LED TV. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™ technology keeps even the fastest onscreen motion smooth and natural. With the ultra slim wall mount (sold separately), your Samsung LED TV extends only 1.8 inches off of the wall – in virtually any room.
Full HD, or 1080p, contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. More scanning lines mean more pixels, more details and a better picture. The new Samsung LCD TV with resolution that is approximately 2 times greater than conventional HDTVs, creating the most perfect picture imaginable. Samsung’s 1080p panel uses a new high-speed liquid crystal to cut response time to 4ms. The fast response time, coupled with Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz motion blur reduction technology dramatically reduces motion blur and judder.



In 2008, Samsung created its unique Touch of Color (ToC) design, which uses dual-injection molding to coat a translucent, colored surface to achieve an attractive crystalline appearance. The latest evolution of Samsung's ToC design begins with a deep piano black bezel that fades into distinct chrome that finishes as light ruby highlights on the 7000 and 6000 Series LED HDTVs. The intensity of the color subtly changes depending upon the viewing angle, and further accentuates these TV's slim bezels.

Samsung UN32B6000 32-inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Weird news: Couple decide to donate baby to natural parents

Consider the case when a couple has gone in for in vitro fertilization treatment at a fertility clinic, and a few days are told that the operation is smooth, and successful; and that the lady is pregnant. However, there is one problem. Inspite of the fact that the operation went through smoothly, there is one glitch, the baby that was implanted was not in fact theirs due to an error. What do you do in a case like this ? You can rant and rave, but in the end, you need to decide something.
The couple did finally take a decision, where they decided that they would give the baby to the couple who were the genetic parents, and now, that time has come, since the baby was delivered a couple of days ago. Read more about it at this article.

Weird news: A very large baby born in Indonesia

A normal baby weighs around 3 Kg, but sometimes you get babies born who are either smaller or larger, and who are full of life and survive. It is much rarer to find babies who are much much larger, such as the baby that was born in Indonesia, and was actually almost 9 Kg huge. Imagine what the mother would have felt after having pushed out such a huge child (link to article):

"We can compare this giant baby with a 9- to 10-month-old baby," Sitanggang said. "Both his parents are tall and big, so there might be a genetic cause for this." Sitanggang said the baby has already developed a robust appetite, requiring instant milk as well as breast milk.

Weird news: Man dies as bacteria kills flesh faster than doctors

Once in a while you hear of a medical condition that sounds really horrific. The problems with a disease like Ebola where the mortality rate is extremely high was nothing compared to this disease that killed a man even as he was being operated on in the hospital. His flesh was being killed by a bacteria faster than doctors could control the spread the infection, and he died within 4 hours of infection. When you hear of such a case, you normally hope that this does not happen to someone known to you (link to article):

The infection moved through Mr Johnson's body so quickly that doctors could actually see it spreading up from his leg to his abdomen as they operated, an inquest into his death was told. The rare infection occurs in the deeper layers of skin and is typically caused by many types of bacteria entering an open wound, especially after major surgery.

Make money from blogs - You find a site that copies your site, and want to take legal action

Suppose you come across a site that has copied your content, and you value content enough that you would like to get the other site to remove such content. The owner of the other site has not heeded your complaints, and you want to take the next step of requesting the hosting companies as well as search engines to remove the stealing site using the legal avenue of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). This post (link to article) details the items you should make sure you do before you proceed on this path;


1. You should realize that proceedings under this could take some time to come to a result
2. There are not too many precedents under this law
3. You will certainly need a lawyer to help guide you through
contd..


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Make money from blogs - What do those arrows in the Google Adsense ads mean ?

If you have ever spent your time thinking about the ads you see served by the Adsense program, you would have seen some arrows displayed near the bottom, but it is quite possible that you would not have investigated too much for fear of violation the terms and conditions of the Adsense program. Well, read this post to learn more about what these arrows mean, as well as optimizations planned for these arrows (link for the post):

With the 'next' and 'previous' buttons, users can view more cheese ads until a Swiss cheese ad appears. As a result, we'll soon be making a few minor aesthetic changes, including darkening the arrows to make them more visible and orienting all arrows to point left and right. In addition, to help users understand what the arrows do, hovering over the arrows will soon show the labels 'previous ads' and 'next ads'.

Humour: Ways to ruin a man's life

Do not say what you mean. Ever.

Be ambiguous. Always.

Cry. Cry often. Tell them it's their fault.

Bring things up that were said, done, or thought years, months, or decades
ago...or with other boyfriends.

Make them apologize for everything.

Stash feminine products in their cars, backpacks and in their books as cute
reminders that you were thinking of them.

Gossip. Gossip about everything that walks.

Play Alanis Morissette's "You Outta Know"... loud. Look at them. Smile.
Say...haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Look them in the eye and start laughing.

Get mad at them for everything.

Discuss your period in front of them. Watch them squirm.

Hold grudges.

Demand to be called or e-mailed. Often. Whine when they don't comply.

When complimented, make sure to be paranoid. Take nothing at face value.

Use daddy as a weapon. Tell them about his gun collection, his quick trigger
finger, and his affection for his Little Princess.

Be late for everything. Yell if they're late.

Talk about your ex-boyfriend 24-7. Compare and contrast.

Go everywhere in groups, especially the bathroom. Do nothing alone.
Independence is a sign of weakness.

Make them guess what you want and then get mad when they're wrong.

Plan little relationship anniversaries, i.e. the monthly anniversary of the
time you saw each other in the library...for five minutes. Then get mad at
them for forgetting. Then cry.

Fall for your FAC. (I don't know what this is)

Gather many female friends and dance to "I Will Survive" while they are
present. Sing all the words. Sing to them. Sing loud.

Correct their grammar.

Describe back-alley abortions. Then remind them of their mother or little
sister.

Constantly claim you're fat. Ask them. Then cry, regardless of their answer.

Leave out the good parts in stories.

Make sure to only be interested in guys in the same friendship group. Make
sure to cause trouble.

Make them wonder. Confusion is a good thing.

Declare that you are not wacko.

Criticize the way they dress.

Criticize the music they listen to.

Criticize their hair.

Ignore them. When asked, "What's wrong?" tell them that if they don't know,
you're not going to tell them.

Try to change them.

Try to mold them.

Try to get them to dance.

Pretend you're interested, lead them on, then feign ignorance when confronted.

When they screw up, never let them forget it.

Make them stay at religious services until they are close to fainting...just
because.

Blame everything on PMS.

Blame everything on PMS only after it has been blamed on them.

Whenever there is silence ask them, "What are you thinking?"

Get mad if they don't notice a haircut. Even if it's only a half inch.

Read into everything..

Over-analyze everything.

Make it your goal to make them cry

World's Biggest Lies

1. The check is in the mail.

2. I'll respect you in the morning.

3. I'm from your government, and I am here to help you.

4. It's only a cold sore.

5. You get this one, I'll pay next time.

6. My wife doesn't understand me.

7. Trust me, I'll take care of everything.

8. Of course I love you.

9. I am getting a divorce.

10. Drinking? Why, no, Officer.

11. I never inhaled.

12. It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing.

13. I never watch television except for PBS.

14. ...but we can still be good friends.

15. She means nothing to me.

16. Don't worry, I can go another 20 miles when the gauge
is on "empty."

17. I gave at the office.

18. Don't worry, he's never bitten anyone.

19. I'll call you later.

20. We'll release the upgrade by the end of the year.

21. Read my lips: no new taxes.

22. I've never done anything like this before.

23. Now, I'm going to tell you the truth.

24. It's supposed to make that noise.

25. I *love* your new _____!

26. ...then take a left. You can't miss it.

27. Yes, I did.

28. Don't worry, it's OK -- I'm sterile.

Joke: Using dynamite to fish

A game warden noticed how a particular fellow named Sam consistently caught
more fish than anyone else, whereas the other guys would only catch three or
four a day. Sam would come in off the lake with a boat full. Stringer after
stringer was always packed with freshly caught trout. The warden, curious,
asked Sam his secret.

The successful fisherman invited the game warden to accompany him and
observe. So the next morning the two met at the dock and took off in Sam's
boat. When they got to the middle of the lake, Sam stopped the boat, and the
warden sat back to see how it was done.

Sam's approach was simple. He took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and
threw it in the air. The explosion rocked the lake with such a force that
dead fish immediately began to surface. Sam took out a net and started
scooping them up.

Well, you can imagine the reaction of the game warden. When he recovered
from the shock of it all, he began yelling at Sam. "You can't do this! I'll
put you in jail, buddy! You will be paying every fine there is in the book!"

Sam, meanwhile, set his net down and took out another stick of dynamite. He
lit it and tossed it in the lap of the game warden with these words: "Are
you going to sit there all day complaining, or are you going to fish?"

Joke: Multiple births by the Italian woman

A wealthy man was having an affair with an Italian woman for several years.

One night, during one of their rendezvous, she confided in him that
she was pregnant.

Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his marriage, he paid her a
large sum of money if she would go to Italy to secretly have the child.

If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also provide
child support until the child turned 18.

She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born.

To keep it discrete, he told her to simply mail him a post card, and
write "Spaghetti" on the back.

He would then arrange for child support payments to begin.

One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused
wife."Honey," she said, "you received a very strange post card today."

Flustered, he said "Oh, just give it to me and I'll explain it."

The wife obeyed, and watched as her husband read the card, turned
white, and fainted.

On the card was written:

"Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Two with meatballs, one without."

Joke: Of course we can take away your birthday

Because of a minor infraction, a shipmate of mine aboard the USS Reeves,
bound for Japan , was busted one rank, fined and given extra duty for three
weeks.

Looking forward to celebrating his 21st birthday on July 22, he consoled
himself every night during his extra duty by reciting: "They can bust me,
they can fine me -- but they can't take away my birthday."

As July 22 approached, his excitement increased. When he went to bed on July
21, he happily repeated: "They can bust me, they can fine me -- but they
can't take away my birthday."

The next morning, he found out that the ship had crossed the international
date line -- and it was July 23!

Joke: Contribute to the Church

When the minister picked up the phone, Special Agent Struzik from the IRS
was on the line. "Hello, is this the minister?"

"Yes, this is."

"I'm calling to inquire about a member of your congregation, a Dr. Shipe. Do
you recognize the name?"

"Yes, he is a member of our congregation. How can I be of service?"

"Well, on last year's tax return, the doctor claimed that he made a sizable
tax deductable contribution to your church. Is this true?"

"Well, I'll have to have our bookkeeper verify this information for you. How
much did Dr. Shipe say he contributed?"

"Twenty five thousand dollars," answered Agent Struzik. "Can you tell me if
that amount is true?"

There is a long pause. "I'll tell you what," replied the minister, "call
back tomorrow -- I'm sure it will be."

Joke: Take 4 of your friends

The old panhandler living in New York hears that his brother is very sick in
Los Angeles. By working day and night for a week he is able to beg enough to
buy his airplane ticket.

He arrives at Kennedy Airport , goes to the ticket counter, and plunks down
all the money. The clerk at the counter counts it and says to the man, "I'm
sorry, Sir, but you're a nickel short."

The panhandler tells the clerk that he'll be right back. He runs out in
front of the terminal and stops the first man he sees. "Mister, can you let
me have a nickel, so I can get to California?"

The stranger flips him a quarter and says, "Here, take four of your
friends."

Joke: Lawyer and his items

A very successful lawyer parked his brand new Lexus in front of the office,
ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he got out, a truck came along
too close to the curb, and completely tore off the driver's door of the
Lexus.

The counselor immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911, and it wasn't
more than 5 minutes before a policeman showed up. Before the cop had a
chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically.

His Lexus, which he had just picked up the day before was now completely
ruined, and would never be the same, no matter how the body shop tried to
make it new again.

After the lawyer finally wound down from his rant, the cop shook his head in
disgust and disbelief. "I can't believe how materialistic you lawyers are,"
he said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you neglect the most
important things in life."

"How can you say such a thing?" asked the lawyer.

The cop replied, "My God, don't you even realize that your left arm is
missing? It got ripped off when the truck hit you!!!"

"My God!" screamed the lawyer. "Where's my Rolex?!?

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Samsung UN40B6000 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

Ultra Cool Gadgets wrote a post about the Samsung 40 inch LED HDTV, a futuristic TV that promises excellent picture quality, and energy savings (link to article).

We just upgraded from a 10yr old huge tube tv to this. Granted that anything would be awsome in comparison, the picture is fabulous, its very light, thin, and energy efficient. It is weird not having any buttons on the tv itself, but I can kind of see why. Since it is so thin, the wire placement in the back is a bit strange, or different I should say from the monster tube tv we had. We had to get a HMDI cable to go with it to connect our DVD player, but other then that, no other item was needed. If you are going to mount it on the wall, you will need to purchase that separately. Luckily the DVD player we had was new enough to be an upconvert to Hi-def.






Samsung UN40B6000 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

Samsung UN46B8000 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV

A new post on a great 46 Inch Samsung LED HDTV, the TV of the future (link to article):

LED TV's, a concept just a few years back, are now making their way into consumer homes. They are still expensive, but for those who appreciate the energy savings, and the excellent picture quality of a LED HDTV, they are worth it. And like other technologies, the cost is on its way down, and will keep on decreasing with time.
Redefining the standards for viewing quality, energy-efficiency and home entertainment decor, the Samsung 8000 Series LED HDTVs deliver unparalleled picture quality and enhanced connectivity while also helping you reduce your carbon footprint with the reduced power consumption of the LED screen. Using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as its primary light source--rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL)--this cutting edge HDTV also offers the benefits of an ultra-high contrast ratio and a slim depth that allows for a more artful design.






Samsung UN46B8000 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV

Samsung UN46B6000 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

LED TV's are slowly becoming the rage, although their high cost puts off some people. But these TV's come with more advanced technology, richer colors, and a higher contrast ratio, and lower energy consumption, and people who like to have the latest technology, and are willing to pay for this pleasure, will drool over such TV's. Read more at this article (link to article):

Samsung's 6000 Series LED HDTV line-up boasts high dynamic contrast ratios, complements of the ground breaking LED light source. It also incorporates a number of innovative features to reduce the motion blur and image judder, which traditionally plague LCD HDTVs when displaying fast movement. The Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation technology utilizes a 120Hz refresh rate helps ensure crisp, easy viewing of sports, video games and movies.






Samsung UN46B6000 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

Samsung UN55B8000 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV

First it was the normal thick cathode ray TV, then came the age of the plasma followed by the LCD TV, and now, you have the age of the LED TV. One of the major advantages of using an LED TV is that it makes you feel a part of the global energy-saving campaign, since a LED TV helps you save energy as compared to a LCD TV or Plasma. Here is a Samsung TV that is as modern as TV's can get, being an LED TV with a huge viewing size (link to article)


Key Features:
Screen Size: 55 inches
Full 1080p HD
Breakthrough LED picture quality with true-to-life brightness ranging from the purest black to pristine white.
Energy Savings: Samsung's LED TVs use up to 40 percent less power than conventional LCD TVs.
Ultra-slim Design: 1.2-inch depth






Samsung UN55B8000 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Make money from blogs: Worried that copying your content will affect your Google ranking ?

Blog publishers are typically worried that when multiple people copy their content. They worry that they are losing readers because their unique content is appearing in multiple locations, they are worried that they may be getting penalized by Google if Google detects multiple locations for their content and flags it as an attempt to fiddle around with search engine rankings. Here is an article that tries to explain this in more detail (link)


This can be pretty scary to blow publishers. So what do you in such a case if your content is being copied by others without your permission ? Well, Google issues clarifications that it takes into account many factors before going ahead with such a penalty.

English Moviel: A Fistful of Dollars (1964): The original spaghetti western

In the 60's, and the early 70's, Spaghetti Westerns, shot with young or ageing US leads along with Spanish / Italian stars, and using an Italian / Spanish cast caught on, and continued till the early 70's, when people started getting tired of this line of films. Two of the people who were most closely associated with these types of movies were the director, Sergei Leone, and the young upcoming star, Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood came to be famous for a trilogy of movies called the "The Dollars Trilogy" or "The Man With No Name Trilogy" - primarily because Clint was not given a screen name in these movies, and this was in effect used as a promotion point for these movies. A Fistful of Dollars was the movie that started this trend, and was the first movie in the trilogy, with the others being For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Most of these movies were shot in Spain, in regions that resembled the dry, wasteland like region of the American Southwest. Another great highlight of the movie was the music by Ennio Morricone.



The Spaghetti Western culture had a touch of irony to it, since the original role was offered to Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, but both of them refused, and a few others, after which Clint Eastwood was signed on. With the success of the genre, both of them starred in a later movie of his, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).
A Fistful of Dollars is the story of a man arriving at a small town on the Mexican Border called San Miguel, and how he gets involved in the huge rivalry in the town between 2 families who want to establish their dominance in the town. These 2 families are;
- The Rojo brothers, Don Miguel, Esteban, and Ramón.
- The other family is that of the sheriff John Baxter (Wolfgang Lukschy)
The Man with No Name arrives in the town, and sees a chance to make some money ('a fistful of dollars') in this rivalry between them, but gets involved in a different way, by rescuing the captive of Ramon, Ramon's mistress (Marisol).
The Rojos catch Clint Eastwood and torture him for this effrontery, but he manages to get free with the help of the coffin maker. In their search for him, the Rojos finally get up on the Baxters by burning down their home and killing them all. Now that they are the one strong family in the town, the stranger returns to a final fight, and finally kills them all, and then moves out before the authorities make their presence felt.

A fistful of Dollars (1964), released in the United States in 1967, and starring Clint Eastwood, directed by Sergei Leone

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

5 tips on buying a camera lens (contd..)

Tip 351 (Third party lenses): When buying 3rd party lenses, remember that they are cheaper, however, it is also true that their re-sale value is comparatively lower than that of Canon or Nikon lenses. If that if a factor for you, then do consider that point.

Tip 352 (Third party lenses versus equipment manufacturer lenses): Even though lenses made by camera manufacturers such as Canon and Nike are more expensive, and some of that is a premium charge, in many cases, the optics of these lenses are more improved as move away from the cheap lenses.

Tip 353 (Compatibility with future cameras): This one is a bit harder to visualize, but consider the upward compatibility of the lenses you buy. If you buy a lens from Canon or Nike, they will do their best to ensure that this lens works with future cameras; they do not make any such effort to guarantee this for 3rd party lenses.

Tip 354 (Consider the trade-off between weight and sturdiness): Plastic lens bodies are cheaper, lighter, but not as durable as the heavier lens bodies. This will be a trade off between ease of carrying and the physical conditions it can take.

Tip 355 (Trade off between price and quality): Third party lenses can offer some focal lengths and such features that are not available from the camera manufacturers. However, it is difficult to get accurate comparisons between third party lenses and lenses made by equipment manufacturers, so in the end, it is your choice.

Ad: Click Here to Learn Digital Photography now!

Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age

Photo Blog - Person framed in the open doorway inside the Jaipur City Palace

Photo of a Person framed in the open doorway inside the Jaipur City Palace
Seems almost like a pose, right ? You have this old looking, metal studded thick door inside the Palace open, and can see a person framed in this open doorway. The photo was taken by chance, and I am somewhat proud of this photo.

Photo Blog - View of old and new in the Jaipur City Palace

Photos of a View of old and new in the Jaipur City Palace
This is a photo of a corridor that is towards the outside of the structure, and you can see how it shows a mix of the old and the new. The whole structure screams about the history of the place, about its heritage, and at the end of the corridor, you can see a bright red car, as modern as you can get.

Photo Blog - A beautiful long corridor inside the Jaipur City Palace

Photo of A beautiful long corridor inside the Jaipur City Palace
The Jaipur City Palace is a magnificent building, and is very well maintained. Here, you can see this image of a long corridor, with openings on either side, and painted in soothing off-white and cream colors. The floor is inlaid with designs and colored stones.

Photo Blog - Self portrait in a beautiful mirror

Photo of Self portrait in a beautiful mirror in the Jaipur City Palace
Inside the Jaipur City Palace, there is a small network of corridors, lined with beautiful items such as paintings, mirrors with colorful beadings, and the like. I used this opportunity to take a self photo, but as normally happens, the flash came on and prevented any detail.

Make money from blogs - Migrating from a blog hosted on Blogger to your own domain

It's a common occurrence; people start out with a blog that runs on a free service such as Blogger or Wordpress.com, and then over a time develop a readership and a Good Page Rank. At some point during this process, the person running the blog realizes that maybe it was a mistake starting the blog on a shared domain (or a free service). It does not look professional, there are limitations on what you can do and the services you can launch, but you are stuck. Moving onto a new domain will mean that you lose your existing readers, you lose your Google Page Rank (and if you have a Page Rank that is greater than 4, there is no greater fear of a blogger than having to lose that Page Rank).
An easy solution could be to put a link on top to the new domain, but that really does not work. The Page Rank is not tranferred, and the readership does drop. So, what is required is a way that the blog can be moved over to your own private domain (hosted on some common hosting company), without losing these items. I was reading a post (link to this post)

But this year, I tried a little different approach and it worked – now Digital Inspiration is located at www.labnol.org and there’s no dip in search rankings, organic site traffic and the RSS subscriber count. Here’s that very secret recipe explained in 10 easy steps:

The author does not have complete success, in the sense that the Blogger / Blogspot blog still generates more visits than the Wordpress blog, but it is getting closer, and there are many seeming advantages to having a Wordpress account. Read the linked post, and see whether you want to go down that path.

Hindi TV Serial - Khatron Ke Khiladi Part 2 / Level 2 - Action continues

This year, the second version of Khatron Ke Khiladi has some great stunts. The show takes place in South Africa with 14 Indian divas (TV actresses, models, etc) along with their selected ordinary male companions. The host for the show that appears on Colors is Akshay Kumar, and the contestants have to undergo a variety of stunts. If the stunt requires only one person, then it is the lady who has to do the stunt, and if the stunt requires 2 people, then it is both who participate. The stunts typically involve activities dealing with water, being up in the air somewhere, animals, etc. As an example, one of the stunts involved being able to withstand octopus in the same helmet as the lady, with water inside the helmet, and the lady has to remove the screws holding the helmet together. The one who did so in the least possible time wins.
Akshay can be encouraging when he feels that the lady is overcoming some internal problems, such as when somebody is afraid of going under water, or afraid of dealing with an animal, or similar problem.
At the same time, Akshay can scold the contestants very thoroughly if he feels that they are not giving their best, and has done so many times. In each show, there are 2 stunts, and Akshay gives one or more of the teams a yellow banner if they are the best in the first stunt, so that they do not have to do the second stunt. The contestants are listed below. Some of them were brought back into the show after being eliminated, and had to go through another contest for this chance.

Shweta Salve
Carol Gracias-Eliminated 6th day (15th Sept 09)-Rentry Wild card 8th day (17th Sept 09)
Jesse Randhawa
Shonali Nagrani-Eliminated 1st day (7th Sept 09)-Rentry Wild card 8th day (17th Sept 09)
Mandira Bedi - Eliminated 9th day (21st Sept 09)
Rosa Catalano -Eliminated 2nd day (8th Sept 09)-Rentry Wild card 8th day (17th Sept 09)
Pia Trivedi-Eliminated 5th day (14th Sept 09)
Bruna Abdalah-Eliminated 3rd day (9th Sept 09)-Rentry Wild card 8th day (17th Sept 09)
Sushma Reddy-Eliminated 4th day (10th Sept 09)
Nauheed Cyrusi
Anushka Manchanda
Rupali Ganguly-Eliminated 7th day (16th Sept 09)
Sonika Kaliraman

Video of one of the shows:

22nd September 2009 - Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 2 (link)



Watch more videos at this link.

Learn software concepts - Software Quality Assurance - SQA

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is defined as a planned and systematic approach to the evaluation of the quality of and adherence to software product standards, processes, and procedures. SQA includes the process of assuring that standards and procedures are established and are followed throughout the software acquisition life cycle. Compliance with agreed-upon standards and procedures is evaluated through process monitoring, product evaluation, and audits. Software development and control processes should include quality assurance approval points, where an SQA evaluation
of the product may be done in relation to the applicable standards.

STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES :
Establishing standards and procedures for software development is critical, since these provide the framework from which the software evolves. Standards are the established criteria to which the software products are compared. Procedures are the established criteria to which the development and control processes are compared.
Standards and procedures establish the prescribed methods for developing software; the SQA role is to ensure their existence and adequacy. Proper documentation of standards and procedures is necessary since the SQA activities of process monitoring, product evaluation, and auditing rely upon unequivocal definitions to measure project compliance.

SQA ACTIVITIES :
Software quality assurance is composed of a variety of tasks associated with two different constituencies - the software engineers who do technical work and an SQA group that has responsibility for quality assurance planning, oversight, record keeping, analysis, and reporting. Product evaluation and process monitoring are the SQA activities that assure the software development and control processes.
Product evaluation is an SQA activity that assures standards are being followed. Product evaluation assures that the software product reflects the requirements of the applicable standard(s) as identified in the Management Plan.
Process monitoring is an SQA activity that ensures that appropriate steps to carry out the process are being followed.
A fundamental SQA technique is the audit, which looks at a process and/or a product in depth, comparing them to established procedures and standards. Audits are used to review management, technical, and assurance processes to provide an indication of the quality and status of the software product.

ROLE OF AN SQA GROUP :
- Prepares an SQA plan for a project.
- Participates in the development of the project's software process description.
- Reviews software engineering activities to verify compliance with defined software process.
- Audits designated software work products to verify compliance with those defined as part of software process.
- Ensures that deviations in software work and work products are documented and handled according to a document procedure.
- Records any noncompliance and reports to senior management.

Learn software concepts - Quality Management - Overview

Software quality management is an umbrella activity - incorporating both quality control and quality assurance - that is applied at each step in the software process. SQA encompasses procedures for the effective application of methods and tools, formal technical reviews, testing strategies and techniques, procedures for change control, procedures for assuring compliance to standards, and measurement and reporting mechanisms.
SQA is complicated by the complex nature of software quality - an attribute of computer programs that is defined as "conformance to explicitly and implicitly specified requirements. But when considered more generally, software quality encompasses many different product and process factors and related metrices.

Software reviews are one of the most important quality control activities. Reviews serve as filters throughout all software engineering activities, removing errors while they are relatively inexpensive to find and correct. The formal technical review is stylized meeting that has been shown to be extremely effective in uncovering errors.
To properly conduct software quality assurance, data about the software engineering process should be collected, evaluated, and disseminated. Statistical SQA helps to improve the quality of the product and the software process itself. Software reliability models extend measurements, enabling collected defect data to be extrapolated into projected failure rates and reliability predictions.

Software quality assurance is the mapping of the managerial precepts and design disciplines of quality assurance onto the applicable managerial and technological space of software engineering. The ability to ensure quality is the measure of a mature engineering discipline. When the mapping is successfully accomplished, mature software engineering is the result.

Photo Blog: Slightly askew photo of a decorated door inside the Jaipur City Palace

Slightly askew photo of a decorated door inside the Jaipur City Palace
This door was in a slightly inside section of the Jaipur City Palace, and it was also hot, hence there were few tourists in this section at this point of time. I took this opportunity to take some photos of this well decorated door.

Photo Blog: A pigeon sitting near a wonderfully decorated section of the Jaipur City Palace

Photo of A pigeon sitting near a wonderfully decorated section of the Jaipur City Palace
Take a look at this section of the Jaipur City Palace that is visible; it is very wonderfully decorated with a flower and leaf design motif; and right next to that, you can see a pigeon sitting right next to it. Pigeons can be found in huge numbers in this structure.

Photo of the structure of the Jaipur City Palace - the upper levels

Photo of the structure of the Jaipur City Palace - the upper levels
A photo of the upper levels of the Jaipur City Palace. This section is not the red color of the main area, instead it is more yellow, with just the balconies being red.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Photo Blog - A solitary tourist taking a photo inside the Jaipur City Palace

Photo of A solitary tourist taking a photo inside the Jaipur City Palace
A strange time inside the Jaipur City Palace. Normally a place full of tourists, to the extent that one needs to time photos to avoid tourists coming in this photo, I found a time in the afternoon when there was nobody except for this one tourist in the photo, taking a photo of the architecture.

Nonin Onyx Pulse Oximeter Finger-Digital

The Original All-in-One Digital Fingertip Pulse OximeterTM Pulse Oximetry at Your Fingertips, Anywhere, Anytime NONIN revolutionized pulse oximetry with the Onyx. Hundreds of thousands of people trust Onyx, the first selfcontained digital fingertip pulse oximeter. Incorporating the electronics and sensor into one unit, the Onyx provides a cost-effective solution for spotchecks and short-term monitoring. Unparalleled reliability and performance that's easy and affordable. Product highlights include: Proven Accuracy & Durability Used by clinicians worldwide Automatic on/off operation Cost Effective No additional sensors needed Versatile Accommodates widest range of finger sizes from pediatric to adult Efficient 18 hours of continuous use; 1600 spot-checks Pulse Oximetry at Your Fingertips The Onyx is ideal for use in any situation where a fast and accurate reading of blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate is needed. Never search for a pulse oximeter or sensor again. Proven Performance The portability and functionality of the Onyx makes it a valuable tool in any situation where a fast and accurate reading of blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate is needed. Small & Lightweight Carry the Onyx anywhere - on a lanyard, in a carrying case or in your pocket. It weighs less than 2 oz. Large Bright LED Display SpO2 and Pulse Rate that can be read from any angle, day or night. Pulse Quality Indicator Brilliant, easy-to-see LED provides a quick and accurate assessment of patient readings. Pediatric to Adult Finger Sizes Accommodates a wide range of finger thicknesses, 0.3 - 1.0 inch (8 mm to 26 mm). Automatic On/Off Energy Efficient Operates on two AAA alkaline batteries for approximately 1600 spot-checks or up to 18 hours of continuous operation. Durable & Reliable Rugged enough for use in the most demanding situations. The Onyx has the US Army and US Air Force aeromedical certification for use in helicopters.



Product Features :
* Made in the USA - Proven Accuracy & Durability.
* Accommodates widest range of finger sizes from pediatric to adult
* Operates on two AAA alkaline batteries for approximately 1600 spot-checks or up to 18 hours of continuous operation.
* Rugged enough for use in the most demanding situations. The Onyx has the US Army and US Air Force aeromedical certification for use in helicopters.
* FDA 5109(k) approval.

Customer Feedback :
The Nonin Oximeter has been a great tool for me in taking meaningful measurements that help me observe and control part of the vital information of my conditions. This convenient device is small and easy to use, and has the added attraction of being an appealing technical gadget. This little marvel does its work silently, quickly, and easily. It's clear read-out concurs with other oxygen measurements I have taken at health facilities from time to time. It gives me reassurance in the easiest and most pleasant way. This is the fun side of health care. If its readings are below what they should be, I can respond much more quickly than in the past. That's an important difference. It is more than I expected.

Nonin Onyx Pulse Oximeter Finger-Digital

Finger Pulse Oximeter with Easy-Carry Soft Case and Neck/wrist cord

Digital Finger Pulse Oximeter combines advanced technology with a stylish, wearable design. The outstanding interference resistance capacity against ambient light along with wide-range accurate measurement even in low perfusion make this fingertip pulse oximeter one of the best oximeters in the world. Featured with a large bright red perfusion LED display which allows you read in the dark and severe weather condition, OctiveTech 300C Fingertip Pulse Oximeter provides accurate readings (SpO2, PR, 7-segment Bargraph) with affordable price. It is equipped with pulse oximeter and sensor in one unit providing fast, real-time, reliable blood-oxygen saturation percentage, pulse rate and pulse strength measurements, with one button keypad and auto 8 seconds power-off. This item is covered under 1-year manufacturer's warranty.



Product Features :
* Interference resistance against ambient light. One Button Operation, Auto power-off after 8 Seconds.
* Three parameter reading (SpO2, Pulse Rate, 7-segment Bargraph).
* Ultra-Lightweight (1.8oz or 50g). It can be used by a variety of sports. enthusiasts, including mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, bikers, and others interested in measuring oxygen saturation and pulse rate.
* Easy to carry: Neck/wrist cord, easy carrying soft case.

Customer Feedback :
I'm a RRT(respiratory therapist) and I purchased this pulse ox several months ago. I use it daily and have found it to be very accurate. It is lightweight, easy to read in dark or bright rooms, and works well on pts with poor circulation. The only complaints I have is that it is slower and more sensitive to motion than $400 handheld models. I have also noticed the lettering for SPO2 an HR has already started to wear off. I would recommend this product to RTs, PTs, and RNs who want an affordable pulse ox.

Finger Pulse Oximeter with Easy-Carry Soft Case and Neck/wrist cord

TENS Unit Digital TENS 7000 - Most Powerful TENS

"Bring the Office to the home!" The LG-7000, our top selling Digital Dual Channel TENS Unit will provide you with a great deal pain relief due to its strong 100mA output. Many types of pain which are often relieved with drugs can today be treated by electrical stimulation with no side effects. And what that means to you is - Reduction of pain with a reduction or elimination of drugs with harmful side effects. The unit comes with a 3 Year Warranty! Comes with Hard Carrying Case Free Comes with 4 Electrode Pads Free Comes with 9 Volt Battery Free Comes with Lead Wires Free Optional: Conductive Electrode Prep Spray (prolongs electrode life), Recharger and Rechargeable 9 Volt. Used for Many Types of Pain including Rheumatoid and Osteo-arthritis, Back pain, Menstrual Pain, Labour Pain, Peripheral Nerve Injuries, Shingles, Headache and Migraine, Cancer Pain, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Phantom Limb Pain, Sports Injuries, Sciatica, Aching Joints, Post Operative Pain, Muscular Pain, Whiplash and Neck Injury and many others.



Product Features :
* Digital TENS Unit with 5 Modes.
* Used for All Types of Pain Including Chronic and Acute.
* Customize Pulse Width, Rate, and Intensity.
* Stronger 100mA Intensity.

Customer Feedback :
Initially I had doubts if this product can match the performance of professional grade products. When I got it and after reading the detailed manual setting up the device could not be any easir. About strength I can say it does pack a punch and can compete with professional grade equipment. I would recommend this product.
The 5 different modes are very useful and a nice change of pace. I have used all of them and you'll definitely find a favorite. The intensity is adjustable from 1 to 8. 4 is usually plenty and I've never gone past a 6, very powerful little machine.

TENS Unit Digital TENS 7000 - Most Powerful TENS

Kenwood KVT-719DVD DVD/WMA/MP3/AAC/USB/iPod Control Receiver with 7-Inch-Wide In-Dash Monitor

This advanced DIN monitor/DVD receiver with 50W x 4 amplifier plays DVDs and CDs, and features the industry-leading iPod Video USB Direct Control with Multi-Task Browser. Playback and search your iPod content quickly over USB with fast, convenient touchscreen control. You'll also get direct playback from USB devices, AM/FM Radio, an included remote, and support for adding Bluetooth or SAT/HD radio.

Technical Details :
* AM/FM radio, DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, MP3/WMA/AAC, MPEG1/MPEG2/DivX, iPod, USB, HD/SAT radio-ready, Bluetooth-ready receiver.
* 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with two 2V preamp outputs.
* 7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with 480 x 234 pixel resolution.
* Includes direct iPod connection, USB music streaming, front panel A/V input, A/V output, rear camera input.
* One-year limited warranty.



HIGHLIGHTS :
- 7-Inch LCD Touchscreen.
- Enjoy Your Favorite Media.
The KVT-719DVD lets you play your favorite CDs and DVDs, along with several digital audio and video formats.
- About DivX.
DivX is a popular media technology created by DivX, Inc. DivX media Files contain highly compressed video with high visual quality that maintains a relatively small file size. DivX files can also include advanced media features like menus, subtitles, and alternate audio tracks. Many DivX media files are available for download online, and you can create your own using your personal content and easy-touse tools from DivX.com.
- Seamless Connection with iPod Video/Audio.
- USB Direct Control.
- Input and Output.
- Navigation Ready.
- HD and SAT Radio Ready.
- Bluetooth Ready.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK :
I bought and installed this head unit; it took 14 hours with all the cables, accessories, and removal of vehicle parts (seats, consoles,etc). Overall, the unit works well in all but one aspect. I have a rearview camera, gps, bluetooth, usb thumb, apple ipod, amp, and of course quality speakers connected. The only issue I have is with the BT100 I connected to it. Not sure though if it is the BT100, the interface with the 719, or just my cellphone compatability. It does take some patience getting all other accessories to interface correctly, and I wouldn't say the manual is great.
The screen is very good including the tilt feature and if you have a steady hand, you can use the little silver circular button controller. The remote is a plus too as it does many things; if you can remember all functions. A good compromise to higher end head units, and it fits all in 1-DIN with a removable faceplate.

Kenwood KVT-719DVD DVD/WMA/MP3/AAC/USB/iPod Control Receiver with 7-Inch-Wide In-Dash Monitor