knol

Google's latest announcement about it's knowledge pages, Knol, is yet another example of an effort towards being a huge catalogue.

Google

Google is going to be the biggest catalogue in the world. That's all.

Every company starts with a focus and remains in the spotlight of this focus for its whole life.

Microsoft started with the focus of making basic popular software like OS and Office tools, Apple with making cool consumer electronics, Ford with making cars, Coca Cola with making common beverages and consumables.

Google started with the focus of making all the information in the world available freely. It's working well for itself. But that is all.

The point I am making is that the area of popular and complex AI is still open to a company. Any takers ?

My bet is : This will be the biggest thing in business and technology after the light bulb.

Sweet Child of Mine

Damn sexy song

Abhi zinda hoon to jee lene do ...

Aamir Khan's blog

Found Aamir Khan's blog today. Good to read.

http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog.htm

November Rain

It's the last day of November.
Lot of work ahead as final exams approach and research work demands it's proper conclusion.

And there it is :

November Rain

brings strange emotions to the heart and I play November Rain - GNR

Shaaheen

I am standing at the edge,
Waves beat against the cliff,
I spread my wings and jump off,
Without a doubt, without an if!

For years have I sat and watched,
Plagued with self doubt,
While others flew around me,
Inside me there raged a bout.

I didn't fly far and wide,
Yet, a lot have I watched and learnt,
Weathered sun, torrents and hurricanes,
Seen others both high and burnt.

I am falling towards the waves,
They leap to swallow me up,
Drown me, storm me, or ravage me,
I will keep trying flying up.

I flap my wings with passion,
There is no more shame or sin,
The air breathes into my lungs,
And feeds the fire within.

"If you don't, gimme a call,
I'll fly with you"

Incident of the French Camp

This is one of the poems I love :-


YOU know, we French storm’d Ratisbon:
A mile or so away
On a little mound, Napoleon
Stood on our storming-day;
With neck out-thrust, you fancy how,
Legs wide, arms lock’d behind,
As if to balance the prone brow
Oppressive with its mind.

Just as perhaps he mus’d “My plans
That soar, to earth may fall,
Let once my army leader Lannes
Waver at yonder wall,”—
Out ’twixt the battery smokes there flew
A rider, bound on bound
Full-galloping; nor bridle drew
Until he reach’d the mound.

Then off there flung in smiling joy,
And held himself erect
By just his horse’s mane, a boy:
You hardly could suspect—
(So tight he kept his lips compress’d,
Scarce any blood came through)
You look’d twice ere you saw his breast
Was all but shot in two.

“Well,” cried he, “Emporor, by God’s grace
We ’ve got you Ratisbon!
The Marshal’s in the market-place,
And you ’ll be there anon
To see your flag-bird flap his vans
Where I, to heart’s desire,
Perch’d him!” The chief’s eye flash’d; his plans
Soar’d up again like fire,

The chief’s eye flash’d; but presently
Soften’d itself, as sheathes
A film the mothe-eagle’s eye
When her bruis’d eaglet breathes.
“You ’re wounded!” “Nay,” the soldier’s pride
Touch’d to the quick, he said:
“I ’m kill’d, Sire!” And his chief beside,
Smiling the boy fell dead.

Robert Browning (1812–89)

Happyness

This is about a movie called "The pursuit of happyness". It's not a spelling mistake. It was the name of the movie. Well, you can name a thing anyway you like. The movie starred Will Smith. I like him from the first movie I watched of him - Independence Day. I specially loved the scene in the movie, where he sits in the alien craft and before taking off, he hands a cigar to his partner and says - "This, is important !". Aye, aye Sire. When the fate of the planet and of all people on it is in your hands, the cigar is important. So, damn cool !

Technically, the movie isn't great, neither the direction. Probably, the tendency of the director to stick with reality din't give him much space. But there were a few scenes which were exceptional in the essence they carried. Listing as they appear in the movie, they are :-

1) When Chris Gardner sees his wife after she has left his house with their son. He says - "You are weak." This short statement said spontaneously carries a lot of meaning. I am not judging him or her. But this was true. Yet, weakness is not a sin.

2) When Chris tries to run away from the cabbie without paying. Somehow it says to me- "A man is a man. Let him be."

3) When Chris sits behind the locked door of the toilet on the railway station and cries, with his son sleeping in his lap. It is the helplessness of a father, who is unable to provide his son with a safe bedroom. The helplessness of not being able to do, what you want to, for the person you love the most, is the greatest form of helplessness on this earth.

4) When Chris gets the job. His eyes watery, his lips tightly pursed together, unable to control his tears, looking down to avoid making eye contact with people in front, running away from the room ... That's when you are truly happy.

My favourite line from the movie - "You want something. You go get it. Period."

My Mac and me

Finally, my dream of working on an Apple Laptop has come true; specifically, A MacBook Pro ($2499) based on a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor running Mac OS X.

It's a beautiful experience. The system works so seamlessly that it sometimes makes me forget the difference between my machine and me. A quality without name, which seduces me into looking at every other OS with a bit of derision.

The layout of the keyboard is so damn sexy that it makes me feel as if the keys pull my fingers towards them with invisible strings whenever they need to be hit. Or is it that the keyboard is re-shaping itself to my wishes. I don't know. But I love it.

Honestly, the opportunity to work on Apple laptops was one of the primary reasons behind my decision to join the startup I am working for. Quite juvenile, some might say. Whatever. The sheer ecstasy of working on my MacBook Pro shadows everything else. :)

GOD is Steve Jobs.