Articles, Reviews and much more for creatives

20 years not out

2009-11-16T07:11:00.003+05:30

When one of the most happening news in India is Sachin’s 20 years if international cricket, then how can I not say something on it. Being an India, as I said, we have cricket in out blood. So, today I talk a bit about the great player Sachin Tendulkar.

Talking about his skills in cricket will be foolish for me as it’s already known that he is a great player and there is no second opinion about it. But then, I would like to discuss the points which could have been reasons for his consistent success.

So many players come and go in the India team, but none made an impact for such a long time. 20 years is a big time, isn’t it? I mean so much change in 20 years and still he is playing at his best, scoring at a very nice rate. There are so many factors which come as blocks in your way and you have to overcome. And, we can see that he did those with ease.

Playing for 20 years takes a huge toll on the body. But if we look at his career, we would hardly find him with too many injuries. This is something which is truly remarkable considering the number of matches one has to play now days. Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were two players who were known for their fitness. But, at that time the number of matches played was not even half of what is being played now days. So, this is for sure another added pressure. But then he handled that too in a very nice way.

And one more thing which is worth mentioning is the discipline in his life. I mean, he touched the sky with his success. But then too, he is so gentle. We can never see the name of Sachin Tendulkar with any affairs, gossips etc. which is remarkable. It’s true that discipline is very important in life. And that is being showed by the great human being. Yes, even if he retires from Indian cricket, he will be an icon for the youngsters and a perfect role model.

Interactivity in E-Learning modules - the thin line

2009-10-25T23:27:00.000+05:30

Many people have different views about online e learning modules. For many, they are very easy to understand and fun to learn. But for some, “Well I would prefer to read the book” is the best line. But then one thing is sure, slowly the online training and e learning modules are becoming
very popular.

And if we think deeper, then we will realize that it is another very good way to generating a lot of employment opportunity. But any ways that’s not what we are going to discuss here in this article.

What I feel is that there is a very thin line when it comes to make the e learning modules interactive. I mean how much interactive do you want you module to be. How much time do you want your user to read and how much time do you want your user to interact with your module. This is something which plays a very important role in making a good e learning module and an excellent e learning module.

Here are a few things which I will point out to come to a conclusion about the discussion:

Age group: agree or not, age group I think is one of the crucial factor to decide how much interactive you want your modules to be. For example, if you are making an e learning module for kids, then you might want to have a lot of interactive sessions with the kid where you can motivate them and judge their progress. But more serious topics like may be modules in medical colleges or companies will not require so much of interactivity.

Topic: Sure, you want to add animations of some process or something which is difficult or not possible in real life. For example how a drug interacts with your blood and how it works. But when you are making something for the kids – like a poem, or a physics lesion, then you will want to show a full demonstration of the same and that may mean a lot of animations and other jazzy things. So, the topic is very important.

Length: the length of the module will definitely matter a lot. Giving information is for sure THE MOST IMPORTANT thing. But we need to understand that the user may also have a mid set. And so we have to design it in such a way, that the user can be comfortable and go through the whole thing with same interest. Dividing the module in strategically broken parts is very important. Chapters and sessions are very common in such modules.

Medium: although this is a bit technical but then I am sure many of you will agree that, this is one big factor. Many of the modules are taken in to CDs or DVDs. If that is the case, then a lot of sound, heavy graphics, videos etc will not make much of a difference. But if your user will see the module online, then I am sure you will not want too heavy a module to run on the internet. The user may have a slow connection and may take a lot of time to open. And this way the whole flow of the module may get disrupted.

So, these are a few things which I feel are very important to know when designing an e learning module.

Microsoft X Box 360 controller for PC

2009-10-18T10:54:00.000+05:30

The X Box 360 controller form Microsoft has a bi advantage over any other controller, may it be play station 3 controllers or any other one – and that is the fact that you can connect it to your computer also and play with it. The functionality remains almost same.

When I first got it, I was a bit worried as the shop keeper told me that it will work on computer. I mean how can a controller for a console work on a computer – that’s what I thought. But I took it under one condition from him that if it does not work then I will get it replaced and he agreed. Any ways, the installation of the controller is a child play. It’s a USB device so you just plug it in and let it automatically search for the drivers. Most of the time, it will detect it automatically and that way, you can see the controller on your control panel. Also, when done, the controller’s X Box logo at the center starts to glow to indicate that it is working. That’s about how you can install it. If you get any problem, then you can do a Google on “X Box 360 controller for PC” and you will get ample of information on it.

Now let’s talk about the controller. The first of the controller makes you feel special. The white colored controller looks very sturdy and has a good grip even if you sweat a lot. The buttons are very soft touch and sensitive which is something I will definitely expect from a controller which is also meant to run on consoles. The feed back which I got from it (although I am still looking for games with feedback as there are very ones.) is quite nice. I was playing Devil May Cry 4 and really enjoyed it on the controller. On keyboard controls it would have been very difficult to play.

The cable is quite long and that’s something which allows me to play the games form a nice and safe distance without stressing my eyes too much. The weight of the things just enough to make you feel that you are holding something. Also I must say that the built quality is very nice because I dropped it twice by mistake from a nice height – but nothing happened.

All in all I must say that for gamers it is a must buy. Third person shooters will give you real enjoyment with this. I will give it 8 out of 10. the only part where it may lack is the fact that the color is white and they could have also provided rubber grip at the holding places for better grip.

Yamaha Fazer - Personal Review

2009-09-21T09:12:00.000+05:30

I booked this baby and waited for 45 days to get the delivery. Due to some reason, my dealer delayed a lot. But when I got it finally, I knew that the time I waited give me good return. This is a bike which can make you WOW just by her looks. It’s a devil in disguise. The headlights are designed in such a way that you will feel as if it is looking at you with that cunning smile.

The body contains a lot of plastic parts but then it is very good looking because of that. I have heard that you can also change the color of the bike by buying the whole kit and also it is not very costly. But then I have not tried it yet.

The engine is smooth. I mean, although today you don’t say 153cc is much, but then the engine has a nice smooth noise to it and runs smooth. I have not completed my first 1000kms, so I have not tried too much of speed and acceleration. But yes the pickup is nice and you will always have an edge if you want to get out quick from the signals in the city.

Being made especially for long distance, I think the posture for the bike is quite different form others. But yes I find it very comfortable. Although it took me 5 days to figure out the best posture, but when I figured it out, I drove more than 100kms in one go without much of a problem.

The bike is not too heavy so I guess it may shake a bit at high speed, but then I have not tested it yet. The dashboard (for me at least) is very nice. The digital speedometer and the RMP meter do a very good job. The orange light looks good. At first though it will be too jazzy. But then I realized that it is a very good choice. The tires are tubeless so you can be tension free at long distance form the fear of punctures. And they are very wide which gives you an amazing grip. Although the bike comes with MAG wheels, I didn’t like the look and feel of the same. I think they could have done something better than that. And one thing which is a bit irritating is that although it has two lights which look like two eyes, they both don’t turn on at the same time y default. I mean, sure you can do that in the workshop and that will hardly take 10 minutes. But then it is not something which comes by default.

PS: Still not sure about the mileage. Will tell as soon as I come to know.

Site Map for google blogs

2009-08-21T08:27:00.000+05:30

I was trying to find a way for quite some time, to submit my blog’s site map to google. I know for sure that if I can do that, then most of my pages will get indexed and that is what I wanted. So I was looking for tutorials and finally by reading from here and there I got it on my own. The thing is very simple, there is an rss.xml file being generated for every blog which just contains the information on the blog in plain xml format and no special formatting. So, if we can use this as a site map xml then it will be great. So, that is what we will be doing now.

So our first step is to sign in to the google webmaster tools and then go to the site details where we want the site map xml. Once we select the site (Note: I am expecting that you have already added your blog on the webmaster tools function. If not I will show that in the next article) go to the site configuration option as displayed in the image. It will be on the top left corner of the screen.

There you will find a button at the top “Submit a Sitemap”. Once you click on it you will get a screen as shown in the image, there you will find an input text field. There you can see the url of your blog. Just add “rss.xml” inside the text box and then you click “Submit Sitemap”.

Once done, you will come to a screen where it will show that the “rss.xml” file is being added and there will be a small clock like icon in the status column. This shows that you have added the xml file properly. Now, a very important step which needs to be followed.

From the screen above go to the option called “settings” in the left hand site of the page. Once you get there you will find preffered domain option. Here you have to select “Display URLs as creativeprogs.blogspot.com”. this way the crawler will know what type of URL to look for. Once done save it and you are done.

10 Tips to help you get there

2009-08-20T08:36:00.000+05:30

Here is a small list of things that should be kept in mind when bikers go for a long journey. Got reference from a lot of sources and also from personal experience and so compiled these 11 very important points.

One of the most important things will always be to get your bike serviced. Get it serviced from an authorized dealer for the assurance of quality. Check for oil level, clutch, break and other important parts. Also check the condition of the tires. If they are old, then it is best to get them replaced.
Arrange for help even before you start the journey. It is good to keep the details of the service centers which will be neat to your destination and the places through which you will pass. Also keep mobile numbers of hospitals and other transport facilities of places near by in case of emergency.
A riding gear is very useful when ever you are going for a long journey. A good helmet, a riding jacket (armored will be better), riding pants, riding gloves, knee caps and shin armours. These are few things which are very useful to have. And most important a sturdy pair of shoes. It is also very important to know that along with the helmet, it is very important to have a good visor to it. It is always good to have a scratch proof film over your visor so that you can see clearly. Also if you are driving in the night then it is good to have some kind of anti glare protection.
It is never a good idea to have any kind of alcohol when you are driving or you are about to drive. It may be very tempting to have a chilled beer in a sunny afternoon, but don’t do it. It affects even the best bikers.
Water intake during the journey is very essential. It is a good habit to drink water during the long journey as your body tend to get dry and dehydrated fast when you are on a bike.
It is a good habit to carry the medicines which you tend to consume or few very common ones like Disprine etc so that by chance if you have any such problem, then you can take those.
Food – how can we avoid food? It is a very important thing to know that you must have a very delicate balance when it comes to food, if you eat too less then you will get tired quickly. And if you eat too much then you will feel sleepy. So it is always good to have a good breakfast and then a healthy lunch. And also you can always stop at places and have something to eat.
Time – the trick is by no doubt “slow and steady wins the race”. Yes, too fast can tire you out very quickly and there is no point in running too slow and cause problem for others. Ride at a very smooth speed like 50 to 60 kms per hour. At this pace you are less prone to getting exhausted quickly and also you bike will not get heated up quickly.
Fuel is an important factor. Calculate before starting the journey how much fuel you may consume and always try to get you tank filled when the level is low. Don’t wait for the very end moment. And don’t even consider the reserve when you are calculating the distance over the available petrol. Reserve capacity is really for reserve. And yes it is a nice idea to carry a bottle filled with fuel if the things get really bad.
Now the last point which I feel is obvious that we should always understand that our body has a fatigue level. So, if the journey is really a big one and especially if you are covering the distance in days. Then it is a very good idea to rest after regular intervals. This is good for both your body and your bike. Take small breaks of 5 to 10 mins. And if you are still feeling tired then it is better to park your bike and take a small nap. A fresh and energetic body is always better than a tired one for long journey.

Anubis

2009-08-13T23:27:00.000+05:30

Anubis is considered as the illegimate son of Osiris and Nephthys

He presides over the embalming rituals and is the intermediary between the deceased and the Judgment Hall; the official guardian of the necropolis.

The appearance of Anubis is determined by the part he plays in the Egyptian pantheon. Just as Wepwawet of Asyut and Khentimentiu of Abydos, he belongs to the group of canine divinities. He depicted as a jackal and recalls the dods that haunted the desert surrounding the necropolis. By assimilation, certain funeral deities have been given the appearance of these animals and have become the keepers of the dwellings of eternity.

According to legends after Osiris was murdered by his brother Seth, Isis discovered that she had been betrayed by her husband, who had had relations with her sister Nephthys. A son was born of this union: Anubis. A crown of sweet clover left by Osiris on Nephthy’s bed gave Isis the definite proof of god’s infidelity. But it seems Osiris had mistaken one sister for another… afraid of warth of her official husband, Seth, Nephthys hid the baby in the marshes. Isis, who unfortunately could not have a child with her husband went and searched for him. She traveled throughout the country and finally found him: she fed him and brought him up to be her warder and most faithful companion.

Ashes 4th Test 2009

2009-08-10T19:21:00.000+05:30

After a very bad defeat in the fourth test match, I think England will have to do something about their middle order. While the Australian bowlers looked very good on a pitch which was good for both batsmen and bowlers, the England batsmen were keener to rest in the pavilion. And when you have such a horrible first session, then I think there is no possibility to come back from that situation. Moreover the Australian batsmen were also in complete command. The bowlers of the England line up looked flat and without any venom. But whenever they bowled at good lengths, they were rewarded. But that was very rare to see. I mean they were almost everywhere on the pitch except for the right length. And that is why the Australian batsmen also faced no problem as such to score runs. All in all I think now the series is in a very interesting point. Final test being very crucial for England cause even if Australian’s draw the last match they retain the Ashes as they won it last time. So for England it is a do or die situation. But the main thing is Flintoff. I mean he can make a big difference and let’s hope he will be playing in the last test match.

Amun, The king of Gods

2009-08-10T17:32:00.000+05:30

The Egyptian texts describe him as “The king of Gods.” However, if one is to judge from the mythological tales, nothing predestined the deity to have this status. In the Old Kingdom, Amun seems to have been relatively unknown, as the only mention of his name appears in the “The Pyramid Texts,” the first inscription if which dates back to Unas, a pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty. In fact Amun’s integration into the pantheon goes back to the Middle Kingdom. He appeared in Thebes, and progressively his cult began its ascendancy. Many attributes of other divine beings were conferred upon him, and he became, at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, a state god, universal and creative.

The origin of Amun is quite mysterious. For some, he was one of the eight primeval gods of the cosmogony at Hermopolis, known as Amun and coupled with Amaunet. For others, he was a god of air, wind and atmosphere, who came from Middle Egypt. For others he was born in Thebes, which would explain why his main shrine was in the city. But whatever Amun’s origin, it seems perfectly clear that until the Middle Kingdom, his part in the religious organization of the country was relatively small. On the other hand, after the 12^th Dynasty his cult became very popular and Amun quickly became the dominant figure of the Egyptian Pantheon. As his reputation increased, the clergy decided to create a theology in complete harmony with his new personality.

The Theban cosmogony combined elements from Hermopolis, Heliopolis and Memphis, to which were added new attributes. It was told that at the beginning of the time the snake Kematef, “the one who has accomplished his time” emerged from Nun at exactly the explacement of the town of Thebes. He started the process of creation and, when his time was up, he gave bith to Irta, “the one who made the earth,” and retired into a long sleep.