A glass of steaming milky syrupy tea is best served cut. One by two or two by three, it embodies the spirit of sharing and camaraderie (and more significantly a resource crunch). Come, have a sip.
And here's the 2009 edition of the Cutting the Chai Calendar (with Indian festivals and holidays).
This printable calendar is in the standard A4 size (minus any frills), so that you can take easy printouts and put it up wherever you want to. Moreover, this calendar is in a compact single page, that saves you the trouble of flipping it over every month.
Major Indian festivals and holidays have also been included as they are usually not found in most calendars available online.
This time the printable calendar is available in three formats (PDF, JPG and GIF). Take your pick.
2009 Calendar with Indian Festivals and Holidays (Size A4)
Most laptop don't usually boast of robust sound and therefore external accessories like headphones/earphones or a set of speakers become a necessity for an optimal listening experience.
But then laptop are meant to be portable but most speakers aren't and earphones don't lend themselves to group listening. So when I came across this set of USB powered speakers from Tech-Com (SSD-510U), I was immediately interested. Did a bit of testing and bought it home (as an additional accessory for my Asus Eee PC 1000H).
The biggest advantage is the size and the fact that it folds into two (like a clamshell) to make itself even more portable (see images below). It doesn't need a driver in modern operating systems (though it comes equipped with a CD) to run and you can simply plug in to your USB post and listen. And also has a little stand to help keep it upright. But there is always a chance of misplacing the little stand.
The sound quality isn't that great, but better than most in-built laptop speaker output (and louder too, but not party loud). It is also more of treble and less of bass. If it is bass that gives you the boost, then this might not be the best choice.
Moreover it doesn't come with volume controls so all the controlling has to be done through the laptop/PC.
Open and plugged in (notice the red right glowing). Compared to a DVD.
Closed. The stand and a DVD lie besides.
Held in the palm of my hand for a better idea of the size.
Being USB powered means that it is a bit different from other speakers that you plug into the headphones socket. If you are listening to something while you plug the USB speakers, the sound wouldn't get transferred from your internal speakers to the external speakers. For that you have to shut the application and restart it again. A small pain.
But for a price of Rs 400 (the printed price reads Rs 699), it seems paisa-wasool.
The packaging says 460 Watts PMPO and doesn't mention any RMS rating. PMPO is dubious, we all know that. And it is manufactured in China.
If you aren't very finicky about the quality of your sound and are looking for portable speakers that you can carry around in your laptop bag, it might be a worthwhile purchase. But the timbre conscious might have to look elsewhere. [Dealer details: Spiral Systems & Networks, 120 Mansarovar, 90 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019 | Phone +91 11 2629 2660 | Mobile +91 11 1126 6280]
The 2007 Cutting the Chai calendar has been downloaded 266 times. Given the fact that it was a late release (May 2007), the numbers were encouraging enough for me to work on the 2008 calendar and release it well in advance of the new year.
You can download printable versions of the calendar which lists major Indian festivals and holidays from the links given towards the end of this post.
This is a one page A4-sized calendar (landscape), without much visual appeal. That might be compensated if I release an eye-candy version later (if things go as planned). Meanwhile, for people (like me) who have lost track of time and are always short of dates (of all kinds), this basic tabular array should suffice (for dates of one kind). 2008 Calendar with Indian Festivals and Holidays (Size A4)
After over three years, I have finally changed my mobile phone (to the relief of my friends). The old one is still functioning, but I needed something more to keep me occupied during my 80km daily ride. After a little research and a suggestion from a dear friend, I zeroed in on the Dynamite aka LG KG300.
I was essentially looking for a sub-Rs 10,000 phone with decent features and good looks. With mobile phone prices getting slashed rapidly the sub-10K segment is hotting up, though some of more loaded phones will cost a few grand more. Now on to my dissection of the phone in question:
Why LG? Because I didn't want a Nokia. My first and second phones were Motorola and wanted a change from American style reverse receive and cancel buttons. LG makes good stuff; my family has been a LG fan since we got a Golden Eye television years back.
Price: Yes, that's the most important factor. Though the LG e-shoppe lists the price at Rs 8,990, I got it for Rs 7,710 (with bill) along with a free 512 MB Micro SD card (I got the phone two weeks back). No the dealer didn't round it off, insted he offered me a free !dea connection and a gaudy mobile pouch. The prices should fall more in the coming months. For its features it is the best you can get at that price.
Looks: Well, it is a good-looking phone. The big screen, black and grey combination gives it a sophisticated look. In my opinion Nokia phones in that range aren't droolable. The body is shiny black and the kepads are matte. The shine is a little turnoff for people like me who don't like glossy stuff. I prefer suede or nubuck shoes. The chipped-off edges look good and the grey bar on the sides makes it look slimmer than it actually is.
The blue blinking light on the top left corner (which I've also seen in Samsung phones) is an irritant, but you can turn it off. The LG logo just above the screen should've been absent. All the sockets are covered with flaps and there are buttons on the sides for volume control, camera operation and the music player. The keypads though good looking are prone to making you make some typos. Features: It has loads of them - that's the USP. Here's what the LG site says:
Music Related Features * MP3 player * MP3 ringtones * Embedded songtones - 2 * FM radio-10 station memory * FM recording - live FM recording and schedule FM recording * FM alarm * Graphic equalisers - normal, bass, dance, class, treble, party, pop, rock
Camera Features * Camera support - 2.0 mega pixel * Video recording - unlimited - depends on memory card * Video playback - 3GP & MPEG format * Video caller ID * Photo caller ID * Digital zoom - 4X * Continuous shoot - 3/5/9 shots * Color effects - 14 nos. * Slide show - manual * Backlight compensation * White balance * Night mode * Self timer - 5/10/15 secs
General specifications * Dimensions (mm) - 102.5 x 47.5 x 16 * Weight (gm) - 89 * Standard battery (mAH) - 800 Li-Ion * Standby time (hrs) - upto 200 * Talktime (hrs) - upto 2 * LCD - 240x320 pixels * Number of colours - 262K * Type - TFT LCD * Standard accessories - battery, charger, operating manual * Free accessories - stereophonic headset kit and USB data cable [I also got a 512 MB micro SD card]
Additional Features * Bluetooth enabled * Internal memory - 56 MB (USB pen drive) * External memory - Micro-SD, upto 1GB * USB charging * GPRS - class 10 * SMS / MMS * Predictive Text Input - T9 * WAP - 2.0 * Download/save as support - http://in.lgmobile.com * Phonebook memory x fields-500 x 7 * Scheduler * Body mass index application * Mestural application * Voice recording - AMR/WAV format * Call conversation recording * Melody composer * Message copy from phone to SIM * Message copy from SIM to phone * In-flight mode * Intelligent call - speaks the incoming call number * Human voice prompt - speaks the stored no. in phonebook * Speaker phone * MIDI - 64 Polyphonic, MP3 * Ringer mute button * Built in games - 3 * Calculator * Conferencing * Frequency Band - GSM 900/1800/1900 * Voice memo * World time * Modem * Unit converter * Alarm-multiple
There's a lot of good and a little bad about this feature-packed device. The goods you can assume from the above listed specs. Let me give you a lowdown:
* The FM radio allows storage of only nine channels (though the site says 10). Here in Delhi we already have more channels than I can save on this phone. Therefore you'll have to pick and choose for preset stations if you happen to reside in a high FM-concentration city, else go manual searching.
* Voice recording is a nice feature, especially for us journalists where we needn't use any external devices to record telephonic conversations, or go crazy scribbling notes on a notepad. It also doubles up as a Dictaphone. Moreover you can also record or schedule recordings of radio programmes. The recording quality might not be top of the line, but it is satisfactory. There are two recording formats available amr and wav - amr is lighter and will allow more hours of recording but wav gives better quality and also larger file sizes. And you can save any of the recorded songs as your ring tone.
* The embedded ring tones except one (which I've set as default) didn't sound good to my ears. In addition to the 20 preset tones you can store five more of your choice. The two embedded song tones are definitely an irritation - Jhoom Jhoom and Just Chill aren't the songs I would ever like to hear when someone calls me. Trying to figure out a way to delete them. Though the vibration mode doesn't vibrate enough to let you know of an incoming call while you are walking, some of the ring tones are loud enough to be heard in traffic. And you too have a take at becoming AR Rehman (hopefully not Himesh Reshammiya) with the melody composer.
* There are limited options (only six) for incoming message alerts and you can't also add to it. You can have the phone read out the numbers you are inserting, but that's not that useful a feature. There's also an 'intelligent call' alert which reads out phone numbers to you before the phone starts ringing (this might be helpful while using the headset and the phone is embedded deep into the jeans pocket).
* You can set images or video clips as caller IDs. Fun idea.
* The inflight mode allows you to use the phone while barring it's other functions besides music, so that you can enjoy music while on a flight.
* The music player has eight preset equaliser settings but doesn't have a user-defined option. The inbuilt speaker doesn't sound very good and the earphones are decent. Though not comparable to the quality of standalone digital audio players or Sony's Walkman series, it should keep a not-too-finicky listener happy. But playing music guzzles a lot of battery power.
* Everyone seems to want a camera phone. But my honest suggestion is, if you love photography, go for a digital camera. Camera phones just can't match the results delivered by some of the base models of digicams. Nevertheless, it is always handy to have a camera in the phone for those 'Kodak moments' when you think, "If only I had a camera now." Don't fall for mega pixels. It is just another marketing gimmick. The reasons are here.
The camera boasts of a 4X digital zoom (by the way digital zoom is usually useless; it just crops and enlarges the image, thereby deteriorating the quality. Optical zoom is what you should have). But actually it is only 2X in the still camera mode and 4X for the video camera. There are a lot of preset features to help you get closer to that perfect image. There are a few effects which can be put to interesting uses. The video camera quality leaves a lot to be desired.
* The screen is exceptionally bright and but you can't reduce the brightness. The colour display is vibrant. But all these takes a toll on the battery. There aren't also much options to customise the screen display and you have to keep yourself content with the few available options.
* It has Java and a few pre-loaded not-so interesting games. You'll need to download some to keep yourself occupied.
* There are a few interesting extra features like the handy world clock (with a world map) which tells you the time of 60 prominent international cities. There's a unit converter which converts kilogrammes into pounds, kilogrammes into ounces, kilometres into miles, miles into yards, miles into feet, centimetres into inches and also the other war round. It also calculates your body mass index. And for women, there's a special feature - the menstrual calendar. And for the money minded - a currency converter. The interface is quite fast and it responds almost immediately.
Battery: It comes with a lithium ion 800 mAh battery promising 200 hours of standby and two hours of talk time. Two hours of talk time is a little less for the chatterboxes. The battery also tends to drain out fast while using the multimedia features. It has USB charging therefore you don't have to worry about carrying the charger every time; a standard USB cable (it comes equipped with one) should do the job for you. But while using the phone to transfer data to/from a PC, it needs to be shut down. A little hassle, as you might just miss some calls during that period.
Software: Though there's no software that accompanies the phone when you purchase it. You can download the relevant software and drivers for the LG KG300 from the links below [Links updated. Dead links removed][Added alternative Rapidshare download links - 080414]: PC Sync [zip 2.90 MB] [Alternative link] USB driver [zip 131.7 KB] [Alternative link] Modem driver [zip 3.9 KB] [Alternative link] A detailed LG KG300 manual can be downloaded from here [PDF 1.66 MB] [Alternative link]
A friend asked me for a list of software which he could install on his PC for a worthwhile digital experience. There are so many of them out there and some cost a bomb, but thankfully free is not always a malicious word in cyberia - mind the 'not always' part.
Though it is obvious that I'm no Amit Agarwal, yet I attempted to put together a list of freely downloadable software which I personally use (plus a few more which I would recommend). Here's an incomprehensive list:
1. AVG Anti-Virus: A must unless you wish to pay for the paid anti-virus software, which in some cases may provide you with better protection. There are other free anti-virus software available, but I personally rely on AVG.
3. Firefox: A reliable, fast and secure web browser with a lot of features and tonnes of add-ons and themes. A must download. Highly recommended.
4. Google Talk: Suddenly I find other instant messaging systems losing their popularity. Though it is not necessary to install GTalk to be able to chat via Google, some people prefer it that way (as it has a few additional features).
5. OpenOffice: An open source alternative to Microsoft Office. 6. NoteTab Light: A free replacement for Notepad and a handy HTML editor with a tabbed interface.
8. Foxit Reader: A lightweight and fast PDF reader. Though Adobe Reader is also free, I prefer Foxit.
9. WordWeb: A wonderful and handy dictionary cum thesaurus to have on your PC. A personal favourite. Highly recommended.
10. 7-Zip: A free compression and decompression software. Alternative to WinZip and WinRAR. But 7-Zip can only unpack RAR files and cannot create them.
11. Winamp: Though basic but bloated versions Real Player, QuickTime and iTunes can be had for free, I like to listen to my music and watch some movies on Winamp. It's better.
12. Democracy Media Player: It plays almost every kind of video formats and also subscribes to video channels through RSS feeds (and lets you download them too).
13. Picasa: That wonderful software from Google which lets you organise, share and also edit your photos.
14. IrfanView: A light and fast image viewer with some extra features which Windows Picture and Fax Viewer can't boast of.
15. GIMP: Will perform the tasks that you usually would like to use Adobe Photoshop for.
16. Audacity: An audacious software that takes on the likes of Sound Forge.
17. Avid Free DV: A free basic video editing tool.
18. SUPER: It justifies its name (an acronym for Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer). Basically the best conversion software around and that too for free. Try beating that.
19. Download Accelerator Plus: This is very handy especially with the internet bandwidth that we have access to in this country. The downloads are much, much faster. There are a few other features that might just interest you.
21. LimeWire: A fast and popular P2P file sharing program. The basic version is free and usually satisfies the basic needs.
22. DVD Shrink: Shrink those huge DVD files to suit your size.
23. CDBurnerXP Pro: Burn CDs and DVDs. More features coming in the next version.
24. ScreenHunter: How often we have to take a screen shot and the friendly Prt Scr button on the keyboard doesn't always suffice. ScreenHunter is hassle free and also non-frilly.
25. Ubuntu: In case you are fed up with Windows OS itself there's Ubuntu, Linux for humans, for you.
Note: All of the 'free' software listed above may not be free in the truest sense of the term. Some of the above mentioned items may not be the best free software to download and install on your PC, there might just be better stuff around about which I'm unaware of.
A few days ago the boss asked me to get a wireless keyboard and mouse for him (I'm the unofficial ITwallah for colleagues and friends). My friendly neighbourhood dealer (Bajaj Sales Corporation, 43 Veer Savarkar Block, Shakarpur Extention, Delhi 110 092) didn't have the model required in stock and while he ordered it from another dealer, I browsed through his store and eyed a USB powered mini vaccum. Since it is a real pain to get the dust out of the keyboard and with earlier misadventures with the keyboard cleaning process I decided to get one for me.
I enquired about the price and one of the brothers manning the store replied "Rs 1800," and after a pause added "a dozen." Quick mental mathematics put it at Rs 150 a piece. Not a bad deal.
The model looking very China made, I eyed it with suspicion. The packaging was ordinary and nor were the colours available to my linking. Nevertheless, I brought one home and plugged it to my USB extension cable. It didn't have the power that I expected, then I connected it directly to the USB port on my PC. A slight increase in suction, it seemed. Maybe I was just imagining. But the cord with the vacuum is too short (about a metre) if you keep the computer cabinet below the level of your keyboard and monitor (the front USB ports on my PC don't work).
Then I thought of giving it a test, a mild one - cleaning the cigarette ash from the ashtray - and it worked wonderfully. Hoping that the dust hidden behind the keys would also respond accordingly, I gave up the idea of returning the piece to the dealer. Though not a 'powerful' vacuum cleaner, it should meet minor needs which a dusting cloth or a brush might not perform to satisfaction. Here are more details from the packaging (there's no make or manufacturer's name mentioned):
1. Simply connect the vacuum to the USB port of your laptop or computer
2. Two vacuum cleaning attachments included - one bristle brush attachment and one flexible rubber, computer keyboard tool attachment.
3. Two switch levels slide. The switch to the first level to turn on the LED light. Slide the switch to the second level to turn on the vacuum cleaner.
4. Press the 'High Power' button to increase suction power, for vacumming heavier dirt and dust.
5. Use the keyboard attachment rubber to vaccum the dust and other dirt particles trapped underneath the keyboard keys by sliding the squeezable tube between keys.
6. Use the brush and suction tube attachment for general cleaning of air vents (fan), monitor and computer areas, or dust on your desktop.
7. Requires no external power source, plugs straight into any USB port.
I checked for prices for similar products on online shopping sites and they were at least Rs 50 more plus Rs 100 as handling and delivery charges. A phenomenon that I had noted in an earlier post.
By the way the wireless keyboard and mouse (Microsoft) cost Rs 1500.
A calendar for the year when it is already four months down the calendar of the year?
Had originally intended to release one at the beginning of the year, but that coincided with a new job. And a new job, initially, means no time (as reflected in the erratic blog posts). Thanks to being disconnected from the internet at home for the last few days, I did a lot of things which I otherwise wouldn't as I'd be wilfing away in the virtual universe.
Presenting the Cutting the Chai Calendar 2007 - and if anybody wants one for herself/himself (a faint possibility anyway) you can download a printable version from here [PDF 900KB]. The printable calendar is in A4 size (landscape) and includes prominent Indian holidays and festivals, given that a vast majority of visitors to this blog have an India connection.
No, it doesn't feature any females (or males) in miniature clothing. I would've put some, but then no one would like to pose for my already obsolete point-and-shoot digital camera and moreover I don't make that kind of money to hire someone.
A decent and lightweight PDF reader (Foxit Reader) can be downloaded for free from here.
It is one of those times when I go crazy and venture on a shopping spree, though not like the shopaholic escapades of the other half of the species, which just keep on adding non-utilitarian items to the already scarce cupboard space. Here's a list of notable items I acquired over the last few days.
1. Transcend 2GB USB drive JF V30 Rs 750 ~ $17 These are just getting cheaper and cheaper. There was a 1GB drive (I don't remember the make) for Rs 400. Cheap dirt cheap (RIP floppies - they've been long dead - and CDRWs). 2. Samsung DVD WriterSH-S182F Rs 1850 ~ $42 It does almost all the stuff that a DVD writer needs to do (including DVD 9, which isn't 9GB). Already made that mandatory trip to underground (double meaning here) Palika Bazar and stocked up my library.
3. Creative MuVoN200 1GB Rs 3750 (+ taxes) ~ $84 Not for me, I'm relatively content with my Samsung YP-U2, but as a wedding gift for our boss. The big brands (like Sony) continue to be obscenely expensive, Creative has a nice array of players, some with sub Rs 1300 prices. Didn't try it out, so can't exactly vouch for the sound quality, but Creative's desktop speakers have had a good reputation.
4. HP DeskjetF370 All-in-One Rs 3700 (+ taxes) ~ $83 Wanted to get one for a long time. Ideally should've got a separate scanner and printer, but constraints of space and money had the final say. Now there'll be more vintage advertisements and other scanned stuff on this blog.
5. USB extension cable Rs 15 ~ $0.33 SInce my assembled PC doesn't have a front USB port (it has, but that doesn't work) and it is quite difficult to go behind everytime, this one comes handy. But doesn't work with my digital camera and digital audio player. Is only USB drive friendly.
6. Intex PC headphones (Standard) Rs 65 ~ $1.46 Needed a pair for work, had been using my audio player's ear phones for long.
All the above purchases were made impromptu. No research and limited bargaining (as a result of the former). There were also other stuff, but they all don't demand a mention. Yes, I also got Moserbaer blank DVDs (4.7 GB 16x) @ Rs 12 a piece. Blank DVD 9 media costs Rs 160! I can get 13.33 blank DVDs for that price.
It's that time of the year again. The beginning. And there are a lot of dates that we'd come across as we proceed further.
Some stats first...
