Google to launch its operating system!

This news is making rounds all over the internet! So I am just gonna mention a few points here that I came across in the few articles I read.

• Google's chrome OS will be for people who spend most of their time on the web!
• It will light weight and quickly take you online

One doubt by people is that while people are often online, they still wanna store stuff on their comps like photoshop to edit pics, play DVD's etc so this new OS won't really be effective.
However these things can be done online too, like online photoshop tools
www.pixlr.com, www.aviary.com
Similarly, I haven't played music on my laptop after installing ubuntu on it (have a bug) more than 6 months back.
I listen to streamed stuff on www.in.com, www.lastfm.com (until it became paid) www.music.yahoo.com etc..
So the stuff that can be done online without using bulky desktop softwares is A LOT!

• It will have a linux kernel
• will be released on netbooks first, should be available in late 2010

So there is still a long time by which we can access it on PC's and stuff

• will be open source, Google will be releasing the code soon

Why did they announce it this week?

Cause Microsoft will be making a release next week! :D
MS Office may become a cloud product, i.e. it will be available online, kinda like google docs, I think. This announcement will be made on Monday so Google, once again announces its product to steal the MS thunder. (like it did with Google Wave!)

Some confusions with all this talk of OS ...

• Chrome means google's web browser, but it also means the framework of windows (Whaaaat!)

Apparently! Read more here. (via a friend)

• Is Windows - the Microsofts OS or is it a techie term??

Definitely looking forward to this Google product too! Read the formal announcement on their blog.

Which reminds me of another aspect, that Google did not inform any media, online or offline to make the announcement. They simply blogged it and it has been picked up by top newspapers, blogs, even TV channels!
So the PR people at Google probably like their work, cause one of the harrowing aspect of PR is to maintain contacts with the media guys!

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How big is your Carbon Footprint?

You may have heard of carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions that your activities lead to. Carbon footprints are also measured for companies, businesses etc..

Your carbon footprint is calculated by keeping the following in mind:

House
- electricity, natural gas, LPG, bio fuel usage.

Flight
- how often do you take flights to travel.
Flights have huge carbon emission!

Private vehicles
- If you have a car/motor bike, how much do you use it.
- is it an old or new model.
Older model will use more fuel for less travel hence has a higher carbon footprint.

Public transport (bus and rail)
- do you use a lot of public transport?
These will emit less carbon than private vehicles
(not taxis/cabs, cabs are like old private vehicles.)

Lifestyle
- what kind of food do you eat?
Vegetables and fruits have a have a lower carbon footprint. Meat and dairy have the highest due to the various production processes that go into making them palatable.
- Using products that are locally made including foods help reduce transport.
- Buy goods only when you need them.
This means they will be produced only when needed, thus reducing production cycles.
- Entertainment
Movies, five star restaurants, malls use a lot of electricity and water.

Recycle
- how much do you recycle and reuse?
- do you use solar power, wind power etc?

Get your carbon footprint checked!

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Mumbai terror attacks - Unseen footage

Update: the following videos are no longer viewable, there was a copyright claim from Channel 4.... will see if I can get some more info regd the same.
Hope some of you'l got to watch it before it was removed, it was unprecedented amount of info out for public viewing!

Some unseen footage of the Mumbai terror attacks. It shows recordings from hidden camera's within Taj, Oberoi, CST and more. Interviews of people who survived the situation with the skin of their teeth. Qasab's first interviews. Conversations of the terrorist with their 'controller' over their phones.











I am still watching them... feeling very sombre and sad about the entire situation. The terrorists who were here to do the killing, they were so mesmerized by the richness of Taj. Reminding me of the rich/poor divide all over the world. It is such a sickness! If we leave a pool of stagnant water in our backyard, it will spread disease!

Hope.

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The Rules of Social Media

Came across this article "the 10 golden rules of social media", the title looks pompous but I agree with the rules. Before you read it, I would like to highlight the first one

Respect the spirit of the Net

It sounds a little cliche (golden rules and spirit of the net... :D) but this is totally important. It is the spirit of the people that are blogging, tweeting, facebooking, surfing, googling etc etc etc... that needs to be respected.

These people are doing it casually, collaborating, connecting.. so when it comes to marketing, there really can't be any marketing. It is more of relationship building, engagement and connecting with people.

Read the article!

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LinkedIn

I spent this saturday morning on LinkedIn. I went there to accept an add request, and decided that I should see who all I can connect with. Why have an account but not connect with all my contacts who are already using LinkedIn?

So I imported my address book from gmail and went through the contacts that were already on LinkedIn. It struck me as a really good utility! With an account on twitter, facebook, orkut and linkedin, sometimes it just gets too much, and feels too connected to have the same person on all three social networks (I am excluding orkut, cause I don't use it). Whats the point anyway.

Today while surfing the contacts I saw some colleagues that I had worked with in the past but now we were not in touch at all, thats when I realised why use linkedin.

It can be a great way to connect with people who are work relations!

If I have been friendly with them then maybe I can add them on facebook, but this often does not happen. Especially bosses, they may not really interact much except to take reports, get briefed about the work etc.. So having a linkedin account and adding these short acquaintances can be a good way of keeping the person in your circuit and being in their circuit!

Being in their circuit is important especially if you are a newcomer, who interacts with people who could later being some top notches in their companies. Being on their linkedin, gives you an access to them, which is one step ahead from being on their email address book.

Being a freelance consultant, this is something that is even more useful for me, cause I may have short stints of couple of months with companies, or work from home for a company. In this case adding these guys on LinkedIn can be very useful!

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Waterlogged maggi with Oil

Waterlogged maggi in this rainy season... will have you licking your lips for more!

Take more water than needed, maybe 3 cups for one maggi. Put the water to boil, add chopped veggies (cabbage, tomato, capsicum etc). Put the noodles when the water starts boiling. Add lot of ajwain, salt, red chilli powder. (I don't eat the tastemaker). Also add a generous quantity of oil, maybe one or two small spoons of oil.

Then let it over cook a bit. Once done, the maggi will be waterlogged, but it is really tasty cause the oil mixed in the water along with red chilli makes it a very cool combo!

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Nandan Nilekani in the Government

Nandan Nilekani the co-founder of Infosys has been swooped up by the Indian government! I feel great thinking that this dude who has all know-how of globalization, today's technology, innovation is gonna be the one who is going to make Indian unique ID system.
The general feeling that most of what the government does will most likely be a fumble is passing away (wonders!)

Hoping the government does such things more often! Cheers to the Indian government!

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