Friday, October 25, 2013

Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0

People do web-search for 3 basic reasons:

  1. Entertainment
  2. Enlightenment
  3. Information

Advertisements are 'Moment of relevance'


Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0

Web 1.0
Web 2.0
Static content provided by the site creator
Real-time content added to site by user
Commercially and technically-based
Socially-based
Dominated by institutions and businesses
Dominated by users


Web 3.0

It is the the future where:

  • applications will be pieced together and data will reside on the cloud
  • can run on any device from PC to mobile to tablets
  • fast and customisable with viral distribution
  • will have low barriers of entry
  • Intelligent devices connected and interacting

So we need new networks and semantic technologies which have capability to connect to all theses devices.

Semantics will provide secure and efficient access that are pervasive and not location dependent, scalable, interoperable, coherent, consistent and reliable.









Use of AJAX to perform Web 2.0 operations

Without AJAX - HTML page with a form and a submit button which will bring you to another page depending on Success/Failure

AJAX - Asynchronous Javascript and XML

Instead of refreshing when we select an option, it talks to a Javascript function which has a AJAX function which talks to a PHP which finally talks to the database and sends the response back.


References:
1.http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2125/1972


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

How to install Wireless drivers in Linux Mint with no internet access


Its is easy to install wireless drivers when you have access to internet through the following command:

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer


If you do not have access to the internet it is a little tricky. For that we require 2 packages:
1. b43-fwcutter
2. broadcom wireless driver

There is too much information present on internet to solve this issue. I have copy-pasted the procedure which worked for me.

Download files required:
1. b43-fwcutter_015-14_i386.deb
2. wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o
3. broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar
4. broadcom-wl-5.10.56.27.3_mipsel.tar


Installation Procedure:


1. Install the b43-fwcutter package. This is usually located on the Ubuntu install media under /cdrom/pool/main/b/b43-fwcutter/ or you can download the binary '.deb' package by following the links on launchpad.
Double click on the package to install or in a Terminal issue the following commands:
cd /cdrom/pool/main/b/b43-fwcutter/
sudo dpkg -i b43-fwcutter*



  1. On a computer with Internet access, download the required firmware file:
  2. Copy the downloaded file to your home folder. Open a new Terminal and use b43-fwcutter to extract and install the firmware:
    b43legacy
    sudo b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o
    b43 (10.04 Lucid Lynx)
    tar xfvj broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
    sudo b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5/driver/wl_apsta_mimo.o
    b43 (12.04 Precise Pangolin)
    tar xfvj broadcom-wl-5.10.56.27.3_mipsel.tar.bz2
    sudo b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware broadcom-wl-5.10.56.27.3/driver/wl_apsta/wl_prebuilt.o
  3. Restart the computer or reload the b43/b43legacy module as outlined in the Switching between drivers section below (replace b43 with b43legacy where appropriate). 


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Going to the Prom joke ...

/*Copied from somewhere over the internet*/


A teenage boy is getting ready to take his girlfriend to the prom.


First he goes to rent a tux, but there's a long tux line at the shop and it takes forever.

Next, he has to get some flowers, so he heads over to the florist and there's a huge flower line there. He waits forever but eventually gets the flowers.

Then he heads out to rent a limo. Unfortunately, there's a large limo line at the rental office, but he's patient and gets the job done.

Finally, the day of the prom comes. The two are dancing happily and his girlfriend is having a great time. When the song is over, she asks him to get her some punch, so he heads over to the punch table and there's no punchline!

Monday, January 21, 2013

All you need to know about tennis!



Tennis is a sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a good return.



Equipment


Rackets


The components of a tennis racket include a handle, known as the grip, connected to a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly pulled strings. 

Balls
Tennis balls are of hollow rubber with a felt coating.



Miscellaneous


Vibration dampers may be interlaced in the proximal part of the string array for improved feel. Racket handles may be customized with absorbent or rubber-like materials to improve the players' grip. Players often use sweat bands on their wrists to keep their hands dry as well. Finally, although the game can be played in a variety of shoes, specialized tennis shoes have wide, flat soles for stability and a built-up front structure to avoid excess wear.






Manner of play

Court

Its important to know names of different lines.





Scoring
Match
The outcome of a tennis match is determined through a best of three or five sets system. On the professional circuit, men play best-of-five-set matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments, Davis Cup, and the final of the Olympic Games and best-of-three-set matches at all other tournaments, while women play best-of-three-set matches at all tournaments. The first player to win two sets in a best-of-three, or three sets in a best-of-five, wins the match.

Set
A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins the game, a tie-break is played.

Game
A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as "love", "fifteen", "thirty", and "forty" respectively. 

Game point
game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. 

Break point

break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a chance to win the game with the next point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with the server being expected to win games in which they are serving.


Surface

  • Clay
Examples are red clay, used at the French Open.
  • Hard
Examples of hardcourts are acrylic (e.g. Plexicushion used at the Australian OpenDecoTurf used at the US Open), asphalt, and concrete. Hardcourts typically have a faster-paced ball with a very true bounce and it is the predominant surface type used on the professional tour.
  • Grass
Grass courts usually have a faster-paced ball, and a more erratic bounce. Grass is used at Wimbledon.
  • Carpet
Any form of removable court covering, including carpeting and artificial turf. The bounce can be higher or lower than a hard court. 
  • Wood
Popular from the 1880s through the first half of the 20th century, wooden surface provides a very low bounce and plays very fast. There are no longer any professional tournaments held on a wooden surface although some tournaments.

Grand Slam tournaments












Tournament Brackets

The four major tennis tournaments (the French Open, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the US Open), often referred to as the Grand Slams, each consist of 128 players in a single elimination bracket. All four of the majors use a random draw to place players in the brackets. Specifically, for the US Open, the top 32 players are seeded with the top two players being placed on opposite sides of the draw so that they could only potentially play if they both reached the finals. The 96 unseeded players are then randomly drawn into the bracket via a computer program. Finally, the remaining seeded players (those seeded 3-32) are drawn at a ceremony held prior to the start of the tournament.


In grand slams, 1st and 2nd seeds have fixed positions in the draw, ie. 1st seed at the very top and 2nd seed at the very bottom. 

How is seeding of players done? -- This will be discussed next time.









Sunday, January 13, 2013

How to go from Noida to Delhi airport Terminal 3 or Terminal 1D


I myself have searched many times ways to board a flight from Terminal 3 or Terminal 1D while travelling from Noida. But there was never enough information so I thought I would write down my experience for futute traveller.

While the easiest way to call a cab. There are multiple cab services which provided door pickup/drop services in ~10-15 Rs/hr. cabbee.in is one good small website where you enter the starting and ending destination and it gives you list of cabs services available in and around the location.



Though the website says you can make the journey to the airport under 400 bucks. But, I really doubt that estimate as I have seen cab services charge more than close to 700!

If you are travelling alone and plan to save some cash then you can venture other means of transport.

How to go from Delhi airport Terminal 3 ?

The fastest way to go from Noida to Delhi Terminal airport is to board a metro from Noida to New Delhi Railway station. You can see DMRC operation map here or use their interactive planning service to plan your trip!



Then you can board the 'Delhi Airport Express' which drops you at Terminal 3.


Because the 'Airport Link' has been on and off recently. I am adding alternative means to go from New Delhi Airport

To Terminal 1D?

Get out from the Exit 2 out New Delhi Railway station which opens in Auto Taxi stop. The distance from here to terminal 1D is ~16 kms. Depending on your negotiation skills you can pick up an Auto in ~120-180 Rs. 




Don't let the taxi drivers fool you that taking auto to the airport is not convenient  The Auto drops you at the ground floor of Terminal 1D and then you can take the elevator to the airport access doors!


To Terminal 3?

Get out from the Exit 2 out New Delhi Railway station which opens in Auto Taxi stop. Going to Terminal 3 is kinda tricky as compared to Terminal 1D as the autos are not allowed to enter the airport terminal. Don't let auto drivers fool you by telling that terminal 3 is far as compared to domestic. They are almost equi-distant from the railways station. Infact they are just next to each other, its just that you have to take a longer route to commute between the two.



Now you have to 2 options: Taking taxis to the airport terminal which will cost you some ~50-100 bucks extra or, Taking auto to the terminal which drops you at the auto stand at the airport terminal, which is some 1km from the terminal, and from there you can board free bus service, which runs every 20mins, from auto/taxi stand to the airport terminals.

You have a safe flight home!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Why are Native Americans Called Indians?


The term Indians as applied to Native Americans, or the indigenous peoples of the Americas, is thought to have originated in a misconception on the part of the Europeans who arrived in Central America in 1492. Since Christopher Columbus began his journey to America with the intent of finding an alternate route to Southeast Asia, he is said to have assumed that the people he came into contact with upon reaching land were Indians. Despite the fact that people probably realized this mistake within hours, the name remained in use. Similarly, the islands in Central America came to be called the "West Indies", as opposed to the "East Indies" that Columbus originally had in mind as his destination. In the 1970s, the academic world began promoting the term Native Americans as a politically correct alternative to Indians. Some people feel that Native Americans is more accurate and less stigmatizing. However, Native Americans also has some issues, as anyone born in the Americas, indigenous or not, could be considered "Native American" if the term is taken literally. "Indigenous peoples of the Americas" is the most accurate term, but too cumbersome to be used regularly in everyday speech. Native Americans caught on to some degree, especially in the media, but the term Indians is still widely used.