Quintura.com

Quintura is a visual search engine based on the Yahoo! Search engine.

A search returns both a list of search results and a tag cloud. The tag cloud contains the original search terms surrounded by related tags. The closer to the search terms, the larger the keyword suggestions (both in terms of font size and boldness), the more relevant they are deemed. Holding the mouse over a term will display a new set of results in the bottom window and will also show another keyword cloud overlaying the original.

Keywords can be dropped from the semantic display by clicking on the appropriate icon, and any associated keywords are also dropped at the same time. Words can be added to a search by clicking into a blank area in the screen and typing them into the search box that appears; words can be excluded in a similar manner as well with the usual minus sign in front. It's possible to save searches as a favorite or it can be emailed to a friend or colleague.

In February, 2007 Quintura re-launched its user interface, becoming the first search engine to help visually find webpages, images, video, and Amazon products. In November new features enriched the service - a Hot News default cloud, occasional holiday search verticals and search management options - undo/redo actions, Save a cloud as a bookmark or webpage, Share it with friends and Embed it into a website/blog by copypasting its customizable HTML code. In December AltSearchEngines, a leading blog on minor search engines, chose Quintura Alternative Search Engine of the Year for its search widget and "We're not afraid of Google!" marketing campaign.

The innovative graphical user interface (GUI) of Quintura presents search results in two panes - the left pane contains a preset interactive tag cloud and the right pane lists search results. Holding a mouse cursor over a tag in the cloud causes new, related tags to appear surrounding an original tag and search results to change in the scrollable right pane.

Quintura is the first to display graphical images (favorite icons) next to tags (search terms) in the tag cloud. The icon is associated with a URL that corresponds to a search term. Clicking the icon users can visit web pages right from the tag cloud making Quintura easy to use for simple search queries.

Quintura is based on advanced algorithms of artificial intelligence (neural networks). The algorithms simulate the intuitive work of human brain. The Quintura technology helps to develop an idea and build the Semantic Web.

(Taken from wikipedia.)

A Little Green Book

Hi,

Have you ever wondered how it will be to open a book like a real time simulation in your computer rather than pressing the next page or previous page button in system.

I mean flipping through the pages of book by holding and turning the edge of the book similar to real time book.

Just check this virtual real time book experience of book.

http://www.morganstanley.com/about/community/littlegreenebook/

CAT

I found this site rather interesting. Check it out.

http://questions.ascenteducation.com/

Search Mash

Google has created a search site without any Google branding to test
new features. The site, SearchMash, has a simple blue and white
interface with a search bar and an option to click on "popular
searches." Once keywords are entered, the results page features links
to results running down the left side of the page and the top three
image results on the right side.

SearchMash also lets you click on a result and drag and drop it to
change the order. Also, when the green link is clicked on, the user is
offered the option of opening the listings in the current window or a
new window, seeing more pages from the Web site or finding similar
pages. Additional results are added to the bottom of the original
results page by clicking on a "more web pages" link.

With SearchMash, Google "plans to test user interface ideas without
Google's brand somehow skewing the tests," .


Take a look at www.searchmash.com

You could also try the flash version of the site at www.searchmash.com/flash
It is mind blowing to say the least

The Top Ten Weird Dismissals Of Cricket!!

This video is absolutely insane.

Misbah - The Unbelievable

I cant imagine some one getting run out like this.

Twenty20 World Cup Final India vs Pakistan Highlights Part 2

Indians on fire with the ball !!

Twenty20 World Cup Final India vs Pakistan Highlights Part 1

This is one hell of a match

Being Tagged

I have been tagged by Padmashree & Venki to tell 5 things the world doesnt know about me.
Basically, i am a very open guy and not much is "closed" about me. Anyways, I will try to tell things which is not known to many people.

1. I made a resolution on 1.1.2006 and i have managed to hold onto that resolution till date. :)
2. I dint know how to drive a bicycle until i stepped into 9th grade.
3. My childhood inspiration was always to become a doctor like my dad. But then it all went down the drain when i developed the fear of blood in 8th grade.
4. During my childhood, i was notorious for my ability to tell lies. And i am very good at generating innovative lies on the spot. If you are (un)lucky enough, one day you will experience how good i am telling lies.
5. I am die hard fan of Cadbury's Temptation. I ate a lot of those during my 12th grade prep. To remember all those efforts, I have around 30 Temptation boxes stacked one upon the other in my bed room.
6. Now this is the best one. Though i look thin & week, I posses good arm power. I was very good at arm wrestling in school defeating very strong guys. Believe it or not, I was the shot put champion in my school. :)

Hope you guys enjoyed the blog. Have fun !!!

Until next time,
Rmn

Shopping - Comes with Experience

Hi folks,

I just came up with this completely different topic on shopping.
I just realized that it is not as simple as it sounds. Much more complicated.

Am pretty sure, all of u have had ur own good and bad experiences while shopping. As always, it is the bad experiences that tend to linger longer in our minds. And i for one, am the worst when it comes to shopping.

I have had bad experiences in buying things from mobile phones to shoes to system speakers.
I was seriously cheated while i bought my first mobile. It dint even last for couple of months. Next time i was very careful while buying another mobile phone.

There is always a group of ppl who insist on "branded" things & another group of ppl who prefer to buy things for "cheaper rates". For god sakes, am really confused which to chose from.

Sometimes i wonder, is the nike "tick" on the shoe really worth spending 1000 more on it.
Sometimes i wonder, is it safe to buy a "cheap" shoe worth 500 that wud last only a year or so.

The really good shoppers, end up buying the package with the best combination satisfying all corners. And poor shoppers ( like yours truly ) end up buying the wrong package.

You can buy things in the road side shops of chennai or buy the same things at costlier price in the big malls.

And, electronic goods is a different thing all together. The prices tend to decrease as time progress. so, u are never really when is the right time to buy electronic goods. the old saying of "Mobile phones and girls are the same, U always feel u wud have got a better one if u had waited for some more time.." comes to my mind.

Woooh.. Branded vs Unbranded. Time to buy electronic goods.

Aaaaah, and almost forgot discounts. The one who invented the concept of discount is by far the greatest innovators in my opinion. There are some genuine discounts around. they are worth buying. There are fakes around too. They just hike the price to 200% and introduce a discount of upto 60%. !!!!

One more funny thing. People travel many kms in auto and buy loads of stuff cuz there is some discount attached. Come on ppl, u have spent extra money & TIME on the travel. just take a calculator and do some maths, u will realise u have actually spent more money and time on that pursuit.

And what about freebies !!!! Buy one get one free !!! Can u really believe it ??? Is it true or is it some other innovative way of cheating u ? Sometimes it really gets weird. I remember once boro plus putting ads on TV flashing "Buy one, get two free". What the ????

Just imagine.. is it really possible to come to a conclusion which one is better ? Mastering the art of shopping is really tuf.

After trying unsuccessfully to master the art of shopping, it has finally dawned upon me that i am indeed a "poor shopper". So, u guys out there, be careful while u do shopping next time. It is very "bad" world outside there. :)

In Da Bang!!!

Hello Folks,

Guess this is my first "proper" blog of this year.
2007 has been good to start up with. Things moving on well.

I just happened to come to Bangalore on a official visit. All though i haven't had a gud look arnd this city and its ppl til now, there have been few things which have definitely caught my eye. So, just things which i wud like to mention.

Cost of living.
U fill ur purse Monday morning only to find it empty by Monday evening.!!!

Climate
Its COLD in summer and guess it wud be freezing in winter.

Pulsar + guy + girl + 60kmph
I dont think i have to say much abt this. Its easily understood.

Bangalore Times Paper
It actually contains more "figures" than "facts"

Forum
2 type of ppl come here. One to spend money & other to spend time.

Jeans
Girls wear jean more often than guys.

Autos
Objects on which u are gonna spend LOADS of money every week.

Happening
Well, there wud be something happening in the city everyday. Its just that u dont know that its happening.

Kannada
A language which u need not know to live here.

In short, this is a city meant for enjoyment.
Just ensure that ur purse is FULL. Then u have unlimited opportunities to enjoy.
Else, it is most likely that u are gonna rot in the city.

Verdict : Enjoy Maadi.

India v/s India

There are two Indias in this country.
One India is straining at the leash, eager to spring forth and live up to all the adjectives that the world has been showering recently upon us. The other India is the leash.
One India says give me a chance and I'll prove myself. The other India says prove yourself first and maybe then you'll have a chance.
One India lives in the optimism of our hearts. The other India lurks in the skepticism of our minds.
One India wants. The other India hopes. One India leads. The other India follows.
But conversions are on the rise. With each passing day more and more people from the other India have been coming over to this side. And quietly, while the world is not looking, a pulsating, dynamic new India is emerging.

An India whose faith in success is far greater than its fear of failure. An India that no longer boycotts foreign-made goods but buys out the companies that make them instead.
History, they say, is a bad motorist. It rarely ever signals its intentions when it's taking a turn.
This is that rarely-ever moment. History is turning a page.
For over half a century, our nation has sprung, stumbled, run, fallen, rolled over, got up and dusted herself and cantered, sometimes lurched on. But today, as we begin our 60th year as a free nation, the ride has brought us to the edge of time's great precipice.
And one India - a tiny little voice at the back of the head - is looking down at the bottom of the ravine and hesitating.

The other India is looking up at the sky and saying it's time to fly.

Our time is now

Taken from "Times of India"

Bye 2006, Hello 2007

Happy New year Folks !!!

It has been an eventful year. A year with few interesting events.
I dont think i can really do a review of the year. Its just so tuf to recollect all of them.
I wud just like to highlight some of the events this year.

My B'day.
Probably the best ever bday i have ever heard. Unlike previous years, there was a lot of meaning to this bday. No flashy parties. A very peaceful bday. But i also happened to write 2 internal exams on that day. Ironically scored 17/50 in both. :)
Rating : 9

Visit to Hyderabad.
A great trip it was. Met some relatives of mine, whom i have never seen in the last 10 yrs. Was great to spend some time with them and roam arnd the beautiful city of hyderabad. It is one of the very few metros which is not yet spoiled by pollution and congestion. A very memorable trip though the purpose for which i went there was not fulfilled.
Rating: 7

Teletec Web Portal.
A truly memorable experience. Got introduced into the world of server side scripting for the first time. Was very interesting. The web rolled out on time with all functionalities implemented. It sure added a lot of color to Teletec 06. A very satisfying venture. Ironically, the entire team that developed the web portal ended up with duals in the same companies. :)
Rating: 8

Visits to Coimbatore.
There were just so many times this yr that i visited Coimbatore. That is another city i love so much. I was there to attend the symposiums at PSG & CIT. Well, made hell lotta money in those colleges. Met a guy from TI in one of those visits. Interesting events spawned from that meet. None materialized though. Met the CEO from Globals Inc. The most satisfying part of these visits happened to be the fact i got some time to spend with my friend there. V really had lotsa fun. Not to forget the TCS medical check up to coimbatore. Was damn damn funny.
Rating: 8

The Last Day @ College.
Well, what can i say ???? U just have to feel it. Words cant describe the emotions.
Rating: 9.5

The BackBenchBoys Celebration.
It was finally time for us, the BackBenchBoys to celebrate. Over a long period of 3 yrs, we were together as a team. We were a team right from day 1. We went thru ebbs and tides of life together. To celebrate all our efforts, TG & Rajiv threw a party. A truly unforgettable party.
Rating: 9

May !!!
That was one hell of a month. V had exams till may 22nd. The last set of exams in my entire life. [ I am pretty sure of not doing any more higher studies ]. Watched 270 episodes of my fav Dragonball Z cartoon. Got my TCS call for training, which i never attended. Underwent my Honeywell interviews. My final sem results were out too. Managed to walk out of college with 8.04. :)
Cant forget that month.
Ratings: 8

6.6.6
The worst possible day of the millennium. And thats when i got the official confirmation from Honeywell. What more can i say ? A ecstatic moment.
Rating: 8.5

One last time to Coimbatore.
This visit was a truly cherishable one. Wud go down in years as the one of the "best days" in my life. Fresh with offers in hand, me & my friend just decided to enjoy to the core. Eating, playin, roaming.. Chatting..
Rating: 9

G5
Finally, i got a vehicle of my own. My new Yamaha Libero G5. And, it was actually given as a surprise by my dad to me. So, it was sweeter.
Rating: 9


To be contd. [ later ]

C/C++ vs Rest of the World

This particular thought has been going on in my mind ever since i started programming "seriously". There have been numerous discussions on which language is the strongest. Which is the best ? I think, I have finally come to the answer.

U know, i wud like to broadly categorize the whole world of programming into two. System programming & Application programming. System programming refers to building the underlying architecture on which others can work on. And application programming refers to using that architecture to perform few operations, say word processing or listening to music etc.

When it comes to system programming, there aren't many competitors. To my knowledge, there is only one language which supports pointers.. which provides direct access to the underlying hardware.. which provides extremely fast executables.. which helps u in producing sleek and optimized codes.. which also happens to be a very tuf language to master. Ya, its ur good old C i am talking abt. Its down right simple. Just expressions and function calls.. And to make things stronger, u have C++.. Loaded with Object oriented functionalities.. But the size of the code becomes bigger when u use C++.. And u have to rely a lot on external packages to get things done. The language as such doesnt provide u with many functionalities. And 99% of the time, programmers dont have problem with the language but finding the appropriate libraries. Given these pros and cons, programmers prefer to use C when it comes to real time programming. The performance is unmatched. Java is at least 4 times slower than C. C/C++ really rule this area.

When it comes to application programming, there are just too many competitors. U simply cant chalk them down. Be it java or the visual studios package.. There are just too much of competition in this area. One cant really analyze which one is stronger. C/C++ plays a very small part in this area. Visual C++ is a major factor to be considered in this area. But VC++ is a different animal all together.. One even wonders if he is still working on C++ when he codes in VC++.. The structure is completely different. Its lot tougher and requires a huge amount of understanding. And it is also restricted to the windows operating system only.

But this the bottom line. Be it any language u choose to develop ur application. In the end, it is only going to make use of the underlying platform.. gonna use system calls written in C/C++..
They aren't really that strong. They dont provide direct hardware access. All these packages only make the programmers job easier. And thats where they are successful. Programmers nowadays aren't really interested in looking at the size of the executable. All programmers interested are in easier learning of the language.. better put, faster learning of the language.. and more importantly, better productivity is wat they look for..

Finally, it is without doubt which is the strongest language. The strongest language doesnt mean it wud to suit to all situations. Fast is the keyword in today's market. And hence ppl tend to move to other packages to get their jobs done quickly.. As always, there is compromise.. performance vs speed of delivery.. performance vs ease of use..

So, its the final call of the programmer.. It depends how he looks at it.. There aren't any clear cut rules to exactly distinguish between languages.

About Google.. Again..

Well, there are so many things abt the google search engine.. It has reached an extent i doubt if u can really call it as a search engine.. here are few interesting things google.com can do apart from searching web pages..

Google as a calculator
Type 1+1 in the search engine and see wat u get !!!! or try (12%5)*((5-7)/(6+7)).. Interesting ain't it ????

Google knows mathematical constants
Type "pi" or "phi" in the search engine.. See wat the first result is !!!!

Google as a converter
Type "1 km in mile" or "2kg in pounds".. Dont be surprised.. this thing really rocks..

Google as a dictionary
Guess, most ppl know this.. u can always type "what is internet" to get web definitions..

Google as a glossary
U guys shud know this too.. Its too elementary.. type "define: black box testing".. he he he..

Google also lists facts :) *
Type "population china" or "president India" or "birthday bush".. It gives everything..

Google knows weather reports too.. :) *
Type "weather new york".. See wat u get..

Google is GIANT phone directory.. *
Type "john smith minneapolis mn".. It gives u the phone number.. And u can try the vice versa too.. Give the phone number.. Get the guy's details.. Wat more can u ask !!!!

Google answers the Ultimate qstns..
Well, this is the most weirdest part.. It answers really tuf qstns.. I haven't tried a lot of combinations thoug.. But came across this one in one web.. Type "what is the answer to life the universe and everything".. I mean, i haven't even heard of a thing like this before.. But Google seems to know better.. In case u guys, get such wierd combinations.. feel free to post in my blog..

Hats off to Google's creators.. U ppl rock..

* - Doesn't apply to all countries or all info.. It is currently improving its database.. The database now primarily contains info arising from the United States..

Google Products

Try out some of the products rolled out free by Google.

Google Desktop - Now u can use the Google search engine to search files in your system. Believe me its lot faster than your Windows search.

Google Videos - Not a product in the truest sense, but gives u access to loads to videos across the world. Just try searching for "bill gates" in Google videos. You get interesting videos to watch.

Picasa - A very good photo manager. Has few features for image editing. But still stands out as a good photo manager.

Google Page Creator - For all those amateur web designers out there, you can try this out. Its cool. Has very limited features for web creation. But good enough to launch a decent website. Based on the philosophy of WYSIWYG.

Google Calender - This is a really cool package. Lets you organize your schedule in a easy manner. It also lets u schedule meeting with others, Invite others and so on.

Google Spreadsheet - Again, this is a cool little package. It lets u maintain ur spread sheets online. Its no way comparable with Microsoft's Excel. It need to be improved a lot if it needs to attract people more.

Google Documents - Very similar to the spread sheet package. Needs loads of improved if it has to compete with the likes of Microsoft Office or Open Office.

Eminem's MOSH

For all u Eminem freaks out there..

Navjot Singh Siddhu - As proud as a cat's whiskers

These are some of the best quotes by the great Navjot Singh Siddhu..

1. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an incoming train which will run them over.
2. Experience is like a comb that life gives U when U are bald.
3. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taximeter.
4. He is like Indian three-wheeler, which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30!
5. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin a haystack.
6. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.
7. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!
8. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goalkeeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.
9. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala one falls & everything else falls!
10. U cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.
11. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect to score a six.
12. The cat with gloves catches no mice.
13. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.
14. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.
15. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies & for the same reason.
16. Kumble's bowling at the moment is flat as a Dosa.

Now these are the BEST EVER QUOTES one can think of.. [ Must Read ]

1. Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.
2. After marriage, the other man's wife looks more beautiful.
3. Indian team without Sachin is like giving Kiss without a Squeeze.
4. That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it.
5. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run & midway sent him back & Dravid was run out in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados."Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."
6. Wickets are like wives - U never know which way they will turn!
7. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.
8. This quote was made after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire, ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain T&T "Eddie ichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands.
9. U got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.
10. Beware of the naked man who offers you his shirt.
11. The gap between the bat and pad is so much that I would have driven a car through it!

Festive Season Begins.

Probably one of the worst things i ever did in my life.
I went shopping 4 days from diwali. And my god, the entire population of the city seems to have gathered in the same place. Thats how crowded it was !!!
These guys who run the garments shop just enjoy this season. So, do ppl who own sweets shop. Now, i have gotta mention this. I am sure u wud have recieved loads of sweets from ur relatives and neighbors in yesteryears. The pack contains roughly half kilo of milk sweets in various colors. But i always wonder why they taste the same. And when u have 2 or 3 sweets, u kinda get bored with the taste.
Some people beg to differ and send u pack of haldiram sweets. Ya, they taste gud. And the saddest part is they get over so quickly.. I hope someone gives me a pack of Lays chips or Cadbury's celebration this time around.
One thing, that i have noticed, is the decreasing amount of crackers every year. Not long back, the cracker season sets in as early as month b4 diwali.. Over the years, it has steadily reduced, and this year the cracker season has not set in yet [ Atleast in my area ]. And it is only days away from diwali.
And unfortunately, for many ppl, diwali has fallen on a saturday this yr. Ppl wud want diwali to always fall on monday or friday.

Thats it for now, Happy Diwali !!!
Have fun.

List of Proxies

For all those ppl who are not able to access Orkut or other mailing services at their workplace, u gotta check these links. [ Word of caution. Some pages might contain explicit material ]

www.browseatwork.com
www.kproxy.com
www.ghostproxy.com
www.browseatwork.net
www.anonycat.com
www.birdsflyfast.com
www.cooltunnel.com
www.vtunnel.com
www.stupidcensorship.com
www.fishesswimfast.com
www.btunnel.com