Holidays la tortura!

Am currently on holidays and am having great fun watching all the junk serials on Canal + Satellite , mondo cool .. apart from that there isn't much i could do since everyone else is working ..thanks people.

Well a least i was able to roam the island a bit by bus , buy some clothes ,check my mails once or twice and do some sport ...or sort of.

On sunday (yesterday) , i went to the port-louis bazaar , hadn't been there since a while things had changed with new stalls , its cleaner , nicer and a tiny-weenee bit more modern.

My pc on the other hand is giving me a sweat ,there are so many viruses on the old horse that its kind of a pain to surf and that to on a 56kb modem , god knows why am still hanging on to it.

Book has been blogging about katrina , the hurricane , have a look at his blog, hope everything goes well for you brother.

Category: Port-louis,Mauritius,Javed Mandary,Holidays

Blog anniversary

Its already a year since i started this blog and i must admit that i never thought that i would get over 8000 hits nor that people would be interested with all the stuffs that i write about during my free time. Anyways i would like to thank all of you who have come regularly on my little space on the net, thanks a lot guys and gurls.

Category: Blog,Anniversary,Javed Mandary,Mauritius

Animation blogs

There are a number of animation blogs out there as pointed out on blogware.

Just had a look at the blog from pixar studio. You will get to see all the latest animation movies in preparation.

Also other blogs to visit : Cold Hard Flash,Cartoon Brew, Family Guy

Category: Animation,Blog,Pixar

Goowy updates

Enhanced features on Goowy today :

#New RSS widget in goowy (re)
#Higher qaulity text and image rendering
#New skins
#New games

I particularly like the rss feed feed manager , which has a really nice interface. Goowy now looks like a proper application.

Thanks to Alex Bard , CEO Goowy , for the notification ;) .

Caegory: Goowy,Mail,Rss

Google making jabber popular

Jabber has existed as an IM communication protocol for quiet some time now , but it never really got the popularity it deserved. I remembered installing exodus and other Jabber clients to find that non of my friends nor relatives were really keen in using it mostly because it was really painful to use as compared to msn messenger or yahoo messenger.

But overnight the interest for Jabber has suddenly risen because of Google , its really interesting to see how a company can help brush off the dust accumulated over Jabber technology. Points to ponder are do we find a tool or software cool really because the company providing it is trendy? Its just like NIKE shoes , the shoe might have a really dumb design but people still buy it because of the logo , so are we using google products because it has the "Google" sign attached to it?

Google allows you to make free calls , yeah thats cool but you can also make free pc calls using msn messenger , so whats the big deal . On top of that right now i still can't connect to their server which adds to my frustration :P.

Another thing is google is allowing users to connect to their Jabber server using any decent compliant Jabber client , inlcuding home-made google talk, there seems to be a catch here .. I mean whats the point ? Where does google cash the money? There's no advert + more money will have to be spent for administration of their Jabber servers ..

Lastly i believe that there needs to be more innovation for people to swap their msn , yahoo messenger or aim clients for google talk. I personnally can't find myself leaving my msn for google talk , because right now msn still (unfortunately) outclasses most IMs in terms of functionality and aesthetics.

Category: Google Talk,IM,Yahoo,Jabber,Msn,Google,Nike

Authentication error on Google Talk

This is so absolutely annoying i rushed to my pc to download Google talk only to find that am getting a Server cannot be authenticated error message. Imagine my disappointment, maybe its a problem with network on my office LAN so i will have to digg through it or try the IM at home.

Anyways thanks J.Cousin for the Google talk invite :P .

Google talk is spreading like fire in an internet full of chopped dry Instant Messengers...

Category: Google,Google Talk,IM,Mauritius

Google Talk IM available for download

Google talk , google's instant messanger is available for download. I am right now joining a meeting so i can't review for the moment but in the afternoon be sure i will have tested most of the functionalities.



According to google you are allowed to perform free voice conversations using Google Talk so this sure is going to be direct competition to Skype .

Google IM here we come!!!!!!!!!!
Category: Google,IM,Google Talk,Messenger,New

Windows Vista Installation

Windows Vista promises to offer a nicer and simpler GUI for its installation as it can be seen from the pics as reported by this neowin article.



Frankly i always thought that Windows XP had already a really easy interface as far as installation was concerned , could it get any easier :) ?

Category: Windows,Vista,Installation,Pic

FARK.com

Fark.com provides you hillarous , strange and fun news 24 hours a day 7 days a week , make sure you dont miss it.

Its an ali baba cave of jokes and funny news , you'll spends hours reading all the stuffs submitted by people all round the globosphere.

Some samples:
- Guy goes for naked swim with girlfriend. Coast Guard alarmed by pile of clothes on beach. Hilarity ensues.

- Tom Hanks stalker builds replica Apollo 13 module and invites star for breakfast.

Category: Fun,Site,Review,Submit

Techcrunch

Guess what my blog was cited in techcrunch , a weblog dedictated to web 2.0 business, product and services.

They have a link to my mail interview with Alex Bard on goowy. Thanks a lot guys!

Category: Goowy,Techcrunch

Donald trump's blog

Guess what donald trump just started blogging here is the link to his blog.

Its really funny how he glorifies himself in his entries :
- "My career is a model of tough, fair dealing and fantastic success--without shortcuts, without breaking the law........"

- "The glamour and grandeur of my buildings and my life are no mere trappings."

Category: Blog,Trump,Celebrity

Running win 95 on a psp

Joystiq.com describes how to run windows 95 on a PSP . This gives you an idea how powerful the PSP can be , really impressive.

However it might not be very practical typing using your PSP joystick :P .

source

Category: PSP,Windows

Praying mantis eating a humming bird

Got this picture from boingboing, it shows a praying mantis eating a humming bird, which is something really really rare.

To bad we dont have neither humming birds nor praying mantis in MRU , however we do have spiders and pink pigeons , wonder when i am gonna see an spider jumping on a pink pigeon :).

full story here
Category: Bird,Insect,Mauritius,Photo,Pic

Echo 2 web framework

Echo 2 is a web framework having support for the cool Ajax technology. I had a look at the mail demo online , it really comes really close a RIA app.

The framework echo users really gives you the potentials of building applications online instead of pages linked together. Personnally i think this concept rocks and its strongly growing in acceptance and popularity.

You can download Echo 2.0 from here its 4.7Mb download in zip format.

Category: Web,Ajax,Echo,Developer,Download

AJAX or the latest craze for web development

If you have a Gmail account or use Google map this is what powers them ..AJAX.

Not only does it have a cool name but it has several advantages too:

1. You don't need to submit your form and wait for your page to refresh , AJAX allows instant field checking and saving , a bit like how a desktop application would work.

2. A single screen interface : consider having one Application page which captures all the display table , forms , etc.. of your application on a single screen.

3. Easy to implement : you use AJAX tag librabries and a servlet and el presto ...google like functionality on the fly.

You can create forms with auto completion , interactive popups , the possibilities are endless.

Midnight coders have implemented their webORB presentation server which actually allows AJAX and FLASH RIA clients to connect to JAVA applications.

Category: JAVA,AJAX,webORB,Google,RIA,Flash,Developer

Interview with CEO of Goowy

Here is a transcript a mail interview I had with CEO of Goowy , Alex Bard, on the now growing in popularity flash mail App:

1. what technology does goowy use for the server side processing is that J2EE and on what server does it run?

We use .Net on the server side.

2. what niche of users are you trying to target?

We are targeting the iPod generation. It is a generation that transcends age and culture and a state of mind. We are targeting people who appreciate form, function, elegance, and embrace new technologies.


3. Where is the goowy head office located?

We are located in San Diego, California.

4. Is goowy planning to stay free for ever?

We will always offer a free version of our service. We truly want to make a difference in how people interact on the web and want to ensure that everyone has access to our services.

We will also offer premuim services in the near future which will provide increased storage, and additional advanced functionality.


5. What are the future functionalities that goowy is planning to add?

We are working a lot of exciting things in our lab that are a combination the amazing suggestions and feedback we have received from our members and our vivid imaginations.


"Its kind of fun to do the impossible" - Walt Disney


6.Hope thats not too much questions :) .

Not at all...your support has been great! Help us spread the word!


Category: Mail,Flash,Goowy,RIA,.Net,Technology,Interview

Pics of Michael Shumacher's F1 car

As promised here are the pics i took at Grand Baie of Michael Shumacher's ferrari.


The ferrari was the attraction of the moment with loads of people trying to take pics of the car.


Category: Michael Shumacher,Ferrari,Photo,Grand Baie,Super U,Car,F1,Mauritius

Finally 24!!

As of 10 am today , am 24 . It seems that I share this date with l'abbe Pierre and the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima..which is a very sad event i must admit.

Still this is how i spent my day , woke up with an sms from my best friend who is studying abroad in Pakistan..followed by a series of birthday sms from friends and relatives in Mauritius.

Was really nice nothing really special except that i slept almost throught out the day which is the best gift i've had since a while and I saw Michael Sumacher's former F1 car at Super U , Grand Baie. I got the pics on my phone , i'll post them as soon as possible online.

Category: 24,Javed Mandary,Birthday

Goowy (re) or the Return of a cool Flash Mail App

Nice features come with this new version of Goowy code-named Goowy (Re).

Here is a list of them :

1. New bar which allows you to switch between different modes desktop , mail , calendar , today , options , help.

2. Ability to load a less flashy version of goowy for people with slow internet connection speed.

3. Goowy games which seems to be a very innovative concept , play games while reading your mail.

4. A google toolbar.

These are things that really want you to use goowy + you can customize your desktop. And the way the windows open up is way so cool , i love flash.

On the other hand being a flash application what i would have really liked is the ability to move objects on the goowy desktop, RSS feeds and definitively more publicity on Goowy so as it becomes trendy ..(thats why am writing this blog entry ..hhhehhe)
Category: Goowy, Flash, Mail, RIA, Cool

Okkaz.com

New site on mauritian web okkaz.com , is a supposed to be dedicated to "petites annonces", however right how its kind of empty. Most people preferring using servihoo's version of the same system.

If we compare the two, Servihoo outclasses by a mile Okkaz in terms of functionality , clarity and response. Although Okkaz has a nice interface , there are some things which are really not acceptable namely the fact that prices are displayed in euros instead of in Mauritian Rupees . This could be extrapolated to indicate that the guy running the Okazz bought the site from some french software maker or something.

Okkaz should try to put more emphasis on delivering useful content to be able to switch people going to servihoo onto their site.

Category: Okazz,Mauritius,Site

Find the meaning of your name

My dad always told me that the meaning of the name 'javed' meant 'good person', i always thought so but today i learnt that this was not the case . This is what my name really means:

JAVED
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Iranian, Arabic
Derived from Persian jawid meaning "eternal".

If you want to know the meaning of your name just follow this link .

Category: Name,Site,Arabic,Persian

Search through flickr photos

Just went on a tour inside Flickr's new feature called interestingness. The feature allows you to view the most popular pictures submitted by flickr users , i was really surprised to see some very nice pics that could turn out to be excellent wallpapers :) .

There are also other features on flickr such as a year ago today , sets and groups for you to navigate through different perspective of photography.

Category: flickr,Photo,Mauritius,Art,Camera