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Building Scalable Systems
2007-10-04 15:28:00
In an interesting video, a Googler explains how to build scalable systems like Gmail, Orkut and Google Talk. It's slightly long, and Google Video is slightly erratic in these parts, but it's a great presentation to watch.
More About: Building , Systems , Stem

Coming Soon : Ubuntu Gutsy
2007-10-04 13:38:00
Finally, after the long wait, the next version of Ubuntu is about to come out. Then, I'm sure the sound will start working on this one...
More About: Gutsy

Google starts cross domain read/write via Javascript
2007-10-03 15:03:00
Google recently announced that they have ingrained cross domain read/write functionality via Javascript. The functionality has been added to the GData library, and it is currently available only for Google Calender. Developers could earlier work with feeds directly through javascript, but in read-only mode.Normally, due to security restrictions on browsers like Firefox and IE, javascript can only make Ajax to the same server the javascript file was loaded from. Hence, currently it is not possible to make cross domain Ajax Calls like say, a javascript file on Gyaan Sutra to get data via Javascript from say Google News.There are a few known methods to get over the problem, using a proxy being the most common. In this method, the javascript calls a proxy server (which is your own server, in our case the Gyaan Sutra server), which in turn makes a call to the Google News server and fetches the data.Now with the added functionality in Google Calender, I can make a connection to Google, au...
More About: Google , Domain , Write , Cross , Read

FileZilla 3.0.0 released
2007-10-02 13:27:00
Filezilla is definitely one of the most used open source FTP clients in the world. And if you use it as much as I do, then you'd be happy to know that the latest version 3.0.0 has just come out.You can download it here.Here is what the team says on the Sourceforge site The primary new feature of 3.0.0 is the ability to run under multiple platforms. FileZilla 3 does not only run under Windows, but also under Linux, *BSD, Mac OS X and many more. In addition, the internals of FileZilla have been streamlined and modernized. To accomplish this, FileZilla 3 has been completely rewritten from scratch during the past three and a half years. Unfortunately not all features currently implemented in the old 2.x versions could make it into 3.0.0. However most of them will be implemented in a future version. In addition, FileZilla 2 and 3 can coexist on the same system in case you depend on a feature currently in 2.x
More About: Released , Filezilla

The sure shot way to run Flash 9 on Linux (Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn)
2007-10-01 16:48:00
It has been a couple of months since I moved from a standard windows os to Ubuntu on my new laptop, and most of the time I'm pretty satisfied. Except for three issues which just wouldn't get sorted out. The first one is sound. There is absolutely no sound on this machine. It worked fine till the last version of Ubuntu, and I hope that it would be the same when the next version comes out this month.The second one was wireless connectivity. Everything gets configured okay, but still it wouldn't worked. Well, finally I have fixed that issue as well, though I will explain in a later post about fixing it.The last one was flash. Till about five minutes back I was unable to run flash in Firefox 2.0.0.6 on my Ubuntu machine. I had spent hundreds of minutes, went through thousands of manuals, yet nothing worked. But of course, five minutes back it just all started working. If you have been having the same issues, here is how I got it to work. It's just a quick fix, but if you have been f...
More About: Linux , Flash , Shot , Fiest

Compressed version of Prototype.js version 1.5.1.1
2007-09-30 14:30:00
The Proto type JS library is probably the best javascript library out there. Though the competition is tought, with MooFx and the like, prototype has its own place in the javascript world.But one of the biggest issues with using the file is the download size. The latest file is well over 97k, which is a lot of download data, even if it does get downloaded only once. Other than that I fail to believe that there is any developer in the world who uses all of the functions which need to be stripped.This is why I decided to cut it out, and use the result for my site MBAKarma. How I went about it was, I started with the complete library, finished the site, and then finally got rid of all the stuff I didn't need. Ofcourse, your requirements might be different, but it just might help if you're starting out.There is also a small version of prototype.js library available with moo.fx. But for all practical reasons, I found it way to small.Then, there is also this issue about using javascript ...
More About: Version , Compress

Remove nginx from Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn (7.04)
2007-09-30 14:21:00
I was trying my hand at ruby the other day, and decided to try it out with nginx. However, after the initial trial, I decided to get rid of nginx. But aptitude failed to get rid of it, and returned the following error message : root@linox: ~# aptitude remove nginxReading package lists... DoneBuilding dependency treeReading state information... DoneThe following packages will be REMOVED: nginx0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.Need to get 0B of archives.After unpacking 582kB disk space will be freed.Do you want to continue [Y/n]?(Reading database ... 78227 files and directories currently installed.)Removing nginx ...Stopping nginx: nginx.Stopping nginx: invoke-rc.d: initscript nginx, action "stop" failed.dpkg: error processing nginx (--remove): subprocess pre-removal script returned error exit status 1Starting nginx: nginx.Errors were encountered while processing: nginxE: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) After a lot of searching found t...
More About: Ubuntu , Fiest

Advertising on Cartoons
2007-09-21 10:54:00
There have been no posts over the last one month or so because I've been busy trying out new stuff. Other than thinking about adding more features to mbakarma.com, I spent a lot of time watching TV. And no, I have not been watching the usual ghost stories on Aaj Tak nor the bindas movies on Filmy, I have been hooked to Hungama, the cartoon channel which shows ShengShang.If you've never seen it before, you have really missed out something in life. He is the cute (umm..) little boy next door, who is more like the Japanese version of Dennis the Menace. Only the dubbing is so awesome that you find yourself glued to the TV. I really would need to podcast to show why his voice has captured million of kids (and people like me).So today, I decided to come back to blogging, and the first thing that pops up in my mind, is why doesn't ShengShang advertise for me...If Sharukh Khan and John Abraham can be called 'Uncle' on the telly, why can't this little weirdo called ShengShang advertise...
More About: Cartoons , Advertising , Vert

The MBA Karma Blog is up
2007-08-02 22:47:00
The MBAKarma blog is finally up. In the first post we talk about The complete PGP Admission Process at IIMB.If you are preparing for CAT do check it out.
More About: Blog , Arma

Link Sutra : The latest from the Indian Online Industry
2007-08-01 16:45:00
Mumbai Ambulance Service gets $1.5 million Funding from New York's Acumen Fund (via VCCircle)SlideShare launches SlideCasting (link)BlogWorks launches Ad Affiliate Network (via IndiaPRWire)Yahoo launches Advertising Network for India (via CS)Komli launches loan site LoanRaja (via VCCirle) | Komli CEO BlogPaymate fixes up with ING Vyasa to make payment of insurance premiums via the mobile (via IndiaPRWire)Harbinger features on Global top 20 list of Training companies(via ET)Brainwave launches platform for web development for IT firms (via BS)No support for stock exchange trading platforms on Vista (via ET)Ibibo starts a Mouthshut kind of a service, called Opinions (via CS)
More About: Industry , Indian , Link , Online , Sutra

Amp'd burns $460 million in two years.. How?
2007-08-01 16:27:00
How can you burn $460 million in two years?Amp'd Mobile, a mobile company based in the Silicon Valley, recently declared bankruptcy about tow months back with a debt of about $100 million. The company had picked up around $360 million in funding over the last two years. Venture Beat has the story on how the company managed to so much money over the two years. (link). Valleywag, reports that the CEO used to go to office in a helicoptor.Interestingly, this is almost equal to the amount of money which would be required to add the extra seats in all of the IIM's if the 27% quota for OBCs is implemented. If the FM had all this money, maybe he wouldn't have had to increase the service tax by a percent.
More About: Years , Million , Burns , Burn

SlideCasting : Mixing voice and visual : by SlideShare
2007-08-01 15:51:00
Amit Ranjan, the CEO of SlideShare announces SlideCasting, the new multimedia mashup format, on his blog. You can connect any mp3 on the web to your slideshow. Once you do that, you can synchronize ‘each’ slide to a particular section of the audio track. We think slidecasting has the potential to unleash a new wave of creativity - you can think of synchronised conference talks, audio stories, podcast interviews, webinars, slidetoons et al.Reviews of the service featured of TechCrunch and Guy Kawasaki's blog as well. Guy Kawasaki is also an advisor at SlideShare, along with Prof. Hal Varian, chief Economist of Google and Ross Mayfield, the CEO of the world’s first and biggest enterprise wiki company.SlideShare is definitely the hottest company in its domain, and has grown handsomely over the last one year, and now I'm sure it's going to go even higher.SlideShareOn a related note, Digital Inspiration reports about AllCapture, which adds a flash like editing platform for Scre...
More About: Voice , Visual

Which social network lets me have a drink with a long lost friend?
2007-07-30 04:15:00
Jason Calcanis has started a long conversation in the blogosphere by declaring bankruptcy on social networks. He is exhausted by the number of people he has to meet up there, and who are sending him requests for more (link), whereas on the other hand Ben Casnocha, in an unrelated post, talks about how social networks are helping people connect to each other. 30 years back, people just didn't have this facility, and now it's just so easy, that everybody's doing it.(link)With the overkill on Facebook, it is not suprising that Calcanis is freaking out. I do too. Unlike emails, which are very private, social networking are just obscenely public. Just try logging in and not replying to scraps, and you start getting booed by people for trying to act pricey. Somehow I just can't get used to the idea of catching up with so many people at the same time. Everybody I need to, and want to meet, are already on my speed dial list, and calling up feels so much more like interacting.Yet, I woul...
More About: Social , Lost , Drink , Network , Friend

Link Sutra for July 28, 2007
2007-07-28 11:26:00
I start this edition of Link Sutra with a pointer to a post talking about a customer-oriented, critical-thinking, bootstrapping entrepreneur. The kinds you meet everyday. Or Not. (link)Yes, it is about the sabzi wala, who has a huge possible customer base, but limited resources, devoid of manpower, with a miniscule market share, yet not without reason and understanding of his own market. And you thought good business people came out of IIM Ahmedabad...Anyways, looking at the way IIMB figures out which people to take in, I have the feeling that there is a huge software system which turns people into 'objects' with varying 'properties'. And then there is a huge function pointer which decide who to 'call'. Unluckily, I got a missed call from the IIMs last time, so this time I'm on to something better.So if you have the reason, maybe you should get over that job of yours and start looking for the next big idea. Afterall, even Naukri.com with it's disbelief in Web 2.0 and shoddy ...
More About: July

Coveman - Creating Resumes and Visiting Cards online
2007-07-28 02:13:00
Coveman is a new interesting startup which provides you with, among other services, the ability to create resumes and visiting cards using the templates available. Considering that most freshers hardly know how to create resumes this should be a great help.You can also create a downloadable personal diary, address book, Blogs, profiles, photographs for resumes, emails and messages to other coveman members.The website is still a little rough, and I think I found a bug too.Great effort on the whole, but I think it would still take a lot of time before it can start making any money.
More About: Creating , Online , Cards , Resumes

First Lawsuit against Apple's Iphone
2007-07-28 01:57:00
The first lawsuit against Apple's IPhone has been filed.DailyTech reports One iPhone customer wasn't happy at all with the iPhone's battery life or the two alternatives to replacing a defective battery and filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple as a result. In the suit, Jose Trujillo claims that:Unknown to the Plaintiff, and undisclosed to the public, prior to purchase, the iPhone is a sealed unit with its battery soldered on the inside of the device so that it cannot be changed by the owner.The suit goes on state:The battery enclosed in the iPhone can only be charged approximately 300 times before it will be in need of replacement, necessitating a new battery annually for owners of the iPhone.Gizmodo has the complete story and a page by page softcopy of the report which was filed. But don't run over to read it, I guess that soon enough it is going to be thrown out of the courts because both the points are going to dismissed. Apple had made it public that the battery was go...
More About: Lawsuit , Iphone , Suit

Pagalguy is down!!
2007-07-28 01:42:00
This is definitely something I haven't seen before. Pagalguy is down. I see this error message I show below.They use a third party software for their forums, maybe there is a glitch in that code somewhere. Though I don't think there's a huge possibility of that happening. Who knows maybe it was an admin mixup or even a hack.Pagalguy is the biggest forum for the MBA Junta in India, and their forums have provided an infinite amount of information resulting in over 10 million page views a month (could be more).Pagalguy ForumsUPDATE: Also you might like to read about the latest announcement by IIMB, who have uploaded a 5 page pdf explaining how the admissions at IIMB really work. This is in response to a RTI application filed last year. (link to the pdf) -via Youth CurryTo keep in touch with more updates like this one, please subscribe to our feeds which can be found here.

Phasing out business Plans?
2007-07-27 23:06:00
This is what all of us have always hoped for, now we see some proof.Paul Kedrosky, in one of his latest posts talks about business-plan-less Twitter securing its second round of funding. He sums it up with Whatever your feelings about Twitter, business plans are overrated, and profits perhaps even more so.(link) It's difficult to not want to believe something like that, but I guess Twitter just got lucky. Not everybody can get millions to play around with a new toy.Anyways, if you are looking to write your own business plan, let the expert tell you how to write it: Guy KawasakiAlso, to keep in touch with the latest, go grab our feeds, which can be found here.
More About: Business , Plans , Sine

Inteview with Ajitesh Shukla of Funpiper : WatBlog
2007-07-27 08:03:00
Watblog caught up with Ajitesh Shukla of FunPipe r, the brand new website which lets people tell their friends what did they do on the weekend. Q) Why would a user not post about their weekend activities on facebook or orkut or twitter for that matter and choose to post it on Funpiper.?Orkut is more of a general “Hi, How/what are you doing?”scrapbook and Twitter is just limited to “What are you doing?”. Facebook however provides a proper platform for event planning complemented by social networking. FunPiper.com is different in the way that it has a single focus on weekend planning with a Twitter flavor which is the most current style of blogging also called short message style of blogging. Another differentiator is overall simplicity which has become one of the buzz words in Web 2.0.Well Ajitesh, you'll soon be having more competition :)FunPiper | Interview on Watblog

Proto Profiles : The Hottest Startups in Asia
2007-07-27 06:02:00
Here is the list of the Hottest Startups in Asia , which featured on the Second Edition of Proto .in on the 21st and 22nd of July 2007.(via the Proto.in website, the cool flash via Scribd)For more information about the event, read the post here and you can subscribe to our feed here.
More About: Profiles , Profil

Over 25k Pageviews
2007-07-27 05:47:00
Google Analytics, which has been running on Gyaan Sutra for a little less than five months, says that Gyaan Sutra has had over 25,000 visits. After the huge push from LifeHacker yesterday, I think i'm over the 5000k a month limit.Thanks a lot to everybody for coming down here. I hope to see you all around for a long long time.Cheers.

Ploterati : Plotting your technorati rank
2007-06-20 22:17:00
I have just updated Plot erati. The search feature has not been enabled yet, but it would be ready soon.I am looking forward to your feedback.You can now view the plot of your technorati rank over the last one and a half months.
More About: Rank , Technorati , Tera , Lote

Is today a better time to start than Yesterday
2007-06-16 23:35:00
Everybody has heard about the Long Tail, and everybody has an opinion. But when the opinion is on Techcrunch, you might believe it.And this time they are telling us that the fat tail is getting better. What does that mean? Duncan Riley sums up beautifullyFrom a developers or startups view, the fattening long tail should be seen for what it is: a marketplace that has improved opportunities for smart startups. A bigger marketplace makes today and tomorrow an even better time to build a Web 2.0 business than yesterday. A fatter long tail means that as a whole there will be an increasing number of success stories and sustainable startups, a win-win all round.If you've been waiting for a sign from God to start up, then this is it.There's nothing more difficult that taking the courage to start the first day. Everything starts falling in line soon enough. And believe it or not, it's not that bad to fail.LinkAnd don't forget to subscribe to Gyaan Sutra and the latest and greatest in the...
More About: Time , Today , Start , Yesterday , Bett

How to truly own your business?
2007-06-16 16:56:00
BootStrap.The only known way to grow and keep your business. Read more about it on Jackson Fish Market, which explains why he chose the Bootstrapping way.But let me be clear—the decision to forego outside investment is not a moral, idealistic stance. We have no inherent dislike for outside investment, it’s simply about minimizing risk. Books on the topic will tell you that contrary to many people’s assumptions, most entrepreneurs are not huge risk-takers. In fact they are usually primarily risk minimizers—we’re simply following that model. If we grow more slowly and without angel or venture capital investment, that’s simply a way to minimize the number of parties which have expectations around performance and can put pressure on the business to perform in (possibly) unnatural ways. Of course this doesn’t mean we don’t see the benefits from potential investors, or that we will never take anyone’s money, but we’ll just do it in a way (for example, on a per-project ...
More About: Business , Sine

Starting out with Rs 5 lakhs
2007-06-16 16:48:00
Helped by Guy Kawasaki, the famous evangelist from Apple, Truemors boss explains how he built up his Web 2.0 site for just $12,107.09 (about 5 lakhs Rupees). Interesting post, however, I might add that I'm starting up with much much less than that. But it won't be a story fit enough to be published until I get decently successful. Which, ofcourse, I'll be finding out before the end of next week.So do go over to Guy's Blog and read this post. There are something that you just have to know.How to change the world with $12,107.09And also don't forget to subscribe to Gyaan Sutra for more interesting stores.
More About: Starting Out

Using Corporate Blogs Effectively
2007-06-16 01:20:00
When you talk about Corporate Blogs , who does it better than Google themselves? Here is a post of Google Blog on approaching their third anniversary. So if you are looking to start a blog for their company, this is where you learn how to do it.Link
More About: Effective , Logs , Rate

Hyperlinking Images
2007-06-15 15:36:00
Here is more from the TED talks, ideas that are really worth editing. Here is a presentation about a great idea about interlinking photographs.via ShootingByNumbers
More About: Images , Linkin , Hyper , Ages

Interview : Bill Gates and Steve Jobs together
2007-06-15 15:01:00
If you haven't seen this, you have really missed something important.After a number of years, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have come together for an interview. This is probably just as big as it can get. So do take a look. The interview is divided into 7 different parts.LinkAlso don't forget to subscribe to Gyaan Sutra if you want to keep in touch with everything that's hot.
More About: Steve Jobs , Interview

The BootStrapped Mind
2007-06-14 07:52:00
The Zen Entrepreneur explains why it is more difficult for bootstrapped entrepreneurs to focus on a particular market. I completely agree with the Zen Master on this one. It is more than necessary to keep the cash flow positive, because it's way too easy to drown. As a result the lifestyle of everybody related to the company changes, and for the founder, the results are even more drastic.In a funded company you can get paid decently well, but in a bootstrapped environment, the probability of drowning is inversly proportional to the square root of the money invested.Do read the article if you are just started out, for it will introduce you to one of the most basic problems. Though as you go on, you will only find higher hills to climb.Zen Entrepreneur
More About: Mind , Trap , Strap , Boot

Is failing a guarantee that you will fail?
2007-06-14 00:08:00
I find it impossible to think about Bill Gates life before he got rich. But here in an interview he explains how it was. Read on it's not much different from all of us.Most of all I like the part about 'I did the best of those who failed'. Failing is no guarantee that you will fail...I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this: “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”I want to thank Harvard for this timely honor. I’ll be changing my job next year… and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees. For my part, I’m just happy that the Crimson has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class… I did the best of everyone who failed.But I also want to be recognized as the guy who got Steve Ballmer to drop out of business school. I’m a bad influence. That’s why I was invited to spe...