Beating the Stress - Take 2

Hola,

Well, following my last post, I would like to add few more cues which I left out last time around.

I guess it makes sense to keep in touch or brush up those skills on your resume if you made the resume quite a while back when you graduated or last worked, but you are still looking for roles in that area. Well, I was finding it hard as the courses I did were quite technical and there is no way that I can get all the software that I used when I studied them at the university. Perhaps some of you used them at your previous workplace and don't have a personal copy of those anymore. Though I have to be careful not to endorse torrent sites to find these softwares ;), there is however a good chance you might find a copy there !

Or maybe you never knew before that the Linux, or more specifically the Ubuntu software repository has a lot of open source, free to download software for a number of different areas of study. They even have some finite element analysis (FEM) software !! Now, that came as quite a surprise to me. FEM software as such take time to get the hang of and I don't know how much less friendly a Linux version of that might be, but that said, I did download it to check out. Will be doing so sometime soon !

For those management guys out there, the repository has also got mind-mapping, statistical and a variety other software. Ah, well this I included for the specific benefits of few friends who said mind-mapping is all they do all the time these days :P !!

Well, so now that you've worked your way around getting that specific software tool, let's see if there is an alternative to re-reading all those lecture notes or presentations too ! When I graduated few months back and was looking out for jobs, I was already a bit grey on some of the advanced topics I had covered in my Uni, and some people advised that I keep reading my notes and ppts. But this is something that is easier said than done. It's one thing to go through your notes for an interview that is scheduled and totally another thing staying in touch by reading them every week till it gets into your long term memory ! 

A solution to this is to try and find web seminars in your areas of interest. These will most often be provided by leading companies in respective areas of expertise, usually offered free of charge. Although, prior registration might be mandatory. Trust me, this is something I have been doing the last few weeks and not what I picked up from some random career advice website, which mostly may not work for all you know :P

Wow, so much for keeping you razor sharp ! And not to forget the Zombie games that'll keep you firing all cylinders ;)

Inner Peace \m/

$ur

Beating the stress..Take a chill pill !!

Hi there,

Last few days have been hectic ! Frantic job hunting for one thing, as I'm finishing my present assignment in another month or so. Though deviating from my usual topics that I blog about, I thought I'd share some cues from firsthand experience. As you might have been there before - the first few days of the job hunt are always fun, because you are looking towards something fresh. But as days pass by, you start to sense anxiety building up and fear creeping in. This can be coupled with low confidence levels.

Well, I decided to beat the monotony and end the misery once and for all. 

Firstly, I took to some old time games - Lemon Tycoon and the likes. Refreshing I must say. This is not to say that I have given up my hunt; but I found a way to vent out some of my frustration this way. Believe it or not, good games are pretty good at keeping anxiety at bay. They work like a charm, mainly because you get fully involved in them sooner than you think. Oh between I'm also getting addictive to the Zombie games :D Well, so few random games and I'm good to go hunting again !

I'm finding the tactic more mentally soothing and productive. It's much like getting a fresh pair of eyes to read through your resume. You tend to see things more objectively for one and see new ways of tackling the challenge at hand. 

Secondly, reading the articles posted in the various groups I'm part of on LinkedIn were quite invigorating too! Taking part in some of the discussions, reading industry updates etc. does really help blow off some steam. 

Thirdly, supplementing self-introspection with discussion. Like discussing my strategy and plans with someone who understands me well. Have you ever realized that at times when something seems quite amiss and you have a hard time figuring out what that is, hearing yourself out loud while telling someone about it, gives you that answer?

So, I guess I've managed to somehow cope up with the current situation reasonably well. But I'll be honest, this aren't the best of times and a great deal of effort is required on your part to keep your cool, for only if you can do so can you hang in there !

OK, time to fight some zombies and then get back to work ;)

Inner Peace \m/

$ur

It ain't Game Over for Nokia, yet !!

Hola !

I'm sure some of must have come across my blog app called The Maverick which went up on the Nokia Ovi Store. And when I checked this morning on my application summary report on my developer's page, I was surprised to see that my app has been downloaded from 6 different countries already ! So much for motivation :) cheers guys, I'm flattered !!

I've been wanting to blog about the Nokia App Wizard which I stumbled upon few days ago. To be honest, my regards for Nokia went up a tad for sure. I was very excited to see that it is all free to make your own app and that anyone with absolutely no programming skills could conjure up one. My first thought was to see if I could create a Symbian app for BeanHunter. But, soon enough my hopes were let down when I realized after signing in that there aren't too many options on what apps can be created. I was about to sigh in disappointment, when my eyes caught the Blogger Logo on the screen and I thought, "Wow, now that's not a bad idea. Let me make an app for my own blog!"

So I started off. Let me tell you this, it was easy enough and it wasn't too misleading after all the effort I put into deciding what pictures to choose to display as the logo, what to name my app etc. when finally Nokia allowed me to submit my app for their review before it went up on the Ovi Store. I was a bit skeptical that I might have to pay a small fee on submission that would have thwarted my plans. Anyways, so everything went on just fine and I got my app approved in less than 24 hours.

As I said before, I was impressed by Nokia's constant efforts to keep improving their services though I'm sure they themselves know they are fighting a losing battle to win back once loyal Nokia customers from Apple and Google with the launch of the iPhones and the Androids respectively. But Nokia has certainly not decided to give up without a good fight back. Yes, I do realize most of you would say that is a very meager attempt on Nokia's part at playing catch up with Android et. al. I wouldn't so much say myself that Nokia has upped it's ante, still, over the last few months, I was happy to have gotten Ovi apps for the World Rally Championship, Formula 1, and from a utility point of view, it even released an app for the Melbourne Transport Network - The Metlink. Now, that stunned me a little because who would have thought Nokia is even used so much in Melbourne. I rarely see a Nokia Smartphone here in Melbourne, though occasionally when I do I feel privileged to be part of that small and 'niche' community we've become !

Well, my loyalty has been attributed sheerly to the utilitarian and value for money aspects of my Nokia Smartphone than any intangible emotional attachment to Nokia. I don't mind saying that I would have gone for Droid if  there were any phones offering me the same specifications at the same price, and most importantly not compromising battery life !

So, for all you Nokia Smartphone users out there, the Nokia App Wizard is really something to cheer about and check out. Here is the link to the page, http://appwizard.ovi.com/web_nokia/signIn.jsp

Hope you enjoy it !! 

Inner Peace \m/

$ur

iRant - Food for thought ;)

I'm personally of the opinion that though technology is supposed to make your life much simpler, making it too simple that your life is totally dependent on it, is a vicious ploy of the current "cutting edge" technology developers. 

Well, it wouldn't be therefore farfetched to hint that this is one of the reasons why I don't like the Apple iPhones much. Though I'm sure it's arguable enough, why wouldn't anyone want to make communication as simple as possible. My issue with that argument is just that, the iPhone creates a big lot of snobbish users who act as though they've been given a very 'user unfriendly' gadget, if they have to at some point operate (god forbid) a Nokia or an Android phone. So my reasoning is that because the iPhone made things so blatantly 'simple' (as they claim it) or to out in my words, created so many iZombies, that if one fine day Apple decides to pull the plug (again god forbid, though this time it's them praying), we will have a population so typical of the one in the Idiocracy movie !

Don't even get me started on the iPad or the iPods. Though I imagine, and to an extent have experienced firsthand, the quality and seamless attributes of the latter, if you have ever stepped out of an Apple user's shoes, you will realize how much of an iBitch these users are. The reasons are obvious - you need iTunes to sync songs, it can be synced only with iTunes installed on just 1 machine at a time (though there is a hack, which I'm sure is out of question as it's too high level for the comprehension of, let alone of any use to an iBitch). The iPhone and iPad also have such limitations, but still it makes you wonder, then why on earth would so many people pay premium to use Apple products?

Well, if you ask me, I would say, there are couple of different reasons,

• Initial success of the Apple computers, creating a niche of high quality, high end, virus free computing.
• Benefits from the technology lock-in through increasing rates of return which mainly in Apple's case is through the externality caused by reasons of compatibility - almost every website/company offering some service has an iPhone app and this is one main reason why people are buying the apple products. Another example is that of the integrated car audio systems that are increasingly made iPod compatible.
• But the 3rd and most important reason is that people like it more when their intelligence isn't questioned :P- and no one does it better than Apple; and no offence, but Linux did just that until Android came out ! 

Though the last reason may sound like the beginning of a new conspiracy theory, I certainly do believe nobody understood and applied human psychology much better than Apple. But, I don't disagree one bit that Apple hasn't done any good. They are pioneers in using some of the most eco-friendly and recyclable materials in their products and I personally am also a big fan of Mr. Steve Jobs. 

The reason why I had to rant about this was stemmed from my thoughts on how they have to an extent manipulated the people so much that people (especially in first world countries) who are otherwise so used to complaining if one small feature is missing, have unbelievably accepted the shortcomings of Apple's products - be it forwarding messages, playing flash, very few customizable features etc. to name a few. The sheer number of Apple users (I do not include MacBook users because I truly believe they have the least malevolent influence among all other Apple products) henceforth is a testament in itself of how many Apple has actually brain washed and continuing to.

Well, so certainly, if you wish to have some food for thought, I have laid it out for you. It is definitely worth pondering, but if you think it is too much of a headache to think so deviantly, then it might be better to move on and enjoy life (to be read - go download some new app :P) !

Inner Peace \m/

$ur

For the Geek in you

I came across a really cool website today. Well it's actually a computer geek site and goes by the name http://www.howtogeek.com/.

It has everything you could imagine to tweak or know about your computer. From simple, yet very powerful registry hacks to some complex troubleshooting and utility information. Some of the tips, tricks and hacks vividly reminded me of times when I used fiddle around a lot with my 386 model computer in my school days -  and a particular time when I had to get a 400pg e-book unzipped using DOS commands and the only place I could find information on how to do it was at a local computer teaching center a kilometer away from my home. So I guess times have changed for the good and these days it's just a click away.

One might feel that there is a lot of a reading material up there and is a bit too cluttered, until you get a hang of the way the site has been laid out. This I feel is typically how a geek's room would like if depicted digitally, though I don't in any way suggest that only if things seem haphazardly arranged does it necessarily fit the stereotypical description of a geek :P !

Nevertheless, I suggest that you bookmark this site, for it will definitely be a lifesaver when you need help. It has almost everything you would need and you can most reliably turn to this site for troubleshooting tips if you ever go overboard with your crazy mods.

Till next time.

Inner Peace \m/

$ur

Ramblings of the Lazy

On and off, I gain and lose the inspiration to blog. Well, I had thought I was out of one writer's block last time when I revamped my blog space with some new content, a change of template, 'unadulterated and straight from the head without filtration' ideas and what not. But alas, it was around the same time I landed some work commitments. Most part of me, was overjoyed by the welcome change - not to blogging - but to do something that I have been yearning to do - use the skills I had honed so much, which at one point was looking to go down the drain being left underutilized since my university days. 

And thus the brief period of activity began with only rare phases of boredom. This I welcomed as part of recuperating my senses, by feeding the entertainment lover in me. Starting with the last week though, things started looking a bit more morose with little activity on the work front, more time at hand yet not being able to enjoy as much because of the unfruitful job applications.

Well, I've always felt that no matter what the situation in life, some days are better than the others. Sometimes for no reason, all you can see is why everything is just not right and on other occasions, no matter how unsure the future might be, you can see those silver linings. And today though there is nothing to really cheer about, scanning through the pages of  Reader's Digest, which I'm sure I did the first time in a long long time, felt nice and refreshing. I noticed that the Reader's Digest has evolved from how it used to be. The columns and the styles have changed a bit, though just some harmless shuffling around. Laughter is the Best Medicine is now called " Laughter is still the Best Medicine ;)" ; yes the wink was there too ! 

Let's see how how far I go before I hit the next writer's block ;)

Inner Peace \m/

$ur