Google Gadgets On My Blog!

I have managed to change my blog template yet again :-)

This round of experiments were in trying to add Google Gadgets to the blog's sidebar. I have added a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Index tracker and a gadget showing the weather here in Hyderabad.

To add a Google Gadget you need to do the following:

1. Find a gadget on the Google Gadget showcase.
2. Click the "Add to your webpage" button under the gadget.
3. This takes you to the gadget configuration page. Change whatever parameters you wish to personalize and click the "Get the code" button.
4. Copy the HTML code generated into a text editor.
5. Open your Blogger Template for editing in the "Page Elements" tab.
6. Before you proceed any further make sure you have a backup of your template by using the "Download Full Template" feature.
7. Add a new Page element of type HTML / JavaScript. Paste the HTML code obtained in step 4 into the new element.
8. Modify position of the new page element and save your changes.
9. Refresh the blog to see your new Google Gadget!

Enjoy!

Islamic Atrocities Against Innocent Hindus - 14 Year Old Child Burnt Alive

Samrat Mondal, a 14 year old class 8 student lives with his family in a village in the 24 Parganas (South) district of West Bengal. On the evening of May 24, 2007, he was cornered by a gang of 20 muslims lead by a local muslim criminal and burnt alive.

While other muslims stood by and laughed.

Samrat is a Hindu. His family fled muslim atrocities in Bangladesh and now live in India, a Hindu majority nation and the birthplace of Hinduism.

The police have not done anything. Yet. And somehow I don't think they will take any action. The Communist parties of West Bengal are all pro muslim. As is the Congress that runs the central government in New Delhi.

So what has India given Samrat and his family? A nation that they fled to. A Nation that they hoped would protect and nurture them.

Samrat is the latest victim of the divide and rule politics that our politicians learnt from the british. He will bear these scars for life.

I request everybody who reads this to write about it. Don't let the world forget Samrat. It is the least we Indians can do for him.

Battery Operated Laptop Light

Sometimes I need to work late and I prefer to curl up in bed with the laptop rather than sit in the study. For one, the bedroom is much cooler and infinitely more comfortable. The only problem is lighting. It is too dark to see the keyboard and the screen glare hurts the eye.

I solved these problems recently! Found this neat little battery powered light with a flexible cord that can be clamped to the side of the screen such that the light shines on the keyboard. It is bright enough to illuminate the keyboard without effecting the screen.

The little thingy takes 3 button cells which are typically Rs 2/- each. I have been using the light for well over 3 weeks now without having to replace the original batteries. That is about 2 hrs daily for about 15 days. I bought the light at Begum Bazar in Hyderabad.

Check out some action shots on my photo blog (taken with a Nokia 6600 camera phone).

(Posted via Thinga Web)

Radio City 106.4 FM - Hyderabad

Sandip wrote about Radio City 106.4 FM in Hyderabad. After reading his post I Googled for Radio City using a number of different search patters but only found news articles about the launch of the channel!

These guys don't have a web site???

(Posted via Thinga Web)

Query About Flats For Sale

This email was sent to a local mailing list (Hyderabad, India):

Subj: Any Info regarding Flats for Sale in Nizampet Road - Urgent

Hi All,

 

I am willing to buy one flat in Nizampet Road. If anybody knows any infor regarding the same. Preferably, any of our colleagues have taken any flat in the constructing apartment.

 

Please share the details - It is bit urgent

--
Thanks & Regards

 

<Name Suppressed>

What can I say? Somebody please help this poor chap find a flat in the "constructing apartment". Do help if you can. He is willing to buy a flat. No force required!

:-)

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows - Fan Fiction

Last week I found two copies of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows on the net. One of them had  (Leaked) as part of the file name. Knowing the kind of security Rowling and her publishers have around each new release, I was fairly sure that these were examples of Fan Fiction that have appeared on the net every now and then. I was curious enough to download both and transfer them to my mobile phone (Symbian OS with Handy Book reader).

The first one turned out to be an incomplete copy. The last 2 - 3 chapters are missing. I didn't realize this till I reached the end because I never read the end first :-) Anyway, I enjoyed reading the book, whatever was there of it.

I started the second book yesterday and it is better than the first one. Still not up to Rowling's standards but very good nevertheless.

I have uploaded copies of the two books to my web site.

1. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows - Fan Fiction 1 (Incomplete)
2. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows - Fan Fiction 2

Neither of the copies has any author information (obviously since they are trying to pass it off as a leaked copy).

This is the first time I am trying Fan Fiction and I must say I am enjoying myself. The style is close enough to the original to leave the reader guessing. At the same time there are differences from Rowling's style that give the game away.

In parting I must say that whoever wrote these has done their homework. There are a few mistakes that Potter fans will immediately find but the level of detail shows how much effort has gone into these productions.

Lets see what Rowling has for us. I, like most Potter fans, am getting rather tired of looking at the calendar everyday :-)

Fast File Copy in Windows

Stumbled across this neat little software called TeraCopy that integrates with Windows Explorer and manages file copy between folder / drives. It is a 500 Kb download that works like a charm. It uses an internal, dynamic buffer to speed up file copies. Have to install it at home!

Google Moms

I came across this Google page today. It is dedicated to Google Moms.

Cute...

Windows Live Writer - From Work

I am writing this from work. Lets see how well Live Writer works from behind the firewall.

 

Update:

It works! Great.

Windows Live Writer

I downloaded and installed Windows Live Writer last night. This is the first post using Live Writer. Lets see how this works.

I have tried using other offline Blog post editors, without much success. Most of them have nice features but almost all of them cannot handle a proxy server. As a result I cannot use them at work. Sad.

If this works for me then I will move to Live Writer completely. Have to figure out all the features though. Particularly how images are handled as I do a far amount of photo blogging.