Sites that should go ajax

Ajax is the latest buzzword in web based applications and after watching the wonder applications created out of it, I fully understand why. I still remember when I first saw google suggest and gmail, I had long discussions with my tech friends trying to figure out how they did it.
While there are lots of products getting developed on this from Web based IM clients to Complete Web Based Office suites, I have a few sites in mind that would be ideal candidates for getting re-designed using ajax.

1. Live Cricket Score sites - Site gets refreshed after every ball being bowled and millions hitting the site and refreshing their browser trying to view the latest score. The kind of load these sites handle can be guessed by the fact that corporate internet connection is much slower on the cricket match day and companies like infosys have an intranet site to display the score (even that overloads) ... My point is ... If its just the score and a 1 line commentary that is updating every min, why refresh the whole browser and fetch non-changing information? If the request that currently fetched 100 kb from the server is made to fetch only 30 kb, the load would be much less.


2. Admin Consoles of Application Servers like Weblogic - Such console provide lots of thick client type functionality and also refresh the browser a lot for showing the current status of various stuff. All those refreshes can be avoided and the interface would be much more better


3. Siebel type applications - Avoid all that java stuff. Clean interface is the key

As and when I get more ideas, I would be posting it here. As of now, try Meebo, a web based IM client.

Indian official entry to Oscar is Paheli

I just couldn't believe my ears. When I wrote this post, not in my dreams had I thought that Black would not even be nominated for the coveted oscar. Anyone and his dog knows that paheli cannot win the oscar.
I really don't know what happens in those closed doors and I really cannot claim myself as an art critique but I certainly can call myself heart-broken as a Big B masterpiece goes down the drain.

Firefox extension: Session Saver

It was december 2004 when I first said that "Firefox Rocks". And its still rocking. In this same post, I mentioned the need of "saving the last open windows on exit" feature that I so much loved in Opera. Finally there is an extension that does exactly what I want.

SessionSaver restores your browser -exactly- as you left it, every startup, every time. Not even a crash will phase it.

Though still in early phases, works pretty well. Make sure to install from the forum link that is given at the end of the page. Only issue is that I had to disable LiveHttpHeaders extension. I don't use that extension anyways.

Alonso is the new F1 champion

Ya I know I am always late in announcing news ... but the era of Michael Schumacher seems to come to an end. Alonso has become the youngest driver ever to become the F1 champion despite late but stiff competition from Raikkonen.
I wonder what Ashin would say on this.

Being Vulnerable

The game of bridge has this concept of vulnerability ... As soon as you win a game, you become vulnerable, so stakes for winning and losing the next game increase, i.e. you get more points if you win a subsequent game and you lose much more if you lose.
Life is more of an opposite ... here stakes go high when you lose something ... One big loss and you lose lots of confidence and every single subsequent loss, however small it might be, makes you lose even more confidence ... And then it starts reflecting in other stuff that is not related to the original loss.
I was taught in a soft skill training that emotions arising due to one issue shouldn't be taken out on something unrelated ... we may make ourselves strong enough to do that ... But though there may not be a direct impact, it certainly leaves me vulnerable.

iPod nano launched

Its amazing how fast things change ... Apple launched iPod nano today which is iPod mini + colour screen + photo storage + even smaller and slimmer + same price.

These guys have even removed the link to iPod mini from the website. I don't feel that proud anymore.

Proud owner of an iPod Mini

Ok .. late again in posting .. but VP engineering was on visit last week and he gifted a sleek iPod mini to every developer here. Thanks Bob :-)

Now I know why this is one of the most popular gadget in the planet. The design is sleek and sexy, the UI is amazingly intuitive and simple. And its integration with a computer using iTunes is amazingly cool ... I am impressed