Tales of a Web Developer

In the 19th century scientists including André-Marie Ampère, Michael Faraday and George Ohm made discoveries which to this very day underpin the very substance of Western society. These individuals not only made key discoveries in the field of electricity but also paved the way for its useful application both as a commercial and domestic entity and formed the foundations of the second industrial revolution, which some say was fuelled by electricity.
Indeed, the early 20th century saw an explosion in the growth of electronics with individuals such as Lord Kelvin (telegraphy), Alexander Graham Bell (telecommunications), Logie Baird (televised images) and many, many more whose inventions and discoveries would eventually turn electricity from a rare commodity to a basic need.
Speaking form a personal perspective, a few weeks ago I realized just how much I rely upon electricity when we had a power outage. I realised that not only was I unable to use the Internet to research my work, I couldn’t have a hot shower, watch T.V, power the central heating (even though it is gas), cook any food or hot drinks, wash my clothes and even use the phone (which relied upon mains as well as the power form the phone). The prospect of being without what was until this point my invisible slave was somewhat difficult to contemplate. My way of dealing with this was to go to a local coffee shop and order myself a fried breakfast.
The 20th century would not only play host to the second industrial revolution however. After the first and second world wars research had begun into micro electronics and its applications in computing which had so far existed only as mechanical devices. In 1965 Gordon Moore made his famous prediction which would become a driving force behind the growth of integrated electronics in computer chips. It wasn’t until the early 1990s, however, that the next revolution would begin.
In 1990 Tim Barnes Lee and Robert Cailliau pioneered the first HTTP communication over the Internet and in 1993 the first graphical web browser (NSCA Mosaic) pushed the World Wide Web into a spiral of uncontrolled growth. So rapid was this growth it resulted in a huge rush from the commercial sector to cash in on its money making potential. Obviously, this rapid growth was unsustainable and the whole lot came crashing down in 2001.
Since, advances in high speed Internet connectivity have made the humble broadband connection available to all but a few of us and for today’s business a web presence is a must. In addition, the Internet is penetrating further into the lives of the individual; wireless allows connectivity to fade into the ether and reliability on online services such as web mail, photo and video sharing and online shopping is increasing. Many businesses now use VPN’s to allow employees to work on the go and from home. This has in turn increased the number of wireless hotspots.
In the 1990s the World Wide Web and all it had to offer seemed an exciting prospect, however, its infancy was demonstrated by what would become known as the dot-com-boom; businesses had to adjust their plans to fit the more competitive environments present in the real world to make it a viable commercial entity. The Internet is now coming of age and it is beginning to find its niche within the commercial sector. The growth of information technology and the so called digital revolution mirror the industrial revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The digital revolution is by no means over and the Internet is still very much in its teenage years. As with electricity we are beginning to see information technology and the Internet go down the path of ubiquity. There is often a lot of hype over the idea of a “ubiquitous Internet”, however, my opinion is that it will happen, but the transition will be a lot more subtle. We are living in interesting times as the next ten years will see the Internet mature and become the electricity of modern times.
So what are the implications of the Internet becoming our new electricity? To avoid confusion it should be noted that it won’t be a replacement for electricity and in fact nearly all Internet technologies require electricity in one form or another. Above, I outlined my personal experience of one hour without electricity and the restrictiveness it posed on my daily activities. If one day we are to rely on the Internet to this extent, not only will we have to worry about power cuts, but we will also have to worry about connectivity and availability, bandwidth and hardware.
The Internet is and will make the individual further reliable on technology and less able to function at the lower level; a good example is how many of you rely on your cell phone calculator to do maths, your sat-nav to get you to work every morning and a cleaner to tidy your underwear? What happens when you find yourself stranded in a jungle with no food, no phone signal, no GPS and no cleaner? The question is how much longer is this increasing reliability sustainable and what problems if any will it pose in the future?

July 28, 1858: Press Down Firmly, You're In Our Files Now

1858: A British colonial magistrate in India starts using fingerprints as a means of identifying people. It's the first-known, modern official use of the technique.

Like many innovations, this one wasn't completely new. Ancient Babylonian clay tablets recording business transactions were sometimes "sealed" with fingerprints. Officials in ancient Rome may have solved one murder by matching the culprit's hand to a...

Cheers,
Suresh

RBI empowers credit card users, sets rules for banks

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday announced a range of instructions which will help millions of credit card users and refrain banks from charging excessive interest rates.
The RBI, in a notification issued in Mumbai, said banks which issue unsolicited credit cards, activate them and subsequently bill them would not only “have to reverse the charges forthwith, but will also pay a penalty without demur to the recipient amounting to twice the value of the charges reversed.”
The notification also empowers the person in whose name the card is issued to approach the banking ombudsman “who would determine the amount of compensation payable by the bank to the recipient of the unsolicited credit card as per the provisions of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006, i.e for loss of complainant’s time, expenses incurred, harassment and mental anguish suffered by him.”
In instances where unsolicited credit cards issued have been misused before reaching the person in whose name the card was issued, the RBI has made it clear that the card-issuing bank will be held responsible for any loss arising out of misuse of such cards.
Interest rate bar
The central bank asked banks not to charge excessive interest rates on personal loans and prescribe a ceiling rate on small advances. “Banks should prescribe a ceiling rate of interest, including processing and other charges, in respect of small value personal loans and loans of similar nature. The instructions would apply to credit card dues also."
The RBI has not specified the limit of the interest rates that can be charged by the banks issuing credit cards, but it had earlier said "the total cost to the borrower, including interest and all other charges levied on a loan, should be justifiable having regard to the total cost incurred by the bank in extending the loan."
Regarding insurance schemes offered to credit card holders through tie-ups with insurance companies, banks will henceforth have to obtain in writing from the credit card holder the details of the nominee for the insurance cover with regard to accidental death and disablement benefits, the notification said.
Banks will also have to ensure that the relevant nomination details are recorded by the insurance company and issue a letter to the credit card holder indicating the details regarding the name, address and telephone number of the insurance company which will handle the claims relating to the insurance cover.
The RBI has made it obligatory on banks "to convey in writing the main reasons (to the applicants) which have led to the rejection of the credit card applications"—an order which will help people of certain professions who have alleged that banks refuse to issue them cards.
To prevent misuse of credit cards, banks have been asked to consider issuing signature-laminated cards along with photographs and PIN. There should be no delay in dispatching bills and the customers should be given at least one fortnight for making payments before charging the interest rates, the RBI said.
Banks have also been advised to put in place a mechanism for moving unresolved complaints at call centres to higher authorities and display the details of grievance redressal scheme on their websites.
Cardholders’ request for closure of account most "be honored immediately subject to full settlement of dues by the cardholder."
The central bank issued the guidelines based on a study of credit card operations in the backdrop of complaints received by the RBI and Banking Ombudsmen.

Macys fireworks!!!

Dear Friends,

Enjoyed the Fourth of July in New York City this year -- and it has to be truly appreciated. We had a chance to have a glimpse from queens. Actually Parthiv(my kids name) was really amazed seeing the fireworks display sitting on the 37th floor!. It was really worth taking parthiv. We sat in citi towers and citi groups offered a free dinner and beverages. Macy's NYC fireworks was spectacular. Here are some snaps we took while watching it!. Hope you guys will like it!.

Cheers,

Raj.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Shobana!!

Hi All,

Please join me in wishing Shobi a wonderful Birthday..

Hi Shobi,

Many more happy returns of the Day, Enjoi your day..

Cheers,
Suresh

Happy Birthday Suresh!!!

Hope you are having a wonderful birthday !!!On your birthday, wishing you a handful of sunshine, a heart full of dreams and a world of happiness. Happy Birthday Suresh!.

Cheers,

Raj.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BADRI!!

Hi All,

Please join me in wishing Badri a wonderful Birthday..

Hi Badri,

Many more happy returns of the Day, Enjoi your day..

Cheers,
Suresh

Cost Cutting New SUV.....chill out guys

Old is gold. We are coming back to our old transport :)

~Deepak

Midnight’s Children wins the Best of the Booker

Salman Rushdie's new book "The Enchantress of Florence" is a good read as well.

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/release/1100

The six shortlisted books, chosen from the list of 41 Booker Prize and Man Booker Prize winners, are:
Pat Barker's The Ghost Road (1995, Viking; paperback Penguin)
Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda (1988, Faber & Faber; paperback Faber)
JM Coetzee's Disgrace (1999, Secker & Warburg; paperback Vintage)
JG Farrell's The Seige of Krishnapur (1973, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, paperback Phoenix)
Nadine Gordimer's The Conservationist (1974, Cape; paperback Bloomsbury)
Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children (1981, Cape; paperback Vintage)

~Deepak Ramani

Back Again!!!

Hello,

Hope everyone is doing well. It's been a long time since I posted anything in our blog. However, I have been occasionally viewing. Glad to see a few still active and some new faces as well.Good to be back!. Also friends give a thought to this "why not we all post our recent snaps with family or without family!". Eager to hear some response!.

Cheers,

Raj.

¡feliz cumpleaños Abi!

Dear Abi,

Wishing you A happy heart… A sunny smile… Joys to make each day worthwhile… All that you'd like most and more… That's what this birthday wish is for! Have a Wonderful Birthday!!!.

Love,

Raj.

Earth's Ringed Wonder

Click here to read the article

Cheers,
Suresh

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABI!!

Hi All,

Please join me in wishing Abi a wonderful Birthday..

Hi Abi,

Many more happy returns of the Day, Enjoi your day..

Cheers,
Suresh

Do you take this credit card?

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Guests at an Israeli wedding hall can now insert a credit card into a machine at its entrance, tap in a sum and leave a gift for the bride and groom.

"It's new in Israel and the world," Aya Alon Kaufman of the Gan Oranim hall in Tel Aviv said on Israel's Channel 10 television. "It's very convenient ... guests can give a gift even if they forget their chequebooks."

She said couples pay 500 shekels...

Cheers,
Suresh

First Water Found in Moon Rocks

July 9, 2008 -- A new analysis of Apollo 15 moon rocks has for the first time uncovered water locked up inside.

It's just a miniscule amount of the wet stuff -- not enough to sustain even a lunar cactus or to power any hydrogen jetpacks -- but the discovery does bolster hopes that there has always been water in moon rocks and perhaps some locked away as ice in the dark crannies of polar craters.

The discovery also overturns 40 years of studies which had failed to find the water and which led to the conclusion, drawn by most....

Cheers,
Suresh

It pays to go in a public toilet

Click here to read full article

Cheers,
Suresh

Cheap flights to India (from USA)

Hi Guys,

One of my friends runs a travel agency in the USA. You can check their prices @ the below URL. The site may be in still beta, but his agency has got good experience in this area. You guys can call them up for cheap deals.

http://www.indianeagle.com/I_Eagle_Beta-debug/I_Eagle_Beta.html

Happly Travelling

Cheers,
Suresh

Simple XMLHTTP Question

Hi Guys,

I have a small question related to XMLHTTP; Is it always a better idea to have XmlHttpRequest in Javascript, or is it a good idea to have C# assembly (class library) that does the smae thing? my question is "Is it Javascript or Class library"??

I am thinking C# assembly would be better, because it gives us some exception handling features. I dont know much about Javascript.

Please Clarify me.

Thanks in advance
Suresh

My New Blog

Hi Guys,

I just started a blog, just to post some cheap europe flight deals. It might not be useful for you guys, however please pass on this to any friends you may have in Europe. Thanks for your support.

Here is the blog link
Cheap Euro Flights

Cheers,
Suresh