In pursuit of excellence, of elegance, and of truth.

Simple explanation for everything !

2012-01-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this wonderful quote by Einstein. Einstein never fails to amaze me. Perfect addition for my Quotes collection for common place diary.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

I think this goes with all the technical authors out there whose books we try and fail to understand, thinking that the problem is with us, that we are not able to understand.

Happy New Year to All

2011-12-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Time for New Year Resolutions !
-------------------------------------

Here are few of mine to get you started !

1. Be Bold in Executing Ideas !

Because "Most ideas never work - unless you make sure they do" and "The bold idea has a higher probability of realization than the conservative one" - Genrich Altshuller

2. Read More Great Books

No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. - Confucius

3. Learn something new ! Photography ?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

4. Think/ Write about Design

"Design is not how it looks, Design is How it Works" - Steve Jobs

5. Talk/Present and Share your knowledge on Technology

Sharing teaches you more than Learning

6. Have More Fun !

"If you are not having FUN you are NOT doing it right" - Bob Basso

So, what's your Resolution ?

Joining W3C as a Nokian

2011-12-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

If you ever wanted to change the World Wide Web for better, now is the time, Join W3C and make the difference.

I was nominated by Nokia for Three Groups WebApps, WebApps Security and will be soon joining Web Accessibility. Looking forward to contribute.

Am I excited ? You Bet !

Fun with Silverlight 4 Book

2011-11-20T03:36:00.000-08:00

The book is finally available at Amazon and other book stores.

Buy from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Fun-Silverlight-Illustrated-Creating-Applications/dp/1463506023/

It took more than 3 years to finish this 600 page long book.

Fun with Silverlight 4

The Illustrated Guide to Creating Rich Internet Application with Examples in C#, ASP.NET, XAML, Media, Webcam, AJAX, REST & Web Services.

This book illustrates more than 100 features in Silverlight using a simple problem/solution approach. It takes one feature at a time and guides you in progressive journey where you begin by using the basic components, then by creating graphics and animations. You then create rich media applications on the client and web services, and delve into calling advanced Web services like AJAX, REST and WCF services from Silverlight.

In the Book
---------------
1. Design a Rich Internet Application
2. Extend the Control Framework
3. Create Compelling Graphics
4. Work with Animation
5. Extend the Browser Programming Model
6. Bring Data Visualization to the Web
7. Develop with ASP.NET and Ajax
8. Work with Web Services
9. Create Rich Silverlight Media Applications
10. Deliver Enhanced and Interactive Streaming Video Experiences

Fun with Silverlight 4, Available Now Hot off the press !

2011-11-19T13:34:00.001-08:00

Finally the book I have been working for last 3 years sees the light of the day. The book will be available at amazon, b&n, and other book stores in few days, but it is available to order Hot Off the Press

Get the Book "Fun with Silverlight 4" here https://www.createspace.com/3616306

More information about the book at http://silverlightfun.com

7 Key HTML5 challenges for N-Screens: My Session at W3C conference

2011-11-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

Everything you need to know about developing HTML5 Apps on multiple devices was at W3C conference. I was there in Redmond, Nov 15-16, 2011 this week and it was amazing, first time all the vendors together, instead of talks about individual device/ browsers, all the sessions were focused on the common part, the HTML5 part. If you missed the conference check videos here W3C conference Presentation Videos.

My presentation was about N-Screens Problem, the set of challenges you come across when you develop an App for multiple connected devices. How HTML5 WebApp solution was the most promising solution for the developers. My session was around the 7 Key implementation challenges you will face when developing a Web App solution for multiple devices with different form factors.

The 7 key challenges were, Feature Detection, Layout detection, Using CSS3, Choice of Animation between SVG, Canvas, CSS3 Animation, and WebGL, Audio Video related problems and their work-arounds, and how to use advanced HTML5 API with a brief on Polyfills and Shims.

Here is the online demo of my presentation. Detect your N-device HTML5 features and APIs at http://widgets-gadgets.com/html5. Source code of the demo here

N Screens problem: W3C Conference Redmond, Nov 15,2011

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal

Here is the Video recorded of the session at W3C.

3D with Silverlight: My article at MSDN magazine

2011-11-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Learn 3D with Silverlight, at MSDN Magazine

Great review about the article - Mike James, I Programmer,

"Silverlight 3D for me this article was the star of the show. It is about three different ways to create a rotating 3D cube in Silverlight. After some basic theory it explains how to do the job in Silverlight 4 first using rectangles and projections and then using bitmap images. The third method however is much more satisfactory - using XNA with Silverlight 5. Can't wait for Silverlight 5!"

Here is excerpts from my article, let me know if you find it useful.

Developing 3D Objects in Silverlight

In this article, I’ll show you how to develop 3D objects in Silverlight. I’ll start with a brief background on 3D and then look at some of the advanced features available in Silverlight that enable creation and display of 3D objects. I’ll take a simple example of a cube and show you three different ways to create 3D transformations. I’ll also explain what key elements you need to display a 3D object on a computer screen. Finally, I’ll explore how Silverlight 5 will allow you to go beyond what’s available today and create much richer 3D objects.

Silverlight supports a right-handed coordinate system, which means the positive z axis is pointing toward the viewer (see Figure1). There are three main elements of 3D that are needed for displaying an object on the screen:

* Perspective
* Transformation
* Effect of light

More .... check at Developing 3D Objects in Silverlight at MSDN Magazine

For the book Fun with Silverlight 4

Ten Principles of Good Design

2011-10-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this amazing 10 design principles by Dieter Rams, one of the Germany's best known industrial designer, a living legend.

Good design:

1. Is innovative - The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

2. Makes a product useful - A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

3. Is aesthetic - The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

4. Makes a product understandable - It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user's intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.

5. Is unobtrusive - Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user's self-expression.

6. Is honest - It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

7. Is long-lasting - It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today's throwaway society.

8. Is thorough down to the last detail - Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

9. Is environmentally friendly - Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

10. Is as little design as possible - Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.

About Dieter Rams

Rams is possibly the most well-known German industrial designer, who not only produced—or directly oversaw— the design of more than 500 products in the course of his 40 years of service for Braun, but also established and headed a design department, which was extremely productive and made a global enterprise out of the company Radio Braun of Frankfurt. To date, Rams and Braun represent what is considered the typical German design approach, in which thoroughness, straightforwardness, clarity, and meaningfulness play a special role.

Born in Wiesbaden in 1932, the much-honored and highly distinguished designer was a graduate of the innovative Wiesbaden Werkkunstschule. Following his initial employment in the architectural firm of Otto Apel, Rams took a position at Braun in 1955 as an interior designer. At the time, the two young Braun family heirs, Erwin and Artur Braun, were in search of a new approach to the design of their radios, shavers, and household appliances in a manner keeping with the spirit of the times. In the "Braun lab" of the 1950s, to which the Bauhaus designers Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Herbert Hirche as well as the young design academy Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm contributed substantially, Rams soon took a leading position; in 1961 he was appointed head of the newly established design department. Already in the early years of the new decade, Braun design earned the highest recognition through awards and exhibitions at the Milan Triennale, the World Fair in Brussels, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Rams's furniture designs for Vitsœ further carved out a permanent place for their products in the residential environments of contemporaries with a modern consciousness.

Steve Jobs: Tribute to a legend

2011-10-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here are my favorite 7 Quotes from Steve jobs.

1. Computers are like a bicycle for our minds.

2. Good artists copy great artists steal

3. Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

4. Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world? - To get John Sculley as Apple's CEO

5. Make it like a sunflower.
Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple, to Johnathan Ive, Vice President of Design, Apple, on prev version of iMac

6. Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. -- narrated by Steve Jobs

7. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

8. Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

9. When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”

10. “Click. Boom. Amazing!” – Macworld keynote 2006

11. "I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates."
—Newsweek, 2001

12. "I want to put a ding in the universe."

13. I make 50 cents for showing up ... and the other 50 cents is based on my performance.
On his famous $1 annual salary, at the annual Apple shareholder meeting in 2007, as quoted in "Jobs: 'I make fifty cents just for showing up'" in AppleInsider (10 May 2007)

14. “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

15. People with passion can change the world for better !

Better Presenter than Steve Jobs ?

2011-09-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

I never thought I will write a blog with this title. I have learned a lot from Steve Jobs after my target of 2009, but recently I came across a presentation on "Patterns of Human Interaction" by Marko Ahtisaari (Global head of Nokia Design) at Copenhagen Design Week, which not only blew my mind, but changed my perspective about presentation all together.

About the presentation
Five billion people have a mobile phone. Today, no single, technological device is more in our hands than the mobile phone – it has become the media through which humans interact.

Marko Ahtisaari is the global head of Nokia's design unit, and he is responsible for Nokia’s product and user experience design. During Copenhagen Design Week, Marko shared Nokia’s thoughts on how design will shape and influence the patterns of human interaction in the future at a Nokia event at Bella Sky Hotel.

What I found unique about the presentation is, Marko leaves a deeper impact without trying hard to sell. Its plane awesome, and it is modest and it is honest, which I think appeals to everybody equally. Marko is well dressed and extremely efficient in his walk, and he talk with a very positive body language. He always seems to be at ease and is smiling most of the time in a most friendly manner. Each of his words tell, he is clear and concise, he does not repeat, he does not overstate, his words all fit precisely in his talk. He makes a point he is trying to make, in a straight forward and most effective manner. And most important of all his presentation does not even have any bells and whistles. Blank white screen with a white door ! Most of the first few pages are hand drawn concepts or a single image. No chimming sounds, no explosion effects and no cutting edge graphics.

Absolutely awesome ! My new idol ! If you want to learn how to present well learn from him Marko Ahtisaari (The Best presenter I have seen in the world). Each and everything he does is simple, yet mind blowing.

That also reminded me of something very unique, when I joined Nokia 2 1/2 years ago. I came to know that Nokia is all about "Being Humble" and I think thats the finiish culture completely opposite of American culture, which is a bit more aggressive salesmanship like ofcourse Steve Jobs.

Thank You for the Inspiration Marco Ahtisaari

Here are excerpts from another blog about the same presentation .

http://raesmaa.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/the-finnish-awesomeness-and-entrepreneurship/

The Finnish Way of Being
Serendipitously I happened to bump into another type of Finnish awesomeness. I listened to Senior VP of Design at Nokia Marko Ahtisaari’s presentation at the Copenhagen Design Week.
The first 12 minutes (the rest of it is mostly about Nokia design and future development, interesting as well) of his speech ‘Patterns of Human Interaction’ had an effect on me. His humble way of speaking about how better design can help us to make each other feel that we are welcome, is just awesome. A beautiful perspective!

Another observation I made is his style of speaking, it is very Finnish (read: very non-American). He is not shouting and feverishly waving his hands – no, instead he applies the traditional Finnish style: he is calm, speaks very softly and is overall adorable and kind. And all that without being boring. It kind of reminds me of the way Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg speaks. Or Alex Osterwalder, or Aalto Entrepreneurship Society’s president Miki Kuusi. So I warmly recommend you to listen to Marko, at least the first 12 minutes.

Small Talk and Positive Silence

These great people and the two events – AaltoES with Steve Blank & Marko Ahtisaari and his talk about more human design principles – made me think about what is “Finnishness”, and why I’ll find it awesome and full of possibilities for the entrepreneurship too.
The Finnishness?, you may ask. Yes, we do have some national characteristics that can be more rare among other nationalities, we can be seen as very shy, but on the other hand our curiosity and creativity makes it easy for us to connect and share. To connect and share, and most importantly to listen. On top of that we are very persistent and diligent; we don’t like to give in. Except in football.
We Finns can easily be silent in company with other people. It’s natural. Foreigners often find our silence odd, or fascinating. Professor of Communication Donal Carbaugh, from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, have written an excellent paper about this – Silence and Quietude as a Finnish“Natural Way of Being” [pdf], with the following description:

“A Finnish communication code that structures some cultural scenes as occasions for positive silence, exhibiting a social model of personhood for which this is a valued, respected, and natural practice.”

I just love this expression, positive silence. Please consider positive silence as time for thinking, reflecting, and listening. The paper explains the Finnish way of communication with many good example stories; it can truly help in understanding us Finns…

Another great read is this short article of the Helsinki Times – No small talk please, we’re Finnish, in which freelance journalist Susan Fourtané describes her experiences:

“I particularly enjoyed the thoughtfulness and the moments of silence in between, giving space for observing our own thoughts before speaking. Yes, you have heard it right. Finns don’t do small talk. They don’t think a moment of shared silence is awkward. On the contrary, it is part of the conversation. A direct question gets a direct answer. There is no nonsense talk about nothing. There is no asking “How are you?” ten times until someone says something else, or stating the obvious. Finns are more interested in how you think, how you perceive Finland or what keeps you in this small and cold country, as they refer to beautiful and peaceful Finland.”

Less small talk and more positive silence, I believe that this enables better listening, and further better understanding.

Exposure Reaction Mantra

2011-09-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

I stumbled into this mantra of Exposure Reaction. Eye opener !

Exposure :Reaction
--------------------------------------------
First : So what!
Second : Whats in it for me?
Third : Thats interesting.
Fourth : What was that title again?
Fifth : I think Ive heard of that book before.
Sixth : I think Ive heard of that author before.
Seventh : My friend mentioned that book yesterday.
Eighth : My friend read it and thought it was good.
Ninth : Ill look for it when Im at the book store.
Tenth : Ill go to the store to buy it now.
--------------------------------------------

This was meant for book promotion but i think it can be applied to any sales/marketing strategy.

Creating a User Interface for a Touchscreen Digital Photoframe

2011-07-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Another of the User Interface idea for digital Touch Screen devices. Got the Patent for this design invention, which I filed at Sony Electronics, San Diego few years ago.

Abstract
---------
A digital picture frame has a frame bounding a touch screen that presents a user interface having first and second arcs of selector elements. The first are of selector elements is manipulable to establish an input genre root, and the second arc is manipulable to select an input branching from a genre root selected using an element in the first group. The arcs are rotatable to reveal previously unpresented selector elements when a person moves a hand along the respective arc.

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=l_LWAAAAEBAJ

Here are the Slides for the idea.

Two thumbs User Interface

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal

Let me know what you think !

"There is no substitute for Hard Work" - Edison

2011-07-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

This was quoted by Stephen Elop at Nokia 2011 Q2 results.

That's a very strong statement, and Edison is an all time inspiration for me. But, for the sake of argument lets see if we have another quality, which can be substituted for Hard Work.

Start afresh, for a beginner in any field the desirable qualities (apart from hard working) are

1 Creativity
2 Being Innovative
3 Intelligence
4 Passion
5 Determination
6 Eagerness to learn

So, how far you can go with each ?

1. Creativity, means to create something novel which has a value, simple statement, but to create something which has a value, there are lot of constraints

1. Understanding the problem space
2. Creating a prototype
3. Getting feedback
4. Feasibility study for mass production
5. Developing for Production quality
6. Being on time for market to be ahead of competition

With the time factor in, that's a lot of work and actually hard work if you have to really create something novel with value.

2. Innovation, is to change an existing solution, to create a better experience, something which saves time. I think Innovation is about solving problems in a better way, a newer way. If we are doing same things again and again it’s no more an innovation but if we do things in a way which solve problems easier and takes less time, which may reuse existing features, using standard design guidelines and standard practices. Doing new things is an innovation if it really solves some existing problems or add substantial value.

So Innovation again means

1. Knowing the context
2. Researching existing solutions, problems with them
3. Proposing your Innovative Idea
4. Comparing your work and
5. Doing it

So lot of work again to be really successful with innovation.

3. Intelligence, how far your intelligence can take you ? Lets make it more objective, Intelligence as being able to reason, solve problems, mathematical intelligence, emotional intelligence and being analytical.

If you are intelligent you can process large amount of information fast, that give you a very good idea of the problem space, help you to get to solution fast, Emotional intelligence allow you to know what to do when at emotional crisis. But all of these can let you do things in a better way, faster, but to be successful this is not enough you still need to do the work, you still have to process all the information to get to a solution, you still have to be get the result. Intelligence can get you faster, but the hard work still stays.

4. Passion & Enthusiasm are great qualities which can get you started on a long journey , the journey can be of learning, career, project etc. It give you a great start, it gives you the energy to work hard but Passion without Hard work is all talk and no walk. you will still need to walk to complete the journey.

5. Determination, means setting your goal, if you are determined to do something, you will be able to do it (or that's what they say). Your goal is clear but it's not close. Determination makes you ready for the hard work, the more determined you are the more disciplined you are towards your goal and more ready to do the hard work. I think if there are ever two thing needed to succeed, then it will be determination and hard work, if you have these two things on your side, you will succeed no matter what IMO.

6. Eagerness to learn is another great quality. A typical conversation goes like this.

"What do you like to do ?"
"I like learning new things !"
"Great, what have you learned new in last 6 months ?"
"...silence"

Learning new things has become a Status Quo. You don't get any reply to the second question, because learning new things, no matter how exciting it sounds, needs a lot of hard work, discipline and sticking to schedule. In our busy social life, time is precious and learning new thing, very few people can actually do. It need a lot of motivation. So if you really have eagerness to learn that means you are ready to sacrifice your luxuries to learn things, ready to do the hard work.

QED.

Most Important Intellectual Habit of Man

2011-07-02T04:21:00.000-07:00

Concentrate on your goal, is one thing you need to do, to achieve it. But concentration is not easy. Here are few tips to help you concentrate, it works for me so I hope it will work for you too.

1. Do One thing at a time, at all time. Do work sequentially, concentrate on one work at a time, avoid multitasking. finish one and then go to next

2. Before starting a challenging task, relax, do what you love to do, be creative, have fun, read books

3. Next step is free your mind from "Hurry, Worry, and Fear" and all distractions to attain peace of mind

4. Create a clutter free, clean, quite and solitary place to work, a distraction free environment, which is pleasant and where you can work alone without interruptions. Remove all you distractions away like cell phones, ipads, internet, emails, etc.

5. Make a daily schedule and limit your time to work, less is always more in concentration, when you have less time you give full concentration. If you have infinite amount of time nothing gets done

"Concentration is the Most Important Intellectual Habit of Man."

Not one person in ten thousand can really concentrate.

Some realize that they do not know how—others drift along the line of least resistance and let their minds vegetate, apparently never suspecting their weakness or realizing that they are an utter failure at concentration. To Cori-centre—bringing all your mental force and faculties to bear steadily on a given center with-out deviation from that exact point—whipping into line all wandering fancies—stray ideas or thoughts that go off on a tangent—to hold steadily all your power on the central thing under consideration without an instant of wavering—that is Concentration.

This ONE THING I Do

A difficult thing to do, and very few minds can do it. St. Paul gives us the shortest definition of concentration on record when he says, " This one thing I do," short, but tremendously significant.

Another Bible definition is excellent: " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Some men work that way, intense fellows--brilliant professional men—big business men—executives—leaders in the world of finance—science—invention—literature—education—it matters not what kind of work, the point is that when these men pitch hay, they pitch hay —when they write a book, they write a book—when they manage a sales campaign, they man-age a sales campaign. That one thing they do at that one time, and nothing else, and every ounce they have goes into the doing. But back of all this has been a lot of mental discipline, a lot of habit-forming, a lot of brain-building. Let us consider some of the steps by which they have climbed. To the ambitious student, I offer five practical aids to concentration, planned to meet the needs of one who wishes to build from the ground up. We must assume as prerequisites, interest and attention, which have already been discussed.

AIDS TO CONCENTRATION

These aids will do more than help you to follow a memory course; they deal with your daily work. Concentration applies to all the activities of life. It should be established as a life habit. To all who think, I bring this message, Think it with thy might. Make a business of doing one thing at a time with all your soul. Chesterfield was right when he said, " There is time enough for everything in the course of a day if we do but one thing at a time, but there is not time enough in a year if we try to do two things at a time."

1. PERIODICAL RELAXATION

It may seem paradoxical that the first aid to better concentration refers to relaxation. But I have observed that some of the most intense intellects fail in their concentration because they never relax. Failure to let go between efforts is their chief stumbling block. They keep them-selves tense, nervous, " keyed-up " all the time, even when there is no need for it, thereby wasting nervous energy.

They find it very difficult to " let go "—to relieve the high-tension by a little natural, wholesome relaxation. Possibly they feel like the Irishman who was trapped on the fourth floor of a burning building. He fought his way to the window but was afraid to jump. The flames drove him on until he was hanging to the window ledge with his hands. His friends, in the street below, seeing the walls were about to fall, kept shouting at him to " let go." Finally, he growled back at them between set teeth—" How kin I let go when it's all I can do to hang on? " But we must learn to let go—to relax completely—before each period of in-tense concentration. Here is the working principle: Relaxation precedes perfect concentration. A delightful illustration of this point is given by Elizabeth Towne.

Six puppies were playing in the barn. The barn door was closed and with the world shut out, they were giving themselves up completely to the; spirit of play. Two of them were staging a mock battle over a feather, while the others were rolling over and over in the loose straw on the barn floor in utter enjoyment.

Suddenly the barn door softly creaked. 'Instantly every puppy came to attention; heads up —tails up—bodies rigid—bright eyes fixed in intense concentration on that door, as it slowly swung open. A moment before they had been in a state of complete relaxation. Now, they offered a perfect example of concentration as they stood at attention, waiting and watching for the unknown danger that Might be coming from the other. Side of the barn door.

All great mental achievement has been preceded by periods of absolute rest or relaxation! During.this time fatigue disappears the nervous forces. recuperate and the minds-stores up fresh energy axed establishes a reserve to draw upon during" the hours of intense concentration demanded by the. big task high lies must ahead.

Very often this preparation period of relaxation determines. the success or failure of the uder taking.-Herbert -Spencer, once made, a speech on.," The Gospel "of Relaxation will, which he pointed ,out that continual tress and strain high tension without periods relaxation were responsible for much chronic fatigue and many a nervous breakdown. is far better to indulge. It in an voluntary let down than: to Offer an involuntary breakdown, Different .people take their relaxation best in different ways, but, whether in complete rest, of play or wholesome laughter, it must come before any sustained effort of concentration. Nature itself requires cycles of growth and rest. Take your breathing spell before the battle.

2. MENTAL FREEDOM

The next step is to free the mind. Nothing is of greater aid to concentration. In fact, unless you are able to do this, concentration is impossible. When. harassed by the three devils, hurry, worry, and f ear, the mind never has a fair chance to center on anything. "

Worry generates a poison at the roots of memory." But in your period of relaxation, you have an excellent opportunity to free the mind—now is your chance to eliminate all mental handicaps and get ready for the race. Not only hurry, worry, and fear must be thrown overboard, but anything and everything that troubles you and disturbs your serenity and your peace of mind. Out they go ! You should not indulge in day-dreaming, either, or mental drifting. Clear the mental horizon; give yourself a clean slate to write upon when your hour of concentration comes. And when it comes, if you have availed yourself of these first two aids I have given, you will be, possessed of that rare thing, mental poise.

3. THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT

In order to keep it, utilize the third aid: right conditions. Now, it is true that a trained mind can concentrate under any conditions—in the roar and din of .crowded cities or the busy hum of traffic—in the midst of telephone calls or a thousand and one other interruptions. Some men can concentrate on a mental problem while walking down a Chicago street and never hear the roar of the elevated or see the hurrying throngs. I have seen men write on a crowded street car perfectly oblivious to the people about them, not even hearing their own stations when called. But these men were already masters of concentration, and I am addressing my remarks to those who have not yet learned how to concentrate. Therefore, it is only a matter of common-sense to make conditions as favorable as possible. Give your mind a fair chance. Concentration is difficult enough, even under the best conditions.

I would suggest that you seek a quiet place free from all distractions (and noise is a terrible distractor), a place free from all interruptions which may break your train of thought (and a telephone is a terrible interruptor), a place where you can be alone, free from all outside influences (and a friend who " must drops in " is a terrible outside influence), and a place of pleasing environment, beautiful or otherwise, where the atmosphere is right for you.

I mean atmosphere in its fuller sense, although an abundance of sweet, fresh air is necessary. A well-poised mind can create its own atmosphere which inspires the individual, puts him at his best, is strongly conducive to good mental work, and has much to do with his success in concentrating. Not alone for the beginner, but I may safely say for the majority, is this true.

In fact, some of our greatest creative thinkers absolutely insist on right conditions and the right kind of a place in which to produce their master-pieces. True, good books have been written in mail—great poems written in the trenches—masterly speeches conceived on an express train. But in every case there was a degree of concentration strong enough to rise triumphant above the environment.

Atmosphere--environment—these things differ with the individual—it's all in the mind. One man may do his best work seated in a luxurious chair in his beautiful and artistic study--another may reach his highest plane of creative thinking while sitting under a lone pine-tree on the crest of a hill. Choose your own place for concentration, but remember that solitude has always been, in all the history of mental achievement, a requisite for great work.

Solitude calls forth the mood of receptivity. Only then do we get the best. Great things are worked out in silence. Then come the flashes of inspiration—the new visions. Emerson tells us that " Solitude is to genius the stern friend—the cold, obscure shelter, where mould the wings which will bear it farther than suns or stars," and we have this thought from Carlyle: "

Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together—that at length they may emerge full-formed and mamestic into the delight of life—which they are henceforth to rule."

The great poems written in lonely garrets—the masterpiece paintings conceived by the artist amid the fields—the divine harmonies first heard by the musician communing with the stars—the sublime oration which first stirred the soul of the orator as he tramped in the forest—all attest that the best comes to man when he is alone.

Witness Burns—the Scotch peasant among the daisies pouring out the lyric songs which to-
day touch sympathetic hearts the " warld o'er."

Witness Emerson—bidding good-bye to the proud world and retiring to that Sylvan Home, " bosomed in yon green hills "—and there creating his incomparable essays.

Witness Demosthenes—on the seashore—building to the big music of the waves his match-less oration on the Crown.

Witness Byron—alone on the Alps—writing by the glare of the lightning flash his magnificent description of the Thunderstorm.

And today right in this practical present—thousands of our most successful business men have learned this secret—that by getting alone—they can gain new efficiency—and think out better plans for managing their daily affairs.

History will bear me out in the statement that to bear Solitude well is a mark of greatness. Look at Lincoln—back there in the country for the first thirty years of his life, nourishing his own soul and disciplining his own mind.

Hillis has well said, " What a college and a crowd could not do for thousands of young men —Solitude did for the rail-splitter's son. Alone he sailed the seas of thought with God for his only companion, till at last he stood forth, a mountain-minded man."

4. A DEFINITE SCHEDULE

The fourth aid to concentration, is a very practical one: make a daily schedule. In the first place, such a schedule saves an inconceivable amount of time. Harrington Emerson, in his noted book, Twelve Principles of Efficiency, lays great stress upon the necessity and value of a written daily schedule. But what has this to do with concentration as applied to memory, you may ask?

Simply this—your daily schedule helps to focus the mind, holds it steadily to one thing at a time and in the right order. Following a logical sequence tends to eliminate con-fusion.

It has been demonstrated in efficiency tests over and over again that time and energy are lost not so much on the operation itself as in passing from one operation to another. So in our mental operations, failure to move smoothly from one thing to another results in confusion. And when confusion comes, concentration goes. A definite daily schedule is a wonderful aid in keeping the mind on the right track. It often proves to be the salvation of those who have been unable to concentrate. Try it.

-- excerpts from How to Concentrate !

3 Keys to Startup Success by Twitter's creator, Jack Dorsey

2011-06-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

Jack Dorsey outlines three core takeaways from his experiences building and launching Twitter – and more recently – Square, a simple payment utility.

1) Draw: get your idea out of your head and share it,
2) Luck: assess when the time (and the market) is right to execute your idea,
3) Iterate: take in the feedback, be a rigorous editor, and refine your idea.
4) (surprise) Knowing when to stop: how do you quickly move from an idea to a drawing to a Prototype to a position where you can say this is something I want to spend life doing.

About Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey is the Creator, Co-founder, and Chairman of Twitter, Inc. Originally from St. Louis, Jack's early fascination with mass-transit and how cities function led him to Manhattan and programming real-time messaging systems for couriers, taxis, and emergency vehicles.

Throughout this work Jack witnessed thousands of workers in the field constantly updating where they were and what they were doing; Twitter is a constrained simplification designed for general usage and extended by the millions of people who make it their own every day.

Jack is dedicated to creating public goods that foster approachability, immediacy, and transparency, and is starting a second company – Square – focused on bringing these concepts to commerce.

More LFI Photos (6,7, and 8)

2011-06-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

Three more photos at Leica Fotografie International, here.
My Gallery here

Here is the photograph I took using Leica X1, of Golden Rose at San Jose Rose Garden, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section.

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Center of Interest
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Details
4. Bright Color
5. Perspective (flower size)

That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

Second photograph I took using Leica X1, of blue spring flower in my front yard, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section.

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Center of Interest
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Repetitive pattern, flowers
4. Diagonal Lines with space toward the direction
5. Fill the Frame
6. Perspective (flower size)

That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

Leica X1, of light purple spring flower in my front yard, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section.

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Center of Interest
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Repetitive pattern, flowers
4. Spot of Color
5. Fill the Frame
6. Perspective (flower size)

That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

Leica Fotografie International featured Master Shot (5th)

2011-06-14T01:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the photograph I took using Leica V Lux, of light purple spring flower in my front yard, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section. Here (Blue Spring Flower)

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Center of Interest
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Repetitive pattern, flowers
4. Diagonal Lines with space toward the direction
5. Fill the Frame
6. Perspective (flower size)

That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

Here is my FlickR link and here are my other pictures at LFI.

Few Photos: MeeGo Conference

2011-06-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

MeeGo Conference, a set on Flickr.

San Francisco, May 23-25, 2011, Hyatt Regency

Leica Fotografie International featured Master Shots

2011-06-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are two photographs I took using Leica V Lux, of the 17th Mile and tiny spring flowers chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section.

1. 17th Mile Drive

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 5 Elements of Composition.

1. Perspective
2. Direction
3. Depth
4. Unique Angle of View
5. Multiple Layers of interest

That adds up to 50 in PhotoScore.

2. Tiny Spring Flowers

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Fill the Frame
2. Center of Interest
3. Bright Color Red
4. Rule of Thirds
5. Depth of Field
6. Spot of Color

That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

The first two pictures in the screenshot below

Here is my FlickR link and here are my other pictures at LFI.

My Presentation at the MeeGo Conference SFO 23-25 may 2011

2011-05-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Performance Tips & Tricks for QT/QML Apps: MeeGo Conference San Francisco, Hyatt Regency, May 23-25,2011

Learn the Best practices for QML Application Architecture, Know the Tips and tricks related to show QML in a MeeGo device. Best practices for Qt/QML development and conventions to avoid in QML development. Learn the programming guidelines that apply to QML.

A refreshing list of Tips and Tricks and to optimize your QML applications and know what to avoid.

Performance Tips & Tricks for QT/QML Apps: MeeGo Conference San Francisco, Hyatt Regency, May 23-25,2011

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal

Here is the Video at Linux Foundation website

Logo Idea Human Rights

2011-05-18T00:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my logo idea for Human Rights,

'Right' Hand at Heart

'Call against Rights Violation'

A Human with a right symbol which symbolizes a "one hand call out" against rights violations

if you like it Vote for it here
http://humanrightslogo.net/ideas/14568

http://humanrightslogo.net/ideas/14080

Here is the video to fill the gap, great eye opener context !

The Software Architect - Juval Lowy

2011-05-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

"It's amazing that wikipedia has an entry for "Software Crisis", but the most amazing part is, it is dated 1972" - Juval Lowy. software architect and the principal of IDesign

In his session on Software Architect at Bay.Net Microsoft Campus at 4/5/2010, Juval talks about how the Software industry is in deep crisis. He talks about Technology and Architecture, how Sherlock Holmes would talk about Crime and Murder, with passion, shrewdeness and confidence to the level of arrogance. One of the most refreshing sessions I have attended in last 6 months.

Some notes from his presentation.

The Architect has three roles
1. Process Lead
2. Technology Lead &
3. Design Lead

And can be classified as a Technial Managers, what a wonderful way of describing Architect's role. He said, in true sense an Architect has to do the Softare engineering, and Software engineers are just the technicians. His approach towards solving the software crisis is by following the same principles we apply on any other engineering discipline, industrial, civil, etc. something to think about. I have no doubt that he is right, but what amazed me that he was so sure about that, like William Strunk Jr, commanding everybody, "omit needless words", Juval was shouting "All developers are technicians, they don't know what to do, they know how to do it", and Architect role is to define What is to be done.

5 years ago, I came across his book on Programming .Net components, It was so wonderfully written that I could not resist sending him a great congratulations for the book, and in return you won't believe, he sent me .Net Components newer edition, and yesterday I was able to shake hands with the Microsoft Legend. Wow ! Almost felt like meeting a celebrity. If you haven't already read Programming WCF Services by Juval then you are really missing something.

Leica Fotografie International featured Master Shot (2nd)

2011-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the photograph I took using Leica V Lux, of BEAN of Chicago, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section. Here (Photographing the Bean of Chicago)

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 6 Elements of Composition.

1. Simplicity (no background distraction)
2. Center of Interest
3. Repetitive patterns
4. Unique Perspective
5. Beauty of the Architecture
6. Morning Light
That adds up to 60 in PhotoScore.

Here is my FlickR link and here are my other pictures at LFI.

Angry Developer: Creating the Game in QML

2011-04-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I was getting a lot of emails about the Angry Developer so decided to blog about just the game with the slides and the code. Let me know if you have suggestions to improve the game.

Download Code here : http://tinyurl.com/AngryDeveloper

Angry Developer: Creating the Game in QML

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal

Presentation at Linux Foundation Embedded Linux Conference

2011-04-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here is my presentation on QML and JavaScript for MeeGo devices, at Embedded Linux Conference San Francisco 2011.

Description:
Learn to develop News, Social, Tools and Fun & Game Apps using QML and JavaScript on MeeGo devices. Know how to apply some advanced graphics and animations with simple QML and see how JavaScript allows you to create a feature rich application. No C++ required. A tutorial with live demos targeted to beginner to intermediate Mobile developers interested in developing mobile applications on Linux based Mobile Devices.

Fun with QML and JavaScript: Embedded Linux Conference 11th April 2011, Hotel Kabuki, San Francisco

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Build Cutting edge Mobile Apps using QML and JavaScript

2011-04-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

My Presentation at Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit Apr7 2011 San Francisco.

Angry Developer Take 2
-------------------------
Learn to create cutting-edge mobile applications using QML and JavaScript on MeeGo devices. Know how to apply some advanced graphics and animations with simple QML and see how JavaScript allows you to create a feature rich application. No C++ required. A tutorial with live demos targeted to beginner to intermediate Mobile developers interested in developing mobile applications on Linux based mobile devices.

Build Cutting edge Mobile Apps using QML and JavaScript: Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit Apr7 2011 San Francisco

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

My Presentation at Flourish conference

2011-04-03T10:57:00.001-07:00

Here is the Video for the Conference ! Link to blip.tv

Fun with QML & JavaScript on MeeGo, at University of Illinois at Chicago for Flourish Conference, Apr 2nd 2011.

Build cutting edge mobile applications using QML and JavaScript on MeeGo devices. Know how to apply some advanced graphics and animations with simple QML and see how JavaScript allows you to create a feature rich application. A tutorial with live demos targeted to beginner to intermediate Mobile developers interested in developing mobile applications on Linux based Mobile Devices. No C++ required.

Download sourcecode for the demo game Angry Developers: http://tinyurl.com/AngryDeveloper

Fun with QML & JavaScript on MeeGo

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Leica Fotografie International featured Master Shot

2011-03-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the photograph I took using Leica V Lux, at Farmer's Market Mountain View, which was chosen by Leica Fotografie International in the Master Shots section. Here (Tomato Test 2nd one)

Q: What make this photo extraordinary ?
A: 7 Elements of Composition.

1. Center of Interest
2. Rule of thirds
3. Vibrant Color
4. Repetitive patterns
5. Living person
6. Story
7. Perspective

That adds up to 70 in PhotoScore.

Here is the link to individual picture at LFI, and here are my other pictures at LFI. This picture is going to be featured in the book Universal Elements of Composition in Photography, coming soon.

Nokia in Wonderland !

2011-02-26T23:33:00.000-08:00

Nokia Silicon Valley Grand celebration in Sunnyvale got everybody excited. The theme was Wonderland so every floor was decorated with full of curiosities from "Alice in Wonderland". You could meet, The Queen, The Caterpillar ,The Rabbit and a number of Alice's were roaming around the floor. They seems to have captured almost everyone's imagination.

In the picture from MeeGo Team, Samir, Markku, Anna, Sarvanane, John, and more...

Here is the slideshow

My FlickR Gallery

2011-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Semantic Web with Silverlight

2011-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

Vote for my session at Microsoft Mix Conference 2011.

Semantic Web with Silverlight

Learn how Silverlight is the only tool which can provide the key ingredients for Semantic Web, the best possible performance, richest user interface, most widespread reach, hardware support, and privacy, and how it will always be better than HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript combined. Know how Silverlight distinguishes itself by delivering pixel perfect interface, 3D animations, live camera support, XML and REST based Web services, next generation Media, RIA services and cross platform support and how it is already making the vision of Semantic Web true today.

If this sounds interesting vote for it here

FREE BOOK: Developing Web Widget with HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX

2011-01-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

I got 5 publishers copy left for the book Developing Web Widget with HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX If you live in USA and if you want to learn developing Web Widgets, send me your address. I will send you the book for FREE.

The only thing I will want in return is, after reading the book you do an honest review for the Developing Web Widget book at amazon.com. This will help me write the next edition of the book and help others decide on the book.

More about the book at http://widgets-gadgets.com.

Email your U.S. address to connectrajesh[@]hotmail[.]com

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites !

2011-01-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Vote for my session at Microsoft Mix Conference 2011.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites !

What makes a website stick? Why does people return to some websites where as other with similar functionality perish? Whether "Don't Make Me Think" is important or is it the "Design of Everyday things”? Graphics and CSS make a website effective, or Web standards? If you put together top 100 websites under a microscope and look at their 10 year history, Eye Wide Open clear pattern emerges, and you will be amazed to know the 7 habits of the highly effective Websites.

Its going to be amazing so don't forget to Vote for it.

Presenting on MeeGo at Flourish 2011 Open Source Conference

2011-01-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Flourish goal is to promote the use of open source software and provide a gathering place for open source enthusiasts in the Chicagoland area.

I am speaking at Flourish 2011 in Chicago April 1st on MeeGo Devices ! My Presentation is on

Fun with QML and JavaScript on MeeGo
Build cutting edge mobile applications using QML and JavaScript on MeeGo devices. Know how to apply some advanced graphics and animations with simple QML and see how JavaScript allows you to create a feature rich application. No C++ required.

A tutorial with live demos targeted to beginner to intermediate Mobile developers interested in developing mobile applications on Linux based Mobile Devices.

So if MeeGo sounds like Fun, you will see how QML and JavaScript triple that fun for MeeGo Developers. mmore info on MeeGo at http://MeeGo.com.

10 Tips for Mobile Website Design

2010-11-21T22:16:00.001-08:00

My other presentation at MeeGo Conference Dublin, Ireland (18th Nov.)

Session Summary:
How to create a mobile version of your website? Do you need to optimize your current website for mobile devices or design a completely new website? Do you need to worry about different platforms, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian, Blackberry, Linux, Brew, Android, Nokia and MeeGo? What resolution, what screen size you should target, and what is this PPI anyway? In this session, mobile web usability expert and co-author of Beginning Smartphone Web Development, Rajesh Lal will discuss ten pragmatic tips, for designing website for mobile devices.
Session Abstract:

Ten Tips to design Mobile website for maximum number of users and devices in the least amount of time.

10 Tips for Mobile Website Design

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Build Amazing Mobile Apps using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript

2010-11-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

Here is my presentation at MeeGo Conference in Dublin Ireland on Building amazing mobile apps using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. It was lot of fun in front of 200+ crowd. A thrilling experience.

Develop Mobile Application for the next generation MeeGo Mobile devices using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.

Session Abstract:

Come and know all about the Mobile Apps development process in MeeGo HTML5 technology, available device APIs, and the latest web technologies supported in MeeGo devices. The presentation with live demo is targeted for beginner to intermediate level mobile developers who are keen to learn about developing application using web technology.

Build Amazing Mobile Apps using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Here is the Video from Linux Foundation.org http://videos.linuxfoundation.org/video/1920

Pictures from MeeGo Conference 2010

2010-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

Finally got sometime to upload the pictures from the MeeGo Conference 2010, At Dublin Ireland. Here is the complete slideshow.

click for the picture gallery

MeeGo Meetup at Hackers Dojo Mountain View

2010-10-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

We had this great MeeGo meetup at Hacker's Dojo at Mountian View, fantastic place for any developer event, My talk was about W3C Widget and their support in MeeGo devices, I was surprised how many people were not clearly aware of this game changer W3C Widget specification which MeeGo Device supports and how easy it is to create a widget for MeeGo.

Here is my presentation on the Topic.

W3C Widget and MeeGo

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Lot of excitement around the web technology.

Here is my picture taken by Quim during the presentation.

And here is the audience

More info at http://www.meetup.com/SFBay-MeeGo-Network/calendar/14850928/

Cheers to MeeGo

Picture with Steve Jobs, and Steve Woznaik

2010-10-15T04:24:00.001-07:00

Don't believe it ? Here is the proof.

My recent trip to Computer History Museum, Mountain View was an exhilarating experience.

Here is another historic picture of Vinod Khosla and other founders of SUN Microsystems.

If this does not inspire the Silicon Valley Mojo into you then I don't know what will :)

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

2010-09-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

My recent move had me with 20 boxes of non-technical, and 10 boxes of technical books, If you are trying to imagine how they look like, here is the non technical books piled together.

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at the books he read, or can you ? More ? here, here, here, & here

Design Patent: Honeycomb Design

2010-09-01T16:59:00.001-07:00

Design Patent: Honeycomb Design

Finally I got two Design Patents, for Honeycomb design for Mobile devices, Both were filed by Sony Electronics, San Diego. Honeycomb design was also used in the Microsoft Mobile 6.5, and hopefully we will see more Sony devices based on the patent.

Here are the links to the two design patents:

A User Interface for Mobile device inspired by Honeycomb structure with Hexagonal Grid

Honeycomb User Interface Design

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal

Basis :

1. Hexagon structure gives the optimum space for individual Plug-ins
2. Hexagon structure is best suited for Thumb Interaction
3. Hexagon structure gives consistency in user interface
4. Hexagonal structure is uniquely suited for both Right handed as well as Left Handed persons which is most important in a Mobile device interaction.

HEXAGONAL HONEYCOMB CONJECTURE: The proof that hexagonal tiling provides the least-perimeter way to enclose infinitely many unit areas. This is useful for us as we can have any number of plugins and displaying the plugins ICON view in a Hexagonal structure can give the optimum usage of space.

Weblinks

Money Intelligence

2010-07-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

If you are interested to start a startup you might want to check the following video by Mint CEO Aaron Patzer’s. Quite inspiring.

Mint CEO Aaron Patzer on Startups from Techcrunch on Vimeo.

Here is his presentation.

Startup Building 101 -

Everything You Wanted To Know About Startup Building But Were Afraid To Ask

Info on the company and Aaron

CrunchBase Information

Mint.com

CrunchBase Information

Aaron Patzer

Information provided by CrunchBase

Most Effective Designs are Least Complicated

2010-06-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

My experiment with Parasignals in design course gave birth to the following quote and design

Do I need an example ?

If you don't know parasignals here is a crash course.

Here is some more information by Crawford Dunn

Give me your comments !

Yours Sincerely

2010-06-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

My picture at Carmel Valley by the sea.

Rajesh Lal

The Book is here: Developing Web Widget with HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX

2010-03-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

My most awaited book on Web Widget got published today (11th march) by CreateSpace and is available to buy from all the popular book stores. So if you ever wanted to create a secure and high performance web widget, here is a comprehensive book on the topic.

About - Developing Web Widget using HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX

Buy the Web Widget Book

To create a successful web widget, the only complete guide you need is Developing Web Widget with HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX.
In the Complete Guide to Web Widget you learn:

1. Know what are Web Widget and how they work

2. Create Hello World Widget with HTML, CSS and JavaScript

3. Create Rating Widget using HTML, CSS, JSON and AJAX

4. Know design guidelines and standard practices for Widget development

5. Create high performance Widget with bootstrapper

6. Create RSS Widget with Ajax, cross domain proxy server and Google ajax feed APIs

7. Create Widget using Facebook APIs and Facebook UI framework

8. Understand the Revenue Model of the Widget

Back Cover

Download Free source code and sample chapters from http://widgets-gadgets.com

Buy the Web Widget Book

What Makes a Good Design

2010-02-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

A good design in my opinion, needs to achieve its goal clearly, what it was primarily meant for.

1. Solving a problem creatively
2. Communicating an idea effectively
3. Plain aesthetic, which makes people wonder

To solve a problem creatively "Form follow function" is a great principle because its focus is the functionality which is the solution to the given problem. To communicate an idea effectively, visual delight becomes more important, effective display of the core idea with the help of minimum amount of pictures, words or illustration makes a greater impact. Plain aesthetic design can be achieved with both simplicity as well as abstractness, it is not limited to any design principles and neither are means to an end. It could be a visual delight and can also reflect an Idea.

So what makes people wonder ?

I think that this quality is the impact of a good design.

One way would be to make it very simplistic, for example Picaso's famous painting make people wonder because of hte simplicity.

Another way is if the picture has extraordinary depth for example the Barbershop by Norman Rockwell has amazing lights http://www.nrm.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Shuffletons_Barbershop_300.jpg

yet another way to make people wonder is by hidden meaning or trick in the picture

So what do you think ?

First step in the Right direction

2010-02-11T23:29:00.000-08:00

After working for a decade in software industry, when I realize that it is not the MBA or Project Management route I want to take, my options looked quite limited, but some soul searching, and I realized what I really want to do, to learn fundamentals of drawing, design, typography, and illustrations.

Not long after, I came across the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and their online course in Design which also give a Diploma in Digital Design.

The Diploma in Digital Design course was almost mesmerizing. It was like waiting there to be discovered by me.

* Fundamentals of Design
* Concept Development
* Typography
* Digital Image Manipulation
* Electronic Design
* Design Principles
* Digital Illustration
* Design and Technology
* Portfolio G313
* Foundations of Electronic Production
* Interactive Portfolio Design
* Advanced Computer Graphics

Small enough to be finished in 5 quarters and big enough to give me a diploma, now that's a lucky find.

So I filled the online application and came to the part where you have to write an essay why you want to join. That stopped me, but not for long, today afternoon my admission counselor called me and said she will hold the call till I finish the essay. now thats some persuasion ! Phew, no way out, she is waiting in the call. So here is the 185 words I came up in 10 minutes !

--------------------- ESSAY ---------------------
I remember the first time when I came across the book "Universal Principles of Design" by William Lidwell, I was immensely fascinated by the possibilities to which design principles can be implemented in the real life. Another revolutionary book which affected me a lot was "The Design of every day things" by Donald Norman. These two books opened my eyes to a good design and a better user experience, since then I started blogging about design at http://abcofdesign.com and got interested to learn the fundamentals.

After working for many years in designing and developing user interfaces for desktop, distributed and mobile applications, I have realized that a good design makes a lot of difference, and having an aptitude for User Interface and User Experience, I think learning about digital design can help me get to know the basics.

Being a Senior Engineer with an interest in Software and Product design, I see myself as a future design engineer changing/shaping the world, and for that a diploma in Digital Design is the first step in the right direction.
-------------------------------------------------

Needless to say when I re-read the essay I liked it and so did my admission counselor, she said "it was phenomenal" and "I passed it". I wonder if she says that to every other essay, but I felt really happy and so that's my first step in the direction of design.

Beginning Smartphone Web Development: Building Javascript, CSS, HTML and Ajax-Based Applications

2010-01-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

The book hit the stores today and is available at Amazon , Barnes and Noble and all popular book stores.

The Book is authored by Gail Fredrick and I have contributed a chapter on Mobile Web Usability, so if you are creating website for mobile device, this is the book to get.Buy it now

To check the latest update go to http://smallinterface.com

What will Apple iSlate Have

2010-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

There has been too many speculations on Apple Tablet PC. This is my take on that.

Apple has a reputation of emerging from the average by using mature technologies which is available otherwise to everyone and differentiate in the user experience.

IPod had no new features than an MP3 player cannot have but it was cool and it was a phenomenon
IPhone, any new feature ? well touch screen was there but not utilized in that way ever, apart from that everything else was there

Now comes the Tablet

Microsoft has a Tablet for almost 5 years now, they have got everything but success.

Amazon Kindle eReader is a reading device which does not utilize the technology to the full but earns by limiting them, you don't have USB port to transfer to and from your device.

They will utilize the Tablet multi touch screen interface
Second, a major functionality missing from Kindle is eWriter which everyone is ignoring, Microsoft Tablet has got that in a medicore way, thats where Apple will excel first. An eWriter with excellent touch, draw and write capability, if you think of it these functionality are already mature and available in any tablet.
Third eReader, where Kindle retricts and limits user by going against technology, Apple will utilize technology to the full, Wifi, usb, blue tooth, a device completely independent of the service, unlike Kindle, but can be used to download ebooks from an Apple service

Thats how Apple will do, beating Microsoft tablet and Amazon Kindle
by producing a great touch screen eWriter and a boundless eReader.

Lets see.

Vote Now: 10 Tips for Mobile Web Design !

2010-01-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

How to create a mobile version of your website? Do you need to optimize your current website for mobile devices or design a completely new website? Do you need to worry about different platforms, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian, Blackberry, Linux, Brew, Android, and Nokia? What resolution, what screen size you should target, and what is this PPI anyway? How to design for maximum number of users and devices, in the least amount of time? In this session, mobile web usability expert and author of "Beginning Smartphone Web Development", Rajesh Lal will discuss ten pragmatic tips, for designing website for mobile devices.

Interested ? VOTE for it at Mix 10 (1. Add to ballot,2. Submit ballot)

http://tinyurl.com/10TipsMobileWeb

Vote Now: Top 10 Features of Silverlight 4

2010-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

What makes Silverlight a complete platform for RIA development? What are the top desired features of a rich and interactive language, and why JavaScript, CSS3 and HTML5 cannot compete with Silverlight, not now, not ever? In this session, "Silverlight 4 How To" author Rajesh Lal show you why Silverlight really shines, by demonstrating the top ten features of Silverlight 4 and how it fits with the current web scenario. You will learn How To use these features and see running demos. More information about the book at http://silverlightfun.com

Interested ? VOTE for it at Mix 10 (1. Add to ballot,2. Submit ballot)

http://tinyurl.com/10Silverlight

My Presentation at Discover Maemo Event in Santa Clara Dec 03 2009

2009-12-05T17:07:00.001-08:00

I presented on creating Hybrid application for Maemo N900 device using Qt Web Technology, Here is the slideshow.

Qt 4.5.3 is now officially supported in Maemo Devices and is much more than promising. In the two demos I showed in the event you can create an HTML application in no time and package it for N900. Questions ? email me at rajesh.lal@nokia !

Hybrid Application Development on Maemo N900 device

Hybrid Application Development for Maemo N900 Device

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Download the demo source, Debian package and presentation here

Here is the video

Hybrid Application Development for Maemo N900 Device using Qt Webkit from rajesh lal on Vimeo.

Video Presentation on Designing Mobile Widgets

2009-10-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Finally I was able to optimize and upload my presentation video at vimeo. Here is the 20 minutes video on 'Ten Tips for Designing Mobile Widgets' at Maemo Summit, Amsterdam Netherlands, 11th October 2009.

Download the slides for the presentation. Let me know your comments !

Maemo Summit 2009: 10 Tips for Designing Mobile Widgets from rajesh lal on Vimeo.

Paperclip Principle

2009-10-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

I gave this presentation at Amsterdam 10 Tips for designing Mobile Widgets and I am getting a lot of these emails about the Paperclip principle.

Paperclip Principle inspired by the most popular paper clip (GEM) is a principle for Designing Software User Interfaces which is based on a simple assumption and my experience that:

Most effective designs are least complicated

When designing a User Interface you need to take care of three things, The user interface should be

1. Easy to Look At
2. Easy to Understand
3. Easy to Use

It is my belief that if you follow these three guidelines, you will achieve an effective design on developing an interface for any device.

Ten Tips For Designing Mobile Widgets - Slides

2009-10-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Here is my presentation at Maemo Summit, Amsterdam Netherlands, 11th October 2009

Ten Tips For Designing Mobile Widgets 2009 Maemo Summit Amsterdam

View more presentations from Rajesh Lal.

Also check pictures of the event here

Developing apps on Maemo with Nokia Web Runtime

2009-10-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Demo with Santtu Ahonen, Head of Developer Offering, Nokia
9th October - 17.00 - 17.25, Amsterdam

Developing apps on Maemo with Nokia Web Runtime

View more presentations from santtuahonen.

Maemo 5 user interface

2009-08-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Maemo 5 UI just rocks, here is a video,

Mark Your Calendar: October 9-11 Maemo Summit at Amsterdam, the Netherlands

2009-08-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am presenting at Maemo Summit 2009 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Here are the details of my presentation.

Mobile Widget Development and Trends

Intended audience: Widget Developers/Mobile Application Developers
Talk type: Presentation/Demo
Abstract/description

A presentation on Mobile Widget Development, and how Maemo platform distinguishes itself with Common Web Runtime and QT, and provides a strong foundation for Mobile Developers across the World.

Features:

Get an understanding of the overused Term Widget
Know about Web Widgets and Mobile Widgets
Understand the Current Trends in Mobile Development
See the Definite Advantage of Maemo Platform for Widget Development
Gain knowledge about Common Web Runtime and QT

Be there !

Nokia N900 is here !

2009-08-27T04:27:00.001-07:00

Linux-based, Firefox and Flash in a mobile device, takes us into a new era of mobile computing.

The specs include a 3.5-inch 800x480 pixel (resistive) touchscreen, sliding QWERTY, 32GB of on-board storage expandable to 48GB via microSD, GPS/A-GPS, FM transmitter, TV-out, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, 1320mAh battery, and 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash. Better yet, this monster MID brings the power of the ARM Cortex-A8, up to 1GB of application memory, and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration to make quick work of polygons and what Nokia promises will be a "PC-like experience on a handset-sized device." It also brings a Mozilla-based Maemo browser with Adobe Flash 9.4 support. As expected, it'll be on display at Nokia World next week before this quad-band GSM/EDGE, 900/1700/2100MHz UMTS/HSPA handset heads to select markets in October for €500 (pre tax and pre carrier subsidy).

http://maemo.nokia.com/

Target for 2009 - Steve Jobs

2009-08-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

When talking with my Boss, I realized that what I want to become is a great presenter.

So what's the target ?

" To become a presenter as good as Steve Jobs "

Now that's some target for 2009. What is your's ?

Where to Start? Here. They don't say "Where There is Will There is a Way" Just like that, see.

Association of Computing Machinery

2009-07-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

My interest in Mathematics and Computer Science got me into Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, delivers resources that advance computing as a science and a profession. ACM provides the computing field's premier Digital Library and serves its members and the computing profession with leading-edge publications, conferences, and career resources.

I joined last month and am an ACM professional now. Interested ? Click here to join.

I have few research topics related to User Interface / User Experience, which I am going to publish on.

Wait for It !

Mayan Countdown (Mix 10K Contest)

2009-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

My adventures with Silverlight got me into Mix 10K Contest.

The most challenging part was to come up with an interesting application in 10 kilobytes. Believe me it needs a lot of imagination and I spent 80 percent of the time thinking what to do and 20 percent on "how to" of it :)

Here is my entry Mayan Countdown[^]

Here is how it looks like in action! The Mayan Countdown is a time line for the end of Mayan Calendar. 21st Dec 2012. That's it.

Don't forget to vote/comment on it :)

Point Resume

2009-01-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

Introducing Point Resume: Resume in Points in a slideshow format.

Who has time to go through your 10 page resume ? Here is a new approach to create your resume in points in simple slides. Employers can, not only know about you with in a minute, but can be impressed if you put things in the correct order. What is a correct order ? Well ! "the order" in which "relevant to the Job" details come first.

Point Resume format in 11 simple slides

1. Name and Contact Details
2. Summary
3. List of Points (4-10, like a Table of Content)
4. Expertise
5. Roles in Industry (Experience)
6. Extraordinary Achievements / Skills
7. Achievement
8. Certification
9. Education
10. Others
11. Contact Details AGAIN

Keep in Mind
1. Be Professional
2. Be Precise
3. Be Clear

Thanks for Reading. Here is a SAMPLE Point Resume FORMAT

Point Resume

View more presentations from The Force.

The Story of India

2008-10-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

Aravind Adiga, 33, won the 40th Man Booker prize on Tuesday night for his debut novel, “The White Tiger,” a vivid exploration of India’s class struggle told through the story of a village boy who becomes the chauffeur to a rich man.

Now that is pretty much the story of India. India is changing from "poor village boy" through "class struggle" to "winning the booker's prize". Bravo Aravind !

User Interface Design

2008-10-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

Designing Great User Interfaces

The third part of the User Experience presentation.

User Interface Design

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: user experience)

Click here to download the presentation

Feynman Problem-Solving Algorithm

2008-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Richard P Feynman, an American physicist, scientist, teacher, raconteur, and musician.

Whenever I come across a complex problem , I follow the Feynman's Problem Solving Algorithm.

The Feynman Problem-Solving Algorithm:
(1) Write down the problem
(2) Think very hard
(3) Write down the answer

You know, what's the hard part ? Write down the problem.This looks very simple but try it out. You will find your thoughts scattered.

The moment you write down the problem clearly, your mind starts thinking over the problem. It takes few hours to few days(sometimes). You have to sleep on it. If the problem is tricky sometimes it takes few days. But if you think hard, sooner or later you will find a solution. the moment you get the light bulb moment, Write it down.

I think this is a Simple and effective approach for solving almost any kind of problems. And Mr. Feynman, a great inspiration for all times.

Web Usability

2008-09-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Tips on Designing great web pages

The second part of the User Experience presentation.

Web Usability

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: user experience)

Click here to download the presentation

What We Do !

2008-08-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

I came across this beautiful quote by John Ruskin, a perfect addition for my common place diary.

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence.

The only consequence is what we do !"

Check out The Elements of Drawing by John Ruskin

User Experience - An Introduction

2008-07-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

I gave a presentation on User Experience, lately . Here is the slideshow

Let me know what you guys think

Creating Vista Gadget: Published - 15th May 2008

2008-05-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I was working on a book for last one year "Creating Vista Gadgets using HTML, CSS and JavaScript - Sams Publishing" Well the result, the book got published recently and is available from today 15th May 2008 in all major book stores.

Creating Vista Gadgets
using HTML, CSS, & JavaScript

Front Cover Back Cover Author Photo

More about the book at http://www.innovatewithgadgets.com

Get the gadget book free
--------------------------------------
If you are in United States and are interested in getting one of the complimentary copy from my publisher please send me your address and I will send you a free copy. this is limited to first 20 people who send me the address :) [UPDATE] All 20 copies are gone, buy it from the link given below.[/UPDATE]

http://www.innovatewithgadgets.com/2008/04/get-gadget-book.html

Code Project MVP !

2008-01-04T00:26:00.000-08:00

How do you feel to be among the chosen 40 in a four million membered developer community codeproject.com ? In one word, elated. Having your name beside legends like Michael Dunn, Christian Graus, Nishant Sivakumar, Colin Angus Mackay, Marc Clifton, DavidCrow and others is an honour for a life time.

Check Quartz.(Alias) at Hall of Fame

When I saw the email, that I was awarded as Code Project Most Valuable Professional (MVP), I was surprised and happy at the same time. The year 2007 flashed by my eyes. All that, I learned and taught, the knowledge I gathered and shared, the articles, I wrote, applications I made, discussions and arguments at code project lounge, the prizes, I was awarded at code project, everything came in front of me in Vista Aero 3D style. It was like Code Project summed up everything I did, in three words, "Code Project MVP".

Check my articles here

Here is the List of awarded MVP's for 2008 at Code Project. My Alias is Quartz.(the tenth from the top) at Code Project. and here is the portion of the email I recieved.

"One of our most important announcements, however, is our MVP list for 2008. It's with pleasure, thanks and a little awe that I present to you our most helpful, our most prolific and our most valuable professionals:

The Founder of code project Chris Maunder also offered unlimited beers to the recipients. "If you can make it to Sydney in a couple of weeks Michael Martin has promised to buy you all as many beers as you want." Now thats the spirit.

So, what do you think ?

It's Time for Silverlight

2008-01-02T00:29:00.000-08:00

So finally I gave the long awaited Silverlight Presentation

Its time for Silverlight , Lots of discussion, Everybody liked it, I thought they will be overwhelmed and I will get a chance to start working on some "cutting edge" and "compelling" Silverlight projects. Not that much impressed ! Check the Slide Show

Here is the gist

Slide 1: Microsoft Silverlight An Introduction Rajesh Lal

Slide 2: What is Silverlight? Technology Overview Architecture Silverlight & Flash Silverlight Media Business Model Creating a Silverlight application

Slide 3: What is Silverlight? Definition Why it’s time for Silverlight Silverlight Background Difference between 1.0 and 1.1

Slide 4: Definition Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications(RIA) for the Web

Check the Slide show

View | Upload your own

How to write English properly

2007-12-13T00:34:00.000-08:00

Funny gem of a collection !
1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.

11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
19. The passive voice is to be ignored.
20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.

21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
25. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.

26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
29. Who needs rhetorical questions?
30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. And the last one...
31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Nancy and the Craftsman

2007-12-11T00:38:00.000-08:00

Milton Caniff, the creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, once said "a comic strip artist is like the director, the producer and the actor of his own stage play. " Using a similar analogy, Ernie Bushmiller was the architect, th e surveyor, and the building contractor for his own construction project.

Nancy was carefully designed to stand out clearly on the newspaper page and to be easily read and understood. Every line and letter had a specific purpose, and the composition of each panel was balanced and pleasing to the eye. The total effect was a masterfully crafted product that delivered its message with economy and precision. Bushmiller's creation served its function like a Shaker chair.

Ernie worked on an unconventional but regular schedule. Starting on Sunday evenings, he would finish six daily strips by Tuesday evening, often staying up until 2 AM. After taking two days off in the middle of the week, he then tackled the Sunday page on Friday and Saturday. A night owl, Ernie often said he got up at the "crack of noon".

Thinking up ideas was a laborious process for Ernie as he described in the following account: "I start with a blank piece of drawing paper and just sweat and stew until I think of a subject that seems likely to produce a ludicrous situation. I jot down items such as toaster, leaky roof, folding-chair, mail box, windy day, etc. ... anything that comes to mind. Looking at the advertising in a magazine like Life also helps, or a Sears-Roebuck catalog. When I find an item that seems likely, I start to kick it around in my mind to see if I can work out a fun ny situation. If nothing jells after a reasonable time, I discard it and try another item. Sooner or later my mind warms up and I get the nucleus of an idea. I usually can visualize how the last panel will turn out, so I start to pencil in the finish of the strip very roughly. If it looks okay, I the n w backwards toward the starting panels. I a work my strips in reverse. In this way I can the best path leading to the snapper. "

Above : Rough sketch of the visual "punchline pan el". Below: The finished s .

From the Collection of James T. Carlsson

Bushmiller rarely made preliminary sketches like the one on the previous page. When he was ready to produce his finished strips, he would pencil directly on the drawing paper. He would ink six dailies at once, switching from one to another to avoid boredom. The clean, accurate lines of Nancy were executed with the aid of drafting tools . Bushmiller claimed that his early experience producing crossword puzzles for the New York World taught him how to use a T-square.

Most of the punch lines in Nancy are visual, so the pictures need to be clearly readable to get the gag across. "I leave out all extraneous detail that may catch the eye and detract from the main point", Bushmiller explained. He went on to describe his unique philosophy of graphic layout: "I try to get some black into the object I am stressing if it is at all feasible. In a visual gag strip, clarity is more important than an artistic effect. I think variety in the panels helps the appearance of a strip. Long shots, close-ups and medium shots attract the eye and are useful in putting your idea across.

Composition is extremely important. By composition, I mean intelligent placing of your objects and characters so as to make it as easy as possible for your reader to get what you 're driving at."

Ernie Bushmiller will always be fondly remembered by his peers in the funny business as the "workingman's cartoonist".

No Tears In The Writer

2007-10-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this recently , loved it

“No Tears In The Writer, No Tears In The Reader.” by Robert Frost.

The best writer’s feel passion about what they are writing. If the
passion is not present, the emotion is not there. If the emotion is there,
forget trying to please a reader because they will not be compelled to read any
more of your stuff. You must believe in what you write, you must feel what you
write, you must know what you write. If you do not, your readers will know.

Basic Instructions by Scott Adams

2007-08-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Basic Instructions, Part 1

Several months ago I clicked on a web link that led me to a comic called
Basic Instructions, by Scott Meyer. I thought, “Damn, this is good.” So I sent
him my compliments via e-mail.

Scott replied, expressing deep suspicion that I was really the Dilbert
cartoonist and not some a-hole yanking his chain. I thought, “Damn, he’s cynical
and paranoid. He’s a natural cartoonist.”

Somehow I convinced him I was real. Over the course of the next few months I
offered him some tips for getting syndicated in newspapers. It dawned on me that
my blog readers might want to follow that conversation, like a reality show, and
see if my sage advice can help a talented unknown hit the big time.

You can help. Over the next month or more, with Scott’s permission, I’ll give
you updates showing my advice and his responses. Your comments will guide us.
When his work gets to the point where I think he should submit it for
syndication, I’ll show him how that’s done and let you follow along.

Yes, he is a lucky bastard. But talent causes luck, so it’s not a complete
accident.

First, let me catch you up. Start where I did, at his web page, and check out
some of his work as I first saw it. Be sure to read his comic titled “How to
Disguise a Yawn.”

http://www.basicinstructions.net/

The format Scott uses fits his writing style perfectly. Unfortunately, that
physical shape, and his wordiness, won’t sell to major newspapers. Newspapers
are looking for single-panel strips like Bizarro, or the three-or-four panel
strips like Dilbert. And the words have to be large enough for their older
subscribers to read. That means less wordiness and larger text.

My first advice to Scott was to put the comic in strip format and reduce the
wordiness to improve its marketability. Multi-panel strips are easier to sell
than single-panel strips because newspapers use more of them.

A change in format is a huge decision for a cartoonist. Cartoonists tend to
be natural single-panel writers or natural multi-panel writers. If I tried to
put Dilbert in one panel, it would fall flat. If Gary Larsen had written The Far
Side in more than one panel, I think he would have flopped. Douglas Adams needed
a whole page for a joke. Henny Youngman needed one sentence. I think those
differences are hard coded. You need to find the format that fits your
writing.

After a few rounds of trying to fit into the strip format, here are a few
samples of what Scott came up with.

I’ll have lots more advice on making it more marketable. But now it’s your
turn. What do you think?

Basic Instructions, Part 2

Holy crap. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a positive response to a new
comic. (See yesterday’s comments.) It looks as if about 80% of you like it a
lot.

Let me put that in perspective.

Dilbert is in 2,000 newspapers, and I would guess that only 20% of the
general public enjoys it. That’s all it takes to be a big commercial success,
especially if that 20% is an identifiable demographic group.

Pick almost any famous music group and ask yourself what percentage of the
general public loves it. First, 70% of the public won’t like music from the
entire genre (country, hip hop, whatever). If your art moves two-out-of-ten
people, that’s huge.

Readers of The Dilbert Blog are far from a representative sample of the
world, so one must use caution in interpreting the feedback. As I described in a
much earlier post, the thing you look for in evaluating entertainment is
physical activity, not opinion. These two comments, for example, are not
equal:

1. I love that comic.
2. I added it to my RSS feed.

Saying you love a comic is words. Adding it to your RSS feed, or taping it to
your door, are examples of action. While only 20% of the public might enjoy
Dilbert, the workplace humor inspires an unusual amount of action. It’s probably
the most copied comic of all time, thanks to the Internet. Action predicts
commercial potential.

If you look at the comments about Basic Instruction, you see a lot of action.
People added it to their favorites list, or subscribed to it, or said they would
buy it in book or calendar form.

Opinions were divided on whether the original square-and-wordy format was
better than the slimmed down comic strip panel form. The comic strip form is far
more commercial, assuming you are selling to newspapers. But as many of you
pointed out, the market for newspapers is shrinking. Many of you advise that
Scott Meyer should take his work directly to books and calendars and Internet
publishing.

Has that ever worked?

Yes, on a small scale. I believe Scott could leverage the visibility he is
getting here to earn perhaps $100K per year with a small book deal, small
calendar deal, self-publication in smaller alternative newspapers, and a small
but growing Internet presence. I put his odds of making that strategy work at
about 90%.

Now let’s look at newspaper syndication. Assuming the comic got picked up by
500 newspapers in five years, and licensing started to take off (books,
calendars, greeting cards), that would put him in the $500K to $1 million per
year range, with lots of room for upside growth. But what are the odds of that
happening, even with my support?

Only a handful of comics per decade have made it to 500 newspapers. And the
newspaper industry is struggling, so the odds of it happening again are falling
fast. In all likelihood, Dilbert will be the last mega-comic, and it launched in
1989.

Syndication means splitting your earnings, typically 50-50, with the
syndication company, in the hope that they can more than double your sales. For
a complete unknown, as I was in 1989, that’s an easy choice. But Scott Meyer
already has traction, a small stream of income from Internet ads and small
publications, interest from potential licensees, and now some extra attention
from this blog.

What are Scott’s odds of making the syndication path work? If he keeps to the
old and square format, I would say 5%. If he moves to the strip form, all things
considered, I think his odds of getting an offer for syndication are 90%, and
his odds of making 500 newspapers, even in a declining market, might be as high
as 50%. If that happened, even if newspapers continued their decline, it would
be a springboard to larger book and calendar deals, etc.

The rational path is to try and develop the strip to the point where Scott
gets a syndication offer. Then he can make his decision.

Your question of the day is this: Should Scott stick to relationship humor,
so the comic is easier to market, or stay broad?

I’ll pause from this topic for a few days until Scott has some more
samples.

Basic Instructions, Part 3

Recently I agreed to publicly advise cartoonist Scott Meyer, in the fashion
of a reality show, with your help, as he attempts to develop his comic, Basic
Instructions, for a bigger audience. If you are new to this blog, start with
this link to catch up:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html

In my previous post on this topic, I asked my readers whether Scott Meyer
should focus his strip on relationships, to make it more marketable, or keep it
general. The overwhelming majority of readers recommended keeping it
general.

How many comics have succeeded with a “general” topic? The most successful
example that comes to mind is The Far Side. There’s also Bizarro, Herman, Bloom
County, and Non Sequitur.

But how general are they really?

Arguably, The Far Side had a wildlife theme. It usually featured some sort of
creature acting like a human. And it often focused on an unlucky coincidence,
such as the daycare center being next to the dingo dog sanctuary.

The purpose of having a theme is so readers can say, “That’s me.” The Far
Side accomplished that in a novel way. When people would send me their favorite
Far Side clipping, it was their way of saying, “This is my sense of humor. I am
weirder and darker than you might imagine.” It was completely personal. It was
also one-of-a-kind.

Bloom County had kids and a penguin and a guy in a wheelchair. Its themes
were all over the place. But interestingly, he won the Pulitzer Prize for
editorial cartooning. While the author, Breathed, certainly thought he was
covering a wide variety of themes, many readers perceived it as a political
comic.

Hold that thought, and allow me expand it with a story from my own
experience.

When Dilbert was new, a computer publication approached United Media to
reprint all of my computer-themed Dilbert strips in their magazine. The deal was
made. Then United Media went to the archives to assemble all of my
computer-related comics.

There were six.

Over a thousand Dilbert comics had been published, and both the computer
publication people and my own syndication company thought Dilbert was “about
computers.” Readers tell you what your comic is about, regardless of how many
times you address a theme.

Not long after that strange event, the media started going nuts for Dilbert.
They liked the fact that it showed the workers’ point of view. Again, this was
news to me. In the early days of Dilbert, my themes were quite general. Dilbert
had a job, but it wasn’t the focus. In those days, when I showed the workplace,
I was as likely to show the management view as the employee view. The media, and
my readers, told me I had a workplace strip that took the workers’ perspective.
I took the hint, changed the focus to actually be about the workplace, and
Dilbert’s perspective, and the strip took off like crazy.

It’s much easier to sell a comic if you can describe what it’s about in a
word or two.

Dilbert: cubicle dwellers
Cathy: women
Peanuts: kids
Calvin and
Hobbes: Little boy
For Better or For Worse: Family
Marmaduke: Big
dog
Get Fuzzy: Dog and Cat
Pearls Before Swine: Stupidity

My advice to Scott Meyer is to focus on men-women themes about 25% of the
time at this stage. That’s enough to give the strip an identity without
seriously limiting the topics he can address. And from the samples I’ve seen,
those themes are often his best.

For the other 75% of his comics, it’s enough to simply have a man and woman
in the conversation, acting as men and women do, and it will seem like a
relationship strip regardless of the topic. He can even feature one character, a
male, acting typically male, and it will still seem like a strip about men and
women in the larger context of the comic.

Strategically, if he plans to submit his work for syndication, this approach
will give the editors who review it some choices on which way to develop it.
Scott can always say no to any offer or advice. But if the only syndication
offer comes attached with the strong advice to make Basic Instructions more
about relationships, to make it easier for them to sell, Scott can at least have
that option.

Once he’s in 1,000 newspapers, he can do anything he wants.

Basic Instructions, Part 4

If you are new to my ongoing reality series on cartoonist Scott Meyer, start
with this link to catch up:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html

In an earlier post I advised Scott to try focusing on relationship themes, to
make the strip “about something,” and therefore more marketable. The readers of
this blog overwhelmingly advised the opposite.

So who gave the best advice? Was it the award-winning syndicated cartoonist
with nearly two decades of experience? Or was it the random people who have no
expertise?

See for yourself. Click to enlarge.

Yes, yes, you people with no experience as cartoonists seem to have given the
best advice. If we are to judge by these four new comics, I think you’ll agree
they don’t achieve the same level of humor as Scott’s work on http://basicinstructions.net/

But why?

First, these four comics yell to the reader, “I sat down and tried to think
of some ideas about relationships.” Once you’re in that hole, it’s hard to write
your way out. Scott’s a terrific writer, but my advice created a large
burden.

Compare these new comics to Scott’s recent comic on http://basicinstructions.net/, about trying to silently
open a bag of snacks at the movies. That premise is an inspired observation. You
immediately have that “been there” feeling. And in its own way, it is a
relationship theme because the woman solved a problem for the man. The premise
lifts the writing and makes it easy. And the reader knows the premise came from
life, not sitting and thinking of ideas.

As a creator, it’s tough to have a great inspiration every day. If you add
the constraint that the inspiration has to be in a narrow field, you bring down
the odds considerably.

Scott has another obstacle when focusing his comic on relationships, and this
one is bigger than the first: Humor requires a level of truth that is
incompatible with staying married. Realistically, Scott can’t venture too far
into relationship truth with a comic that is autobiographical.

In the aforementioned snack-opening comic, his wife was the problem-solver.
That comic works because it rings of truth. But there can’t be that many marital
truths that are also a compliment to the spouse. So Scott is limited both by the
narrow focus (relationships), and also by the fact he’s married.

When I started Dilbert, I worked in an office. I wrote truth about the
workplace, and it had an immediate negative impact on my so-called career. If
you think people will understand that a joke is just a joke, you’re wrong. Jokes
are an implied criticism. That’s why you like ‘em.

My other advice to Scott involved changing the physical form of the comic to
a rectangle, so it fits in newspapers. I also recommended making it less wordy.
Most of you advised against those changes too. Judging from the rectangle
samples I’ve seen (including a few you haven’t seen), I have to say you’re right
again. His best work is in the wordier, four-square format.

So what the hell good is all my expertise if I keep getting everything wrong?
Obviously I need to step up my game.

What now?

Do I advise Scott to quit on the relationship theme, and the strip format,
and try to be the first cartoonist to make it big the “alternative” way? Does
the Internet change the game enough to make that a smart strategy? Maybe, but
that option stays open no matter what.

Let’s try one more strategy to make the strip format and the relationship
theme work. I’d like you to suggest comic themes for Scott, based on your own
observations. They don’t have to be husband-wife centric, as long as they expose
a gender difference in how people think or act.

I’ll start. In my house, when it’s “time to go” someplace, I put on my jacket
and go stand near the door. Once there, time stands still. To me, “time to
leave” means “go stand near the door.” To other people, it signals the start of
an infinite sequence of events that may or may not culminate in leaving.

That’s a comic.

What’s your relationship observation? (Watch how hard it is to avoid clichés
you have seen a million times.)

Basic Instructions, Part 5

If you are new to my ongoing reality series on cartoonist Scott Meyer, start
with this link to catch up:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html

Readers of this blog overwhelmingly preferred reading Basic Instructions in
its original 4-panel and wordy format compared to the simpler strip format, the
sort that newspapers are more willing to buy. As an experiment, I asked Scott to
keep all of the content of an existing 4-panel square formatted strip and simply
stuff it into newspaper strip dimensions. The question was whether the lettering
would become too small to read.

Click to enlarge.

I think it works, but just barely. Newspaper readers are mostly older, and
they aren’t keen on tiny print. Without the benefit of real data, I would guess
at least twenty percent of newspaper readers would have a hard time reading
it.

But that’s true of existing comics too. Doonesbury has small text and lots of
words.

Do you think he should try to get syndicated in this hard-to-read format, or
use fewer words, increase text size, and dilute the humor density?

Basic Instructions, Part 6

In yesterday’s post I showed you how Scott Meyer’s comic, Basic Instructions,
would look stuffed into a traditional comic strip format. It’s a tight fit.

Today, as an experiment, I rewrote Scott’s joke for Dilbert, to see how many
words I could save by featuring a well-understood character, and reducing the
humor peaks from four to two.

There are only about a hundred jokes in the universe. All humorists recycle
them with their own twists and characters. In this case, you’re seeing a
variation of “advice that makes things worse.” Scott’s twist on it is great
because doing a bad job calming a child is naturally worse than doing a bad job
at most other things. His setup does half of the work. That’s how he can find
four separate humor points on one setup.

I took that same excellent setup and put it in an office setting. By
featuring Dilbert, there’s a lot I don’t have to explain to the reader. You
already know Dilbert has no skill in dealing with people, much less children.
And you know his impulse for honesty and quantifying things causes him trouble.
I don’t need words to describe any of that.

Click to enlarge

Using familiar characters, in familiar situations, makes humor work more
easily. People perceive the familiar as funnier than the abstract. Familiar
situations allow readers to add their own feelings to the situation. I would
imagine, for example, that taking your own kid to the workplace would make you
wonder about the worst thing that could happen to him there. That adds
something, if you’ve ever been in that situation or considered it.

I’m not trying to compete with Scott’s frightened child comic. It’s his joke.
If it works in Dilbert, it’s only because the setup is so strong. I’m just
showing the benefit of having established characters. And one of the benefits is
reduced words.

It should be noted that The Far Side had no established characters and used
few words. There isn’t one solution to art. I’m just showing you the
options.

Basic Instruction, Part 7

In my ongoing reality series, I continue advising Scott Meyer on how to
become a syndicated cartoonist. If you haven’t been following the story, start
here:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/08/basic-instruc-1.html

Allow me to set the stage for today. Have you noticed that bad movies seem
like good movies when you watch them on an airplane? Your context changes the
experience. On a long flight, you are delighted about any form of
stimulation.

When you judge the potential of comics, you have to make sure you have the
right context. To make my point, here are a few of the original Dilbert comics I
submitted to syndicates in 1988. These were reviewed by the top comic
syndication editors on the planet, all experts at recognizing future comic hits.
Only one editor, Sarah Gillespie, at United Media, saw potential in Dilbert and
offered me a contract. The other editors passed.

Only one other syndicate gave me a personalized response. The editor
helpfully suggested that perhaps I could find an actual artist to do the drawing
for me. Ouch.

When United Media offered me a contract, I offered to partner with a real
artist so I wouldn't embarrass them. That’s when a strange thing happened.

Sarah Gillespie said my art was fine.

Within a week, my art improved about 30%, simply because someone with
credibility told me I was an artist. It was like my very own Wizard of Oz
moment, where the Wizard told me all I needed was a syndication contract and I
would become a talented cartoonist. In the following years, my writing and art
steadily improved. It was the mid-nineties before Dilbert grew into something
the public could embrace.

That’s your context for looking at Scott Meyer’s new batch of comics. The
question to ask is “What could it become in three years.” Would he master the
3-panel strip form, and find the rhythm? Does he have the right stuff to develop
the right stuff? Is he already there?

For your comments, please tell me your age and then list any comics currently
IN NEWSPAPERS that you like better than Basic Instructions. That will be
revealing.

Basic Instruction, Part 8

In my ongoing reality series, I continue advising Scott Meyer on how to
become a syndicated cartoonist. Most recently, I asked Scott to try drawing some
strips with three panels and fewer words. That’s the formula for successful
syndication in newspapers because newspapers traditionally avoid buying anything
else.

Every writer seems to have a natural rhythm. For example, I’ve never written
a funny single-panel comic despite numerous efforts. Scott’s natural rhythm
seems to be a longer, wordier format than you see in typical newspaper comics.
But he and I both thought it was worth testing that assumption.

Here’s a comic that Scott created primarily to test the newspaper size and
word count.

I like it, but not as much as his longer form. Compare it to his archive on
http://basicinstructions.net/

Still, his short form is funnier than 90% of what you’ll see in the funny
pages today, including Dilbert. (I just checked dilbert.com. Today’s Dilbert
wasn’t my best work.)

Is being funnier than 90% of other comics enough to be syndicated? The answer
is yes, definitely, if the comic is “about something,” such as marriage, or the
workplace, or kids, etc. Without that extra demographic hook, it’s a tougher
sell. Dilbert wouldn’t have made it without the workplace angle.

Or does it make more sense for Scott to stick with the longer and funnier
format and try to grow it online while also trying to convince newspapers to
change their ways? You can fit a square peg into a round hole if you have a big
enough hammer, but new cartoonists don’t have big hammers. There’s a first time
for everything, but it’s a tough sell.

Some of you will say Scott should stick to the long form, keep his artistic
integrity, and live a modest life with a modest income. I’ll respect that advice
from anyone who quit his job as a high powered lawyer, donated his assets to
charity, and found happiness as a barista at Starbucks.

Next step, I arranged for Scott to get some expert advice from my syndication
company, United Media. What would you advise United Media to tell Scott?

1. Keep developing Basic Instruction in the short form.
2. Try to sell the
long form to newspapers.
3. Team Scott with another artist to do the
drawing.
4. Add a theme hook to the strip. Make it “about something.”
5.
Distribute the long form online only.
6. Pass.

Keep in mind that syndicates only launch about two strips every year, and
they have thousands of submissions to choose from. I doubt any submissions will
be as funny as Basic Instructions (99% are dreadful) but some could be easier to
sell.

21 Points for Success in Writing - E. B. White

2007-07-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Place yourself in the background.
Write in a way that comes naturally.
Work from a suitable design.
Write with nouns and verbs.
Revise and Rewrite.
Do not overwrite.
Do not overstate.
Avoid the use of qualifiers.
Do not affect a breezy manner.
Use orthodox spelling.
Do not explain too much.
Do not construct awkward adverbs.
Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.
Avoid fancy words.
Do not use dialect unless your ear is good.
Be Clear.
Do not inject opinion.
Use figures of speech sparingly.
Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.
Avoid foreign languages.
Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

How to Be Creative - By Scott Adams

2007-07-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

People often ask me how I come up with ideas. The fast answer is I’m just
wired that way. But there’s also a large element of technique that I can teach
you.

In some long-ago post, I described how I filter ideas with my body more than
my mind. Internally, it feels like a slot machine with the little symbols
changing in the three windows until some combination of three makes me literally
“feel” something – a laugh, a wince, an ah-ha, whatever. It’s the ideas you can
feel in your body that will engage others.

Once I have a topic that makes me feel something, I imagine myself as the
reader and ask what my thought pattern would be on this topic. I start my
writing process by acknowledging the most common view on the topic. And then I
violate it. It’s the violating that makes it fun. The pattern looks like this:
1, 2, 3, 4, taupe.

I’ll give you an example from today. I saw an article in Time magazine about
General Petraeus, the top military guy in Iraq. I skimmed the article, but a
basic assumption was that he knows more about what’s happening in Iraq than you
do. That seems obvious enough. And it made me think of all the comments on this
blog from people who said our soldiers in Iraq know than anyone else more about
how the war is going.

That’s the 1,2,3,4 part: Soldiers in Iraq know the most about the war effort
in Iraq. It seems obvious. Okay, so that’s my topic. Here comes the creative
part. I ask myself this question:

What if it’s the opposite?

That’s the universal creative question. It works on any topic. What if your
doctor tried to kill you instead of heal you? What if your obedient dog
considered you his slave? What if your H.R. director stopped pretending the
company policies were designed with the greater good in mind?

Once I figure out the opposite position from the normal, I concoct an
argument to defend it. You can make a case for just about any point of view.
When that opposite argument turns out to be about 50% sensible, it’s often
funny. When it is 90% sensible, it’s thought-provoking.

Let’s try the “opposite method” on this Iraq topic. What if the troops
fighting in Iraq are the ones who know the LEAST about whether or not we’re
winning the war? Could I make that case?

First, I’d point to the extensive, peer reviewed, science about cognitive
dissonance. The main idea is that people who volunteer for situations that turn
out bad will concoct elaborate mental justifications for why they did what they
did. According to that theory, anyone who volunteered to defend the country, and
found themselves in Iraq, would have low credibility on the question of “Is it
working?” These folks would have the greatest access to the facts, while
simultaneously having the least objectivity for evaluating those facts. In other
words, even if the “surge” is not working, scientists would predict that a huge
number of soldiers involved in the conflict would interpret the situation as a
success in the making, or at least superior to all alternatives.

I love and respect the troops, but they are human.

Second, I’d point out that most of our information about the war comes from
the generals. All leaders are unreliable. A general would be fired immediately
if he said the surge was a bad idea. And if a general believed the surge might
succeed, even as a long shot, he’d be a crappy leader if he told anyone his true
assessment of the odds. So you can’t believe the leaders.

How about the individual troops? Cognitive dissonance aside, at the very
least, they can report the facts, right? But soldiers only see the battles
they’re in. If you hear from a soldier in a hopeless part of Iraq, he’s more
likely to think a surge won’t work. If he’s assigned to a place where things are
going well, he’s more likely to think that success could be duplicated. It’s the
classic analogy of the three blind men trying to describe an elephant. One blind
man feels the elephant’s trunk and says an elephant is just like a snake, etc.
No soldier is in a position to see all of Iraq.

Many of you will read this opposite-argument and say, “Yeah, I see your
points, but still, the soldiers are the best source we have.” Okay, let’s say
60% of the soldiers think the surge isn’t working and 40% think it is. Unless
you know how many soldiers are having cognitive dissonance, or how many are
suppressing a negative opinion in case someone finds out, you have no useful
information whatsoever.

Go.

Writing Funny by Scott Adams

2007-07-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Writing Funny

Today I will teach you how to write funny. I will be referring to my earlier
post about the world’s tallest man. Read that one first, two posts below, if you
haven’t already.

Picking a Topic
-------------------

The topic does half of your work. I look for topics that have at least one of
the essential elements of humor:

Clever
Cute
Bizarre
Cruel
Naughty
Recognizable

In order for something to be funny, it has to have at least two of the six
elements of humor. A story about a 7-foot 9-inch Mongolian herdsman marrying a
smallish woman is bizarre all by itself. In the humor context, bizarre simply
means two things you wouldn’t normally find together.

Notice how many of the humor elements I worked into my post about the tall
herdsman:

Clever: Retrieving an iPod in a clever way, and the salmon in a canoe
analogy

Cruel: Shish Kabob accident with his wife

Bizarre: Conjoined twins with two heads and one vagina, huge man with
smallish wife, and a Mongolian herdsman with an iPod.

Naughty: The entire post

The story of the world’s tallest man wasn’t “recognizable” in any meaningful
way, so it lacked that element. For many people, that element is the only
important one, and the other dimensions are just flavor. If you leave out the
“recognizable” element, many people won’t relate to the situation. I took that
chance because the other elements were so strong.

I also left out the “cute” element, but that one is never essential. It mixes
best with the “cruel” and “bizarre” elements, e.g. a bunny with a bazooka.

Simple Sentences
---------------------

Keep your writing simple, as if you were sending a witty e-mail to a friend.
Be smart, but not academic. Prune words that don’t make a difference.

Write About People
------------------------

It’s impossible to find humor in inanimate things. If you must write about an
object or a concept, focus on how someone (usually you) thinks or feels or
experiences those things. Humor is about people, period.

Write Visually
-----------------

Paint a funny picture with your words, but leave out any details that don’t
serve the humor. Notice how many images I packed into my post about the tall
guy. It’s hugely visual, and yet I never describe what he looks like, other than
being tall.

Leave Room for Imagination
-----------------------------------

When I described how the tall guy could retrieve an iPod from a storm drain,
I only mentioned the gum, his “python,” and a Victoria Secrets catalog. Every
reader formed a slightly different mental picture of the specifics. Leaving out
details allows readers to fill them in with whatever image strikes them as
funniest. In effect, you let readers direct their own funny movie.

Funny Words
-----------------

Use “funny” words when you can. Here are some I used:

Mongolian
Herdsman
Vagina
Trouser
Shish Kabob
Storm
drain
Johnson
Slap
Canoe

You can read that list of funny words totally out of context and it almost
makes you laugh. Funny words are the ones that are familiar yet rarely used in
conversation. It’s a bonus when those words have funny sounds to them, as do
most of the ones in my list.

Pop Culture References
-----------------------------

References to popular culture often add humor. It’s funny that the world’s
tallest man is retrieving a lost iPod, and not something generic such as a
wallet. And it’s funny that his manhood is compared to Ryan Seacrest as opposed
to something generic, such as an oak tree. Someone could write a thesis on why
pop culture references are funny, but just accept it.

Animal analogies
---------------------

Animal references are funny. If you can’t think of anything funny, make some
sort of animal/creature analogy. It’s easy, and it almost always works. I made
these creature analogies in my post…

King salmon
Python

Exaggerate, then Exaggerate Some
More
-------------------------------------------------

Figure out what’s the worst that could happen with your topic, then multiple
it by ten or more. Don’t say a mole is as big as a grapefruit. Say that mole is
opening its own Starbucks. (Notice the pop culture reference of Starbucks.) The
bigger the exaggeration, the funnier it is.

Near Logic
-------------

Humor is about creating logic that a-a-a-lmost makes sense but doesn’t. No
one in the real world could put gum on his penis and retrieve an iPod from a
storm drain. But your brain allows you to imagine that working, while
simultaneously knowing it can’t. That incongruity launches the laugh reflex.

Callback
-----------

A callback is when you end with a funny reference that already got a laugh.
In my post, I knew the Ganbaatar gag would get a laugh, so I used it again in a
different sense for the closing line. It puts a nice period on your humor
writing.

Genetic Abnormality
-------------------------

Humor is like any other human capacity; some people are born with more of it
than others. No amount of advice will help if you don’t have the humor gene.

Here’s a link to a newish comic called F Minus, by Tony Carrillo. He has the
humor gene. I’m picking him to be the next big comic. (Read a few weeks of his
archive before forming an opinion.)

http://www.comics.com/comics/fminus/index.html

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

2007-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Self Contained Underwater Breathing
Apparatus

I am moving gently forward

over the wild and beautiful

unexplored world below me

I am floating in silence

and breaking it up

with the sound of my breath

Above me there is nothing

but shimmery light

the place where i have come from

and will go back when i am done here

I am diving

I am a scuba diver

src="http://irajesh.com/commonplace/scuba.jpg" align=baseline border=0>

I am going deeper past

the wrinkled rocks and dark weaweeds

towards a deep blueness where

a school of silver fish wait

As i swim through the water

bubbles burst from me

wobbling like little jelly fish

as they rise

I check my air

i don't have as much time

as i need to see everything

but that is what makes it

so special !

By Leslie Burke in the motion picture "Bridge to
Terabithia"

E. B. White - quotes

2007-06-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world
and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the
day."

Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the
frog dies of it.

Be obscure clearly.

It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good
writer.

One of the most time-consuming things is to have an enemy.

Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get
the facts.

When I was a child people simply looked about them and were moderately
happy; today they peer beyond the seven seas, bury themselves waist deep in
tidings, and by and large what they see and hear makes them unutterably sad.

Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.

Writing is hard work and bad for the health.

Scott Adam's Tips on Writing

2007-06-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Day You Became A Better Writer
I went from being a
bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.”
I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here so you
don’t have to waste a day in class.

Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is
keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five
sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred
sentences.

Don’t fight it.

Simple means getting rid of extra words. Don’t write, “He was very happy”
when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It
doesn’t. Prune your sentences.

Humor writing is a lot like business writing. It needs to be simple. The main
difference is in the choice of words. For humor, don’t say “drink” when you can
say “swill.” Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my
first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious.
That’s the key.

Write short sentences.

Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as
you’d think.

Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend “the boy hit the ball”
quicker than “the ball was hit by the boy.” Both sentences mean the same, but
it’s easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All
brains work that way. (Notice I didn’t say, “That is the way all brains
work”?)

That’s it. You just learned 80% of the rules of good writing. You’re
welcome.

Winner: Windows Vista Secure App Competition

2007-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Another of my Article at code project was today awarded a monthly prize for
Vista Secure App Competition

What did I Win ?

The monthly prize, valued at approximately $1100 US, is a secure laptop
package, including:

• A nifty new laptop, including security features like a fingerprint
scanner, hard drive security features, and more
• A year’s subscription to MyLaptopGPS, safeguarding your data and laptop
through special remote data recovery software, including a SafeTag for your new
laptop

Excerpts from the Article

Introduction

The Cryptography API: Next Generation(CNG) is a new and agile framework in
Windows Vista™, which implements an extensible provider model that allows you to
load a provider by specifying the required cryptographic algorithm rather than
having to hardcode a specific provider.

The advantage is that an algorithm provider can be replaced or upgraded and
you will not have to change your code in any way to use the new provider. Also,
if some algorithm is determined to be unsafe in the future, a more secure
version of that algorithm can be installed with no effect to your code. To
facilitate this, you load a CNG provider by identifying the cryptographic
algorithm that you require, not the specific provider. Most of the CNG APIs
require a provider or an object created by a provider.

In this article, I try to describe the new security feature Cryptography API:
Next Generation(CNG) and compare it with an RSA and AES samples, both managed
and unmanaged, using "Crypto API" (CAPI before Vista) and how it can be
implemented using CNG in Windows Vista. Managed version of CNG is yet to come,
if you feel like you want more, wait for the next release of Visual Studio
"Orcas".

Check the article here

Windows Vista Mobile PC Contest Winner

2007-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last of the competitions and I got the monthly prize for my article "Touch Screen Explorer with Pen Flicks"

Here is the cool prize !

This is the morning mail I got,

"Congratulations! You’re one of our winners in the Windows Vista Mobile
PC Competition. Your article Touch Screen Explorer with Pen Flicks was selected
by our judges as the winner based on overall merit and reader ranking.

You will be receiving a Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC. We will advise you
when we will be shipping the product to you."

Demo Video Watch live (Avg. quality, taken by a phone)

Here is the excerpts from the article

Introduction

Pen Flicks are the latest methodology in Microsoft Windows Vista™ which are
designed specifically for a Ultra Mobile/Tablet PC. They are gestures you can
make with your tablet pen to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts.

This article describes a Touch Screen Windows Explorer which will
leverage this new technology and will compare it with the traditional windows
explorer. Here is a screen shot.

The Goal

The goal is to create an efficient Touch Screen Windows Explorer
which can be used in Tablet PC / Ultra Mobile PC environment, where mouse and
keyboards are barely available.

Big display for ease of use pertaining to small screens in
Ultra Mobile PC
Browse feature with a pen or fingertips in Touch Screen/Ultra Mobile PC
Navigation using the forward, backward Pen Flicks, instead of mouse point
and click
Scroll the Explorer using Up and Down Pen Flicks without traditional
scrollbars

Check the complete Article here

Windows Vista API Competition WINNER @ Code Project

2007-03-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

My addiction to Code Project Competitions ,got another of my Article "Photoshop Preview Handler for Windows Vista" a monthly prize
for innovative use of Windows Vista API .

The best prize ever.

An XBX 360 Package / HD DVD Player/ Accesories (worth
$ 1000)

Below is the excerpts from the article.

Introduction

Preview handler is the latest methodology in Microsoft Windows Vista™, which
provide a rich, interactive, and read-only preview of a file without having to
launch the associated application. The in-place interactive previews of the file
are available in the Explorer windows, common dialogs, and search results. The
core feature is integrated into Windows Vista Shell which allows developers to
extend this functionality by writing managed code add-ins i.e. preview handlers
for custom files.

For example, "a Microsoft Word 2007 Preview Handler" will enable a user to
view and interact with a Microsoft Word 2007 document (.docx file) without
having to launch Microsoft Word 2007. In fact, you don't even need Microsoft
Word 2007 or Office 2007 to see the preview if you have the related preview
handler - now that's amazing.

This article describes a preview handler for Adobe Photoshop^®
(PSD) file. Here is how the preview of a PSD file will look like in the preview
pane

The goal

When the user clicks on a Photoshop file (vista_adobe.psd) in the
Windows Explorer

A "readonly" preview of the file will be shown in the preview pane
Image "Dimension" and "number of layers" in the PSD file will be shown in
the "tooltip"
Resolution, Color Depth, & Compression information of the file will be
available to the user

All this occurs without the Adobe Photoshop application.

Check the article here

Grand Prize Winner - Gadget Competition

2007-03-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

My Article on Sidebar Gadget "SoapBox Video Gadget" at CodeProject.com was chosen for the
Grand prize for Fun category at code Project.
Here is the link
at Windows Vista Blog

Prize was, lots of gadgets and the Jacket, Scott E-Vest
237D to hold them

Here is the
email i got from Marcela
Moran (The Code Project ) which made my day

"Congratulations! You’re one
of our grand prize winners in the Vista Gadgets contest. Your article,
Soapbox Video
Gadget, was selected by
our judges as the winner based on overall merit and reader
ranking.

A Grand Prize Gadget Pack, valued at approximately US $ 1000, including

• Microsoft Zune
• I-Mate JAM PocketPC Phone, unlocked
• Sony PSP Entertainment Pack, including PSP, game, movie and memory
stick
• CarMD – diagnose your “check engine” problems in your US-made vehicle
• Scott E-Vest 237D – a stylish way to carry all of your gadgets with
you in a “three-season” jacket "

Excerpts from the article.

Get
the latest Gadget - 193 Kb

Introduction

When I first started sidebar gadget development¹, I found gadgets
cool and innovative. But the more I learned about them, the more I realized
their usefulness. Gadget development provides a whole new platform, becoming
more productive in ways unimagined. On one hand, it's a mini web application
which can host a web page, call a web service, and use AJAX to read an RSS feed.
On the other, it can interact with the Windows API using the power of .NET
languages. Wow! That's the best of both the worlds, wouldn't you agree?

The most important factor is the unique way in which a gadget provides the
interaction between the web, Windows and users. In this example I try to utilize
this, to give user the "Power of Videos" in the sidebar. Check the architecture
below.

To hold your interest, here is how it looks in the sidebar.

About the gadget: The power of videos

Before I start, I must warn you: this gadget is quite addictive. Indulge
yourself only during your spare time.

There are a number of RSS Feeds available from the Soapbox on MSN Video Beta page which give
you the contents of the videos uploaded by the users. Some of the more
interesting ones are: "Most Popular Videos", "Most Rated videos", and "Most
Recent Videos". There is even a feed for "Videos By Tag" available, which we
will use for searching videos. The idea behind this is to use those regularly
updated feeds to show the user the video of his choice on the sidebar. If you
want to know the basic barebones required to create a gadget, please refer to my
first article Daily Dilbert .
This article is actually an extension of that first article; I try to explain
only those extra features which can be used to refine a gadget further:

Create a gadget which can play a video in the flyout
How to take care of paging when you read an XML file
Settings and Search Videos
Add video to "Favorite List"
Create, read, update, & delete local XML file from Sidebar Gadget (new)
Some tips in general

The architecture overview

Check the complete article here

Scott Meyers: Advice to Prospective Book Authors

2007-02-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

Excerpt

If you deliver what you promised on time, all the whales in sales and
marketing that feed on the plankton of your words will develop a special
affection for you.

Remember, most authors are late with their plankton. If you distinguish
yourself by being on time, the whales take notice. That's important, because if
you're a sales rep with, say, 100 titles you're peddling to university
professors or corporations or buyers for Amazon or Borders, 100 titles on topics
you can barely pronounce (much less comprehend), which, say, 5 of those 100
titles do you push especially hard on your sales calls? Let's be frank, it's the
5 that you think will make you the most money. But there's something to be said
for goodwill, too, and I believe that authors who deliver on time make life just
a little easier, a little more predictable for the gamut of people involved in
sales and marketing, and those people are likely to try just a little bit harder
for the authors they like, for the authors who are trying to help them out.

A reliable author selling 5,000 copies a year can't expect the attention from
commission-based sales reps that an unreliable author selling 50,000 copies a
year can, but odds are that you'll be part of the masses of authors with
run-of-the-mill sales, so your real goal is to stand out from those masses.
Delivering on time can help you do that.

Delivering on time is good for your personal life, too. That's assuming you
have one, and by the time you're in the throes of completing your book, there is
a very good chance that you won't. For a great many authors (including me),
bringing a book to completion requires a tremendous expenditure of time, energy,
and concentration. It's common for it to displace almost everything else in your
life: friends, family, your "real job," etc. It stresses everybody, so it's in
everybody's interest to know when the stress will end. It will end when you
deliver your final manuscript, so it's good for both you and everybody you know
for that date to be the date you said it would be lo those many weeks or months
ago when you signed your contract.

(Incidentally, you may have noticed that the acknowledgements of almost every
book thanks the author's spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, children, pets, etc., for
their tolerance of having been neglected during preparation of the manuscript.
Such comments aren't pro forma; they're sincere. Getting the damn thing done
typically does demand that you neglect almost everything else. On the upside,
the first glimpse of your freshly-printed darling goes a long way towards making
you forget about such things. Few things compare to the thrill of holding your
newborn book.)

This is especially relevant if one keeps in mind the remark by author Jeff
Ullman that authors should never keep track of how much time it takes them to
write a book, because if they do, they'll be able to calculate how much they
made per hour, and the result will almost certainly be depressing. I've also
heard from acquisitions editors that though they have a pretty good idea how
many hours it takes the average author to write a book, they never tell
prospective authors this information, because they fear it will scare them away.
(Sorry, I don't remember the number. I know that it's big, but having written
books of my own, that's hardly news. On the other hand, writing a book is also
intensely satisfying, and there's something to be said for a few thousand hours
of intensely satisfying work.)

Also remember that from a financial point of view, your goal is to maximize
your income, not maximize your royalty rate. If publisher A offers you a 20%
royalty rate and publisher B offers you a 10% rate, publisher B is still the
more profitable option if B can sell more than twice as many of your books as A
can. Of course, it's generally not possible to know which of two publishers will
be able to sell more of your books, much less by what factor, so you'll want to
listen carefully to your prospective publishers' marketing plans before deciding
whom to climb in bed with. In reaching your decision, remember that royalty
rates are only one piece of the compensation puzzle and that compensation is but
one aspect of the overall book-publishing experience. My advice is to try to
optimize the overall experience, not just the financial part.

Speaking of translations, I find that few things evoke quite the level of
giddiness as seeing a copy of your book in a foreign script. I, for one,
cherished my books in Chinese, and I continued to cherish them even after I
found out that they were actually in Korean.

If you write for profit, and if sales are important to you, then you can not
just leave promotion to your publisher. You need to be on the newsgroups
answering questions and gently (!) mentioning your book. You also need to be
ready to do book signings and other public appearances. If your publisher
doesn't set it up, do so yourself. Don't EVER knock anyone else's book, but
don't be afraid to mention your own book when asked for recommendations or for
guidance.

Be ready to support your book. That means constant attention to your
errata sheet, creating an internet (email/web) connection with your users and so
forth. And keep your book up to date.

Link

Dilbert got me Zune

2007-01-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

So started my year 2007. My Article on Sidebar Gadget featuring Dilbert (Daily
Dilbert 1.0) got me a bonus prize at Code Project Vista Gadgets
Competition

What did i win ? A Microsoft Zune Player

Here are the link to the Windows Vista Blog and excerpts from the article
!

Introduction

With the broadest ever release of Microsoft Vista World wide, 2007 opens the
door to an era of gadget development. Gadgets are small, light weight but
powerful applications which stay on the Windows Vista Sidebar. The coolest thing
about a gadget is that it is not dependent on any particular language or
technologies, and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to create a gadget.
Basic knowledge of HTML and Javascript is enough for that, but you can also
program in any Microsoft language for windows/web to extend a gadget. Once you
know the basic rules of gadget development, only sky is the limit for
productivity and innovations.

This article describes a simple Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget which delivers
the Daily Dilbert cartoon to your desktop.

There is a RSS Feed available
from feedburner.com
which gives you the contents of the daily dilbert in a form of an xml file. The
idea behind, is to read that file, parse the content and display it beautifully
in your sidebar. The user can view cartoons for last 5 days. The benefit is, for
all those (like me) who want to start there day with the Dilbert strip, don't
have to go to the website or even open the feed, to see it. Just click on the
date in the sidebar gadget and a flyout window will show you the cartoon of the
day.

This article also discusses five common features of Sidebar gadget
development:

Create: A simple gadget with minimum files
Use of Ajax: Read an XML file from a website (RSS feed) Get and parse the
RSS Feed for the Dilbert cartoon from http://feeds.feedburner.com/tapestrydilbert
Parse XML : Extract the path of the image
Rich Display: The gadget's look and feel
FlyOut: A simple implementation of Windows Sidebar Flyout to display the
image

Check the article here

Coming is like El Nino !

2007-01-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

El Nino is spanish word for child. Like all things spanish, it is dangerous.
It kills people and burn down trees. This child is more than a child. It really
isn't child at all. It is a storm. A deadly storm that kills people and burns
down trees.

Warm water usually builds up around Australia. But not any more with
El Nino. El Nino moves the warm water from Australia to somewhere else, namely
to other places. Where are these other places? These are places that also have
water, but water that usually not as warm as the warm water El Nino moves to
these said other places. These other places are to the east. Of the
water.

In Peru, they have many names for many things, one of the things
they have names for is for people who go fishing, go fishing to make a living.
If we had a word for this kind of people that would be "fisherman". But we
don't.

In Peru, they have different names for things that we do in
America. They call that kind of people "pescadores". That's Spanish. That's what
they speak in Peru. When El Nino comes, these "pescadores" can't catch any fish.
El Nino is caused when the peruvian god get angry. They have been angry for
millions of years and have made El Nino for millions of years. Many many moons
ago, the Peruvians commited human sacrifices to satiate there gods and end the
flood that was caused by El Nino. In todays modern dog-eat-dog work-a-day world
of scientists, diplomats, McSalad Shakers and George Bush Jr., we no longer have
access to such solutions. We are too proud. We will not commit human sacrifices.
We refuse to satiate the Peruvian gods. Thus, they remain angry and keep killing
us and burning our trees with El Nino.

Instead of satisfying the gods,
many of "these" scientists have tried to control El Nino with "science". They
put up expensive fish-attracting-buoys that run on flashlight batteries.
Imagine, fighting the power of gods with flashlight batteries! Needless to say,
they didn't work and everyone died

Jeremy Lavine

----------------------

JumpyForum: Inspired by Code Project Forum / Discussion / Message board

2006-12-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

A very simple forum with the functionality similar to code project discussion
board where user can view multiple messages in a tree view, done in C Sharp,
ASP.NET, SQL Server and JavaScript.

This article describes a discussion board inspired by and similar to Code
Project Forums. I am sure, you all will agree the discussion board at Code
Project is one of the best out there. I tried searching for similar projects in
CP and everywhere but all the examples given were in classic asp / php and were
highly complicated. My effort is to leverage ASP.NET, javascript and SQL Server
to create a very simple and easy to understand forum with the same
functionality.

Before you get carried away, i just want to give a heads up on the strength
of JumpyForum, this is a very simple (beginners level you can say) version and
you might have to consider a lot more to actually have a forum with the CP like
quality, scalability and durability. JumpyForum will only give you a start which
is easy and workable after that the horizon is yours to explore.

Link

Dilbert's' 9-point financial plan worthy of economics Nobel

2006-10-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

OK, so Dilbert didn't win the Nobel Prize in economics this year.

Fortunately for America's 95 million investors, Adams' secret nine-point
formula was finally revealed in "Dilbert and the Way of the Weasels." Notice its
simple brilliance in the exact reproduction of his formula:

1. Make a will
2. Pay off your credit cards
3. Get term life insurance if you have a family to support
4. Fund your 401k to the maximum
5. Fund your IRA to the maximum
6. Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can
afford it
7. Put six months worth of expenses in a money-market
account
8. Take whatever money is left over and invest 70% in a
stock index fund and 30% in a bond fund through any discount broker and never
touch it until retirement
9. If any of this confuses you, or you have something
special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issues), hire a fee-based
financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio

We know creativity and science share much in common. Both science and art begin with what-ifs, unproven ideas about unknown realities, dreams of the future before it unfolds. And often all it takes is a small, simple "key" such as "E=mc2" to unlock the door.

In fact, we saw proof last week as Nobel prizes were awarded for simple dreams unlocking great truths: in physics, revelations about cosmic radiation before the Big Bang; in medicine, the genetic flow of information; in chemistry, cell production of proteins.

This year, we were rooting for Adams. His simple formula reminds us of how, after being awarded the Nobel Prize, Albert Einstein spent his entire life searching for the "Unified Theory of Everything." It eluded him. Adams, on the other hand, did discover a "Unified Theory of Everything Financial," which deserves a prize.

Adams' formula was originally published in "Dilbert and the Way of the Weasels" at virtually the same time Princeton psychologist Daniel Kahneman was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize. You will recall that Kahneman destroyed Wall Street's historic theory of the "rational investor." Dilbert made a complementary discovery, defining a weasel as "anyone trying to get away with something," thus explaining two centuries of psychological behavior on Wall Street where weasels have been misleading Americans with the false theory that investors are rational.

'Unified Theory of Everything Financial'

Quietly hidden in Adams' groundbreaking work is a financial formula so simple it rivals Einstein's E=mc2. In its original form Adams' formula was apparently so heretical and so explosive that no major house would touch it when he proposed publishing it as a one-page book. After initial rejections, he announced sadly that "if God materialized on earth and wrote the secret of the universe on one page, he wouldn't be able to find a publisher" either.

Adams boldly states that this is "everything you need to know about personal investing." In just 129 words, nine simple points, one page you have the unabridged "Unified Theory of Everything Financial."

That's it. Everything!

Thanks to Adams' formula, the average irrational investor can ignore Wall Street: "Everything else you may want to do with your money is a bad idea compared to what's on my one-page summary. You want an annuity? It's worse. You want a whole life insurance policy? It's worse. You want to invest in individual stocks? It's worse. You want a managed mutual fund instead of an index fund? It's worse. I could go on, but you get the point."

Check the bottom line: A portfolio with an asset allocation of 70% in Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index and 30% in the Total Bond Market Fund is doing just fine, performing remarkably close to the S&P 500 index. Moreover, that simple two-fund portfolio is perfect for the vast majority of America's 95 million investors who are passive much as Adam's Dilbert character.

The truth is, most investors have little or no interest in Wall Street's casino action; all the time-consuming research, the sophisticated stock-picking tricks, the costly trading necessary to play in a market drowning in 10,000 stocks, 18,000 funds and more than 100,000 bonds. Most investors have jobs and kids as their top priority. Moreover, Dilbert's simple two-fund portfolio compares favorably with our other lazy portfolios.

Prize winners in parallel worlds

Folks, before you dismiss the idea of Adams winning the Nobel Prize in economics, please remember, there is precedent: Back in 2002 the Nobel committee ignored the usual suspects and picked a psychologist. So there's hope that sometime in the future a brilliant humorist can also one-up all the pedigreed pundits in this "dismal science." Adams predicted that "someday an economist will win the Nobel Prize for discovering the exact dollar-per-weasel equation that explains our world." But it's now obvious that he's already done much more! Adam's formula would eliminate thousands of weasels from Wall Street, vastly improving the efficiency of America's financial markets, while his "Unified Theory" would improve the wealth-building power of all investors.

If you want more information on how you and your kids can win the prize, please read 1989 winner Michael Bishop's "How to Win the Nobel Prize." The good doctor innocently calls himself an "accidental scientist." Also read "The Beginner's Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize" by 1996 winner Peter Doherty, an Australian veterinarian who says the winners come rather unpredictably from "unlikely backgrounds, one-room schoolhouses and concentration camps," yet all have one thing in common, a "fire in the belly."

One final word: Remember that we all live in parallel worlds -- in politics and religion, in art and science, in our dreams and in reality -- where nothing is ever impossible, where you can achieve your wildest dreams, where your investments succeed simply by using simple formulas and by living with "fire-in-your-belly."

By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch here

Globalization of Windows Application in 20 Minutes using C#

2006-08-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Describes the essential features required to enable multiple languages in a
windows application using resource files

There was once a time when multiple language support to a windows application
used to be a three to six months call, but with the advent of .Net not anymore.
Here is a 20 minutes crash course for globalization / Localization of a windows
application. I think you'll find it as useful as I do.

Globalization in simple terms means enabling an application so that it works
in different national, similar to how a global company operates in different
countries. For a windows application globalization means, it is intended for
worldwide distribution. There are two aspects of the Globalization:

Internationalization : Enabling the application to be used without language
or culture barriers, i.e. language and cuture information comes from a resource
rather than hard coded in the application Localization : Translating and
enabling the product for a specific locale. Based on the resource file
translating the application into that language and culture

Technology Quotes

2006-07-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Technology is dominated by two types of people: Those who understand what
they do not manage. Those who manage what they do not understand. Putt's Law

For a long time it puzzled me how something so expensive, so leading
edge, could be so useless, and then it occurred to me that a computer is a
stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer
programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things.
They are, in short, a perfect match.

Bill Bryson

Lovers of problem solving, they are apt to play chess at lunch or doodle in
algebra over cocktails, speak an esoteric language that some suspect is just
their way of mystifying outsiders. Deeply concerned about logic and sensitive to
its breakdown in everyday life, they often annoy friends by asking them to
rephrase their questions more logically.

Time Magazine in 1965

A hacker on a roll may be able to produce, in a period of a few months,
something that a small development group (say, 7-8 people) would have a hard
time getting together over a year. IBM used to report that certain programmers
might be as much as 100 times as productive as other workers, or more.

Peter Seebach

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

2006-06-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci

You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more
to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the
necessary may speak.

Simplicity carried to the extreme becomes elegance. - Jon Franklin

if your customers don't experience quality in your product throughout, they
may conclude there is lack of quality everywhere - some developer

Omit Needless Words

2006-06-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

My all time favorite !

Omit Needless Words

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.

- William Strunk, Jr.

A Windows Explorer in a User Control

2006-06-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Functionality of Windows Explorer in a user control using C#

Idea: Functionality of windows explorer wrapped up as a control. User can
browse through all the folders in the computer including network folders and
select the path.

The Long story, while working on a photo editing software i frequently needed
to test different images from different folders. i have to call an open dialog
then browse for the folder and then select the file. 4 clicks well not too much
but if you have to test 10 images in the same folder same process have to be
repeated for all of them, more if you have 10 images in different folders well
10 X 4 clicks, i call it Multiple Mouse Clicks For Single Operation (MMCFSO).
Explains why the whole software world relates reducing MMCFSO with the ease of
use.

MMCFSO is not just needed for a imaging application. Where ever you have to
select multiple files from multiple destinations you need this. So i think an
effort to create a windows explorer user control is worth it.

Link

Ajax Rating System

2006-05-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Rating Demystified: Ajax Way, Amazon
Way*
Ever wondered, how the amazon rating system works with
multiple items in the same page, here is a simple article to describe the basic
bare bones needed to create an asynchronous rating module using ASP.NET , SQL
Server and ..... AJAX

This article describes an ASP.NET web module along with some chunks of
Javascripts and ...Ajax to create a Rating System. This can be added
/customized for any table to add a rating/score module. I was
quite amazed, when i first saw the capability of rating multiple
items at amazon website without refreshing the page. That nice piece of
functionality followed me like destiny, till i needed to implement it in a
web application.

Well ! putting it in a live scenario needs much more than just
javascript. I started with a bit of frenzied hacking. To understand how
exactly it works, by scanning the javascript from online asynchronous
rating websites. That was just the beginning, on the way i learned much
more than earlier imagined. Here is the result of the
effort.

Link

Blogs ! What about them ?

2006-01-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

A blog is like watching the market, current trends,

Whats coming next makes it exciting

Here is what i subscribe

Fabulous Adventures In Coding - By Eric lippert - current Favorite href="http://blogs.msdn.com/ericlippert/default.aspx" rel=nofollow>here[title="New Window" href="http://blogs.msdn.com/ericlippert/default.aspx"
target=_blank rel=nofollow>^]

Nikhil Kothary my current favorite rel=nofollow>here[target=_blank rel=nofollow>^]

Articles by Juval Lowy href="http://idesign.net/idesign/DesktopDefault.aspx" rel=nofollow>here[title="New Window" href="http://idesign.net/idesign/DesktopDefault.aspx"
target=_blank rel=nofollow>^]

Scott Gu very cool, rel=nofollow>here[href="http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>^]

Everybody reads Scott Hanselman also very cool,href="http://www.hanselman.com/blog/" rel=nofollow>here[title="New Window" href="http://www.hanselman.com/blog/" target=_blank
rel=nofollow>^]

Gregg m weblog rel=nofollow>here[href="http://blogs.msdn.com/greggm/default.aspx" target=_blank
rel=nofollow>^]

I used to read - Duncan Mackenzie Code,Tea, etc but not anymore lot of
outside links which becomes annoying href="http://blogs.duncanmackenzie.net/duncanma/" rel=nofollow>here[title="New Window" href="http://blogs.duncanmackenzie.net/duncanma/"
target=_blank rel=nofollow>^]

and

last not the least Scott Adams which i never miss :) href="http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/" rel=nofollow>here[title="New Window" href="http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/" target=_blank
rel=nofollow>^]

Universal Database Administrator for ASP.NET and SQL Server

2005-11-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

A dynamic web application needs an admin section for CRUD actions on the
records/tables in the database. Wouldn't it be nice to have a database admin,
which can be plugged to any web application? Just give your SQL connection
string and it dynamically manages all table operations in just five pages.

Here is an article describes an ASP.NET web module which can be added
/customized in any SQL driven web application as a database administration
module. When I first started with an admin section for a web application, I
thought why not try to make something more general, a plug-n-play admin section
which can be used for any SQL driven dynamic web application, and here is the
result of the effort.

Link

To Blog or Not to Blog ....

2005-11-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

People who are trying to decide whether to create a blog or not go through a
thought process much like this:

1 .The world sure needs more of ME.
2. Maybe I'll shout more often so
that people nearby can experience the joy of knowing my thoughts.
3. No,
wait, shouting looks too crazy.
4. I know - I'll write down my daily
thoughts and badger people to read them.
5. If only there was a description
for this process that doesn't involve the words egomaniac or unnecessary.
6.
What? It's called a blog? I'm there!

The blogger's philosophy goes something like this:

Everything that I think about is more fascinating than the crap in your head.

---------------------------------------------

by scott adams when he first started his blog..