Use network-tools.com to trace data paths, identify computer locations, and look up WHOIS registration details. The site provides web-based utilities for traceroute, DNS lookups, and network diagnostics to see exactly how information travels across the internet.

With network-tools, you can find out where a particular computer is, who's it registered with, and how information travels there.

Network tools


I examined the new ICANN applications for top-level domains like .museum, .biz, and .xxx. It is interesting to see the diverse range of bidders competing to control these new additions to the global domain name system.

A whole new range of domain names, ranging from .museums to .sansansan have been bid for. I wonder who .biz and .xxx will go to.

New domain names


I’m sharing a CNet report arguing that US internet users lack basic civil rights. It reveals that employers can legally monitor your web surfing and emails, even when you're working from home.

CNet argues that on the Internet (in the US), you have just about no civil rights. Among other things, your employer can monitor your web surfing and e-mail -- even at home.

No civil rights in the US


I explore how my identity is perceived by strangers in London and compare the high-pressure grading at IIM to the private, low-competition evaluation system I encountered at London Business School during my exchange program.

Yes, I haven't been updating for a while. Problem is, I've been doing too much and writing too little. Let's see if I can fix some of that now. First of all, people can't seem to tell where I'm from. This is despite the fact that I'm the only one with a moustache in the whole batch, and am therefore the one person whose name no one forgets. I mean, I lost my name card after the very first class. Yet all the Professors talk to me like long-lost friends. Anyway... One of my first such experiences at London was when I got out of the station and was looking for a cab. A man came over and said "Salam aleikum". I said "Huh?" He thought I hadn't heard him. "Salam aleikum," a little louder. Even normally, I'm not very sharp. This was at 11PM UK time, and that's 3:30AM India Standard Time. So I said, quite eloquently, "Huh?" "Salam aleikum" "Huh? What?" At this point, that fellow lost his patience and said "Aap Pakistani hein?" (Are you from Pakistan?) After having learnt that I'm from India, he said he'd mistaken me for a Pakistani, and if I wanted to call somebody or something, I could use his mobile and all that. Very nice. Today, a red Ferrari (I think) was zooming down the road as I was walking to the station. All of a sudden, it braked near me, and stopped quite close. The window rolls down, and a moustached man sticks his head out and asks, "Yoo speek eetahliyen?" "Huh?" "doo yoo speek eetahliyen?" "No, I'm afraid not, sorry." "Oh-kay." And drives off. That afternoon, I mean this girl from Western Ontario, who's also on an exchange programme at the LBS. We talk for a while. Then, she asks, "So, are you American?" "No I'm Indian." (She could've thought me an American Indian, so I clarified) "From India." "Oh. But you accent is so American." Make your own conclusions. The more I think about it, the more I feel IIM's obsessed with grades. That includes me, of course. Today we got back our first assignment: Koito Manufacturing, from the Mergers & MBOs class. We got a 10/10. Britta and Atsushi, my team-mates, were thrilled. But then I had to ask: "What did the others get?" Britta's instant response was: "Who cares?" Good point. You see, at LBS, everybody knows their own grades, but not the others'. The don't get to know their ranks either. They are forbidden from mentioning grades in their resumes, and LBS certainly doesn't tell any of the recruiters their students' grades. Naturally, the competition is quite low. In fact, I think the only reason people are studying is the fact that they're paying 20,000 pounds or something to study here. Sounds like a good system, if you ask me. But for a hard-core IIM-B product like me, it's all too easy to drift into an easy life. In fact, I think I already have! In case I hear any murmers of dissent, here's proof. I'm going to "The Phantom of the Opera" tonight. Madame Tussaud's tomorrow. The Lord's Cricket Ground and a party (the Sundowners) day-after. 'The London Eye' on Friday. Oxford and Cambridge on Saturday. Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben on Sunday. On to Europe next week. See?

Not an Indian


I highlight an eLab paper on CDNow’s advertising strategy, which critiques traditional CPM models as archaic. The study suggests that measuring advertisement performance is a more effective and modern approach to pricing online media.

A paper at eLab talks about how CDNow prices its online advertisements. It argues that CPM is an archaic model, and measuring advertisement performance is more important.

Online advertising pricing


I'm tracking the expansion of online sharebroking with the launch of new e-brokers like Sharekhan, 5-paisa, and EquityMaster, reflecting the growth of digital trading platforms.

Now there's even more e-brokers: Sharekhan (what a name), 5-paisa and EquityMaster.

Online sharebroking


I’m transitioning from reading online scripts to short stories, specifically using resources like short-stories.co.uk. I’ve always had a soft spot for classic authors like O. Henry and enjoy finding curated digital collections of their narratives.

From online scripts, I'm moving to online short stories. Never could resist O Henry.

Online short stories


I'm exploring the emerging landscape of online stock trading in India, tracking early pioneers like Geojit and ICICIDirect alongside newer platforms like Indiabulls. I'm planning to open my first online trading account soon.

Geojit securities was the first site where you could trade stocks online. ICICIDirect followed. Now there's a whole bunch (based on a Khoj search): Abhipra, Agroy, Ansec, iBroking India bulls, Investment map and Stock mantra. I'm going to start an account soon. Comments ramesh 25 Jul 2000 12:00 pm: the correct link of Geojit Securies is www.geojit.com thank you

Online trading in India


I examine the security risks of online shopping by highlighting the Egghead credit card breach. This incident raises questions about the safety of Net transactions and the vulnerability of customer data stored by major retailers.

Are credit card transactions on the Net safe? Egghead had their's stolen.

Online transactions unsafe


I found the Oxford School of Learning, a free online business school offering a collection of case studies with answers and reviews. It serves as a practical resource for learning business management and strategy independently.

Oxford School of Learning is a free online B-school of sorts. Lots of case studies (with answers), reviews, etc.

Oxford school of learning


I toured Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon, visiting Christchurch college and the delightful Teddy Bear Museum. During a stop at McDonald's, I reflected on the Big Mac index for purchasing power parity and Thomas Friedman’s Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention.

We visited Oxford in the morning. It was a tour with the Indian YMCA. Though I slept through most of the beauty of the English country side, Oxford itself was a classic example. We went up a tower from which we could see most of Oxford. It was a small town, (about an hour-and-half from London) with lots of spires and quite an old architecture. The Oxford University is split into many colleges, Magdalen (pronounced Maud-len) being the most famous of the lot. Lewis Caroll (of Alice in Wonderland) and Tolkien (of Lord of the Rings) hailed from here. We went first to Christchurch college. I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful as the grass there, with the possible exception of Hampton Court Palace. From there, we took a walk along a river to Magdalen college. The river was practically filled with people rowing. It was a saturday, so I guess everyone was practicing, but even then, there were far too many boats. Looks like EVERYONE at Oxford has an elective in rowing or something. It was fun to hear the coaches shout instructions over a microphone to those rowing. After walking along the river for about a mile, we learnt that Magdalen was somewhere else. Not enough time to see it, so we just walked back. On the way we found this troupe, the Huckleberrys, who were performing on the road, opposite to a MacDonald's. They were even selling CDs of their album. The music was pretty fast, and nice too. I stepped in to the MacDonald's for some french fries. The prices were quite reasonable. That reminded me of one of the World Economy classes. We all know that Purchasing Power Parity should determine the exchange rate in the long run. (Those who do not are advised to attend an elementary course on International Finance at IIM-B.) Now, it appears that the OECD estimate of the Japanese Yen against the dollar says that the Yen is overvalued by at least 60%. A World Bank study says its overvalued by 50%. These studies are based on PPP. However, if you look at the price of a Big Mac in the US and in Japan, it turns out that the Yen is perfectly valued. OK, coincidence, you say. What then of Thomas Friedman's "Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention" which asserts that no two countries have fought a major war since after both of them have gotten their MacDonald's? (Yugoslavia doesn't count. They fought the NATO, so to speak, which is not a country.) The next leg of the trip was Stratford upon Avon, which is Shakespeare's birthplace. Being the uncultured bumpkin that I am, the bulk of my Shakespearean knowledge stems from Jeffrey Archer's "Shall We Tell The President". Anyway, we strolled over to Shakespeare's birthplace, but refrained from paying a 5 pound entry fee. Apparantly, in Britain, you pay to see EVERYTHING. They make more money out of tourism than any other single industry. Then we went to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is the 'original' Shakespearean drama company. But the highlight of the trip was the "Teddy Bear Museum". Gyles Brandreth had set up this Teddy Bear Museum in 1984, and it had teddy bears from all over the world. Tony Blair's teddy bear was there on vacation. Margaret Thatcher's was there. Vivien Leigh's was there. You name it. It was wonderful, especially since we could cuddle the teddies. They had a teddy library too, stocked with some masterpieces: Lateral Thinking, by Edward de Bruno\ The Goldilocks Conspiracy, by Little Bear\ Vanity Bear, by Thackeray\ Dr. Spock's Cub & Bear Care, of the Medibear series\ The Hunchbear of Notredame, by Victor Hugo\ Bear Watching, by Desmond Forrest\ The Complete Works of Shakesbear\ Encyclopaedia Beartannica I'd take up a job there, if they'd offer me one.

Oxford


I bet Kalidas on who would receive more page hits in October. With my site currently at 12,740 hits compared to his 2,234, I'm well on my way to winning a free pizza before the month ends.

I had a bet with Kalidas about which of our pages would get more web hits in October. Of course, October isn't over yet, but with 12,740 on mine against 2,234, I think I have a decent chance of a pizza.

Page hits in October


I saw The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. Despite cramped balcony seating, I was mesmerized by the live music and technical stagecraft, including the smoke-filled lake and massive, mobile set pieces.

There's a stall that sells theatre tickets for half price at Leicester Square, so I went there in the morning. It opened only at 12 noon, so rather than waiting, I just bought tickets for the balcony. 15.50 pounds didn't seem to much. The musical was "The Phantom of the Opera", running at Her Majesty's Theatre. There were 6 of us, and we went to the show. That was when I realized why the tickets were so cheap. They were on the second row of the third floor. Which meant that we had to crane our necks to see anything. What made it worse was that the lady in front of me refused to sit still. But after a while, I got used to it. Well, one can see why it's been running house full for the last 10-15 years. The visual effects are amazing. The play begins with an auction of a chandelier which fell during a performance at an opera in France. It is rumoured that the chandelier was caused to fall by the 'Phantom of the Opera'. We go back in time (special effects). There's this girl who's been learning music from the Phantom, and he loves her, but she loves Raoul, who loves her. So the Phantom is angry, and does bad things, but finally gets a bout of conscience and unites them. That's the plot. But you wouldn't think it when watching the show. The music is spell-binding, and performed real-time. When the Phantom takes Catherine to his den, they row over a lake made of smoke. Near Catherine's father's grave, there's a lovely effect of water puddles. At this point, the Phantom appears and there's some great fireworks also. What's even more impressive is the coordination of the staff to get all these HUGE sets in place from scene to scene. The largest was a huge staircase, which must have weighed several tonnes. Sure, they must have had wheels. But still, it's a feat to marvel at. Put all this in with the music, and you get an experience that's more gripping than any movie that I've seen. The 3 hours flew by like the blink of an eyelid. Well, not quite. Although I felt myself in the 17th century right through, there was one small interruption. Towards the end, when Christine was softly sobbing to Raoul, the atmosphere was broken by the ring of a mobile. That moment was almost like snapping back from a vision to reality. Now, how can I stop myself from seeing "The Lion King"?

Phantom of the Opera


I got my film rolls from my London trip developed by Fotango and uploaded the images to Yahoo Photos. It marks a moment in my early digital photography workflow and online photo-sharing history.

I got the film rolls developed from Fotango. You can see my photos on Yahoo.

Photos developed


I scanned pages from the LBS placement magazine 'Target' to share insights on consulting and finance careers, interview preparation, and alumni feedback. I'm bringing the physical copy back to IIM-B for others to reference.

LBS' placement cell publishes a magazine called Target, some of whose pages I've scanned. It gives an idea about what consulting and finance is, what companies look for, how to prepare for interviews, alumni feedback, etc. Sorry about the small size of scanning, but I had to conserve disk space. I'll bring the book to IIM-B when I come back.

Placement magazine


I found that Planet M is now live online. The site provides a digital hub for music and entertainment news, bringing their popular retail music brand into the early 2000s web landscape for fans.

Planet-M is online.

Planet M online


I found Kjell Sandved’s photography of unique natural patterns, including a moth that appears to have the word 'Hi' written on its wings. His work highlights the extraordinary and accidental typography found across various plants and animals.

Kjell Sandved goes about taking photographs of plants and animals that have strange patterns. You have to see the moth with a 'Hi' written on it to believe.

Plants and animals with strange patterns


I used http-analyze to identify the most popular sites on the IIMB server. In July 2000, traffic was dominated by admissions, placement, and the personal pages of Professors Srinivasan and Bandi.

Whose sites are the most popular on this server? Last month, the top 10 sites were admissions, placement, Prof. Srinivasan's, and Prof. Bandi's. I ran http-analyze to get these results.

Popular sites at IIMB


I highlight Fortune's six-part series analyzing the dot-com bubble's collapse alongside the FTC's guide to 'dot cons,' which identifies the top ten scams used to exploit early internet users for quick profits.

Fortune has a 6-part post-mortem of dot-coms. In contrast, the FTC lists the top ten ways to make a quick-buck on the Internet -- the dot cons.

Post-mortem of dotcoms


While researching public relations online, I found several valuable resources for PR specialists and news research. I've gathered links covering online research techniques, PR planning, and industry-specific databases to help navigate digital communications.

While hunting for some stuff on public relations on the Internet, I found 10 ways public relations specialists can use the Internet. Actually, the links are useful to anyone doing any news research. What's Next Online, 12th July has a good writeup on how to research online. I did find some good Internet PR related links too on About.com, Connecting Online and Impulse Research.

PR on the Internet


I examine philosophical proofs for God's existence, including Descartes' 'Cogito, ergo sum' and the Watchmaker Argument, but I find that I prefer relying on faith rather than logical proofs like those countered by Richard Dawkins.

Prove God exists. Descartes proved it by assuming that 'Cogito, ergo sum'. ProofGodExists.com uses what's called the Watchmaker Argument -- that there can be no watch without a watchmaker. Richard Dawkins countered that beautifully in The Blind Watchmaker. Now, I'm a religious guy and all that. But I'd rather take God on faith than proof, OK? Comments Clare McIntaggart 19 Feb 2007 12:19 pm: regardless of my religious convictions Descartes reasoning was flawed when he 'proved' the exsistance of god. flawed for many reasons which only one of was the lack of applying his own method of doubt.

Prove God exists


I gathered several helpful resume-writing resources from around the web, featuring curated links from Google’s directory, Quest Career, and Learn2 to assist with job applications and professional formatting.

Google has a bunch of resume resources that tell you how to write a resume. A good one to look at is Quest Career's, and another is at Learn2.

Resume resources


I scanned pages from Target magazine featuring job profiles for London Business School's class of 2000 and 2001 MBA interns. It includes a comprehensive list of graduate hires, serving as a valuable resource for professional networking.

I've scanned a couple of more pages of Target that have the job profile of the LBS graduating class of 2000 and the summer of MBA 2001. Incidentally, this magazine also publishes a complete list of who's joined which company. Really neat idea, great for contacts.

Scanned Target magazine


I've been waiting for the Scout Report, one of the internet's oldest and most reliable discovery tools, to launch a weblog. This new format provides more frequent updates on the best quality resources found across the web.

Just the service I've been waiting for. The Scout Report -- one of the oldest and best sources of what's good on the Internet, has launched a web log.

Scout report blog


I analyzed search engine metrics from useit.com, Media Metrix, and StatMarket to track market leaders. As of August 2000, Yahoo remains the dominant player at the top of the rankings, followed by MSN.

While we're on metrics, here are some search engine metrics from useit.com, Media Metrix, Nielsen's NetRatings and StatMarket. Yahoo's right on top, followed by MSN.

Search engine metrics


I've shared some interesting search tools I've come across, including Direct Hit by AskJeeves, the Copernic multi-site search software, and Flyswat, which integrates message boards into your browser for better web navigation.

Direct Hit (from AskJeeves) is a search engine. Copernic is a software that searches multiple sites. Flyswat is a way of interfacing a messaging board with your browser. I've heard they're all cool.

Search engines


I shared a classic collection of text-based smileys and emoticons, capturing a piece of early internet history. This resource serves as a nostalgic archive of how we used ASCII characters to express emotion in digital communications.

The classic collection of smileys and more :-)

Smileys


I started using Sneakemail as a way to eliminate spam. It allows me to create disposable email addresses that forward to my real account, making it simple to identify and block sources of unwanted messages.

I have a sneakemail account -- a neat way to kill spam.

Sneakemail


I navigated London’s eccentricities, from eating floor chocolate at the cinema to hearing absurdist rants at Speakers' Corner. I met characters like Tony Alien and Stewart the bunny-eared speaker while observing the city's unique religious debates and protests.

OK, it's not in chronological order. So what? Some of us decided to go to The House of Mirth. Figured it might be worth watching a movie at London. May as well see what the theatres are like. Besides, Gillian Andersen would probably be worth it. (Incidentally, I learnt that it's pronounced 'jillian', not 'gillian' with a hard 'g'. While we're on the subject of pronounciations, I may as well admit that I learnt 'buffet' rhymes with 'ooph-hey', 'genre' is pronounced 'jaan-ra', 'Renoir' is 'Ren-wa', 'deluxe' is 'deloo', 'Nice' is 'niece', 'rendezvous' is 'rondevoo', and so on. England does teach one how to pronounce French :-) The theatres look pretty much like the small theatres in India. A student ticket is 3 pounds(almost Rs. 200), which by now, I actually consider cheap. Only thing is, people don't like others talking to each other in theatres. We tried to chit-chat, but were shooed down -- even before the movie began. The movie was OK. Worth watching once. Incidentally, when the movie got over, I stood up, to find a bar of chocolate under my foot. At this point, a dilemma presented itself to me. Do I eat it, like I usually do, despite having stepped on it? I mean, it still had it's cover on... or do I do in London as Londoners do? It was a nice chocolate, and all that. After pondering deeply for about 2 seconds, I took a small bite. It didn't seem poisoned. I took a larger bite. Seemed tasty too. Maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch. Then we went over to this place called the 'Speaker's Corner' or something. It's a corner of Hyde Park where anyone can come over, get on a stool, and start talking. The first guy we met, poor fellow, was just standing on a stool waiting for people to come over to him and talk. We figured he wouldn't have much to say, so we moved on to a more colourful character. The colourful character stood on a tall stool which said Tony Alien\ Advocate Heckler\ Anarchist Parasite\ Mixed-ability Shaman\ http://www.newagenda.co.uk First, of course, we took a photo of this guy, and then listened to him. He was expressing his strong opinions about drugs, and how one can't live on 60 pounds a week. He was also calling the policemen around some names. In fact, just as he was doing that, the police were dragging off an African-American who kept shouting "This place is against the Muslims, man! You're all against Muslims!" I later learned that he was not a speaker -- just a member of the crowd who started beating up a speaker or something. We moved on to another African American. His argument was simple. "We all know that Jesus is the son of God. But when we tell this to the Muslims, they say 'No'. Why? Because we have no proof. Well, today, we have proof!" At this point, a few Jews and Muslims around him started fighting with each other. At least half of them were drunk. Then there was the 'Brotherhood of the Cross & Stars'. An African-American in a white frock. But the hit of the show was Stewart. Stewart was this guy wearing blue glasses and bunny ears, standing on top of a bottle crate. He looked funny, so we went over, to hear him say "... and Jesus Christ is here to save our ass. And if he's here to save our ass, then by Holy Ass, it's saved!" Clearly, he was making a mockery of the whole show, but just as clearly, he was the funniest of the lot. So we stuck on. He had lunch that day with someone (he wouldn't tell us who, because who she was was none of our business, and none of his either, for that matter) at an up-scale restaurant at Notting Hill. He had pizza, dessert, bananas, and all kinds of stuff, and as he was drinking apple juice, he just couldn't stop himself, so he threw up. He didn't throw up the pizza and dessert -- just the bananas and apple juice, which were kind-of on top. Now, this up-scale restaurant was terribly upset that someone threw up their food, so they decided to waive the fee. Stewart and his friend (whose identity is none of our business, and none of his either, as he reminded us), felt that was great, and walked out. Then they remembered that they hadn't tipped him. Stewart, by then, was on his way to Speaker's Corner, and had put on his bunny ears. As a matter of policy, he doesn't remove his bunny ears until he's finished what he has to say. So he goes over to the restaurant to tip the waiter, in bunny ears, even though he hadn't paid them in the first place, and had puked in the second. At about this point, a gentleman with a deep growling voice comes over and says aloud, "You are talking utter nonsense. Those people talking over there, they have something to say. You have NOTHING!" Stewart claims that's precisely the point. He's saying nothing. You're hearing nothing. There IS nothing. Growling voice goes on about how those who're listening to him are wasting their time, when Stewart begins to go "Grrr, Arf Arf Arf." It's incredible how close he sounded to the heckler. A slightly demented looking guy in the audience came forward, and said, "I have a question." Stewart: "Sure, go ahead and ask!" Demented guy: "It's for him," pointing to the growling man. Stewart: "Sure, go ahead." Demented guy to growling man: "Grrr, arf arf arf?" The whole crowd burst out laughing, and Stewart turns to the demented guy and says, "You're good. You're real good, and you know it!" The highlight of the evening was that we got to see Shahnaz Hussain. I even took a snap of her. She does look a little overdressed, though. Incidentally, when the Palestinian trouble broke out (on 12th October), there was a march by Muslims in the UK to protest against the British stance on the issue. It was a sight to watch. I was walking along with Jean-Francois (a French exchange student from Kellog) from the Thornton computer lab to the main LBS building. The road was blocked. There were about 100-150 muslims walking on the road, shouting something. What impressed Jean-Francois and me was that they were surrounded by 100-150 policemen, and that about 10 police vans were following the crowd. Neither of us had seen such a high police-protestor ratio. Guess there isn't much chance of violence, given such an entourage.

Speakers Corner


I realized I'd gained an hour of life during London's Daylight Saving Time shift. I joked about perpetually gaining time by alternating winters between London and India, until I factored in the time lost during flights.

Sheer laziness kept me in bed till 9:30AM. Then I got dressed, and logged on to the computer, only to be greeted with "I've set the clock an hour behind, because it's Daylight Saving Time. Check if it's OK." or something like that. Neat! I truly got an extra hour. I mean, I actually did something useful. So I told Ashwin (an exchange student from UCLA) that I'd gained an hour of life. Ashwin: "But then, you'll lose it when the time changes back..." Me: "No, because I'll be in India by then." Ashwin: "Hmm.... something wrong there." Me: "And I can do this for ever -- just spending winters in London!" Took us a while to figure out that we'd be losing time when we were on the flight. But neither of us seemed to mind. There's a gale warning. Now, the weather's cold enough as it is. Wonder what a gale's going to do to it.

Squeezing more time out of life


I'm tracking Stephen King's experiment with self-publishing The Plant online in dollar installments. By bypassing traditional publishers and relying on an honor-system payment model, he's testing whether direct digital distribution is viable for authors.

Amazon.com moved retailers to the web, and disintermediated retail inventory. SimonSays.com is a publisher (Simon & Schuster) on the Web. Stephen King's an author on the Web. You can buy his book from him directly, and online. He's releasing The Plant in installments. Each installment will be about a dollar. That's pretty cheap for an online book, but then, he only has server storage and tracking costs and all that. He says he'll stop writing the next part if people don't pay enough. Payment rate is over 75% so far. This is an experiment to watch.

Stephen King novel chapters online


I look at Stephen King’s choice to stop writing 'The Plant.' While many downloaded the chapters, few paid, proving the risks of honesty-based digital publishing. It’s a smart, if frustrating, move for the author.

Stephen King has stopped writing 'The Plant'. People downloaded the chapters, but haven't paid. So he's mad. Smart move.

Stephen King stopped writing The Plant


I curated several insights from Strategy & Business magazine, covering Novell's reseller channel management, how traditional brick-and-mortar companies establish online brands, and the shifting dynamics of corporate culture within internet-driven organizations.

I found some interesting articles on Strategy & Business magazine. How Novell manages their reseller channel, how brick-and-mortar companies can brand on the Internet and corporate culture on the Internet.

Strategy and Business


I found TechTarget to be a useful search engine for specific IT niches. It offers targeted search results for domains like Linux, SAP, and E-business, which is helpful for finding deep technical documentation.

TechTarget is a search engine on all kinds of IT topics, likd Linux, EBusiness, SAP, etc.

Tech search engine


I found an experiment where two people tried to gain 30 pounds in 30 days. One participant succeeded, providing a unique visual record of rapid flesh growth and the physical toll of extreme overeating.

The Fat Project tried to get two people to gain 30 pounds in 30 days. One made it. One didn't. For the first time, you can actually see flesh grow.

The Fat Project


I highlighted Hal Varian's extensive repository of resources on the information economy. His curated collection provides essential links for understanding how economic principles apply to digital data, intellectual property, and networked markets.

Hal Varian has a site on the Information Economy. It contains a huge list of links relating to economics of information, which is his area.

The Information Economy


I predict the US market slowdown will prompt the Fed to cut interest rates, sparking a recovery in software stocks. I believe it is a strategic time to buy IT assets before they rebound and continue growing.

My guess is, with the US market slowdown, the Fed will reduce interest rates, software stocks will pickup again and live happily ever after. Time to buy IT, not sell!

Time to buy tech stocks


I explore how toll-free ISP access could revolutionize connectivity in India if Ram Vilas Paswan fulfills his promise. I anticipate this policy change will significantly boost internet adoption, with free providers like Caltiger positioned to benefit most.

This would be it. If Ram Vilas Paswan sticks to his word and provides toll-free ISP numbers, Internet access in India would really shoot up. I'm sure Caltiger would be the first to benefit from this.

Toll free ISP numbers


I found a great resource for Tom and Jerry fans featuring historical information and a collection of downloadable video clips from the classic cartoon series at Tom and Jerry Online.

A neat Tom & Jerry site. Also has video clips.

Tom and Jerry site


I observed that IBM manufactured five of the top ten most powerful supercomputers in the November 2000 TOP500 rankings. I also noted that India did not have a single entry on this prestigious list of machines.

IBM's made 5 of the top 10 most powerful supercomputers. India doesn't seem to have made a single one.

Top 10 supercomputers


I observed how a gale disrupted London's trains and ferries, and was struck by a young child earnestly reading a newspaper amid the chaos.

The gale caused all kinds of trouble to the underground trains. When I got on at Newbury Park, there was an announcement that trains would be running slow today because there were trees on the track. It wasn't too far after that accident, and the British Rail was running slowly as it is. Looked like the underground would match it. Then there was another delay -- signal confusion this time. But the cake was when they stopped the train because there was a 'suspicious looking package on the track'. Now, I can't imagine what brave soul decided to inspect it, before reporting after two minutes that it was 'no longer suspicious', but even less, what could have been in there. The train problem wasn't local to London. Carlos (another exchange student) was on the ferry from Calais to Dover, and the ferry was rocking worse than a plane in the middle of a big storm. Of course, people threw up on the boat more than the boat threw them up. By the time they reached Dover, the port was closed, and Carlos was stuck at Dover for 14 hours (with barely any food). He ended up a little late to class, unshaven. Apparantly the gale toll was pretty high. But with all these heady issues, my time in the train was spent observing a character quite unconcerned with these proceedings. A 2-year old blonde boy (blue-eyed) was sitting next to his mother, reading a copy of the Metro (the local newspaper). I say "reading" because that's exactly what it looked like he was doing. It was on his lap, and he seemed to be staring at it intently. From where I was sitting, I could read the headlines: "Oil Profits Soar to 10-year High". Future oil-magnate, perhaps. A few seconds later, he lifted the paper carefully, turned a few pages (no kidding -- he actually flipped them), came back to the front page, stared at one corner, and started biting it. Now, that looked like a much more normal thing for a kid of his age to do. It wasn't until I got off that I noticed what was on that corner of the page. "Spice Girls Toast Their Ninth No. 1"

Train delays


I discovered Triviastic's collection of entertainment trivia and found it impressive, especially the entry on Neil Armstrong. It’s an excellent site for sourcing niche facts and engaging tidbits across many different popular culture categories.

Trivialistic's trivia on entertainment is amazing. The one about Neil Armstrong is my favourite.

Triviastic


I found Tutorialfind to be a useful directory for searching and indexing online tutorials. It acts as a centralized search engine for finding step-by-step guides and educational resources across a wide variety of technical and creative topics.

Find tutorials with tutorialfind.

Tutorial find


I'm sharing Typographic, an extensive resource covering everything you ever wanted to know about fonts. It provides deep dives into type history, design principles, and font classifications for anyone working with digital or print media.

typographic. All you wanted to know about fonts.

Typographic


I found a hilarious satire about Umashankar Dikshit, a Silicon Valley priest who performs Lakshmi poojas for tech startups. It’s a perfect look at the dotcom bubble’s absurdity, where priests receive stock options and VCs fund napkin-sketched business plans.

There's a whole series of articles on Umashankar Dikshit -- a Silicon Valley pujari. Not a bad idea -- epujari.com (which incidentally is on sale.) Following the articles on Rediff and USA Today, there's this really funny piece. Now I've heard everything. The San Francisco Chronicle reported some weeks ago that a Hindu priest in Silicon Valley called Umashankar Dixit is in great demand to perform Lakshmi poojas when e-commerce startups are launched by Indians, as an increasing number are. Mr. Dixit says modestly that he is considered a 'lucky hand' because his God is Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. He -- Mr. Dixit that is, not Ganesha -- has been compensated in cash and stock options by several startups and says he has already done very well from the IPOs of successful companies like Exodus Communications. Rediff's US edition and USA Today have since come up with their own breathless takes on Mr. Dixit, reporting among other things that he spends an hour every morning, presumably just after sandhyavandanam, on the Internet monitoring the financial markets. It's not clear from the articles whether Mr. Dixit is an Iyer, in which case he would normally wear three bands of vibhooti on his forehead -- ideal, one would think, for launching companies which specialise in broadband networks. On the other hand, he may be an Iyengar who wears a U-shaped naamam on his forehead, more suitable for launching ASIC design companies. Or else, he may have decided to assist as wide a spectrum of startups as possible and may favour a simple kumkum pottu -- in effect, despite all the gadzillions Sun Microsystems spends on advertising, it may actually be Mr. Dixit who is the dot in dotcom. It is likely, although both the Chronicle and Rediff are unaccountably reticent on this point, that Mr. Dixit's poojas are integral to the business plans of his clients and the willingness of canny VCs to part with vast amounts of negotiable tender. I have it on good authority that the average e-commerce startup in the Valley usually has its business plan scribbled on a napkin and requires you to sign a non-disclosure before it will show the napkin to you. Mr. Dixit's clients have probably jotted down a business plan that typically goes something like this: 1. Come up with brilliant idea for B2B category killer but don't tell anybody 2. Get copy of founders' horoscopes for name selection 3. Consult Dixit on launch date and muhurtam 4. Finalise funding of 6 million 5. Locate suitable garage 6. Order pizza 7. Don't use this napkin to blow your nose 'So who's Dixit?' asks the VC. 'Oh, he specialises in ultra-long-distance wireless communications' says the entrepreneur. 'Wow,' says the VC as he fumbles for his chequebook, 'so that's where you're going, huh?' 'That's where the whole world will eventually have to go' says the entrepreneur, 'but we're giving you an opportunity to get in on the ground floor!' And so it goes. The Chronicle describes a typical Lakshmi pooja performed by Mr. Dixit in lyrical detail. The CEO of the company has set up a small, colourful shrine in a tiny conference room for the ceremony. 'There is a basket with 108 U.S. coins, symbolizing the 108 different names and forms of Hindu gods; a platter with coconuts, limes and other offerings; and small silver bowls of turmeric, the yellow-orange seasoning signifying wealth, and kumkum, the red powder that Indians use to dot their foreheads. The ceremony, which involves a lot of chanting and tossing of flower petals, lasts about 45 minutes.' As an honorarium, Mr. Dixit receives 51 dollars and 5,000 stock options. One assumes that for good measure, he also tosses some akshathai on the heads of the VCs, not to mention the Chronicle's correspondent. And so it goes. The startup buys two Porsches and sets up shop in a garage to begin work on its brilliant idea. Very soon, it is first round funding 'swaaha' as Mr. Dixit might say, and more money is needed although no product is in sight. That's when the entrepreneurs hide the Porsches and go out and hire a couple of IIT graduates. If all the column inches of pure baloney that have been written about IIT graduates in the past one year were placed end to end, they would reach the moon. 'Can I see the scar on your thumb you got from the workshop?' whispers the VC reverently. 'Aw, gee' says the bashful IIT graduate, 'you should see the one I got when they did my frontal lobotomy!' Immediately, even more money rolls in and our intrepid entrepreneurs organise a homam that is, naturally, performed by Mr. Dixit. 'We're increasing our burn rate' the founders reassure the investors. And so it goes. Soon, everyone wants to meet Mr. Dixit who duly arrives in his modest Honda Accord. In the Valley, nobody thinks his silk veshti and angavastram are particularly odd. 'Willya look at those cool threads!' the investors remark, eyeing his poonal. 'So how's it going?' they want to know. 'It's all His leela' says the devout Mr. Dixit, looking skywards. 'We're a pure e-commerce play' translate the entrepreneurs. By this time, breathless articles in publications like the Chronicle have caused normally cautious people to buy sleeping bags and camp out on the grass outside the company to get a piece of the action. The entrepreneurs use part of the windfall to buy homes in Sausalito. The grihapravesam is performed, naturally, by Mr. Dixit. And so it goes. The Chronicle doesn't say specifically what Mr. Dixit thinks of the whole dizzy dotcom world, although Rediff reports that he thinks the economy and the markets will recover very soon, praise be to Vigneshwara. The Chronicle is far too busy asking Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, professor of sociology who studies Indian religion at the University of California at Santa Barbara what he thinks of the idea of Mr. Dixit receiving stock options. Mr. Dixit will no doubt be reassured to know that Prof. Juergensmeyer thinks that stock options for priests aren't incompatible with Indian culture. 'Some Hindu priests' the good professor says, 'receive more than others, just as they do in other religions.' Ayyaiyyo, for these kinds of penetrating insights they gave Juggu a PhD? What Ganesha thinks is another matter for speculation. The prudent Mr. Dixit says he's already using a part of his high-tech portfolio to construct a Durga Siddhivinayaka temple in Bangalore, so it may well be okay with Him too. I guess day-trading beats removing obstacles hands down, especially if He already knows which way NASDAQ is going and how the Microsoft saga will end. Sarva Vighna Upashaantaye... Comments Ganesh Anna 26 Dec 2022 2:09 pm: Hahaha 🤣🤣👌👌

Umashankar Dikshit


Review David Hilbert’s 23 foundational mathematical problems from 1900 and the contemporary Millennium Prize Problems. While many are solved, the Riemann Hypothesis remains a major challenge with a million-dollar bounty for anyone who solves it.

In 1900, David Hilbert outlined 23 unsolved problems in mathematics. Many of these have been solved today, with the notable exception of the Riemann Hypothesis. Today, if we solve any of these, we get $1 million.

Unsolved problems in mathematics


I found several high-quality free reports on Vault.com, specifically their guides to consulting and investment banking. These company-specific documents are invaluable for anyone doing placement research or preparing for interviews in these sectors.

Vault.com has some extremely good free reports. They include the Guide to Consulting and the Guide to Investment Banking. They also have some extremely good company reports. Ideal for placement research.

Vault reports


I'm sharing IBM's resource for identifying virus hoaxes and hype. It includes specific information on why some users fear their web pages are infected, providing a useful reality check against common security misinformation and digital scares.

IBM has a virus hype alert site, which lists all kinds of virus hoaxes. Incidentally, some people are worried that their web pages are infected.

Virus hype alert


I predict we will soon transition to mobile hybrids like the VisorPhone or Stinger. These handheld computers merge phones with PDAs, suggesting we will eventually ditch physical keyboards in favor of voice-driven interaction.

Some time soon, we'll be using something like VisorPhone or Stinger -- which are like handheld computers with a mobile phone. Forget the keyboard. We'll be talking to them!

Visorphone


I’m highlighting how a site for auctioning votes moved its operations to Bulgaria to escape US legal jurisdiction. This shift demonstrates the borderless nature of the internet and the difficulty of enforcing local election laws.

Remember the US site that lets people auction their votes? Now they've moved it to Bulgaria, out of the US jurisdiction. The Internet is truly borderless!

Vote auctions move to Bulgaria


I highlight emerging digital age problems including RPI's vote auctioning site, free-riding on P2P networks like Gnutella and Napster, real-time video manipulation, and the rise of forged online reviews.

A guy called Baumgartner at the RPI set up a site that lets people auction their votes. Users of Gnutella (and Napster) are free-riding. People are faking videos real-time. Author's reviews are forged. Life in the 21st century doesn't look promising ;-)

Votes auctioned


I noted that Wal-Mart has become the second largest company by revenue globally. Looking at the Fortune 500, it is striking that only IBM and AT&T represent the IT industry within the top ten leaders.

Wal-Mart is the second largest company in the world in terms of revenues. Only 2 IT companies made to the top 10: IBM and AT&T

Wal Mart is the second largest company


I'm calling out my friend Joseph Bosco for traveling in Sweden and failing to keep in touch. I posted this 'wanted' notice so his name appears on my site, nudging him to write back before someone searches for him.

Joseph Bosco Wanted Joseph Bosco, for the crime of ogling at girls in Sweden and not even writing to me about it. Better do so quickly before someone searches for your name and finds it on my site!

Wanted


I've noticed major web services like Pets.com and Finance.com shutting down lately. This trend highlights the risk of losing account data and reinforces why I prefer sticking to established giants like Yahoo or Microsoft for stability.

Finance.com has shut down. Desktop.com too. NetZero. And the biggest of all: Pets.com (chart). This is more the trend than exception. People who had accounts on these? Tough luck! That's one reason to stick to big players like Yahoo or Microsoft.

Web services shut down


I share my interest in internet-connected devices, specifically webcams. I highlight Earthcam as a key portal and provide links to Google's webcam directories for discovering live feeds from various locations globally.

I've always liked devices attached to the Internet. Web cameras are a hot favourite. Earthcam is a portal for web cameras. Google has more webcam directories.

Webcams


I explain what weblogs are, categorizing them as discussions, narratives, or moderated sites. I share my favorite sources like Scripting News and SlashDot while noting Blogger's growing popularity for personal online journals in 2000.

Don't know what a web log is? It's a site where people talk -- usually about the Web. Some are discussions. Some are moderated. Some are narratives -- like mine. Scripting news is my favourite, and SlashDot's another popular one. Blogger's the most popular, I hear.

Weblogs


I found a resource for tracking the financial value of global companies through Interbrand's league chart. It provides a quantitative look at brand equity by ranking the world's most valuable brands based on estimated market worth.

What are brands worth?

What are brands worth


I surveyed London Underground commuters, documenting people reading newspapers, chess problems, and HR policies. I share my theories about a man memorizing street names and my "hide and seek" note-taking game with a suspicious, androgynous passenger.

I'm leaving for Scotland tonight, and will be back on Monday morning. Await interesting stories... While academics has prevented any outdoor adventures over the last few weeks, the underground has been an unending source of intrigue. This morning, for example, I decided to take a survey of what people in the underground were reading. People on the trains would either read something, talk on their mobiles, or listening to a walkman. The last category are uninteresting. The only mobile phone conversation I overheard is too embarrassing to be be printed here. So I'll stick to what people were reading. Most, of course, would read the newspaper. There's a free paper called The Metro which is available in most railway stations. Some would read books, but till date, I haven't been able to recognize a single author other than Colin Forbes and Arthur Clarke. Quite a few used to do their office work. For instance, there was a black lady who was reviewing the HR policies of her company. The tourists were easily spotted, since they would be clinging on to the railway map and poring over it. Several would be reading books on how to speak English. But these were the normal ones. The more interesting ones were, for a start, a Professor who was doing his quiz paper corrections on the train. It was a quiz on financial markets, rather like Prof. Srinivasan's -- a few questions, with blank spaces for answers. He seemed to be going at the rate of 1 per minute. Another one was reading a book on chess problems. Endgames, particularly. I couldn't tell what language it was in, though, but I did find time to copy a few phrases down. "en zwart gaf", "verliest", "weerlegging van de tekstzet". Sounds Scandinavian to me. This man was so engrossed in his problems that he didn't even notice me looking over his shoulder. But the most interesting one was a man I shall call "Piccard", because he looked quite like Patrick Stewart (who plays Captain Jean Luc Piccard in Star Trek: The Next Generation). Piccard was bald (almost), with blue-green eyes, wearing a jeans, striped T-shirt, and an orange-black jacket (the kind that policemen wear). Which is all fine. What's interesting is that he was memorizing something from a notebook. It looked like a diary with handwritten notations. It isn't easy for me to read upside down, but after 15 minutes, I realized that they were names of streets! For example, one page was titled "Wondsworth Town Hall to Harrods", and was followed by a whole page of street names. Nothing else. Now, who on earth would memorize street names? One possibility that struck me was: pizza delivery men. Piccard didn't look like one. Another possibility: terrorists. Quite possible. Piccard was bald and was chewing gum. Very likely. Piccard went on with this right though the journey, even memorizing maps, when they came up. Now I'm absolutely sure. Maybe someday he'll hit the papers, and I'll say "I travelled on a train with this guy." My memory being terrible, I was writing all this down, lest I forget it. This made the person to my right (whom I'll call Demi, reasons will be obvious later) extremely curious. I mean Demi sees this person who's got a tiny Post-it pad, in which he's writing down stuff in a tiny handwriting, while suspiciously staring at a bald-head in front of him. I didn't want Demi to know what I was writing, partly because I was writing about Demi too. So we'd play hide and seek. I'd wait till Demi turned around, then quickly scribble a word or two, just when Demi's head would turn back, and I'd put my pad back into my pocket. There would be a stalemate for a few minutes, and then Demi's head would turn back again. The reason I call Demi Demi is: I couldn't tell if Demi was a guy or a girl. I mean, he/she had a crew-cut hair. His/her face looked slightly feminine, but his/her build was masculine. No ear-rings, no sign of facial hair, nothing. The first image that struck me was: Demi Moore in GI Jane. I would've tried to find out more, but something else at the station stopped me. I'll write about that later.

What people read on trains


I explore the historical origins of driving on the left, from medieval swordsmen protecting themselves to Napoleon’s influence on European roads. I investigate why conventions differ between countries and how American standards evolved over time.

Why do we drive on the left? The medieval nobility wielded their sword on the right (mostly), and rode on the left, so as to chop off oncoming horsemen. Peasants walked on the right to avoid the swords. While the New Scientist's last word reveals why Napolean drove on the right, it's not clear why Americans do. Kevin Lowey has a different opinion, though.

Why we drive on the left


I explore the Word Detective site to trace the origins of strange words like Yahoo and Hamburgers. I also confirmed first-hand that the Yeomen guards at the Tower of London don't know why they're called Beefeaters.

Word detective traces the origins of strange words. For instance, Yahoo means an ignorant brute. Hamburgers have nothing to do with ham -- they're so called because they come from Hamburg, Germany. Beefeaters are the guards at the The Tower of London (Yeomen guards). Word detective doesn't know why they're called that, but I can confirm first-hand that the Yeomen guards don't know why themselves.

Word detective


I found a Berkeley study showing the world produces 250MB of information per person annually. We're each generating the equivalent of 50 times the complete works of Shakespeare every year through our digital and physical activity.

A study shows that the world is producing about 250MB of info per person per year. It means that, on average, each of us is writing 50 times the size of the complete works of Shakespeare every year! If you're wondering how that's possible, just wander around this web page :-)

Worlds information growth


XHTML is now an official W3C standard, providing a subset of XHTML 1.1 designed for portable devices like mobile phones. It offers a streamlined alternative to HTML for building web content on resource-constrained hardware.

XHTML is now a standard. It can be used instead of HTML for portable devices.

XHTML is now a standard


I shared Time's list of the century's 100 worst ideas, highlighting Prohibition, the technical roots of Y2K, and telemarketing. It offers a look at historical blunders and the decisions that led to major societal annoyances.

The 100 worst ideas of the century. Prohibition tops the list, followed by the decision that led to Y2K, and telemarketing :-)

100 worst ideas


I finally demystified the concept of 3G mobile technology using a BBC resource, marking a moment in 2001 when high-speed cellular data standards were still a new and emerging topic for consumers and businesses alike.

I finally figured out what 3G is.

3G


I've noted the arrival of several 4.1 megapixel digital cameras, including the Olympus C4040 and Canon G2, priced around $700. These models represent a new standard even as 5.2 megapixel options begin to emerge.

The 4.1 mega pixel cameras have come in: Olympus' C4040, Toshiba's PDR M81, Casio's QV4000, Sony's DSC S85 and Canon's G2. All priced at around $700. (Of course, 5.2 megapixel cameras exist too...)

4 megapixel cameras


JDS Uniphase recorded a $45 billion writedown, marking the largest corporate loss in history. This massive impairment charge reflects the extreme fallout from the fiber optic bubble and the broader telecommunications market crash in 2001.

A $45 billion writedown from JDS Uniphase. The largest ever loss in corporate history.

45 billion writedown


I’ve returned from my Diwali break and wanted to highlight the posthumous release of Douglas Adams' book, A Salmon of Doubt. The collection features unfinished writings and essays recovered from his computer after his death.

I'm back, after a Diwali break. So's the late Douglas Adams, with A Salmon of Doubt.

A Salmon of Doubt


I shared a link to a graphic of the AC-130 gunship, noting my appreciation for its capabilities. This specialized ground-attack aircraft is a variant of the C-130 Hercules used for close air support and armed reconnaissance.

The AC-130 Sounds like a nice plane.

AC 130


I searched for accommodation in Mumbai's Nariman Point area using realestatemumbai.com. I looked for a paying guest arrangement or a flat to rent and successfully found a place by the end of May 2001.

I'm looking for accomodation in Mumbai through realestatemumbai.com. Anyone with PG acco or a flat to rent around Nariman Point? (Note added on 31 May 2001: Don't bother -- I found a place.)

Acco in Mumbai


I found the release of Acrobat Reader 5 underwhelming. Unless you’re using a Palmtop or need support for Asian character sets, there isn't much to get excited about in this update.

Acrobat Reader 5 is out. Nothing great, unless you have a Palmtop, or use Asian characters.

Acrobat reader 5


I shared Agentland, a 2001-era portal and directory for online agents and autonomous software. It functioned as a centralized hub for discovering web-based tools and bots, similar to how Apps.com operated at the time.

Agentland is a portal for online agents -- somewhat like Apps.com

Agentland


I've been exploring the strange alternate reality game for Spielberg's movie A.I., following clues about sentient machine therapist Jeanine Salla through mysterious websites like Bangalore World University. It's a weirdly engaging promotional puzzle.

Spielberg's next movie, A.I., has sparked a weird game. I read the article on it at ZDNet and searched for Jeanine Salla, listed as the movie's sentient machine therapist, which lead me to her site, (at the so called "Bangalore World University"!!) and from there to others... it really is a wierd game. Those with enthu, do try it and let me know your progress.

AI game


I shared a humorous Flash animation highlighting how alcohol is injurious to self-respect. It is a classic piece of early internet humor that satirically warns against the embarrassing consequences of drinking too much.

Alcohol is injurious to self-respect.

Alcohol injurious


I reflect on my interactions with Alicebot, the Loebner Prize winner, finding it more infuriating than intelligent. Despite the limitations of current conversational agents like Iniaes, I plan to download and build my own custom Alicebot.

Alicebot won the Turing test contest. I've chatted with quite a few Alicebots, such as Cybelle, or the one on the A.I. site. But they're not too smart, as my conversation with Iniaes reveals. Other conversations are pretty similar. I should try downloading and building my own version of an Alicebot.

Alicebot


I found Altervistas, a niche search engine dedicated to indexing strange and obscure websites. It offers a portal into the unconventional corners of the internet, helping users discover fringe content that mainstream engines might miss.

Altervistas -- a search engine for strange sites.

Altervistas


I checked out the Am I Annoying website to browse their rankings of the world's most and least irritating celebrities. I discovered Steven Seagal near the top of the annoying list, while Kate Winslet ranked among the least.

Am I Annoying has a list of the most and least annoying people in the world. The most annoying person I'd heard of in that list was Steven Seagal (the least was Kate Winslet)

Am I Annoying


I address questions about my employment status by explaining that I spend my weekends working hard to gather and prepare material for my site, proving that frequent updates require dedicated effort rather than idle time.

Lots of people are wondering if I'm so jobless to have the time to update my site. Trust me, I work every weekend to make sure I have enough material for it.

Am I jobless


I noticed Amazon's unusual decision to grant stock options to laid-off employees. This move provides a unique form of severance and compensation for workers departing during restructuring, marking a distinctive approach to corporate downsizing and employee relations.

Amazon is handing out stock options to laid off employees. That's a good one!

Amazon handing out stock options to laid off employees


I discovered that Amazon workers formed a union, likely in response to the early 2000s dot-com layoffs. It was a surprising development for the tech industry, showing how labor movements began appearing in nascent internet companies.

Didn't know dot-coms had unions. Amazon does. A reaction to the layoffs in dot-coms?

Amazon has a union


I highlight Amazon's Honor System, an early micropayment tool that allows users to send tips to websites. It simplifies online support by using existing customer accounts for small-scale transactions across the web.

You can make a tip on the Web using Amazon's honour system.

Amazon honor system


I look at Amazon's honor system as a quick, easy method for selling digital content online. While it provides a simple way to monetize work, I find it limiting that the service is currently restricted to the US.

Amazon's honor system is a quick and easy way to sell content on the Internet. (They also have other ways of selling.) It's available only for the US currently, though. Pity...

Amazons honor system


Understand how America's flexible labor laws, which facilitated rapid growth during the economic boom, result in faster layoffs and higher volatility during market downturns compared to more rigid international labor standards.

When the boom was on, America's flexible labour laws made it a haven. With the slowdown, American layoffs are faster. Flexible labour laws come with the penalty of volatility.

American layoffs are faster


I found Idea-a-Day, a site that releases a copyright-free concept every day. It's a great resource if you need a quick spark of creativity or an open-source project idea to build upon.

An idea a day, copyright free.

An idea a day


Access full-text English versions of foundational ancient documents via the Ancient History Sourcebook. This digital archive includes works such as The Odyssey, the Code of Hammurabi, and Indian classics like the Arthashastra and Manusmriti.

The Ancient History Sourcebook contains many ancient books in full-text (English), such as The Odyssey, The Code of Hammurabi, etc. Also included are the Manusmriti and Chanakya's Arthashastra. Chanakya has also written a lesser known Niti Shastra.

Ancient History Sourcebook


I'm joining Anil Dash in expressing my dislike for email forwards. These chain letters and recycled jokes were a constant annoyance in 2001, and I completely agree that they need to stop cluttering our inboxes.

Anil hates forwards too.

Anil hates forwards


I found an extraordinary animated spoof of the popular Bollywood film Mohabbatein on SRKWorld. It features caricature versions of the characters in a humorous parody of the movie's original themes and musical sequences.

An extraordinary animated spoof of Mohabbatein.

Animated spoof of Mohabbatein


I highlight an experiment by the Annals of Improbable Research involving mailing various unusual items. While two-thirds reached their destination, I doubt the Indian postal service would be as successful with such a test.

The Annals of Improbable Research have sent all kinds of things by post. Almost two-thirds were delivered. I doubt if it would happen in India.

Annals of improbable research


I played Ant City, a cute browser-based game where the objective is to blow up a digital city. It offers a quick, destructive distraction using simple mechanics typical of early 2000s web-based flash or shockwave gaming.

Ant City: a cute online game where you get to blow up a city. (OK, OK, nothing cute about that.)

Ant City


I react to the escalating 2001 anthrax attacks affecting Senate staff, noting the surreal similarities to Tom Clancy plots and sharing contemporary advice like ironing mail to kill spores during the post-9/11 security crisis.

This anthrax business is getting bad. Now 29 people on a Senator's staff have it. Following the attack on the WTC, this almost sounds like a Tom Clancy plot. (Iron your letters)

Anthrax update


I'm sharing Anti-DMCA, a site advocating against the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It serves as a resource for those fighting restrictive copyright laws and supporting digital rights and legal reform in the early 2000s.

Anti DMCA is against the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

Anti DMCA


Apple is launching Mac OS X, a major update built on a UNIX foundation. This transition brings advanced stability, memory management, and multitasking to the platform, replacing the aging classic Mac OS architecture.

Apple releases a UNIX-based operating system -- OS X.

Apple to release OS X


I discovered Apple's AirPort technology, which brings wireless DSL to the home. It is an impressive leap for high-speed internet accessibility, allowing me to stay connected without being physically tethered to a wall jack or modem.

Apple's got wireless DSL. Wow!

Apple wireless DSL


I enjoyed exploring this collection of hilarious April Fool RFCs. These documents represent the internet's tradition of technical satire, featuring classic jokes like IP over Avian Carriers and the Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol.

The April Fool RFCs are hilarious.

April Fool RFCs


Archimedes may have anticipated Cantor's work on infinity, a breakthrough in mathematical history suggesting ancient Greek scholars understood concepts of the infinite long before modern set theory was formally established.

Archimedes may have anticipated a bit of Cantor's work on infinity. In mathematical history terms, that's about as big as the ancient Greeks invented aeroplanes.

Archimedes foresight


I've found two significant web archives: the primary Internet Archive and a dedicated collection of digital records from September 11, preserving how the early web reacted to major world events.

Archive of the Web. And of Sep 11.

Archive of the Web


I’m sharing a spoiler-filled review of Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence. The analysis explores the film's ambitious narrative and emotional weight, providing a thorough critique of how Spielberg brought this long-gestating project to life.

A review of Spielberg's A.I. with lots of spoilers.

Artificial Intelligence


I’ve curated two calculators for pricing Asian options, sourced from Enron and DerivativesModels.com. These tools allow users to model path-dependent options based on average underlying asset prices during the option's life.

Asian option calculators from Enron and DerivativesModels.com.

Asian option calculators


I explore the emergence of the B2E (Business to Employee) model as a potential successor to B2B and B2C trends, reflecting on how internal corporate portals and employee-centric services might reshape organizational efficiency and engagement.

After B2C and B2B, is it now going to be B2E?

B2E


I trace connections between Bollywood stars and Kevin Bacon using the Oracle of Bacon. Similar to the Erdos number, this concept applies to consulting; I found I have a Bruce Henderson number of 3.

The University of Virginia computes the Bacon Number for any actor, similar to the Erdos number in mathematics. We trace the acting links of Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and even Prabhu Deva to Kevin Bacon. (BCG did the same for consultants who have worked together, and it turns out that I have a Bruce Henderson number of 3.)

Bacon Number


I found a great banking and finance portal by Northern Light. It covers critical industry developments like mergers, regulatory reforms, and financial technology, while providing specific data on international markets and banking regulations.

A neat banking & finance portal by Northern Light. Covers mergers, reforms, technology, regulations, country-specific info, etc.

Banking and finance portal


Envisionet filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy while sending a reassuring memo to employees claiming it was business as usual. The leaked email demonstrates the disconnect between executive communications and the reality of a corporate financial collapse.

Envisionet filed for Chapter 11 (they're bankrupt), and sent a reassuring e-mail to their employees, telling them it was business as usual.

Bankruptcy email to employees


BBC's study on human faces explores how beauty is measured and identifies facial cues for spotting lies. It features experiments on deceit and analyzes micro-expressions, such as furrowed brows, in Bill Clinton's testimony.

BBC's study on human faces analyses how beauty can be measured, how we can spot lies, etc. They even have a video that shows Bill Clinton's testimony -- and a furrowed brow.

BBC measures beauty


I found that BCG New Delhi has been officially added to the Boston Consulting Group world map. I have provided the direct links to the new office page and the global office directory for reference.

BCG New Delhi is now officially on the BCG world map.

BCG New Delhi


I found a well-organized online version of the Bhagavad Gita featuring audio and translations in multiple languages. It includes a particularly fitting final verse that resonated with Mr. Krishnan's IIMPressions commentary.

Bhagavad Gita online. Has audio, translations in several languages, etc. Very well organised. The final quote was very fitting for Mr. Krishnan's IIMPressions, incidentally.

Bhagavad Gita online


I discovered the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) website. I found their hearing schedule useful for tracking companies in financial trouble, like Dunlop India, though the site doesn't yet include full decision texts.

BIFR has a website. Their 'Hearing Schedule' section is a useful way of keeping up with what companies are in trouble. I'm surprised to see Dunlop India (West Bengal) on the list. Currently, the site does not have the actual decisions. Maybe soon. Comments m s b 16 Mar 2001 12:00 pm: the schedule is not updated after March 2007

BIFR has a website


I linked to a conversation with a user named BinLaden9151 on Diaryland. This snapshot captures the raw, immediate online dialogue and cultural reactions in the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

A chat with BinLaden9151.

BinLaden9151


I'm testing a new black theme for my site and asking a visitor named kashmira for feedback on whether this aesthetic change is an improvement over the previous layout and style.

Well, "kashmira", is black any better?

Black


I track Microsoft’s attempt to block non-IE browsers from MSN. Despite their official reversal, I still cannot access the photos section using Opera, highlighting persistent compatibility issues during the early browser wars.

Microsoft first tries to block MSN access to non-IE browsers, and then surrenders. I still can't access their photos section through Opera.

Block MSN access


I curated the 2001 Scripting News awards for the best weblogs, documenting the year's most influential sites and creators. This resource highlights key figures and milestones from the formative years of the blogging community.

Scripting News awards of 2001 for the best blogs.

Blog awards for 2001


I explored Blogback as a remote commenting tool for weblogs but decided against going the full weblog route, leading me to speculate on what the next "new new thing" in technology might be.

Blogback: Remote commenting for weblogs. But I'm not interested in going the full weblog way. Wonder what the next "new new thing" is...

Blogback


I checked out MIT's Blogdex, which crawls weblogs to find trending links and provide current information. I also shared resources for finding active weblogs and a detailed essay on the history of the medium.

MIT's Blogdex crawls weblogs (like mine) for popular links. Nice concept -- somewhat like Google's, except more "current information" based. The page of only weblogs has a good list of weblogs (not as comprehensive as Eatonweb), and Rebecca's written a good history of weblogs.

Blogdex


I noted the surge of webloggers linking to KPMG following a controversial letter. This incident illustrates the early blogosphere's ability to coordinate attention and respond to corporate legal actions through decentralized, collective link-sharing.

A whole lot of webloggers linked to KPMG once they heard about this letter.

Blogs link to KPMG


I recommend checking out the short films at BMWfilms.com. They feature high-quality car chases and serve as a smart marketing play targeting consumers who have the high-speed internet access necessary to stream them.

BMW films -- short films, ads for BMW, which are available only on BMWfilms.com. Great stuff for car chase lovers. Pretty good logic too, since the people who'd buy a BMW could afford a high-speed Internet connection.

BMW films


I examine the 2001 reports and rumors suggesting that the reclusive chess legend Bobby Fischer may have returned to the game to play anonymous, high-level matches against grandmasters on the Internet.

Is Bobby Fischer playing Chess on the Internet?

Bobby Fischer playing chess on the Internet


I found a solid collection of Bollywood links featuring resources for Indian cinema and culture. It serves as a helpful directory for fans looking for movies, music, and news from the industry.

A good collection of Bollywood links.

Bollywood links


I have joined the Mumbai office of the Boston Consulting Group. This move marks my entry into management consulting with BCG India, focusing on professional growth within the regional business landscape.

I have joined the Boston Consulting Group at Mumbai.

Boston Consulting Group at Mumbai


I had a productive day buying five books, including thrillers and fantasy novels by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Terry Brooks. I also burned a custom audio CD featuring fifteen songs.

A good day. Bought 5 books, and cut an audio CD with 15 songs. The Bear and the Dragon | Fist of God | Abduction | Prometheus Deception | Druid of Shannara

Bought 5 books


BountyQuest is a marketplace where companies post rewards for documents that can debunk existing patents. This platform crowdsources the search for prior art, allowing individuals to earn prizes for providing evidence that challenges weak intellectual property claims.

BountyQuest is a place where companies post rewards for documents -- and anyone who comes up with such documents gets a prize. Many requests are for patent debunks.

BountyQuest


Explore the historical efforts to create a comprehensive map of the human brain, detailing how neuroscientists use imaging technology to chart functions and structures within the biological computer governing human behavior and cognition.

Brain map.

Brain map


I grew tired of my website's blue color scheme and decided to switch everything over to a brown theme. This update marks a shift in the visual design of the site for a new aesthetic.

I got bored of blue. I've changed this site to a "brown" theme.

Brown


I highlight research showing the California power crisis was not caused by computers or distributed projects like Seti@home. These findings debunk the myth that high-tech energy demands were responsible for the state's blackouts.

The California power crisis is not due to computers. So distributed projects like Seti@home and RC5 are not to blame.


I treat case interviews as a series of patterns rather than rigid frameworks. I use PLEST for risk, 4Ps for marketing, and detailed segmentation of revenues and costs to identify strategic advantages and resolve profitability declines.

Structuring a case Most importantly, smile, be confident, and relax. After the interviewer has explained the case, I like beginning with "Could you tell me something more about..." First, it buys time to think about the situation. Second, you get to find out more. More often than not, the case description alone is completely inadequate to make a stab at the case. I follow this up with the objective: what am I supposed to do in the case? Sometimes, we need to ask. Sometimes, we need to state and clarify. Either way, I prefer to determine the objective upfront. I would also clarify the role of the interviewee and the interviewer. Is the interviewer acting as the client and the interviewee as the consultant, for example? Then I describe the structure that I'm likely to follow. Some people think its better to develop a structure as you go along. I think its better to state a structure, and deviate from it if needed. That way, the interviewer has an idea what you're doing. Remember: half the problem is to making your thinking understandable to the interviewer. Then I analyse the case based on the structure, come up with possible hypotheses, and test each of them. Finally, I list options based on the hypotheses, and their implications. I prefer thinking in terms of patterns rather than frameworks. A pattern is nothing but a small framework that's easy to remember, and can be used for a single small specific purpose. Such patterns are often seen everywhere, and can be put together to form frameworks. I am documenting some of the recurrant patterns that I have seen while solving cases, and a few frameworks that I use. Framework: Decision making Broadly, for any decision, I use the following framework. Find out the reason behind the decision. The reason could be strategic. The reason could be project feasibility: The market attractiveness could lure us, through its demand pattern or supply pattern but competition needs to be considered on the basis of industry forces and competitive advantage along with risk. Find out the cost of the decision: in terms of new resource allocation, and existing resources to be reallocated. Determine if it is worth it. This is subjective. Figure out how to list options based on the decision: using timing and mode (4Ps, OLI). Pattern: Strategic reasons Objective: Determine strategic reasons for a decision. The following are specific strategic reasons for making a decision. Externalities. By making the decision, the overall company will improve, although the project itself may not yield positive benefits. Overall cost reduction. Opening a factory that is unprofitable can still lead to economies of scale yielding an overall profit. Cross selling or bundling. For example, Gillette subsidizes shaving sticks, so that they become a vehicle to sell the profitable blades. Learning: Learning can be about the market, operations, management, research, or any part of the business. Eg: Xerox learnt operations from its Fuji Xerox venture. Pre-emption -- either competition or the market. Do it before someone else does, or asks. For example, Filling a gap in the market, so that the competition cannot enter. Creating options. For example, brand building to unleash latent demand Reaction. Someone else is doing it, and we have to do react. For example, Competitive: If Pepsi offers an orange soda, Coke will have to offer one of its own. Complementary: If Microsoft develops software that runs multimedia slowly, Intel responds by speeding up the multimedia component of its chip. Unusual reasons: A one-time opportunity is available. Eg: A country is deregulating, and issuing licenses. Or, the industry is in a slump and acquisition is easy. Constraints. The company may not have a choice. Eg: contracts. Dhabhol has no choice about paying Enron. Temporary reasons (a dip in the existing markets etc. - if it is only temporary less resources need to be invested.) Industry forces Objective: Determine if industry is attractive. Porter proposed that the success of the company is determined by the structure of the industry. The 5-forces framework helps us analyse the industry structure. When it comes to design in order to fuel the branding of your company, you can rely on professionals such as Func.media. Another theory is that the success of the company is determined by a company's unique resources and capabilities. Yet another theory is that it depends on the parent or holding company. Studies (including Porter's) have shown that the industry determines 20-25% of the company's success. The resources & capabilities determine 30-35%, the parent company determines 2% or so, and the rest is unexplained. Competitive Advantage Objective: Determine if company will do well in industry. For more details on this, refer Chapter 8 of Hill & Jones. Competitive advantage stems from the common elements of the key industry success factors and the distinctive (i.e. unique to the company) resources and competencies of a company. There are four places to look for such competitive advantages: Innovation Responsiveness Quality Efficiency Pattern: Context Objective: Identify and subjectively evaluate risks. Think of recommendations. For evaluating the environment, context, or risk, I use the PLEST framework: Political, Legal, Economic, Social, and Technical. These are environmental isses that can determine the success of a company. When evaluating a specific country, the following need to be looked at: Political risk includes political stability, corruption, shifting borders (a city in one country could move to another tomorrow). Legal risk: How strong is the judicial system? Property rights? Is intellectual theft punished? What are the contractual problems? Economic risk includes a currency stability, fiscal discipline, repatriation, taxation, restrictions on FDI. Social risk includes the country's culture and management practices. Technological risk of obsolesence of product or resources. Pattern: 4Ps Objective: Determine marketing strategy. Very little to say here. Just a note on how to price and distribute globally: Pricing: can be uniform across markets, cost-plus, or based on affordability or competition. Channels: consider the role of an international marketing headquarters, which channels will be used between nations, and which channels within a nation. Pattern: OLI Objective: Determine nature of venture. Please refer any text on the Ownership - Location - Internalisation framework. Pattern: Manufacturing Objective: Determine where value can be created through manufacturing Value can usually be squeezed from one of these areas. Problems are also typically in one of these. Which product: Segment the company Factors of production Plant (equipment, capacity): Is it old? Is is small? Is it large? People: Are they old? Are they few or excessive? Do they have the skills? Process: What is the process? Can the existing processed be corrected or improved? Product design: Is the product designed for manufacturing? Can design be changed? Parts: Are your raw materials fine? Is your inventory rising? Is there too much scrap? Planning and Control: Are you monitoring the right things? Is forecasting good? Supply and Value Chain Supplier Product development Procurement Production Demand Management Logistics and Distribution After sales service Pattern: IT Objective: Determine where value can be created through IT When somebody says 'e-commerce' don't believe them. They're usually talking about IT. IT can be applied to each of the functional areas: marketing, manufacturing, finance, human resources, and overall strategy. Its benefits arise through: Increase in reach Lowered cost Reduction in time Increased scope of communication and feedback Improved standardization Pattern: Profitability For profitability decline cases, I segment the income statement along various dimension. At the end of it, the problem is usually obvious. Segment the company Segment the revenue Segment the costs Look at accounting issues Figure out why the problem is arising in that segment. Pattern: Segment the company Objective: Determine which 'division' of the company has a problem. Business. A diversified company may have many business divisions. Eg: A restaurant business may have a catering service, a delivery business for the restaurant, and the main restaurant. The product is the same, but the mode of delivery is different for each business. Product line. Eg: The restaurant may be serving Indian, Chinese and European food. Each product may have different profitabilities. Location. Eg: The restaurant business may be doing well in Chennai and Bangalore, but not in Mumbai and Pune. It may be doing well in urban areas, but not in rural. It may be doing well when located on the main roads, but not on small lanes. New: Is there any new business line, product or location? Pattern: Segment the revenue Objective: Determine which component of revenue has a problem. Type: One-time, fixed or variable. Eg: A mobile phone company charges a one-time deposit (non-refundable), and a fixed monthly charge, plus an amount per call. The one-time revenue is earned only for new customers. Fixed is earned for existing customers irrespective of usage. Variable is proportional to usage. The percentage break-up of these revenues can lead to insights. Customer: 20% of the customers bring in 80% of the revenues. Focus on them. Segment the market, and look at the different kinds of customers and their revenues. New: Is there any new revenue source? Or a vanished revenue source? Pattern: Segment the cost Objective: Determine which component of cost has a problem. Source Equipment: could be old, etc. Scale: could be too small or large Labour: could be unskilled, etc. Location: could be unsuitable Laws and regulation: could be unfavourable Type: One-time, fixed or variable. Eg: A manufacturing company sets up a plant (one-time cost) and keeps it running (fixed cost), producing output using raw materials (variable). Component Raw materials Labour Inventory Transportation Selling & Administration Tax New: Is there any new cost? Or a vanished cost? Comments Sri Lankan 10 Mar 2007 10:25 am: really useful. thanks a lot Edwardo 12 Jan 2011 11:29 am: I have some case interviews coming up with four leading consulting firms (including MBB) over the next two months. So far my friends have adviced me to study: Victor Cheng's website (ex-mckinsey), who gives a lot of free videos and frameworks to study (www.caseinterview.com) Case in Point by mark consentino (amazon) case interview Success by tom rochtus (www.aceyourcase.com) Solving the World's Problems on the Back of a Cocktail Napkin by lawrence weinstein (amazon) Any feedback on these sources? Any additional things you guys would have a look at? thanks in advance! edwardo

Case interview frameworks


The Casimir effect demonstrates that two uncharged, parallel plates placed extremely close together in a vacuum will attract each other. This physical force arises from quantum vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field occurring between the surfaces.

Take two plates. Bring them very close in a vacuum. They will attract. The Casimir Effect (free subscription required).

Casimir effect


Celera Genomics has released its assembly of the human genome, marking a major milestone in biotechnology. This data provides a comprehensive map of human DNA, offering a private sector counterpart to the public Human Genome Project efforts.

Celera has released the human genome.

Celera releases human genome


I highlight a Reuters report showing that CEOs are not taking pay cuts despite widespread company layoffs, illustrating a significant gap in corporate accountability and shared sacrifice during the 2001 economic downturn.

While there are enough layoffs, CEOs aren't taking enough pay cuts.

CEOs are not taking pay cuts


I share a link to the AFL-CIO’s Executive Paywatch, highlighting the debate regarding whether CEOs are paid too much and providing data on the massive compensation gap between top executives and average workers.

Some people think CEOs get paid too much.

CEOs overpaid


CERN is adopting distributed computing models, similar to SETI@home, to process the massive datasets generated by particle physics experiments. This transition leverages global idle processing power to handle the computational demands of the Large Hadron Collider.

Following SETI, CERN is using distributed computing.

CERN distributed computing


I'm highlighting the start of the Consumer Electronics Show 2001, the premier event for new technology. It's a key moment for tracking emerging hardware trends and the latest gadget releases from major global manufacturers.

Consumer Electronics Show 2001 is going on.

CES 2001


I highlight Changemakers.net, an extensive journal for social entrepreneurship. While initially skeptical, I found its focus on people driving societal change intriguing, noting its similarities to DigitalDivide.org and its relevance to the growing intersection of social impact and technology.

Changemakers.net is a journal/portal for social entrepreneurship. That is, people who're changing society in a new way. Normally, I wouldn't have given this a second thought, but the site appears so extensive, and the concept so intruiging, that I think it's worth a browse. DigitalDivide.org is based on a similar theme, except for the Internet world.

Changemakers.net


I discuss the Albuquerque Journal's decision to charge $50 for inbound links. While legally possible, I doubt many sites can succeed with this model compared to the Wall Street Journal, as flat-rate pricing likely remains the future.

The Albuquerque Journal charges $50 if you want to link to their articles! A new revenue model? Legally its possible. I don't think too many sites can get away with it, though. I mean, only the Wall Street Journal gets away with charging for content. Anyway, looks like flat rate pricing will eventually win.

Charging people who link


I’m sharing a tip to find your phone's unique serial number by dialing *#06#. Providing this IMEI to your service provider can block a stolen handset permanently, making it useless to thieves even if they swap the SIM card.

A note from my friend Ashish: "To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Should your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset. So even if the thief changes the SIM card your phone will be totally useless. If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones." Comments Kathy 1 Feb 2007 1:15 pm: Didn't appear for me! Fran 21 Jun 2001 12:00 pm: Didn't work for me either? Is it only for certain providers? Somsubhra Ray 21 Jun 2001 12:00 pm: great things man .....can u plz tell me how to check mob model no if the documents and the paper i have lost. shaun 21 Jun 2001 12:00 pm: worked 4 me tanks!! prabath 21 Jun 2001 12:00 pm: how can i know that good brand pones from IMEI number Marj 1 Jan 2009 10:42 am: Did not work for me verizon silverfaewolf 14 Jan 2009 10:12 pm: The code works for certain providers. However, you can also go into your phone settings, and find "phone information" or something similar, and it will also give you the equipment serial number (ESN). Phones w/an IMEI, that's the same as an MSN or ESN (manufacturer's or Equipment). It depends on the network. Sprint, Verizon, Cricket, and Metro PCS all run on CDMA towers. Nextel runs on iDEN towers. T-mobile and AT&T run on unicel. Unicel towers are the most common worldwide, but CDMA are the most common in the US. This is why you can use a japanese at&t phone in the states, but can't always transfer it to the sprint network. They're designed and programmed to run on different towers. Waqas 18 Apr 2009 8:41 am: Hi. This trick is useless because if you've got a stolen mobile and its IMEI number is blocked by the service provider, there is still a way to use this handset. Reinstall the software of the handset and change the IMEI number too:)). In some countries, the person who does this job would ask the 50% amount of the handset for doing this job. binu 23 Sep 2010 12:11 pm: its working........................ sunny lonkar 14 Jan 2012 1:58 pm: Hello I did this but it didn't helped me. I had also given my stolen mobile no.'s serial no. to police for racking, but it didn't.

Check your mobile phones serial number


I share a link to a 2001 Los Angeles Times feature investigating how China navigates the internet’s growth, balancing economic expansion with political control and the early development of its state-managed digital infrastructure.

China and the Internet.

China and the Internet