Apple to Unveil Next Generation Software at Keynote Address on Monday, June 6, 2011

It's official! Apple today confirmed Steve Jobs will (at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference on June 6) unveil Apple’s next-generation software. Jobs and other Apple execs will give us iOS 5 -- Apple's eagerly awaited software update to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Enhancements should include widgets and an overhauled notification system. Apple will also present its new iCloud service -- expected to be a suite of cloud-based services not limited to just a streaming music service. Apple’s press release is below:

``CUPERTINO, California—May 31, 2011—Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.

``WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.

``For more details, visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website at developer.apple.com/wwdc.

``Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.''

M S Dhoni and Prakash Poddar

``... while Dhoni went from strength to strength, Poddar saw his career with the BCCI come to an abrupt end. He was in TRDO for just one year, after that the BCCI never came calling. The man who discovered Dhoni now spends his time shuttling between Kolkata and Pune, where his son resides. Ask him if he is sad to have been shunted out the way he was, and he breaks into the sordid laugh that old-timers reserve for such moments.
“Well, at least I managed to give Indian cricket Dhoni. That’s something and that’s my salvation.”''

I just had to post the above text before giving you the link

Amazing isn't it? Contrast the success of one person with the "not-so-successfulness" of the one who made it possible. Well ... what more can I say? Does this "happen only in India?"

What do _you_ think?

Bullying - superstore style

Today (May 29, 2011 -- 08.45 a.m), we decided to buy groceries from a new store, for a change.

Bad idea!

There was no place at all to park, except next door under a tiny tree -- and that too after requesting the security guard's permission.

Next thing I knew, I heard an ear-splitting honk-honk from behind which made my heart race and my BP go up a few points! I looked around and it turned out to be a delivery van for the aforesaid superstore. The driver, in most rude terms, told me to move away as he needed to park there in order to deliver some stuff. I naturally refused, as I was waiting for my wife who was a paying customer within the "superstore"!

He then threatened to call the manager, and promptly did when I refused to budge. When the manager came out to add his two-bits to that of the driver's, I continued to stand my ground because I knew I was in the right. I was parked away from the store and nobody from the store had any right to make me move.

The driver then moved his van dangerously close to my little two-wheeler, (see pic) ...

... and my heart-rate and BP went up a few notches more! All this is not good for me as I am already on heart medication. (A closer look at how close the van came to my two-wheeler can be seen in the pic below. Thank goodness I was not sitting on it at the time, as my foot or something might have been injured!)

What's more surprising, (though why I can't tell you) is that the loaders were more polite! It is a very poor reflection on where our society's going when the so-called uneducated class has more manners than the so-called educated!

Well I for one have come to a decision. Neither I nor any member of my family (and I'm requesting via this post all members of my extended family and my friends to support me in this) will never ever buy another product made by this brand. Nor will we ever visit the "superstore" again for anything!

Childish? May be. But any store that unjustly takes the side of its errant delivery boys will be boycotted by me every time!

Helmets in Chennai!

As I write this, the deadline (yes, another one!) nears -- May 28 -- for all us poor, hot, sweaty two-wheeler riders in Chennai to beware (again!) because the "compulsory helmet" law is being enforced (again!) This means that the righteous and incorruptible traffic police will have their already-enormous workload increased, apprehending and spot-fining (receipt?) guilty and criminal-like two-wheeler riders who dare to flout this law!

Now here's what I think ... for what it's worth. While I agree that wearing a helmet is a good idea (and I have always worn one from the time I began worrying about my personal safety on our clean, well-managed, well-regulated and politely-used roads) I do believe this should be a matter of personal choice and not ENFORCED! Riders of two-wheelers are not children and can surely decide for themselves. How can this guarantee to bring down the number of fatalities? My thinking is that, if traffic rules are strictly enforced (with emphasis being on EDUCATING riders and drivers, rather than APPREHENDING them), and offenders officially punished, rather than being let off for whatever reason, fatalities will come down.

If, however, the law-makers in Chennai are determined to ENFORCE the "helmets-for-two-wheeler-riders" law -- citing personal safety and bringing down fatalities as reasons -- then they should, for the same reasons, ENFORCE the following safety rules as well:-

• Seat-belts to be made compulsory for all drivers and passengers of all motorized three- and four-wheeler modes of transportation, including
• auto-rickshaws
• pick-up 3-wheelers
• taxis
• buses
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

• Passengers of buses may be exempt from wearing any headgear or seat-belts, of course.

• NO overloading and over-crowing of all three- and four-wheelers modes of transportation, including
• cycle-rickshaws
• auto-rickshaws (especially the school-pick-up ones)
• taxis
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

•  NO stopping beyond the demarcated areas at signal lights by any transport, including
• cycles
• cycle-rickshaws
• non-motorized three-wheelers (e.g., those used for transporting water bottles ...)
• bullock carts
• motorized two-wheelers
• auto-rickshaws
• taxis
• buses
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

•  NO illegal cutting across demarcated lanes by ANY transport, including
• cycles
• cycle-rickshaws
• non-motorized three-wheelers (e.g., those used for transporting water, etc.)
• bullock carts
• motorized two-wheelers
• auto-rickshaws!
• taxis
• buses!!
• lorries, and
• private cars - no matter how influential the driver or owner may be.

• NO illegal parking anywhere, especially on main, arterial roads by ANY transport.
• NO speeding.
• NO jay-walking by pedestrians ... especially if pavements exist.
• Pavements NOT to be used for any purpose other than for pedestrians.
• Where no pavements exist, these MUST be built.

 There are a lot more we can look at but the above will do for a start. (And hopefully signal lights will be allowed to work automatically and NOT by some trigger-happy traffic constable who sees it as his duty to manually operate some hidden switch at signals.)

Will we ever see all of this happening?

What do _you_ think?

My MacBook - Battery Maintenance

The battery calibration for my MacBook was achieved via these steps:

1. Plugged in the power adapter and fully charged my battery until the LED on the power adapter plug changed to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar showed "charged."
2. Used my MacBook while the adapter was plugged in for a couple of hours.
3. Disconnected the power adapter while my MacBook was still on and worked on battery power until the battery got low, and the low battery warning dialog appeared on screen.
4. Saved my work but went on "using" my MacBook until it automatically went to sleep.
5. Turned off the MacBook (I could also have allowed it to sleep) for a minimum of five hours.
6. Connected the power adapter and used my MacBook until the battery was fully charged again.

Hope this helps others maintain their batteries for a long, trouble-free life!