Date: 03/18/08     Keywords: no keywords

I have been trying for the last 6 hours to access ICICI PayPal alternative, PaySeal (203.27.235.72). Unfortunately the site is unreachable from India as well as USA. Even the server cannot be pinged. I am not sure what exactly happened. What could bring down a major online payment processor? I wonder if it is a [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/icici-payseal-paypal-alternative-offline/

Date: 03/18/08     Keywords: linux

In Linux you can use the dd command to copy MBR from one hard disk to another. You can also use dd to backup your master boot record to a different (or same) media. One of the common use of MBR copying is to ensure transparent fail-over in RAID-1 hard-disk array, should one hard-disks [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-copy-master-boot-record-mbr-between-hard-disks/

Date: 03/16/08     Keywords: no keywords

Take a look at this multi-lingual kid genius. He speaks tons of languages fluently, learning just by selling hand fan to tourists. He is simply amazing. I wish someone could provide him support for education instead of having to selling hand fans on the street at such a tender age.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/a-multi-lingual-indian-kid-genius/

Date: 03/16/08     Keywords: php, html, apache

Apache HTTPD servers are configured by default to display directory listing, when index files like index.htm or index.html of index.php etc. are not present in the directory. This can expose sensitive information to prying eyes and are often indexed by search engines. This can compromise your data by making it visible to unintended audience. The [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-use-htaccess-to-prevent-apache-httpd-directory-listing/

Date: 03/14/08     Keywords: java

The enclosed three videos gives you a pretty good introduction of using Eclipse IDE for Java development with a test driven development approach: Introducing Data Persistence: How to use the debugger:

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/eclipse-java-tutorial-for-beginners/

Date: 03/13/08     Keywords: no keywords

Here is a nice story on sorting the priorities of life: A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/sorting-priorities-in-life/

Date: 03/13/08     Keywords: no keywords

Would you approve a (blog) comment where the commenter’s name is “Best Way To Loose Weight”? Any sane blogger would never approve such comments even if it is relevant to context. Do you know why? As comment author is linked with author URL, such comments are obviously intended to highlight the keywords he wants to increase [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/why-do-bloggers-get-comments-with-strange-author-names/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: no keywords

I never thought I would have to give such a weird disclaimer but recently I have been getting way too many emails like this: On 2/27/08, Chandrakant Gajjar wrote: Please refer my complain No:4707124 as my internet connection installation was done two months later.so kindly grant my request in time&inform me. [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/i-am-not-internet-service-provider-trust-on-the-web/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: java

A nice video on Java showing the ubiquitousness of Java. Now read on to deflate your ego before it bursts. Java has a large presence in mobile world. If you are feeling too good about being a Java programmers, here is another video to deflate your ego and bring it down to size

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/java-is-omnipresent/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: java, google

Amazon.com Widgets Check out this excellent video of Java puzzles from Google tech talk. There is also a nice book on Java puzzles by Joshua Block & Neal Gafter. Solving Java puzzles is a fun way to sharpen your Java skills. You can download the code examples of the book for free. Also downloadable is [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/fun-java-programming-puzzles/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: software, web, linux, microsoft

I had a hard time in selecting a Dell configuration from their website without Microsoft Windows Vista or other Microsoft software. We are a Linux house and have no need for Microsoft products on our machine. As a technologist and a software architect if I found it hard to figure out how to strip Microsoft [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/how-to-purchase-dell-computers-without-windows-vista-microsoft-software/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: microsoft

Dell in India doesn’t offer the range of customizations that you would normally come to expect from them. Moreover calling Dell may have some unintended consequences like possibly a call from Microsoft. Here are some issues that you would like to be aware of: 1. The widely displayed configurations doesn’t allow you to remove the Operating [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/dells-customization-sucks-in-india-mysterious-microsoft-call/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: php, software, java, linux, microsoft

I just received a mysterious call from Microsoft inquiring about our Windows usage! I was surprised to say the least. Why would a 100% Linux based company get a call from Microsoft? Read on for the juicy details. We are 100% Linux based company. We develop software products and deliver services in Java (cross-platform), PHP and [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/mysterious-call-from-microsoft-inquiring-about-windows-evil-nexus-with-dell/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: no keywords

Do you have any experience with Pentium Dual Core 3 Ghz CPU? I am looking at an offering from Lenovo, currently in negotiation, for purchasing several PC’s. Specifically I am looking to know: 1. With their reputation for heat generation, how suitable are they for east-Indian climate of Kolkata? 2. How is Lenovo’s reputation in Kolkata in [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/experience-with-pentium-dual-core-3-ghz-cpu-lenovo/

Date: 03/12/08     Keywords: web, spam, shopping

I was just spammed (unsolicited commercial email) by Storrz, first (I think) online shopping mall in India (remember WebVan?). They state that orders received before 12 PM will be delivered by 2 PM the next day, anywhere in India. Storrz is based in Bangalore so within Bangalore, all orders received before 12 PM are [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/finally-online-groceries-in-india/

Date: 03/11/08     Keywords: java

Here is a nice video on the quintessential Hello World program. All you need is Java to go through this excellent introductory tutorial for Windows users.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/java-tutorial-video-for-beginners/

Date: 03/11/08     Keywords: java

It was well known that there is a significant amount of Java development in Bangalore these days. However it took me by surprise to find that it may actually be a world leader in terms of amount of Java and India too as a country. What was even more surprising is that USA doesn’t figure [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/bangalore-india-java-leaders-of-the-world-should-javaone-shift-to-india/

Date: 03/10/08     Keywords: software, java, linux, microsoft

GanttProject is a free project management software written in Java (cross-platform, runs in Windows, Linux, Mac etc.). The following is a brief review of the benefits and shortcomings along with download link. GanttProject is a competitor to Microsoft Project, the de-facto project management software in many corporations. Key Features of GanttProject - Project Management Software Like [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/free-project-management-software-cross-platform-review/

Date: 03/10/08     Keywords: no keywords

Check out this site for nice cartoons in Hindi. Kaak is a popular caroonist in Hindi dailies spanning several decades. The site is unfortunately visible properly in Internet Explorer only. There is a big archive of past cartoons, mostly focussed on current issues and politics.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/nice-free-hindi-cartoons-from-kaak/

Date: 03/08/08     Keywords: php, software, hosting

I am looking for a decent online project management software with Gantt charts. I tried several online project management software, some free, some partially free with paid upgrades like BaseCamp, Zoho etc. The free online project management software I tested are: phpprojekt (self-hosting), phpCollab (self-hosting), Basecamp (hosted only), Zoho (hosted only) and dotProject. Some like dotProject [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/decent-online-project-management-software-with-gantt/