In April 2002, Google hosted the "Google Programming Contest" with a $10,000 cash prize. The winning entry, by Daniel Egnor, was titled Geographic Search:

Daniel's project adds the ability to search for web pages within a particular geographic locale to traditional keyword searching. Daniel's system provides an interface that allows the user to augment a keyword search with the ability to restrict matches to within a certain radius of a specified address

The contest rules had a clause that Google, Inc. would be granted full rights to use the technology used in the entries submitted.

First you had NetscapeOne. Then came SunOne. Then RealOne. And now, ladies and gentlemen, some idiotic marketing department in my favourite PDA company has decided to rename the outfit to PalmOne! This is WAY too ridiculous! Like someone on /. said - it sounds
like a suggestion: "Hey look! look at those abandoned PDAs lying around! You think we should Palm one!?"

It's been almost a month now since college started. I've become a "4th yearie" now, and along with the priviledge of being part the most senior student batch in college, comes the burden of selecting 5 electives out of a list of 11 specialized subjects. Here's what I chose:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Data Mining
3. Advanced Internet Technology
4. Unix Network Programming
5. Cost Accounting and HRM

Out of these, AI and Data Mining are my two favourite subjects, and it's really cool to learn about logic, knowledge and stuff.

Arnab's cure for persitently reoccuring nose bleeds: Move to Mumbai. I mean it, seriously. In Delhi, they used to happen to me almost every day; but ever since I landed in Mumbai, they've completely gone away. 15 days so far and no problems at all. I believe it has something to do with the humid weather and climate. Perhaps I should contact the Mumbai Tourism Agencies with this as a possible attraction... "Mumbai - The Nose Friendly City"!

1. Don't be afraid of the engine noise in the beginning. It might sound like a with a discharged battery, but don't worry, it's just a minor thing, you wont have to go out and push the plane off the runway.
2. The flight attendants are not the young gorgeous perfect 10s you dream them out to be.
3. Flying is kinda boring, as opposed to train journey. First of all, barring the landing and take off, there is no view. All you see is clouds, and the sun. Also, in trains, you often have another train passing by, going in the opposite direction. While I'm aware how dangerous such things can be for airplanes, but it sure would be fun to see one whizz by like they have in those disaster movies on HBO.
   

Just realized that I've completely forgotten Marathi - I'm going to need a few lines to survive in aamchi mumbai! Well, I've got only one so far:

mala marathi maiti nako : "I don't know Marathi"

Help me out, people!

The hairstyles in X2 - X-Men United are hideous. Someone should've told the hairdresser that the names are names, and not the complete embodiment of the characters. Storm looks like she just motorcycled through a blizzard with no helmet on. Jean Grey, oh, my sweet Jean Grey, now looks like one of those behenji types with the "latest fashcut" and mehendi all over.

These are superwomen. Figments of fantasy. Then why don't they have hair that people can fantasize about?

A college friend just commented: "looks like fame does not stop following you"

Is this some sort of a conspiracy? I'm on the back page of this week's Education Times, listening to the wonderful Joanne Doyle from UCD at the Ireland Education Fair that was held recently.

In other media news, I won't be writing for the Hindustan Times any more, since I'm too soft hearted to tolerate the editorial intendance. Lookout for this week's Weekly Web Wonder, tomorrow on this weblog itself.

Part One of a series

I'm sitting in my favourite place at the restaurant, and suddenly this heavenly body starts walking in my direction, smiling at me. Long, dark hair; twinkling eyes... dark blue full sleeved turtleneck top, coupled with a denim asymmetric. A dozen thin, silver bangles that move up and down as she walks... She comes up to me, and sits down in the chair near me.

"Hi Arnab... How are you? Can you help me out? I'm having problems with the client server architecture for this web app - I was wondering if we could sit and you could help me work out the scalability issues..."

Oh man, I'm tired... Life is just so hectic these days. Let's try categorizing them:

Good: The TV's back. 2 days after it going kaput, Dad opened it up on the dining table, used the vacuum cleaner to suck out all the dirt, and replaced the fuse wire that had blown. Some of the advantages in life when your father is a news-and-cricket-hungry electronics engineer.

My birthday was a really cool day. My cousin sister called up all the way from Salt Lake City in the US - it was so cool to talk international! Then many other calls came in, IM messages popped up all over my computer screen. Woke up in the morning with a very happy mood (this doesn't happen too often), and Mom gives me a really sweet geeky birthday card. I come back after brushing my teeth, and there's a huge chocolate cake on my table! Mom had kept it in the fridge, and I hadn't noticed! Well, I got dressed and stuff, and blew out 20 candles. It was almost like blowing out an entire bush fire in one breath. Man, I feel old. Then I had cake and Payesh for breakfast. In the evening, went to Ashish's place, and from there we went to a school reunion / Valentine's / general party. We reached "fashionably late" (that's supposedly what people call 10:30 in the night). It was fun meeting all my school friends again.