Facebook is fast gaining popularity as one of the safer social networking sites and adding to that popularity is the fact that now Facebook users can access their Orkut accounts with the MyOrkut application, created by Jeetu Mirchandani, an ex-IIT Mumbai student, without leaving the site.
The social networking site also allows members to add an application through which they can access their Gmail account.
Facebook allows its users to create and develop applications and has over 5,000 applications and 39 million active members.
A Facebook user has to add The MyOrkut application to his/her profile by providing the URL of his Orkut profile id. Once added, he can access Orkut within Facebook without logging on to Orkut.
Gmail can be accessed on Facebook by using an application called Fmail that has been created by two US-based students of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Courtland Allen and Aaron Rosado. The only feature missing in this application is Google Chat.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Orkut now accesible via facebook
Reliance joins with One Laptop Per Child Foundation
Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has joined hands with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation under which Reliance Communication (Rcom) would provide Internet connectivity, network and logistics to the OLPC's India initiative.
"Every child has the right to education. Reliance Communication is going to facilitate that right. This is not a laptop but an educational program which will promote e-learning in the country," RADAG Chairman Anil Ambani's wife Tina Ambani told reporters.
She invited state governments, NGOs, corporates and media to be a party to the program, a pilot of which has already been started in a school in the tribal-dominated Khairat village, near Karjat in Maharashtra.
Under the program, every student will be given a water-proof and almost unbreakable laptop, priced at USD 188 (landed price in India at USD 220) which would reduce the burden of the school bag and promote e-learning in the country reducing the digital divide in the society.
"India's economy is growing at a rapid pace. We need to to impart quality education to children. The education system has to be more student-friendly. It has to be fun-filled for them," Ambani said.
"OLPC program would be application-oriented and not syllabus-oriented, as is the current practice," Ambani added
Candlelight Photography
Candles are a unique light source. Using candlelight to light a scene can result in breathtaking photos. Candlelight temperature is different than flash, daylight or regular bulb light. Using candlelight is hard and requires experience. This article will provide you some basic ideas to start experimenting with.
Candles can be used in a few ways: they can be a light source that lights an object in the photo but not appear in the photo themselves. They can be used as a light source and also participate as an object in the final photo or they can participate as the solo object in the photo (or in other words simply a candles photo).
Candlelight is not as strong as other light sources. It is much weaker than your digital camera’s flash. For that reason candlelight photography will almost always result in low light slow shutter speed photography. Although it is recommended that you use a setup in which you maximize the aperture width and minimize the shutter speed it is likely that you will end up having to use slow shutter speeds. There are a few things you need to consider: Camera shakings – these can be eliminated by using a tripod or by placing the camera on a stable surface and using timer photography.
Objects movements
If objects move during the period in which the shutter is open the photo will appear smudged. Make sure that the objects you are photographing do not move and that people do not blink. Another movement source is the movement of the light source itself. Candles tend to flicker – although it is hard to completely eliminate this phenomenon and some flicker is actually welcome in order to get a good candlelight effect – it is recommended that you prevent extreme flicker. This can be done for example by making sure that there is no wind blowing in the scene, that the candles are on stable surfaces and that they were lit for a while and burn consistently.
Remember to eliminate other light sources
The goal of candlelight photos is to achieve an effect that is based on the unique characteristics that candlelight provides such as its warmth. In order to maximize this effect you should make sure that there are no other light sources that contaminate the scene. A simple test for that is to blow off all the candles and make sure that the scene is completely dark. It goes without saying that you should make sure that your digital camera’s flash is set to the off position. In some cases a small amount of additional light source can be used. After experimenting and gaining experience with candlelight photography you will get a sense of when allowing some other light to penetrate the scene makes sense and in which angles and intensities.
Determining the right shutter speed is also hard. Since the candles light is bright on one and but on the other hand is concentrated in a small area and weak once farther from the candle most cameras ambient light measurements and automatic shutter speed settings will be wrong. Using the camera automatic setting is a good start. Try to take a few photos with slower and faster shutter speeds and explore the results.
The amount of light in the scene depends on the number of candles that are used. Since candles are not a strong light source you would usually need to use a few candles. Sometimes you would only like to have a small number of candles appear in the photo itself but you would still need to have more candlelight in the scene. In such cases you can use extra candles to light up the scene but keep those candles out of the composed photo. When you do that – make sure that the additional candles are placed in a way that make sense – for example – that they do not create shades that do not appear not normal in relation to the candles in the photo.
Lighting is an art
Using candlelight as a light source is an art by itself and requires experience. There are some basic rules for candle positioning. For example it is clear that the candles should be closer to the camera than the objects. Otherwise the result will be a silhouette of the objects. Different lighting angles create different shades and different effects. For example if you are photographing a person and the candles are placed in a low position relative to the person’s face – you will get a more scary effect. On the other hand – if the candles are placed at the same height as the person’s face you will get a warmer and softer effect. It is hard to provide candle positioning rules and such positioning greatly depends on the effect that you are looking for. More than one candle can be used with each at a different position to create more complicated effects and to eliminate unwanted shades. The best advice is to take many photos and experiment with different candle positions and angles.
Last but not least is white balancing.
Digital cameras can be set to compensate for the specific light source that is used. Although most cameras can automatically detect and set their white balancing offset – it is better to manually set the white balance – most cameras include a candlelight source as an white balance option. It is also worth experimenting with setting the white balance to the wrong source on purpose. Set the white balance to different temperatures to achieve different effects, more reddish photos for example.
To conclude, candlelight photography is hard – it requires a lot of experience and understanding of lighting, shutter speeds and other photography issues. On the other hand such experience pays off with breathtaking photos and effects that sometimes appear more like artist paintings than photographs.
Samsung's new muzik phones
Samsung today announced its new music phone lineup: the SGH-i450, SGH-F330 and SGH-F210.
With the launch of music-dedicated phones such as the SGH-F300, Samsung has developed an innovative Physical User Interface (PUI), a mechanism ideal for music lovers.
With an optimal PUI, Samsung offers its users the opportunity to enjoy its music player as if it were an MP3 player, even when the mobile phone is turned off.
Samsung SGH-i450
Dual Slider with Touch Wheel Music Navigation
The Samsung i450 enables users to enjoy a unique mobile experience, as the two-way slide form factor enhances the usability to control music and mobile phone functions.
When you push the slide up, the phone supports powerful smartphone features with Symbian S60 OS. Running the Symbian S60 3rd Edition operating system, the i450 provides download application and multitasking features with fast speeds through HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps.
With the slide down, the phone activates as a music player with touch-wheel navigation, which enables users to control the multimedia menus easily. Moreover, metallic speakers supporting ICEpower amplifier developed by Bang & Olufsen offer superb sound quality to music phone users.
For its advanced music features, the i450 supports a unique music UI and multi-codec music files. It also offers 35MB internal memory and microSD slot up to 4GB to store more music.
The i450 will be available in Italy from the end of October and in other European countries shortly thereafter. The price is around 360 Euro without subsidy.
Samsung SGH-F330
Ultra Slim HSDPA Music Slider
The Samsung F330, a dual face slim slider, will attract music buffs with its music-centric design. As a successor to the F300, the F330 shows Samsung’s efforts to provide more advanced music features and designs.
With its external music control keys located on the front and sides for easy and direct access to the tunes, the F330 offers enjoyable music experiences. The F330 provides enhanced multi-tasking features that enable the users to do other things with background music play.
The phone also supports multi-codec files and quick sync with Windows Media Player to maximize the extensibility for music phone users.
Supporting HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps, the F330 is rich in extra features, including a 2 megapixel camera and microSD slot for memory expansion up to 2GB in an extremely portable 13.5mm slim profile. The F330 also provides multitasking features and airplane mode for convenient use.
The F330 was launched in Germany in early October and will be available in other European countries shortly. The price is around 260 Euro without subsidy.
Samsung SGH-F210
Music Swivel Stick
Samsung’s latest swing music phone, the F210, comes with an innovative MP3 player design and necklace integrated earbuds. The unique swing-open form factor allows for a perfect combination of mobile phone and MP3 player functions.
The F210’s portability and compactness does not compromise ease of use. When closed, it creates a full MP3 player experience with a scroll wheel interface and a horizontal display of the playlist, equalizer settings and track information.
To satisfy users, the F210 also enhances a perfect compatibility with the latest Windows Media Player 10. A Music Setup Wizard lets you customize sound conditions according to your preferences. It also offers a Music Library feature that enables you to organize music into various folders.
Through the MTP, users can transfer music files to the mobile phone automatically listed in the proper folders without re-entering data.
The mobile phone supports advanced functions with the familiar 3x4 keypad, which maintains the same feel as a regular mobile phone when swiveled open. For more storage, it supports 1GB internal memory and a microSD slot for expandable memory up to 2GB.
The F210 was launched in Germany in the middle of October, and will be available in other European countries shortly. The price is around 280 Euro without subsidy.
As music dedicated devices, Samsung music phones allow users to play various types of music files including MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, WMDRM and store additional music through the external memory slot. To support various formats including WMDRM, Samsung brings seamless compatibility with files purchased from online sites.
Geesung Choi, President of Samsung Telecommunication Network Business, said: "We have tried to understand what music lovers want from their music phones. I’m very confident that Samsung’s music phone lineup is the best solution for users. With our phones, users can enjoy 100% phone and 100% music player at the same time.”
He added that Samsung will continue to provide unique music phone experiences with various products.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
WarP 2007
Points Tally
1. Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj 30 + 10 + 30 +30 + 30 + 30 = [160] {Overall Winners}
2. Apeejay School, Noida 20 + 30 + 30 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 10 = [150] {Runners Up}
3. Montfort School 10 + 10 + 30 + 10 + 10 = [70]
4. Delhi Public School, Rohini 20 + 20 + 20 = [60]
5. Manav Sthali School 10 + 30 = [40]
6. Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan 30 = [30]
7. Modern School, Barakhamba Road 20 = [20]
8. Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai 20 = [20]
9. Mt. St. Mary's School 20 = [20]
10. St. Xaviers School 10 = [10]
11. Mt. Carmel School 10 = [10]
12. Delhi Public School, Indirapuram 10 = [10]
Warp 2007
WarP 2007 was organised by DPS Mathura Road on 10th and 11th of October
- Romil Bhardwaj(IX-A) won first prize in Coliseum (Gaming).
- Shishil Kumar(XII-B) won first prize in Logic Magic(Programming).
- Vineet Negi(XI-C) and Ramanathan(XII-C) won second prize in The Next Quiz ( Senior Quiz).
- Vineet Negi(XI-C) and Aryaman Mandhana(X-A) won second prize in Pimp My Ride 2 (Digital Imaging).
- Arushi Jain (XII-A)secured the second position in Group Discussion
- Agneh (VIII-b) & Aman(VII-B) won the second Prize in Slides Toggle(powerpoint presentation)
- Vibhor Kashyap(XI-A) secured third position in War of the DJ's
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Minet 2007
Minet 2007 was organised by Mother's International School, Aurobindo Marg
- Aryaman Mandhana & R. Ramanathan won the third prize in Digital Imaging
Ordinatrix 2007
Ordinatrix 2007 was organised by Tagore International School
- Siddhant Sahni and Karanveer Sahwney won the first prize in DJ mixing
- Shobhit Singh secured the first position in gaming
Devang Mehta IT Memorial 2007
Devang Mehta IT memorial was organised by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan 10th September 2007
- Vibhor Kashyap secured first position in Surprise Event
- Vineet Negi & Vibhor Kashyap secured third position in Crossword
- Aryaman Mandhana & Ashwin Sinha secured third position in Digital Collage
E-panorama 2007
E-Panorama 2007 was organised by Guru Nanak School, Punjabi Bagh.
- Aryaman Mandhana (X-A) & Vineet Negi(XI-C) secured the 1st position in gital Imaging
- Shishil Kumar (XII-B) & Priyanshi Agarwal (XI-A) secured the 1st position in senior programming
