This is an article i wrote for a gaming and tech magazine,which one of my friends is releasing soon..
Green Computing
Electricity is primarily produced by the burning of fossil fuels.This leads to large emissions of CO2, which is one of the greatest causes of global warming.Now what the hell is all this doing in a gaming magazine??
Let me introduce you to a concept called Green Computing or the Green PC.Green Computing is an effort by engineers and scientists world over to make computers which are energy efficient,eliminate the use of hazardous material and promote the idea of recyclability.
Firstly,I won't keep drooling about the ill effects of global warming, because you have to be living on the moon to not know about it.
Secondly,hundreds of crores of money are invested by our government to provide electricity at subsidized rates.So if every single one of us puts a check on excessive power consumption, we could make a large contribution to our economy.
Still not enough incentive? Well, then maybe you would do it for yourself.Here's a simple example on how low power consumption can significantly cut costs.
A 17 inch LCD monitor uses 20 Watts as compared to 72 Watts by a 17 inch CRT monitor.Suppose you use your PC for 6 hours a day,simple math would tell you that a LCD monitor would consume 43.8 kWh a year as compared to 157.6 kWh by a CRT monitor.Assuming that the cost of electricity is Rs 4/kWh a CRT monitor would cost you Rs 630 while a LCD monitor would cost you Rs 175 per year.The rate of electricity for commercial purposes is almost double that for domestic purposes.You could easily recover the cost of your LCD monitor over a span of 5 years solely because of it's reduced power consumption.This example also gives you an idea of how useful it would be to turn off your monitor if you are listening to music or downloading.
That was one element of your desktop.Similarly, the Asus P5Q Pro Motherboard uses EPU(Energy Processing Unit)technology and has been tested to save 40 Watts more than a Gigabyte EP45 UD3P motherboard and Intel's Atom processor has an energy consumption of 20 Watts as compared 75 Watts for a Pentium 4 based processor.This time I leave the math to you.
These energy efficient monitors, motherboards,processors and even hard disks have a similar costs and deliver similar performance to the ones you use currently.So next time you assemble a PC,remember that a little bit of research won't cost you,the govt. or Mother Earth!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Ganpati Bappa.....MORYA!
One of the highlights of my stay in this college has been the celebration of Ganesh Chathurti.We,students from Maharashtra and neighbouring states organize the celebrations for this fabulous festival.Eight years rolling,it has now become a part of college tradition.We kept the idol from Sunday,and the visarjan(immersion of the idol)of the idol was done today,five days later.
Aarti was conducted twice a day and snacks were distributed in the evening.This time we provided snacks like poha,bhel poori and VADA PAV!Truly Marathi!
The day of the visarjan is a sweet culmination of the hard work put in throughout the week.We place the idol into a truck after aarti and the procession takes an entire round of the college.We dance and shout all the way,wearing a traditional orange band on the forehead.Crackers are burst,colours are thrown and the decibels keep rising .The atmosphere is electric.And the chants
Ganpati Bappa......Morya!
Managal Murti.....Morya!
Ek Do Teen Chaar.....Ganpati Ki Jay Jay Kaar!!
reverberate all around the college.For a brief period of time NIT Jalandhar turns into a mini-Mumbai!The idol is taken to the river Beas for immersion.The river is an hour from our college.A final aarti is done at the bank of the river, prior to the immersion .The immersion is a special event in itself,especially if you enter the water(which i always do),with the chanting reaching its peak.Four years on,i feel connected to the festival like never before.
I'll miss the way we've celebrated the festival in the last 3 years.Every small aspect of this amazing festival will remain in my heart... the hymns of the aarti,the beats of the dhol and a sore throat at the end of the last day...
Aarti was conducted twice a day and snacks were distributed in the evening.This time we provided snacks like poha,bhel poori and VADA PAV!Truly Marathi!
The day of the visarjan is a sweet culmination of the hard work put in throughout the week.We place the idol into a truck after aarti and the procession takes an entire round of the college.We dance and shout all the way,wearing a traditional orange band on the forehead.Crackers are burst,colours are thrown and the decibels keep rising .The atmosphere is electric.And the chants
Ganpati Bappa......Morya!
Managal Murti.....Morya!
Ek Do Teen Chaar.....Ganpati Ki Jay Jay Kaar!!
reverberate all around the college.For a brief period of time NIT Jalandhar turns into a mini-Mumbai!The idol is taken to the river Beas for immersion.The river is an hour from our college.A final aarti is done at the bank of the river, prior to the immersion .The immersion is a special event in itself,especially if you enter the water(which i always do),with the chanting reaching its peak.Four years on,i feel connected to the festival like never before.
I'll miss the way we've celebrated the festival in the last 3 years.Every small aspect of this amazing festival will remain in my heart... the hymns of the aarti,the beats of the dhol and a sore throat at the end of the last day...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Engineering :Food For Thought
Every year, lakhs of people in India pass out after an unique experience called engineering How many of them are technically adept?It wouldn't be fair to comment on other colleges but from personal experience i can tell you that 80% of the engineers that pass out from my college are technically gauche to join the industry.Hard to believe? I thought so too,when some people told me,before entering college.Well you might think that he's one of those useless students(which is true)but the fact is that even the so called "good" students don't know much more than me.
Most of us curse the system(which i agree is far from perfect).Let me brief you about everything that is wrong in the system.The value given to practicals is 1/4 of that given to theory.This is very hard to understand when you think that engineering is more about practical knowledge than theoretical.The standard of teaching is pathetic(it really is!).There are few students who make it on their own.Through natural ability or sheer determination.This percentage,as I've mentioned earlier,of students is very small.These are things I've been hearing since i joined college.
Introspection leads me to a flip side.I've never made an effort to study on my own.Labs are available 24*7.The senior faculty is always supportive of people who do projects.There are technical fests where one can showcase their talent.There's a library which has the best of books.There's an internet connection available which is the largest source of data.There are seniors who are always willing to help juniors who take the effort.Lastly,there is an abundance of time.The most common excuse is "I don't have interest in it"(mine too) but a fact remains. Three years have rolled on and i still haven't given engineering a chance.
We keep blaming the system.Whom are we fooling but ourselves??
Most of us curse the system(which i agree is far from perfect).Let me brief you about everything that is wrong in the system.The value given to practicals is 1/4 of that given to theory.This is very hard to understand when you think that engineering is more about practical knowledge than theoretical.The standard of teaching is pathetic(it really is!).There are few students who make it on their own.Through natural ability or sheer determination.This percentage,as I've mentioned earlier,of students is very small.These are things I've been hearing since i joined college.
Introspection leads me to a flip side.I've never made an effort to study on my own.Labs are available 24*7.The senior faculty is always supportive of people who do projects.There are technical fests where one can showcase their talent.There's a library which has the best of books.There's an internet connection available which is the largest source of data.There are seniors who are always willing to help juniors who take the effort.Lastly,there is an abundance of time.The most common excuse is "I don't have interest in it"(mine too) but a fact remains. Three years have rolled on and i still haven't given engineering a chance.
We keep blaming the system.Whom are we fooling but ourselves??
Friday, July 31, 2009
CRAZY!
This is an incident that happened around a month ago and is definitely the most weirdest experience I’ve ever had. I was returning from office after training. I got down at the metro station and a foreigner came up to me. He told me that he needed some help. I responded politely and said that i would definitely try and help. He mentioned that that it may be a little odd to you but what i was about to hear was an absolute shocker! He said that he had a jelly fish bite from a beach in Spain and he needed urea to decrease the irritation on his skin. He said that he's been trying for long but was unable to pee. AND HE REQUESTS ME TO PEE ON HIM! I was traumatized to say the least. Stunned by his apparent sincerity I offered that if he had a bottle I wouldn’t mind peeing in it and giving it to him. He didn’t have one. I guess he did have one but that was full of water and he wouldn’t sacrifice that. He would obviously need it: P. I said sorry and that peeing directly on you is just not an option and walked away.
Either that guy was gay or he was some crazy pervert. Or maybe he was telling the truth. One crazy experience I tell u.
Either that guy was gay or he was some crazy pervert. Or maybe he was telling the truth. One crazy experience I tell u.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
T20 Word Cup!
The world cup fever is beginning!
The T20 world cup brings alive memories of the astounding victory of 2007 and sends me into a reverie.I can still clearly visualise the scenes in my hostel's T.V room.The room was cramped like a compartment from a local train of Mumbai.There was an unusual silence when Mizbah hit consecutive fours in the beginning of the last over and threatened to pull off an unbelievable comeback.Mizbah failed to scoop the next ball above fine leg and Sreesanth caught the most important catch of his career.The room erupted!For the next half an hour noise levels soared to new heights.People were jumping,shouting and dancing and the atmosphere was absolutely electric.We had to stand on top of the chairs to get a glimpse of the television.Cricket had just united a nation!
That win brushed aside all speculations on whether Indian cricketers will be able to adapt to the new format.Two years down the line you wonder,"Can they really do it again ?"Fortunes take few minutes to change in a T20 game.The unpredictability of the format makes it very hard to pick a favourite.But if one had to pick a favourite it has to be India.There is great depth in the batting, more variety in the bowling,a lot of experience in the format (courtesy IPL)and last,but not the least,a skipper who's arguably the best that India has ever produced.
Team India is ready.Bring it on!
The T20 world cup brings alive memories of the astounding victory of 2007 and sends me into a reverie.I can still clearly visualise the scenes in my hostel's T.V room.The room was cramped like a compartment from a local train of Mumbai.There was an unusual silence when Mizbah hit consecutive fours in the beginning of the last over and threatened to pull off an unbelievable comeback.Mizbah failed to scoop the next ball above fine leg and Sreesanth caught the most important catch of his career.The room erupted!For the next half an hour noise levels soared to new heights.People were jumping,shouting and dancing and the atmosphere was absolutely electric.We had to stand on top of the chairs to get a glimpse of the television.Cricket had just united a nation!
That win brushed aside all speculations on whether Indian cricketers will be able to adapt to the new format.Two years down the line you wonder,"Can they really do it again ?"Fortunes take few minutes to change in a T20 game.The unpredictability of the format makes it very hard to pick a favourite.But if one had to pick a favourite it has to be India.There is great depth in the batting, more variety in the bowling,a lot of experience in the format (courtesy IPL)and last,but not the least,a skipper who's arguably the best that India has ever produced.
Team India is ready.Bring it on!
Dilliii
Damn! It’s been ages since I’ve posted. It’s due to a sheer lack of time. I’m doing a 2 month Internship in Delhi.
I have to go to office everyday! Honestly, it’s not like I’m doing a lot of work here. But from sleeping half the time (and watching movies the rest of the time) to a 9-5 life is a drastic change!
I’m in love with the city. It’s beautiful. The roads are fantastic (rajdhani after all!), forts, mosques, loads of lush green gardens, there’s an amazing variety in food, the size of buildings are colossal and the there is a mall in almost every nook and corner of the city. I’m still struggling to figure out the place (trust Me. it’s HARD!) I still wonder how they define a sector. For example in the place I live, at one moment your in sector 6, another moment in 10 and sector 11 is also somewhere in the midst of it (not that all this makes a difference anyway!).Another day I and my friend were looking for our MBA coaching centre. We roamed for 15 minutes only to land at the exact junction from where we started searching! : P. Thanks to the Delhi Metro I don’t get lost while going to work. I wonder what would have happened otherwise.
I guess an article on Delhi is incomplete without a word on the Metro. The first time you travel by the Metro you actually stop to think “Are we really in India?!” The system is world class. The stations and trains are fully air conditioned (and surprisingly clean), there are escalators, elevators and lifts at all stations, everything’s automated and it all looks perfect! It’s so exciting to see a system in India that is as flawless as the Delhi Metro!
One thing scares me! Life moves in a fast forward mode. The city’s alive by 5 in the morning! Everywhere you look people are running around. It’s almost like the people don’t have a moment to spare and appreciate the beauty of this lovely city. I’m hoping that I don’t end up like one of these robots at the end of 2 months! : P [just joking...no offence meant Delhiites]
I have to go to office everyday! Honestly, it’s not like I’m doing a lot of work here. But from sleeping half the time (and watching movies the rest of the time) to a 9-5 life is a drastic change!
I’m in love with the city. It’s beautiful. The roads are fantastic (rajdhani after all!), forts, mosques, loads of lush green gardens, there’s an amazing variety in food, the size of buildings are colossal and the there is a mall in almost every nook and corner of the city. I’m still struggling to figure out the place (trust Me. it’s HARD!) I still wonder how they define a sector. For example in the place I live, at one moment your in sector 6, another moment in 10 and sector 11 is also somewhere in the midst of it (not that all this makes a difference anyway!).Another day I and my friend were looking for our MBA coaching centre. We roamed for 15 minutes only to land at the exact junction from where we started searching! : P. Thanks to the Delhi Metro I don’t get lost while going to work. I wonder what would have happened otherwise.
I guess an article on Delhi is incomplete without a word on the Metro. The first time you travel by the Metro you actually stop to think “Are we really in India?!” The system is world class. The stations and trains are fully air conditioned (and surprisingly clean), there are escalators, elevators and lifts at all stations, everything’s automated and it all looks perfect! It’s so exciting to see a system in India that is as flawless as the Delhi Metro!
One thing scares me! Life moves in a fast forward mode. The city’s alive by 5 in the morning! Everywhere you look people are running around. It’s almost like the people don’t have a moment to spare and appreciate the beauty of this lovely city. I’m hoping that I don’t end up like one of these robots at the end of 2 months! : P [just joking...no offence meant Delhiites]
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What do i do??
This director of ours has gone crazy!!....or is it our chief warden?.....(i think he looks the more psycho type)...THE NEW RULE in my "great" college is that you cannot leave the college without an ID card (even the library card won't do!) !Now i've lost my ID card and there's no way of getting out of the college!....How many more times am i going to climb and jump that 12 feet wall(even jails mus be having shorter walls!) at the back end of the college to get out.(making me feel like one of those pre-historical ancestors of ours) :P..And the latest rumours are that they are going to keep a guard to prevent people from jumping the wall.Anybody having contacts with the mafia are invited to take supari to finish our director(and the chief warden)!...I'm sure the students will be willing to contribute to this cause! :P
( Just In case the INGENIOUS idea 2 make a new ID card entered u'r mind let me tell you that we need to launch a FIR and make an affidavit..and even 4 dat i need 2 go out!!...All this for an identification card...that's right...it's CRIMINAL to lose the ID!)
( Just In case the INGENIOUS idea 2 make a new ID card entered u'r mind let me tell you that we need to launch a FIR and make an affidavit..and even 4 dat i need 2 go out!!...All this for an identification card...that's right...it's CRIMINAL to lose the ID!)
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