Just installed the beta version of Windows Live Writer, the Blog tool from Microsoft. I have one word to use – “Phenomenal”. The software learned the layout of my blog on its own, and I can create posts in a truly WYSIWYG manner. It even displays the same fonts and text colors that I see on my blog!
The best part is the capability to work with images while making a post, rather than resizing and uploading them before making the actual post. The API is also available for free to …

I hate spam. Everyone does. As if email wasn’t good enough, spammers have also been trying to exploit my blog ever since I started blogging. Luckily, I have a very good Bayesian spam filter called Akismet in place, that filters out all comment spam from my blog. The best part is that I don’t have to use annoying “CAPTCHA” tests like images to distinguish valid comments from spam.
Anyway, since I was taking a break, I decided to analyze where all the spam was coming from. I looked up the IP …

As the June 16th edition of the Wall Street Journal so succintly put it, “Genes, not experience, explain why the lives of some take a bad turn”. We are what our genes define us as. There is no going against our genetic code. Genetically engineered customized medications are going to revolutionize the coming decades just as the Internet of the present day.
What we miss while showing appreciation for the Internet is that it is more a victory of data mining than pure computer networking. It’s the actual applications that make …

Just how many times have you looked above your seat in an aircraft and wondered why they have those “No Smoking” signs at every row? I know I have! I think the last time I was on a flight that allowed smoking was in 1988. The aircraft had designated sections for smokers in every class, and the sign would go off a few moments after the plane took off.
Well, now days, almost every country has banned smoking in flight, making those signs pretty pointless, and constantly lit. In retrospect, what …

I am a big fan of developing web services using open source tools and open standards. One of the technologies I have extensively used in the last 5-6 years is J2EE. Backed by Sun Microsystems, it is a great platform to deploy phenomenal server based applications. Of course, there are other up and coming frameworks for developing all sorts of web services, but, holistically speaking, only Java and .NET are mature and active enough to be a universal web development technology.