Firefox on Symbian???

It was yesterday that I laid my eyes on this piece of information and needless to say that I was most elated.

The source of this information is none other than the ‘S60 Blog’. The guys at the S60 Blog are putting the beta version to test on Nokia N82 and Nokia E90.

What better news could have come the way of all symbian users but to see their favorite desktop browser sitting tight and pretty on their mobile device as well. I sincerely hope that it would hold up against ‘Opera mobile browser’ which needless to say has had quite a head start.

This project has been codenamed ‘Joey’. It is an experiment by the great people at ‘Mozilla’. They seek to allow the most needed/critical information to appear on your phone as quickly as possible with minimum data download.

Kudos guys and all the very best for your effort!!

Death Penalty for Blogging!!

Blogging is cool, Right? Well, the answer to this question would depend on which geography you are at.

I came across this article that I found very disturbing. It talked about Iranian government’s intent to ‘award’ death penalty for bloogers who ‘disturb the mental security of the society’.

Some excerpts:

“On Wednesday, Iranian members of parliament voted to discuss a draft bill that seeks to “toughen punishment for disturbing mental security in society.” The text of the bill would add, “establishing websites and weblogs promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy,” to the list of crimes punishable by death.

In recent years, some Iranian bloggers have been sent to jail and many have had their sites filtered. If the Iranian parliament approves this draft bill, bloggers fear they could be legally executed as criminals. No one has defined what it means to “disturb mental security in society”.

Such discussion concerning blogs has not been unique to Iran. It shows that many authorities do not only wish to filter blogs, but also to eliminate bloggers!”

Human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty but Teheran insists it is an effective deterrent that is carried out only after an exhaustive judicial process. So they now propose this system for bringing about death penalty for blogging.

All this is wishful thinking as this only serves to increase the curiosity of the learned ear. He’ll find alternate ways. But, even then the very thought of an action like this brings bile to my ears. It is an act of curbing freedom of thought and expression.

Hitman 2 – Silent Assassin ( Failure is not an option - it is a privilege reserved for those who do not try hard enough)

Game Facts:
Full Title: "Hitman 2 : Silent Assassin"
Protagonist: Agent 47

Developer: IO Interactive

Publisher: Eidos

Official release date: April 2004

Genre: Strategic Shooter

Platforms: Windows 95 / 98 / Me / XP, Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation2.

Official Site: http://www.hitman2.com/

Intro
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a stealth-based, first/third-person shooter, developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It was the second installment of the Hitman video game series, followed by Hitman: Contracts in 2004, and Hitman: Blood Money in 2006.

My Review
Hitman 2 – Silent Assassin is by far the best and the most engrossing game that I’ve ever played. I’m by no means claiming that I’m a gaming buff. But then I’ve had my fair share of gaming. I jumped the gun on serious gaming when I was around 15 years old, in the year 1995 or so (I know it’s a tad late, but then, it never is too late, is it?).

I play all genres of games from strategy to first person shooting to third person shooting to racing to almost everything else that I can lay my hands on. I took a liking to a handful of them, but nothing was there that stood out. It was then that I heard about Hitman 2 – Silent Assassin. I loved the plot and the story line. I took to it immediately.

The stand-out feature of this game is that it is opposite to conventional first/third-person shooting games available in the market. The fact that one has to complete a mission without raising an alarm, without killing any spare person and add to that the fact that one can change appearances and disguises brings a certain heightened degree of purpose and the adrenalin soaring. It is the sort of game where one can tell parents that it is not just about firing as many bullets as fast as possible but not firing at all (if possible) and keeping the decibel levels to the minimum. Even the staunch opposers of games and the ensuing violence involved therein would be surprised by what this games offers.

Plot

My Rating 9/10
‘Agent 47’ is a hired killer but with a sense of loyalty and justice. He is a legend in this mortal world. The player has to step into the shoes of this legend of a person.

The game play begins with the player entering the realm of a retired assassin (Agent 47), forced back into action by treason. The past is about to catch up with 47. But, before it does, 47 visits the dark recesses of a world corrupted by crime, greed, degradation and dishonor. In the missions he has no friends; no foes only ‘Targets’. He can trust no one. Sounds interesting, eh!

Learn your trade - master your tools – avoid rash decisions - overcome your obstacles - outsmart your enemies - eliminate your targets is the only advice one is ever going to need.

Eventually, you find yourself tricked by a twisted Russian crime boss bent on assisting rogue countries for his own personal and financial gain. You soon realize that you're caught in the middle of a ring of deception and discover that you have become a target yourself - of a highly trained ex-Spetsnaz assassin.

You have returned - and you will track down the organization that forced you out of retirement. You may find that the enemy is closer than you think - retrace your steps, and you will prevail.

Beginning/Prelude

My rating 9.5/10
The game play has 20 missions (21 if we count the first set as a mission). It all begins with an astonishing introduction of the Legend that ‘Hitman’ is. Just when one is basking in the glory of the past, one is hurled into the midst of a plot to get ‘Hitman’ out from hibernation and into the wilderness. All this is shown through a visually tempting mission briefing graphic novel. This mission briefing is so scripted that it sends the curiosity level up, way up for even the most casual of gamers. Each word mentioned therein has a connotation that one realizes as one traverses the distance with this game.

Gameplay

My Rating 9.5/10
The game starts with ‘47’ living a life of peace and seclusion in a monastery as a gardener, regretful of his past and trying to make amends with his conscience. The plot thickens just around here.

The first mission (should one choose to call it first) begins with kidnapping of his spiritual guide and friend, a ‘Father’ (Padre) at a Church in Sicily, Italy. This kidnapping is supplemented by an extortion note quoting an impossible amount. Agent 47 is forced to seek information about the kidnapper ‘Don Guliano’ from the ‘Agency’ – his previous employer.

It is from this moment on that ‘47’ is lured into a trap as the ‘Agency’ never provides any services free of charge. In return for the help the ‘Agency’ wants 47 to complete a dangerous ‘hit’ on a high profile person. ‘47’ is hard-pressed to offer his services to a client in return for information on his friend and ‘Father’. Thus begins the game.

The great point is that there are several ways of completing each mission. So one can be rest assured that ‘ratings’ coupled with the different ways of completing a mission would compel several playoffs of the same mission.

Graphics

My Rating 8/10
Graphics is too good. Every mission is specked with detailed environment including snowflakes, rain, wind, fog, breath in cold areas, etc. All this is compounded with the most dramatic sound that one can hear. The characters are well thought of and detailed.
Agent 47 is a bald hunk with a body, attire, voice and persona to match.

Soundtrack/Background Score

My Rating 10/10
The background score or popularly ‘Soundtrack’ is a mix of techno and symphony orchestra. It is by far the best that I’ve ever heard in a game. Every mission has a track that is apt to the theme of the game. Jesper Kyd(www.jesperkyd.com) has done an amazing job with this. Kudos to him.

Value for Money

My Rating 9/10
This game through its immersive game play and minimal hardware requirement is the perfect value for money.

Summary

Overall Rating 9/10
One has to admit that the thought of playing a 007 – Bondish type character branded a Hitman aka Agent 47, definitely is intriguing. I applaud the entire team for this great plot and an equally immersive game play.

Bottom-line: If you have a stomach for peeking around corners, sneaking up behind unsuspecting enemies, travelling to beautiful locales, wielding an impressive array of weapons and silently eliminating a target, then Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is the game for you.This game through its immersive game play and minimal hardware requirement is the perfect value for money.

Lucknow Shining

I’ve always thought that this town has a future. This town has given so much to the country, beginning with Prime Ministers to uncountable sportsmen to brave soldiers and so much more than all others. I thank god for making me a part of this sacred - sacred land.

I’ve always loved and admired my hometown Lucknow right from the word go. But to my utter dismay, Lucknow has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. As if to set the record straight, I pen down this latest positive development. Hence, this article.

A little background always helps. I am blessed to have come from a family of armed forces personnel. I daresay I’ve had the luxury of travel, having visited different nooks and corners of India ranging from the Glaciers to places all along the Pakistan border to the distant east. Over these sojourns, I saw areas that are part of popular folklore in India and I reveled in the luxury bestowed onto these lands by the almighty.

But, I must confess that of all the places that I’d been to ‘Lucknow’ stands out. It may be my rudeness or ego or something else that never allows me to set my heart on any other place.

Lucknow has since time immemorial been known for Tahzeeb – adab (mannerisms), politeness, the ubiquitous ‘pehle aap’ (you first), the hand embroidered Chikan Kurtas/Cloths and the ever infallible Kebabas.

It is popularly believed that the city has been named after Lord Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Rama. The city was earlier called Lakshman Pore that later turned in to Lucknow. The town during the later part of the 20^th Century became famous under the Nawabs. It is said that “Wisdom, women and wine are the three things truly understood and respected only by the Nawabs”.

On the flip side ‘Lucknow’ has always been synonymous with Crime, murky politics, shabby infrastructure, corrupt people, sleepy pace, etc. But off late all this seems to be a thing of the past as this ‘Tier III’ town is looking to barge ahead headlong into the 21^st century, albeit without any support from the government.

Bubble or burst the dotcom still fascinates. The source of the aforementioned article comes from this article titled Lucknow realty firms go for IT . The crux of the article is that now the real estate developers have pulled up their socks and have taken the onus of development of Lucknow onto them. They are working to charm top information technology (IT) companies by providing them with favourable environment to set up their work offices in the city. The encouraging point is that companies like Aegis Communications Group Ltd, IBM Daksh and Siemens have shown an enthusiasm on the prospect of relocating to Lucknow.

The interested parties, according to a consultant, include around four multinationals and eight private Indian companies. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is also expanding its workforce from its current 250 to 1,000 employees and is busy bringing out a new office at Gomtinagar in Lucknow.

So much for the good news. Boy, am i glad!

Some interesting One Liners

Well this is just a copy paste thing. I found a couple of one liners simply too witty and irresistible. So here i am penning the same down.

I donot claim ownership of any of these one liners. I found them from different sources.

1. I've had amnesia as long as I can remember...

2. The world holds two classes of men -- intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.

3. Treat each day as your last; one day you will be right.

4. You fuck with me,You fuck with the best.

5. True friends stab you in the front.

6. Assumptions are the death of possibilities.

7. Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition.

8. Alcoholic: Someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.

9. We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistake.

10. Its better to be hated for who I am rather than be loved for who i am not -Kurt Cobain


Disclaimer:

I solemnly acknowledge that these one liners are not my proprietary and I also donot came so.

The Beer Prayer

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

Found a wonderful prayer at ‘The Good Beer Blog’. Here is the same for beer lovers:

Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink,
Thy will be drunk,
(I will be drunk),
At home as I am in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us,
and lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers,
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager,
Forever and ever,
- Barmen.

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." - Dave Barry

Warlock - Breathtaking Fiction

Warlock is a novel by Wilbur Smith released in 2001. Warlock is a brick of a book. The paperback version which I read comes in at just under 700 pages long. Such size may be a little daunting for some, but if one is going on a long journey or if one is looking for some nail-biting fiction and then Warlock is an ideal companion.

I must admit that this is the first Wilbur Smith novel that I read and I must say that I was really impressed with the narrative, the pace of events and last but certainly not the least, the plot. I was constantly battling with the emotion of turning to the last chapter and reading the end to bring the gripping suspense to an end. I dare say that I was barely able to manage and keep a check on my emotions.

I’ve read a lot of novels and I must say that ‘Warlock’ is one of the most fascinating works of fiction that I’ve ever come across. I found that this book is a highly researched one. The same can be concluded once we go through the paces with this book. The book has very vivid descriptions of the customs and beliefs of the people, with a rich level of detail. The detail is neither too much nor too less. It is just apt enough to help the reader understand the world and times that Wilbur Smith is talking about. It does not for a moment feel like a history lesson.

‘Warlock’ is a sequel to the earlier work of Wilbur Smith titled ‘River God’. Even though this book is a sequel to an earlier work, it makes for perfect sense even to read it on its own (this is what I did). The commonly accepted etymology derives ‘warlock’ from the Old English ‘wǣrloga’ meaning deceiver, or "oath breaker". The plot of ‘Warlock’ is set in Ancient Egypt. The story starts with the murder of the Pharaoh Tamose (the father of Nefer) & the subsequent struggle to survive & retain the right to rule of his son Nefer.

‘Warlock’ follows the adventures of young ‘Pharoah Nefer Seti’. The whole story revolves around him. He is assisted throughout by an ancient Egyptian magus called ‘Taita’, a slave and a eunuch, and a highly respected friend to the ‘Pharoah Tamose’.

‘Warlock’ details the life of Taita 30 years after the death of Queen Lostris, (the grandmother of Pharoh Nefer Seti). Taita is no longer a slave but a powerful warlock (Over the years that follow the death of Queen Lostris Taita devotes himself to the study of the mysteries of the occult until, armed with extraordinary powers, he gradually transforms himself into the Warlock) with great fame throughout Egypt and the surrounding nations, and has become the most influential man in Egypt through his close connection to the Pharaoh Tamose.

When he returns to the world of men, he finds himself plunged into a terrible conflict against the forces of evil which threaten to overwhelm the throne and the realm of Egypt, and to destroy the young prince Nefer, who is the grandson of Queen Lostris. It is under the able guidance of Taita that Nefer trains to change from a young and sentimental person to a wholesome, confident, intelligent, handsome and strong personality. Nefer uses Taita’s wisdom to win back the rightful kingdom that was usurped by ‘Naja’.

A noteworthy feature of ‘Warlock’ is the ‘life’ of its characters. One spends such a long time going through this book that one starts to feel that they are real people. Needless, to say that the book fired my imagination (the cancer-crab person is born with dreams in his eyes) to such a level that I even started empathizing with the whims & fancies (add miseries) of the characters. The characters are so vividly described that they evolve as you run through the pages. One can visualize them growing, becoming stronger.

My Verdict: 8.5/10.

An obsessive, compulsive, satisfying read. An evenly paced book with a fathomable plot. You’d be tempted all the time to flip to the end. This novel is certainly worth reading, and is highly recommended by me.

Master Composition-Madhushala

I've just finished reading through 'Madhushala' . It is a poem penned in Hindi by late 'Mr. Harivanshrai Bachchan Srivastav'. It is considered by many as one of the greatest literary masterpieces in Hindi Poetry.

I took to reading this poem after i was introduced to the song by a good friend of mine (read:Akash Srivastav). It is in the melodious voice of 'Mr. Manna Dey' with soulful music by 'Mr. Jaidev' . I must say i was deeply impressed by the accurate and intricate description of the mind and ways of a drunkard. For the uninitiated let me give a brief background.

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Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan Srivastav (हरिवंशराय बच्चन श्रीवास्तव) was a distinguished Hindi poet, perhaps best known for his early work Madhushala (मधुशाला). Legend has it that death of his first wife 'Shyama' inspired him to write Madhushala, It is said that his style of writing was influenced by Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyyat.

Madhushala was first published way back in 1935. It is a book of 135 rubaai's (or stanzas in english). The pecularity of this poem is that every rubaai ends with the word madhushala. In this poem he has tried to explain the complexity of life using four instruments, viz:

• Madhu/Madira/Haala-the liquor,
  
• Pyaala-the glass used to serve liquor,
  
• Saaki-the person who serves liquor,
  
• Madhushala-the place where liquor is served(Pub or Bar)

The greatness of this is its simplicity. The ease with which the different vagaries of life have been compared with the life/miseries of a drunkard. And most important of all the amazing accuracy with which everything fits into place. Mr. Harivanshrai has beautifully touched every aspect of human life, be it religion or love or death or patriotism, etc. and has done this in style. I bet every person who has had liquor at some or the other time in his life would certainly feel nostalgic after going through the paces with this poem.

What amazes and baffles me no less is the legend that this great artist himself had never touched liquor prior to penning this masterpiece. Needless to say this goes lengths in speaking about his skill and craft.

One rubaai that i am particularly fond of is:

बिना पिये जो मधुशाला को बुरा कहे, वह मतवाला,
पी लेने पर तो उसके मुह पर पड़ जाएगा ताला,
दास द्रोहियों दोनों में है जीत सुरा की, प्याले की,
विश्वविजयिनी बनकर जग में आई मेरी मधुशाला।

This would broadly translate (my interpretation of the poet's words) into the following:

The poet says that when that someone; who has never tasted liquor and criticizes it, happens to taste liquor; he is rendered speechless. The liquor and the cup always win in every battle. The poet adds that liquor has come into this world as a world conquerer.

A couple of other rubiaa's that i took an instant liking to are:

बने पुजारी प्रेमी साकी, गंगाजल पावन हाला,
रहे फेरता अविरत गति से मधु के प्यालों की माला'
'और लिये जा, और पीये जा', इसी मंत्र का जाप करे'
मैं शिव की प्रतिमा बन बैठूं, मंदिर हो यह मधुशाला।

This would broadly translate (my interpretation of the poet's words) into the following:

The poet imagines his lover saaki as a priest, the liquor as the holy Ganges water. The saaki is chanting the mantra ‘Take more and drink more’. The poet imagines himself as the Lord Shivas idol and the Madhushala (tavern) as the temple.

"सुन, कलकल़ , छलछल़ मधुघट से गिरती प्यालों में हाला,
सुन, रूनझुन रूनझुन चल वितरण करती मधु साकीबाला,
बस आ पहुंचे, दुर नहीं कुछ, चार कदम अब चलना है,
चहक रहे, सुन, पीनेवाले, महक रही, ले, मधुशाला।"

This would broadly translate (my interpretation of the poet's words) into the following:

The poet is urging the drinker to continue on his quest for liquor and not give up. He asks the drinker rhetorically that can't he hear the sound made by falling liquor.

" धर्मग्रन्थ सब जला चुकी है, जिसके अंतर की ज्वाला,
मंदिर, मसजिद, गिरिजे, सब को तोड़ चुका जो मतवाला,
पंडित, मोमिन, पादिरयों के फंदों को जो काट चुका,
कर सकती है आज उसी का स्वागत मेरी मधुशाला।"

This would broadly translate (my interpretation of the poet's words) into the following:

A whose inner fire has burned down the shackles imposed on mankind by different religious scriptures, one who has demolised all religious structures like temple,mosque and church, one who has broken himself free of pandit, imam and preist , only that person is welcome to the poet's Madhushala(Tavern).


I salute this great master and his masterpiece. As far as liquor is concerned, peshe khidmat hai ek sher:

Ghalib chuti sharaab par ab bhi kabhi-kabhi
peeta hoon roz-o-abr shab-e-mahtaab mein

Meaning:Ghalib says that he has quit drinking, but he does only on two occasions; when there are clouds during the day or if there is moon at night.

Disclaimer:

I solemnly acknowledge that i am neither an expert in Hindi literature nor am i an expert on Madhushala. I happened to come across this song through a friend and I was deeply impressed. All i've tried doing here is to pay tribute to the legend who penned down this amazing poem, in my own way. All views are based on my 'limited' understanding of the Hindi literature. Also, as a result of the translation, the meaning and/or the relevance of the poem might be lost. I have no intention of hurting any sentiments whatsoever. The poet has never tried to promote liquor. Any mis-interpretations are to be attributed to my shallow knowledge and certainly not to the poet.

I'd quote one of the lines of Mr. Harivanshrai Bachchan :
“Jiski jaisi ruchi thi, usne waise dekhi madhushala”
(meaning that a person will interpret Madhushala as one wishes or as one has experienced life)

Nokia N82 It's convergence at it's best!

Just bought a new Nokia N82 'with bill' from Alfa mobile store at Mumbai. I'm in awe of this phone. The more i use it the more it surprises me with its features.

But before i go all ga ga over it, i'll give a brief background.

I can safely call myself a Technology 'Enthusiast' if not an evangelist. I love to dwell into the technology 'things'.

Coming back to Nokia N82 and my self professed love for mobile phones. I've been researching since the past few months for a phone that has the best combination of features, speed and cost. I was always disappointed whenever i tried to take a ratio of price and features. Nothing matched my expectations. Then, like a bolt from the blue, i heard of the astonishing capabilities of the N82.

I readily moved ahead and scouted the world wide web for any information on this devil of a device. I must say i was disappointed. There was hardly anything called as a review. There were just product features lists everywhere (yes, the features certainly did impress me, but most important factor in any high end device apart from the features is its speed, an idea of the same is a must for technology fiddlers like me). Not one to be easily dissuaded, i continued my search for more info and was finally rewarded when from 'Gsmarena.com' decided to have a go at the device. I was delighted to read the reviews. They confirmed that the phone is as fast as it can be and is probably the fastest N series device out there. This news instead of quenching my thirst, added fuel to fire. I was left wanting more. I wanted the general user to vet this opinion of 'Gsmarena.com'. As it stands today, there were several people and several sites that tested the product and came out with a thumbs up for this device.

I finally had my hearts set on this device. As i was about to buy this device, out came the news of the other 5 megapixel camera phone crown contenders. And, alas, i spent the next couple of days reading the review on all of these, viz, Sony Ericsson K850, Nokia N95 8GB, LG KU990 Viewty, and Samsung G600. To help me reach a conclusion the wonderful team of 'Gsmarena.com' came out with a marathon test of all 5 megapixel camera phones But, it was the Nokia N82 that came out shinning to top the chart. There were areas where it was beaten by LG Viewty, but N82's other features like GPS,speed, Ngage platform compatibility, etc more than compensated for the same.

And moments later i find myself standing outside this shop in Mumbai to get this phone for myself. And, here i am writing about my experiences about this phone.

I will try try to put up a comprehensive summary of the research that i did on this phone. I will add my 'valuable inputs' as and when necessary.

Till then, i am busy exploring my Nokia N82.