• Thinking of investment options because I would hate to have money stagnate in the bank. I am waiting for my investment portfolio to arrive so that I can get started. I asked my dad to invest on my behalf in India too, since I’ve noticed that there are higher returns out there than in the US.
• Looked into real estate to buy a condo, and decided that I will look into one more seriously after I buy a car. I did find a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath w/ basement for 180,000 bucks, which would be manageable with a mortgage and 2 room mates. But I don’t think that is happening in the next few months.
• I have a shopping list of sorts, with the first stop being the dSLR camera that my parents are helping me buy as a college graduation present. I have decided on the camera, but am having a hard time pinpointing the lens I want. I mean, I know the lens that I would like to have, but those are out of my price range. I am looking to spend about 1500-1600 dollars with the brand new Canon XTi/400D Digital Rebel (review | Amazon), and accessories including the lenses. I am really into macro, landscape, and low light photography. The Image Stabilized (Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM | Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM) lenses are around 400-500 bucks each, which is rather unfortunate. So, I’m going to ask some people that are into serious photography for some solicited advice.
• That brings me to the next item on my immediate wishlist. I really need another hard drive because the external Seagate 160GB I have now is full. So, I’ve been looking for a 300+GB external, or a Western Digital 500GB internal w/ enclosure. I need the extra space because the files generated by the camera are going to be huge! I am getting tempted by the 120GB/160GB Western Digital portable notebook hard drive which is around 150 bucks..
• The last three things are more of a luxury I guess. I would really like to get the new 80GB Ipod Video because I have more music that my current mp3 player (Creative Zen Touch 40GB) can hold. I also would like a 19/20″ flat panel, which seems to be selling for 200 dollars. That is incredibly cheap. And last, I am due for a phone upgrade in a couple of weeks from Verizon, and I have my eye set on a Treo 700p Smart Phone or Motorola Q, if I can get that with my current voice plan.
• I also need to get tickets for the trip to India this winter. I am finally heading back there for a couple of weeks to hang out with my family, relatives and friends. It’s my parents’ 25th anniversary. I was going to take one of my friends with me till I realized that it wouldn’t work out for several reasons. I guess there is always next time.

So, it’s all money this post.

Congress targets social-networking sites | CNET News.com

Most of this news piece deals with Congress deliberating about mandating records being stored about users by social networking sites and ISPs. The activity logs are supposed to help counter child pornography/abuse, and terrorism.

A couple of suggestions to counter the child abuse on social networking sites such as Myspace has been offered. However, I do not think that restricting access to such sites in libraries and schools are the answer. It’s is not a solution, it’s a work around that is bound to fail. If people in China can circumvent their national firewall (Golden Shield aka Great Firewall of China), what makes you think that can’t happen in the US? Computer technology enthusiasts hate road blocks like this, and are bound to retaliate.

I see one advantage of logging IP addresses of users during registration, and usage. It can be used to isolate addresses and then cross-reference those addresses to the sexual predators list of addresses. One kink I see in this, is the use of public internet access points, to circumvent this type of snooping.

It is practically impossible to know if the person is lying during registration. If I am mistaken, correct me with a detailed rebuke. It’s as easy for sexual predators to lie about their ages, as it is for a minor to lie about their age. Right now, short of loss of absolute privacy, there is no way to combat this problem comprehensively.

It is not the fault of the social networking sites that some of the users are depraved. One analogy to this issue I can think of are guns and people. Just because there is a massive illegal market for guns doesn’t stop the gun manufactures from selling guns. This is because people with licenses and right to own guns, create the demand. It’s the same case here. People who use the social networking site judiciously and ethically should not be penalized for the actions of depraved individuals. I would be mad if I was blocked from Facebook or Myspace due to the actions of someone else.

Technorati Tags: information, internet, Opinion, Policy, privacy, USA, social networking, myspace, facebook, china

I am sitting at the HUB, and see a big group of people sitting on my left. I am waiting for the Amnesty International meeting, and wanted to see if they were part of the group. I go to their Amnesty group page (PSU) on facebook, and then quickly navigate to the profile pages of the officers. And guess what, I see the profile images, and instantly recognize them as people sitting in that group.

That’s the power of Facebook (did someone say Stalker-Net?). Long Live Facebook!

God Bless Facebook and Nothing Else!

PS: The last bit doesn’t sound too good, does it? Then stop using it with your own friggin’ country?!!

Technorati Tags: Facebook Privacy Internet College Information

TechCrunch: Google Research prototypes ambient audio contextual content

Visit this blog post for more information, and links to the official Google Research site and Google blog on this project.

Here is what I have to say:

Is google crazy?!? I can’t even imagine what this current project would make the privacy advocates say. Letting it hear us over a mike, and then making ads? This is giving me the creeps, and I have no intention in allowing 1984 style loss of privacy coming any quicker that it already is. I can see this information being used for good, but in the hands of the wrong people. Oh my god! What if the government is successful in subpoening google for information? So, now apart from phone calls, they literally tap into our living rooms, and hear our conversations.. Absolutely not! I will not allow that to happen. Google is becoming the Information blackhole. Anything I want to know, I just google it. I don’t want people or bots being able to tap into my private life unless I willingly disclose it.

Technorati Tags: google, internet, privacy, 1984, techcrunch, computers, audio, ads, business, opinion, information

The United States is still the dominant force in technology, innovation, productivity and profits. But Americans don’t quite realize how fast the rest of the world is catching up.

read more | digg story

The headlines are about low-wage illegals, but Mexico is swiftly upgrading its workforce. Another reason that US needs to worry about the outsourcing issue..

read more | digg story

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I’ve been taught to look at reason behind cell phones not allowed on aircrafts as an urban myth. Apparently this study found that all electronic items could “possibly” hamper or interfere with aircraft equipment. Okay, here is what I don’t get. Why would aircrafts and navigational systems be built so poorly? If that was the case, I am concerned about flying if such a simple thing can cause such havoc. So, technically speaking, anyone can point electromagnetic radiation at a plane, and screw up their navigation systems. It is incredibly scary.

Honestly, the planes need better electromagnetic shielding. Work on that. You spend billions of dollars in R&D and you can’t fix this issue?

There were a few bits about double standards and hypocracy which included Google and US foreign nuclear policy. Most of you must have heard about DoJ’s subpoena to Google for a one-month search records, and Google’s challenge to that. It’s obviously an user privacy issue on grass roots level. I know that the government doesn’t want specifics but rather trends from search history to battle paedophilia. But Big Brother society coming out in the open has to start somewhere. For those people who tell me that NSA and other agencies have already been doing that, they have been doing so with stealth. This is one of the first times I remember this kind of issue being public. On the flip side, we have Google’s censoring its Chinese portal to comply with the Chinese communist regime. It’s business. There are a ton of other businesses out there complying with the local laws. And from what I read, some of it is actually protecting the Chinese public from getting themselves into trouble. Did you hear about a Chinese blogger being arrested and detained after Yahoo! gave the Chinese authorities his information? Which would you rather have? Safety with censors or freedom with the chance of being arrested? I suppose you would like the choice, eh? And recently, with the introduction of Google Desktop 3’s new feature of searching across networks by sending the index to Google has sent the consumer privacy groups up in arms. This time I agree. I would not like to send personal private information anywhere online especially if I didn’t know for sure who had access to that information.

I guess this is good for now. Food for thought, or discussion.

Imagining the Google Future - January 01, 2006

CNNMoney.com has featured a look into the future of Google. Personally, I think scenario 4 is most likely to occur.

The full article after the jump.

Read the complete article »

Well, here is your chance. Take a look at this 3.40 minute clip from BBC’s Top Gear. Utterly fascinating!