Sunday 31 August, 2008

Email ids

None of my email ids is really intuitive. I finally feel the need to have the same (and easy to pronounce, understand and remember) email id across all the domains. But as I understand, it is not possible to "rename" an email id. Ideally this is what I would like to have.
1) My existing email id is foo.MOSTLYMEANINGLESSCRAP@gmail.com
2) I change it to foo.bar@gmail.com
3) Ppl who had my previous id continue using it without a problem.

My temporary solution for this is as follows:
1) create a new id
2) Autoforward all the mail from your old email.
3) Set outgoing address of both the accounts to your new id.
The only problem is chats cannot be connected this way. So I have to add all my contacts again in my chat contacts list.

I have set up everything. Let me see how it works. Meanwhile if you have a better solution please let me know.

Wednesday 20 August, 2008

How to abuse a C++ memory management system

1) Create hell lot of pointers.
2) Use new to allocate memory for half of them
3) Use malloc for rest.
4) Try to use realloc to vary the memory size allocated to pointers in step 2
5) Attempt to use free on pointers in step 3.
6) Result : Every conceivable memory related crash at the run time...

Enjoy

Sunday 17 August, 2008

The world around us

This world is a funny place. It consists of systems and sub-systems. Each of these systems have rules. Rules which govern them, rules which manipulate them and rules that change them. To survive in the system you need to understand the rules. If you take long time, the system annihilates you. If you take very little time, probably you misunderstand them. But once you understand them, you start cynically manipulating the system. And that's where the fun of life truly lies.

Thursday 7 August, 2008

Gmail as an archive

Ever since gmail offered unlimited space (and I went broadband), I've been using it as a highly available, reliable and free archiving system. Whenever I want to keep forever, I just email to myself. And it remains forever in my inbox and sent items. But gmail has a problem (? may be feature is a better word ?). It does not let you send executable files. And you cannot zip it to fool gmail. So the other day I wanted to archive this old game called Prince of Persia (Was my favourite for a very very long time... and I would still play it if at all it runs in wine). Buu gmail wont let me send it :-| Solution ? Simple compose the mail and leave it in drafts ;-) Just label it with the same label you use for your other archives. I actually spent a lot of time trying to figure out a mind-dazzling way to email it (encryption and stuff like that). But realized that while I was busy thinking ... gmail smartly saved the draft without testing for the so called forbidden contents. So next time you want to archive something ... Just email it.

P.S. There are two problems with this approach. First - the age old copyright laws. I believe google has all the rights over the stuff in your mail box. But being a ordinary user as I am, I don't think google has any reason to try use my stuff. Second - Maximum attachment size. But it hasn't been a problem so far. And anyways max attachment size has been increasing with time so should not be a problem in future as well.

Wednesday 6 August, 2008

Its been exactly one year since I first came to USA. How time flies...

Sunday 3 August, 2008

Malgudi Days

Finished Malgudi Days by R. K. Narayan today. This is my first English book by an Indian author. I still don't know why I bought this book. Perhaps because i was fascinated by the television series. But I am happy with my buy. It is amazing that something so simple can still grip your mind. The stories somehow feel familiar, probably thats the reason I liked the book. Somehow you can identify with many of the characters. May be I should read more like this...
My problem is I get bored of anything after a while. May be I need to see a psychiatrist, but I am sure I will get bored of him as well :-)