9/11 Mysteries (Full Length, High Quality)

Interesting video:

This is what happens when you gossip at work

Predictions for Superbowl 2006

Bears vs Saints : NFC Championship Game

Saints win this one... They deserve to. They have the best offense, coached by last year's Cowboys offensive coordinator - this year's coach of the year - Sean Payton - and are by far the most creative and exciting team to watch - and they play with so much emotion! (very much required to win playoff games)

Colts vs Patriots : AFC Championship Game

Colts better win this... they became my favorite team after Cowboys lost. I think this is going to be a thriller. This can turn out to be a more exciting game than the Superbowl 2006. Payton Manning deserves to play in the Superbowl (and win it).

Superbowl 2006: Colts vs. Saints

COLTS WIN IT ALL!!!

Go Colts...

Skype founders name new video start-up Joost

Company executives had referred to the new company for months by the codename "The Venice Project." They chose Joost because they like the ring of it, according to a spokeswoman. The word doesn't have any meaning in Danish.

CNet has the story

Why damaka is good for Enterprises?

A friend asked me this question last night... Some of the key points of my response are listed below:

damaka is great for enterprises that are looking for a secure, standards-based communication and collaboration application, to provide productivity features but keeping the costs down.

Benefits of damaka

• End-to-End Secure:
  
  One of the biggest concerns, Enterprises have is Security. Skype, with its supernodes can be an IT admin’s worst nightmare. But damaka’s solution is “end-to-end secure” (signaling and media) and allows administrators to have “complete control” over the network.
  
  
• Standards-Based (Peer-to-Peer, SIP - Session Initiation Protocol):
  

  With damaka’s SIP-based, P2P enterprise solution, businesses of all sizes can combine voice, video, data, real-time presence, instant messaging (with cross over to other protocols), and various applications for richer, more integrated communications on one converged IP network.

  Enterprises can streamline system administration, desktop and endpoint management by integrating their IP PBX for conferencing, unified messaging, and other media on the same SIP network, and eliminate multiple admin interfaces as well as the need for separate IT voice teams and data teams.
  
  
• Save Money - damaka-to-damaka audio & video calls are completely free. Enterprises can also enjoy free audio & video conferencing. damaka PC-to-Phone feature DialOut allows businesses to save a lot of money on phone calls. They can save a lot of money with reduced cost of operation as damaka is peer-to-peer. Enterprises can go with either fully managed, damaka-hosted or in-house-network solution.
  
  
• - Increase Productivity – Real-time Presence, Instant messaging (with IMConnectivity you can connect to MSN, Yahoo, AOL, GTalk and ICQ from within damaka) , Group chats, conference calls, video conferencing, Desktop sharing help improve productivity.

damaka website
damaka's enterprise offering
Features list of damaka
ELSUA thinks damaka is fun to use and helps improve team building

Go ahead download damaka and add me as your contact if you want to test out the features:
My damaka id: chandan

A closer look at iPhone

Apple, Inc's iPhone is here

So it’s official: Apple now is a phone manufacturer. With the announcement of the Apple iPhone, we can now finally assess that new product and I have to say, color me impressed. The company has managed to overcome a lot of the problems surrounding existing mobile phones and created a device that is close to what geeks like myself want: 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player, video player, phone with integrated address book, calendar, email, web browser, SMS, notepad, google maps, and support for other widgets, which makes the whole platform more extensible.

It’s a very smart move on the part of Apple, which highlighted the change in the way the company is operating by changing its name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. , reflecting the fact that they are no longer just a computer company.There were a few interesting items of interest, though.

For starters, no mention of how the phone will sync up with a computer. Are we to assume that it’s Mac Only or will it synchronize with computers running Windows too? If so, does that mean that a new set of applications will be available to Windows users to sync their address book, calendar and email with systems like Outlook or will the device require to manage those things specifically using Apple applications on Windows?

The other thing that was interesting is the announcement that the phone will run on quad-band GSM and will be using EDGE network. This means that the phone will get decent but not great data service. Perfect for email and light web browsing but not quite fast enough for video streaming. However, the introduction of WiFi in the device, which many other companies have avoided for fear of losing battery capacity, could take care of that.

The other interesting thing is that the operating system on this device is OSX. This seems to point out to two possible issues: First, what does that mean for PortalPlayer, which has traditionally provided Apple with the operating system (embedded on a chip) for the iPod? The second question is what does it mean in general: What Apple has introduced is basically a mac in a small form factor, which could easily compete with the UMPC specifications introduced by Microsoft. It’s pretty clear that Apple has a lot of plans in the future for that device but they didn’t say much about the significance of OSX, providing it almost as an aside (and what does it mean for the next version of OSX, which was not mentioned during this keynote at all, a surprising omission in itself.)

Palm (makers of the Treo), RIM (makers of the Blackberry), and Motorola and Nokia will obviously not be thrilled with the entrance of Apple in this market. Below is a comparison on how they fare against iPhone:

What do space aliens watch on TV?

Is there intelligent life on other planets? If so, what do space aliens watch on TV?

Astronomers want to know what aliens might be broadcasting for their TV-viewing pleasure.
Check out the story @ CNet: Space life search turns to TV, radio signals

Wouldn't it be funny if we discovered Alien YouTube?!! Imagine aliens rapping traffic reports... or funny aliens cats and dogs.... or alien porn - bet this will sell on eBay like hot cakes! hummmm.... what if they are also looking for TV, radio signals?

I badly need a coffee!!!!

Gators thrash Buckeyes (41 - 14)

Urban Meyer's Gators have totally thrashed Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith's Buckeyes 41 to 14 in tonight's BCS national championship game. I was expecting a very competitive game - just like last year's last second Texas Longhorns win over Trojans, but it turned out to be a one-sided affair... Gators dominated the game from the start. I don't think Troy Smith even got 100 passing yards for something that averaged over 400 yards per game. Congratulations Gators. Better luck next time Buckeyes!

Joke

Husband and wife are going to bed... the man, with a smirk on his face, says to the wife, "I am going to make you very happy".... and then winks... Wife takes a deep breath and replies: "Ok hunny, I am going to miss you!"

White Chick Raps Traffic Report

This chick must have grown up near 8 mile or something... Check out this funny traffic report:

Picture with Kenyan ambassador to US

On Dec 20, 2006, I had the honor to meet the Kenyan ambassador to the US, Mr. Peter N.R.O. Ogego, who was visiting Dallas and was met by Pro Tem Don Hill, the mayor of Dallas. The two discussed opening bilateral trade and investment from Texas to Kenya.



His Excellency, Mr. Ogego, gave an impressive keynote address at a Luncheon organized by the African Chamber of Commerce, urging the business community in Dallas to invest in various sectors of the Kenya economy and take advantage of the opportunities presented by the expansion of the East Africa Community.

The event was attended by among others, Mr Ross Perot Jr. a multi billionaire investor in Dallas.

His Excellency, Mr. Ogego was presented with a special key for the city of Dallas by Mayor Don Hill.

I also had an opportunity to meet and trade business cards with Mr. Ross Perot Jr, Texas Secretary of State Mr. Roger Williams and President and CEO of African Chamber of Commerce, Sanmi Akinmulero. I must thank my good friend Steve Mathuku for the the invite.

Release from a strategically interesting Web2.0 technology company: damaka Launches IM Connectivity to MSN, Yahoo, AOL and Google

damaka Launches IM Connectivity to MSN, Yahoo, AOL and Google

damaka users only need one software to connect to different instant messaging platforms, call friends all over the world, watch Internet TV, conference with webcam, and share desktops

RICHARDSON, Texas – January 5, 2006 – damaka™, a fast-growing communication and collaboration software company, launches IM connectivity to MSN, Yahoo, AOL and Google. This feature allows damaka users to chat with friends across different platforms without having to launch multiple IM clients. Seamless instant messaging is a new element of the industry’s smallest downloadable peer-to-peer damaka software, which includes Internet TV, desktop sharing, and video conferencing.

According to MIT student Laila Shabir, “I have been using damaka VoIP application to make free calls to my family in Dubai. The new damaka IM is easy to use as I can move from MSN to AOL by clicking on a button. I am so glad that I don’t have to launch other IM clients to talk to my friends around the world. Also, it helps in removing the different communication tools clutter on my desktop and I am glad there’s finally a company that can do everything in one application.”

“With the addition of multi-platform IM to its white-label product suite, damaka now allows carriers, service providers, and online communities to cost-effectively deliver unified communication and collaboration services to their user base,” says Satish Gundabathula, CTO of damaka. damaka’s approach to integrating multiple functionality into its SIP-based, peer-to-peer Personal Softswitch™ aligns with the requirements that many companies have for an out-of-the-box triple play solution to increase productivity and generate new revenue streams.

damaka’s P2P communication (IM, Voice, Video, data) is end-to-end encrypted. This feature makes the software a powerful tool for secure and robust corporate communication worldwide.

Screenshot: http://www.damaka.com/IMConnectivity/

Download damaka

Ro-mo-Oh-No

The worst 4th quarter for Cowboys: A fumble that leads to eight points. A dropped hold on a field goal. Critical mistakes doomed the Cowboys and Seahawks win 21-20.

It was 1:19 in the 4th quarter... only a "simple" field-goal attempt stood between Cowboys and the first playoffs win for them since 1996 - before the attempt I was thinking this is automatic, Cowboys will win it. But now I know that in NFL, you can't take anything for granted. You have to be efficient in all 3 phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams! Every play counts!

Gramatica was the kicker... Romo was the holder... the snap was good, but somehow the ball slipped from his hands... he failed to set the ball for Gramatica and then tried to out-run the defense for either the first down or the touch-down, but failed.

Romo... Oh noooo!!! :-(

I can' t believe what I saw tonight... the way Dallas Cowboys lost tonight's game is heart-breaking... So much work and great effort by the entire team - specially the way Cowboys defence played - all for nothing... nada... zippppppppppppppp!



I was a big Cricket fan and I got sick of watching India's cricket team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and stopped watching late last year... I have seen Cowboys do this in the 3 of the last 4 games - tonight's being the worst! I hope they don't make this a habit. Successful teams (and people) always learn from their mistakes and don't repeat them. Great teams (and people) not only learn from their mistakes, but they learn from other's mistakes.

It is unfortunate that Romo was not able to complete the FG play efficiently, but it'll be foolish to blame Romo for this loss. There were other opportunities that the Cowboys did not take advantage of and continued to commit mistakes, specially in the 4th quarter. The team has lots of talent and potential, but they need to work on discipline & fundamentals. They must cut down on the silly mistake & mindless penalties, specially when the game is on the line.

I am very disappointed and sad, but I have not lost the faith in my Cowboys. I know Romo & Parcells will come back strong next season and I really believe they have it in them to win the Superbowl 2008.

But tonight I feel bad & sad for the Cowboys players, coaches & the fans! :-(

NFL Playoffs Predictions (Wild Card Weekend)

Kansas City (9-7) @ Indianapolis (12-4)
Chiefs have one of the best running games in football with LJ in the backfield and also can pass a bit when necessary. Indy on the other hand, has such a poor run defense (ranks last in the NFL with 173.0 yards allowed per game) that they probably wouldn’t be able to stop a stoned Ricky Williams. But the Colts explosive offense can make up for their patchy defense. Indianapolis ranks 2nd in the league with 26.7 points per game and quarterback Peyton Manning ranks 2nd with 4,397 passing yards. Colts win 30-21

Dallas (9-7) @ Seattle (9-7)
As much as I love Tony Romo, his performance as of late has been woefully inconsistant and he definitely needs to be on if Dallas wants to stand a chance at winning. Furthermore, Dallas– as shown in last weeks game against Detroit– can’t stop the big play, and Seattle is full of big-time offensive players. But with Parcells' experience, Romo's creativity and a little bit of luck, Dallas wins this one. Dallas win 27-24

at Saturday, 3:30 p.m. CT on NBC The Chiefs (9-7) got the help they needed Sunday and earned a date with Indianapolis Colts (12-4) in the wild-card round of the playoffs. But it won't be easy for the AFC's sixth seed as they head to the RCA Dome, where the Colts completed their first perfect season at home since 1958 when the Baltimore Colts won the NFL championship. Still, the key for the Chiefs will be the matchup of running back Larry Johnson, who set an NFL record for carries this season with 416, against an Indianapolis defense that has surrendered rushing yardage in bunches this year.

at Saturday, 7 p.m. CT on NBC Despite owning the top wild card, Dallas (9-7) goes into January having lost consecutive games for the first time all season. The Cowboys also have dropped three of four since owning a two-game division lead in early December. The situation is equally disappointing for the Seahawks (9-7) , who needed a win in the finale to halt a 3-game skid. "Our record isn't what we had hoped, to be honest with you, but there's something about 9-7 being a lot better than 8-8," coach Mike Holmgren said. The teams have met 10 times, with Dallas holding a 6-4 edge, but this will be the first postseason encounter.

A Guy witnesses an accident

Roger Rick and Marilync - Morning Show Bits
"A Guy witnesses an accident"

Books I will be reading

These books look very interesting:

Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (Hardcover)
by Henry Jenkins (Rank #1443)

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More (Hardcover)
by Chris Anderson (Rank #148)

Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas (Hardcover)
by Seth Godin (Rank #1603)

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Paperback)
by Malcolm Gladwell (Rank #39)

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (Hardcover)
by Malcolm Gladwell (Rank #62)

iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business (Hardcover)
by Jeffrey S. Young, William L. Simon (Rank #8k)

The Inheritance of Loss (Paperback)
by Kiran Desai

Web 2.0 Companies to watch out for

Wordpress : most flexible blogging platform
Digg : users pick what news makes it to the home page
Flickr : photo tagging and sharing site
Jingle’s free 411 service
Flock : the social web browser
Gmail : google's email
NetNewsWire desktop feed reader
Netvibes : custom made web 2.0 home page solution
Pandora : plays streaming music for free via a flash player on its site
damaka : P2P (but standards-based) Communication & Collaboration software
Wikipedia : free encyclopedia
Zoho : Online office suite
Amie Street : DRM-free music sales
Ask City : mapping product
BlueDot is a social bookmarking service
Skype : P2P phone/video calls (ever heard of a "super-node"?)
TechMeme is the blogosphere’s daily newspaper
YouTube : upload and share videos
Jotspot : Wiki collaboration


Others interesting web sites:

Swik : Search open source projects

Five Principles for Happiness in 2007

David Bach, Author of "The Automatic Millionaire" does a great job of breaking down the secrets to living a rich, happy life:

Most people believe that if they just had more money, the things that make them unhappy would disappear and their lives would be better. The truth is that your life can be better without more money. Each of us has the power to discover our purpose and become joyful in the process of journeying toward that purpose.

Five basic principles involved in creating "Live Rich Factor":

Principle 1: Give Yourself a Break

Stop wasting time in thinking what you shoulda-woulda-coulda done in 2006 or before. It's over, and its time to move on......

Principle 2: Get Connected with Your Truth

The hardest thing to do is be honest with yourself. Asking yourself some key questions will lead you to some amazing discoveries, and possibly motivate you to do what it takes to create the life you envision for yourself......

Principle 3: Stop Judging Yourself

Stop the negative conversations you have with yourself immediately. Say no to negative thoughts and encourage positive thinking.....

Principle 4: Stop Judging Others

We're not here to judge one another.....

Principle 5 : Pursue Fun with a Vengeance

Fun shouldn't be squeezed into a few weeks of vacation each year. And it shouldn't be squeezed into the last chapter of your life when you "get to" retire. Fun deserves to be a part of your life now -- in 2007. But fun doesn't just happen. You have to make it a priority in your life or it'll go missing. Life's too short to not have it.......

Read the entire article

Beware of 'Happy New Year' worm

When users log-on for the first time in the New Year, they might be greeted by emails that wish them a happy new year and offer a post card greeting. It seems that a new worm is masquerading in such fashion, according to experts at Verisign. Once a user clicks through to the 'postcard' link, a file deploys different variants of malicious code onto the PC and then uses the computer to send similar mass mailings. Some big company networks are already feeling the pain, so make sure that your IT organization is ready to take on the first worm of 2007.

security.itworld.com has the complete story

Women's Vocabulary

1) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five Minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F@!K YOU!

9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking, "what's wrong", for the woman's response refer to # 3.

Please feel free to let me know your experiences or if you would like to add to the vocab!

Is 'Gizmo Project' Nokia's answer?

Nokia has been listening to its customers and the word on the street - and is now pushing the frontiers of Internet phone calling with The Gizmo Project...

Nokia Corporation, announced last week of a download that will install Gizmo VoIP—a plug-in adaptation of SIPphone Inc.'s Gizmo Project softphone—on its N80 Internet Edition smartphone. The Wi-Fi-enabled N80ie is optimized for VoIP using standards-based SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) signaling. The Gizmo VoIP plug-in is the first IP telephony module to be integrated into the Nokia platform.

"Our collaboration with SIPphone makes Internet calling easy, plus our open VoIP platform allows for any SIP-based VoIP provider to incorporate their services in our device architecture, giving consumers the best of the Internet world," said, Nokia Vice President, Multimedia, Ralph Eric Kunz.

"Collaborating with Nokia has allowed our development teams to create a compelling VoIP experience on the N80 Internet Edition and instantly enable millions of mobile consumers around the world to save money," said Michael Robertson, Chairman and CEO of SIPphone.

For users of PC-based Gizmo clients, the Nokia N80 integration provides a mobile option that cuts them loose from the PC and lets them talk to their Gizmo contacts for free—anywhere there's a Wi-Fi connection. But the problem is that this $500 smartphone is not sold in the US (yet!).

I know that all Nokia phones come bundled with their own VoIP application. There may be different incarnations of these apps, but this move tells me that their built-in VoIP apps are not as good as they'd like it to be.

The mobile VoIP space is an interesting one to watch right now.

Get complete coverage here...

Happy New Year 2007

2006 was a great year... eventful, exciting and fulfilling; both personally and professionally. I am thankful to my family and friends for supporting, loving and caring about me. I am blessed to have some really nice people in my life that fill each day with love and joy. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in 2007. I hope everyone has a great year.