Once upon a Time I needed this information...

Sonia Gandhi cites privacy, refuses to disclose info on I-T returns

2012-02-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

Most * Agreed* Comment

Largest democracy in which a white fake Gandhi named Sonia rules over
1 billion people after the country kicked out the foreign rule 60
years back.

• A lady who may have passed high school & have worked in restaurants
in London before marrying a Gandhi.

• A lady who cannot speak any of the languages of the modern colony
called India.

• A country which is ageless & as old as civilization itself & people
are generally considered intelligent?

• The foreign ruler practices a different religion than 90% of the
populace. • This lady cannot make a speech for 5 minutes in any
language without prepared notes from party slaves.

• This lady remained an Italian citizen for 18 years & then became an
Indian since her husband wanted to run for the PM’s job.

• This lady has looted the poor colony massive amounts of money &
still continues to loot with total impunity. She has enriched all her
relatives back in Italy with looted money & old antiques from India.

• She took billions from Quottrochi for the Bofors gun deal & this was
the first taste of blood for fake Gandhi which led to bigger mega
scams.

• She is a divide & rule queen & divided the country on religious
fault lines for votes & ruling power. She ordered a census of Military
to create a special Muslim regiment to help enemies of India. She has
made reservation in Colleges, schools, Govt jobs etc for Muslims &
Christians

• She made millions from middle man Quotrochi during the Bofors
scandal & that was like a tiger tasting the first blood. This was a
pre-cursor to numerous multi-billion $ scams & corruption at every
layer of Govt

• This lady could be a foreign spy & abuses government machinery with
total impunity. She twisted hands of CBI to allow Quottrochi to escape
to Italy after he was arrested in Argentina

• This lady orders around all the leaders of Congress including the
PM, DogVijay & other ministers some of whom are doctorates from
International Universities

• These ministers fight with each other to kiss this leaders feet or
any other part with absolutely no shame. Some even venerate her a
Hindu white Italian Durga

• This lady who is grooming her intellectually challenged son to take
over as the Monarch of this modern colony.

• This lady who has made corruption & mega scams standard of govt &
which is slowly eating the whole fabric of the country & its unity. •
This lady who is using CBI, CVC, PM, Election Commissioner, SC & HC
Judges, police etc as her coolies to do her bidding & staying in power
for life.

• She is the most powerful leader of Indian slaves & laughing with her
family as to how easy it is to rule over the bloody slaves of India.
We all should be ashamed & ask What has happened to us that we cannot
find any other leader from within our own country? We need another
liberation struggle till we throw her & her family out & bring real
independence for our country from foreign mafia rule. Kick this fake
Gandhi rule from India.

GOOGLE privacy settings

2012-02-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

I hope you all shall be benefited from the following information and shall pass this on to your friends

Daily Mail reports that deleting your browsing history before March 1 when Google's new privacy policy comes into effect will limit Google's ability to track and record your every move online. The process is simple. Follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Google homepage and sign into your account.

2. Click the drop-down menu next to your name in the upper-right hand corner of your screen.

3. Click accounts settings

4. Find the "Services section"

5. Under "Services" there is a sub-section that reads "View, enable, disable web history." Click the link next to it that reads: "Go to Web History." (Note: When you click "Go to Web History" you may be taken to a page which gives you the options "Turn Web History On"/"No Thanks": Click "Turn Web History On" and you will finally be taken to step 6 below)

6. Click on "Remove all Web History"

When you click on "Remove all Web History," a message appears that says " Web History is Paused." What this means is that while Google will continue gathering and storing information about your web history it will make all data anonymous, that is, Google will not associate your Web History information with your online accounts and will therefore be unable to send you customized search results.
Google's ability to gather personalized information about you by assigning data to your Gmail and YouTube accounts will remain "Paused" till you click "Resume."

Sonia: So secretive, still in public life!

2012-02-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

First it was her religion, then her relatives and then
her illness and now her income tax returns. Sonia Gandhi has consistently
refused to reveal details regarding these.

The latest first. According to a report in The Times of India, Sonia Gandhi
refused to provide the details of her income-tax returns of the past ten
years, demanded by V Gopalakrishnan, an RTI activist from Chennai. She
claimed that this information, submitted to the IT office was confidential
and disclosure of this would amount to “unwarranted invasion” of the
individual’s privacy. She even cited security reasons for not furnishing
the details.

She had earlier refused to reveal her religion, claiming it was a personal
matter and need not be made public. This, when the government routinely has
this column in all the forms. Even in nursery school admissions, one has to
mention the religion. Her educational qualifications (if any) too are
closely guarded secrets.

When Sonia Gandhi “fell ill” and went abroad allegedly for treatment
apparently on government expense, any information was denied to the public
on the ground that we must respect her “privacy.” The media played along in
such reverential obedience. If public money had been spent on her, it has
to be accounted for and the citizens of the country have a right to know
how much and why the money was spent; if the treatment she received abroad
was not available in India etc.

Some time ago, a RTI had been raised demanding to know the foreign
relatives who are staying with Sonia Gandhi in her official residence and
their periods of stay in India. The issue was suppressed, taking the plea
that it was a “private issue.”

Subramanyan Swami, who has constantly sought to bring to light the several
instances of abuse of power by Sonia Gandhi has been rebuffed time and
again by the courts and other agencies. On 23 February the CBI, before whom
Swamy’s plea for investigating Sonia Gandhi’s role in Bofors scandal was
pending, dismissed it saying that a closure report has been filed in the
case and it cannot be reopened. The CBI also gave a clean chit to her
saying “no connection whatsoever” was found between the case and Mrs Gandhi.

Not only she, but all her immediate relatives enjoy amnesty from law. The
police did not carry any investigation worth its name into the cases of
unnatural death of at least three family members of Sonia Gandhi’s
son-in-law Robert Vadhera. His brother, sister and father died untimely and
unexplained. The matter was hushed up with even our blood-hound media
maintaining silence.

All these things raise the valid question: Is Sonia Gandhi above the Indian
law? (FOC)

Monthly Gemini Horoscope

2012-02-27T19:09:00.001-08:00

An excellent month as most of the planets would be helpful. You will remain in control and find some very good gains during this period. You will be action oriented and remain focused on work and progressing your career. Growth would come from friend circle, business contacts and ability to find good deals.

Your own temperament could become volatile and unpredictable after the 13^th March 2012. Major decisions or moves should be carried out with caution after the 13^th March 2012.

Thinking, despite all the positive events could remain negative. Some warped thoughts could come up too, which although could bring in short term gains, could be detrimental to your reputation.

Career will be in a positive phase this month. Creative work will give good growth prospects and gains and progress because of that. Gains in career will be great and significant during this month.
You will see good growth on the back of your dynamic attitude and ability for unrelenting hard work. Further some excellent deals and opportunities could come about. You will have the talent to spot and cash in on the chances. Very good support from people in position of authority could be experienced.

You should avoid confrontation with co-workers. The temperament of subordinates could be unreliable and so don't depend solely on them.

Love life will be excellent till the 27^th March 2012. Socially it would be a great month. You will find your sex appeal and confidence in social matters high.
Relationships will be great too. You will have a wonderful time with your partner throughout. Very happy month.
Marriage will be very positive too. You will have a great time with spouse. Travel and great social get together possible, this month.

Money matters will be positive. You will get gains from various sources this month. Income will be higher than average this month. Your hard work and efforts will be in proportion to the gains. The more efforts you put in, higher the income and gains.
Investments will be very gainful too. You will gain from new investments as well as old ones.

Family life will be good throughout. Health will be good too this month.

/tmp problem when installing plugins in WordPress

2012-02-24T23:14:00.001-08:00

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 Warning: touch() [function.touch]: SAFE MODE Restriction in effect. The script whose uid is 12345 is not allowed to access /tmp owned by uid 0 in /var/www/XXX/web/wp-admin/includes/file.php on line 184

Download failed. Could not create Temporary file.

This is happening when the server is running with SAFE MODE because WordPress will not be able to access paths outside it's web root. Find out the full path to your web root on the server (a hint is in the error message you just saw). Create a temporary directory within your website path and add the following line.

Edit wp-config.php and add:

define('WP_TEMP_DIR', '/var/www/XXX/tmp');

(Replace /var/www/XXX/tmp with the full path to your temporary directory.)

And Now There’s A Kickstarter For Porn

2012-02-23T21:24:00.002-08:00

Well, Kickstarter, it looks like you’ve finally arrived. And I don’t just mean that you launched 27K projects, saw $99 million pledged, or attracted 30 million+ visitors last year— all of which equalled a sizable increase in activity on your compared to the year prior. No, I mean that your winning crowdfunding model has been adopted by the adult industry. Clearly. Indeed, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Groupon certainly saw its fair share of flatterers after its launch, but it didn’t inspire a response from porn, at least not in the early days. (Though there are those that are trying.)

Yes, according to Xbiz, “the adult entertainment industry’s leading source for business news and information,” a new startup introduced itself today, called Offbeatr, brought to you by the marketplace for adult digital products, Extra Lunch Money.

Offbeatr claims to be “the first crowdfunding resource specifically designed for the adult industry,” and all chuckling aside, it’s attempting to be a serious business. In Kickstarter mold, Offbeatr essentially wants to build a platform where adult content creators can go to raise money for their projects, whether that be movies, books, photo albums … I’ll leave off there.

Content creators get to keep the rights to their content and gain new fans in exchange for a dose of seed capital. While, on the flip side of the coin, Offbeatr offers everyday people a discovery platform for indie adult projects and gives them the opportunity to earn unique rewards in exchange for their support.

It really seems as if it were created by “Now That’s What I Call Startups,” as Offbeatr allows project creators to receive their own dedicated page to describe their project, how much they hope to raise, and what rewards they will offer in exchange for monetary pledges from adult content enthusiasts. Just like Kickstarter, if the project reaches its proposed goal by the deadline, supporters’ credit cards are charged, and if it doesn’t meet the goal, users go on their merry way without paying a dime.

I don’t know how Kickstarter’s lawyers will feel about this — it’s not as if they own the rights to crowdfunding — but Offbeatr’s model does seem a pretty aggressive copy-and-paste job. That being said, it seems that Extra Lunch Money’s CEO Ben Tao is aware of this fact, saying “I would love to say Offbeatr was a totally original idea, it’s not.”

Not only that, but, the liberal in entrepreneurial spirit might even detect a whiff of market opportunity: “While there are hundreds of crowd funding websites online, there are exactly zero which allow projects of an adult or sexual nature,” the CEO continued.

And certainly, for those whose interests or artistic muses fall outside of the mainstream, funding can be difficult to find. Offbeatr is just seizing a smart business opportunity and offering the supply to what has to be a fairly large demand among independent, amateur content creators.

After all, it’s not like there isn’t a precedent here — just ask the bevy of “Pinterest for porn” clones. It’s actually kind of an ambitious project, going up against the mountain of free porn out there on the Internet, and if it’s actually serious about providing a viable alternative to BitTorrent. Connecting content creators directly with fans is a powerful thing, something one-hundred-and-one sites that don’t deal in adult content know very well.

It’s also somewhat humorous to note that Offbeatr even provides a quote from Michael Masnik, the Editor of Techdirt on its site. (It’s not about adult content, however.)

These iOS vs. Android Flame Wars Have To Stop

2012-02-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

I just want to start this out by saying I love you guys. I really do. TechCrunch is lucky enough to have a really smart, well-informed readership which keeps us diligent in our reporting. You guys are also pretty hilarious, and who doesn’t enjoy a good ROFL now and then.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through the comments section here at TechCrunch, it’s that these Android vs. iOS fanboy flame wars need to stop.

How ridiculous, right? How absolutely petty and meaningless are the things we get fired up over?

That’s not to say that Android and iOS and their respective hardware counterparts aren’t important. I mean, it could be loosely argued that without the hardware and software (and apps and services) that we spend our lives writing about, the Arab Spring uprisings wouldn’t have been possible. The technology itself can surely make a difference in the world, and of course you should care about that.

But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the fact that we’re choosing sides (and defending them with zealous rage) in an entirely meaningless war.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We at TechCrunch love rivalry. We love Google vs. Microsoft, Apple vs. Samsung, Apple vs. Google, Arrington vs. Arianna, and all the other fun rivalries that spring from this, our field of technology. I honestly can’t even think what the world would look like without them. They are spokes in the ever-turning wheel of our capitalist society, and they’re entertaining as hell to watch play out.

When corporations of this size duke it out in ad campaigns or in the courtroom or on store shelves, well that’s what this industry is supposed to look like. And there are other rivalries that are even more fun. The People vs. Netflix price hike was great, as was The People vs. Verizon’s $2 “convenience fee.”

It is downright amazing to see a company do a 180-degree turn based on the collective voice of their customers. It’s a beautiful thing.

But what’s happening with iOS vs. Android is different. Instead of seeing an epic clash between two companies, or watching a customers-vs.-company saga unfold, we’re seeing customers in Group A join sides with Company A, while Group B joins sides with Company B. Apple and Google are supposed to hate each other, but just because we use their products doesn’t mean we need to hurl hateful, meatless comments at each other.

There’s a big difference between a competitive rivalry and a pointless one. Ours is pointless, and for one very good reason:

Fanbois, Apple doesn’t give a damn about you. Also, Fandroids, Google doesn’t give a damn about you either.

Both companies care about the “us,” but no one individual matters to this or that corporation. And here’s another truth bomb: if you don’t give any substantial reasons for why “Android is better” or “iPhone is better,” then no one else is going to make a decision based on your comment either.

So I find it a little bit odd (read: crazy) that we’ve drawn such aggressive lines against each other. If anything, Android makes iOS better and iOS makes Android better. Fierce competition and rivalry is what makes everything better, but we don’t seem to be visualizing the big picture.

Instead, we’re saying things like this to each other:

Of course, there are plenty of comments that intelligently and constructively argue the pros and cons of each platform. These comments are the reason that all the other (^) reasonless-ly nasty comments don’t make us cry into our keyboards. They also bring up new points for future articles, which is much appreciated.

When it comes down to it, though, I’m not your mom. Say what you want. I’d like to think that writing this would calm the storm and we could all start being productive human beings in a smart discussion about the value of each platform. But I doubt that will happen.

So all I really want to do is zoom out a little bit. Look at the big picture. People are dying of famine, disease, war; the world is rapidly changing; economies are crumbling and elections are underway. Things are happening that are really deserving of your passion, yet here we are throwing rocks at each other over which phone is better, when it doesn’t make a damn difference anyway.

It’s embarrassing and a waste of everyone’s time.

I’ll leave you with one of those intelligent and constructive comments I was talking about before:

Verizon Wireless Cancels Plans To Charge $2 “Convenience” Fee

2012-02-23T21:10:00.002-08:00

Well, that didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after word got out that Verizon Wireless planned to introduce a painfully ironic “convenience” fee of $2 for anyone paying their bill online, the carrier has just officially confirmed that such plans have been cancelled.

Why? Because the Internet more or less exploded in their face. We called it a joke immediately. An army of armchair protestors rallied almost instantly, with a petition against the fee hitting 50,000 signatures in a matter of hours. By this morning, the F.C.C was already investigating the fee.

What’d they expect? The masses went absolutely bonkers went Netflix hiked their fees up a few bucks, and that’s something people actually like to pay for. Charging them a convenience fee for paying online? Yeah, they’ll just love that.

Verizon’s official statement on the matter:

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

We’ll Handle Google And Apple, Mr. President; You Worry About SOPA, PCFIPA, ACTA, And Big Media

2012-02-23T21:05:00.002-08:00

Mr. President, I’m glad your administration has taken the time to craft what looks like a fairly forward-thinking and potentially globally influential policy towards consumer privacy on the internet. No doubt it will have to be snipped here and built up there and the fast pace of the technology world may make some of its provisions quaint after a few years, but overall it seems strong, and fair to both companies and their consumers.

But if you’ll forgive me for saying so, Mr. President, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Google, Apple, Comcast, tracking cookies, deep packet inspection — this is something we can handle with minimal assistance. Tech is a young, fast-moving field, and tends to regulate itself, perhaps because the Internet is the collective medium of billions, and tyrants don’t live long here. And to be honest, laws passed by the U.S. are considered more rough guidelines, to be transgressed at will by individuals or multinationals.

Where we do need your help, sir, is where we, the young, free Internet, have little presence and receive no consideration. The threat of bills like SOPA, PIPA, PCFIPA, and their equivalents elsewhere is real, but they are conceived and considered in that sea of ignorance and corruption that is, I am sorry to say, your current place of residence. We need your help in Washington.

I doubt you’re unaware of this, actually. Your administration has been friendly to technology and has embraced where it could have restricted and regulated. And you did, in fact, state your opposition to SOPA — though it must be said that this opposition appeared after months of criticism from practically every independent tech group in the world; our own statement of opposition, itself quite late, appeared in November. How much of the abandonment of that bill was due to real acknowledgement of the unprecedented Internet-based activism shown on January 18th, and how much was due to your administration’s opposition, announced simultaneously and rendering it politically expedient to jump ship, we will never know. But what we do know is that we could have used your support long before then.

And the result of all that effort is that SOPA is substantially back on the table, perhaps worse than ever, tied to a fail-proof bill ostensibly about combating child pornography. I don’t need to tell you how reprehensible this tactic is, or what these desperate means say about the legitimacy of the measures to be enacted.

The power of the Internet, Mr. President, which is to say the people’s power, is that of exposing something to the light — making something known. Sometimes this process amplifies something trivial, and sometimes it changes the world. But all we can do is put it out there, and in the case of legislation like this, that’s not nearly enough.

Your power, on the other hand, is to sign or veto laws in order to advance the public good. It is also to be a voice representing that public. That means expressing to a Congress full of clueless old men and awash with lobbyist money that the U.S. should be a bastion of liberty and transparency, not a test market for shoddy laws ghost-written by dinosauric industries. SOPA was nearly passed despite the vocal protests of millions upon millions and the expert testimony of the people who literally created the Internet, among others.

What you can do for us — and when I say us, Mr. President, I mean for the entire population of the free Internet, internationally, as the U.S. is a trendsetter in this way — is establish a standard for freedom on the Internet that is fundamental enough and rigorous enough to compel both private companies and public servants to acknowledge it. I realize you’re in no position to dictate policy, but it is very important for the White House to at least signal that it has the best interests of the citizens of the Internet in mind. We have no assurance right now that that is truly the case.

The requirement of companies to respect the privacy of their users becomes hollow and cynical when the same government establishing these “rights” is actively working to undermine them. The left hand giveth, and the right hand taketh away. This is not a healthy representative government in action.

You may be aware that it is an election year, Mr. President, and I humbly suggest that the safety and privacy of this country’s citizens on the Internet (and indeed that of billions worldwide who value it for a variety of reasons, from recreation to revolution) must be an issue on which you personally, and by extension the United States, take a principled stand. This may be difficult. But you have the mixed fortune of standing over one of the many fulcrums of history, and while this critical and global issue won’t be settled in the next year, or maybe even the next decade, we rely on you to at least take a few steps in the right direction.

What Are The 20 Most Expensive Keyword Categories In Google AdWords?

2012-02-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Google makes a heck of a lot of money from online advertising. In fact, 97 percent of Google’s revenue, which totaled $33.3 billion in the past twelve months, comes from advertising.

WordStream, a venture capital-backed provider of hosted software that automates most of the manual work involved with creating and optimizing both paid and natural search engine marketing campaigns, has done some research to discover which keyword categories fetch the highest costs per click (CPC) in Google’s AdWords solution.

And of course, they made an infographic based on the results of their research (embedded below).

WordStream compiled data from its own, vast keyword database and the Google Keyword Tool to determine the top 10,000 most expensive English-language keywords over a 90-day period.

Subsequently, the list was organized into categories by theme. The largest keyword categories were then determined by weighting the number of keywords within each category, as well as the estimated monthly search volume and average cost per click for each keyword.

For the record, Google AdWords is an auction-based marketplace where advertisers bid on keywords to compete for top ad placement, with a ~~minimum bid of 5 cents~~ per keyword (update: actually, there’s no longer a minimum bid for CPC campaigns).

The top twenty keyword categories that demanded the highest costs per click are:

1. Insurance (example keyword: “auto insurance price quotes”)
2. Loans (example keyword: “consolidate graduate student loans”)
3. Mortgage (example keyword: “refinanced second mortgages”)
4. Attorney (example keyword: “personal injury attorney”)
5. Credit (example keyword: “home equity line of credit”)
6. Lawyer
7. Donate
8. Degree
9. Hosting
10. Claim
11. Conference Call
12. Trading
13. Software
14. Recovery
15. Transfer
16. Gas/Electricity
17. Classes
18. Rehab
19. Treatment
20. Cord Blood

Unsurprisingly, the list of most expensive keyword categories is clearly a result from people who, en masse, turn to the Web in search for help, whether it’s for financial, educational, professional services or medical aid. WordStream concludes that the keyword categories with the highest volumes and costs represent industries with very high lifetime customer value: in other words, companies that can afford to pay a lot to acquire a new customer because of the nature of their business.

But I would have personally never imagined that ‘insurance’ would be netting Google up to almost $55 per click. Think about that for a minute.

How to Send Back Food at a Restaurant Without Pissing Off Your Waiter

2012-02-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

While the majority of the restaurant waitstaff you encounter will probably notspit or pee in your food if you send it back, it's a common joke or paranoid concern that enters the conversation the moment someone decides to send their plate back to the kitchen. We asked food-service professionals how they prefer customers like you and me handle this awkward situation. Here's what they said.

The Problem

When you order a meal and what you receive isn't what you expected, you can either suffer through it or send it back. Either way, the situation isn't ideal because eating something you don't really want is, well, bad, and sending it back can lead to an awkward confrontation. This often happens because 1) you're afraid of upsetting the server and paranoid about getting something extra when your meal returns (read: saliva, or worse) or 2) you come across as jerky and a little entitled, in which case you may truly be at risk of some sort of retaliation. In general, if there's a problem you do have the right to say something and, in many cases, should. The goal is to do so politely so nobody leaves the table with hurt feelings and that requires a specific solution.

The Solution

After watching my dad send back a hamburger for being undercooked and wondering how the waiter felt about how he made his request, I decided it was time to learn. Fortunately the food service citizens of the internet came to my aid to offer their two cents. Here's what I learned.

Who's At Fault Can Vary, So Don't Assume You Didn't Make the Error

Sydney notes that respect is key, but situations will vary and you should keep in mind that you may be the one who actually made the mistake:

Explain the problem and ask for a solution. If the mistake was your fault (not reading the menu or misreading the menu), apologize and ask for a new dish. If it's the waiter's or kitchen's fault, be nice. It helps to say something like, "I know this isn't your fault, but this is undercooked."
I've waited tables for a few years and most of the send-backs are because people can't read the menu. There were some legitimate complaints about bad food, but they were few and far between. I consider myself a pretty good waiter because I always double check the food before I take it out. If the kitchen messed up and used the wrong cheese or something else that is noticeable, I tell them to fix it before letting the customer know.
If the waiter can't or won't fix the problem, ask for a manager. Any restaurant that cares about its customers will try to make things right, including comping your food. But if you're being ridiculous or rude (or both) you might get nothing. It all depends on the type of restaurant. High end places will bend over backward for you, but smaller places like the bar/restaurant where I worked will tell you to get out if you're out of line.
Along with most things in life, showing respect for your fellow humans will get you what you want.

Just last night I ordered a couple of pizzas for some friends and expected to get a takeout special but was charged much more. It turned out I ordered the wrong kind of pizza because I'd forgotten the specifics of the deal. Having read Sydney's advice just an hour earlier, I made sure not to assume the man who took my order was wrong. I instead asked if the takeout deal had ended and he explained it was for a different kind of pizza. I apologized for my mistake and asked if I could switch. He had no problem changing my order even though I'd already paid. Everything worked out very well!

Be Specific About What You Want to Avoid Potential Mistakes

Scott notes that not all waitstaff is perfect, and when they forget to ask for clarification it leads to problems they'll have to deal with later:

As a former waiter but now just a lowly patron, some waitstaff makes it difficult on themselves when they don't care enough to pay attention or ask for clarification. If the kitchen messes up, that's one thing, but if the waitstaff does not take the necessary steps to make sure that everyone receives what they order, it makes it "tense" to have to say something. The waitstaff are on the front lines of the success of someone's business - including their own.

One way you can help everybody is to be very specific about what you want and ask any questions before the order is taken to the kitchen. If you communicate sufficiently, your chances of a problem will be far smaller.

Just Be Nice

The rest of advice I received all discussed the importance of respect, kindness, and understanding. Like Sydney said earlier, "with most things in life, showing respect for your fellow humans will get you what you want." While these tips should help reduce your chances of a running into a problem when sending your food back, if your intentions are good and you're a nice person you shouldn't have to worry too much at all.

Connect your Android device to SkyDrive with OneNote and other apps

2012-02-23T20:58:00.002-08:00

As we design SkyDrive to reach billions of people, we know it’s important that your files are automatically available across Windows devices, while being accessible on a broad range of devices.

With Windows Phone, your SkyDrive files are automatically available from the Office and Pictures hubs. SkyDrive will also work seamlessly with Windows 8. In addition, you can access files from other devices usingSkyDrive.com, SkyDrive for iPhone and via 3^rd party apps or devices using SkyDrive APIs.

In addition to storing files on SkyDrive, many people use OneNote together with SkyDrive to organize and access notes, web pages, audio clips and more. More people are using SkyDrive in this way as OneNote has become available on new platforms and devices, including the OneNote Web App, OneNote for Windows Phone and OneNote for iPhone & iPad.

Today, we’re excited that the Office team is making OneNote for Android available in 57 markets worldwide with easy access to your notes on SkyDrive. The app also offers key OneNote features like checklists, image capture, table editing and support for hyperlinks. Please note that not all Android devices are created equal. You currently need to have a device running Android 2.3 or higher and with access to Android Market to use OneNote for Android.

If you have an Android device, we also encourage you to try other apps from partners built using SkyDrive APIs. For example with Browser for SkyDrive or Cloud Explorer for SkyDrive, you can view, access and upload documents or photos on your Android phone. Portfolio for SkyDrive lets you organize and upload photos from your Android phone in batches to SkyDrive. If you want to add SkyDrive support to your app, site or device, please visit our developer center.

Portfolio for SkyDrive

Browser for SkyDrive

We hope you find these apps useful for accessing OneNote and SkyDrive on the go. For full details on OneNote for Android,

Save a Pile of Cash Every Year with These Five Phone Calls

2012-02-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Ramit Sethi is a New York Times best-selling author and creator of one of our favorite personal finance sites, I Will Teach You to Be Rich. This week, Ramit shows how making five calls once a year can save you some significant cash.

In one afternoon, you can save over $1,000 on your yearly bills by making five phone calls. Here's how.

Call companies you're already doing business with. Because you've been with them for a long time—in some cases, years—they don't want to lose you as a valuable customer. And since you're paying them every month, even a small savings can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your subscription.

In each call, you'll do these three things:

Negotiate fees and rates
Say "I'm a great customer and I'd hate to have to leave, but..."
"What can you do for me?"

When you call, use some of these well-tested approaches:

I recommend you break the ice by asking a routine question, like, "I just wanted to confirm you received my bill on time." Then, highlight how long you've been a customer: "Can you tell me, how long have I been a customer? Do your records show that?"

At this point, it's time to ask for a rate reduction. Use this phrase: "Times are tough." Also, if you've done your homework, you can say, "X company is offering a better deal. I'd hate to have to switch just over a few bucks. What can you do for me?" If they won't budge, ask to speak to supervisor, who may have the power to make changes.

Will this always work? Of course not. But remember, these are multi-million- and multi-billion-dollar companies, which anticipate a small number of customers negotiating their rates. And for a few minutes of work, you can save a significant stack of cash.

If you're a bit squeamish about negotiations and would prefer to stick to a script, I've shared the exact phrases to use in the video above.

For your convenience, here are the direct numbers to call.

1. Cell phone (very easy)

Verizon Wireless: 1-800-922-0204
ATT Wireless: 800-331-0500
Sprint: Dial *2
T-mobile: 800-T-MOBILE

2. Gym membership (difficult)

New York Sports Club: 877.258.2311
Equinox: 866.332.6549
Crunch: 888.2.CRUNCH
24 Hour Fitness: 800.224.0240

3. Cable (very easy)

Comcast: 800-266-2278
Time Warner: Contact Time Warner
Direct TV: 1-800-494-4388

4. Credit Cards (depends, more about credit card perks)
See phone number on back of your credit card

5. Car Insurance (depends, see the detailed guide to getting lower car insurance)

Geico: 800-861-8380
AAA: 866 539-8033
Allstate: 866 704 9900
Progressive: 800-776-4737
State Farm: 855-733-7333
Cigna: 800-244-6224
United Health: 800-328-5979

To get a list of other ready-to-use email scripts to negotiate even more savings, I've put together these word-for-word scripts.

The war on graymail after 90 days: Over 100 million sweeps, cleanups and newsletters filtered

2012-02-23T20:47:00.002-08:00

Hotmail introduced advanced features for fighting the war on graymail this past fall, and since then, customers have conquered graymail over 100 million times using features like Sweep and Schedule Cleanup. In this post, I’ll talk about how Hotmail customers are taking control of their email with Sweep, Schedule Cleanup, and Hotmail’s newsletter filter, and we’ll show you how these tools can help you conquer graymail in your own inbox in just 60 seconds.

The best tools for fighting graymail

Graymail—messages like newsletters, daily deals, and notifications—is filling up inboxes all over the world. Newsletters alone typically make up more than 50% of a person’s email. Managing all that graymail takes time and can be a hassle. Hotmail continues to add innovative features to let you take control of graymail and take back your inbox.

Hotmail’s newsletter category automatically identifies most newsletters and lets you see them all in one place with a single click. One-click unsubscribe lets you get rid of unwanted newsletters instantly.

Schedule Cleanup is a powerful new feature that lets you automatically manage bulk mail. With Schedule Cleanup, you can:

Keep only the latest message from a given sender (by far the most popular choice when using Schedule Cleanup).
Delete messages as they get old (3 days, 10 days, 30 days, or 60 days).
Move messages to a folder as they get old.

Schedule Cleanup not only takes care of the mail you’ve already received, but keeps working for you as you receive new mail. It’s one of the most efficient ways to keep your inbox tidy.

Sweep lets you move or delete unwanted graymail quickly and easily, and can even automatically set up rules for managing new mail as it arrives.

Categories let you organize your mail the way you want. Hotmail automatically categorizes things like newsletters, social updates, photos, Office docs and shipping updates. Now, you can create your own categories and have each one show up as a QuickView.

And of course, these features work well together. Categories can be used together with Schedule Cleanup, making those tools even more powerful. For instance, you can use Schedule Cleanup to delete all newsletters as they get old, just by using Schedule Cleanup on the newsletter category.

100 million actions and counting

It’s been just two months since we finished the deployment of our most recent major release, and we’ve already seen millions of people use these tools to quickly take control of their own inbox. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers.

Since November, 2011, customers have performed over 100 million actions to conquer graymail: Sweeping, categorizing, and using Schedule Cleanup.

You’re using Sweep to get unwanted email out of your inbox: 90% of Sweep actions are “Delete all from this sender.”
You’re letting Sweep set up rules automatically: When you use Sweep to move mail from a given sender into a folder, you let Sweep automatically set up a rule 60% of the time. That means Sweep keeps working for you as you get new email, even when you are away from your inbox.
You’re using Schedule Cleanup to keep only the most recent newsletter or deal: 65% of Schedule Cleanup actions are “Only keep the latest message from this sender.”

And what’s more, we’re seeing an increasing use of these powerful tools. Each month, more people use Sweep and Schedule Cleanup to get rid of their graymail. In fact, we’ve seen a double-digit increase in the use of these features month-over-month since our October release.

Take back your inbox in 60 seconds

The best news is that these tools are quick and easy to use. In this video, we’ll show you how you can take back your own inbox in just 60 seconds.

More and more people are using Hotmail’s innovative tools to fight their own war on graymail, and we hope you’ll give these tools a try yourself. We’d love to hear about your own experience using Sweep, Schedule Cleanup, categories, and the rest.

As always, thanks for using Hotmail.

SkyDrive gets simple app-centric sharing for Office, powerful file management, HTML5 upload, other updates

2012-02-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Last week, we shared our approach to designing a personal cloud storage service for billions of people. Today, we’re excited to release an upgrade to SkyDrive.com to address key feedback. You should expect to see the new SkyDrive release in the next few hours. Follow SkyDrive on Twitter so that you can be one of the firstpeople to know when it’s live.

Here’s a video that quickly walks you through the changes to the service.

We have a long list of improvements that we set out to make to SkyDrive. While not all of the feedback we’ve received is addressed, we feel that this release is a big step forward—especially for the growing number of customers using SkyDrive to share and access Office documents.

Simple app-centric sharing, particularly for Office docs

As we look to the future, we know people increasingly think and work in a way that is “app-centric,” that is, they want something that just works from whatever application they are already using. So for example, when collaborating on a Word document, they want be able to share it in as few steps as possible – ideally without having to leave Word in order to set permissions or move it around to different folders. And they definitely don’t want to have to think about their folder structure or which email service their friends happen to use.

In the past, SkyDrive has made this difficult. We built the experience around discrete folders that were either private (“Documents”) or shared (“Class documents”). So how you wanted to share also dictated the way you organized your data. Also, sharing on SkyDrive was designed to work best when you shared files with people in your Windows Live network. Meanwhile, the most common scenario—sharing or collaborating with friends or colleagues across email services or other networks—was often a complex and unreliable process.

As a result, we rebuilt fundamental pieces of SkyDrive to simplify sharing and make it more app-centric, particularly for Office. For example, let’s say you’re working in Word Web App on a document in one of your private folders. Now you can Share from within the app and complete your task, without having to think about the structure of folders or subfolders. This is possible since SkyDrive now lets you share or permission individual files within a folder. This works for Office documents, photos, or any other type of file.

But we didn’t stop there. We also redesigned the sharing process – to make it much easier to share with people across email services and networks.

When you click Share in the SkyDrive info pane or from the File menu, you can now do a few things:

Share via email. Enter any name from your address book, including contacts from LinkedIn, Facebook and Gmail. (If you want to import the email addresses of your Facebook contacts, first connect Facebook to Windows Live and then go to http://profile.live.com/connect and click the Facebook logo.) Since SkyDrive now uses your email address to send a sharing invitation, it reaches your friend’s inbox, not their spam folder. And when you select “Recipients can edit,” you can now collaborate with anyone, even if you don’t know their Live ID in advance.
Post to your networks. SkyDrive connects to many different networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, so that you can upload your photos and documents once and share with friends across networks.
Get a link. For many people, the easiest way to share is to grab a URL and send it to yourself, or paste it into another browser. Now, you can choose a View only link when you’re sharing something private, a View and Edit link when you want to allow the recipient to edit an item, and a Public link when you want to share something with anybody who can access the Internet.

The sharing experience is one that only happens when you choose to share something. Everything on SkyDrive that you upload is private until you tell us otherwise.

Powerful file management

As soon as we released the SkyDrive updates in June, we received a ton of feedback that you like the fast performance of the service, but doing many actions was slow and cumbersome.

In this release, a number of file management tasks are now “instant”. Now you can:

Surprise! Microsoft's Dropbox And Google Apps Competitor No Longer Sucks

2012-02-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

This morning, Microsoft unveiled a bunch of changes to SkyDrive, its free service for storing, sharing, and editing files online.

Although we haven't spent a ton of time with it yet, and only tested it on Microsoft products (Internet Explorer on Windows 7) something surprising happened.

For the first time in its three and a half years of existence, the service does not suck.

They've solved a lot of the problems that drove us crazy in the last update, and made sharing files a lot easier.

Some of the best fixes we noticed:

Dragging and dropping files from the desktop to SkyDrive works. You still have to select the "Add Files" item from the top of the SkyDrive menu first (so it's not like working on your desktop) but at least the error messages are gone.

You can manage files and folders without ripping your hair out. You can do simple things like create, rename, and delete all files folders with right click menu options (finally!). Again, it doesn't work quite the same way as the desktop -- to move an item, for instance, you have to select "move" then choose the items from a pop-up menu of your folder -- but at least it works.

Sharing is easier from within Office Web Apps. The Office Web Apps are special limited-function versions of Office that work entirely within your Web browser. The "Share" link now lets you share documents in one of three ways -- you can send an email message with a link of the file in it, get a universal URL to copy and paste wherever you want, or share the file directly onto Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace.

You can browse while uploading files. Basic, but nice. Before you were locked until the file upload was complete.

There are other improvements as well -- read about them here, or visit skydrive.com (you'll need a Hotmail or Windows Live email to sign up).

It's not perfect -- drag and drop within SkyDrive would be nice, and Office files are opened by default to view-only mode (you have to select a separate command to open them for editing; you can also open them on your desktop in the appropriate Office rogram).

And overall, Microsoft's online strategy is still confusing -- for instance, SkyDrive doesn't really have any ties to Office 365, Microsoft's online services for businesses, even though they both use variations of the same Office Web Apps.

But at least the company seems to be taking its online competitors more seriously and not just paying lip service to the cloud.

If Google Delivers a Cloud Storage Service, Here's the Real Motive

2012-02-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

As we reported last week, although Google has yet to confirm the rumors, the company is said by many sources to be on the verge of introducing a cloud storage service. The service would compete with Dropbox, which many users love, and our readers weighed in with other cloud storage services that they are fond of, including Tonido and Pogoplug. In the meantime, there are a lot of reports appearing that say that there is no need for another free cloud storage service and that Google should be looking elsewhere for ways to make a difference. What's missing from these analyses, though, is that Google's own cloud storage service would not just complement Chrome OS and Android, but would fill huge gaps in for these platforms.

InfoWorld claims that a cloud storage service (reportedly dubbed Gdrive) from Google won't set the cloud on fire:

"Gdrive enters an established market as a me-too offering, competing against respected providers with cheap and even free versions...The cloud storage providers have not seen a dramatic growth at the retail level, nor have they seen the bidding wars break out, such as an Apple taking a run at a Dropbox. Google is hoping that this current lack of market excitement means potential for a big payoff later on cloud usage becomes more and more common, especially across diverse devices -- and thus believes it has time to establish itself as a major provider."

No, if Google does deliver a cloud storage service, "a payoff" won't be what it is after. Yes, Dropbox became a hot startup with cloud storage, but to say that Dropbox and Google play on different financial fields would be the understatment of the century. Google is not after a small startup-like miniature success in the cloud storage business.

Google is in the operating system--for good. Its biggest acquisition ever--Motorola Mobility--puts it squarely in the handset business pushing Android, even as Android is poised to gallop well beyond Apple's iOS in terms of market share. Meanwhile, as we've reported before, with Chrome OS, Google bet heavily on the idea that consumers and business users would have no problem storing data and using applications in the cloud, without working on the locally stored data/applications model that most people are used to. Here at OStatic, we always questioned the aggressively cloud-centric stance that Chrome OS is designed to take.

Google could create useful synergies between a new cloud-based storage service and Chrome OS, and there might even be room to give people storage incentives in the cloud if they choose Chrome OS. That kind of incentive might entice some businesses to adopt Chromebooks and Google's operating system. Storage is so cheap now that Google could pay pennies to offer enterprises free bundled cloud storage services as long as those enterprises use its operating systems, which, in turn, feed more users into the company's lucrative search/ad ecosystem.

If Google does deliver a cloud storage service, it will be a kind of patch for Chrome OS and its lack of local storage-centric services. It will also be a complement to Android, giving users and businesses useful storage and sync options.

And, a cloud storage service wouldn't just be a consumer-focused move. It would be a powerful thing to pitch to businesses that Google wants to adopt its operating systems. Google is not just after a few bucks that Dropbox has left on the ground.

Is It Okay for Android to Be "Almost" Open Source?

2012-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

This week marked the arrival of the "Ice Cream Sandwich" latest version of the Android mobile operating system on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone, which looks great and is getting great reviews. However, the arrival of the latest version of Android on the phone without a full release of the open source code is raising alarm bells. These alarm bells are familiar ones, of course, as we've covered many times. Google already responded to criticisms related to it releasing the Honeycomb version of Android to select tablet device makers before releasing the open code. Now, some are crying foul about the selective moves that Google seems to be making with Ice Cream Sandwich.

Android Software Engineer Jean-Baptiste Querue has a post up where he supplies links for "the GPL parts [of Ice Cream Sandwich] that are in the SDK (along with a few associated files), and they're not enough to build the whole IceCreamSandwich for a device." In response to his post, one user wrote:

"Is this a just for now thing, and the rest of it will be opened, or
will it be like Honeycomb where the parts that aren't GPL won't be
released?"

And Queru responded: "At the moment I don't have anything to say on that subject."

Hmm, back in January, in the post "Does Android Have a Forked Future?" we wondered whether Android was going to be released in future versions in fully open source fashion, and now that Google is entering the smartphone business via its Motorola Mobility acquisition, there are even more reasons to wonder about the issue. It seems that if Google is committed to a fully open strategy, its communications about new Android versions should be open and forthcoming as well.

In announcing the Motorola Mobility acquisition, Google officials made assurances that they are committed to an open Android mission. Let's hope Google sticks to that, because a primarily open strategy was what made Android achieve so much success so quickly.

When Your Open Source Code No Longer Belongs to You

2012-02-23T20:25:00.002-08:00

Most people who contribute to open source projects have a basic knowledge of how most prominent open source licenses work, but it's still true that many contributors don't know who actually owns what. As just one example of how this confusion can come back to bite a contributor, corporations are increasingly providing code for open source projects, and it's easy for a contributor who works for a company to wrongly consider the code he produces his own. This came to light recently in the case of one individual contributor.

Just consider the plight described in this post:

"I was terminated from a company that I worked day and night for for about 5 years. During the last 2 years of that time, I created a simple web framework and contributed it to open source. We had always used open source, so it was high time we became a contributor! Recently I found out that they have removed all of the licenses from the files (GPL and MIT), gave it a silly name, and have the intention of marketing it as a product. What should I do?"

Unfortunately, the way to answer this question is to follow the money. Most companies have coders sign intellectual property-focused and Fair Use-focused agreements that make clear that code produced while working for (and being paid by) the company belongs to the company. If the coder was being paid a salary while contributing to an open source project, the company almost always has the right to claim ownership of the code.

That's not to say that these issues can't get sticky, though. Canonical-backed Project Harmony is the latest effort to streamline every aspect of how open source contributions work, including providing answers to questions like the one above. Project Harmony has received some early criticism from Red Hat and others, but is squarely focused on the gray area surrounding open source contributor agreements.

You can check out the Project Harmony guidelines here, which help answer some of the questions that open source contributors have.

The top five media scandals of 2010

2012-02-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

The media had its fair share of scandals in 2010. From plagiarism to phone hacking to sex-crazed publishing executives, here are our five favorites:

1. Tribune tales: The award for bombshell media expose of the year goes to The New York Times' David Carr, who wrote "Tales of a Bankrupt Culture," an explosive Oct. 5 pieceexposing the fratty, sexist and profanity-filled behavior of top executives at the financially bankrupt Tribune Co., which owns The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and a handful of other newspapers and TV and radio properties. One example: "After [Tribune CEO Randy] Michaels arrived, according to two people at the bar that night, he sat down and said, 'watch this,' and offered the waitress $100 to show him her breasts. The group sat dumbfounded." And that was only the third paragraph of the more than 4,000 word piece, which eventually led to the resignations of Michaels and chief innovations office Lee Abrams, a former shock jock.

2. Smear campaign?: One of the biggest media stories of the year, without a doubt, has been WikiLeaks' series of classified document dumps. But far more salacious are the headlines swirling around the personal life of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is under investigation on charges of rape and sexual misconduct in Sweden. Assange maintains the accusations are part of a smear campaign to discredit his work with WikiLeaks. Nevertheless, Assange's anger boils over each time the charges are reported on, which has strained his relationships with the very news organizations he coordinated the leaks with in the first place. Most recently, Assange slammed The Guardian for publishing new and damaging details about the rape allegations from a 68-page Swedish police report.

3. Phone hackers of the world: In September, the New York Times Magazine ran a cover story investigating phone hacking charges at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. The original incidents, in which the U.K. paper paid a private investigator to tap into the voicemails of prominent Britons, all the way up to the Royal Family, dated back to 2006. But the Times piece revealed that the phone hacking was far more widespread than initially believed, thus giving the story a second set of legs and prompting new investigations into the sensational tabloid.

4. Exchanging Vows: They thought it would be a run-of-the-mill New York Times wedding announcement. But it may very well go down as one of the most lambasted Sunday Styles features in the paper's history. Like all of the newlyweds privileged enough to have their marriages described in the Grey Lady's Vows column, former TV reporter Carol Anne Riddell and advertising executive John Partilla wanted to the story of their union with the world. The only problem was, their union had required both of them to break up their previous marriages (each of which had also been featured in Vows), to the devastation of their former spouses and, presumably, their children. Needless to say,Riddell and Partilla's December Vows cameo didn't go over so well, as thousands of online commenters and a handful of prominent bloggers all vented their outrage. For his part, Ridell's ex-husband, Bob Ennis, himself a New York media figure, was none too pleased with the piece. "No, I wasn't contacted or interviewed or given any opportunity to opine on any of it, including having my seven-year-old daughter's picture in the paper," he told Forbes. "People lie and cheat and steal all the time. That's a fact of life. But rarely does a national news organization give them an unverified megaphone to whitewash it."

5. Caught red handed: In the early days of February, it came to light that The Daily Beast's investigative reporter, Gerald Posner, had lifted five unattributed sentences from the Miami Herald in a piece about a Florida murder mystery. Posner claimed he had copied the material inadvertently, chalking up his editorial indiscretion to the lightning-fast pace of web reporting (which, to be sure, the magazine-ish Daily Beast isn't exactly known for). It would have been easier to believe him had Slate's Jack Shafer, who caught the initial blunder, not uncovered several more instances of Posner-plagiarism involving other publications. As a result, Posner resigned from The Daily Beast on Feb. 11, and the whole thing spiraled from there, as more and more journalists came forward claiming Posner had ripped off their copy. At least one of them ended up suing him.

Which is faster: MySQL or MongoDB? Does it depend on the use case?

2012-02-23T20:03:00.002-08:00

So the question should have been more like 'When is MongoDB a better data retrieval solution than mysql?'

I'm going to try to do justice to the comments, adding a little flavor here or there.

Sui generis
Of course its difficult to say without benchmarking your app both ways. That's not entirely helpful as the number of data stores is swelling and you don't want to prototype and load test all of them.

To me, the Mysql vs MongoDB benchmarks are revealing as they show that with beefy hardware, a NoSQL engine does not have to be faster than a well indexed Mysql Table, which might seem the case. Its likely that in less optimal hardware the mongodb's performance drops off more slowly than mysql - the sql front end must have some overhead.

So, what can be said? the Answers left me with three take home issues for data store choice:

What Data Structure do I really want?
MongoDB's object oriented data storage makes it much more flexible when the documents stored are not uniform - often the case in web apps. MongoDBs various APIs can take in JSON directly. If you have designed your sql schema for fast data retrieval, you are avoiding large numbers of documents (high millions) or are partitioning the tables and avoiding joins to tables with any large size. NoSQL data structures encourage you to do this naturally, having no real provisions for joins.

How much is this going to cost?
If your app is already built over an SQL operation or that is where your engineering expertise is much stronger in SQL it sounds like engineering can deliver strong scaling performance can be had from mysql or oracle.

As far as scaling MongoDB there is a lot of engineering you don't have to do to scale. It shards and scales effectively using built in features without the extensive setup required for clustering RDBMS systems.

There is no free lunch
There's no magic in NoSQL;- The indexes should always be smaller than your RAM - this is true for NoSQL and SQL. I think scaling some applications with large numbers of commits might be difficult with SQL apps unless you have careful partitioning designed in. On the other if you have good throughput reads while doing commits, not all the users will see the updated data at the same time.

A lot of well known scaling issues are built into the newer data stores, but experience and careful design are still important to get anything to performance scale well.

Mongo vs SQL

2012-02-23T20:00:00.002-08:00

As someone with a background in SQL Server development dating back to 2000, the whole NoSQL jazz has been something that's been on the radar for a while but never made it under the microscope so to speak. Partly because SQL Server is my comfort zone and there's plenty more to still learn about that; partly because I've had my career mapped out in my head and NoSQL didn't feature much in that vision; partly because until you have something real-world driving a push into a technology then you tend to have that technology remaining as a distant dot on the radar.

Back at QCon London last year, I had the opportunity to hear a bit more about the NoSQL world from some great speakers - I think the CAP theorem cropped up in most sessions I attended. The dot on the radar moved a bit closer.

Back To The Future
Fast forward a bit and the real-world driver to take a look into NoSQL technologies appeared. So for a few months, I've spent some time doing research - seeing what the different options out there are, what they offer, what they don't, what compromises you have to make etc etc. Cassandra, CouchDB, MongoDB,HBase, RavenDB...to name just a few. Now I'm not going to go into a comparison of each of those - that in itself would be a whole blog post. If you ask me which is the "best"...I'll say "It Depends". What I do know, is which one feels like a good fit for my environment.

Cinderella's Glass Slipper
MongoDB appeared as a real potential candidate pretty early on and after a bit more of a deep dive investigation into it, it became more and more obvious that it was just the right fit for certain use cases compared to the other technologies. This is not me saying "MongoDB is better than Cassandra" or "I see your RavenDB, and I raise you a MongoDB". Just that in my current scenario MongoDB feels like the best fit.

NoSQL with a capital NOT ONLY
The whole "NoSQL" term has been done to death. Yes, it's not the best term. Happily, from my experience, the majority of what I've seen has been around the principle of "Not Only SQL". And this is very much where I sit. It does not replace SQL Server; it adds value for a number of use cases and for a number of reasons. Choosing the right tool for the right job.

The point of this post is really to just summarise some of the likes and dislikes I have, as someone with a heavy background in SQL Server development. What I think is pretty cool and what is not so cool.

Thumbs up
In no particular order...

Cost
It's free, open source. Can haz more scale? Just add hardware. Licensing costs need not apply (can run on Linux).
Schema-less
If you need to support a flexible schema, MongoDB's document storage is a big plus. It doesn't mean you don't need to think about schema at all, it just means you can very easily model data of this nature and cope with changes without headaches.
Quick start & fast learning
Getting started with MongoDB was quick and easy. There was no entry barrier. I can't fault how quick and easy it was to get up and running with the basics. Hacking around to pick up the more advanced stuff was also a pretty painless exercise too. Within a relatively short period of time, I started to be able to provide answers to questions on StackOverflow. Using the C# driver has been a largely very positive and intuitive experience.
Replica sets
Configuring is simple, making scaling reads and failover pretty effortless. Want more redundancy or scaling of reads? Fire up another machine, add to the set and away you go. You do need to be careful to give thought to the oplog though.
Auto Sharding
Again, configuring is simple. You do need to give very careful consideration to this up front when deciding on what keys you want to shard on. Once you've done that, sharding "just does it's stuff".
Community
It has a good community behind it and that IMHO is very important. I don't like sitting in a cupboard on my own with the lights off. I like being a part of a bigger community - to learn from, work through issues with and to contribute back to.
Rapidly evolving
MongoDB is rapidly changing and it's good to see bugs are being tracked and fixed in good time. There is also a fast flowing feature enhancement pipeline too, so you typically don't have to wait for a long time to get something.
Choose your consistency
You can choose to have data replicated to a configurable number of replicas before returning if you wish to have stronger level of consistency. Depends on what value you put on certain bits of data, but the choice is yours. So you can trade off performance for consistency.

Thumbs down

Rapidly evolving
OK, so I listed this as a "thumbs up" but it can also be a negative. You'll often find older (but not "old") blog posts/answers/articles on a given matter that are no longer true as things have changed since then. So it can be frustrating trying to find the current, correct information as things are changing quickly.
Information / Documentation
The level of information on MongoDB pales in comparison to what there is for SQL Server. Obvious point maybe - but when you're used to MSDN, all the bloggers, activity on StackOverflow/AskSSC etc and #sqlhelp it can be quite a fall back down to Earth.
Map/Reduce performance
Doesn't seem to be great. There are other options if you need greater performance, such asHadoop, but that adds complexity and another technology into the mix.
Tooling
Not the wealth of tooling as there is for SQL Server. Hopefully this will change over time.

I'm sure I've missed some points, but think I've covered the main points. My brain is eventually consistent so of course will update if I remember any more of note :)

Summary
Of course, using NoSQL technology like MongoDB involves some trade-offs and different mindset vs a traditional RDBMS. The important thing for me, is that it gives another option and is another feather in my CAP (theorem, *badoomtish*). I don't see it as a replacement as it is definitely not; it's just another tool that can be used to achieve an end goal. I'm looking forward to having the two side-by-side in harmony.

Hopefully, this gives a bit of insight into MongoDB from the point of view of someone coming from a SQL Server background.

Crackdown on Baba Ramdev followers ‘tyrannical’, says SC

2012-02-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Centre and the Delhi Police for the June 5, 2011, midnight crackdown on the followers of yoga guru Baba Ramdev at the Ramlila Grounds during his agitation against corruption, black money and other issues.

The apex court, however, also blamed Ramdev for the incident, which had caused sufferings to the people and even the death of a follower, Rajbala, due to severe spinal injuries. The court said he ought not to have insisted on continuing the agitation.

The court, which described the violent crackdown on Ramdev’s supporters as a “tyrannical approach,” directed registration of an FIR and filing of charge sheets within three months against Delhi Police personnel and Ramdev’s supporters who indulged in brick-batting, leading to damage to public property and injuries on both sides.

Claiming that the Supreme Court verdict signified his victory, Ramdev said it was not right to say that he was also responsible for the incident. “It is not correct that I was equally responsible. The Delhi Police edited the CCTV footage which was shown to the court. Let me read the entire verdict then I will react to what the court has said about holding me partly responsible for the incident. Is holding protest a crime?” Ramdev asked.

Deriving some satisfaction that Ramdev too was held responsible, Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta said: “The Supreme Court believes that it was a ‘contributory negligence’ on the part of leaders of Bharat Swabhiman Trust who could have helped in dispersing public after imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC.” He added that the situation could have been averted “had the Bharat Swabhiman Trust leaders requested Ramdev’s supporters to comply with the Delhi Police orders.”

In the stern ruling, Justice Swatanter Kumar said: “The action demonstrated the might of the state and was an assault on the very basic democratic values enshrined in our Constitution.”

The Bench, also comprising Justice B S Chauhan, delivered two separate concurring verdicts in the matter which was initiated suo motu by the court after taking cognizance of media reports following the incident on the intervening night of June 4 and 5, 2011.

“I am bewildered to find out as to how such declaration of the intention to impose the prohibition was affected on a sleeping crowd. There may be a reason available to impose prohibitory orders calling upon an assembly to disperse, but to me, there does not appear to be any plausible reason for the police to resort to blows on a sleeping crowd and to throw them out of their encampments abruptly,” Justice Chauhan said.

The Delhi Police’s action on the sleeping followers of Ramdev was described as a human rights violation by the apex court. “Sleep is, therefore, a fundamental and basic requirement without which the existence of life itself would be in peril.

To disturb sleep, therefore, would amount to torture which is now a violation of human right,” the court added.

After the crackdown, the yoga guru had accused Union Home Minister P Chidambaram of issuing instructions to the Delhi Police to launch a midnight crackdown on his supporters at the Ramlila Grounds.

“Upon taking into consideration the cumulative effect of the affidavits filed on record and other documentary evidence, I am unable to dispel the argument that the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India reflected its shadow on the decision making process and decision of the police authorities,” the court said.

The bench directed compensation of Rs 5 lakh to deceased Rajbala’s family members, Rs 50,000 to those who suffered grievous injuries and Rs 25,000 to those who received minor injuries. It also asked Ramdev’s trust to provide 25 per cent of the compensation due to contributory negligence.

Terming the present case as “a glaring example of trust deficit between the people governing and the people to be governed,” the court said that care must be taken while taking decision to proclaim prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The manner in which the said order came to be implemented, raised a deep concern about the tyrannical approach of the administration,” Justice Chauhan said in his separate decision.

“The incident in this litigation is an example of a weird expression of the desire of a tyrannical mind to threaten peaceful life suddenly for no justification. This, coupled with what is understood of sleep hereinbefore, makes it clear that the precipitate action was nothing but a clear violation of human rights and a definite violation of procedure for achieving the end of dispersing a crowd. This is what troubles me in the background that a prohibitory order was sought to be enforced on a sleeping crowd and not a violent one,” the court said.

Implant Packing

2012-02-21T20:39:00.002-08:00

PALTOP® implants are packaged in our ISO Class 7 Clean Room. The implants are supplied in a sealed vial (tube), whereby, in order to prevent any contamination on the implant’s surface, the implant is inserted into the vial and does not touch any other material other than titanium.

The implant’s packaging is very comfortable for the end user. The implant can be easily pulled out of the titanium sleeve in which it is positioned.

The cover screw is positioned inside the lid that seals the tube for the user’s convenience and according to dentists’ standard procedures. Finally, the implant is mountless inside its packaging and is pulled out using a key or ratchet adaptor or motor.

STICKER

Sticker Description

1. Use by date

2. Catalog number

3. Batch code
4. Caution, consult accompanying documents
5. Do not re-use
6. Sterilized using gamma radiation
7. CE mark
8. Implant description
9. Do not re-sterilize
10. By Prescription Only
11. Do not use if package is damaged

COLOR INDICATION

The package is designed with a number of indications that ensure fast and reliable product identification:

1. Lid color indication – four colors represent different diameters: red, blue, green, and gold.

2. The label on the tube’s lid indicates the implant’s diameter and length.

3. A product characterization label is positioned outside the implant’s outer tube.

Xerox WC PE 220 Printer

2012-02-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Description

Quick Facts - WorkCentre PE220

Copy, print, scan, fax
up to 20 pages per minute print and copy speed
First-page-out time as fast as 11 seconds
Maximum paper size is legal (8.5 x 14 inches)
150-sheet input paper tray
Scan at up to 4800 dpi enhanced
Scan and send faxes in color
30-sheet Automatic Document Feeder
Supports PC and Mac platforms
Compact footprint: 17.2 x 14.7 x 14.5 inches

Competitive Edge - WorkCentre PE220
Faster copy and print speeds than the HP 3030mfp Comes standard with valuable ScanSoft optical character recognition and image editing software that HP can't match Higher toner cartridge yield than the competition for fewer interventions and low cost per page Easy-to-replace Xerox SmartKit means there is only one consumable to change rather than two on some competitors Includes many convenient copy features such as ID card copy, multi-up, collation, autofit, clone, and poster mode
Features that Reduce Costs - WorkCentre PE220
Consolidate multiple personal copying, printing, scanning and/or faxing devices into one compact solution 2-up and 4-up copying feature automatically consolidates multiple pages onto one sheet of paper, thus decreasing the amount of paper and toner used High-capacity toner decreases cost per print and increases uptime Energy Star compliant keeps power consumption to a minimum High-speed fax at 33 Kbps reduces call duration so you save on your phone bills Total Satisfaction Guarantee ensures you made the right decision
Features that Save Time - WorkCentre PE220
30-sheet Automatic Document Feeder for copying, faxing or scanning at the touch of a button Easy to install with a USB or IEEE 1284 connector (USB cable included) ID Card Copy allows copying of both sides of an ID or small document onto one sheet of paper saving paper and time 20 ppm engine speed and fast first-page-out timemeans you get high quality documents in a snap Optical Character Recognition and Image Editing Software are included to convert scanned images into editable text documents ANY REVIEW FOR THE DEVICE AS SHOWN ABOVE?