Of Legacies and Sequels-A Tron Story

In 1982 a movie starring Jeff Bridges as a brilliant computer programmer sucked into the computer world, wowed movie going audiences with its (then considered) "cutting edge" computer graphics and cyberpunk imagery. The movie was TRON, which went on to become a cult classic.

Fast forward 28 years to 2010 when the LONG anticipated sequel to the cult classic is to be released. The movie, aptly titled TRON:Legacy takes the cyber universe from the first movie to a whole visually updated new 3-D experience.

The movie is of course yet to release. But the buzz for it began almost a year ago with a teaser trailer (a rather long one at that!) showcased at the Comic Con 2009.



To those who had no clue about the original movie, this trailer was only eye candy and simply looked "AWESOME". But fans and viewers of the original movie were instantly hooked since they saw the protagonist from the previous movie, Kevin Flynn and his coded program, Clu (Both played by the talented Jeff Bridges) in the clip. Fans realised that the sequel had some connection with the original and wasn't some lame attempt to reboot or simply cash in on the "TRON" banner. Their interest was definitely piqued.

The viral marketing continued in various media and Disney (the studio that has produced both TRON movies) was leaving no stone unturned to ensure brand recall for their cyber flick. Even their latest acquisition, Marvel comics got to play a role in the marketing, with the comic book behemoth having published a limited series comic book which served as a gap between the two TRON movies.

The latest set of trailers (the official theatrical versions) that have been released confirmed the rumors of the rather deep connection between the new movie and its retro prequel. These trailers definitely look even more wowsome and appealing than the teaser trailer and have certainly ensured that not just the fans of the original, but even noobs are hooked.

Theatrical Trailer 1



Theatrical Trailer 2



But the real question remains. Will the sequel be as big a success as the original? Despite all the positive reactions to the trailers and the story (synopsis and plot easily available at the Tron Wiki, IMDB or Wikipedia), I have my doubts about the new flick. Don't get me wrong, the new movie IS going to be absolutely amazing and will definitely wow audiences and I am going to watch the movie irrespective.
But the original movie is a cult classic and a pop culture phenomenon.

Despite a "geek" oriented plot, the movie still marveled audiences for one reason. The original movie was released in an era where computers were being considered the next big step in evolution. Everyday breakthroughs were being made in the computing world and predictions of super computers capable of running on their own (read Artificial Intelligence) were becoming a hotly debated topic. This was the same era that saw other cult classics such as Short-Circuit, War-Games, Blade Runner and The Terminator being released.

The Original Tron Movie Trailer



From a visuals perspective, the movie was ground-braking. Almost 80% of the movie is rendered through computer graphics. Not only are backgrounds and props CGI cool, but the intense (by the standards of that era) action sequences are equally spectacular. The most amazing visual of course being that of the light cycle races.

The Light Cycle Races



Another aspect that worked tremendously in the favor of the original was the analogy that the creators had drawn between the computer world and the real world. Computer programs resembled human beings, more specifically the human programmers who coded them and their characteristics were a reflection of the purpose of their function (for example an accounting program looked like wore thick glasses and was rather introvert, cool huh!). Of course this has been done to death in numerous movies since (The Matrix anyone?).

I am certain the creative folks at Disney have done their homework and have ensured that the sequel has its own set of unique aspects that will stand apart from the first movie. But there is only so much creativity in the world! Having said that, the special effects for the new movie truly look awesome and the slick new look given to the cyber universe, and the fact that the movie is being released in a brand new 3-D format, the TRON experience at the cinema halls shall be Legendary.

One thing is for sure, this TRON fan is certain to catch the sequel when it hits the big screens in December. And even if you haven't seen the first movie, do catch this one. Who knows, you may be inspired to catch the original after watching it!

END OF LINE

Follow Me!

So you’ve got yourself a twitter account, but are still struggling with followers. How is it that geek you went to high school with has hundreds of followers and countless retweets and you’ve got squat!
Well there are a few unspoken rules that us tweeps “follow” when it comes to following and tweeting someone back.

Where To Begin?
Firstly, get the basics right. Upload a display pic to your twitter account. That goes double for the men! And please no random pictures of nature or celebrities (unless you’re the said celebrity!). People are more comfortable with tweeps with faces, even if they aren’t much to look at! So take a picture of your best side and upload.
Fill out your profile. When you meet someone for the first time, do you simply expect that someone to start talking to you? No, you need an ice-breaker, something that lets them get (and more importantly gets you as well) comfortable and relaxed. Throw in some random gyaan, some quirky one-liner or simply write something about yourself. But please don’t copy paste some stupid Muhawra!
Location, Location, location. As in real estate, this fundamental principle applies to your Bio as well. You don't need to get real specific with the latitudes and longitudes, but a simple City or Country name sure helps tweeps to engage in relevant conversation with you.

I Have An Identity!
OKay so your Bio is respectable, you have your best picture uploaded and people can see what city has the misfortune of calling you its inhabitant. But that doesn’t mean you’re all set to get a huge following, unless you are @sachin_rt!
Nope twitter is all about engaging with other tweeps. Follow interesting tweeps and reply or retweet their tweets. Since following on twitter is far simpler than on facebook, finding and following new tweeps wont be an issue. And if the tweep you’re following hasn’t blocked you, you’re free to reply or retweet that person.
Don't lose heart if someome you followed doesnt follow you back instantly. Give it time, let the tweep see your tweets, your retweets and build a realionship. Lets face it, you don't go to second base on the first date, do you!
Another thing to remember is that when you begin following someone new, Tweet about it with a mention of the said tweep. If there was a specific reason you chose to follow that someone, state that as well for a more meaningful tweet. 9 times out of 10, these tweets guarantee an automatic follow.

I Wanna Tweet Now...
For god’s sake, unless you’re stuck in some twister or being roasted by the sun, do NOT tweet about the weather everyday! Once in a blue moon, when the weather IS pleasant, go ahead tweet about it, but don’t be twitter’s unsponsored weather channel!
Tweeting about current topics is a big Yes. After all, many news flashes spread across twitter before they hit the mainstream news channels. So go ahead be the next Woodward and Bernstein!
I find twitter a great way to relieve stress. So if you’re pissed, angry or simply mind-fcuked, go ahead tweet that emotion and let it soar in cyberspace. Trust me, these are the tweets that grab the most attention. So you’ll benefit with your grief!

Finally, remember its not just about the quantity, its ALSO about quality. No use getting 1000 followers if more than 30 percent are bots/spammers/internet marketers. Engage with real tweeps and you’ll have plenty to tweet about.

I’ve been on twitter for over a year now, but really started using it about 8-9 months ago. Following these simple rules I’ve had the pleasure of befriending many interesting and insightful tweeps. And I’m sure will continue to do so in the future.

Like a fellow tweep once tweeted -

Facebook is filled with people you knew in high school

Twitter is filled with people you wished you knew in high school

This post is part of the Twitter Critter series. Click to read other related posts.

Of Blue Skinned Aliens and Wise Cracking Idiots!

After a very long time (read eons), I've had the pleasure of watching two really great movies back to back. Each different from the other in terms of country of origin, genre, budgets and obviously stories, but each one an absolute gem.

The first movie is the sci-fi fantasy epic, Avatar. Visionary director, James Cameron has given us cinematic masterpieces such as Aliens, Terminator, Abyss and Titanic. With Avatar, Cameron has created nothing short of history.

Avatar is not about telling a very intricate story with layered characters and numerous subplots. In fact for the most part, the story is fairly predictable. If you've seen The Last Of The Mohicans or The Last Samurai you already know the plot. So if you are expecting a phenomenal story, well don't. In Fact you've probably even read this little piece that's been doing the rounds of the Internet, which points out some interesting and funny similarities between Avatar and Pocahontas.

But what Avatar is about is an entirely new level of visual effects, no strike that, the visuals are not effects, they are the movie! The CGI in this movie is beyond words, it is unreal! But then, Cameron is known for his use of technology to tell his story. The scene in Terminator-2 Judgment Day where the T-1000 rises from the floor is probably one of the most defining moments in cinematic history!

Not only has Cameron spawned an entire planet and ecology, but also an entirely new culture, that of the Na'Vi (the alien race shown in the movie, i.e. the blue skinned folks!). The spectrum of different species that he featured in the movie were so detailed that for a moment I felt that these creatures actually exist!

Avatar is a definite must watch for the stunning new level of CGI and visual effects that Cameron has introduced. Movie visuals are not going to remain the same after this!

The other movie that made me stand up and take note (not to mention shout "Encore, Encore") was Rajkumar Hirani's latest masterpiece, 3 Idiots. Adapted from Chetan Bhagat's best-seller, Five Point Someone, the movie stars Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan.

For those who have read the book (myself included),don't expect a page-by-page adaptation, as the movie is quite different, with only certain subtle similarities, that do not have a huge bearing on the main plot. (Although there are those who disagree!)

3 Idiots, like Hirani's earlier movies, tackles a social topic. But in typical Hirani-Chopra style the message is not at all preachy and is loaded with tons of humor and punch. The topic this time around is that of the educational system of the country, particularly the graduate colleges.

The brilliance of the movie lies in it's witty dialogue and an absolute stellar performance by the three lead actors, Khan has once again claimed the crown of a true actor with his effortless portrayal of a twenty something college student. In fact I had already mentioned in an earlier post that this movie would be another feather in the already crowded hat of Aamir Khan.

If you've ever gone through the ordeal of being a student in the Indian education system or know someone who has, is or will bear this ordeal, 3 Idiots is a must watch. If not, still catch it for the sheer brilliant story-telling and absolutely hilarious comedy.

So there you have it, Avatar and 3 Idiots, the two movies that helped me end 2009 on a very positive note! if you haven't already caught these movies, get your tickets and watch them on the big screen...NOW!

Return Of The Clients

If you been using twitter (and after reading my previous posts, I sincerely hope you are!), then you are definitely familiar with the twitter website and it's features or lack thereof!
Don't get me wrong, the web-site is very simple and clutter-free (unlike facebook and orkut), but reading tweets from multiple peeps becomes somewhat of a challenge. Also, you have to constantly refresh your page to check on different portions of your twitter page (read favorites, followers, mentions, etc.)

What if you could organize the people you follow, keep all your favorite tweets at easy reach and have a holistic view of your twitter experience?

Enter the twitter clients!


Table Top Wonders!
You've got Outlook (or ThunderBird if you're into open source!) to manage you mail offline. So why should your tweets be treated differently. Desktop clients are the key to tracking your tweeps and their tweets in an organized and fun manner. Here are some of the best desktop twitter clients -

TweetDeck

Managing your tweets couldn't get simpler than this! Built on the Adobe Air, TweetDeck offers integration with your twitter, facebook and myspace accounts.
TweetDeck is the complete package, upload media, shorten your URLs, maintain your hashtag history and even translate your tweet!
A prominent feature of TweetDeck (one which makes it my preferred desktop client) is the column. Create separate columns for different functions, i.e. one to track all your DMs, one for all your mentions, one for your list of followers and so on. This is great if you're interested in organizing all your tweets and focusing on specific aspects of your twitter timeline.
If you are serious about tweeting, TweetDeck is definitely the way to go!



Seesmic

Next to Tweetdeck, Seesmic is perhaps the most sought after twitter desktop client. And for good reason. The client has a web, desktop and mobile avatar and also supports integration with your facebook profile.
Although I've downloaded the seesmic desktop client, I don't really use it much, but those who have,swear by it. So do check it out before you zero in on a client.
Pssst...if you are really interested in a more detailed comparison between TweetDeck and Seesmic, check out this link


HootSuite

Although a web based client, HootSuite offers most, if not all the functions available in TweetDeck and Seesmic. Labeled as the twitter client for professionals, HootSuite is essentially targeted at those organizations who wish to leverage twitter for their social media presence.
But that doesn't mean that you need to be the CEO of a company to appreciate the features provided by this baby!
A few things that I liked, were the customized shrunk links that allow you to track the number of hits on the target web-page, provision for scheduled tweets and profile statistics summary.


Fun On The Run!
Tweeting is all about keeping your updates mobile. Let's face it, not all of us spend hours together in front of the PC, well not voluntarily at least. So if you need to keep feeding the twitter bird on an hourly basis with your tweets, how do you do that? Well thankfully there are a plethora of clients designed for every mobile phone platform (read OS). Some of the most popular ones are -


Gravity

Designed for Symbian smart phones (read Nokia N&E Series and the likes), this is by far the best in its class. Apart from supporting all the standard twitter functions (retweet, reply, favorite, Direct Message, etc), Gravity also features other cool features. These include forwarding a tweet as an SMS (super awesome!), uploading pictures to multiple media sharing sites (Mobypicture, posterous, twitpic, twitgoo, yfrog, img.ly), creating groups of your followers and even schedule your tweets.
Gravity also integrates with Google Reader. So if you have a RSS feeds synced with your Google Reader, then you can read them right off your phone!
Recently even a facebook integration has been introduced. Although it's still a little buggy, but nonetheless a great addition to an amazing mobile client.
Be warned, this application is not freeware and comes with a price tag of $9.95 (plus taxes). But it's worth every cent!


Tweets60

Tweets60 was the first free native twitter application for Nokia S60. Tweets60 lets you change your status, read the tweets of people you follow, re-tweet, and manage who you follow.
With a fairly simple interface and basic functions of twitter, this is the a great mobile client for those who don't want too many fancy features.


Tweetie

Tweetie is the twitter client for the oh so sought after iPhone and iTouch. Well to be fair, it is originally the twitter client for the Mac, and has a mobile version for Apple's touch products.
Needless to say that the features of this bad boy are at par with the other touch applications. And in true Apple style, Tweetie has seamless integration not only with your web profiles but also your phone address book.
Apart from that the client is fully loaded with features like one-touch media upload, group management, landscape support and much more.
If you own an iPhone (or the iTouch), this is the client you need on your device.


And with that, the Twitter Critter series comes to an end. Through this series I have tried to cover as much area as possible to make your twitter experience as simple and hassle-free as possible.

I hope that these posts have been helpful in demystifying the twitter universe, oops I mean Twitterverse.
Do let me know if there are any other aspects of Twitter that you'd like more gyann on. Till then...


Happy Tweeting!


Previously in the series:
The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!
Attack Of The Apps

Attack Of The Apps

Welcome to the second post in the Twitter Critter Series (third if you consider the original Twitter Critter Post!), focussing on the new social networking (soc-net for short) site, Twitter.  In the previous post, we saw the basics (and I mean real basic basics!) of using twitter. This week's post focuses on how you can leverage your twitter account to truly immerse in the soc-net experience.

Look Mommy I Shot That!
Networking on the web seldom involves mere textual updates of one's life. Today we can share our personal experiences with family and friends in full color, motion and sound. YouTube, Picasa, flickr and many others allow us to upload those candid moments to the web and share them with everyone.

Sharing pictures or videos on twitter can be as simple as posting the link of your photo album elsewhere (picasa, youtube, flickr, photobucket and the likes). But why resort to such 'prehistoric' methods? Twitter has spawned, or is at least supported, by many third party media upload websites. The seamless integration between your twitter account and these applications, enables, nay, empowers you with a one-touch upload and tweet functionality.

Here is the low-down on few of the third-party applications to enlighten you on the possibilities of your twitter presence.


Say Cheese!
A Picture, they say, is worth a thousand words, which is tremendously helpful when you're dealing with a 140 character limit! Some of the most popular photo upload and tweeting sites include -


twitpic
A simple no nonsense site which lets you upload photographs directly from the website or through supported phone applications. Apart from seeing the snaps that you uploaded, twitpic also lets you see what the world is uploading in real-time.



snaptweet
Snaptweet allows you to integrate your existing flickr account and tweet uploads to the Yahoo photo sharing service. You can send your latest photo or send tagged photos only or even send all emailed photos.





tweetphoto
Fairly similar to twitpic, this service allows you to tweet about your photos on twitter and facebook






Lights, Camera... Action!
If a photo is equivalent to a thousand words, one can only imagine the power of a video clip. Here are some of the top video sharing services for twitter -


twiddeo
Twiddeo lets you upload video files (mpg, wmv and avi file formats). The service also allows yout upload directly from your webcam and as well as your cellular phone (using an email based service).


vidly
Rated as the application of choice by many, this video sharing service also has an iphone application which lets you directly upload via your treasured apple phone.



12seconds
Fame may last for only 15 minutes, but it takes only 12 seconds to become famous. Record your emotions, thoughts or just what you're upto in a 12 second video clip and upload it to this site and watch it spread like wild fire across your twitter and facebook accounts!



Mix It Up!

Don't want to be restricted to just images or videos? Well then try these sites that offer multiple media tweeting support -


tweetcube
TweetCube allows you to share files on Twitter, period! Upload your images, videos, music and more and your files are automatically posted on Twitter.


mobypicture
Not to be confused with twitter's own fail whale, this whale of a photo and video upload service allows integration not only with twitter, but also other sites like facebook, flickr, youtube, blogger, wordpress and typepad (Phew!).



There you go, some really cool web-applications to add media richness to your twittering experience. So what're you waiting for? Start sharing!

The next post (which is the final one in the series) will shed some light on some great twitter clients to help you tweet from anywhere!

Previously in this series: The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!

Next in this Series: Return Of The Clients

The Twitter Critter Strikes Back!

 I know I have already sung songs of high praise about twitter in an earlier post. But many of my friends, who are quite active on other social networks (facebook, orkut), don't seem to be very accepting of the latest entrant in the soc-net scene. So I decided to break the ice, so to speak, between these skeptics and twitter by spreading some 'gyaan' through my blog.

This post is the first of a three part series detailing (in a manner of speaking) various aspects of the Twitter Universe (or as we tweeps call it, the twitverse!). This post will talk about the basics of twitter and how to use it. The next post in the series will talk about third party applications that help you enrich your twitter presence and the final post in the series will discuss various twitter clients to help make your twitter experience simple yet effective.




So What is this twitter thingie?

Conventional Blogs tend to be lengthy and are usually topic/theme specific, periodic and well let's face it sometimes downright boring (qualities that this particular blog hopes never to live up to!). It's almost impossible to leverage your blog to stay in touch with your friends, family and colleagues, well not on a personal basis at least.

Enter the micro-blog. Same concept as a blog but with a size limit. You pen your thoughts, but since the length of your "post" is limited (with 140 characters, that's an understatement!) your thoughts are pretty short. This lets you get creative with your posts and lets you  update people about what's happening with you or as the tag line on your twitter page says it - What Are You Doing? Users 'tweet' their thoughts, rantings, comments, jokes and absolutely anything that can be put into words. Well within 140 characters to be more precise.

If you're familiar with facebook, twitter is essentially the 'What's on your mind' section of your facebook page. At the core, Twitter is all about letting the world know what you are upto, plain and simple! To start off, simply go to the twitter website, register yourself and you are ready to be part of the twiterrati!


What do I tweet about?
Most newbie tweeters get intimidated by this thought (I know I was!). Well it's simple. Tweet about what ever catches your fancy. What are you doing, or going to do, or have already done! Start with a simple "Hello World" (programmers you can dig this one right!), talk about the weather, the news, latest movies, music, food, pets or even  the color of your boss's secretary's eyes! Yes tweeting is all about being who you really are and what goes on in that head of yours!

But you can only hold up a conversation with yourself for so long. Being on twitter (or any other soc-net site) is about building your network. So start following other tweeters. Start by finding your personal friends who are already on twitter. Invite a few from your mail address book if they aren't already users. You can even use twitter's own Recommended Users list. But don't go overboard and follow every tweep you see. Gradually build up your twitter network. Then start tweeting with them, about them, or just at them!

Follow The Leader

In twitter lingo, following someone is equivalent to adding that person to your twitter network. Following someone automatically lets you see their tweets. Conversely if someone follows you, they get to see all your tweets. Following someone results in their tweets being displayed on your twitter page. The list of tweets you see is commonly known as a time-line.

And don't be surprised if you find random tweeple (twitter people a.k.a peeps) following you. If you don't like that kind of thing, don't sweat it. you can keep your tweets private and allow only people whom you authorize to follow you and in effect your tweets.

Apart from your own network and other random people, there are many celebrity tweeters out there who are worth following, start with them. Since following anyone on a twitter is fairly unrestricted, you can follow your favorite celeb tweeters and stay in the loop about the latest gossip and happenings in their lives.

Do keep in mind, just because you are following them doesn't mean they are following you as well. With twitter, the follow could be one-way. But don't worry,if your tweets are interesting, they'll soon turn around and start following you!

Give And Ye Shall Receive

Want to mention your fellow tweeter in your tweet? Simply send out a tweet by prefixing his/her user name with a @. You'll see that the peep's name is now a link redirecting to their profile. Neat nah? This is a great way for you to mention your friends on twitter and encourage others to mingle with them.

Another way to mention your fellow peeps is by retweeting. Retweeting is similar to the concept of forwarding messages or emails. Retweets are prefixed with a RT followed by the fellow tweeter whose tweet you are retweeting. Its a fun way of spreading jokes, news articles or any interesting material across the twitverse. Retweeting is equivalent to flattery in the Twitter World (hmmm shouldn't that be Tworld?)

Like something a fellow peep tweeted? You can save it for quick reference by simply making it a favorite. Keep in mind that your favorites, like your tweets, are public.

Talk Back

Want to answer a question someone tweeted? Have some advise for another tweeter? Then reply to their tweets. Replies are similar to mentions. The difference is that a reply begins with the user-name mention and continues with your message.

A reply only appears to those for whom it is meant. However if someone were to visit you profile page, these replies along with the intended recipients are visible to them. So a more secure way of communicating with a fellow tweeter is using the Direct Message (DM) feature. Simply start your tweet with a D followed by the reply message.

Keep It Relevant

A feature of twitter which I find personally very useful is the hash tag. Prefix any word with a # and it becomes a keyword with a hyperlink which can be easily searched. Any and all tweets in the twitverse that contain that particular word can be found by simply clicking on that word in any tweet. This feature is particularly helpful when you are tweeting (either randomly or to fellow tweeters) about a particular topic and want to review all past tweets containing that word.

The hash tag is also used to start trending topics which can be followed and continued by other fellow tweeters. This is very useful when you want to track what people are talking about and keeps you updated on the latest news and trends across the globe.




Voila, it's as simple as that! Hope this hs been helpful in understanding the way twitter works and has cleared most of the queries that you have about the soc-net site.

So go ahead and create your twitter profiles. Start following interesting tweeps. By the way, my twitter profile name is Aaragorn1984, in case you were considering to follow me!

The next post in the series (may not be the very next post!) will shed some light on the different third party applications that will enrich your twitter experience via media sharing.

Happy Tweeting!

Next in this series - Attack Of the Apps

TED - Ideas Worth Spreading

Recently I came across a Website that really changed the way I look at my profession. For that matter, it really transformed my perception about the nature of different professions and how they are in fact related to one another, no matter how diverse. But before I go into the details of the website, a little background about what the web-site is promoting.

TED or technology Entertainment Design started as a conference, held in Long Beach, California way back in 1984, which brought together people from the fields of, well you guessed it, technology entertainment and design. At the face of it this combination seems odd. But this odd mix of people sharing their own stories about their work and their experiences snowballed and today the conference, which is an annual affair is sold out a year in advance, has speakers from many other backgrounds and has inspired millions.

The premise for the conference is simple. Innovators, leaders, experts from each field share their ideas. These 'stories' are aimed at not any specific audience or a privileged few, but at all of us, you, me, and everybody. At the core of TED is the belief that an idea can come anywhere at any time and from anyone. Also that idea can spread at the speed of light and has the potential to move mountains. The TED conference is a medium for those who wish to share their ideas with the world in an effort to improve society as a whole.

The TED philosophy -

• An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination.
• An idea weighs nothing.
• It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost.
• And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.
• It can reshape that mind's view of the world.
• It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind's owner.
• It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others.

Many of the ideas are in the form of stories or anecdotes. Speakers come from different walks of life. To give you an idea of the range of topics, here is a list of recent speakers at the TED conferences held in the last few years:

• Eve Ensler -Creator of the Vagina Monologues
• Peter Diamandis - Runs the X-Prize foundation
• Abhay Deol - Bollywood Actor/Producer
• Bill Clinton - Former US President
• Jane Goodall - Renowned anthropologist
• Nandan Nilekani - Founding member, Infosys
• Al Gore - Former US Vice President, Nobel Laurette
  
• Bono - Singer, Activist
• JJ Abrams - Hollywood Producer/Director
  

It is quite apparent that the spectrum of speakers at the TED conferences is pretty colossal. But these are just a few of the speakers that have contributed in the last two and a half decades of TED.And each speaker brings to the floor his or her unique story.

The beauty of TED lies in its simple format. Over a course of 4 days, 50 Speakers get a fixed time slot of 18 minutes each to share their stories. The stories range from the hilarious to the inspirational. But each story is enriching in its own way.

TED is now a global phenomenon, not restricted to the conferences at Long Beach, California. In fact, the latest TED conference is being held right here in India at the Mysore Campus of Infosys and is playing host to many national and international personalities.

This brings me to the website that I mentioned earlier. In an effort to ensure that the stories/ideas of the many speakers don't get lost in the annals of time, TED launched TED.com, a 'clearinghouse' of knowledge, where ordinary people like you and I can view the inspirational videos of the speakers from past TED conferences.

I am sure that most of you watch some of the many many inane (albeit funny) viral videos that are ubiquitous on the net. Every other day someone is posting a link to some funny or ''Awesome' video file on YouTube or the likes. While these videos are a great stress-buster, they're more likely to be forgotten or have little value-addition to our lives or to the society as a whole.

On the other hand watching a video of any of the speakers from past TED conferences on TED.com is an enriching experience. Not only does it introduce us to new stories of people from across the globe and across industries, but also provides a new perspective on many global and local issues. Do yourself a favor, watch at least one TED video in a day (it takes not more than 20 minutes). I guarantee, within a week, you will start looking at the world in a new light.

You can go to the TED website and start viewing these videos instantly. Or you could fill out a simple registration form and become part of the TED community. Advantages of being part of the Community include being able to interact with other TED community members, mark you favorite TED videos and themes, share your idea with others and much more.

To get a taste of what TED is all about, view the video below:



But why? Why go into all this trouble of getting people from disparate backgrounds to come and speak about random topics and experiences?
Well each experience, each story, each idea is random in isolation. But when you rise above the boundaries of individual backgrounds, these ideas are connected. Every idea is the result of someone's imagination. That someone may be limited in his or her thought process and may not see the impact or the reach of his/her idea. But when you throw your idea out their in the open, it starts taking a life of its own, it starts breathing, it grows and it germinates many more ideas. No matter how different our professional and personal backgrounds may be, we are still connected as a human race and hence so are our problems and as a consequence the solutions to those problems. The TED conference, in my view, is a wonderful testament to that notion and thus is great legacy that we can leave for future generations to carry on.

For further information on TED visit the following links
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/5
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/42

Retro Gaming

Remember your very first taste of video-gaming? Those pixelated images that felt phenomenally 'state of the art', the "orchestral" MIDI soundtrack and that mundane game-play that was oh so challenging! Well, I do and occasionally also get nostalgic about those old gaming consoles, which are no longer with me (sob...may they Rest In Peace).

Today Gaming has evolved into a completely different ball-game. Graphics are more life-like, sounds more ambient and the game-play more engaging than ever before. And with gaming transcending from the conventional televisions to PC to hand-helds and mobile phones, avid gamers have more options than ever before.

I do enjoy what technology has brought with it, but don't mind indulging in some Plain Jane games now and then. Fortunately the Internet comes to the rescue once again. A web-site called http://www.1980-games.com/ houses some of the best games from yester-years and is a nostalgic gamers' paradise! With virtually every title from the 8, 16 and even 32 bit era, the site lets you play some of the finest games right on your PC!

The layout of the web-site may be intimidating at first but once you start clicking away, you begin to get pretty comfortable with the general navigation. But be forewarned, sometimes you might land on the French version of the website, so you may have to change the language to understand the links. You can change the language by clicking on the pixelated images, at the top, of the national flags of England and France. Alternatively you could simply log in to their US website - http://www.1980-games.com/us/

Once in you can choose form an astoundingly wide array of games which have been sorted by genre and platform. The entire thing works on an emulator and renders the game on your PC exactly the way it would have worked on the original console. Although the game-play is restricted to a fairly small screen, it still beats playing it on a cellular phone!

The web-site offers a great retreat to the age of gaming when it didn't matter what physics engine was being used by the game or what software studios were involved in the development or what degree of detail was being rendered. All that mattered was you got some time-off from the everyday chaos to just enjoy some good old gaming.

So all you gamers who want to just sit back and relish some simple gaming fun, check out the web-site. I guarantee you will keep going back!