A beta version is out and its available with WS2008

The launch press release is very promising.

This deserves more than just a press release. I will update this post with more details, especially how it relates to VMWare’s technology.

A while back I subscribed to the Microsoft Architecture Journal. Over the years it has been one of those magazines that finds it’s way to my desk and remains there till I get to see some of the pictures.

There was a pleasant surprise for me last week when I discovered that Microsoft had come out with a beta version of an Architecture Journal Reader

It is a .NET 3.0 desktop application that is built using WPF . Here is a brief description of the application from the application download page,

“Demonstrating many of the UX principles highlighted in recent issues, this new reader is a locally installed application that enables you to take every issue of the Journal into a searchable, immersive, and easy-to-read experience. The application synchronizes with our content management services so that you’ll automatically have access to the latest Journal issues without needing to download PDF files or checking online.”

The Architecture Journal as you know is a magazine and the Journal Reader application essentially gives you all the Journal content in a digital format right on your desktop without some of the usual browser annoyances. Its goal is to improve the overall user experience of the magazine reader.

Here is a sample screenshot of the Front Page,

Apparently, A lot of publishers have adopted this technology and have implemented news readers using “a news reader SDK”.

I haven’t tried any of these readers yet but the idea is certainly catchy. I for one have always enjoyed a cup of coffee and a newspaper without being distracted on weekend mornings.

Minnesotan and Indian American Ishanaa Rambachan has won the Rhodes scholarship for the year 2008. The Rhodes Scholarship selects 80 students worldwide (32 from the states ) and provides them an opportunity to pursue degree courses at Oxford University . Past winners include former US president Bill Clinton and former democratic presidential contender and NBA star Bill Bradley. Congratulations Ishanaa! Congratulations too all the Rhodes scholarship winners. Other winners of Indian American origin include, Deep J. Shah from Duluth, Georgia Pravin S. Rajan Albuquerque, New Mexico among others.

If you are new to facebook application development here are ten rules that should help you,

This is just a compilation of a message thread from the facebook developers forum.

1. Add viral features as soon as possible (best before launching your app)
2. Make things simple. Users don’t read.
3. Stupid ideas work best. Don’t try to change the world.
4. Build and program on a platform with scalability in mind.
5. KISS ( Keep it Simple Stupid )
6. If you bother to put the time in, make sure you are on a good service provider so your app actually works!
7. The answer is in the forum.
8. If you think something is broken, check facebook bugs before making massive changes
9. Don’t neglect or quit your day job, as this is all fun and games.
10. Don’t jump in head first. Create a simple app to start and learn the framework, shoot for the stars later.

Here are some more tips for social app developers from the open social folks at google

Its Day Nine and HappyWishes on FaceBook has over 100 installs. Thanks to all the users of HappyWishes, you are all in for a very surprising treat.

Thanks again and please post your reviews and suggestions on the application discussion board.

Facebook released their application platform last May. The “platform” allows developers to create applications for facebook users.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been busy creating a facebook application HappyWishes which allows facebook users to send Wishes to their friends and family for any happy occasion.

Check it out. It was fun coding it and I hope you enjoy using it.

Your comments and reviews are always welcome.

A judge who passes comments before hearing both sides of the argument does not deserve to pass judgments.

When I was a kid I grew up wondering if there was even a system of justice in India other than fists, sticks, stones and lethal weapons. To my relief, I am discovering there is in fact a justice system but alas the relief is only short lived. The supreme court is the apex body and it is piled with many men who have little clue on the aspirations of the majority of the people and remain alienated from the masses. Yes, these are alienated men who pass judgments based on alien laws that were borrowed from an alien society. I wonder how many times the Constitution of India has been amended?

Here is a nice editorial from The Hindu, pulling up the unconstitutional behavior of a man who supposedly keeps the law. In polite and mild terms this is pathetic and shows how the apex court in India is infested with biased men.

John Schwartz of The NY Times writes about a new engineering college where the emphasis is more on “experiential” learning.

The article teaser captured my attention,

“In an era when software matters more than steel, …”

You can read the full article here.

I believe there is some truth to this statement, simply because even a seemingly hardware centric product like the iPod is so successful because of its software. I am not an iPod user but just imagine using the iPod without iTunes. Organizing and building the music collection would be very difficult without a good piece of software. It certainly was not a pleasant experience to rip/search/download, organize mp3 files in the pre-iTunes years.

Yes, We are in the era of software and The NY Times said so

I just read an interesting story on the cbc technology section about a white list approach to computer security.

Who is going to maintain this “white list”? Is there already a consortium of application vendors that have agreed on this “white list”?

If this gains traction there are some interesting technology and business issues that need to be solved. Overall, interesting times ahead for security software industry.

Here is a list of pie categories from the 2007 National Pie Championships Commercial Entry Form,

Apple
Apple Crumb
Banana Cream
Berry
Blueberry
Candy/Cookie Cream
Cherry
Chocolate Cream
Citrus
Coconut Cream
Custard
Key Lime
Nut
Open
Open Cream
Open Fruit/Berry
Peach
Peanut Butter
Pumpkin
Silk Cream

The very elemental nature of this list attracted me. Enjoy the pie!