- If the pages of any site can easily be edited in Browser itself, then such type of site is known as Wiki. In other terms anyone on the web can easily change or edit the contents of Wiki. There are many popular Wiki on the internet like Wikipidea, Kavitakosh, Bharatkosh etc.
- The software used by Wiki sites is called Wiki Software. MediaWiki is an example of Wiki Software. Wikipidea is based on MediaWiki.
- Wikia is a company that provides free hosting for your own Wiki site. Just create an account on Wikia and you can create your own Wiki through them for free.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Easily confused Wiki terms
Almost all the people on web are familiar with wikipidea. When I started working I was very much confused about the terms Wiki, Wikia, Media Wiki and how are they related to Wikipidea. So here is what I have learnt about these terms-
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Some Useful Websites
Everyone has their own favorite sites. Today I want to share some of my favorite sites. I hope you will also like these sites and will find them useful.
Google Maps - On this site we can view maps and satellite images of our given desired location. We can click and drag maps to view adjacent sections immediately and can zoom by clicking on + sign given on the left.
Depending on our location we can also get the directions from one location to another. In the search field, enter the from and to locations(if location given does not match with what the site has in its database, it gives a list of options from which we can choose) and click on Get Directions. Directions appear on the maps as a blue line. Google Maps breaks down directions into numbered sections in the left panel, along with an estimated drive time.
Wikipedia - A free encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. This is one of the most popular sites on the Internet. Often the information is so detailed that it has become number one search result on google for many topics. One should be careful that since it can be edited by anyone there is a chance that an article might not be accurate and/or up-to-date. Therefore fact checking using references and other sources is recommended.
Abhivyakti - Best Hindi magazine on web. A great collection of contemporary Hindi literature.
Ninite - This site provides easiest and fastest way to update or install free softwares. It gives you the option to choose which softwares you want to install and then makes a customized installer for you which downloads and installs the software you have chosen. This eliminates the tediousness of going to each software's web site and downloading and installing them individually.
Google Maps - On this site we can view maps and satellite images of our given desired location. We can click and drag maps to view adjacent sections immediately and can zoom by clicking on + sign given on the left.
Depending on our location we can also get the directions from one location to another. In the search field, enter the from and to locations(if location given does not match with what the site has in its database, it gives a list of options from which we can choose) and click on Get Directions. Directions appear on the maps as a blue line. Google Maps breaks down directions into numbered sections in the left panel, along with an estimated drive time.
Wikipedia - A free encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. This is one of the most popular sites on the Internet. Often the information is so detailed that it has become number one search result on google for many topics. One should be careful that since it can be edited by anyone there is a chance that an article might not be accurate and/or up-to-date. Therefore fact checking using references and other sources is recommended.
Abhivyakti - Best Hindi magazine on web. A great collection of contemporary Hindi literature.
Ninite - This site provides easiest and fastest way to update or install free softwares. It gives you the option to choose which softwares you want to install and then makes a customized installer for you which downloads and installs the software you have chosen. This eliminates the tediousness of going to each software's web site and downloading and installing them individually.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What is a Web Server?
A Web Server is the computer and/or the software running on it through which any type of data is made available on the Internet. For example web pages of any web site are provided by a web server.
What is Web Hosting?
Web Hosting is the service of storing all the files of any web site on an Internet connected web server so that other people can view that site.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Tip: What is a Top Level Domain?
A Top Level Domain is the last part of any website name by which that site is registered and which remains under the control of the Domain Registrar. For example, in www.abhivyati-hindi.org, " .org" is the top level domain and in wwww.ignou.ac.in, ".ac.in " is the top level domain.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mouseless Mouse !!!
Can you imagine a PC without a mouse? Nowadays a mouse is necessary to do any kind of work on a computer. There have been some other pointing devices like trackballs in the market but nothing could beat the popularity of mouse. The only other pointing device in common usage is the trackpad used in laptops but many laptop users also prefer using a mouse. Now think that this mouse disappears! Thats right - it not just becomes invisible - as in made of glass or some other transparent material, it just disappears altogether. No mouse. So how do we work? We just imagine we are working with a mouse - and it works! Yes - almost magically. One scientist at MIT has come up with just this thing and its name is "Mouseless".
Mouseless can be defined as an invisible mouse. Amazing thing is that you will feel that you are using a mouse but actually there is no physical mouse. What you have to do is to keep your hand in a cupped position as if you are holding a mouse, tap your fingers for left and right clicks and the system will detect movements and clicks. Now you must be wondering that how does it work. Well, I too was curious about the details and here they are.
How does it work?
This mechanism works with the help of an Infrared laser beam and an Infrared camera both embedded in the computer. The laser beam module is modified with a line cap and placed such that it creates a plane of IR laser just above the surface the computer sits on. The user puts his hand in a position as if he is holding a mouse. When the user moves his hand, the infrared camera detects the movement and the cursor on the screen also moves accordingly. In the same way when the user taps his index finger, the camera again detects the movement and converts it into a mouse click.
The ‘Mouseless' device has been developed by the Fluid Interfaces Group at the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under supervision of Mr. Pranav Mistry. The video below gives the details of its workings in a very enjoyable and entertaining way.
As for the cost, unlike many research projects, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. According to the project's webpage, a fully functional prototype of ‘Mouseless' costs just $20 (approx Rs 1000) to build. I suppose the cost would come down further if this enters mass production.
The main page of the MIT project is here.
Mouseless can be defined as an invisible mouse. Amazing thing is that you will feel that you are using a mouse but actually there is no physical mouse. What you have to do is to keep your hand in a cupped position as if you are holding a mouse, tap your fingers for left and right clicks and the system will detect movements and clicks. Now you must be wondering that how does it work. Well, I too was curious about the details and here they are.
How does it work?
This mechanism works with the help of an Infrared laser beam and an Infrared camera both embedded in the computer. The laser beam module is modified with a line cap and placed such that it creates a plane of IR laser just above the surface the computer sits on. The user puts his hand in a position as if he is holding a mouse. When the user moves his hand, the infrared camera detects the movement and the cursor on the screen also moves accordingly. In the same way when the user taps his index finger, the camera again detects the movement and converts it into a mouse click.
The ‘Mouseless' device has been developed by the Fluid Interfaces Group at the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under supervision of Mr. Pranav Mistry. The video below gives the details of its workings in a very enjoyable and entertaining way.
As for the cost, unlike many research projects, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. According to the project's webpage, a fully functional prototype of ‘Mouseless' costs just $20 (approx Rs 1000) to build. I suppose the cost would come down further if this enters mass production.
The main page of the MIT project is here.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Netbooks
Nowadays the term Netbook is being widely used and many people are inquisitive about this latest type of gadget available in the market. While some vendors tout it as the latest in technology, here in India, most vendors delegate it to the lowest end of the spectrum as not worth the money. So what are netbooks and why should or shouldn't we buy them. We tried to go through the available information and models and bring the correct information to our readers.
What is a netbook?
Netbook is another name for small laptops (notebooks). It is small in size and light weight as compared to laptop. It has a small keyboard, small screen and small storage space. Netbook can be referred by many names like subnotebook, ultra-portable, mini-notebook, mini-thin client, cloudbook and ultra-mobile PC. Many manufacturers offer netbook models including Asus, Acer, Hewlett Packard, Dell, MSI® and others.
Difference between netbook and notebook.
The primary difference between a netbook and a notebook is their low power and slower processor as compared to notebook.
Netbooks are much lighter in weight than notebooks (.9 to 1.6 kg).
Netbooks are cheaper as compared to notebooks. (below Rs 20,000).
To achieve lower weight and price, many techniques are used. Netbooks may not have built in optical disc drives. They may use SSDs (solid-state storage devices) instead of hard disks as they require less power, are faster, lighter, and generally more shock-resistant.
Keyborad and screen of netbook may also be smaller than notebooks.
They may come with some variant of the Linux operating system to avoid MS-Windows licensing costs.
Why should we pay attention to netbooks.
While they are not as powerful as the higher performing laptop models available, they can still easily accomplish most common computing tasks for the average user. In fact, except for hardcore gamers, developers, and some power users, almost everybody else can perform all of their daily work on a netbook. Unlike lower priced notebooks that might be cheap due being old and obsolete, a netbook uses latest technology especially for network connectivity. Therefore, they are very suitable for connecting wirelessly to the Internet. Anyone can easily access email, get up-to-date news, check the latest scores and weather information and can enjoy digital videos, photos and music. Most people do their daily work on MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint). While Office is able to run on netbooks running MS-Windows, by using free web-based alternatives like Google Docs, it is possible to do all that work on a netbook while avoiding the heavy storage and performance demands of MS-Office.
Another main attraction of the netbook is its portability. As they are much lighter in weight netbooks are very suitable for mobile people like college students, and those with a touring / traveling job.
In India, there is a large segment of people for whom computers and especially Internet can become within reach only due to netbooks. Having a low price, not having a constant power demand and coming in a single package makes it feasible for rural and low-income markets. It would be no surprise if in future we have a netbook penetration in India comparable to our mobile penetration.
Currently available netbook offerings in India
MSI Wind U130
Specifications:
- Intel Atom CPU N450@1.66GHz,
- 1.5 Kg
- 1 GB RAM
- 250 GB HDD
- 10" LCD display
DELL Inspiron Mini
Specifications:
- Intel Atom CPU N450@1.66GHz,
- 1.6 Kg
- 1 GB RAM
- 160 GB HDD
- 10.1" LCD display
SLIMMTRONICS Slimmbook
Specifications:
- Intel Atom CPU N270@1.60GHz,
- 1.6 Kg
- 1 GB RAM
- 160 GB HDD
- 10.1" LCD display
ACER Gateway LT2107
Specifications:
- Intel Atom CPU N450@1.66GHz,
- 1.4 Kg
- 2 GB RAM
- 320 GB HDD
- 10.1" LCD display
SAMSUNG N210
Specifications:
- Intel Atom CPU N450@1.66GHz,
- 1.6 Kg
- 1 GB RAM
- 160 GB HDD
- 10.1" LCD display
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