Trek 4300D

I always wished to own a bike and my desires grew more whenever I saw few bikes at Firefox showroom in a Mantri Mall, Bengaluru. One fine day, I made up my mind to get one and went inside, test rode few bikes. I reviewed about bikes, brands for about 3 weeks and next time I visited the mall, I rode few more bikes along with Trek 4300D 2014 version decided to buy the same. When I rode the bike I observed the issue with the bike. It makes some cranking noise when I apply brake and move front and back. I spoke with the store manager Mr. Yogesh Bajaj. He immediately asked the mechanic who was in the shop to fix the same. After the mechanic's confirmation that it can be fixed, the store manager said they would deliver an undamaged bike. I then purchased the bike with a trust. I paid around Rs.58,000/- for the bike including few accessories like bell, bottle holder and stand.

After couple of days of biking, I found that the problem I mentioned to the store manager was observed again. I called the Firefox Bikes Showroom to know that they have delivered the damaged bike. Later they took the bike from my house and return the same in a day. I was very happy that I got the bike so soon but observed that the problem was still there. I called them again after so much of explaining, I made a video for them to understand.

 

 They then took the bike again. Below are pictures which shows the way they carry a bike worth 55,000/- :P

They return it back after a week. I observed that the cranking noise intensity was reduced but was still there. Also I observed so many scratches all over the bike.

Take Away: Not very much satisfied with the way Firefox people treat their customer.

About Trek 4300D:

Specification

Frameset

• Sizes : 15.5, 17.5, 18.5, 19.5, 21.5
• Frame : Alpha Gold Aluminium w/semi-integrated head tube, mechanically formed & butted tubing, race geometry, internal cable routing, rack mounts, replaceable derailleur hanger
• Front suspension : SR Suntour XCM w/30mm stanchions, coil spring, preload, hydraulic lockout, 100mm travel

Drivetrain

• Shifters : Shimano Acera M390, 9 speed
• Front derailleur : Shimano Acera
• Rear derailleur : Shimano Acera M390
• Crank Shimano : Acera M391, 44/32/22 w/chainguard
• Cassette : Shimano HG20 11-34, 9 speed
• Pedals : Wellgo nylon platform

Wheels

• Wheels : Formula DC20 alloy front hub; Formula DC22 LW alloy rear hub w/Bontrager AT-650 32-hole double-walled rims
• Tyres : Bontrager XR2, 26x2.2"

Components

• Saddle : Bontrager Evoke 1
• Seatpost : Bontrager SSR, 31.6mm, 12mm offset
• Handlebar : Bontrager low-riser, 31.8mm, 15mm rise
• Stem : Bontrager SSR, 31.8mm, 10 degree
• Headset : 1-1/8" threadless, semi-integrated, semi-cartridge bearings
• Brakeset : Shimano M395 hydraulic disc brakes
• Grips : Bontrager Race

Fix EXE Problem!! (Windows XP)

I found a new issue in my machine after removing a huge amount of viruses through "Trend Micro Internet Security Pro" (Anti-virus software preferred by me), I was not able to run any of the executable files in my Windows XP with Service pack 2.

When I click on any of the *.exe file a dialog "Open With" used to come. When I tried to "look for the appropriate program on the web" it did not associate with any of the programs.

I was not able to run any of the exe's like command prompt, antivirus, windows media player, regedit, msconfig, internet explorer and almost all. Only exe's which I was able to run were office like Word, Excel etc, Firefox and Notepad (which helped me to recover my Windows without re-installing).

I was Googling for the fix and found a link which asked me to set few registry entries. Since I was not able to edit the registry through "regedit", I created a *.reg file by wroting the registry keys and values in a notepad. Later executed it. :) And finally was able to recover the issue.

Steps to get rid of the problem:

1) Copy the below code into notepad.

============================================

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
"TileInfo"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion"
"InfoTip"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PEAnalyser]
@="{09A63660-16F9-11d0-B1DF-004F56001CA7}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile]
@="Registration Entries"
"EditFlags"=dword:00100000
"BrowserFlags"=dword:00000008

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,72,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,\
2c,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\edit]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\edit\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\
54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,\
00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open]
@="Mer&ge"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command]
@="regedit.exe \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\print]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\print\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\
54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,2f,00,70,00,20,\
00,25,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{000214EE-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{000214F9-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellNew]
"Command"="rundll32.exe appwiz.cpl,NewLinkHere %1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile]
@="Shortcut"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000001
"IsShortcut"=""
"NeverShowExt"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\CLSID]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Offline Files]
@="{750fdf0e-2a26-11d1-a3ea-080036587f03}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@="Shortcut"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\InProcServer32]
@="shell32.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentAddinsRegistered]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentAddinsRegistered\{89BCB740-6119-101A-BCB7-00DD010655AF}]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\PersistentHandler]
@="{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\ProgID]
@="lnkfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]

============================================

2) Save as "Fix.reg" selecting "Save as Type" as "All files".
3) Double click Fix.reg.
4) Hurray!! Ur issue is solved now.

My new LOVE.. Pulsar 220 DTSi.. ;)

By the end of June 2009, I came across a new beast from Bajaj Auto Limited. Its Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi. After much of googling and reviews, I really felt its worth for the money I pay.

On 2nd of July 2009, I went to Khivraj showroom just to check out the bike. Ahmed, a guy at Khivraj told the bike has not got an approval from R.T.O and it takes around 10 days to get an approval. I made a booking by paying Rs.300/- on the same day. After a week Ahmed told the bike price has been finalized and its 80,561/-.

On 4th of August 2009, I got a call from Ahmed saying R.T.O approval of bike has been done and a bike is allotted to me. I am the 30th PROUD owner of 220 DTSi in Bengaluru. On 11th of August, I made a down payment of 54,136.

On 13th of Auust 2009 (Thursday), I left company at 5 and reached Khivraj at 5.30. Collected the bike and on my way back to home, near Mahatma Gandhi Circle, I was caught by the traffic police as I broke the signal and I gave him 100 bucks to leave me. Nevertheless, I am happy with the new bike. :)









Technical Specifications of P220 DTSi:

Pulsar 220 DTSi Engine
Type: Single Cylinder, 4 stroke-air cooled.
Bore(mm)xStroke(mm): 67×62.4
Displacement: 220cc
Valve per cylinder: 2
Fueling: Carburetor – UCAL UCD 32
Compression Ratio: 9.5:1
Max. Power (Ps@RPM): 21.04@8500
Max. Torque(NM@RPM): 19.12@7000
Starting: Electric

Pulsar 220 DTSi Transmission
Clutch: Wet multiplate
No.of gears: 5
Gear Shift Pattern: 1-down, 4-up
Primary Reduction: 3.47 (66/19)
Final Reduction: 2.571 (36/14)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Chassis, suspension and tyres
Type: Double cradle down tube
Suspension (front): Telescopic, 130mm
Suspension (rear): Nitrox, with 90mm travel
Front Brakes: Disc, 260mm
Rear Brakes: Disc, 230mm
Tyre (Front): 90/90X17″ (Soft Compound, tubeless)
Tyre (Rear): 120/80X17″ (Soft Compound, tubeless)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Dimensions
Overall Length: 2035mm
Overall Width: 750mm
Overall Height: 1165mm
Wheelbase: 1350mm
Ground Clearance: 165mm
Saddle Height: 795mm
Kerb Weight: 150kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 litres, with 3.2 litres reserve (2.2 litres usable reserve)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Electricals
Battery: 12V, 9Ah, Full DC
Head Lamp: Low – Projector Lamp, 55W, High – Ellipsoidal Lamp, 55W
Tail/ Stop Lamp: LED Type
Horn: DC, 2

Pulsar 220 DTSi performance
Max speed: 144kph (claimed) ;)

New features in Pulsar 220 DTSi:

1. Carbureted: In a lovely attempt to provide performance to masses (by reducing costs) yet keeping mandatory things in mind, Bajaj has dispensed off with the Fuel Injector of Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Now the bike comes loaded with Indias biggest 32mm Ucal UCD 32 venturi carburetor in place of the Delphi-supplied throttle body type fuel injection system in the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.

2. Power Output: The power output of the bike has risen from 20 Ps (@8500 rpm) of the DTS-Fi to a whooping 21.04 PS at the same rpm figures, a full horsepower more than the fuel injected mill in turn breaking the 20 bhp jinx which we were stuck to for quite a long time. Torque figures remain the same at 19.12 Nm but the carbureted Pulsar does it in 7000 rpm which is 500 rpms more than the fuel injected version. This also ensures the revvy nature of the engine with abundant torque available all through the curve.

3. New Piston: Keeping the cylinder dimensions same at 67 * 62.4 mm, the piston now comes in a new screen printed graphite based Malycote material which helps in reducing friction between the piston and the cylinder walls and also improves upon the engine’s anti-seizure traits.

4. Oval Pent Roof Combustion Chamber: The bike also gets an oval shaped roof combustion chamber which enables to maximize the charge density of the flame propagation path which ensures maximum combustion even with leaner air-fuel ratios.

5. Larger Air Cooler: The engine remains air-cooled as in DTS-Fi but needs to maintain a steady cool temperature now gets a larger air-cooler on this bike with 33 percent more cooling area which ensures that the bike runs cool even under high temperatures.

6. All New Ignition System: The bike also incorporates an all new ignition system with engine temperature sensors built into the cylinder head to aid a rider in a perfect ride without any loss of torque or any flat spots.

7. All New Auto Choke: With this version Bajaj has to ensure that the user doesn’t suffer from cold starting problems with the bike, now a carbureted version. To counter this possible issue, this bike comes loaded with an auto-choke which enables the bike to start in coldest of environments with ease.

8. All New Clutch Assembly: The biggest issue with the earlier iterations of the Pulsar series was the lack of clutch responsiveness and the lack of feel from the clutch under slightest of loads. Seems like Bajaj has paid a special attention on this front and the bike sports an all completely enclosed clutch supplied by FCC Riko. The bike has a reported slick and much better feel than the earlier iterations which makes the bike even better to ride.

9. All New Gearbox Internals: Adding to the new clutch system, Bajaj has ensured that all the known issues are rectified. This gearbox, which is one of the biggest problems for Bajaj, has been overhauled with some major component changes. The bike is reported to slickest Pulsar till date.

10. All-Black Theme: The bike gets an all-black theme with black alloys, engine, swingarm and forks from other iterations of the same stable and makes the bike look a killer.

11. Soft Compound Tyres: The bike comes loaded with the R15 reminiscent soft compound tubeless tyres which make the bike a dream to handle while on corners and also makes sure the bike is planted under extreme or harsh braking. The tyres remain the same size with the front being 90/90 * 17 and rear being a meaty 120/80 * 17 which also aids to the overall killer looks of the bike.

12. New Designed Logo: The bike also gets a metallic protruded Pulsar logo reminiscent to the new Pulsar 180 2009 edition. It also gets a revamped clip-on handle bar along with a redesigned console background.

13. Catalytic Converter: The bike, now, with the exclusion of Fuel injector, incorporates a catalytic converter to absorb the harmful gases from the exhaust and in turn making sure that the bike meets the soon to be enforced Bharat Stage 4 Pollution Norms.

Few negative points about 220 from my first ride..

1) Legacy Vibrations in the engine still exists.
2) Mirror is one of the junk things. Its just there for namesake. Can never see the reflections even when driving at 50kmph.
3) Rear Disc brakes are another piece of shit. Drum brakes were far better than rear Discs. :P

Nintendo Wii Finally!!

Entire set Details:

Nintendo Wii $321
Extra Remote $44
Extra Nunchuk $26



It also had two free games "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary" and "Twin Strike : Operation Thunder".

It's from November 2008, I was behind this Crazy gaming console. It was when one of my friend's sis was about to come from UK, I decided to get it from there. Unfortunately, that dint work out. :(
Beginning of Jan 2009, Hemanth told me that he will try getting one for me as few of his friends were about to come from US by the end of Jan. Hmmmmm, finally it work out. Hemanth was in Hyderabad when his Team Lead got a Wii by Jan end. He told he will be coming to Bengaluru on 21st of Feb so that I can collect my Wii that day. :)
I was too desperate to wait for another 20 days, so asked him to come on the first weekend of the Feb itself. When i called him on first Friday of Feb he surprised me telling he is already in Bengaluru and was transferred here permanently.
I could not wait no more to get my Wii. The same day i.e: 6th Feb 2009, I left to Hemanth's place at N R colony directly from my company. I collected it and reached home by 10.
Bro and I were really excited to make the initial setup and start the fun. As the console was brought from US, it had an adapter capable of handling 110v. Dad and I went in search of a Step down motor which converts 220v into 110. No shops were open. Finally got it from one of my uncle and started the fun. Play began at 11 PM and went till 6 AM. It was a great time, can never forget it!!

And about Wii, I don't think I need to explain it. Anyways for those who are wondering wat it is, here is a tech spec (Courtesy: Wiki. :P

Nintendo Wii:

============================================
Processors:
============================================

* CPU: PowerPC-based "Broadway" processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, reportedly clocked at 729 MHz
* GPU: ATI "Hollywood" GPU made with a 90 nm CMOS process, reportedly clocked at 243 MHz

============================================
Memory:
============================================

* 88 MB main memory (24 MB "internal" 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package, 64 MB "external" GDDR3 SDRAM)
* 3 MB embedded GPU texture memory and framebuffer.

============================================
Ports and peripheral capabilities:
============================================

* Up to four Wii Remote controllers (connected wirelessly via Bluetooth)
* Nintendo GameCube controller ports (4)
* Nintendo GameCube Memory Card slots (2)
* SD memory card slot
* USB 2.0 ports (2)
* Sensor Bar power port
* Accessory port on bottom of Wii Remote
* Optional USB keyboard input in message board, Wii Shop Channel, and the Internet Channel (as of 3.0 and 3.1 firmware update)
* Mitsumi DWM-W004 WiFi 802.11b/g wireless module
* Compatible with optional USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor
* MultiAV output port for component, composite and S-Video

============================================
Built-in content ratings systems:
============================================

* BBFC, CERO, ESRB, OFLC, OFLC (NZ), PEGI, USK

============================================
Storage:
============================================

* 512 MB built-in NAND flash memory
* Expanded storage via SD card memory (up to 2 GB)
* Nintendo GameCube Memory Card (required for GameCube game saves)

IBM's Wii "Broadway" CPU
ATI's Wii "Hollywood" GPU

* Slot-loading disc drive compatible with 8 cm Nintendo GameCube Game Disc and 12 cm Wii Optical Disc
* Mask ROM by Macronix

============================================
Video:
============================================

* 480p (PAL/NTSC), 480i (NTSC) or 576i (PAL/SECAM), standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen
* MultiAV multi-output port for component, composite, S-video, RGB SCART and VGA

============================================
Audio:
============================================

* Main: Stereo – Dolby Pro Logic II-capable
* Controller: Built-in speaker

============================================
Power consumption:
============================================

* 18 watts when switched on
* 9.6 watts in standby with WiiConnect24 standby connection
* 1.3 watts in standby

OpenSUSE 11.0 on the PlayStation 3

I recently decided to do something crazy and install OpenSUSE 11.0 on my PlayStation 3.. Believe me, its Wow!! Before SUSE, i tried Yellow Dog Linux 6.0 and it sucked!! YDL had poor performance on my machine..


Motivation:

Sony made provisions in the PS3 for installing and booting other operating systems. Aside from fact that it seemed like a cool thing to do I also thought that after doing the Linux install I might be able to play all the video formats like mpeg, xvid etc.

Method:

I downloaded OpenSUSE 11.0 PPC DVD and burned it to a re-writable DVD.

Setup:

Obviously I used a PlayStation 3. It was connected to a 32" Samsung Series 5 LCD HDTV using the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable and the resolution of that output was set on the PS3 to 1080p (this is not relevant to the install since you have to pick the resolution)

I also decided to splurge and get a Wireless USB keyboard and mouse (Rs.1500/-). I don’t happen to own any USB keyboards so I needed to get one anyhow and I figured life would be much easier if I could do everything from the couch. I was right. The wireless USB keyboard and mouse just plugged into the PS3 and worked. Simple as that. And as a bonus they work both in the Linux OS as well as the default PS3 OS.

Drawbacks:

You must reformat your PS3 hard drive before doing the install. This means you could loose a lot of data including saved game data as well as installed and downloaded games. However there is a simple backup mechanism in the PS3 which allows you to save this data to a USB key. As a worse case scenario you can re-download your games.

On the PS3, select: Settings -> System Settings -> Backup before you start.

The other drawback is that the install can take a long time which means you can’t play your PS3 while your waiting which is what I normally do when installing systems.

Steps:

I have incorporated most everything from these instructions on the “official” page located here:

http://en.opensuse.org/Playstation.

However this page is a bit less “official” and has a bit more detail.

Post Install Video Resolution:

After the install, the default resolution is insanely small. You have to manually edit the /etc/kboot.conf file so it looks like this

default=openSuSE
timeout=20
openSuSE="/dev/ps3da5:/vmlinux initrd=/dev/ps3da5:/initrd quiet panic=42 sysrq=1 video=ps3fb:mode:5"

The mode is based on this table from the PS3 Linux Starter Kit docs.

============================================
YUV 60Hz 1:480i 2:480p 3:720p 4:1080i 5:1080p
YUV 50Hz 6:576i 7:576p 8:720p 9:1080i 10:1080p
RGB 60Hz 33:480i 34:480p 35:720p 36:1080i 37:1080p
RGB 50Hz 38:576i 39:576p 40:720p 41:1080i 42:1080p
VESA 11:WXGA 12:SXGA 13:WUXGA
============================================
full screen mode: + 128
dither ON mode : + 2048

So for example, 1080p = 5, + Full screen = 128, total 133.

Multimedia Support:

With proper installation of OpenSUSE 11.0 you should be able to play Mp3 formats without any error but most of the video formats wont be playable. Don't get down, just click Packman for PPC and you will find audio and video players like Mplayer, vlc Player, xine, XMMS, Rhythmbox, Amarok etc which can play most of the formats known to Mankind.. ;)

Supported media formats ( Courtesy: Wiki )

============================================
Physical media
============================================

* CD
* DVD

============================================
Container formats
============================================

* 3GP
* AVI
* ASF
* FLV
* Matroska
* MOV (QuickTime)
* MP4
* NUT
* Ogg
* OGM
* RealMedia

============================================
Video formats
============================================

* Cinepak
* DV
* H.263
* H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
* HuffYUV
* Indeo
* MJPEG
* MPEG-1
* MPEG-2
* MPEG-4 Part 2
* RealVideo
* Sorenson
* Theora
* WMV

============================================
Audio formats
============================================

* AAC
* AC3
* ALAC
* AMR
* FLAC
* Intel Music Coder
* Monkey's Audio
* MP3
* RealAudio
* Shorten
* Speex,
* Vorbis
* WMA

============================================
Subtitle formats
============================================

* AQTitle
* ASS/SSA
* CC
* JACOsub
* MicroDVD
* MPsub,
* OGM
* PJS
* RT
* Sami
* SRT
* SubViewer
* VOBsub
* VPlayer

============================================

PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360??

This is still a question in my mind.. But all i can say is PS3 is really worth for the money i lost.. I took it at Sony World for Rs. 25,000/- for which i got Rs. 3,000/- worth Grand Theft Auto 4 Blu-ray disc.



Whats there in PS3 which is not there in Xbox 360:

1) No HDMI support.

2) No Blu-ray player.

3) Can't install an operating system. This itself is a dealbreaker.. ;)



PlayStation 3 Specifications:

=============================
CPU: Cell Processor
=============================

* PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
* 1 VMX vector unit per core
* 512KB L2 cache
* 7 x SPE @3.2GHz
* 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
* 7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

=============================
GPU: RSX @550MHz
=============================

* 1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
* Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
* Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines

=============================
Sound:
=============================

* Dolby 5.1ch
* DTS
* LPCM

=============================
Memory:
=============================

* 256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
* 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

=============================
System Bandwidth:
=============================

* Main RAM: 25.6GB/s
* VRAM: 22.4GB/s
* RSX: 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
* SB: 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)

System Floating Point Performance: 2 TFLOPS

=============================
Storage:
=============================

* HDD
* Detachable 2.5” HDD slot x 1

=============================
I/O:
=============================

* USB: Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
* Memory Stick: standard/Duo, PRO x 1
* SD: standard/mini x 1
* CompactFlash: (Type I, II) x 1

=============================
Communication:
=============================

* Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
* Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
* Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

=============================
Controller:
=============================

* Bluetooth (up to 7)
* USB2.0 (wired)
* Wi-Fi (PSP®)
* Network (over IP)

=============================
AV Output:
=============================

* Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
* HDMI: HDMI out x 2
* Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
* Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

=============================
CD Disc media (read only):
=============================

* PlayStation CD-ROM
* PlayStation 2 CD-ROM
* CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW
* SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD
* DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)

=============================
DVD Disc media (read only):
=============================

* PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM
* PLAYSTATION 3 DVD-ROM
* DVD-Video: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW

=============================
Blu-ray Disc media (read only):
=============================
* PLAYSTATION 3 BD-ROM
* BD-Video: BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

=============================

Samsung S5

After a research of about 3 months finally decided to go for Samsung Series 5 LCD HDTV (LA32A550P1) for my room. I took it for Rs. 55,000/- with which i got a Pebble DVD Player (DVD-F1080) worth Rs. 5,900/- absolutely free.. ;)

Take a look at specification ( Courtesy: Samsung )

============================
VIDEO
============================

. Size : 81cm (32)
. Resolution : 1920 x 1080
. Dynamic Contrast Ratio : 15,000:1
. Viewing Angle : 178°/178° (H/V)

Viewing angle is defined as the maximum visibility covering total Angle in horizontal & vertical direction from a display panel, with minimum loss of color shade & contrast of the Image. The measuring standard is normally taken from the centre of the display.

. Response Time : 5ms
. DNIe™ : DNIe +

The input signal passes through a series of four advanced processors, 1. Motion Optimizer 2. Contrast Enhancer 3. Detail Enhancer 4. Color Optimizer. That forms the core of the DNIe™ technology.

. Brightness : 500nit
. Backlight : CCFL

============================
AUDIO
============================

. Sound Output (RMS) : 10W x 2
. Sound Effect System : SRS TrusurroundXT
. Input & Output (Side) HDMI : 1

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is quickly becoming the standard for connecting high-definition home Theater components. HDMI is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition video and Uncompressed Two-channel audio in all HD formats (720p, 1080i and even 1080p). HDMI carries all Digital Video and Audio channels in a single cable to connect any HDMI-enabled source device to a Display System.

. composite (AV) : 1
. S-Video : 1

S-Video expanded as Super Video, where the Picture resolution is Superior to Composite Video. H-Resolution can be as much as 400 Lines. A special cable with 2-Core shielded wire is used with 4-Mini DIN socket. S-Video Socket The video signal is split into 2-sections as: a) Y - Luminance (B&W + Control Signal) & b) C - Chrominance (Color Signal) Normally such high quality video is not available from common CTV or VCR or VCD Players.

. Headphone : 1

============================
Cabinet
============================

. Swivel (left/right) : Yes

============================
Feature
============================

. Picture-in-Picture : 1 Tuner PIP
. Sleep Timer : Yes
. Clock & On/Off timer : Yes
. Still Picture : No
. Auto Channel Search : Yes
. Auto Power Off : Yes
. Auto Volume Leveller : Yes

The advantage of ‘Auto Volume Leveler’ is to maintain a similar sound output level on each channel, provided the Volume Bar Graph is set at same value for each of the selected channels. There should be minimum variation in sound level during the commercial break & advertisement etc. Even the performance is optimized while changing 1-Channel to another

. Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) : Yes
. Movie Plus : Yes
. TTXT : Yes

============================
System
============================

. Colour system : PAL Multi
. Power : Free

============================
Dimension
============================

. Set size (WXHXD) with stand : 865.0 x 561.0 x 220.0mm
. Set size(WXHXD) without stand : 865.0 x 499.8 x 79.0mm
. Package(WXHXD) : 981.0 x 196.0 x 711.0mm

============================
Weight
============================

. Set weight with stand : 13.7Kg
. Set weight without stand : 11.8Kg
. Package weight : 18.7Kg

============================
Accessory
============================

. Wall Mount : Auto
. Remote Controller : TM96B
. Batteries : AAA Type
. ANT- Cable : No
. Power Cable : Yes

============================
Input & Output(Back)
============================

. RF Input : 1
. Component(Y/Pb/Pr) : 2
. S-Video : No
. Headphone : No
. Composite(AV) : 1
. HDMI : 2
. PC input (D-sub) : 1
. Video Monitor out, L/R : 1 (Audio Only)
. RS232C (for Service only) : 1

============================
Power consumption
============================

. Operation power consumption : 180W
. Stand-By power consumption : 1W

============================

Best Features:

Linux based operating system inside along with new innovation called WiseLink.

About WISELINK - music and photo on TV:



The WISELINK connection allows you to share music and photos with those who are closest to you. By simply using the USB 2.0 interface you can delight your friends and family with the things that delight you.

Intuit.. Applied as a fresher.

It was on Friday at 11AM.. I thought it was a GOOD Friday for me as i was confident that i will clear the interview but unfortunately it wasn't.. I reached the Company at 10.35AM.. Vijay Dixit (contact person whom i had to meet) came at around 10.50AM with a Question paper and the same was asked to complete in 1 hour.. I was left alone in a meeting room..

-----------------------------------------------------------
Round 1) Written Test:

The Question paper consisted of 12 questions which consisted of
1-5 Marks question,
4-3 Marks questions,
1-2 Marks question and
6-1 Mark questions.
-----------------------------------------------------------

I answered almost all the questions except 2-1 Marks questions and 5 Marks question partially.. Anyway, i cleared written round and within 15 minutes i was started off with the technical interview.

Chandru, the guy who came to walk me through the technical interview for me entered the room.. He asked me whether i have some water or coffee.. I replied "Yes, Water would do good as i dint had my breakfast in the morning".. He gave a gentle smile and took me to an area where i had water.. I was relaxed.. Then we went back to the meeting room.. He asked me to take my seat after which i did the same.. He gave a small introduction about himself saying his name is Chandru, joined Intuit recently 2 months before etc..

-----------------------------------------------------------
Round 2) Technical Interview:

There was a question in the written round which asked to give an algorithm to get the mirror tree from the given tree.. Chandru asked me to write a program in any language for the same.. Since i was not sure about the traversing i told him that i am not sure about coding..
Code for Mirror the tree:
-----------------------------------------------------------
/*
Change a tree so that the roles of the
left and right pointers are swapped at every node.

So the tree...
| 4
| / \
| 2 5
| / \
| 1 3

is changed to...
| 4
| / \
| 5 2
| / \
| 3 1
*/
void mirror(struct node* node) {
if (node==NULL) {
return;
}
else {
struct node* temp;

// do the subtrees
mirror(node->left);
mirror(node->right);

// swap the pointers in this node
temp = node->left;
node->left = node->right;
node->right = temp;
}
}

-----------------------------------------------------------
Then he asked me about JVM, i answered.. He was not satisfied.. I din't know what he was expecting me to answer, so i asked him what exactly he was expecting me to answer.. He replied anything.. Next, he asked me to Reverse the words in a given sentence, i repeat he asked me to reverse the words not the character.. Say suppose the given sentence is "India is a great country" the output should be "Country great a is India".. I came up with an answer how to solve the problem.. But he asked me to code it.. Since i had no practice of coding for a long time i couldn't code.. Next i was given a puzzle.. There are 50 floors in a building and i have given with two glass balls, how do i find from which floor the glass balls break when i drop it.. I came up with the answer saying Linear search, Binary search and some more Methodologies.. But he was not satisfied.. I don't know what he thinks about himself.. He was not satisfied with any of my answers.. I wonder whether he was expecting me to be better than him in Coding.. I know he is an X-Employee of Microsoft, but he had no need to show it off..
Anyway, for Reversing the words in a given sentence the code is as follows..

-----------------------------------------------------------
In C:
-----------------------------
#include"stdio.h"
#include"stdlib.h"

int reverse(char *string, char delimiter)
{
char *src, *dest;
char *temp = string;

while( *temp )
{
if (*temp == delimiter)
{
temp++;
continue;
}

src=dest=temp;
while ( (*(dest+1) != delimiter) && ( *(dest+1) != '\0' ))
dest++;
temp=dest+1;
while( dest > src )
{
char tmp = *dest;
*dest = *dest-- *src;
*src = *src++ tmp;
}
}
return 0;
}

int main()
{
char name[] = "India is a great country";
printf("%s\n",name);
reverse(name,' '); /* Space as delimiter, Reverse Words */
printf("%s\n",name);
reverse(name,'\n'); /* Reverse Complete Sentence */
printf("%s\n",name);
}
-----------------------------
In C++
-----------------------------
#include
#include
using namespace std;
int main()
{
char str[]="India is a great country";

string ans;
int n=0;
while(str[n]!='\0')
n++;
bool flag=true;
for(int i=n-1;i>=0;i--)
{
if(str[i]==' ')
{
int m=i+1;
string temp;
while(str[m]!=' ' && m < n)
{
temp+=str[m];
m++;
}
if(flag)
{
ans+=temp;
flag=false;
continue;
}
if(flag==false)
{
ans+=' ';
ans+=temp;
}
}
}

cout << ans;
system("pause");
return 0;
}
---------------------------
In Java
---------------------------
import java.util.*;
public class StringReverseWord {

private static void doStringReverseWord() {

String a = "India is a great Country";
Stack stack = new Stack();
StringTokenizer tempStringTokenizer = new StringTokenizer(a);

while (tempStringTokenizer.hasMoreTokens()) {
stack.push(tempStringTokenizer.nextElement());
}

System.out.println("\nOriginal string: " + a);

System.out.print("Reverse word string: ");
while(!stack.empty()) {
System.out.print(stack.pop());
System.out.print(" ");
}

System.out.println("\n");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
doStringReverseWord();
}

}

-----------------------------------------------------------
After the Technical round Vijay Dixit came in and told me that i was done with the Interview and i can move.. I just asked him about the Discussion round with the Manager which was mentioned in the mail.. He told me that it has been skipped.. I was sure then that i dint clear.. I was DISAPPOINTED..
I believe in:
"CODING IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT.. PEOPLE WHO KNOW TO CODE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THE PROBLEM AND COME OUT WITH A RIGHT SOLUTION BUT PEOPLE WHO CAN ANALYZE THE PROBLEM CAN CODE IT.."
"WE CAN LEARN CODING BUT NOT THE THINKING CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY"
"CODE CAN BE REUSED BUT WE SHOULD BE KNOWING HOW DO WE DO THAT!!"
I dint even had my lunch as i was feeling low.. Later, Vijay Dixit asked me to stay saying that i would be having Discussion with the Manager.. I got some hopes..
-----------------------------------------------------------
Round 3) Discussion with the Manager.

Balaji, the manager, was looking Handsome and Smart.. We went to a meeting room at about 1:30PM.. He asked me about the work type at Infosys and what do i do there.. He then asked me to pick up a topic so that we can have a great discussion.. I picked JAVA.. As Java is vast, he asked me to pick some particular topic in it.. I picked up Inheritance.. So, he asked me to write a code in Java to connect to the database and execute a simply select query.. I was not sure about the code as i used to reuse the code and never byheart..

Code is as:
---------------------------
Connection connection=null;
try {
Class.forName("oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver");
connection=DriverManager.getConnection("Host Details","Host Name","Password");
Statement statement = connection.createStatement();

if (connection==null)
{
out.println("error");
}
PreparedStatement preparedStatement = connection.prepareStatement("Query goes here");
ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery();
}
---------------------------
Then i took Data Structures as a topic.. He asked me when do i use Arrays and when do i use Linked Lists.. I answered, Arrays are used when the data has to be accessed randomly and Linked Lists are used when the data can be accessed sequentially.. But i forgot to mention that Arrays are used for Static declaration and Linked Lists are used for Dynamic declaration.. Finally, i took Virtual functions as a topic for discussion.. I explained him with diagrams.. I explained him about "Diamond of Death", the need for Virtual Functions, Object Infrastructure and Virtual Table.. Then we discussed about a couple of problems from the question paper.. He told he was impressed.. I felt happy.. I forgot to show him couple of Excellent feedbacks which i received from the customer at Infosys which i had it in my file.. He told me that he was done with the interview and do i have anything to ask.. I just smiled and asked him how my performance was.. He replied saying i would be knowing about my performance.. I told, To me i did good but with your perception it might be different.. He just smiled and asked me to wait as Vijay Dixit would be contacting me..
I really enjoyed having discussion with Balaji.. He is really GREAT guy to meet.. I was impressed the way he spoke etc..
-----------------------------------------------------------

I was waiting for Vijay Dixit.. He came and told me that i was done with the interview.. I just asked him when do i get to know about the results, whether they would mail me or they would give me a ring.. He told me that he would let me know about the results by any means of communication on Monday.. I just came out with colors..

But the same night, i got to know that i haven't cleared as i didn't do any of the coding stuff.. I never knew they would expect me to know the coding for a fresher role.. I was disappointed.. Whats in MY hands?? Had a nice Experience, i learnt from it.. Anyways, now BYHEARTING some code snippets so that when i go again i can just put it down on a PAPER.. It MATTERS for them.. ;) WATEVER HAPPENS is for GOOD.. Believe they don't DESERVE ME.. Thats ATTITUTE, Never get it DOWN.. :)