Vikram Dhunta

Downloaded this software called Motioncam which lets you use your mobile camera as a security camera. When I went to purchase it on their website at skymetric.com it turns out the site's already dead.

So I used the Cavaj java decompiler to get into the class files and figure out the auth mechanism. It's very simple - just plug the following formula into an excel spreadsheet (in any col except A1) . Then in A1 put the Activation key that the software gives you when you click Activate.

=INT((17 * A1 + 90001) / 7 + MOD(11 * A1 + 9001, 19) + 5 * A1 + 911)

Labels: software

Posted by Vikram at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments
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Three years ago call centres were very much at the heart of things. Now real decisions are being taken in Bangalore and higher-value-added work is being done here.

From the Economist's Upbeat in Udaipur.

Labels: india, news

Posted by Vikram at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments
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From The Big Idea on CNBC: Metronaps is a firm that manufactures Pods for people to sit in, listen to music and sleep. The Pod is shaped like well, a pea with an airplane like seat and headphones. At $14 for a 20 min nap, it encourages corporates to allow employees to take a short mid-day siesta that bolsters productivity - that's their USP and it's backed by academic studies. They sell the Pod to companies, as well as have a pod cafe in NYC where people can come in and nap. The company was co-founded by an Indian Arshad Chowdhury and Christopher Lindholst.

I'd agree that a short fulfilling nap would be great to get energized and work the rest of the afternoon. There are of course, a lot of roadblocks to being able to sell the idea - incl. (from the show) companies (e.g. law firms) being apprehensive about letting their clients know about it - $60 an hour, incl. napping for 20 mins? Can they find managers that will pay enough attention to the academic support for naps, to actually take up the idea with their finance and HR? How do employees schedule their naps with limited machines? Wouldn't a policy of 'each employee is entitled to a 20 min nap at their desk' be (nearly) equally effective?

I don't see too many companies buying these (for one - it costs $12,000 apiece). I think after a period of time, they will simply move from selling to having more podcafes themselves near corporate hubs and leasing out Pods to companies for a rental fee (incl. maintenance, upgrades, music choices etc).

Personally, though, I've never felt comfortable sleeping in an airplane seat, no matter how horizontal it can get- have you?

Labels: news, usa

Posted by Vikram at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments
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Manu Sharma Convicted?

...if the ruling has come after so long with such hopeless disappointments as Munshi, sting operations with witnesses claiming to having been bribed by the defense, the father enjoying his public post for long since the incident, a famous (and respected) lawyer defending the guilty vociferously, or worst of all, the victim's family dying without justice one by one... one wonders whether this really *is* a landmark case, or a singularity marked only by extraordinary public and media pressure? Does it really indicate a change in the way the judiciary operates? Is it really true, going forward, that ordinary people can hope for quicker justice irrespective of how many limestone factories the defendent's father owns?

Looking at the bright side, NDTV and Tehelka did a great job, while the victim's sister, Sabrina courageously led the crusade through to its end.

Labels: india, news

Posted by Vikram at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments
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An Indian sprinter has failed a gender test, after winning the silver at the recent Asian games.

Labels: india, news

Posted by Vikram at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments
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Somnath chatterjee, the LS speaker says:

"I have lost the habit of speaking."

Posted by Vikram at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments
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The incessant delays in MS's Vista may cut off $4 bn from hardware sales this year!

Posted by Vikram at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments
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