Yes, finally - after about 2 months of going through various camera reviews, I got myself a Nikon Coolpix 5900!!! The amount of technical manuals and user reviews I have read makes me a camera geek now, phew, it's really difficult to make a decision. There are so many models from different companies and then each of these camera offers some unique features, which are not in other ones. Finally I had to keep 3 things in mind -
1. Price - (Being a software developer in India - have to keep this in mind)
2. Pocketability - how compact it is
3. Features - Nikon Coolpix 5900 offers - D-Light, Red Eye Reduction, Panaromic shots, Video @ 640 * 480 - 30 fps, Face Priority AF etc. etc.
On Saturday 12th November 2005 visited our friendly "Camera Vinod's" shop and looked at all the models that were on display, and before I could change my mind - went for Nikon Coolpix 5900 with 1 GB of SD Card.
Took few shots and video in the office and so far I am happy with the results. To my surprise, the camera has a cool feature - Panaroma - that was not mentioned in any of the reviews I had been!!!
Anyway, if you are contemplating on any "pockatable" Digital Camera then I recommend this one. Of course there are few better camera's in the market such as - Casio Exilim Z750, Sony DSC W7, Canon IXUS 700 - but then these are either not available in India or high priced.
Watch this space for more on digital camera's and also for some cool snaps!
Monday, November 14, 2005
Friday, November 05, 2004
Compact Framework Emulator Debugging without netowrk card
This was one problem I have been facing as I have no network card on my home PC. So how do I get VS .NET to allow me to debug my CF application? The answer is to add MS Loopback Adapter on your machine.
How to do this? Below is a step by step instruction -
To install (using XP)
Open Control Panel, choose Add Hardware, and then choose Next.
Choose Yes, I have already connected the hardware, and then choose Next.
From the Installed hardware list, select Add a new hardware device, and then choose Next.
Choose Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced), and then choose Next.
From the Common hardware types list, select Network adapters, and then choose Next.
From the Manufacturer list, select Microsoft.
From the Network Adapter list, select Microsoft Loopback Adapter, and then choose Next.
Choose Next, and then choose Finish.
How to do this? Below is a step by step instruction -
To install (using XP)
Open Control Panel, choose Add Hardware, and then choose Next.
Choose Yes, I have already connected the hardware, and then choose Next.
From the Installed hardware list, select Add a new hardware device, and then choose Next.
Choose Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced), and then choose Next.
From the Common hardware types list, select Network adapters, and then choose Next.
From the Manufacturer list, select Microsoft.
From the Network Adapter list, select Microsoft Loopback Adapter, and then choose Next.
Choose Next, and then choose Finish.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Delphi 9 Preview
Borcon 2004 at Bangalore was great this year. Thanks to Borland India for arranging it. There was lot of enthusiasm among all. John Kaster show cased Delphi 9. Finally we have a new Delphi product that seems to live up to Delphi community expectations! After Delphi 8 release most of the Delphi fanatics were bit disappointed as lot was expected from Borland. And at time Visual Studio .NET 2003 seemed to be far better than Delphi 8.
Anyway, now we are going to have Delphi 9 in about 2 month’s time. And from what I can see in the preview / demo that JK gave us, Delphi 9 rocks and is ready to kick ass competition.
New Features of Delphi 9
Single IDE for Delphi Win32, Delphi VCL .NET, Delphi WinForms and C# (Remember Galileo?)
Refactoring - After seeing this in Borland JBuilder all Delphi Developers wanted this and finally it's debuting with D9
Extract method
Extract resource string
Rename
Declare field and variable
Find unit or namespace
Versioning / new History tab
SyncEdit
New language features (for both Win32 and .NET)
for ... in ... do enumeration syntax (like for...each in C#)
Function inlining
Compact Framework Support
No designer or debugger - only compile. I think this has to do with MS not
releasing the SDK for CF.
ECO II
Extended ASP .NET support
Some Delphi 9 "cool features" that are not part of CLR 1.0
Class reference types
Class helpers
Sets
Virtual constructors
Built-in IDE QualityCentral reporting
What's missing in D9 -
There is no support for Generics (Whidbey / .NET 2.0), Multicast events
What I feel is that Delphi 9 is a great product for converting the existing Delphi VCL applications to .NET. Borland is very well known for giving backward compatibility. Also VCL .NET is supposed to faster than WinForms in terms of performance.
However, a few questions comes to mind for which it is difficult to find answers.
1. It's easier to port a VCL application to VCL .NET agreed. But what if the existing VCL product uses a lot of 3rd party components which are written using VCL but there exists not solution for VCL .NET?
2. I happen use Dev Express components such as Quantum Grid, Express Bar for VCL on Win32 and their WinForms components (Xtra Grid and Xtra Bar, which are unbeleivably similar). So if I want to port my VCL application that uses these components I would look at VS .NET and C# since I already have these components for .NET. Dev Express has stated that they will come out with VCL .NET versions, but not sure when they will?
3. Finally I feel that when MS comes out with a newer version of .NET (say 2.0 next year), they also come out with the IDE that supports the latest version. Where as Delphi developers have to wait for 6 - 12 months to use these new technologies. For e.g. Delphi 9 won't be supporting .NET 2.0 or SQL Server 2005 (John Kaster says there might not be an update for D9 to support .NET 2.0!) So we have to wait for D10 to work with .NET 2.0.
4. No support for Comptact Framework development
But whatever said and done, Delphi 9 is out now! and is a great upgrade for those who have Delphi 6/7 with them. So go and get your licensed copy now!
Any suggestions please feel free to contact me at - nbaliga@tiersolution.com or fill up the Comments at this site.
Anyway, now we are going to have Delphi 9 in about 2 month’s time. And from what I can see in the preview / demo that JK gave us, Delphi 9 rocks and is ready to kick ass competition.
New Features of Delphi 9
Single IDE for Delphi Win32, Delphi VCL .NET, Delphi WinForms and C# (Remember Galileo?)
Refactoring - After seeing this in Borland JBuilder all Delphi Developers wanted this and finally it's debuting with D9
Extract method
Extract resource string
Rename
Declare field and variable
Find unit or namespace
Versioning / new History tab
SyncEdit
New language features (for both Win32 and .NET)
for ... in ... do enumeration syntax (like for...each in C#)
Function inlining
Compact Framework Support
No designer or debugger - only compile. I think this has to do with MS not
releasing the SDK for CF.
ECO II
Extended ASP .NET support
Some Delphi 9 "cool features" that are not part of CLR 1.0
Class reference types
Class helpers
Sets
Virtual constructors
Built-in IDE QualityCentral reporting
What's missing in D9 -
There is no support for Generics (Whidbey / .NET 2.0), Multicast events
What I feel is that Delphi 9 is a great product for converting the existing Delphi VCL applications to .NET. Borland is very well known for giving backward compatibility. Also VCL .NET is supposed to faster than WinForms in terms of performance.
However, a few questions comes to mind for which it is difficult to find answers.
1. It's easier to port a VCL application to VCL .NET agreed. But what if the existing VCL product uses a lot of 3rd party components which are written using VCL but there exists not solution for VCL .NET?
2. I happen use Dev Express components such as Quantum Grid, Express Bar for VCL on Win32 and their WinForms components (Xtra Grid and Xtra Bar, which are unbeleivably similar). So if I want to port my VCL application that uses these components I would look at VS .NET and C# since I already have these components for .NET. Dev Express has stated that they will come out with VCL .NET versions, but not sure when they will?
3. Finally I feel that when MS comes out with a newer version of .NET (say 2.0 next year), they also come out with the IDE that supports the latest version. Where as Delphi developers have to wait for 6 - 12 months to use these new technologies. For e.g. Delphi 9 won't be supporting .NET 2.0 or SQL Server 2005 (John Kaster says there might not be an update for D9 to support .NET 2.0!) So we have to wait for D10 to work with .NET 2.0.
4. No support for Comptact Framework development
But whatever said and done, Delphi 9 is out now! and is a great upgrade for those who have Delphi 6/7 with them. So go and get your licensed copy now!
Any suggestions please feel free to contact me at - nbaliga@tiersolution.com or fill up the Comments at this site.
Monday, October 11, 2004
The Konkana Kuladeva - Dalitoy
Dalitoy - This is a must gravy in all Konkana Festivals/Ceremony, without this life sucks for a konkana. So the name Kuladeva!
If you really want to eat the best "Dalitoy" you should go to SVT - Shree Venkataraman Temple in Car Street, Managlore during Ratha Sapthami, five days feast when they serve the food, it will make you lick your fingers! Really, I mean this.
Another place where you can eat Dalitoy at it's best is Hotel "Ayodhya" (Mangalore)
Anyway let's see how to make this at home.
Ingredients -
Toor Dal - 100 - 250 Gms (say for 2 people)
Geen chillies - 4
Red Chillies - 4 (the best one would be Parekal, which is available in Mangalore, though you can use any other type)
Mustard - 1 spoon
Coriandar leaves - say about 10 leaves
Kothambari - fine chopped
Hing (Asafotedia) - This is a must, without this Dalitoy won't be dalitoy
Preparation -
The Dal -
Take a cooker and put Dal in that, drop 1 table spoon of oil or Ghee and roast it for say 2 minutes, before the dal turs it color. Add 2-3 glass of water in the coocker (usualy, the raio is 1:3 for Dal and Water).
Add 2 chopped Green chillies - Chop it straight and add it
Now close the cooker and leave it for 13 minutes on the gas at a medium flame, your cooker will whistle for 3 - 4 times. After 13 minutes, off the gas.
Aftermath -
Now open the cooker and see if the Dal is cooked, it should be by now else you will have to cook it again. Take a big spoon (kaulo, I mean Daulo - Konkani, can't trnslate this) and stir the Dal, till the gravy is fine.
Now switch on the gas and keep the cooker on it and let it boil once again, this time add 2 more green chillies - this will add a great flavour. Keep stirring your kaulo... :)
Now if you have Hing (Asafotedia) then put this in a small glass with a little bit of water so that it dissolves, it is important that hing dissolves, else you might get it in mouth when earing. Add this hing water to Dal in the cooker
Tadka -
For this you need to be very quick as the Tadka can burn fast.
On the other gas pad, you need to keep one Tadka pan, put 4 spoons of oil or ghee and let is heat up. Once done, add mustard (1 spoon) and it make some noise.
Add 4 Red chillies, and let it roast. Add corander leaves, this will make some noise.
Now for my most fav. part -
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! without the guidance of an expert, if you really want to try then switch off the Tadka gas. Once done, Take some Dal in a spoon and add that to the Tadka Pan, this will make a big noise, don't worry, enjoy it.
Add the tadka from the Pan to the Dal, Off the gas. Your dal is ready to be served. Thicker the better...
Kothambari is liked by some and not liked by others, so if you like it then add the fine chopped Kothambari in to the Dal and Serve HOT!
Serving -
Serves traditionlly with hot rice, you can also serve this with Idli, Chapati or Dosa...
Yours truly,
The Tadka man (Panna mam in Konkani)
If you really want to eat the best "Dalitoy" you should go to SVT - Shree Venkataraman Temple in Car Street, Managlore during Ratha Sapthami, five days feast when they serve the food, it will make you lick your fingers! Really, I mean this.
Another place where you can eat Dalitoy at it's best is Hotel "Ayodhya" (Mangalore)
Anyway let's see how to make this at home.
Ingredients -
Toor Dal - 100 - 250 Gms (say for 2 people)
Geen chillies - 4
Red Chillies - 4 (the best one would be Parekal, which is available in Mangalore, though you can use any other type)
Mustard - 1 spoon
Coriandar leaves - say about 10 leaves
Kothambari - fine chopped
Hing (Asafotedia) - This is a must, without this Dalitoy won't be dalitoy
Preparation -
The Dal -
Take a cooker and put Dal in that, drop 1 table spoon of oil or Ghee and roast it for say 2 minutes, before the dal turs it color. Add 2-3 glass of water in the coocker (usualy, the raio is 1:3 for Dal and Water).
Add 2 chopped Green chillies - Chop it straight and add it
Now close the cooker and leave it for 13 minutes on the gas at a medium flame, your cooker will whistle for 3 - 4 times. After 13 minutes, off the gas.
Aftermath -
Now open the cooker and see if the Dal is cooked, it should be by now else you will have to cook it again. Take a big spoon (kaulo, I mean Daulo - Konkani, can't trnslate this) and stir the Dal, till the gravy is fine.
Now switch on the gas and keep the cooker on it and let it boil once again, this time add 2 more green chillies - this will add a great flavour. Keep stirring your kaulo... :)
Now if you have Hing (Asafotedia) then put this in a small glass with a little bit of water so that it dissolves, it is important that hing dissolves, else you might get it in mouth when earing. Add this hing water to Dal in the cooker
Tadka -
For this you need to be very quick as the Tadka can burn fast.
On the other gas pad, you need to keep one Tadka pan, put 4 spoons of oil or ghee and let is heat up. Once done, add mustard (1 spoon) and it make some noise.
Add 4 Red chillies, and let it roast. Add corander leaves, this will make some noise.
Now for my most fav. part -
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! without the guidance of an expert, if you really want to try then switch off the Tadka gas. Once done, Take some Dal in a spoon and add that to the Tadka Pan, this will make a big noise, don't worry, enjoy it.
Add the tadka from the Pan to the Dal, Off the gas. Your dal is ready to be served. Thicker the better...
Kothambari is liked by some and not liked by others, so if you like it then add the fine chopped Kothambari in to the Dal and Serve HOT!
Serving -
Serves traditionlly with hot rice, you can also serve this with Idli, Chapati or Dosa...
Yours truly,
The Tadka man (Panna mam in Konkani)
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