Dreams Of A Free Phone

Gnu describes freedom as freedom in speech not in beer. GNU/Linux on PCs had given us the freedom. But what about the mobile computing devices i.e. simply smartphones. Lets take a look at the available options:

Symbian: Used chiefly on Nokia phones. From version 9.0 onwards Platform Security has been introduced. Means a developer needs to register with Nokia to obtain capabilites to use all features of the platform. Only applications signed by phone manufacturer can be installed.

iPhone: Applications can be installed only from the App Store. Apple has the right to remove the applications from it.

Blackberry: Same story again.

Andoroid: Much hyped to be an open mobile platform. Android's source code is open to everyone, but OEMs are allowed to disable software installation at will. Link1. Link2.

In brief, all popular handset makers keep the platform locked.

I think closed source MS Windows do much better. I get a PC, purchase Windows license and I am free to do whatever I want to do with it.

From Inside

I was sitting in the class,

Watching the view across the glass

Felt like grabbing out a pen suddenly

To write this poem, coming out automatically.

I'm not well, well that is true

But who gives a thought to it, neither I nor you.

I am sitting here, shutting up my mouth,

Well, right now, this is something, I can't do anything about

Loads of bricks as if sitting over my chest

My lungs feeling like taking a life time rest.

But its not much, it will just soon be past.

May be its a preparation for days which will little more last

But as dawn always comes after the night,

I've to maintain my spirits in a state that is just right.

All I need to do is to patiently wait

As in due course of time, I will be out of this fate

Well, writing this poem gave a little relief

Physically though, well that's my belief.

Caz I can award it the second best

In helping me forget all the pains tat truly rest.

All that I am writing is what my body speaks

My mind is shut up and is in constant peace.

The moment this agony of my body goes away

I know I will, once again, sway and sway!

-Anonymous

Linux on iPhone

Yes again a new hardware platform infiltrated. And here is the video to show you its right there.


iPhone Linux Demonstration Video from planetbeing on Vimeo.

How To Use Two Google Accounts With Firefox
(Applies to Firefox on all platforms)

It's quite annoying for us to have two Google accounts (or whatever) and keep signing in and out between them. A simple solution is to install different browsers. A simple solution is to use same Firefox with two profiles, but Firefox is too great to leave. You need a bit tweaking with the command line. The commands to use and their description are as:

firefox -ProfileManager Start with ProfileManager

firefox -no-remote Open new instance, not a new window in running instance

firefox -P profile Start with profile

Start a Firefox instance. Next go to command line. Start Firefox as:
firefox -ProfileManager -no-remote
You will get a window as:


Create a new profile here and start Firefox with it. Viola! you get a new instance of the browser. This profile you can use with other accounts.

To start Firefox with a specific profile use the command:
firefox -P -no-remote

Or simply use the command:
firefox -ProfileManager -no-remote
and choose the profile you want to use.

You may also create shortcuts for these commands in Windows as well as Linux for these.

(For Windows replace Firefox with the path of %INSTALL_DIRECTORY_OF_FIREFOX%\firefox.exe )

What do You expect from the following code:

#include stdio.h
#include stdlib.h

int main(void)
{
int *p;
while(1)
p = malloc(sizeof(int));
return 0;
}

Consume all memory... huh! No! It won't. If You are in doubt; copy, paste compile and execute before reading further.

Now try the following code:


#include stdio.h
#include stdlib.h

int main(void)
{
int *p;
while(1) {
p = malloc(sizeof(int));
*p = 0;
}
return 0;
}


Now be careful. Don't copy, paste compile and execute, close all important applications and save Your data.

I executed the above code with a system information application open which gives info about current memory usage. Initially the system RAM was all consumed, then the hard disk showed the activity, which was OS trying to swap as much data to disk as possible. When even all the swap is used up the process is killed. Meanwhile a few applications like Firefox were also aborted.

The aftereffect was that most of the physical RAM was almost free. That's really wonderful. Now before trying any new game I just run my little C code and get the maximum out of my PC

Untold Story, Known By All...

Once upon a time, there was a man who was very much attracted to a particular woman.




At first, she was just another attractive woman... but the more he got to know her, the more he began to feel attracted to her... and the more time he spent with her, the more that attraction grew into a deep emotional attachment and affection for her.

But there was one problem.

As his emotional attachment grew stronger and stronger, he also grew more and more insecure.

Why?

Because he couldn't tell whether or not she felt the same way towards him.


Sometimes she would say things like "You are so important to me" and "I'm glad that you're in my life"... but nothing ever progressed past the "friendship" stage.

There was an occasional hug, an occasional kiss on the cheek from her... and once she even held his hand for a long time while he talked about an emotional issue.

But something was wrong with the picture.

She just wasn't acting like a woman that was "falling in love". She was acting like a friend.



The insecurity that he felt became a spiral that amplified itself... and the more insecure he became, the more afraid he grew of "screwing things up" by kissing her or asking her to be his girlfriend.


Plus, the more insecure he became, the less time she seemed to want to spend with him.

After spending many days and nights obsessing over this girl, the man finally arrived at the conclusion that if she only knew how HE FELT, that she would feel the same way.

So he made a bold move.

He TOLD HER how he was felt.

He confessed that he was in love, and that he would do anything to be with her.

She looked at him with compassion in her eyes and said "Thank you... I really mean that... but I don't want to mess up our friendship... you're too important to me...".

This only confused the man more.

He didn't know how to take it...

Did it mean that she really loved him too, but that she was afraid of something?

Did it mean that she wasn't ready for a long- term relationship?

Did it mean that she didn't love him, but that she was trying to give him a hint?

Did it mean that he hadn't tried hard enough?

Did it mean that he needed to put everything on the line and REALLY let her know how he felt?



He finally decided that he couldn't go on like this anymore... he had to be with her.

He had to make sure that she knew just how much he wanted to be with her... so he took a big step, bought her a symbolic gift, and wrote her a long, long letter... again confessing his feelings.


And then the unthinkable happened.

She didn't reply.

He called her three times a day for almost a week before reaching her.

She made an excuse about being very busy, and said "I'll try to give you a call soon, I have to go"... and hung up...

...but he never got a call back.

Over the following months, the man tried desperately to understand what went wrong... and what happened...

THE END