Ramkumar K R

This is one of the mails I got today, it was another spammy mail from IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). If you are registered with IRCTC and using their online ticket booking facility, probably you too would have received this mail.

If you look in detail, the link (promo) points to another site – IndiaTodayBookClub.com which obviously look like a third party site.

NOW My Question is, who the hell is IRCTC to share my email ID to third party email advertisers, without my consent and knowledge?

Checked out IRCTC again, there is NO privacy policy document and nothing which explains me what they do with my private data such as name, email id, contact address etc !!!

Should IRCTC do such things with the user data? DISGUSTING !!
Is there anyone from IRCTC to explain what the sHiT is this??

I remember the days when me and Rajesh (My colleague at Natural Search), used to track the price of GOOG (Google share at NAZDAQ). It was in the end of Aug, there was a major algorithm update at google and the stock price went from around 280 USD to over 400 USD in a week’s time. It was at the end of Aug 2005 and in the beginning of Sept 2005.

We were just wondering how much we would have earned if we had bough google shares at that time

Thats history, but I was watching google prices by adding a stock portfolio gadget onto my iGoogle and today’s price really brought back those days when we were closely watching this stock. It was really shocking to see a price around 259 USD !! I couldn’t really digest the fact that the price has gone down even below that Aug 2005 figure !!
Whats going around? I know as a company, Google is still doing really well, but Google too relies on the money which is spent by advertisers through Google’s sponsored search results. There must be really a major drop in the advertising spend in recent times due to the economic slowdown.

Any views in this regard, do not forget to click and add a comment below .

It was 25th of October (A day to remember for me for another reason), I got a chance to travel in an AC Volvo ran by BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation). In Bangalore I rarely travel in a bus majorly because I am addicted to bike riding and never get a chance to get into a bus, unless my bike is at service center. It was one such occasion. My Hero Honda Super Slendor was being serviced at Max Motors Rajaji Nagar when I got into this AC Volvo.

Since it was my first experience on a BMTC AC Volvo, I would like to explain what I found here.. First thing a big applause to BMTC, for running these services at an affordable rate (adding to the services they added recently to the Bangalore International Airport).

First good one is for business people and IT workaholics.. There are electricity plug points where you can charge your laptop / mobile phone. !! Check the following image.

Well equiped with an emergency exit at rear.

Another important thing is the ample amount of free space inside the bus. You will never need to anxiously wait for you to get out of the heavily crowded bus. See the foldable seats in the middle part of the bus.

Last thing, BMTC is making some money through the ads on these buses. From outside I used to wonder how people can see through the ads on the side glasses. But when I got in, I realized that its a one sided ad through which you can have a look outside as if an ad is not present. You can make out a shadow of ads on the glasses. Thats Orange Electronics ad on the glasses !!

I am posting this one from train, on my way to native.. Just curious, I was testing speed of BSNL EVDO once I left cantt station.. Here are the results..

I was in Chennai in last weekend and till Monday (11th Aug) due to some official work. The place I had to visit was Thiruvanmiyur.

I was in Chennai when I was about to start my earnings, and the impression I had about Chennai from then, had to be slightly modified seeing the current infrastructure..

This picture shows the station for the metro train which runs on rails above the ground.

I got into the station and what you can see is the huge space under the station. This snap is me taking snap exactly beneath the station.

This is a view from inside the railway station..

I was really fed up of my Tata Indicom (VSNL) Broadband as it failed for the
nth time from yesterday. I had another 10 minute call to customer care to
explain the issue and hear and do the same old ‘BULL SHIT’ trouble-shooting
steps.

Internet connection has become one of a lifeline for me as it makes me upset
seeing the connection getting down.

I browsed Airtel site for their new plans as I have seen them as the primary
alternative and then BSNL. Searching about BSNL’s new plans, the new thing
struck me for a while – BSNL EVDO USB Modem.

BSNL EVDO service is not new, but its not given the much needed hype as BSNL
is still working on its infrastructure.. Remember how BSNL came out with the
mobile network after getting all the necessary infrastructure ready and
functional?

So here is the only official information I could get about BSNL EVDO, though
there are a quite number of blogs and forums already about BSNL EVDO.

http://www.bsnl.co.in/newsdetailed.php?news_id=370

My first impression about BSNL EVDO is really good. It uses a tiny USB
device just like Reliance netconnect and tata indicom USB device. Currently
the device is priced at 3500 Rupees, which you can buy or take the device on
rental at 200/pm.

For the unlimited package with upto 2.4MBps the charge is 550/pm+ taxes. If
you tae the modem on rental, total charges per month will be
550+200(rental)+service taxes . Cool eh ?

BSNL has not launched it officially, hence I don’t have much info where to
get things going, but as far as what information gathered by me in internet,
in Bangalore, BSNL has installed Base Transceiver Stations (BSTs). Each BST
is capable of covering a radius of 5-8 km.

Sandhya Lodge, Near Majestic.
Sona Towers, Near Indian Express.
City Exchange, Near Market.
Malleshwaram Exchange.
Kormangala Exchange.
BTM Layout Exchange.
RT Nagar Exchange.
Kengeri.
K.R Puram Exchange.
Electronic City.
Padmanabanagar.
Yelahanka.
SanjayNagar Exchange.
Peenya Exchange, Jalahalli Cross.
HSR Layout Exchange.
Mysore Road Exchange.
Vijaynagar Exchange.
Yeshwanthpur Exchange.

You can check bsnlevdoclub.com for more updates on BSNL EVDO.

Today I had a plan already in mind, have a long bike ride to BIA
Devenahalli (Bangalore International Airport). The airport started fully
operational just a few days ago.
My plan was slightly affected by rain as I had to seek a shelter for
about 45 minutes. While coming back I was fully drenched !!

Enjoy the snaps..

By the way it was 6:30 pm and I had not taken my Sony DSC H2 along.
These snaps are taken using my Sony Ericsson K750i with night mode. So
comment on this

It was about to rain, I got into this tea stall to have a tea ..

It started raining heavily

It rained for nearly 45 minutes then I started again

This is the fly over on Highway towards the airport

Distant view of the runway

I was wondering where all these Renault Logans are heading towards from city.. Here they are.. Quite a number of them.

The car parking area..