Sree Nilakanta's Radio Weblog

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:02:16 GMT

Data Protection Management: Backing Up The Business. A flurry of new data regulations are arriving in the next year, and yet again businesses are expected to comply with an increased number of complex, arcane and often conflicting requirements. More than ever, companies need clear information about their data protection and data exposure. Yet data protection products are further away than ever from providing this information. Download this white paper now to learn how to protect your businesses data.

[Computerworld Breaking News]

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:01:46 GMT

New federal employee IDs coming this fall, biometric firms giddy.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As the Washington Post reports, a slew of fresh government initiatives are set to begin to take effect this fall, starting with new biometric-loaded ID cards for federal employees. In addition to requiring all employees to undergo background checks (don't they do that already?), the new standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology will require the cards to include fingerprints at a minimum, and likely also include magnetic strips, personal identification numbers, digital photos, holograms, and watermarks. That should cover some 10 million employees, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to what's really getting the biometric companies excited: the prospect of tricking out every driver's license in the country with biometric goodness (or badness, depending on your perspective). While standards for that have yet to been set, the Real ID Act has set mid-2008 as the cut-off date to settle on the format of next-gen licenses once and for all.

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[Engadget]

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:01:52 GMT

Travelers Are Jittery After Air Plot Arrests . LONDON, Aug. 24 -- At an airport in Spain, a terrified 12-year-old girl began crying and pointing at two passengers, both Muslim college students, fueling a panic that led to their removal from the plane. A West Virginia airport terminal was evacuated when officials wrongly suspected that luggage... By Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan. [washingtonpost.com - World News and Analysis From The Washington Post]

What a tragedy! If this behavior continues in the so called "first world - a world that can boast to be full of paranoids" States (governments) will have to intervene. Perhaps, segregation is the result. One airline or flight for all the paranoid whites and another for all other people of the world. It will be curious to see the reaction of the "first world" folks if the people of the "third world" start doing the same thing to the white folks.

RIAA is a terrorist organization

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 02:21:05 GMT

RIAA Ends Harassment of Grieving Family. [Slashdot]

Why? Apparently because of over abundant sensititvity. What crap! If there is an organization that must be treated as a terrorist unit, it must be RIAA. Clearly, none of the so called legal actions the organization has taken contributed to the betterment of humankind nor has it helped companies that fund RIAA. RIAA along with DMCA have turned out be much worse than any terrorists in the world. It is high time the US government and other countries label RIAA for what it really is and ban it!

Price of an Iraqi

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 12:21:17 GMT

Three million two hundred thousand. That is how many lives eighty billion dollars would buy. According to the US military, the price of a human life in Iraq is worth $2,500. So, last year's supplemental budget for Iraq war would pay for little over 3 million Iraqi lives. Well worth it, is it not?

Shame, Shame, GOP!

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 22:24:39 GMT

Republican party claims to uphold free market enterprise and decry government interventions in private and public life of the citizens. In recent years, their behaviour is anything but that. For example, they have voted down a provision that would have ensured network freedom. Instead their actions support companies that run the internet infrastructure to put limitations on other users. In another instance, the representatives are planning on making the DMCA more draconian by removing the right to have fair use of copy righted material. Even a thought of using copy righted material can be reason for prosecution!

Big money can and does change the way these people behave. They are no longer for the people, by the people, or of the people. They are just selfish, greedy, predators. I guess it is a moral duty of every citizen to ensure that these rogues are voted out of power!

India is finally getting free market!!

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 13:53:29 GMT

Sign that India is really, finally, getting to understand free market economy is seen in the current Railway budget. The new budget has taken the unprecedented action of reducing fares for AC first class (18%) and AC two-tier (10%). It makes the railways compete with low fare airlines. It is more remarkable in that the Railway minister hails fromthe socialist party and is well known for his anti-business leanings. With the Railways beginning to enjoy competition (yes free market competition can be fun), perhaps the country is headed in the right direction! Now, if only performance incentives can be offered to the operating staff so that the trains run on time and pressure is put on the maintenace divisions to improve track integrity.

Another news to rejoice is the rise of agribusiness education. IIM-A has taken a step forward in this along with several other agricultural universities. Once free market principles get imbibed by the agricultural sector (farmers have always been entrepreneurial), especially the government bodies that regulate, we are likely to see a boom in this area. The current, pathetic transportation and processing infrastructure available for moving, storing, and processing agricultural production has impeded any progress this sector can make. Farmers can not get the prices for their products because they need to rely on the traders in their markets (mundies) and because of the inadequacies of the infrastructure they can not peddle their wares anywhere elese. In the current environment only the traders benefit from any advances in information technology (availability and dissemination of information through internet and wireless technologies). Build the infrastructure and we will see the country take off!

Dr. Kalam's recommendation

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 03:35:25 GMT

Dr. Kalam's reading recommendation to students (it applies to anyone):

Empires of the Minds by Denis Waitly, Journey into Light by G Venkataraman, A Brief History of Time by S Hawking, Parallel Worlds by Michao Kaku and The Best of Indian Physics by Dr Siddharth

Dr. Abdul Kalam is the President of India.

US visa - why apply?

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 03:18:50 GMT

Shame on US government!

The much hyped cooperation between the governments of India and Us is a farce. ou only have to look at the frequency with which the US government has been denying visa requests of prominent Indian scientists. Perhaps it is time for both governments to come clean and call their bluffs.

India should stop cooperating with the US. It does not need this treatment. Perhaps India should also start denying visas for US scientists, businessmen, and others.