Thursday, October 05, 2006

Technology For Future-I

Technology Developed in M-Commerce Domain

In Indian telecom history Short Messaging Service (SMS) has become a whole new language, accounting for revenue worth Rs.2300 crore and growing at 30% per annum. And now this mobile handset is all set to replace our wallet and becomes the preferred choice for financial transactions. This means booking airline tickets, movie tickets, making P2P or bill payments on the move-all through SMS- no need for WiFi connectivity. One of the killer applications in this domain is m-cheque. Customers wishing to avail of this facility would need to replace their SIM cards with a high powered memory chips (number remains the same) which can be bought over the counter at service provider’s outlets, while personalization or credit card authentification is done through an SMS to the concerned bank. Once the credit card data resides on the chips, the mobile phone is ready to make transactions. Walk into a merchant establishment that accepts this form of payment and give him your mobile number. The merchant, who has a handset with a similar chip, sends an SMS to a predetermined number with customer’s mobile number. The server that receives this SMS maps the data and sends it to the bank’s payment gateway. In turn, the bank’s server checks the credit limit and sends a message to the customer asking to verify the transaction. Customer’s acceptance is completed through an SMS along with the mobile PIN. This goes to the bank’s server, which sends an SMS to the merchant confirming the payment. Finally, customer receives an SMS, which serves as a proof of purchase. The same mobile handset can be used to draw cash in ATMs replacing the use of plastic cards.

New Technology for Old Transistors

Silicon is the edifice of the electronics revolution. By putting hundreds of thousands of tiny transistors on a single silicon chip, engineers shrank the size of a computer from as big as a room to a pocket sized pc in a matter of four decades. And this reduction in dimension did not affect the performance of computers-in fact, their power grew exponentially. For instance, while an 8088 microprocessor chip had just 6000 transistors, today’s Pentium IV chip carries as many as 50 million transistors. One giant snag: silicon based transistors are not expected to go very far and will soon hit a technology roadblock. The problem with all transistors in current technology and almost all proposed transistors is that they regulate current flow by raising and lowering an energy barrier. Using electricity to raise and lower energy barriers has worked for a century of switches, but that approach is about to hit a wall. Even if it were possible to build an ultra advanced laptop computers with molecule sized transistors using current transistor technology, it would take so much electricity to run the laptop that resultant heat generated would probably vaporize the computer itself.
In order to overcome this technology roadblock, a novel concept is under development that can lead to molecular transistors, which would make the next generation of tiny, powerful computers. Such transistors will be as small as one nanometer. A team of scientists showed for the first time that a single charged atom on a silicon surface can regulate the conductivity of a near by molecule, there by allowing current to pass through. This device is known as Quantum Interference Effect Transistor or QuIET.

The Chicken Came First.

My salute to Vinod Kapur and his farm Kegg (Kapur + egg) that produces the most extraordinary chickens. The birds have helped 7,00,000 rural households in Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam and North-Eastern states of India increase their income by Rs.300 crore every year for the last five years. Kegg tinkered around with imported poultry stock from the US to create high yield birds suited to Indian conditions for the urban markets. And the outcome is called Kuroiler (Kegg + Broiler) chickens, which is custom bred for the small farmers, is very different from the local village birds. Unlike desi hen, which produces 40 eggs in its 18 months cycle, a female Kuroiler gives 200 eggs in the same period. Then, they grow quicker. A male Kuroiler reaches the 1 Kg weight in 6-7 weeks, compared to a desi’s 18-20 weeks. Significantly, they are low on maintenance. They don’t need a special diet and can survive on scavenging, foraging and supplementary wastes from kitchen. They fly a little and run quicker, from predators. So they live longer.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Some Emotional Thoughts, Engineers’ Day and Steve Irwin

Someone had once told me that a successful life stands on three essential and equal legs—professional success, family (friends) happiness and a healthy body. The stress on each has to be equal to achieve maximum result. If all the legs had an equal score of 10, when multiplied (10x10x10), one can score the maximum of 1000. Any other combination as long as the total sum is 30, will always be lesser. And if you ignore one of them, then you are a big zero (25x5x0 =0). [This thought I got from Rajeev Karwal, CEO, Consumer Durables, Reliance Retail]

My little daughter Tamanna is an amazingly notorious questioning machine. Whenever she finds time to interact with me, her talking sentences start with What, Why, How, When…etc. Through these simple words she reminds me how we hesitate to ask question when we grow older. I remember the famous quote of Edward Gibbon.
The end comes when we no longer talk with ourselves. It is the end of genuine thinking and the beginning of the final loneliness.”

On fifteenth September of each year we celebrate Engineers’ Day. Sir M.Visheshwaraya, the famous engineer of India, was born on this day. When I asked some engineering students and my colleagues what they mean by engineering, I was surprised to know that they didn’t have right answer. There may be many definition of engineering, but this one I think is the most appropriate one.
Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.”

In the morning hours of each day, I and my daughter Tamanna, used to enjoy Crocodile Hunter’s Diary on Animal Planet. And it is quite shocking to know that Steve Irwin died of a stingray barb while filming off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on September 4. We will really miss you Steve.
The Kerala government will rechristen a crocodile park after Steve. This might be the first time a memorial was being marked for Irwin.
For more details on how stingray kills other click.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The Places Around CUTTACK

In our busy day-to-day life, we Kataki miss to celebrate small things like visiting nearby places etc. Being in the field of education, I get ample free time during which I explore the places surrounding the millennium city, Cuttack. On a Sunday afternoon after a sumptuous meal, I decided to start a merry go round type journey starting from Sikharpur area of the city. The first place at which I stopped was the Mahanadi Barrage. It was a manifestation of engineering endeavor. Due to incessant rain in previous days there was flood in Mahanadi and all the gates of barrage were made open. Oh what was the power of this mighty river [Pic1, Pic2]. The famous Taladanda canal originates from this place. This river fed canal is stretched up to Paradeep, the port of Orissa.
The next interesting place on the bank of Mahanadi is Jobra Barrage Works. It is a heritage building constructed by the British people. Initially it was a factory at which boats and streamers were repaired by English mechanics. During that time the rivers were the most popular paths for communications. The chimney of the factory is now called Pillar of Jobra [Pic]. The dilapidated building shows an ancient Wall Watch and a Bell at the top [Pic]. Mahanadi boat club is established near his structure.
Bhubanananda Orissa School of Engineering (BOSE), the oldest engineering school of orissa, is one of he milestone at the periphery of Cuttack. SCB Medical College, the premier institution imparting medical education with all modern hospital facility, is another proud possession of this ancient city.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

RAIN RAIN AND NOT AGAIN !!!!

Oh ! what this august turned out to be. I have not seen as much as five cyclones in a single month. It is water and water everywhere. In front of my Heritage House(bcoz it is already 102 years old now) I discovered knee high man made flood as a surprise in the morning after a great raining night. And my surprise turned into horror, then into nightmare when I discovered that this black water rivulet is not receding at all. What a curse on us who prefer to stay in this millenium city inspite of opportunity to settle at Bhubaneswar.

Flood is coming as a Guest
The state government announced the welcoming ceremony of a big flood coming tonight in small rivers like Mahanadi and her siblings. Only God can save coastal belt of Orissa.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

KONARK :THE ENIGMA


At the eastern coast of Orissa, facing the blue bay of bengal, is the 13 th century marvel KONARK, the Sun Temple.The magnificent temple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world.Built by the King Narasimhadeva in the thirteenth century, the entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens. Surya has been a popular deity in India since the Vedic period .

The Sun Temple of Konark marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture depicting the grace , the joy and the rhythm of life all it's wondrous variety. There is an endless wealth of decoration from minute pattterns in bas-relief done with a jeweller's precision to boldly modelled free standing sculptures of exceptionally large size. Under the crackling wheels of past events , the Sun Temple has lost its main sanctuary but the remaining structure and the ruins arouns testify till today the boundless creative energy of Orissan artistes and their impresive contribution to the treasury of Indian Art and building technique. Standing majestically on the sandy coast of the Bay of Bengal, the porch, in its solitary grandeur is an eloquent testimony of a gracious and mysterious past. Dedicated to Sun God, this temple was constructed by Raja Narasinghs Deva-I of the Ganga Dynasty was dazzling supreme in the political firmament of India

For more information about The Fall of Konark, click

Thursday, May 25, 2006

May, Monsoon and My Dreams


For last few years the month of may was painful because of scorching summer , but this time there are number of occassions in which we receive ample rain water. This may be result of global change in weather pattern which is blessing indisguise for people of Orissa. This photograph is taken from my home roof top prior to raining. What an wonderful scene of clouds dispersing into blue sky generating very exciting pattern like my unsuccessful dreams bursting into ground under the cruel behaviour of real world.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

My Visit to Ghanteswari Temple

Ghanteswari or the Deity of Bells is a famous temple of western Orissa. It is situated near Chipilima Power Station. The tailrace water of Hirakud Hydraulic Power Station is made into a channel which flows quite a few kilometers and is made to encircle a small hill. An artificial masonry annular wall is made which creates the reservoir. A small hydro- plant is producing power for Orissa power grid. At the otherside of the hill is our Ghanteswari temple. A narrow passage of one kilometer made of steel structure which has deep channel on oneside and the gorge on otherside is really a thrilling place to walk. The above picture shows the pasage to the temple.
The temple is very old and the devotee ties a bell for fulfillment of his/her wishes. With passage of time there are around few lakhs of various types of bells hanging from trees, walls, beams of the temple.

For more photographs click

Friday, May 19, 2006

Vehicular Traffic Problem in Cuttack

Cuttack, whose literary meaning is Fort, has occupied a prominent position in economic and political dimensions of Orissa. This thousand years city is squeezed between two rivers, Mahanadi and Kathajodi. It's population is increasing day by day and is around 10 lakhs currently. On an average one motor vehicle per household means more than one lakh vehicles and these are plying through the narrow lanes and roads of this closed city. National Highway no.5 which passes through the heart of Cuttack, is creating all sorts of problems. Accidents are common events in this highway. One of my colleague at ABIT , Sri. Kantilal Patnaik met with tragic accident on 12.05.2006 and departed from us. It is high time that the government should look into this ever growing problem with a long term vision and act accordingly very soon.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

My Sunny Days at U.C.E.,Burla


My friends at University College of Engineering are great in many ways. I simply cannoy forget those days at south (first) year hostel. Here are my ten batchmates in this old photograph. The first one from left is Alok Jena, then Chandrasekar Pati, Srinibas Pattnaik,Dipti Patra, Durga Pattnaik, Myself, Rabin Dash, Sattwik Panda. Friends on the ground( only in pic) Manoj Das, Satyaranjan aka Tutu and CVS Kumar.

Monday, May 08, 2006

My Visit To The Crocodile Park at Chennai


I am fortunate to visit the great crocodile park at Chennai where one will find unbelievable range of this animal specimen in plenty. In this picture I am carrying a little one

Thursday, May 04, 2006

My Interacting Session With BPUT Vice Chancellor


While working at Ajay Binay Institute of Technology, Cuttack, I got a chance to meet Dr. Damodara Acharya ,the then Vice Chancellor of B.P.U.T., Rourkela. Later on Dr. Acharya became the first oriya to reach the apex position of Chairman, AICTE.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

My Little daughter Tamanna


My little daughter Tamanna arrived to this green earth on 01.05.2003. Now she is ready to invade the nearby playschool. I am searching a good school where she will start her educational career.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Business Opportunities at Cuttack

In the business history of Orissa,the milleniun city Cuttack has special position.The ancient traders used the river mahanadi which flows past Cuttack, for transportation of goods to different location and the bay of bengal.It was the major trading centre located at the heart of Orissa. The traders from all over India had established their outlets in this city.Cuttack was state capital for a long period of time.But when Bhubaneswar became capital cit of modern Orissa, many important organisations shifted from here. With passage of time this city lost importance in the field of business to other emerging markets.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Son Of The Soil

This is an open invitation to everybody who wants to do something valuable for their Motherland.
Join this group and share your views. This groupsite is launched on google platform and only those having google account can become member. If you donot have gmail account , then donot hesitate to mail me for a new account.
My Group For new gmail account mail me at chinmaydas@gmail.com