Need to blog out a lot!

I know I am blogging after a long time. But that's because there wasn't anything that I had to say about. Well, I did have to say about the results of my half yearly exam...:P Those were horrible. But, that apart, I didn't have much. But now I do...
        Let's start off with computer....:) I abandoned the notepad project, because I knew, that no matter how much user friendly and stylish I would make my notepad, it could never be popular. I just had the idea of how to make a word editor. Next, I also left the password storage facility on a pause, because the filing system was creating huge problems. I wanted to use generalized methods that other methods would be able to use for accessing files without having to use up much of the RAM memory. That was the hitch. I failed to create an efficient, low memory file system. Anyway, next I suddenly had the idea of making my game using applet. I went to shop for the Pujas, when this thought struck me inside a trial room! It was however after one whole week that I was able to write the code, and I did write it on this Monday, that too within one single day!!! I gave the final touches in my school(yes, I smuggle these codings of mine in Java to my school). I made a hangman game. It has a two player as well as a one player mode. The fun thing is that I was able to create this game with little bugs from the beginning only! Anyway, that was a lot about my computing history...now about Durga Puja!
        Durga Puja is the most festive seasons for use Bengalis, and the most enjoyable period of the year. For five days, we go out to friends' relatives' houses, see different idols of the goddess Durga, eat fast food, and enjoy to the fullest! This was the first year that I went out to see the idols in Kolkata with my three friends...
Well the part that needs to be highlighted is the small walking adventure we had. It was truly an adventure! In fact, we had actually lost our way when we were coming back. You see, the roads of Kolkata have so many sub divisions, that it's too easy to get lost. But, we don't usually. However, one of the idols were located in such a remote location, that we could reach it by asking the local people, however we had problem in returning back...:P Well, thanks to my new RealFlex Reebok shoes (which I got for my birthday, for trekking), my feet never got too tired!
        And now for the biggest and most exciting NEWS. Today, we are going off to the mountains after two whole years!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!
        Okay, got to go now. I can't hold back the excitement. I won't be able to blog my different experiences, from the mountains only. But, I'll try to say as much as I remember after I come back home...:) Bye!

Read More

Lot's to say!

Ah! I am again blogging after a really long time! I have been quite about 3 weeks or so. Well, that's because my half-yearly examinations were going on, and I didn't want to blog then, as blogging usually fills my head with loads and loads of new ideas to write about. Anyway, that's the past. The exams were okay. Chemistry was horrible. Others went okay, not really good, or good...:P

Now about my present situation. First of all, I have progressed a bit with my new password storage app in Java. Here's a screenshot:

It's not much yet. Only the design is more or less ready.

I have also recorded the 50th anniversary music collection on the synthesizer. It just needs to be converted to a digital format, so that I can include it in my presentation. I will go to my father's friend's studio and it will easily be done there. I tried doing a lot of times at home. I didn't get the right software, and the professional software that I found is about 3.6 GB. So there's no question of getting that...:( 

My brother in America got a new iMac. But, honestly I feel sorry for him. He took quite a number of games to play at home, but ended up getting a Mac. Now, most of our games are created solely for Windows, or a separate version is created for the Mac OS, which I don't have. Now he can't get the advantage of having 2 GB of graphics card! I wish he got an Alienware from Dell. Now, that would be useful to him...;(

I have finished playing Call of Duty Black Ops. And, now I found out from a special website that checks the compatibility of a computer for playing a certain game, that my laptop is does not support any of the games that I have played till now!!! Black Ops requires 256 MB of dedicated graphics...I have only 64 MB (1696 MB total)! But, the game ran fine on my laptop! It's really quite strange. 

I was also reading Steve Jobs' biography lately. That's one of the best books I have read! It basically shows the reader how the whole GUI concept came up! How bit-mapping system helped to create special fonts, and circles, and rounded rectangles, and many more!!! And, how the PC came up! It's really thrilling to read the evolution of computers. 

That's all for now. In my next blog, I have planned to tell you about my experience in Mandarmoni...a really special experience(after staying so close to the sea). Bye!

Read More

Memories of nature-from Shantiniketan

OK! This is the first time I am posting my photos to my blog. I hope you enjoy them! They can be considered a gift from Shantiniketan...

Took this while cycling around inside our boundary walls

Same as the above. This has a Harry Potter like effect...:)

I had missed the silver lining of the clouds(as always). This was the after-effect

This is not our house. It is another model inside our compound-the deluxe model

Our house is like the house on the left side.

I took this from our car, while we were going to a place called 'Amar Kutir'

Same as above

It was raining. The trees provided me enough protection in order to take this pic...:)

Ah! The river-'Kopai'

Long grass by the banks of Kopai

...as white as milk? or, as white as the clouds?

River life!

These ripples have a wonderful cooling effect on me.

Water droplets that made the simple flowers sparkle!

Simple foliage

Natural crystals!

Check out the picture below

Getting ready to bloom!

The sky is on fire!!! :D

Heavenly rays of the sun (from the car, while we were returning home)

Read More

Call of Duty - Black Ops

No sequence in gaming. The last Call of Duty that I had played was COD 2. And now, I jumped to Black Ops! Call Of Duty 7! I went to a friend's house last day, and I had taken my 8 GB pen drive with me. He had the game. The game is about 7.63 GB or something like that. But it took nearly half an hour to copy it on to my pen drive! Anyway, after copying it, I went back home at about 12:00 PM. As soon as I reached home, I took out my notebook and installed it. Unfortunately, even after going through a lot of complications, the game did not run! It was SO SO IRRITATING. I almost deleted the installation file as well! Anyway, today, in the afternoon I again attempted to install it. But at the end, the same problem showed up-that DirectX could not be installed. I located the path and manually installed it. After that the good folks of Pirate Bay helped me. The team which had uploaded the game on Pirate Bay- SKIDROW - as they call themselves - had uploaded the instructions for loading the game. Simply by following their steps, the crack process was completed! Then, keeping my mind blank(that's what I do instead of keeping my fingers crossed...:P ), I double clicked on the exe file...and it was amazing! The GAME STARTED!!!!
        Let's just skip to the end, because if I start praising the game, this blog will become toooo long. First thing to note - the graphics! IT WAS SERIOUSLY AN OMG MOMENT! The graphics was too good! Secondly, the story line which was better than the lower versions of COD, which simply dealts with World War. This is set in the Cold War era, and it really is great! Well that's it for today! Bye!

Read More

A small but new idea!

I haven't coded for a long time, say for a month by now. I mean I haven't worked on anything big. I had to do small home-works for my school and my tutorial classes, but now my father just gave me a new idea, in an indirect way. He has a large number of accounts in various websites, organizations, etc. So, this would probably be great if I made an enhanced version of the password storage facility that I had made earlier. The earlier one had a poor filing system(the sequential system), and was not very user friendly. I just got a new idea from an ebook that I had got from Oracle.com, and decided that I would mix their idea and mine's in order to create and encrypted password storage facility. So, that's it! I'm onto a project again. The only problem is that(and I don't know why this always happens), whenever my exams are about 1 or 2 weeks away, I usually get these ideas for programming. When I am free, I rack my brains to get a new idea, but never manage to get one. Now my half yearly exams are just 1 week away, and I can't help myself from creating this app in Java. Anyway, what to do? I won't be able to keep my mind on my studies unless I do this. That's it for now! Bye!

Read More

Music - The Soul Companion

This post is mainly to describe what music I like. My parents developed a good taste of music since I was a child. I liked Rabindranath Tagore's music, some Bengali bands' music, and some English movies' songs, including some serials. When I was studying in 8th grade, one of my best friends first introduced me to Western pop music, and also rock music. He gave me a pen drive full of such songs. Initially I liked most of them. In fact, they were outweighing my previous taste of music. I loved the rock songs of Linkin Park, then the soft rock music of the Eagles, songs of a band called Evanescence, and so on. And, in order to reveal the truth, I was a bit proud to hear and like such songs. This culture of music stayed on with me for 2 years. However, I had not completely stopped listening to Indian music, I still iked Rabindranath Tagore's songs, and some other songs, but my taste had changed and I knew that. For some time, I began listening to songs of contemporary Bengalis, who actually experimented with various types of musical compositions. Their album was called 'Back To The Future'.
        Then, I had a drastic change. I started listening to Western classical music all of a sudden. My favourites were compositions of Beethoven. I had also started to play the synthesizer from class 8 (mid term). So, all these types of music greatly appealed to me.
        But, slowly I realized that I did not actually listen to these songs for the purpose of listening to music.  just liked listening to them. They were pleasant to the ear. That's why I liked them.
        Then something happened. My father is surrounded by a large number of people who are very much linked with musical lines of profession. Even he is a wonderful singer. So, anyway, one of my father's friends came to our house one day, mainly to do some official works, but he also brought with him a DVD-video of Yanni-Live at the Acropolis. I had heard of Yanni's name from my grandfather because my aunt used to listen to Yanni too...in fact she still listens a lot. After my father's friend went back home, I played the DVD on our portable DVD player. Quite surprisingly, I skipped on to the 3rd song of the album-Until The Last Moment. And that was the most enchanting moment I had ever had! The song was purely captivating, and, believe me or not, I felt heavenly. After that, I listened to all the songs. But that song had had a special effect. It was truly magical.
        That was the second, and biggest turning point in my taste of music. I came to know which genre' of music would appeal to me most, and would give me the actual joy of listening to music. Everyone around me used to say that Rabindranath Tagore's songs can uplift a man, and can give consolation at any time. I used to like his songs(and I still do), but Yanni's music was certainly special, because I didn't have to make any effort to have that special feeling which people have to do while listening to Tagore's songs-they have to decipher the special meanings of the lyrics of his songs. Yes, this is a big proof of my laziness, but Yanni's music is certainly much more appealing to me. His songs are termed as Contemporary Instrumental by some, or New Age, by some people. Whatever be the name of the genre', I had finally found a sink for all types of emotions. His songs can help me when I am too happy, or sad, or I am suffering from something....practically everything!
        Although I have never actually been to any of his live performances, because most of them take place outside India(he played one concert in India, in 1993, and that album was called Tribute), but till I really look forward to that day when I will be able to listen to him playing live.
        A good word to describe his songs would be 'magical'. He really does have a magical way of composing songs that are best suited to a place. For example, when he played the concert in front of the Taj Mahal, in India, he created such an enchanting environment in the whole place(where he was playing), that I even got absorbed into his music by the seeing the DVD video.
        Hmmmpphh...that's it for now...I really wrote a lot. But I do want to add one thing at the end. For those who think that I am exaggerating, are really wrong. I did not say that these feelings(which I have mentioned above) will be same for all. I have simply shared my experience when I first heard to Yanni's music, and what I feel, when I listen to his songs. Also, one more thing I would like to say, is that I have been listening to his songs for the last one year by now. I play many of his songs over and over, but never get bored. I recommend that you try and listen to some of his songs, and then think as to whether I am saying the truth or not.
        Well, that's it for today. My half yearly exams are going to start next week only, and as I have probably mentioned before, a huge part of my syllabus is still left. That's it! Bye!

Read More

Not Much To Say

The title explains everything. Well, almost everything...:) I am a bit afraid about my studies nowadays with the load increasing with each day, and my backlog also increasing. I am actually afraid about chemistry and physics. Mathematics is going on at some progress at least. Anyway, now about my new notebook...:D My McAfee antivirus was slowly expiring. The demo version that was pre-installed, was actually a limited version of 1 month. I had started worrying about which antivirus I would get. Most of them are really costly. So, I asked some of my friends at school. They said that a genuine copy of Windows 7 has the advantage of getting a free antivirus from Microsoft called Microsoft Security Essentials. I downloaded it today, and it is working really fine. I ran a full scan of my notebook, and it detected 1 worm in my drive. So, I am satisfied with this antivirus. I have started my piano practice once again(though it is very little, maybe at night time). And, lastly, my half-yearly exams are one week away...:( :( Really really frightening, especially with half of my physics syllabus still left to study. The problem is that at school our teachers finished the chapters in one hour or so, although one of our school's most strict teachers is teaching really good. She is going steadily. Anyway, that's it for today, that is for now...because tomorrow my school is closed! :D Tomorrow, I'll probably blog again. Oh! And one more thing. I have been learning some encryption algorithms lately, although I cannot understand any of them. Data Encryption Standard 128-bit encryption is good. And that's as far as I will go. Advanced Encryption System is tooooooooooooooo tough. Hehehe...that's all!
 Bye!

Read More

New Mouse

This is great! Today, my father got me a new mouse, and that too a wireless from Microsoft.  I was skeptical at first, especially because the price was quite high. But, when the person is the store showed me the range of the mouse, I was really impressed, and so was my father. It needs a battery...that's all! Today, another thing happened. I was worried all day at school, and especially after my friends said that my tutorial class' teacher was going to take a surprise test. I was really worried, because I hadn't prepared at all(yesterday only, I had my class). Anyway, I found out that throughout the week, I didn't really have any option to go there. And, on any day, I would be unprepared, because this week I have my physics test. And, of course, we are going to Shantiniketan...;) But, anyway, I went there, and to my greatest surprise, sir did not take a test at all. He just asked me to take down some notes from an organic chemistry book...but that was really lengthy, because it was an IIT level chemistry book....:D And lastly, but not the least(at all), I played Call of Duty 2 on my notebook today...and is it good? It's great, just too good. This will be disagreed by people who have played the higher versions, but to me, a boy who has just played COD 1, it's really great!!! The graphics is quite good, and the sounds are great too! This is because I played the game with my headphones. The 3-D surround effect is really awesome. That's it for now...bye!

Read More

New Notebook

My new notebook has arrived! Now I am blogging from the notebook itself! We went to the airport to bring my aunt and my brother today. We didn't even have to wait for long...perhaps 10 minuted or so. I spent that time reading the Kite Runner. Anyway, just when the flight had arrived we went up to the conveyor belt, and we found them waiting to collect their bags! We waived our hands frantically just to make them see us. That is the moment that I enjoy the most whenever they arrive here. After they came home, Kundan(my brother) went to my room and quickly popped out the new Dell Notebook Inspiron! I was really amazed at the sight! I read the configuration of the notebook, and that was amazing too! Here's the configuration:

500 GB hard disk

4 GB RAM

Intel integrated graphics(1696 MB)

Windows 7 Genuine Home Version (64 bit)

Intel Core i3

When I booted the notebook for the first time, it asked me to enter some basic details. However, after I started it up, the machine was a bit slow. Even copying files took some time. But now, it is filled with pure awesomeness! I can actually use widgets, and other desktop tools too! I can use Microsoft products, and the Inspiron even has the Microsoft Word 2010 Starter Kit loaded in it!!! I had feared earlier that I would face some problem in typing. But now as I am typing out my excitement, I am finding no difficulty at all! On the contrary, it is really comfortable, as I can rest my hand on the wide space and then type. My Java is working fine, But I have to install some more things before I can actually be friendly with this computer, like the KMPlayer. 

Oh! I almost forgot! My aunt also brought with her the original cover for my Sony Reader PRS T1!!! It's great too! The cover also has an integrated lighting system, and Sony claims that the light will last upto 19 hours. But, the cover does not have anything to strap it down. But, I am extremely happy, that the Reader is now absolutely secure, and tight inside the case, with no jerking at all. The only problem is that I can't keep my stylus inside it. But, still, it's great! My next excitement is that we will be going to Santiniketan again!!! For two days. Till then, I still have to spend a whole week at school...:D And, the boring fact is that, I have to prepare for my computer exam tomorrow. And, I also have to study Chemistry for my tutorial class tomorrow. Well, I guess I have to accept that. Now, I just hope that I get respectable marks in my computer examination tomorrow.

:( Well that's it for now. But to tell you people the truth my face is actually like this: :)

hehe... good bye until the next post!!!

Read More

My first stage experience!

It was the 8th of April. As I woke up, only one thing was in my mind...my musical tribute.
                        I had created a presentation for my father(lasting for 15 minutes). It showed the different stages of my father's life...I named it 'From Innocence to Experience', or it would be better to say-my mother named it. It contained various pictures of my father's life from his very birth to his age of 50 years. I and my mother had secretly made it in my room in 1 month. Even the main theme of the 'anushthan' (event) was unknown to everyone, including my father. About 80 people had bee invited to come to this 'Musical Evening'. Earlier we used to have such musical evenings very frequently(every month, perhaps). But this was taking place after 3-4 years. So it was something that most of our invited guests were looking forward to. All of them were my father's friends, and all of them were connected to Arts(either by music, or by poetry, or by drama, etc.).
                         I would be playing 8 musical pieces in my electronic keyboard (in the piano mode), as the presentation continued to play. This music would be an accompaniment for the presentation. Get the idea?
                         After waking up, and having my breakfast and all that, I again sat in front of my synthesizer and started practicing the songs, as the presentation played on the computer screen. At 10:00 am, sharp, I went off to the hall where the 'anushthan' would be taking place. I found out that the stage was quite long in width. It was some kind of momentary assurance...:) Anyway, I went back home again. My mother and father stayed back to make other arrangements. On my way back home, I went to the photographers(who would be covering our entire show using video and still images), and asked them to play my presentation on their laptop. It ran quite well, except for some technical difficulties, but then it was solved too. Back home, I had my lunch really early, say at 11 am, and sat to practice. I practiced for 5-6 times, so it took me one and a half hour to do it. Then, I went off to the hall once again with a laptop(borrowed from the photographer guys). The photographers helped me to set up the entire arrangement-the screen, the laptop and the projector. I took my electronic keyboard (Yamaha PSR E-413) and set it up on the stage. I set up the special light arrangements, for playing in the dark(as the hall would be when the slideshow would be on). The, I again played the 8 songs, to get mixed with the hall environment. But, surprisingly though, I found out that I did not feel extremely shaky. After that, the guests slowly started to come in. The sound system team was not yet there. I greeted them myself, because my father, mother and my sister were not in the hall yet. 
                       By 6:00 PM, everyone was in the hall. My mother started the evening by greeting everyone. Following that was the vocal performances by my sister and a friend of my mother.
                       Then, my mother released the real reason for which all the people were called that day-the celebration of my father's 50th birthday anniversary! Following that, all of us celebrated the event of cutting a cake(made of chocolate flavoured 'mishti'), and after that, after everyone had had thei piece of cake, I started my performance. When it started, I was feeling a bit heavy, but as I had decided, I became completely engrossed in what I was playing-the 'Moonlight Sonata', by Beethoven. This was the real trick that helped me to cool down. The heavenly music(which I had learnt the best so far, ie, I could play without paying much attention to the playing of the piano and feel the song) soothed me to a great level! Then, as the song ended, I looked up to the page in front of my(on a stand) to see which song I was to play next, and that was the moment when I realized that I was actually playing in my home(the feeling was so). The only difference was the big screen on which the slide show was being projected.
                       After that, I played the 8 tracks with the same ease as I had had while I had practiced at home! Thus, the experience was wonderful...especially when I first got my first applause!!! The last track that I had played was the song 'Speak Softly' from the Godfather movie. So, the ending was also nice. Overall, to tell the truth, the whole experience had been wonderful-something that I will truly remember for the rest of my life!
                       But along with that, I'll also remember another special thing-my father's warm hug on returning home. That was something even more special to me. It really was memorable!

Read More

One more to go...

Now that my literature exam is down, I only have to give the maths exam tomorrow. But that is the most frightening test. I have tried real hard to complete most of the tough sums that my tutorial teacher gave me to do(but, along with this I should be thanking a special person-my uncle, who actually completed all of the sums for me, and guided me in the proper way. Now, only time will tell if all that effort was worth. Tomorrow's test will mostly consist of questions from that exercise sheet that our tutorial teacher provided us with, but the problem is that most of the problems(on trigonometry) require intelligence(non are stereo type). After this test is over, I will be having to look forward to my chemistry test next week on Saturday. After all these pressures are over(perhaps tomorrow only, after I give my maths test, nicely enough(hoping for that, and I pray to God for that)), I will have not much of a news to blog about. So, instead of wasting my time sitting on the computer blankly, thinking what to blog about, I'll just post my experience of my first playing-in-front-of-the-big-audience, that occurred on my father's fiftieth birthday anniversary. I hope it will be exciting for you to read it.
Ok, that's it for now. Bye and wish me the best of luck for tomorrow..:( :)

Read More

Exams exams everywhere!

Currently I am in a position with exams all around me. If this week and the next week passes peacefully, I can perhaps enjoy a bit when my brother and my aunt come here . They usually come after three years. So let's hope for the best. I just finished watching 'Ip Man' and now I am gonna sit to study for me literature test. The only problem with this year's literature test is that I don't even know what the poem(that has been included in our syllabus) means [I sit and look out], because I too was practically sitting and looking out of my classroom when my school teacher was teaching(as was being done by most of my friends).

Now, returning to my original topic-exams. This Sunday I gave a physics test. It was quite good. Now, tomorrow, as I said, I have my English literature examination, and we will probably be given a summary to write.


Day after tomorrow, I have my maths test on General Trigonometry in my tutorial class. My teacher sets the hardest question paper in the world...it's almost IITJEE standard or WBJEE standard. So, you can guess how hard it is.

Next week I have my school's chemistry test and after that the Computer Science test(that's good...:D).

Now, due to these problems, I can't do two things...in fact three things:
1. I can't practice my piano (I will be doing my first recording in life, real soon)
2. I can't complete the application that I had started working on-a Java notepad, and unless I can finish that I can't start of with my next project-the equation solver.
3. I can't read stories on my Sony Reader PRS-T1(because, when I lie down on my bed, and open up a story, I practically fall asleep within 5-6 minutes(and within that time, I can't read more thatn 10-12 pages)

That's it for now...that's a description of the mini torture I am going through these days...:P Next time I'll probably describe the last trip(it was really spectacular in many ways...:) I'll try to post pictures too).

 Bye!

Read More

Introduction

This is a type of the common 'HelloWorld' program we do in almost all languages (in computer), when we are first introduced to them. This is my first exposure to the world. Although I maintained a blog in Blog.com, I didn't really keep posting to it for long...for 3 or 4 days at maximum. I plan to keep my life stories continuously in this blog. 

Right, let's start away...first let me introduce you to me. I am a student...studying in 11th standard. I live in Salt Lake, West Bengal, India. I am pursuing my studies in science(pure+computer and English). This is my introduction to what I study. Now about my hobbies, passions, and my 'likings'. 

First of all, what you must know that I am a computer freak. I like gaming, programming(especially), and surfing the net for various things(social networking, etc.). 

Next, you must know that I am not a pure computer freak...:P What I mean is that, I am not at all a geek or a nerd. I like music very much(contemporary classical, to be exact). I used to sing, but now I play the piano. I love to listen to various musical compositions by Yanni on my e-book reader. I don't play with a group or something. I don't even do stage performances, although I have played once(I'll go to that later). That's it (about music).

I also like to make handicrafts. I used to paint earlier(I continued it till class 8 and plan to resume it after I pass my high school). But now I still do my handicrafts. :D

That's more or less all about myself. Lastly, what I want to tell you is that I love to go to seasides and mountain regions, and I love adventures and trekking trips! Right now, I'll go to have my dinner, later on I'll see what I can tell you people! Bye!

Read More