Sometimes I wonder why we can’t have a unified programming language platform. Say I am writing a code in C, why my code can’t be used for a Java application without doing any code change. Why can’t we have an open development platform? Write once and reuse anywhere. Then there won’t be anymore distinction as Java developers or as c/c++ developers .Only Good or Bad developers. There is an initiative from Google et al., to make an OpenSocial community, where an application written for Facebook can be used for Orkut, LinkedIn, Myspace, Ning etc .We write once and reuse many times.

Some companies are strategies their software development environment in line to the above ideas. The new Software Development Kit (SDK) for the iPhone allows independent developers to create new applications for iPhone. User can bring them back to the Macintosh platform.  Any program written for iPhone can be easily adapted into a Mac computer version. Whole logic is, minimizing the rework and maximizing the reusability. Needless to say, the response has been huge for Apple SDK.More than 100,000 developers downloaded the SDK in the first week of its availability.

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We all know about page3 Guys and Gals and their way of living and enjoying life. Sometimes it becomes a dream or a wish to become a page3 profile and thus live life king size. Needless to say, more we think about it, more we get frustrated. If you are not born with a golden spoon, page3 status may be an illusion.

In my earlier post I wrote about virtualization and the way world embracing it. But I forgot to mention that Fame is also getting virtualized. Netfame.com is an entrepreneurial venture that will make you virtualized Page3 icon. NetFame is an online provider of reputation, fame, identity management and promotion services for people, groups, and businesses .Create a profile and have a Fame Bar. Lets people recognize you as a virtual icon.

Check out NetFame.com.

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Like many of you, I am also wondering whether recession is really hitting world economy. More I read about recession, more I get confused. Being employed in a tech firm, I am worried about a full fledged economic recession in tech sector. Now days, it seems journalist and TV reporters working extra hours to dugg out every possible news and talks about US recession. Subprime, housing sectors, fed interest cut etc are regularly getting placed in headlines. Dedicated columnists hired. They wrote endless columns to highlight how recession will affect our economy. How we will get fired and how difficult it will be to find another. Chain mails are flowing and everyone has an opinion. Sometime small facts get exaggerated entirely.

 What about management Consultants, the expert of MS word and MS excel? Needless to say, they are not lagging behind to journalists or reporters. This is festive season for them. They conduct surveys among corporate hunks, get opinions, generate reports and send mails to all who have registered for their weekly/quarterly/monthly news letters. Interestingly, unlike other reports where you need to spend (or waste) hundreds of dollars, these recession analysis reports come for free.

I am also a regular subscriber of The Mckinsey Quaterly news letter.  This morning I got a mail with a beautiful subject line “Economic and hiring outlook, First Quarter 2008″. McKinsey did surveys among c-grade executives across the world to come up with a beautiful report. Like all other recession stuffs, this report also mentioned features common to any economic recession.

1. Oil prices climbed to record level

2. Inflation affecting every small and big country.

3. China is loosely coupled with US economy. Therefore, US recession will not affect it much.

4. Asian countries will be affected more by USA economic slowdown.

5. As companies are struggling with profit margin, they will try to reduce cost. And firms will do so  by firing employees, followed by cutting R&D expenditures, reducing unnecessary cost etc.

Therefore, the moral of this story is stay alerted and do have a backup plan. In case…

You can find this full Mckinsey Report here.

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World has 2.5 billion mobile users, more than wired internet users. A 2005 study showed that an increase of 10 mobile phones per 100 people could increase country’s GDP growth by 0.6%.According to ABI research, Mobile marketing revenue will hit the $24 Billion in 2013.Forrester predicts revenue of around $1 billion by 2012.

Android is an open operating system launched by Google. Android is the creation of Andy Rubin, Google’s director of mobile platforms. Android operating system is based on Linux. Google is promising a Better and cheaper mobile phones and has formed an Open Handset Alliance.34 leading firms such as LG,HTC,Motorola, Samsung, Qualcomm,T-mobile,China Mobile are part of open handset Alliance to promote Android and to develop features and handsets to take advantage of the platform.

Android software is written on Linux and run on cheap handsets, not just flashy, high end smart-phones. Android’s open-source license allows anybody could add great features to it later. Google has launched the Android Developer Challenge, which will provide $10 million in awards for great mobile applications built on the Android platform.

Companies have stepped up efforts to put out a Google phone. Mobile phone manufacturer High Tech Computer (HTC) has been developing phones that run on the Android software .The device will be named as “Dream”. Features include easy e-mail, note-taking and writing Web addresses. Chunghwa Telecom may become the first mobile phone network operator to offer users a Chinese-language Google phone,

But Google phone will have stiff competition from other Smartphone manufacturers. In the U.S., the number of people with smartphones doubled last year to about 14.6 million and smart phones number are growing than overall number of mobile phones. Symbian,Blackberry,Windwos Mobile phone and new entrant Apple’s iPhone dominate the smart phone market. 188 new million cumulative Symbian Smartphones shipped since the formation of Symbian. 68 Symbian smartphone models commercially available in 2007 up 4.6% from 2006. Blackberry maker lifted its outlook on subscriber additions to a range of 2.09 million to 2.18 million for the quarter through March 1.Again, the popularity of Apple’s iPhone is well know.

Where are other open source alliances? Obviously they are not far behind. Linux-based mobile alliances, such as OpenMoko, LiMo and Qtopia are battling hard with Google. LiMo, is working overtime to release an open-source mobile platform before Android gets more wows. Leading handset maker Nokia may have its own open-source ambitions, judging from its recent acquisition of software developer–and LiMo member-Trolltech.

Although the Smartphones market is getting crowded with every passing month, nonetheless it will benefit the end users. Openness, innovation and collaboration between industry leaders and developers will transform the way people use their phones in near future.

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Internet job portals are happening places for job seekers. The Internet offers hundreds of places employers can post their job ads.

According to hitwise, CareerBuilder.com was the most visited website, followed by Monster.com and Yahoo! HotJobs.

Yahoo! launched REAL algorithm to make few differentiator in this already over crowded job portal markets and trying to increase their market share.

According to the Yahoo!,

“R.E.A.L. is an industry-first search algorithm that builds on an innovative set of principles derived from Yahoo!’s research in Web search technology”.

So, how REAL works?

R - Relevance: if someone lists “business analyst” as job description, REAL algorithm will look this keyword to find suitable candidates. But, existing job search algorithms already using this technique.

E - Engagement: It determines how well candidates respond to the job listing. Therefore next time consulting firms ask you for few updates in your online resume be sure to respond. Otherwise your CV will be ranked lower.

A - Availability: Determining whether the positions displayed are still unfilled or not. This is a good feature for real. Most of the Jobs consultancy firms irritate candidates asking for resume for a position, already filled.

L - Location: Showing jobs in a location of interest to the candidate.
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