Spiels of a Quill

This world book day, I want to share my story of reading a book that had a great impact on me not just as a reader, but also as a human. A tale of innocence, crime, guilt, redemption and everything in between. I am talking about a book that I have read just once in my life some 10+ years ago, but I still remember the events like they happened just yesterday in my own life. A book that I am reminded of, every time I look up and see the blue sky and a colorful kite run by a young boy. A book that I am reminded of, every time I read about the cruelty met out to a young innocent kid. A book that I am reminded of, every time someone asks me “Is there one book that has affected you emotionally and changed you as a person?” Yes, I am talking about ‘ The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini . My first memory of this book is my uncle laying on the bed, reading the book when he was visiting us for the holidays from the USA. I remember how the title caught my attention and I was curious to...

“Deceptive illusions and varying perceptions, Life is more than just cross-road junctions. It is a whirlwind of danger that poses To the naked eye like a bed of roses.”             Life- this four letter word seems indeed very small to us, because the mind of a human can scarce conceive the plethora of opportunities it has to offer. We also have an inner life that defines the real us, our wishes and our dreams. This is what that gives meaning to our lives. Very often than not, we find ourselves at fork-roads, unable to decide which path to follow- the one that has been treaded upon yet seems uninteresting, or the one that remains unexplored, yet appeals to us. It is the general human tendency to follow the footsteps of others, because paving a path for oneself is something extremely difficult and requires immense dedication and will power. Also, when one embarks upon a new path in life, they tend to face defiance f...

Engineering is no longer the abracadabra of academics — the magic word that opens the door to a secure and lucrative career even before a student can put B.E. or B.Tech on the résumé. The quality of engineering education has often been called into question by academics and industry, and recent figures from the studies conducted by human resource development ministry seem to buttress their point of view. In view of the changes occurring in engineering practice and research, it is easy to understand why some raise concerns that we are attempting to educate 21st-century engineers with a 20th-century curriculum taught in 19th-century institutions. Engineering practice and its related technologies have become global in scope and scale. To be effective, today’s engineering graduate must not only be grounded in scientific and mathematical fundamentals, engineering principles and design, but must also have a global outlook and the broader skills to work in society in both, home country a...

Wearable technology  is a category of technology devices that can be worn by a user and often include tracking information related to health and fitness. The designs often incorporate practical functions and features, but may also have a purely critical or aesthetic agenda. Wearable technology is a field which is not new and has existed since 400 years or so. It is related to both, the field of ubiquitous computing and the history and development of wearable computers. With   ubiquitous computing , wearable technology shares the vision of interweaving technology into the everyday life, of making technology pervasive and interaction friction less. TIMELINE: 1975: Pulsar calculator watch 1979: Sony Walkman 1984: Casio data-bank 1987: Digital hearing aid 1993: Apple newton PDA 1999: First Blackberry 2000: First Bluetooth headset 2001: Apple iPod 2003: Via tron C-series 2004: Motorola razr, Gopro camera 2006: Nike+iPod kit 2007: Apple iPhone 2008: F...

Augmented Reality (AR)  is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of a real scene viewed by a user and a virtual scene generated by a computer that augments the scene with additional information. At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and “augmented” by addition of computer-generated graphics. Even though it is considered a fairly new technology (only 16 years old), it really isn’t that new. Though the term was coined by  Tom Caudell  in 1992, it is said that the first applications actually appeared in the late 1960s and 1970s. By the 1990s, augmented reality was being used for visualization, training, and other purposes. Now the technologies that make augmented reality possible are  powerful and compact  enough to deliver AR experiences to personal computers and mobile devices. Working: In order for AR to work, devices must be connected to the Internet. AR can be...

India has lost her son. The nation is shocked. The youth of India are inconsolable. The children fondly remember their interactions with him. His quotes and speeches are being viewed and shared. Indians are deeply mourning the loss of someone near and dear to their heart. The world joins India in  paying homage  to the departed soul of Late Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam , the Former President of India. I am sure you have read numerous posts about Kalam Sir, since the unfortunate night of 27th July, 2015. So let me tell you a  different story. 2015 saw the Diamond Jubilee celebration in my school and Late Mr. Kalam was invited for the same, to grace the gathering in January. Sadly, I couldn’t get a ticket for the function, but I ensured that I attended the live webcast. The main topic for his inspirational and thought-provoking speech that day was:  Being Unique . He first emphasized on the importance of walking in one’s own shadow....