Nirenjan’s Space

Well, I was working on the poster for Orbitce 2003, but fortunately for me , Dinesh had a better design and got the job, so I can devote myself to preparing for the GRE. But, I still got the go-ahead for the design of the magazine cover and the brochure. The background of the magazine cover is ready, but the text still needs a little work. On the other hand, the brochure is almost ready, with just a couple of items to add to the list. It should be ready by tonight.

With my GRE preparations going on (and on and on…) I can no longer devote sufficient time to the blog for now. However, I will be back to regular posting from the 6th of August, or even the evening of the 5th.

Our preparations for the annual department symposium Orbitce 2003 are underway. Dinesh & I are working on two different posters, though we still have to see which one is selected.

Yesterday, Venky & I went to EEC and confirmed our project title. We got the project priced at 18000. However, PCR is still not convinced about the project and wants an EEC representative to talk to him. The director of EEC flatly refused, but said that he could clarify any doubts over the phone. I don’t know how PCR is going to take this.

We went to EEC today to get our project title. There the director told us that the cost would be 4000 per person. But after I got home, Venky called me to tell me that he had got the letter, and the shocking news that the cost was not 12000 for the project, but 36000. We all felt that 12000 was a reasonable price for what they were giving us, but this was a total shock.

My SmartLink AMR Modem has been lying unused inside my computer for over a year now. It seems that Windows XP does not have support for AMR cards. Even though I downloaded the latest drivers for the modem, they are not signed and do not install properly on WinXP. However it does work on 98 & 2000. But since I use XP primarily, and since my cable modem is used for the bulk of my net surfing, the modem card has been simply gathering dust inside the cabinet.

Today though, Karthik Narayanan asked me to lend it to him as his old modem had burnt out. I was practically glad to get rid of it, though I could use a good internal modem for HyperTerminal. I’m looking out for a PanelLink TV Interface card and if it will work in XP, great! The only problem is that the PTI card & AMR card share the same line, so I can have either PTI or AMR only, but cards are available, supposedly, that combine both the TV interface & the modem to use both slots.

Google Toolbar Installed. The new Google Toolbar is just too good. But it’s still in the beta stage.

I’ve finally managed to get a copy of Applied Cryptography by Bruce Scheneier from the central library. There was only one copy, and it was in the reference section (but not marked explicitly as reference!!!). So, I managed to get it out and it’s in front of me now. High time I got my own personal copy.

I’ve also managed to get Control Systems by Nagrath & Gopal. Dr. Seshadri, my control systems lecturer says that is the best book for the subject.

Sadly, although I signed up on Ravi Book House’s website & placed an order there, they didn’t even call me up to confirm the order. Guess I have to go there whenever I get some free time.

My passport is finally ready. However, they have said that either I have to come and collect it in person, or authorise somebody to collect it on my behalf. Guess they don’t send renewals by post.