November 16, 2010

My FIRST Robotics experience

          Last week, I went to Robotics Competition in which the high school students, ranging from 8th grade to 12th grade were participating. It was a nice experience to see how productive these kids are in exercising their creativeness. My son, who is a 10th grader, has been part of a robotics club of his school. I was watching them in the competition hall and happy to see them engaged in a good work rather than slogging around in some junk stuffs.

          The kids were engaging themselves in brain storming whenever something goes wrong. They field their robots and control them through wired or wireless, mostly wireless, controls. One of the team member maneuvers the robot to demonstrate its capabilities. Generally, there will be two teams competing against each other. The judge panel, randomly picked from the other teams, watches the moves and skills and awards scores. The scoring and evaluation procedures are stipulated by FIRST (FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a non-profit organization that promotes these science and technological events.

          I know all these boys had lot to study for their next day class. Although they were running out of time, they were still patient and doing their job pretty good. Everyone in the team is really great, in the sense; these kids spend their time very productively. Hats off to them!

          Not only the children - the parents and elders too were very enthusiastic and showing a great amount involvement. Right from transporting the students and robots, hosting and organizing the events and judging the robots and the teams, and many more responsibilities were shouldered by them.

          When I visited India last time, I saw some cricket clubs organizing neatly in a professional manner. Are there any such clubs in academic lines too, such as technology and science clubs or Math Olympics or Music and entertainment clubs? Please write about them and educate us.

Are there any events or chain of events conducted in these lines in any part of India?

Can we, in India, also start seeing these kinds of private non-profit organizations’?

I wish I see the parallels in India nowadays. I might not have seen during my childhood days.

Website references:
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=14664
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November 15, 2010

Quotes of the week - Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop

Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Computer

* Intel Core i3-370M (2.40Ghz, 4Threads,
 3M cache)
* 15.6 " High Definition(1366X768) LED
 Display with true life
* 3GB (2GB x1., 1GB x 1) DDR3 1066Mhz
* 320GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drive
* Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with
 Dual Layer
* McAFee - 15 Months OEM Pack More....

Quoted Price: Rs. 37,490/-
(Best Quote price selected from submitted by group members)
Stores: Raam Computers, # 1A, South Thandapani Street, T.Nagar,Chennai-17
(Quotations received from these stores)
Group Size: 5
Group location: Chennai
.
Specifications
Display                     15.6 inch (1366 x 768) XGA
Operating System            Windows 7 Home Premium
Memory                      Up to 4GB
Hard Drive                  Up to 320GB SATA (7200 RPM)
Graphics card               512 MB ATI Radeon HD5470
Optical Drive               Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with Dual Layer
Connectivity                Optional DellTM  Wireless 365 Bluetooth®  Internal
                            (2.1+EDR) mini-card
Ports and Expandibility     Audio in, Audio out, 
                            Three Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports, VGA port,
                            1 eSATA/USB 2.0, HDMI  Port, 7-in-1 card reader
Battery                     2.2 Ahr Lithium Ion Battery
Dimensions                  14.80 inch x 10.31 inch x 1.25/1.34 inch front/back
Weight                      5.83 lbs (2.65 kg)
Built in Extras             1.3MP Integrated Webcam
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November 8, 2010

Quotes of the week - Samsung 32 inch LCD TV

Samsung LN32C450 LCD TV

* Instant music and video-sharing with
 ConnectShare
* HDMI: Multiple connections, one solution
* One simple remote control with Anynet+
* Wide Color Enhancer brings color
 to life More....





Quoted Price: Rs. 28,150/-
(Best Quote price selected from submitted by group members)
Stores: ---
(Quotations received from these stores)
Group Size: 7
Group location: Chennai
.
Specifications
Display                     31.5" Screen Measured Diagonally
Resolution                  1,366 x 768
Contrast Ratio              60,000:1 Dynamic
Response Time               6 ms
Refresh Rate                60 Hz
Aspect Ratio                16:9
Audio                       SRS TruSurround HD, 10 Watts x 2 Audio Channels,
                            Built-in Bottom Speakers
Wide Color Enhancer Plus    Yes
ConnectShare Movie          Yes
Game Mode                   Yes
Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC)          Yes
Auto Channel Search         Yes
Auto Power Off              Yes
Auto Volume Leveler         Yes
Clock & On/Off Timer        Yes
Closed Captioning           Yes
HDTV Tuner Built-in         Yes
V-Chip                      Yes
Power                       Exceeds ENERGY STAR Standards
System                      ATSC/Clear QAM Tuners
Dimensions                  31.4 inch x 25.6 inch x 9.8 inch (w/stand)
Weight                      20.1 lbs.
Accessory                   TM1050 Remote Control
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November 1, 2010

Quotes of the week - Nikon D5000 (body) DSLR Camera

Nikon D5000 (body) DSLR Camera

* 2.7 inch LCD Screen
* Video Out, Computer Connection
* SD/SDHC Memory Card
* Lithium-Ion Re-Chargeable Battery More....




Quoted Price: Rs. 26,200/-
(Best Quote price selected from submitted by group members)
Stores: ----
(Quotations received from these stores)
Group Size: 2
Group location: Chennai
.
Specifications
Screen                      2.7 inch LCD
Memory Cards                SD/SDHC
File formats                JPEG, RAW
Shutter Speed               30 to 1/4000 seconds + bulb
Batteries                   Lithium-Ion rechargeable
Sensitivity                 Auto, Manual 100 - 6400
Viewfinder                  Yes
White Balance Settings      Sun, Shade, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash, Preset,
                            Auto
Exposure Compensation       +/-5EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 or 1
Manual Controls             Manual Exposure, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority
Video Out (TV Playback)     Yes
Computer Connection         Yes
Image Stabilization         No
Dimensions                  127 x 104 x 80 mm
Weight                      560g
Built in Extras             1.3MP Integrated Webcam
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