Fast typing on iPad

1) Alternate versions of a character become available if you keep it pressed. For example, if you keep A pressed, then you will see options for Ã, Ä, Å etc.

2) Effect of special keys such as Shift, Num-lock can be achieved in a single move if you press the key and then slide to the next key you would have otherwise pressed.
          press Shift key and in the same move slide to 'a' and it would be typed as A
          press Number key (Number keyboard will be shown) and in the same move slide to desired number, and that number will be typed.
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVRfs4VGh9Q&feature=related

3) Instead of putting a full-stop and then space, just press space-bar twice. That would take care of full-stop and space.

4) Usual MS-Office trick. Most often used word combinations, contractions, small-caps casing etc. will be automatically handled by the iPad.
        Type Im and it will become I'm,  theyre, and it will become they're.
        Type ipad and it will become iPad.

5) Pretty often the iPad will correct spellings or suggest the word based on initial few characters. Pressing space-bar on seeing such suggestions will type that complete word. You can also tap on the suggested word. Removing the suggestion is bit tricky- there is a little 'x' mark beside the suggested word, that should be tapped upon.

Sending money from Netherlands to India

Recently I noticed that ICICI Bank Money2India facility was not available from Netherlands. I understand few of my friends are using fake address of Germany to still make the transactions on Money2India. It works fine. But it would be better to simply use some legitimate way to transfer money to India. Such as sending money directly from your Dutch bank account.

I am putting these steps here specially for my friend Shashi (neither Tharoor, nor Kapoor; he is none other than Ranjan).

1) Login to ABN Amro Internet Banking. Choose Betalen à Buitenland overboeken

2) Enter BIC code as per your bank information.
             ICICINBBNRI for ICICI Bank.
             HDFCINBB for HDFC Bank
             SBININBB250 for SBI Jabalpur (others http://www.theswiftcodes.com/india-state-bank-of-india/)
             For other banks, you can find BIC through their customer care. Also the following link may help http://www.swift.com/bsl/

3) Enter

ICICI Bank account number in first field

Address of your own address (not of the bank branch) in the next field (click ‘+’ sign to bring extra rows)

Amount in ‘Bedrag’ field

Choose EUR as the currency code

Put some description in Omschriving field

Select ‘shared’ (gedeeld) as value in the ‘kosten’ dropdown

Click ok

4) Take next steps as usual.

Solving Rubic's Cube

Recently I learnt to solve Rubic Cube. Was good time pass all these days. My colleague Matthijs helped me a lot. Sharing my notes below.

I hope to put various pictures related to this on this page later on.

Solving Rubic’s Cube

Legend-

Corner piece that has 3 faces

Centre piece that has 1 face

Edge piece that has 2 faces

R right

L left

U Facing Up

B Back

F Facing you

D Downfacing

D would mean turn D clock-wise. D’ would mean turn D anti-clock-wise.

Algorithms
1) First layer.

Arrange yourself. No algorithm needed.

First make a cross. Edge pieces must match the adjasent centre pieces.
Then arrange corner pieces. Must match adjasent corner and centre pieces.

2) Second layer.

Only edges will need to be arranged, as centre is already supposed to be matched. So max 4 adjustments.

Bringing a bottom edge piece to left or right edge

To left edge DR’D’RFRD

To right edge D’RDR’...
Swapping 2 edge pieces
Perform Left or Right swap for the pieces to bring them to bottom layer. Then perfrom above algorithms.
3) Third layer
Make a cross of edge pieces
FRU’R’UF
Orienting edge pieces correctly
RUR’URU2R’

Permuting corner pieces

1) Swap 2 pairs of corner pieces

Top view

ABC

DEF

GHI

A--> C; G--> I. Also They are flipped.

Algorithm F [URU’R’]*3 F’

2) Rotating 3 corner prieces

Top view

ABC

DEF

GHI

A--> G, G--> C, C--> A, I remains same.

Algorithm URU’L’UR’U’L

2) The two corners to be swapped are in the front right top and the back right top positions

Swapping adjacent corners L U' R' U L' U' R U2

Swapping diagonal corners execute the adjacent corner swap algorithm twice

Orienting corner pieces

Top view

ABC

DEF

GHI

Orient I and then one other corner. It must be done with at least 2 corners.
Orient the cube such that GHI are top, front edge.
Algorithm FDF’D’FDF’D’, U (till another wrong corner pience is right-tip corner), and then DFD’F’DFD’F’

Twisting three corners anti-clockwise R' U' R U' R' U2 R U2
Twisting three corners clockwise R U R' U R U2 R' U2
Other combinations Do above twice or combine
Sites
http://peter.stillhq.com/jasmine/rubikscubesolution.html

http://www.rubiks.com/solving-center/3x3_guide/

Movie: The American

Excellent movie. Like the feeling of a Fredrick Forsyth novel has turned into a movie. Well, its adapted from a novel of another author (A Very Private Gentlemen ~Martin Booth) , perhaps he also likes to detail out things like Forsyth. 

They publicized the movie as if it would be the next Mission Impossible, or some James Bond/ Jason Bourne adventure. Plus presence of George Clooney also gives certain expectations- it would be a fast thriller with action scenes, fast music and witty dialogs thrown in between. This movie wasn't any of those, and perhaps that's why the movie failed- it would have totally disappointed if I had gone to theater with those expectations.

But watching at home, days after I had forgotten the publicity during the days of releases, I could see it alone at leisure and enjoy the slow scenes. Scenes shot at close or medium distance where Clooney is shown making the rifle or just sitting & waiting. Scenes spanned over several minutes showing minutes tasks of his trade, i.e. making rifles for assassins. Little things giving a feel of meticulousness that a world class craftsman must exhibit- without much ado he tells his client that he has already walked the river bank for miles, on both sides, to ensure they can safely test the rifles there; when putting the bullets in box, he puts the box on its side ensuring they are packed better, ensuring his hammer throws coincide with the tolling of church bell. Of course, the director has his own sense of humor- while giving this feel to a lay viewer, he leaves enough very obvious loopholes to amuse an expert. So when I read more about the movie- I got to know the rifle specifications rattled off by him are not suitable (too noisy model for a supposed to be very quite assassination), the mercury poured over the bullets must have been covered by wax, the packing of bullets must have been done with gloves on.

Overall, these scenes give an idea about the character that Clooney is playing. To me the movie seemed just that- depiction of a character and little change that it can go through in a period of few weeks. Not much of a story behind the character- nothing about what is his history, why he is the way he is; just what he is. In the very first scene he kills his lady partner coolly, and I thought she was perhaps deceiving him. But with later scenes I realized that this was just a normal thing for him- closing all connections in this cold blooded manner has become very instinctive for this guy. He is just a loner and keeps his connection with other humans to the minimum. Unless really needed, he doesn't talk. When needed, he speaks the very minimum needed. He has his physical needs and in a very matter-of-fact way he handles them through prostitutes.  Without flinching he can change his name from Jack to Edward and the director doesn't even allow you to be shocked or impressed by it. 

Few sex scenes, few dialogs at the brothel & restaurant and you know slowly he is melting- he is getting tired of his lonely life and would like to settle with a companion. And then finally, when he gets shot his pumps his fist at the steering wheel in disappointment- angry at oneself about being careless when he was so close to his retirement.

Overall it was such a joy to watch this movie. Will recommend to all my friends. 

Only one thing was bit irritating- number of times it felt like the movie was massaging the ego of its American audience- as if all the times Italian think of nothing but America-At the very first opportunity a lady character asks if Clooney took take her to American with him; only words that an English listener can understand from the song in restaurant are 'Americano Americano'; the restaurant owner is so proud that hero of a famous Hollywood movie is an Italian. But well, it should be my misunderstanding, as later I understood that including the director, a big part of movie crew was non-American.

IMDB is rating 6.6/10.