track your train

want to know where your train is right now ?
click trainradar.com . a fantastic application
which maps all the trains running in india inr
real time. and mucm more. where it stops next,
whether it is running late etc.
a fantastic program which maps about 2000 trains
on google map and provides massive information
on each train and connected stations.

digital  inverter compressors 

i bought a  samsung fridge with the 

digital inverter compressor.  the 10 yr

warranty is a  big relief. the fridge  works 

silently. saving in electric power is yet 

 to be established. i will get back with 

the details later.

not much is known about the theory.

unlike  normal compressors which

are switched on and off, this one is

always on.  rpm is varied to suit the load 

conditions. but what algorithm is used or 

how it saves power is not clear yet.

children's day

malayala manorama , a prominent newspaper in kerala ,
has come out with a wish list of 20 items prepared by students .
many of them like grading of teachers by students, more vacation etc
are good. i want to add 5 more and make it a 25 point charter.

  1. two sets of text books.
     i will keep one set in the school. please provide shelves or a
     common  room in the school.
      i will keep the other set at home and update it daily which will
      serve the purpose of daily revision too.
      yes, homeworks need to  be verified. please program it as one
      subject every day.
       i will thus  carry just a big note book and the   homework for
       that day to school daily.
      the flip side is that i may lose the daily training in lifting and carrying
      weight which i hope i can make up in due course.

   2. morning and evening sessions
      i dont see why i have to remian in the school for the whole day.
     i need  time for other activities too.  i am an individual first and then
     a student.
     let there be morning session , say, from 7 to 12 and  evening session from1 to 6 .
     it is already there in many states.
     i can have noon meals at home. no need to carry food to school.
     if the school is providing mid term meals welcome.  both morning and evening
     students will have it from 12 to 1 pm.
     the flipside is that we will be alone at home for quite some time
     if both the parents are working. the solution is to trust us more.
     believe me our generation is  more sensible and selfish than yours.
     we can take much better care of ourselves.

  3. we want the internet
    learning the printed word is old fashioned.  the black board and voice lectures
    are inadequate tools to  convey concepts. we want to  see the videos
    and the animations.  to start with , show us the internet based presentaions
    at least once a week . let us reinforce what we have learned in the remaining days.

    the flip side probably is the credibility of the teacher. the latest and the rightest
    ( most right )  information may not be with our teachers. we do not mind.
     his help is still invaluable.

4. we want to learn more.

    yes, we want to be trained in the other arts of living too. for example
    public speaking. acting and singing too. why not yoga and accident care ?
    quizzes and puzzles ? rubik's cube and sudoku. ?

    5. we want less of hypocrisy too
        we want to be a little more bold and frank. for example , there is no need for
        separate seats for girls in the buses.  we girls can manage our boys . only thing is
        that we need  help from the public  which basically means the older genration .
        leave us alone. and blame it on the  generation gap.
       
    

    

whirlpool again

i had posted  earlier about the failure of the control panel
in my whirlpool automatic washing machine . i did not get
a response to the email i sent to the company's head office.
i had to replace the control panel at a cost of around rs 3500/-

control panel failed in another whirlpool automatic washing machine
owned by my uncle. same style . just after the warranty period
the control panel failed. even the indicating lamps dont light up.
probably a small fault in the mains input line. but no way to get
it repaired. the service agent just replaced the panel and charged
rs 3500/- .  this occured in the second week of september 2012.

as this control failure fails in a discernible pattern there is definitley
something wrong with the design. i plan to track such failures of the
whirlpool automatic washing machine and report in this blog.

i dont expect the company to help if their non response to my earlier
complaint is any indication. but whirlpool is still an international leader.
good sense can prevail any time. readers can post their specific
experience if any of the failure of  whirlpool automatic washing machine
in this blog or email to me at mkmathai@yahoo.com

ongc advt sequel

they did enable application in their website.
but 2 days after the paper advt. god knows why

painting home sequel

i had earlier posted about  painting home woes.
here is good news. i finally got my home painted.
in the month of karkidakam when rain is famed to
fall in elephant trunk  dimensions.
but this time no rain  and my house glows in fresh
paint. samll mercy  of the rain gods who are out to
punish us with a severe dry spell.
but i am making this post to tell u of a dependable
painter who did a reasonably good job for me.
contact him on 9895005763. mr shamsu in ernakulam

alert kerala police by sms

great move from the police in kerala india.
any one can send an sms about a crime ,
 unseemly gathering , waste dumping and
what not to the police . they will know the
location instantly and send a team to the
spot.
great as an idea but not sure about the
degree of greatness in implementaion.

another great idea is to install camera for
public viewing in strategic locations like
traffic junctions, parks or any sensitive
places which need to be watched. and feed
the video on to an iternet site which the public
can watch . enable viewer feed back and put in 
place a mechanism to monitor it.

any one who is familiar with the internet knows
these video feeds will be viewed 24/7. someone
will be there on the site , from abraod if not from
the country, at any given time. and if the facility
is there they will report anything worth reporting.

 24 hour surveillance  with almost no cost.