Malayala Manorama Ticker on Linux

For anyone who cares - it is possible to install and run Manorama's Ticker on Linux. You need to install Adobe AIR for Linux (Beta). Here's a screenshot of the ticker showing some news for the 'Kerala' tab.

RTalk works again

I have no idea why Rediff suddenly decided to have connections go over port 80 for the gatekeeper. (The client connects to the gatekeeper to obtain the chat server IP to further connect to). Previously it was done over port 1836. Now the client first needs to connect over port 80, issue a "GET" request, then redo everything as was before. Anyways, my client got broken, now it works again.

RTalk & Rediff Bol continued

An RTalk user has informed me that RTalk no longer connects (ie no longer works :-( ). From what I've seen the gatekeeper no longer accepts connections over 1836, but only over HTTP (the client needs to get the chat server IP after initially connecting to the gatekeeper). I will attempt a fix as soon as I get some time and an internet connection.. most probably next month..

RediffBol protocol based Java client

I've checked in the source here.

Programming going multi-core

Here's the first job-posting I got specifically asking for multi-core programming :

Profile: Software Programmer (Cell Lib) - ISTL
Design and development of the Maths library for multi-core architecture. Job involved Software design of High performance math library on Linux operating system. These Library are being developed for the Cell BE Blade systems. Candidate will be working on the Advanced multi-core processor architecture based systems. Work will involve understanding processor architecture, developing algorithm to develop best optimized and high performance libraries. 

##Desired candidate experience:
#Minimum 3 years experience on Linux Programming Working with multi-threaded applications. Experience with multi-core programming is desirable.
#Total experience for the positions should be 5+ years on software design and development. 

The opening is for IBM Bangalore. (I guess that is obvious)

Rediff RBOL chat rooms

If you had logged into a sleazy rediff chat room and seen "members" as shown in the picture, that could mean only some things.
1. Rediff chat room infested with spammers. (UNLIKELY)
2. Rediff admins artificially boosting the chat room member count via an automated program at their servers. (LIKELY).
Likely because
** You can't chat with any of these "members".
** This happens only when the traffic is low and the chat room is thinned out.
** As "real" members start filling up, these start thinning out.

I wonder whose idea at Rediff it is to have names like these!.

Compiz Fusion + Swing Continued

There's a new bug filed - so the earlier one was not fixed after all, but was closed.