After getting the Wacom Intuos4 I tried to sketch for the first time in my life. Well tried to draw my daughter, Roopkotha.

I used ArtRage Studio Pro software for this. Used Pencil and Chalk tool on a regular Canvas paper.

Can anyone tell me from where or how I can draw better as I never went to any drawing school. Any suggestion?

Finally I got my perfect tool to write Bangla. I was a bijoy layout guy. Was thinking in past 7month to shift into a phonetic layout. Tried almost all phonetic and went back to Bijoy again and again. Few days ago found Google Transliteration which was great but wasn’t my type. It has some issues with Fullstop (Dari or Devnagari Danda). Quit that too. Finally found a solution from Microsoft. It is Microsoft Transliteration for Bangla. I am enjoying it. Now I am writing in Bangla faster than before (Bijoy). Please go to http://specials.msn.co.in/ilit/Bengali.aspx and download the program and install. Then follow this steps:

Instructions for Windows XP

Instructions for Windows Vista

Instructions for Windows 7

Windows XP

Enabling Indic Language Support

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
2. On the Languages tab, select the Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages (including Thai) check box.

   

3. Click on Details.
4. On the Advanced tab, select the Extend support of advanced text services to all programs check box.

   

5. Click OK to dismiss the Text Services and Input Languages window.
6. Click OK to dismiss the Regional and Language Options window.
   You may be asked to insert the Windows XP installation media during this process.
   A restart may be necessary to complete the process.

Using Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool (“ILIT”)

Do the following to use Microsoft ILIT in any application, such as Microsoft Word:

1. Open the application in which you would like to enter Indic text.
2. Change the language using the language bar, which typically appears in the taskbar as follows.

   

3. The language bar will now show the current language.

   

4. You can now start typing in English and whatever you type automatically gets transliterated after a word-breaking character like a space, comma, etc. is entered. Note that this language setting is per application. You may have to repeat the steps above for each application you want to use Microsoft ILIT in.

   

Turning on the language bar

If you do not see the language bar in the task bar (at the bottom of the desktop) or floating on the desktop please do the following:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
2. On the Languages tab, under Text services and input languages, click Details.

   

3. Under Preferences, click Language Bar.

   

4. Select the Show the Language bar on the desktop check box.

   

Windows Vista

Using Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool (“ILIT”)

Do the following to use Microsoft ILIT in any application, such as Microsoft Word:

1. Open the application in which you would like to enter Indic text.
2. Change the language using the language bar, which typically appears in the taskbar as follows.

   

3. The language bar will now show the current language.

   

4. You can now start typing in English and whatever you type automatically gets transliterated after a word-breaking character like a space, comma, etc. is entered. Note that this language setting is per application. You may have to repeat the steps above for each application you want to use Microsoft ILIT in.

   

Turning on the language bar

If you do not see the language bar in the task bar (at the bottom of the desktop) or floating on the desktop please do the following:

1. Click Start and go to Control Panel.
2. Click Change keyboards or other input methods under Clock, Language and Region.
3. On the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change Keyboards.

   

4. On the Language Bar tab, select the Floating on Desktop option.

   

Windows 7

Using Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool (“ILIT”)

Do the following to use Microsoft ILIT in any application, such as Microsoft Word:

1. Open the application in which you would like to enter Indic text.
2. Change the language using the language bar, which typically appears in the taskbar as follows.

   

3. The language bar will now show the current language.

   

4. You can now start typing in English and whatever you type automatically gets transliterated after a word-breaking character like a space, comma, etc. is entered. Note that this language setting is per application. You may have to repeat the steps above for each application you want to use Microsoft ILIT in.

   

Turning on the language bar

If you do not see the language bar in the task bar (at the bottom of the desktop) or floating on the desktop please do the following:

1. Click Start and go to Control Panel.
2. Click Change keyboards or other input methods under Clock, Language and Region.
3. On the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change Keyboards.

   

4. On the Language Bar tab, select the Floating on Desktop option.

   

Please note this Bangla is Indian version but don’t bother. It is Bangla.

Holy Cow! Holy!

How did I miss this event? Can’t believe it. Wow! Microsoft finally realize the power of wordpress! Loving it.

My Outlook Addresses.

Last night there was a mess in my Contact and Calendar. Somehow those were not synced at my iPad from Microsoft Outlook 2010 and there were lots of duplicate entries. The scenario was really brutal for me who sometimes forget his family members birthday without a calendar. Plaxo fixed my problem.

I found the problem. My iPad was set to default in my Gmail exchange. As it was synced on air outlook couldn’t over write it. Each syncing return a error of duplicate item. My outlook had the updated data so I deleted all content from iPad. Then stopped sync my calendar with outlook because calendar sync with Google exchange is not a problem. But before this step I simply re-sync my entire outlook with Plaxo. As a premium customer I have this facility.

Plaxo has everything of mine (except email). I simply run the Plaxo de-duper as there were lots of conflict during iPad-Exchange mess up. Within a minute I got my contact list and calendar simplified by Plaxo. Plaxo outlook connector fixed them in my outlook within some seconds. So I got my fresh and corrected date. Then I deleted all contacts and calendar from my Gmail account. And re-synced Gmail with Plaxo and my Gmail account got all the latest data. And my iPad updated its calendar from Gmail Exchange. Then I simply synced iPad with outlook locally. Problem resolved. Now I am more than happy.

In last quarter of 2003 my friend Iftekhar Anam was visiting me. The found that I have huge list of contacts. That time he suggested me to use Plaxo so that my contact will be updated all the time. How? That time Plaxo outlook express/Outlook sync was free. And from computer for a particular contact (if that contact has an email) users could send update detail request (still can). I found this tool handy and useful and my journey began with Plaxo. After 2003 I have changed my computer for more than 9times. Formatted them for more than 20times. Never cared for my contacts, notes, calendar again. Each time after my workstation ready I simply ran Plaxo sync. That time it was really important because Hotmail offered 1000contact sync and there was go Gmail sync service.

Plaxo is a multi platform and multi workstation supported tool. This feature was a freedom for me. In my office, home, notebook, other offices my contacts and calendar were the same. Each time I have modified or changed any information in my outlook Plaxo updated that information in all nodes. Sweet! right?

Plaxo is more social now.

Now this Plaxo is more powerful and more socio-business focused. Now it can share information with Facebook, twitter. It can import contact from almost everywhere and I always wanted to centralized my contacts. Because from web I can access my address book from anywhere. Plaxo is my address book for life. I completely agree with their slogan.

Scenario: Once I was mugged and lost everything including cell phone. I couldn’t remember a phone number for help. Was far from home and really needed someone around. I went to a cyber café and logged on Plaxo and called my friend. Within next ten minutes helped came out. I am talking about the time when there was no facebook!

Few days ago I wrote an article (Microsoft is not ready for x64 operations!) where I was bothered about the support for x64 Outlook. Microsoft even don’t care for it. And that was the first bad impression about Plaxo too. Plaxo still doesn’t have support for 64bit version of Outlook. I would love to have this feature. Also will love to have geo tagging for my contacts.

After all those years I must say I love plaxo! It made my life easy. I don’t care what other says about it. I am the user. I know this from my practical life. Go ahead Plaxo. I will recommend this to everyone.

Here is the feature: Plaxo Free version

• Unified Address Book (import contacts from email, webmail, phones, social networks, and more)
• Auto-updates From Your Connections
• iPhone Sync (download FREE app)
• Secure, Online Access
• Groups & Favorites
• Birthday Reminders
• Web Calendar

Plaxo Premium (Subscription)

• Plaxo’s Free Features Plus…
• Outlook Sync (includes Outlook Express)
• Mac Sync (includes Outlook & Entourage)
• Google/Gmail Sync
• iPhone Sync
• Blackberry Sync
• Windows Mobile Sync
• Automated Backup
• Unlimited eCards ($19.95 value)
• Contact De-Duper
• VIP Customer Support
• Plus Plaxo’s Free Features

or have a look at blog.plaxo.com for more interesting upcoming features.

Went BCS Computer City (IDB Bhaban) today with Emran Hasan to purchase his laptop. He bought HP for him. Shop was Binary Logic. They’re microsoft OEM Channel Partner and Intel Channel Partner. I was really impressed when I found they have All Razer products in their stock. They got Lazer Mice, Keyboard, Headphone, Mice Pad. This is really a great news for Bangladeshi gamers. Though I am not a gamer but using a Razer Death Adder because of the high density and resolution. Today purchased a Razer Mice Pad from that shop for 3000Tk.

Now I am really impressed at Photoshop. It is really smooth. Thanks Binary Logic.

Finally last day apple released ios 4.2.1 for download. I have downloaded that instantly. Now enjoying every bit of it. It is superb!

Three years ago I was thinking about the way to populate computing in mass population of Bangladesh. And I got a theory. Of course that was hypothetical but I think it can be done now. This is the right time.

My Theory:

To populate computing in mass population the bridge will be political leaders. Currently all major political parties have their own office on every Upo Zilla (Sub District) and those office is always surrounded by people. If those office will have computer and internet connection that’ll be vast way to populate the technology.

How?

If political parties make their end level access with a web solution my theory will be effected immediately. A computer with mobile broadband costs 300$ USD now in Bangladesh. Party office at Upo Zilla can afford it with local fund. Monthly 10$ USD is internet price and that also affordable.

For example Mr. Rahim a worker for a party wants to give a message to chairman of that party from Kurigram. Then the web solution will give him access to convey the message. But those message will not deliver directly to the Chairman. Hierarchic  member will moderate that and if the issue is deliverable it’ll be accelerated to the next level. In this way all party member will tuned up.

Again if the party chairman wish to take a decision from the party members he/she will post a quick poll on that issue and all the party member can participate on that.

I am proposing an enterprise architecture for that party. Why?

Because we’re chasing the slogan “Digital Bangladesh” now. For this great vision for the country all party should be digitalized first.

Positive Points:

Due to mass coverage of cell phone companies internet access and mobile telephony access is vast in Bangladesh. So in other word infrastructure is ready to transmit small amount of data which is more than enough. And Bangladesh has BDIX (Bangladesh Internet Exchange) which is the manger of local traffic path into local stream. So for the local content no need to access the internet. I am telling this because whole country is depending on a single submarine cable. In any point if the cable cut down whole country’s internet is blank. To fight this issue we have to develop our local contents. Solution for the political parties will be the local services. The broad intranet services in real.

Digital Bangladesh:

If we want a real Digital Bangladesh we need to establish high speed intranet to encourage e-governance. This will add values for the data so the people of Bangladesh will care for data services. In this way local data and contents will be more popular. Again for the international communication we need at least another submarine internet connection for this country.

Thinking Digitally:

Still we aren’t thinking digitally in Bangladesh. Most of the transaction, office systems, government organizations are running with traditional system. A fully automated system is required. Otherwise our way of thinking will remain the same.

Few days ago I went IDB Bhaban, the largest Computer Hardware market in Bangladesh and found a major changes there. Most of the shop are selling various antivirus software and subscription license. Asked few of the seller about customer response and they replied positively. I was happy. At last people are purchasing software license. Very good news for Bangladesh where piracy is in wild range.

Then I visited one of the Microsoft OEM partner there and the shop replied people are purchasing OEM Operating Systems. Very good news indeed. Then I asked who are the consumer of antivirus software like Kaspersky, Norton, Bit Defender, Avast then they replied “The users who are using pirated windows operating system they are the customers”. Then I got the picture. The genuine windows users are using Microsoft Security Essential for their Malware protection purpose. Then I asked the shop “why not you’re suggesting users to purchase original Operating System so that they can avoid costing on antivirus program?” They were pale on that question. Because Microsoft’s Security Essential is free software and they can’t make money on it.

In my opinion Microsoft Security Essential is one of the best antivirus software I have ever seen. All you need a genuine windows nothing else. It can be install on all versions of windows. And it’ll update its engine automatically for the life time. No subscription fee required. I am using this since it was in beta.

The facts:

For other antivirus program you need to subscribe yearly with 10$~50$. That means for 3 years you need at least 30$~150$ which is equivalent to a genuine OEM Operating System. With the genuine operation system your computer will have all the latest security updates and performance issues updated all the time. That’ll be a great advantage for the users who are always seeking for the best performance.

And using the genuine operating system will give you the confident that you’re not into piracy. So why you need a pirated operating system?

I wrote several times that Microsoft Windows Live Writer is my favorite tool to write blog. Few days ago it came with great surprise: Windows Live Essential 2011 was released. It came with Windows Live Writer 2011.

In this new version the basic functionality seems to be untouched and huge changes in User Interface. The interfacing is more like Microsoft’s Office Suite. I am ok with it. But new Windows Live Messenger surprised me a lot. In this new version messenger is Social now! I can add my Facebook and LinkedIn account with it. The live feed can show my Facebook and linkedin updates now. Even I can post my comments on feed from live messenger. Love it!

After this impact Skype surprised me by adding social feature. The new Skype 5.0 has integrated Facebook. Now I can add my Facebook account on it and can share my updates directly from it. Isn’t it great? I am loving it!

Now I am counting on Yahoo messenger. I believe this company will follow the same path but I wonder why they’re always the last!