Being Different: Changing the Appearance of Your Blog! **

"God is in the Minor Details of things." Have you ever given a thought about this phrase? Why Steve Jobs is so finicky about the details and design about Apple Product? Even the inside of the Apple Products are a marvel of Aesthetic Design. 

When I started writing blogs (though I am 2 posts old). The first thing that struck my mind was How would I make my blog a little different from others? Though I know the content of the blog would be mostly mine, but what about the appearance of it. How can I make change it from the "Default Template"?

So searched via Google, things I could do to make my blog interesting. Found some basic widgets given by Blogger.com and also added a widget via Shelfari, My Book Shelf which you see below is from that site only. Even thought after making all the changes, which you see on this blog, it didn't satisfy me! The craving for doing a little more didn't go. 

The thing which attracted me was the "Tab Icon" (also know as Favicon), which you see the top of the blog tab. I thought of changing it and I was able to achieve it. Sharing the steps to achieve the same, so that you could also change it.

The following are the set of instruction which would help you achieve it:

Method 1 : 

1. Log on to draft.blogger.com (A new initiative from Blogger.com)

2. Then click on Design >> Page Elements tab, by clicking Edit on the new “Favicon” setting above the navbar element:

3. A new window will then open where you can select an image from your hard drive to replace the default favicon image. This initial launch only supports .ico files, but you can easily convert your JPEG, PNG, or other non-ico image file using your own image software. There are also many conversion tools online, and a quick Google Search brings up a handful of options.

4. Once you have selected the .ico file for your favicon, click Save. It would automatically resize the image to the correct dimensions, and you’ll then see the Page Elements updated with your selected favicon image:

5. When you save your template changes, you’ll see your newly-added favicon image displayed in your browser window or tab. 

Or 

Method 2: 

1. Make a .PNG file with Microsoft Paint or adobe or similar picture editor, dont forget it was 200 x 200 pixels in size.

2. Then upload your .PNG ico to website hat provide free service on converting .PNG files into .ICO files . like  www.degraeve.com/favicon/, www.favicon.cc

This site convert our .PNG into an .ICO of 128 x 128 pixels. Thenyou can saved the file using "save image as"

3. Then upload the converted .ico to any of he photo upload sites like Picasa, Photobucket, etc.

4. Now, the coding part. open 'Edit Html' on your blogger-layout section. (Take a backup of your template!)

5. Now search for "/title" or "data:blog.pageTitle" in the code. Could do a Ctrl + F.

6. Once found add the following code by updating the appropriate "Image URL" at the end of "".

7. Done. If the favicon doesn't appear wait for a sometime or clear your cache.

It's Done!!!By using either of the method the your own Custom FAVICON would start appearing with your blog. :)


Notice my customization: 

Source: Blogger in Draft,Rapid Template, Evaguide

**Note: These methods are only applicable for Blogs written via Blogger.

History could be Interesting: The Human Story!

"History", the first memory which this word brings me, rather for all of us, are those agonizing & Sleeping-Pill-like Social Studies classes in school. Adding to it, imagine having the class after lunch break. How about that!!! It wasn't one of my favourite subjects in school. I was relived & happy, when we finally said Good Bye to the subject after Tenth. I  never wanted it back in my life. I abhorred it. I was so so Wrong!

I was roaming at the Landmark Book Store in Chennai. Browsing through the various New Arrivals. Trying to find out a book which I could buy next. I went through various genres of book from Fiction,Comedy, Self-help, Sci-Fi, etc. Nothing seemed to interest me. Just about the time I was deciding to go for the usual category of books, I saw this book with a very interesting cover (It is the same which is put up here). The name of the book was 'The Human Story: Our History, From the Stone Age to Today' by James C. Davis. Without giving it a thought, I just went ahead and bought the book. This happened sometime during the mid of 2010. I never picked it up for reading again, in that year. 

I picked up this book to read in January '11 and rest as the say is History. The book had a very interesting and engrossing feeling from the very start itself. It covered the complete history of mankind. The evolution of human, the transformation of him/her from hunters to gatherers, formation of societies. The rise of religious and scientific belief, discoveries, inventions,revolutions, wars, uprisings and the list goes on and on. 

The way stories of World War I & II is put forth is simply amazing. It was more like an Action-Thriller movie. The gruesome historical figures like Hitler,Stalin etc. are mentioned in quite a detailed manner and clearly brings out the role (cruel) they played. It also mentions the horror through which Jews in the  German Concentration Camps, the Chinese People during the rise of Communism in China, Russian Peasants during the rise of Marxism, etc. went through. There are many more facts which would amaze and shock you.

James C. Davis taught history at the University of Pennsylvania for thirty four years. This book clearly shows the experience and command he has on history. The book is more of a collection of memoir and excerpts of various books, articles & poems and his own interpretations on the same. More so it has been arranged and knitted in a very interesting and great manner, with a little touch of humour too. 

I would recommend to each and everyone to read this book. It would open up your mind and also provide different thought-angles to topic such as Globalization. It would also make you feel proud that, We are born in a Democratic Country like India.

Before summing up and spoiling your fun of reading this book, I would like to share one the Poem written by James C. Davis in this book. The title is 'So Far So Good':

"From Labrador to Coral Sea

Our lives were stunted, bleak, unfree.

We shared our huts with rats and fleas

And lost our children to disease.

(Our holy men would sigh and nod 

And tell us, "That's the will of God.")

But then, with steam, vaccines, and votes,

Our fortunes rose like tide-raised boats.

We'd more to eat; drew breath more years;

Dethroned (or worse) our tsars, emirs;

Sent men and mirrors as our eyes

To search the black galactic skies;

And in our cells, till then unseen,

We found our Fates, our djinns: our genes.

The world's still cruel, that's understood,

But once was worse. So far so good."

I was so Wrong! History could be Interesting. Just read it once and probably you would believe the same.

I have rated this book a 5 out 5.

DAEMON: An Amazing Techno-Thriller!

"Daemon" Process (Technical def.): It is a type of process which continuously runs and triggers some events based on certain criteria/'s or other events.

This novel is written by debutant author, Daniel Suarez. This novel in no way would make you feel that it's his first novel. The detailing is good, the technical concepts used is amazing and close to reality. The characters are well sketched & more than that the novel is able to maintain a sound pace through out, with a right mix of up's & downs. It gives a chilling new dimension for what could happen if we become more and more dependent upon technology & everything becomes digital.

This novel is about a genius computer programmer, Matthew Sobol. He has been diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer. So, before his death he creates a Daemon which gets triggered when his obituary comes on the internet. What follows is total mayhem and chaos & how this daemon is able to penetrate not only into people's life, but big Corporations. IT not only can destroy them, but can make them also. This novel shows how Sergeant Peter Sebeck, Detective Natalie Philips, Hacker Jon Ross & Agent Miller try to outsmart this Daemon. During this course they also try to understand the hidden motive behind Sobol's Daemon.

This novel incorporates some amazing technical advancements like HyperSonic Sound technology (HSS), The Third Eye & AutoM8's. The technical detailing of the various events are realistic, clever & smart. Also, the action-pack climax is edge-of-the-seat and with a great twist.

The novel has an incomplete ending which clearly gives a way to the sequel of the novel 'FreedomTM'. It is one good fictional novel which I have come across after 'The Da Vinci Code' and would recommend you to read it.

I give it a 4 out of 5 Overall rating for the novel.