Created using only 36 random photos from Pykara Falls (Ooty).

Hard Core Bhojpuri - seen on a hoarding in Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala. It means "How are you?".

The image below - there were posters of this guy all over Ooty (Tamil Nadu). I am sure he is one of the actor-turned-politicians.

Picasa Web just launched their "NameTag" feature which automatically detects faces and categorizes them in the entire album. The user interface to browse through the detected faces and for tagging is very intuitive. The face detection and categorization engine is very accurate.

This functionality along with GeoTagging, which Picasa already provides, fulfils the typical user requirements for photo sharing and management.

User Interface for tagging: The interface is very neat and easy to use.

1) A carousel with the lead face from a face category allows easy navigation to a particular person. For that face, the user can then select/deselect particular pictures and assign a "name".

2) The selection of name has 3 different modes -

a) selection from a suggested list (picasa's guess of who the person is based on previously assigned names),
b) selection from a list of contacts existing in either GMail or in Picasa Contacts,
c) and creation of a new contact.

Selection from Picasa's guess -

When it is difficult to identify the person without seeing the entire photo, Picasa allows viewing the picture in an AJAX popup.

3) Undo and "Merge" people functionality is very useful when correcting tags

Face Detection: BRILLIANT!

1) They are able to detect faces from even low quality and dark pictures

2) The categorization is able to group together the faces over a long period of time, irrespective of the person's age in the photo. The photos below span a period from 1980-1990, and still the algorithm was able to match it to the right person (my dad) who has changed a lot since.

3) The auto suggest for names (based on previously tagged faces) is correct 80-90% of the times

4) The auto-suggest of names usually suggests names that are somehow genetically related - which is very interesting - the algorithm finds faces to be very similar within a family

In the following picture, the face shown is a sibling of the name suggested as the closest guess by Picasa, considering this picture was taken about 20 years ago, the matching is amazing.

Even when there are errors in the auto-suggest, most of the times - one of the suggested names is the right one. A lot of times, the faces (even a whole category) are suggested to be a sibling.

In the set below, the 3 faces belong to "Nishith" (second suggestion), who is a sibling of "Anshuman" (the top suggestion).

5) The "Find More" feature works well when one wants to tag for a specific few people in the entire album

Techcrunch predicts that by October 2009, GOOG will have the largest Market Cap in America (more than EXXON, MSFT, AT&T and GE).

Isn't Apple in contention too?

A market cap of 180b, growth of 121% in year 2007, and the release of the most amazing phone ever, right at the cusp of the mobile revolution, makes them a stronger contender than Google. Google's growth has been phenomenal, but so has Apple's.

iPhone v1 may not have been liked by everyone, but it's the best start Apple could have had.

YTD Stock performance data compared.

A great Flash video on the origin and spread of religions in the world. Original Link.

[From an Email Forward]

Have a tour across the lingua-de-bihar.

Disclaimer: there is no language "like"/as Bihari...its only a convenient and informal touch to Hindi thrown towards starngers which at times boomeranges as rustic/uncultured/impolite.

LE BALAIYA, ee ka hua?

Kahe albalaye huye hain? Etna narbhasane se kuchchho nahin hoga (Omigosh, what's this? Why are you so flustered? Such nervousness won't help matters.)

EK MUUKA MUH PE DHISHOOM SE MAAR DENGE, KAPAAR PHAT JAAYEGA......

The inveterate linguist may scream at such an apparent contamination of Hindi language but the average Bihari simply loves to throw all narrow parameters of grammar to the winds. For them, the funnier they are, the better their adaptability is into their inimitable lingua franca.

Over the years, Biharis have invented a language, which has an unmistakable stamp of their own. In recent times, its popularity has travelled far and wide beyond the borders of the State and many screen heroes, including Amitabh Bachchan, have mouthed Bihari liches with characteristic elan - a far cry from the days when it was thought to be an infra dig of sorts for anybody other than country bumpkins and unscrupulous politicians to perpetrate such "verbal atrocities".

All that, however, is passe now. Bihari Boli is sweeter than honey now. Not only in Bollywood but also on the campuses of prestigious universities and IITs across the country. Words like harbaraye, arbaraye, bargalaye, thartharaye and dhanmanaye which would have sounded Greek to outsiders earlier are being used with gay abandon by the hep youngsters there. Sobriquets laced with double entendres like "garda", bawaal and dhuan denoting the varying degree of a girl's beauty and sex appeal can be heard not only in Patna University colleges but also faraway Fergusson College in Pune.

 Moreover, a-go, dugo, teengo and chaartho type of numerology which was a matter of disdain not long ago is being accepted even by the stiff upper-lips without any ualms. So, notes sarka do  (pass on the notes)","batti buta do (put out the lights)",  Principal ko harka do   (bamboozle the principal), burbak kahin ka (you stupid fellow!), hum to biga gaye(I was thrown out) and Hum to huan thebe kiye the (I was very much  there) are some of the ex-pressions which have conveniently made their way  into the otherwise prim-and-propah St Stephens, New Delhi.

Similarly, coinages like dhakiyaye (shoved),  mukiyaye (punched), and latiyaye (kicked) are the current rage. Hiyan  (here), huan (there), kahe (why), enne (this way) and onne (that way) are some of other typical words, which are spoken rather nonchalantly by so-called educated lot in the State. 

One, therefore, does not get surprised if one hears  tanikke for little, nimman for good, anhar for darkness. For them, colloquial language need not be tied to any narrow rules.

E topicwa par maatha khapane se kuchchho nahi hoga (nothing is to come out of this topic), as one wit commented. Among many characteristics of this language are its terms fendearment. Seldom does one hear people on the streets calling each other by their real names. Raju automatically becomes  Rajua, Pappu turns into Pappua, Rajesh into Rajeshwa and Shatrughna at best  Satrohna. This potpourri of all Bihari dialects has also coined new terms for human anatomy which would baffle an FRCP if he were to land here straight from Edinburgh. Here gor means legs, moori is substitute to head, ongree is equivalent to finger, thor denotes lips and kapar is synonymous with forehead. This language also has more onomatopoeic words than probably any other.

Words like tapak se, gapak se, and japak se can be understood by Listening to their phonetical sounds. No longer is Bihari language associated with a few howlers like eskool (school)", teeshan (station) and singal (signal) only. There are certain words which carry the precise meaning but which cannot be properly substituted by any word in other languages. Machchar bhambhor liya is probably is one such example.  Bhambhorna is a super word, which means the collective assault of mosquitoes to "bhambhor" you. But then, one might argue, where else do you find so many mosquitoes to bhambhor you. Right from Laloo Prasad Yadav, who emerges as the best speaker of his ghar ki boli to Shekhar Suman, everybody loves to flaunt his native command of the language. Earlier, Biharis were notorious for atrocious gender sense and shoddy pronunciation.

Now, the same traits have become the tour de force of their conversation.

The time has certainly come to raise ekadhgo (one or two) toast to the
longevity of the Bihari language. "Teengo" cheers to that. Or else have eggo bora pre starterwa, starterwa and finisherwa and boggle urself up with your distributorwa. I didn’t know that a “bukni series” exists for us (biharis)…plz take it in ur stride. Bukni is  the masaledaar salt that you have with moongphali or amrood. So, once a bihari went to allahbad, as some of the people do, he tried to act like a non-bihari at Alahabad. He asked  a amrood waala..."oye, amrood kaise diye?", the thela waala said "20 rupaye kilo". bihari said "achchha...dekh, 2 kilo de de....haan zara bukni zyaada dena:. So this started the bukni series. From that day onwards bukni series has ever been increasing like anything. Its like "abe tu upar se kudak jaa...main tujhe lok lunga"...so guys, here are some true bihari ishtyle buknis for you.

• abe dekhna...zara darwaaja bhidka de to?
• Abe main to jaa raha tha , Balu mere ko usne rok liya

• "Abe maine to bahut koshish ki lekin main chadhiye nahin paaya"

• Or u can take this for example - "Nahi mere ko onne jana hai"
• " are madam, mere paas bhi ticket hai, mujhe bhi baithne do... oye jara ghuskna to"
• Main paperwa par paperweight rekh deta hoon, nahi to sab udiyaa jayega !!!
• hum apne ko rokne ka bahut koshish kiye lekin ant mein nahiye rok paaye.
• abe, yeh tujhe kahaan se mila..yeh to tu big diya tha?
• Kutta jor se bhaunk raha tha to maine use belga diya
• A bihari in a dtc bus. stop aaya to woh seedhi pe tha...peeche se log bole jaldi utro bhaisaab. to woh bolta hai. UTAR HI TO RAHA HOON....AB KYA KUDAK JAAOON
• Once i was sitting on a chair in a real precarious position.....one of my friends says.........OYE THEEK SE BITHIYO...WARNA DHIMLA JAAYEGA
• ab aur mat khakhoro yaar
• re re re chintahau re? marbau ek lappad thik ho jayibe
• rassi ko pakad ke jor se ghicho
• WO mujhe dekh kar bhaga.. main bhi dauga usake pichhe.. aur pakadiye ke dam liya
• Are, Jara ek hamara bhi photo tiriye na
• EE CHAKH KE DEKHIYE
• ek darbhanga se bhai delhi aye aur phir ..blue line mein last seat mein baith gaye. thodi der baad ek pyari se bandi uccha heel pahan ke chaddi , aur bechare ke pao pe pao rakh de.. halat bigdi par janab ko koi shabd na samajh mein aye. Ahir usne ladki ko dhakka diya aur kaha "DEKH KE NAHI KHARI HOTI HO, ONGRI KUUCH DEE"
• Ladkee bole idiot etna problem hai to uttar jao.....banda bola...." KYA JI CHALTE BAS SE KUDAK JAI"?
• EE SUNDAR LADKEE

RAMESH: Are dekh na kitni sundar ladkee hai

MAHESH: Haan theeke mein, par gaal pe dhere foosri hai

• abe main US gaya tha wahaan se dhere choclate laaya.
• Abe main tere ko kab se chaal kar raha tha lekin tere ko to suniaaiye nahin de raha tha
• kahe bhai.. khali chocklete lete aa gaye.. lemanchus nahi laaye??
• ab wahan rode par se chal karoge to kayeese sunai padega... kiwadi khatkhatate tabhiye to pata chalta
• Abe tune mujhpe pani kyon paraya 
• OoooO bhaiya kahe ko hall balaye hue hai , halbalane se kuchaoooO nai hoga 
• KONCHI ?
• ekra se bandiyaa kuchhoo nahi hai reee
• KICHAIN type se mail aa raha hai bose (boss)
• bhedi ka dum jayisaa to likhe ho... durrr marde! abhi to bahutte baaki hai. sujhiye nahin raha hai
• nerbhasaa (nervous) gaye hain, chalte hain
• Ek baar ek bihari bhai apne train mein chal rahe the.. AC 3-Tier ka coach tha.. gaadi chal diya to samaan arrange kar rahe the.. tabhi ek ladki joki high heel sandal pahne hue thi unke paon pe khadi ho gayi... fir kucch aisa hua...
• LADKA: HUMRA GOR PICHA RAHA HAI!!!..

LADKI: (NO RESPONSE... CONTINUES PUTTING HER BAG BENEATH THE BIRTH)

LADKA: ARRE MADAM.. HUMRA GOR PICHA RAHA HAI!!!!!!

LADKI: (MADAM SUNKE DEKHI USKO LEKIN KUCCH SAMJHI NAHI)

LADKA: (DARD KE MAARE DHAKEL DIYA LADKI KO AUR BOLA) SUNE NA HAI KI... KATNA DER SE KAH RAHE HAIN HUM KI HUMRA GOR PICHA RAHA HAI... GOR PICHA RAHA HAI.. LEKIN HATBE NAHI KARTI HAI!!!!...  

• sadhbe ka baat sunke to man kiya ki uhin pe uttha ke bajaar den!!!!... lekin okkar badka bhaiba okhaniye aa gaya uhan pe aaro batwa salta diya!!!!  
• Jaade kaabil bana na, to marte FAT ka NAKBHASSA jhaad denge!!
• Re Babalua sikandarwa "down" ho galie re.
• Subah se kapaar kha raha hai, padha baith ke. Dekha bhiya subah se baith ke tota jaisan tain tain padha ta. Ek tho ee baran inka khele se phursate naikhe.  
• Koi 'loore" naikhe koio kaam theek na kar sakat-aarn  
• Ka kare jaa tara ho?
• sukh-niniya (blissful sleep) paare jaa taani  
• abe yaar main jaa raha tha ek bahut neek (beautiful) bandi dikhi mere ko.
• In movie hall before starting the movie:
• abe jaldi jaldi laawa faank, film shuru hone waali hai

Are utna zor se throw karne ka kya jaroorat tha.. dheere se gudkaio deta to out ho jaata

• A man went to a dhaba and ordered Tadaka and he found that it requires more salt , so he yelled

Bhaiya non diyo to jara , Tadaka mein non kam hai

Khali non se kam thode chalega... ek du fara aam ka achar hoga to dekhiye na ...nembu ka achar nahi dijiyega .. bahut khatta lagta hai

• torhra sab ke batiya se ham farstiya geli
• ye batawah ki bihar ke sabse niman tarkari kaun bate
• dhela faek kar kapar phor denge  
• din bad to ham nimman nimman karela ke tarkari kheliye...aaab sute la ja rahal rahiye..taaa anhre me nalten jala ke rakh delke
• are heeeeeyyyyyyyy puraniya wali
• sintua key maaayyyyyyyyyy
• Bil me kaise dhuke.. bahoote chhota hai ..kaniye aur paig (bada) hota to dhuk ke hulak lete fir aa bhi jate..par frustiyane se kuchh nahin hoga...kono chhotka bachha ko pakdo usko dhuka do
• "E sasur ke naati, tora to khadda(gaddha) khaand ke samucche gaar dabbo"
• Arrey hum to abki exam me etna taape hain.. etna taape hain boss.. ki dar lag raha hai kahin firstey naa kar jaayen
• sabkuch bhulaiye gaye the kuch yaade nahi aa raha tha.  
• aaj bzar se CHINNI la rahe the THONGA phat gaya sab chinni CHITRA gaya
• Kutta jor se bhaunk raha tha to maine use belga diye
• OoooO bhaiya kahe ko hallbalaye hue hai , halbalane se kuchaoooO nai hoga..!
• abe yaar, bahut raat ho gaya main so raha hoon, kewaadi lagaa de aur light butaade.
• durrr marde! abhi to bahutte baaki hai. sujhiye nahin raha hai. nerbhasaa (nervous) gaye hain
• ramua ka baat sunke to man kiya ki uhin pe uttha ke bajaar den!!!!... lekin okkar badka bhaiba okhaniye aa gaya uhan pe aaro batwa salta diya!!!!
• Jaade kaabil bana na, to marte FAT ka NAKBHASSA jhaad denge!!!
• abe yaar main jaa raha tha ek bahut neek (beautiful) bandi dikhi mere ko.
• Are utna zor se throw karne ka kya jaroorat tha.. dheere se gudkaio (roll) deta to out ho jaata
• abe andar Dhuk ke dekh na kya ho raha hai.
• E sasur ke naati, tora to khadda(gaddha) khaand ke samucche gaar dabbo
• notebook ka dugo panna HERRA  (lost) gaya.
• are yi ka hua fonewa ke chakkar mein ta maar ho gaya....aaplog thame rahiyega,abhi salta ke aate hain
• are hum jab wahan geli na to dekhli ki falnawa ukra dhaile hai
• Mar ke muraiye deb. Cheenhte naikhe ki? mar ke kapade phar deb!!

Dhoni is now the captain of the Indian Cricket team, Yuvraj Singh taking over as his deputy. India truly is looking at a long term vision, with these two being the more senior among a young lot. With Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly, still very much a part of the Indian side, and showing glimpses of their greatness in patches, Dhoni, as a captain faces a tough job ahead.

He has to get used to all the attention, criticism and pressure that comes along with this toughest job in Indian sport. But what might be tougher is the following three challenges:

• Dynamics with the big-3: How Dhoni handles the big-3, depends more on them than on him. No doubt, the trinity has done much more than enough to guarantee their place at the top of the Greatest Indian Cricketers of all time. But to forge the future of the sport, they will need to take on mentor roles, keeping their egoes in check when intereacting with Dhoni, Yuvraj and the rest of the team.
• Dynamics with the younger lot: After the recent performance in the ICC World T20 Tournament, the confidence level in the team is high. They believe they can win. Dhoni has to ensure that he himself, and his adolescent team, does not cross the fine line between confidence and arrogance. Ganguly showed great respect and trust in his younger players (Yuvraj, Pathan, Dhoni and Harbhajan) - fighting for their place in the team, even when they were going through rough patches in their careers. Dhoni needs to do the same - and he seems to be doing exactly that.
• Dynamics with his peers (namely Yuvraj): At the international level, it is very important that the rivalry within the team remains "healthy". The last time we witnessed rivalry between two potential captains of the Indian team, was probably in the 1980s, with some rift between Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar. Since then, the Indian dressing room has been very quiet in this respect. There has been mutual respect between players in the same age group and experience level. Over the last 2 years, what we have observed is that there is a good friendship between Dhoni and Yuvraj (the two possible contenders for the job of the leader). The level of respect is such that they are very open about it - going out of the way in praising the other and cracking jokes about it.

Yuvraj, in the post match interview after the six sixes against England - "We had just 2-3 overs to go and MS asked me that we should keep a left hand-right hand combination. But I said 'No MS, you go in front of me. You are a better slogger'. So he went but after the score, I said 'No mate, I'm a better slogger'.

Dhoni said, after the match against Australia - "Yuvi has been my trump-card, I mean in the batting department he is the one who makes the difference. It was a big match and see how he responded. In semifinal we expected him to score and he scored."