Joy Dutta’s blog

While I was getting confused on what to code on the quarterly hack day, our senior manager brought a Lego Mindstorm NXT programmable robotics kit for some fun. The moment I saw his mail, I ran to his cube to grab it. This was my one chance to enjoy some building and coding fun together in the name of hack.

So I spent the whole Saturday figuring what to make, and suddenly this idea struck me. In this age of social networking mania on the web, why not make an intelligent picture taker which can roam among people in a room and take some cool shots.

This is by far the best toy I ever handled. I always wanted to make toys with servo motors, and the kit has 3 of them. So 2 of them went to the wheel and the last one became a concoction to trip the shutter. Give the right amout of power and it will press just like a human finger. Woot.

Other than the motors, there are 4 sensors - ultrasonic (to “see” like bats), sound (mic), touch and light. Am having a ball of time to develop code in NXC on my Mac. A major part of the fun is in multithreaded event programming, using mutex and semaphores. Downloaded a very convenient compiler from Bricxcc and it is a breeze to compile and send the binary program to the robot over bluetooth. Here are the commands:

$ nbc prog.nxc -O=prog.rxe
$ nxtcom -v -S=/dev/tty.NXT-DevB-1 prog.rxe

To generate the tty for the bluetooth, I followed the instructions here:
http://juju.org/articles/2006/10/22/bluetooth-serial-port-to-nxt-in-osx

I am targetting to have these features for demo on Monday:
1. Front bumper hits something => move back a bit and take a picture.
2. Some obstacle comes in front and stays there for a few seconds => take a picture.
3. Explore the room intelligently.

More photos here.

My first serious attempt in oil painting on canva-paper turned out a pleasant surprise. What an amazing medium and workability. Love the fact that I can paint right out of the tube and one color can go over another easier than in watercolor. Painting in watercolor, in comparison, seems like a minimalist approach, and quite a lot different than oil, with its own charm. I guess I will keep working on both mediums.

Got my first ever mac - a shiny new mac book pro. And no, my wallet didn’t get lighter. Had a really long wait to get my POS windows laptop swapped to get this to actually use it for work. Did I say “work” ? Compared to the experience of using a mac, windows just seems a crappy environment to get any useful work done reliably. I had so many instances of the XP disappointing me at the times of need (slowing down, wireless acting up, freezing, blah blah) that I had to demote its use to only the Firefox browser 90% of the time. Even then I had to close it before putting to standby, else with 95.25% chance it would freeze up next day, wasting a good 30 min of my time.

At work, nothing could be better. I am now all up and energized to learn developing flash, and what is a better environment than OSX where everything works seamlessly. It is made for developers and artists and am loving every bit of it.

Now the mac is here, my dark days are gone. I am playing with it like a kid with a new toy, and not getting bored at all. The mac keeps stunning me with its interface and the fact that everything just plain works seems incredible. On the first day itself I took a bunch of pics using photo booth and made a fun movie using iMovie. What a hoot ! I am now thinking of taking actual movie clips along a storyline and try my hand at documentary making.

Here is the movie I made. Enjoy.

I am not a latest-greatest gadget guy, and never been. I could have been happy with my simple Nokia handset but after missing a few emergency text messages from office due to T-Mobile’s inferior network necessiated a change of carrier. I never even get a bar of signal inside office, so my phone is always useless when I am at work. I wanted to switch to cingular, but just got lazy, till the iPhone happened. I thought maybe I would wait till the price goes a bit south, but after playing with it from a co-worker I had to bite the bullet. I would say this is by far the best electronic gadget I put my hands on.

Now I can have the following for just $20 more per month:

1. Unlimited use of the internet. Never miss an email even when on road. I can even blog while on a motorcycle trip, no need for a laptop. Typing is incredibly fast, even better that a blackberry/treo.
2. Phone will be functional in my office. Finally !!!
3. Text messaging plan included.
4. Lots of useful apps like stock watcher, weather, etc.
5. Love the maps, just wish it had a GPS too.

The purchase was also the best experience ever. At the crowded apple store I anticipated a long wait. The sales guy with a handheld device scanned the new package, swiped my credit card, checked my driving license and took my signature. Less than 10 seconds, no lengthy forms, no bullshit, and I got my iPhone. They sent me the receipt by email. Gotta love this company. Piyush also got his at the same time.

Gotta activate and start using it now.

Update after activation (Fri Oct 5, 2:06 AM): There is just no word to describe the utility of this gadget, it is just incredible. Thank you apple, my life just got a lot easier. Wish I bought some AAPL last year !!!

Saturday was a good fun day after a long while. Weekdays being stressful, I am reluctant to do two-day trips for now, so a short trip around sounded just right.

The agenda was simple: A hindu temple at Livermore, then Half moon bay and to top it off, watching chinese new years parade in the evening at SF. While Uddhav and Piyush tucked comfortably in Niloy’s recently acquired VW Passat, I took my trusty Concours. Being in a cage and not driving it means only one thing to me - sleep.

The temple at livermore had the unmistakable environment of a typical AP temple. The people, the dress and the chatter took me back for a few moments to my country. A hearty prasadam concluded the brief visit before we headed for half moon bay.

I-580 to I-680 to I-880 to I-280 to CA-92. Enough of superslabs and time for some adrenalin. Though 92 was nothing compared to what I tasted in the Ukiah trip two weekends back, it was very enjoyable. The farms, the smell of cowdung and the rural landscape on both sides of the serpentine road took away all the stress of the hectic week.

A short snack break at a subway at the junction of CA-1 and CA-92 at half moon bay later we halted at Venice beach after a short jaunt at a private seaside residential neighborhood. The houses must be worth millions, at least, by looking at the location and the horse trails by the sea.

Venice beach to me was the definition of paradise. At least as of now, till I can ride to Hawaii and Mauritus :D. Before the sea front, there was a shallow river on the sand bed and some young kids were practising to surf. We had to cross the cold water to get to the beach.

Pacific waters touched my feet for the first time. Sea was rough and advertised as dangerous with rip currents. So it was just a beach walk and photo session. Besides it was cold.

Our last leg to SF was smooth and fast on the I-280 till it became 19th avenue. Crawling traffic till Uddhav’s house reminded me of Calcutta and Bangalore. I am so spoilt by open roads that it kills my mood very easily in traffic. Anyways we met Uddhav’s apt mates Ketki and Killol who joined us for the evening fun.

We pampered ourselves with a classic indian vegeterian dinner at Chutneys restaurant on O’Farell. Simple items - Palak paneer and Butter Paneer with Tandoori naans and Mango lassi. The fear of impending rush to a restroom did chase me all along though nothing like that happened fortunately.

The crowd, the streets and the ambience was not very different from what I had seen in NY city. I had some expectations of capturing a few good shots but could not manage a good spot. Besides I left my 85/1.8 lens at home. So it had to be street shots after the parade.

The parade itself was complete with its share of dragons and drums. To top it off a huge chain of chinese crackers were lighted. The sound and the sulphur smell meant only one thing to me - Diwali at home.

The gang decided to walk to Ghirardelli square for its world famous ice creams to call it a day. And what a walk it was. It was more like climbing a mountain than a post-dinner street walk. At every intersection it was a view begging to be photographed. Streets going so steeply down, on a bicycle I am sure it will feel like a free fall.

I got the much needed exercise so I didnt complain much. Lure of Ghirardelli ice creams are a bit too much to ignore. Besides we teased Ketki the daylight out of her. In a mere one semester she started to look like her imaginery big sister and her dennis-the-menace lookalike pants with flying laces were fun to watch.

Return to Uddhav’s apt was not without a little drama. No Muni and no one would walk. We stopped a cab and did what is unthinkable in this country - stuffing 6 adults in that poor Ford, giving our good old Ambassadors a tough competition. Fortunately the cab dropped us safely, even with my constant fear of doors bursting open like a cork from a champaigne bottle!

It was time to say goodbye. I-280 just after SF at night is breathtaking near Milbrae. The view of the valley surrounding the SF airport looks just like from an airplane window after taking off. And those mesmerizing runway lights. I should stop on that stretch someday to soak in that view. Reaching home was like a blink of an eye, thanks to the good time we did on I-280 (much better than US-101) and I managed to stick to Niloy’s VW like a leach, with a constant distance for the 45 minutes of sustained 80mph cruise.

210 miles roundtrip. Not much but a little contribution to my goal of reaching 100k motorcycle miles in a few years.

Pics: Half moon bay, SF - Feb 06

Now that my student (dorm) life is over, I have the freedom and means to settle down. And that means having my own room, own furnitures and a zillion choices to make on how to lead a life that is simple, frugal, and as much creative as possible.

While hunting for furnitures online at craigslist with Piyush, my apt mate, I just had this idea of doing my own woodwork. It might cost a little bit to setup, but the reward of being creative and learning in the process matters a lot to me, basically this creative motivation has been the driving force of my life. I can attribute most of this to my father who bought me a real carpentry set at the age of 6. The first attempt to work with that was using the saw and cutting my finger badly. I still vividly remember that day.

Home Depot being right behind my house is like living at the foothills of paradise. Regardless of how many times I visit a Home Depot I can’t really decide which aisle to spend my time at. Today at the tools section I had a hard time choosing a cordless drill/driver, a tool in my dreams for a long while. I chose a professional 18v kit of RYOBI. It has many other compliant tools like circular saw, reciprocating saw, sander, impact gun etc which take the same battery. Also picked up a 90-pc drill accessory set. An ubiquitious tape. Carpenter’s pencil. Sharpener.

When I went to check out the section for wood pieces it was another wave of confusion. I was looking for simple wooden pieces like those used to make small racks and shelves. Instead I found varieties of woods to choose them from - birch, poplar and even redwood ! Poplar being the cheapest is the one for me now. Need to measure up the house and design some basic stuff. And quick.

Tool time has finally arrived.

UPDATE (23-Jan): John pointed out that Home Depot offers a RYOBI 3-pc combo kit that includes the circular saw worth $60. I paid $100 for my 2-pc kit and this 3-pc kit cost $120. definitely worth the upgrade and I did that today. Can’t be happier. The saw cuts wood like a steel knife goes through butter. After I get done with the simple shelf I am making, I will go for more serious projects like a low custom dining table and a computer desk.

I must say that interactions with HR people are one of the most important impressions about a company from an employee perspective. I have been continually impressed by the efficiency of the HR people I met at my company, but today was an example of what I call a tombstone of efficiency, the best one can expect out of a professional, courteous person.

I had to make a phone call to USCIS to inform them of my address change. It was a must to do in addition to the already sent AR-11 form, and it seemed to be a big PITA to me with my hearing problem. I desperately needed someone to help.

When I asked Freida about it, she agreed right away. It took a whole 30 minutes to finish the damn thing, with the voice menu system doing its blah blah for an eternity before some human being finally attended the call. Freida answered her questions on my behalf with professional accuracy and it made me feel right at home. I could not thank her enough.

Note to myself: If you find HR people to be good, the company is worth sticking to. Amen.

I had quite a few plans for this long weekend. No, not a trip, but some errands to get done. On the way to Walmart, I stopped by the local Kawasaki stealer (synonym for motorcycle dealers). By sheer luck, I got the tool I was waiting for a long time - the crescent wrench for steering head tightness adjustment. After ogling at the shiny machines at the showroom and sitting on a Suzuki VStrom 650 I set out for walmart. Within that 5 mile trip I could feel that something was happening very fast, and which I am too familiar with yet hate the most. The all-familiar pre-fever shudders were all upon me when I hurried to finish my shopping. I needed listerine, bread, and a fishing string. Nothing to do with fishing, but those strings are super strong and will help me remove the bulging Kawasaki logos from the tank. I just have a feeling that my bike is better without them, and tanks bags will be happier.

The ride back home was only 7 miles, but seemed like 100. I was shivering all over and desperately wanting to hit the bed for a day-long rest. I slept till 4:30 till I was hungry like a lion, ate some bread with philadelphia cream cheese, and cooked a peas-potato curry for dinner.

Piyush, my apt mate came from Stony Brook around 8:30 and I could finally connect to the internet by sharing his wireless connection. I still need to get a comcast cable modem connection, and soon.

Time to sleep. Fever on a long weekend at a place like california, with a bike and endless twisties around, SUCKS !

I miss my wife so much now…

Moved in to a 2-bedroom 2-bathroom apt, to be shared with two friends. Got a whole bedroom to myself, my first time in life having my own private space. Shopped for home essentials like I was settling down. Starting from shower curtain, bought comforter, pillow, cooking utensils, dishes and groceries to jump-start a life very different from the out-of-suitcase grad student life I was tired of.

Uddhav and Piyush, the other guys will join me in a few weeks. Piyush will be working in my team at Yahoo. He graduated with me from Stony Brook. Uddhav will graduate from USF in May and will be working for SAP. He is one of the guys I stayed with during last summer.

The bike is serving just fine to haul stuff home. As long I am not bringing furnitures home I wont be needing a cage, errr a four-wheeled entrapment. I tied a floor lamp kit, 12-pk toilet rolls and even a 13-gal trash can to the bike and it was just fine to ride 6 miles back home, as long as I could ignore the gasps from the cage drivers all around.

It is just great to be here, only that the astronomical prices of real estate continue to frustrate me. I have been longing for a personal garage with a dedicated section for tools and equipments and if this was Texas or Arizona I could have bought a small house very soon and paid EMI similar to the rent I will be paying here for a long time.

I am overwhelmed just to think of the possibilities of riding destinations and roads. So much more choices than I had back in Long Island. It would take me some time to write up my epic trip and think calmly about the rides ahead.

I never planned a full day of halt anywhere in my cross country trip. But checking my mail yesterday revealed that I needed to work a bit on my masters project report, nothing very serious but still it could relieve me of some headache.

I did some work in the morning and also processed and uploaded my ride pictures from the last 3 days. It was really worth doing.

The interesting part came later in the day. We three went 20 mi to Clearwater beach to enjoy the sunset. The sun was half over the horizon when I could barely manage to click a few frames till it was fully gone. And then Kulkul came running from where they were supposed to park the car. “Joy come soon, air is leaking from a front tire.” Bodhayan could barely manage to park the car to one side of the road when the tire dislodged from the rim. Luckily it was the right side tire so at least we didn’t have to work in the middle of the road.

Now we faced some hard facts: the car had one spare tire of proper size and an extra spare of a smaller size. The proper sized one didnt have air. There were no tools, and the jack was without its lever. And no membership with AAA.

I walked the spare tire to the nearest gas station in the hope of inflating it and then borrow someone’s spanner and jack to replace it. Murphy’s laws are really everywhere. The air pump didnt seem to work but later we found the tire beads weren’t seated properly, with air escaping from small area on one side. It was frustrating and we thought we needed a stronger pump. Bodhayan called his friends and 3 of them came from 20 mi. With the help of Google maps in my mobile and using the GPS I could locate and find an AutoZone withing 4 mi and bought tire spanner and a 12v air pump.

Back to the broken car, no attempt with the pump was successful. So we gave up on the proper sized tire and looked at the smaller one. It looked like a rim instead of a tire. We put it in place using Bodhayan’s friend’s jack and was ready to go. Murphy again. Car wont start. It had a weak battery as he admitted of having a few cold start problems. His friend had AAA membership but they refused to help a non-member. 9pm and we needed a jumper cable now. What a pain. I went back to the gas station hoping for some help. They didnt have a jumper kit. We were both out of ideas. Only worst case could be going back on a cab and coming back with preparations next day. But then I saw a cab driver coming back to his cab with a coffee. I casually asked if he could help with jumpstarting and to my surprise he said yes !

Jumpstart was successful in the first try. We profusely thanked the guy. Before him I asked a few persons with nice cars and pickups and they only knew how to politely say sorry. It was so good to see helping hands to be found in the most unexpected of places.

We all came back in his friend’s car while Bodhayan drove alone at 35mph. Back to home, safe, and with a very important lesson. When he wanted to thank me, I told him to thank my advisor, without whole mail about my project report I would have been at a small inn somewhere in Alabama by now.