13/07/2008 12:24 PM
While searching for sending free SMS, I found how to send email to SMS on your email to SMSmobile phone. It describes how an email can be sent as SMS to your mobile phone (works on selected operators only). But it has a limitation i.e it truncates long mail and approx only 160 characters is sent as SMS. I have confirmed that Airtel Karnataka is working fine.
Extending this idea following things can be done with it :-
* Auto forwarding mails to mobile phone as SMS:- In Gmail, go to settings -> Forwarding and POP and set your messages to forward at the mobile-number-cum-email. But, currently this is not working. If it works, then selected mails can also be forwarded by creating filters. I have reported this issue to Gmail help and support and hope they resolve it soon.
* Using your mobile number as another email address to 'send mail from' in Gmail:- Go to settings -> Accounts and set the mobile-number-cum-email as 'Add another email address' under 'Send mail as'. It will send a verification code on your mobile. After verifying the email address you can select this email address as 'send email from' so that you get its reply as SMS alert.
* Orkut SMS alerts:- Currently Orkut SMS alert is available in Brazil only. On changing the primary email address to your mobile-number-cum-email in Orkut it sends a link and verification code which is received as truncated message due to limitation. If Orkut changes the format of verification mail by sending the verification code (say XXXX) first and then the link, then it can be verified by clicking the link, http://www.orkut.com/EditEmailConfirm.aspx?vc=XXXX which means, you can receive SMS alert when someone leaves a scrap on your scrapbook. I have reported this issue to Orkut help and support and hope they consider it.
* Google Alerts:- Similarly, if the format of verification mail is changed while subscribing for Google Alerts, it would be quite handy to receive latest updates on a topic of your choice directly to your mobile.
* Blogger comment Notification:- In blogger, go to settings-> comments and set your mobile-number-cum-email as 'Comment Notification Address'. Thus, it notifies on your mobile when someone leaves a comment on your blog. Thankfully, it does not requires any verification code.
* Let others send you SMS without knowing your mobile number:- jotform SMS alertThere are many sites that send SMS to mobile phones free. But, they require to disclose your mobile number to do so. Alternatively, you can sign up at jotforms using your mobile-number-cum-email, create a form and place it on your web page. Do not forget to set 'E-mail ' to 'yes' under form properties. Now anyone can send you an SMS without knowing your mobile number. A demo SMS form can be seen on the sidebar.
* Sending SMS using PL/SQL:- This Oracle forum post describes how to send SMS using PL/SQL. I have not verified it, but if it is working then powerful web based applications can be created that can send SMS to desired mobile number.
There may be many other possibilities with mobile-number-cum-email, tell me what you can do with yours?
C or Sea?
13/07/2008 12:21 PM
Few days back, my brother... who wants to learn C programming, asked me to send Turbo C++ compiler by mail. Immediately I said "NO! Do not use Turbo C++ compiler". He asked for the reason and I said I will tell you later. So here are some of the reasons for the same:-
1. Turbo C++ compiler is not ANSI standard compliant. It has many non standard header files:
e.g. conio.h - basically people use it for clrscr() i.e. clearing the screen
graphics.h - Even it is not a standard header file. But in school, colleges still computer graphics programming is taught under Turbo C/C++ compiler…me too a victim.
Now you can ask if graphics.h is not standard then how to do graphics programming? So the answer is go for openGL, DirectX .etc. programming.
2. It has lots of bug one e.g. consider the code
for(;0;)
printf("hello");
This prints hello once in Turbo C++ v3.0 compiler even though the condition is false. The same code in gcc does not give any output. Updated: check this out.
3. You might have noticed that working on Turbo C++ compiler shows 100% CPU usage in task manager. Even the processor gets heated and your system can hang up. This is because it is a 1989 based 16-bit compiler and does not comply with latest processors.
Now, you can ask...which compiler to choose then?
So in my opinion, use GCC...available in Linux and for Windows use the Dev C++ compiler. I found it very lightweight on system performance.
People use Turbo C++ compiler coz it’s easily available...and due to the help it contains regarding syntax .etc. But the biggest problem is the book we read before going for actual programming. Most of us read Yashwant Kanetkar books. Sorry if I am offending anyone but...do not read Yashwant Kanetkar books. Some of the reasons are -
1. Those books have been written keeping in mind Turbo C/C++ compiler only. So, they do not teach us c language properly.
2. You have to unlearn many things. e.g.
Has anyone ever asked you questions like:-
int x=5;
y=x++ + ++x + x++;
What is the value of y?
(Yashwant kanetkar's Exploring C contains lot of these types of questions)
or
Swap two variables without using a third variable in one line?
You might have replied a=a+b-(b=a);
or may be some other way.
For your kind information answer to both of them is "Undefined behavior".
Confused!! ever heard of 'Sequence Points'? For more details visit these:- Wikipedia, c-faq, orkut c/c++ community
Upon thinking the reasons for reading Kanetkar books I found that-
1. These books are easily available even at a second hand book stall. So, definitely cost matters.
2. In schools/colleges, teachers ask to follow these books.
3. Mass following the same path like sheep and getting so called good jobs. Then why not me? Even lot of interviewers ask these types of questions.
Now...which book to follow then? So, in my opinion, no book is best...you have to refer different books for different topics... and yes google, wikipedia etc. can lead to some good resources.
Well...you might be thinking why I am writing about all these things here. So in reply, I would like to repeat the famous quote from movie AntiTRUST - Human knowledge belongs to the world.
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