Saturday, October 24, 2009

New CBSE Grading System


With the academic year 2009-10, CBSE moves to the next level of education!/span>
Class IX & X students will now be evaluated on a 9-point Grading System that is based on Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).
The academic year gets divided into 2 terms, each having two types of assessment:

Formative = Evaluation of class work, homework, assignment and project work
Summative = Term End Exams

April - SeptemberOctober - March
Two Formative Assessments each of 10% weightage = 20% Two Formative Assessments each of 10% weightage = 20%
Term End Exam / Summative = 20% Term End Exam / Summative = 40%
Total = 100%



9-Point Grading System
Grade Marks Range
A1 91-100
A2 81-90
B1 71-80
B2 61-70
C1 51-60
C2 41-50
D 33-40
E1 21-32
E2 00-20


Roadmap
Class X (2009-10) Board Exams happen, however, instead of marks - Grades are given
Class IX (2009-10) CCE gets operational from October 2009
Class X (2010-11) CCE gets implemented & Board Exams become optional
Grading system is based on yearlong performance.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Forget Android, Symbian or iPhone OS. Now run XP on your phone!

Suprised?
While developers are going ga-ga over building newer and efficient operating systems for the mobile clan, ITG, a Chinese technology company has managed to build an actual mobile phone which runs a full featured Windows XP! Now that looks funny! No, its for real!
xpPhone
Now, there seems to be some upside-down matters. The biggies like Google, Apple and Symbian foundation are trying real hard to improve the software to co-operate with mobile technology just to function as if it were a desktop.
But ITG, on the other hand is going ground-up and building ground-breaking hardware to let desktop OS to be run on the regular mobile handsets.
The newbie set to rock is dubbed the xpPhone. No prizes for guessing why! The xpPhone features a large 4.8" touch-screen with a resolution of 800x480 and has a full QWERTY keyboard. With a dizzying array of features, such as dual SSD and standard HDD, VGA output at full HD resolutions (1920x1080), USB port for connecting peripherals, 3G connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, camera, and more!
Other things on the phone are its optimization for being, well, a mobile device. The phone can be configured to wake from stand-by to receive a call. There's even an option that can let you restore the factory system image or the one created by he user at every restart so that your system remains good always.
On the software side, there's no point in telling you the features, as there's nothing that'll keep you limited if its running a whole desktop OS such as XP.

But the only thing to worry about is the overall weight of the device getting around to 400gm! Consider that in your pocket. You may need a "phone-proof" pocket!

Click Here for a larger image - http://i34.tinypic.com/m91yxl.jpg

Here are some of the specifications of the device:
  • CPU: AMD Super Mobile CPU
  • Memory:512M/1G
  • SSD: 8G/16G/32G/64G
  • HDD:30G/60G/80G/120G
  • LCD: 4.8' TFT Touch-screen LCD 800*480
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
  • Network:
    • GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA (HSDPA/HSUPA)
    • CDMA/CDMA2000 1X/CDMA1X EVDO,TD-SCDMA,TD-HSDPA
  • Wireless:WiFi 802.11b/g,WiMax(optional),Buletooth,Stand-alone GPS
  • Camera Specifications:CMOS, 300k/1.3 Million
  • Ports:1 x earphone jack,1 x microphone jack,Docking Connector (include VGA output signal ),1 x USB 2.0, SIM Slot
  • Power Management:
    • Battery: Removable Lithium-ion
    • Talk time: about 5 hours,Stand by time: about 5 days
    • Real life: about 7 hours(Standard), about 12 hours(Large)
    • Talk time,Standby time,Operation time may vary depending different usage.
  • Weight: 400g (include battery)

Visit the manufacturers website for more details.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Obituary to "Common Sense"

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather true.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, *Common Sense*, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

*Common Sense *lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from
school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. *Common Sense *lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. *Common Sense *lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. *Common Sense *took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

*Common Sense *finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. *Common Sense *was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his
wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
**********************************************************

Via agrasen.blogspot.com - "Facts of Life" - Original Post