Very handy screen capture tool

 

Many a time we need to capture a part of the screen to be sent across to some one or to paste in a document for reference later. Windows “Prnt Scrn” is good enough but it has the disadvantage that it can either copy the whole screen or whole of the active window. This is not very convenient since the actual information required to be captured might just be a fraction of the screen and moreover the size of the copied window would be too high especially if we plan to send it across in a mail.

A very handy tool to copy only the required portion of the screen is called ‘Snippy’ , apparently developed by an Indian. It is very light (hardly an MB) and there is no install required. Just run the executable file and start snipping !.

Can be downloaded from Snippy download.

More reviews and help on this tool can be found here .

   Clippings on this page have been done using Snippy.

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Gold prices

Factors which influence gold prices.

A) Weakness in the US dollar contributes to upward pressure in gold prices. So watch out for how the dollar is performing. A weak dollar forces people/brokers/banks to buy and use gold as an exchange mechanism instead of the dollar.

B) Rising equity market also forces some investors to shift their funds from gold to equity market for quick gains leading to reduced gold demand and in turn to lesser prices. So if the stock market is going up you have the double benefit of gold price coming down too.

C) High crude oil prices also impacts the price of gold. Higher the crude oil prices, higher the price of gold which is because investors buy gold as a hedge against inflation, and when oil prices go to lifetime highs people turn to gold and this higher demand drives up the price of gold.

D) Locally in India, the marriage and Diwali season see a very high demand for gold and this in turn rises the price of gold (has to since 60% of the world produce of gold is sold in India)

Gold prices are usually always on the upward trend.But there are few lean periods in which the prices are usually low compared to other months, they are July/August. So next time you want to buy gold look to the factors above and decide accordingly.

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Burma bazaar , Chennai – tips

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- Now, some tips from MetroMela to make your Burma Bazaar trip easier

• Do not go there with young children. The place is crowded.

• The shopkeepers here are out to make a fast buck, so know what you are buying thoroughly and make sure you can judge a good piece from a bad one especially in terms of electronic items. Besides, these things come with no guarantee.

• Always get a shop number before you go there. Do not walk there and ask for, say, Murugan. A 100 Murugans will appear from nowhere and claim to be the person you are looking for and all 100 will most likely be selling the item you need.

• Burma Bazaar is the place to go to for a good deal. Things here are much cheaper than elsewhere but you’ve got to haggle.

• If you have friends who have been there before, take them along on your first trip.

• Do not try buying pirated DVDs/CDs unless you are a pro at that sort of thing. For one, it’s illegal and in Tamil Nadu anyone caught buying or selling these can be arrested. So, there are always undercover cops around the area keeping an eye on this.

• Basically the key to shopping in this area is to look street smart and definite about what you may want to buy.

• Do not, under any circumstances, pick a fight with anyone in this area, however much they anger you. The shopkeepers tend to stick together.

• Visit this bazaar anytime between 10 AM and 2 PM or from 5 PM to 10 PM on weekdays.

• Sundays are half days and the last Sunday of every month is a holiday.

Hotel Mount Heera , Chennai Review

A well maintained web site of the hotel with some very appealing photos of the front office, rooms and the dining. It also lists an exhaustive list of services and facilities including travel desk, doctor on call, money exchange services and 24 hours hot and cold water. Phew! What else would one want; it would put the five star hotels to shame. This was the opinion before we stepped into the hotel. Gosh, how deceptive looks could be.

Well, to be fair the web site did not lie. The front desk was indeed well decorated, pity that the photos do not convey anything about the people who man the desk. Trouble starts right from here, the staff does not understand or speak English or Hindi and the manager who is a bit more fluent would not help you any information you try to gather.
And yes, as the web site mentioned there was a travel desk viz. one Toyota qualies to be used for all the guests at the hotel and at a price which a little less than thrice the local taxi fare.
And again, as the web site mentioned there was 24 hours hot and cold water supply, only that one had to wait for an hour for the hot water to start flowing and the difference between hot and cold water was just about 5 degrees centigrade.
And yes as the web site mentioned the room had an AC only that it roared like a drilling machine. And yes there was a TV too with clarity which makes one feel as if we are on mars receiving vague and incoherent signals from earth.
Web site also rightly mentions of 24 hour room service, we only have to understand their words a bit differently. We ask for anything and the room service would deliver in about 24 hours. Elementary Watson!
Multi Cuisine Restaurant is also there (as mentioned in the web site) and to be fair, it was well decorated. But our hunger does not satisfy with mere good looks, it’s the food which matters more. The free breakfast was a farce with rocky idlies and hard sandwiches.

Last but not the least, something which is not mentioned in the web site but you get for free is a bed full of bugs. If you ever have an unavoidable situation and have to stay in this hotel, remember to not use the rug on the bed, it was washed last century. Also, remember to hold your breadth while in the bathroom.

We left the place with a feeling of being looted Rs 2000/day. Avoid this one unless you desperately need a hotel near the airport and are not able to find even a decent tree to rest under.

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