Posts

I believe often the conversation about software—especially when concerning privacy—is about free software and the freedom associated with it. But I would like to argue that proprietary software can only exploit your freedom to the extent that you allow it to. In fact, you can even use it to your advantage. Free Software and Freedom For those who aren’t familiar with free software, check out gnu.org “Free software” means software that respects users’ freedom and community. ...

Introduction We all have memories—and memories we desperately want to protect. Yet keeping those moments safe seems to be a fading idea as everything becomes so digitally transient and hard to preserve. Today, I’m taking you on a journey I’ve been on myself: safeguarding the moments that mean the most—the story of our lives, our loved ones, and our identities. Because, honestly, isn’t that what life’s all about? I just want you to be able to lie in your 80s, looking at these preserved, disconnected moments that you once dismissed as trivial, slowly coming together into a narrative that makes you smile and cry at the same time. ...

Today, I want to share why I contribute to OpenStreetMap (OSM) and why you should care—or even consider joining in. What is OpenStreetMap? OpenStreetMap is an open database of geographic data (geo-data) that anyone can contribute to. Unlike maps controlled by profit-driven corporations, OSM is a purely community-driven project. Its mission is to create a comprehensive and freely accessible log of all geographic data on Earth. Why Should You Care? Community Driven ...

In this blog post, I’ll share how I manage my development containers, why they’re essential for my workflow, and how you can integrate them into yours. What Are Development Containers? Development containers are isolated environments that function like sandboxed operating systems. Essentially, they’re self-contained operating systems that can run independently or with limited interaction with your host operating system (e.g., Windows, Linux, or macOS). You can think of them as neat little cargo boxes, not interfering with each other. ...

Background Today, we’ll discuss hashmaps—a fundamental data structure in computer science. I chose this topic while solving the “Two Sum” problem, which required the use of hashmaps to efficiently find a solution. In this post, we’ll cover hash functions, linked lists, and how they come together to form hashmaps. Hashing Let’s start by understanding hashing. Hashing is a process of mapping variable-sized input data (like strings or numbers) to a fixed-size output. This mapping is carried out by a hashing function. ...

Background I’ve recently decided to dive back into data structures and algorithms (DSA). These are fundamental skills for any developer, regardless of the field you’re in, and mastering them can significantly sharpen your problem-solving abilities. Beyond that, DSA is also intellectually stimulating and—dare I say—fun, especially when you’re tackling challenges with a friend. Now seems like the perfect time to revisit these essential topics. Solving Problems In computer science, just like in life, there are often multiple ways to solve a single problem. Each solution comes with its own trade-offs—just like how different recipes for making a cake can require varying amounts of time, effort, and ingredients. Similarly, algorithms have different “costs” in terms of resources. ...

Background Recently, I needed a keyboard to pair with my Xiaomi Pad 6. The official Xiaomi keyboard didn’t seem worth its price given its subpar quality and limited use with the tablet alone. That’s when I realized I’d been wanting a mechanical keyboard for a while. I mean, it’s aesthetic, the sound is satisfying, and let’s face it—using one kind of makes you feel more like a programmer. So yeah, I got it for all the wrong reasons, but honestly, I don’t think it was a bad investment. ...

Introduction India is on the verge of introducing a change in its media architecture with the proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023. While the intention behind this bill seems noble—establishing control over a wider range of broadcasting services and implementing censorship—the implications are far-reaching and concerning for press freedom, privacy, and creative expression. A Consolidated Regulatory Framework The proposed bill seeks to consolidate all broadcasting services, including digital platforms like social media, under a single regulatory framework. This move raises questions about the government’s intentions and potential control over what content is permitted in public discourse as we are well aware of the control established by the majority government in the past decade over journalistic independence and freedom. By expanding its reach to cover both traditional and digital mediums, the bill poses a significant threat to India’s digital journalism, which has played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and intellectual in the recent years, when the traditional forms of media were completely biased. ...

PITX is a file format that I have envisioned to create in the coming months as a new way to store digital media, a way where images are stored with their context, with their story, i.e. text. Inspiration Every image tells a story, yet so many of these stories are lost due to the lack of appropriate textual context. This gap inspired me to create PITX, a new file format designed to store images along with their stories, bringing us back to the exact moments we cherish. ...

We live in the age of information, the age of data, yet seldom do we notice, care or appreciate it’s representation. It’s representation is as powerful as the information itself, it can change how the person feels about it and how they will remember it. Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it - Jared Spool What’s UI? It stands for user interface and is the visual aspect of how information is represented, this includes fonts, colors, menus, buttons and what not, all meticulously chosen to set the tone. It’s like you dressing up for the appropriate occasion. You dress differently for a wedding, for a party, for a beach, and for sleeping. Similarly we represent information according to the context. For a more formal website, you’d use more formal fonts, and monochromatic colors, but for a club’s website, you may choose to get creative with how things look. ...