What is the Gator Tracker in cricket and how does it work?
–Sourav Das, Kandi
Heart rate monitors are probably the silliest of the ‘tracker’ tricks being used to sell cricket (and its sponsors). A player wears a battery-powered transmitter chest strap containing electrodes. As heartbeats are detected it transmits radio signals. The only fun for observers is in praying that certain players’ (or especially umpires’) heart rate drops to zero and we never see them again. The second-silliest is tracking of distances covered. Video data of players on the field is processed by software to calculate the amount of ground traversed. How many people would cheer just because some fast bowler moves around more than a spinner? Next thing you know there’ll be a system to calculate the number of times a player burps (or worse) during the Gatorade drinks break!
I’m a boy and I’m in standard 10 and in the last few months I am not able to concentrate on my studies and have been performing very badly in my exams. Please help. My parents are very irritated with me. They are not talking to me also. I am really feeling very disappointed. Advice on what to do?
–Supratim Ghosh, Jamshedpur
If it’s only in the last few months that this has been happening, then clearly something else happened first to precipitate the situation, which you haven’t told me about. You need to think about that. However, if you’re asking for general advice then apart from the obvious like minimizing distractions and focusing on goals, I would suggest rewarding yourself for set tasks. For example, if you like biscuits (or beer) you might allow yourself to have a few biscuits (or get drunk) after a predetermined number of pages of revision. Or play video games for a few minutes, or whatever you enjoy doing (it’s also more enjoyable if you’ve stayed away for a while). If you discuss it with your parents, they might agree to get you some treats or toys that you really want as reward for your work. If they remain silent, then tell them you are sincerely trying to find ways to study and make them happy. If that doesn’t work (or bring a silent tear to their eye) say you’re going out for a drink with your friends, and I guarantee they will vote with their lips.
Sometimes I do not want anyone to copy my files from my DVD. How can I write a copy-protected DVD so that no one can copy my files by using Nero? If Nero cannot do this which software can do this?
–Anuran Barman
You cannot protect your DVDs in this way by using Nero or any other software. Even Nero the Roman emperor could not have helped you. In fact, he would probably have fiddled while your DVDs were burned. If you don’t want your friends to copy files, lock up your DVDs (or friends) when not in use.
Can you tell me the name of any software that can convert web pages into PDF files?
–Rahul De, Suri
I have no idea how much, if any, money you want to convert into thin air for this, but take a look at pages like adobe.com/products/acrobat, novapdf.com, freedownloadscenter.com, freewarehome.com and freepdfconvert.com; and see if you see anything you like.
Questions may be sent to burythequestion@gmail.com
I appreciate the work that you have put in, in this page. Really good,
Quite in contrast to your slipshod comment.