Like I had written earlier you can’t read/write Kannada on an Android phone. I have given this feedback to Google and its also on the bug list. But I am not sure when will Google implement it. The biggest thing I missed is reading Kannada blogs. But then this tip helped me to get Kannada back on mobile.

1. Search for Opera Mini on Android market
2. Install it
3. Or use this QR code

4. Type about:config in url bar and then press go
5. Scroll down until you see the setting Use bitmap fonts for complex scripts
6. Change it to yes and save
7. Now try sampada.net and you should be able to read Kannada on Android

This setting will make the Opera Mini to render the page on server side and then deliver it. Hence even though your phone doesn’t have Unicode fonts or rendering capability, you can still read it.

I tried it on my Nexus One and it worked. It should work on most of the other Android mobiles.

I listen to Kannada music a lot. I mostly end up buying CDs and then rip them so I can use it on my ipod or Nexus1. Its such a waste of resources. CD (eWaste) plus my time and money. Last few months I was searching for a good Kannada online music store where I could buy the mp3s directly. This way I can buy only those songs I like than the whole album. Even though my search was not completely successful, here are a few I found for your reference. As far as I know I have listed only legal sites here.

• Lahari Music – Preview and estore
• Raaga Kannada – Online streaming and estore.
• Music India Online – Online streaming
• PlanetRadiocity – Online streaming
• eMusic – Online streaming and estore

I am sure, I have missed many others. Let me know.

This last week of 2009 is probably the worst week of this decade for Kannadiga’s. We lost two really big artists and more than that great human beings.
C. Ashwath
Much before Kodagana Koli Nugitta became famous outside Karnataka (thanks to Raghu Dixit), it was introduced to Kannadigas by C.Ashwath. He made all those poems which were in just books to reach common man. If I say major credit of popularizing bhavageethe and sugama sangeetha goes to him, I wouldn’t be wrong. Last time I saw him was in a Kanndada music show along with SPB. He looked very fit and sung few songs too. But then he passed away on his 71st birthday. His bhavayaana remains uncompleted :( May his soul rest in peace.

Dr. Vishnuvardhan
The biggest shocker of the year is his death. He looked very healthy, calm and peaceful. He was still 58 years and it’s not the age to die. But then death is a big cheater.
Much before Mungaru Male’s Anisutidhe became national anthem of heart-broken lovers, it was his Bandhana song “Noorondu Nenapu” (“ನೂರೊಂದು ನೆನಪು ಎದೆಯಾಳದಿಂದ” ). It still is. His offscreen life partnership with Bharathi was as romantic and strong as his on-screen pairing with Suhasini. Anybody could tell they were in Love and was such a big role models to other cine pairs in Kannada industry. Unfortunately they could not have a biological kid but then that never came in between. They lived their love life full. And I always thought them as the hottest pair in Indian Cinema. But then one death takes away everything. May his soul rest in peace and may god give his family strength.
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Cast: Jaggesh, Yagna Shetty, Tabala Naani, V. Manohar, Shyam Prasad, A.S. Murthy
Story-Screenplay-Dialogues-Direction: Guru Prasad
Producer: Sanath Kumar; Music: Anoop Sileen; Camera: Ashok Raman
My Rating: ****

Watched “Eddelu Manjunatha” on Saturday. Its so different from any regular Kannada movies (or Indian movies). Its a satire(double meaning) comedy which makes you laugh and think at the same time. Its good to see Jaggesh in restrained acting. Yagna looks beautiful. I was expecting a lot from Guruprasad after his first movie Matha, which was a dark comedy. He lived up to it.

The movie starts with Manjunatha sharing the same room with blind director Nani. To pass the time, Manjunatha (actually its his full time job) starts conversation with Nani about his own life. The whole movie is about lazy Manjunatha. In between you can see them conversing about politics, film industry, sex, marriage, life etc. Conversations make most of the Movie and that is where Guru is successful. He can make you laugh, think and wonder.

There are two songs in the movie. The title song eddelu manjunatha is corny. The second song by sung by M.D.Pallavi “Prapachanve Devaru Madiro Baaru…..” is good. I also liked the actress who has played bar singers role for this song. Do any one of you know her name? (update: its Veena Bhat.)

Go watch it.

Note: There are moments (double meaning) where you might feel uncomfortable if your parents are around. Other than that film is mostly clean and watchable with family.

When I first met Sri Tejaswi at Bangalore University I didn’t expect him to know so much about computers. He had so many questions for me. He was interested in everything from Windows to Linux to Free and Open source software. So I had good time talking to him about software and Open Source in special.  By then I had read lot of his books like Annana Nenapu, Andamaninalli Alemari and many more travelogues, shikari stories. I was fan of him since my high school days.

After few months through a friend of mine I got a call from him to visit him at his house. That was very surprising. I met his that evening for tea. I got this autographed book Annana Nenapu. We casually talked about everything including computers, books, Kannada etc. Mean time I told me how much I like his travel stories. That is when he suggested me to read Kanuru HeggaDathi by Kuvempu. He told its story of malenadu (Western Ghats) than Subbamma. It also became an award winning movie with Tara as Subbamma. Today at Infy we are celebrating Rajyotsava. As part of celebration we had book show. I picked up Kanuru HeggaDathi almost 3 years after that suggestion came. Better late than never right? Read the rest of this entry »