And the winner is!!

I have no clue..

But, I got out of the meeting with no burnt bridges.. Everything went smoothly. I was offered my own team of 4-5 people if I would stay. I thought about it and politely turned it down. My managers gave me the option of coming back to Seagate if ever I changed my mind in future and wanted to come back to engineering.

So, INDIA!!! HERE I COME!!

Decision's made! I'll be making the big move towards the end of March.

I'm excited about my future. It holds a certain uncertainity that gives me a thrill. Keeps me on my feet I guess!

ISB & Back To Boulder

Its been almost a week now since I got back to Boulder.. Amazing how things can change in a month. I'm back to the normal routine here in Boulder.. Works going good, and back to full swing. It was a great feeling to drive my car again. Once again the bat-mobile roars out of its den with music spanking from its Bose speakers.

But no, thats not the change I'm talking about. Last weekend, the day after I got back, I also heard back from ISB. I have secured an admit! I told my boss about it on Wednesday and things have been set into motion. I'm really glad I made my trip to Madras in December. The one month spent there was heaven. I've got re-accustomed to it and I can live there too now. I am not apprehensive of the thought about moving back to India for good.

I have to confirm my ISB admit by the 23rd by paying a partial fee. I still haven't paid it.. I wonder why? I have a meeting with my boss' boss on Tuesday to discuss my future with the company. I don't think they can say anything that can make me stay. But, I still wait for that meeting to get over before I confirm my admit. I ask myself why and I have no answers.. Am I scared to move back? I don't know. I don't think so. I like to tell myself I'm not scared of such things. I know I'll do well wherever I go. This has been a long planned. Returning to India has always been on my agenda. But at the same time I love my work. I love the company I work for. It was rated by Forbes magazine as the best company to work for for 2005. And why not? I have a boss who gives me all my space, I'm good at what I do there, and I've risen up quickly in the group. I guess its the thought of pushing myself out of my comfort zone again to do something that has to be done.

Tuesday will dawn on me :-)!

DRM - Hell By Another Name

For the uninitiated, DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It is an attempt to reduce piracy in music and video media. Everyone knows that downloading an mp3 from the internet (without paying for it) is a criminal offence. A year back, I was inspired by one of my friends to turn to the good ways, and buy music instead of pirating it.

But here's what surprised me when I decided to go down the legal path. It became more difficult for me to listen to the music I paid for! So much for peace of mind and ease of use. For someone like me who uses atleast 3 computers in a day, it became very difficult for me to carry my music around. I have always wondered why the "right" path was made so difficult by the media barons..

Today I came across this awesome article on TG Daily on DRM. With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2006) and the Macworld happening this week, maybe someone will notice this article on DRM by Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group?