SIGBUS error

The main cause of SIGBUS error is attempting to access a value larger than a byte at an unaligned address.

Look what wiki says about the bus error:
Most CPUs are byte-addressable, where each unique memory address refers to an 8-bit byte. Most CPUs can access individual bytes from each memory address, but they generally cannot access larger units (16 bits, 32 bits, 64 bits and so on) without these units being "aligned" to a specific boundary, such as 16 bits (addresses 0, 2, 4 can be accessed, addresses from 1, 3, 5, are unaligned) or 32 bits (0, 4, 8, 12 are aligned, all addresses in-between are unaligned). Attempting to access a value larger than a byte at an unaligned address can cause a bus error.

Lets take an example...

struct example1
{

uint32 A;
uint32 B;
uint32 C;
char D;
BYTE E[32];

} EXAMPLE1;

Here, "E" is not aligned. If you move the "D" a the end, or if you add 3 spare bytes after it then problem will be gone.

GMAT - Basic info to start with

Score Details

Maximum Score - 800.


CAT vs GMAT:

- As GMAT score is automated and determined by computer, you may have some tricks to crack the exam. Coaching centers will tell you about all those tricks.
- CAT covers: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation (also called as statistics) & Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning and Verbal Ability
- GMAT covers: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, AWA(Analytical Writing Assessment) where you need to write 2 essays
- Quant and Critical Reasoning are relatively easy in GMAT compared to CAT
- Sentence Correction is bit tough area in GMAT


Areas of GMAT:


Source: gmac.com

Critical Reasoning: reasoning skills involved in making and evaluating arguments, and formulating a plan of action.

Data Sufficiency: analyze a problem and determine if the information provided is relevant and sufficient to answer the problem.

The Verbal and Quantitative scores range from 0 to 60. The AWA score is an average of the score you get in : "Analysis of an Issue" and "Analysis of an Argument" essays. These average scores can range from 0 to 6 in half point intervals.

Fees:
Cost to take GMAT exam : $250
Additional Score Report (ASR) : $28 per report
Rescheduling : $50 if appointment is rescheduled at least seven full calendar days before the original appointment

Source:
http://www.gmac.com/gmac/thegmat/testtakersupport/pricesandfees.htm

Suggested Books:

• The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 11th Edition (OG 11)
• Kaplan GMAT - 2009 Edition - Premier Program (This book is for concepts and tricks)
• Manhattan Gmat Prep - Sentence Correction GMAT Preparation Guide (This will improve your sentence correction skills amazingly)
• The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
• The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review
• Arco GMAT - Answers to the REAL Essay Questions (This is for practicing AWA)
• If you are targeting 700+ then: Kaplan GMAT 800. The word "800" is important to note on the book.
  

AWA Section - Official Pools of GMAT Essay Questions:

You can download the official pool of GMAT AWA 'issue topics' and 'argument topics' from the official GMAC website (www.mba.com).

Where exactly on www.mba.com ?
Go to the "Take the GMAT" area of the site -> Analytical Writing Assessment Section -> Current Analytical Writing Assessment Topics

If you have the OG-11 edition, they are in the back of the book. Each year, the test-makers change a small number of the essay topics.

Amazon seems to be selling books which have answer to these topics:

http://www.amazon.com/Gmat-Cat-Answers-Essay-Questions/dp/0028622847
http://www.amazon.com/Gmat-Cat-Answers-Real-Essay-Questions/dp/0028637356
http://www.amazon.ca/GMAT-CAT-Answers-Real-Essay/dp/0768911737

Preparation Criteria :
- Practice Enough.. Just go through the lots of material on the net..
- Read OG at the end as a practice test, just few days before the exam
- Plan your schedule to read 2hrs on weekday and 5hrs on weekend
- 2,3 months serious preparation would be enough
- Join isb-pgp yahoo group
- FAQs on ISB website



Practice Tests:
Be sure take to couple of computer based tests few weeks before your actual GMAT. You should practice enough so that you will be able sit for 4 hours with concentration on the D-Day.

• Authorized GMATPrep software : Freely down loadable from www.mba.com. Take these two tests two days before your actual GMAT test. These tests will give you fairest approximation of your actual score on D-Day.
  
• Kaplan Practice Tests : Come with "Kaplan GMAT 2008 Edition: Premier Program" book. Total 4 tests. These tests from Kaplan are very famous . Start giving these tests when you are around 2 weeks away from D-Day. If you can manage average score of 650 in these 4-tests, then you may anticipate 700+ in actual GMAT.
• Try for free practice test online at: http://www.kaptest.com/practice
  
• Princeton practice tests: Come with the Princeton book. Start giving these tests when you are around 2 weeks away from D-Day.

Websites for GMAT:
- Register for GMAT at : http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT
- http://totalgadha.com/
- http://pagalguy.com/
- http://www.testmagic.com/
- Just search for GMAT preparation, you wil get lots of files to read from the sites like : www.esnips.com


not sure if these can be of any help :
http://outbeat-the-gmat.blogspot.com/
http://beatthegmat.blogspot.com/

BEWARE of

- http://www.scoretop.com/ which is banned by GMAC for distributing copyrighted material without GMAC’s permission.

- According to web, GMAC's case on Scoretop is on copyright violation of “JJs (MJJ - Math Jungle Juice and VJJ - Verbal Jungle Juice)” available for VIP members. GMAC’s investigation of the Scoretop website seemed reveal that some of the JJs contained real GMAT items.
Some unauthorized web sources also talks about copyright violation of 494 questions contained in 1000Scs, 1000CRs, 3000RCs and GMAT Sets. GMAT Sets seems to be a collection of 31 GMAT Tests in pdf format. GMAC seemed to followed Scoretop and removed the live questions found on the site from the GMAT question bank.

- Careful about the sites like http://www.esnips.com/_t_/gmat where you get lots of copyrighted material including MJJ, VJJ, GMAT Sets, etc when you search with the keyword "gmat".

Further info:
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2008/06/gmat_cheating_s_2.html
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2008/06/gmat_cheating_s.html
http://www.urch.com/forums/gmat/58253-what-sets-vjj-mjj.html


MBA Application - How should your profile look?

- More you try to make your profile unique then more chances of getting into ISB.
You have to be unique to get differentiated from others
- Prepare to give Very Solid Answer for questions like "Why MBA?", "Why now", "What do you bring to this university"?,

For ISB:
- Minimum score would be 690, needs to long work exp
- More work exp then less score will do.


GMAT Coaching centers in Pune:

IMS:
-----
Opp: F.C. College, FC Road
http://www.imsindia.com
Tel:+(91)-(20)- 6602 3604, 6602 3606
Class room coaching and Consultancy as well.

Dilip Oak
---------
Bhandarkar, FC Road
http://www.dilipoakacademy.com
Tel: (020) 2565 6237, 2567 8066
Class room coaching and Consultancy as well.

TIMES
-------
208, Adinath Shopping Centre,
Next to Adinath Society,
Near City Pride (Satara Road),
Pune - 411037
020- 64005996/30425344
GMAT (available only at Deccan): 020-66013410

Bulls Eye:
-----------
http://www.hitbullseye.com/
Corporate Office & Study Center
Vishwanath Apartments,
Manas Lane, Off BMCC Road, Pune
Ph:020-25678999, Email:bullseyepune@gmail.com

Career Forum:
----------------
http://www.careerforum.in/
Camp: Phone: 020-26059070. 30588683 / 684
427/428, Sohrab Hall, 4th Floor, Above The Crossword,
Sassoon Road, Behind Pune Railway Station,
PUNE - 411 001.

PT Education:
--------------
http://www.ptindia.com/
Address: 203, West Wing, Aurora Towers, M G Road, Camp, Pune - 01.
Telephone: 32308514
FC Road: 66032275, 25531005-06
Email:ptpune01@pteducation.com


Testing centres in Hyderabad and Mumbai:

Pearson Professional Centers-Hyderabad, India +91-40-66469825
202,ABK Olbee Plaza
Road No.1,Banjara Hills
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500034

Pearson Professional Centers-Mumbai, India +91-22-40056787
Building no.9,1st Floor
Solitaire Corporate Park,167 Andheri
J B Nagar Link Rd,Chakala, Andheri (East)
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400093

Surrender / Cancel of LIC policy ?

I was searching the web to find how worth is to cancel an existing LIC policy. But canceling a LIC policy seems to be major loss as discussed below in one of the forum.

We should never suggest surrendering an insurance plan as the surrender options always deduct the first year premium you've paid, and statutorily an insurance company need to only return 30% of your balance premiums paid plus all bonus accrued till that date, back to you, hence it would turn out to be a major loss as far as the investment you've done in that plan is concerned.
A more viable alternative is for you to check the rate of bonus that have been accrued into your insurance plan over the last 3-4 years and decide on whether you are satisfied with the returns. If not, always go for an option to make your policy "Paid Up".
When you make a policy paid up, it means you just ask the insurance company to reduce your existing life cover to a value corresponding to whatever premiums you have already paid. You will not be payin further premiums into that plan anymore, but your insurance cover will run the entire term of the plan, albeit at a lower sum assured, while at the same time freeing up your 15,000 bucks you have been investing every year, so that you can re invest that money into a more financially rewarding money instrument.

References:
http://www.xboard.us/showthread.php?t=144822&page=2

Auto keypad lock feature for Nokia N73

I just realized that my new nokia N73 mobile lacks auto lock feature. My previous nokia mobiles like 1100 and 6020 used to have this feature built in. I didn't get what made nokia to remove this feature from N Series mobiles like N70 and N73.
N73 has an option called Autolock in Security, but you required to key in a lock code every time to unlock it. This would better be called as "Phone Lock" rather than "Keypad Lock". Default lock code is "12345" for newer mobiles. You can also press left menu button followed by * to manually lock and unlock, but it would be convenient if you could set it to lock automatically (as you could on previous phones).

With bit of googling, I found a third party software "AutoLock v1.1 (.sisx)" which provides this feature. It is very simple to install and works fine. I downloaded it from : http://s60addons.com/autolock/

How to install ?
Nokia PC Suit -> Install Applications -> Select AutoLock v1.1 (.sisx)

You can change the settings related to this application by going to:
Applications -> Autolock

There is online Nokia support forum http://discussions.nokia.co.uk/ which seems to discussing all these issues.

Looks like, N73 also lacks the following features:

• Repetitive alarm. It's a pain setting the alarm every night.
• Screen Saver. My previous Nokia 6020 mobile used have a Screen Saver which used to display "Time and Date" which is needed very often for me ;)
• It can't display "Date" in stand by mode if "cell info display" enabled, it just displays time !

Even if you turn on "cell info display" by going to (tools-settings-network), it may not always display this information because of following reason according to Nokia support :

When you use "MCN" technology or "cell info display", the phone needs to be in a 2G network or set in a 2G mode. MCN broadcasters only work in a 2G network environment. When the WCDMA or 3G networks were launched that feature became harder to use.

Your only solution would be to leave it on and only view it when in a GPRS/EDGE (2G) network, or turn off your 3G and view it consistently, this option would obviously slow down your browsing speed etc and would also prevent you from being able to make video calls, the upside would be that your battery life would be extended.

How to turn off 3G?

Go to menu, tools, settings, network, network mode.

Dual mode: phone switches seamlessly between 3G/2G networks as per the availability in your location.

UMTS: Phone only operates in 3G mode i.e. if you fall out of 3G coverage the phone will have no signal at all, not even from a 2G beacon.

GSM: Phone shuts down 3G completely and goes into a power saving 2G mode where signal will only be received in a 2G network environment. As all cell towers started on the technology for 2G, you should never lose signal, have increased battery life, be able to view MCN and arguably better call quality.

Source:
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/discussions/board/message?board.id=smartphones&thread.id=71507

Calcium

Calcium is an element critical to many body functions, including bone growth and maintenance, muscle and nerve control, blood clotting, teeth, and blood pressure regulation. Bone mass is built until age 29 years or so. After that, you cannot build more bone by increasing your calcium intake, but you can help prevent bone loss by maintaining a good intake of calcium and vitamin D and exercising regularly.

Good Sources of Calcium

• Milk (low- or non-fat varieties are best if you are watching your fat intake)
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, bok choy, collards and Chinese cabbage
• Tofu
• Canned salmon or any fish with bones
• Calcium-fortified juices

Fiber

Fiber refers to carbohydrates that is indigestible because we do not have enzymes to digest it. Fruits and vegetables are rich in dietary fibre.

Importance of dietary fibre:

• provides bulk to the intestinal contents
• stimulates peristalsis (rhythmic muscular contractions passing along the digestive tract)

Lack of dietary fibre in the diet leads to constipation (failure to pass motions).

According to Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, Source Of Fiber are :

Sources of Fiber
Soluble Fiber	Insoluble Fiber
oatmeal oatbran nuts and seeds legumes dried peas beans lentils apples pears strawberries blueberries	whole grains (for more information on whole grains, click here) whole wheat breads barley couscous brown rice bulgur whole-grain breakfast cereals wheat bran seeds carrots cucumbers zucchini celery tomatoes

Protein Supplements

The nutritional requirements of someone who trains with heavy weights for athletic gain are higher than that of the average person, so to meet these requirements its not always possible to get necessary amount of protein from regular foods alone. This is where protein supplements comes into picture.


Just Be Cautious !

It is not really what you could call a disadvantage, but according to protein reviews, too much intake of whey protein supplements could be very harmful for your liver because of whey protein overload that could cause to a lot of serious damages. Anyway, we all know that too much of everything is bad and even though whey protein supplements could be very beneficial for us, it is best that we take the right amount for our bodies and take advantage of them by burning the calories.

Each protein supplement has its own advantages/disadvantages.

Whey protein supplements
Whey is best know for its ability to assist in building muscle mass. Increased muscle mass also produces weight gain as muscle out weighs fat. Body builders work extremely hard at turning that additional weight gain into a ripped body. Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process. The clear liquid whey is drained off from the cheese and dried into a powder. On the biological value scale, whey is rated at 159 in isolate form and 104 in concentrate form. The next closest to this is egg whites (88). Because of this high bioavailability, whey protein is the supplement of choice for most bodybuilders and athletes.

The weight gained from whey protein supplements should be managed through a ridged workout schedule combined with a formatted protein diet. By following a regulated workout routine, the increased muscle mass can produce awesome results. You must stick with the exercise and workout routine to prevent the possible heavy weight gain from ending up in places you rather it not be.

Whey protein supplements are rich in Arginine and Lysine which are amino acids that help stimulate the growth hormones that are very beneficial for body builders to increase their muscle mass. And since the use of steroids were banned from body building competitions, this is one of the best natural alternative to anabolic steroids to increase their muscle mass.

Supplement is very low in fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates which could very well be a major contribution when you are set to building more muscles and trying to lose some fat weight.

Because whey protein supplements can produce negative effects when not properly managed through a good diet and exercise program, it is advised to seek advice on your whey protein diet. Bodybuilding trainers and diet professionals can provide answers to whether or not a protein diet is right for you. Remember, most name brand manufacturers have websites. They normally reply to any email question concerning their products.

I have been using "Optimum Nutrition's Whey Protein (Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate flavor)". I am seeing improvement in my muscle growth but I can not comment much as a new user to this.

For information on other protein supplements click here.

References:

Protein

Proteins are of great importance to anyone who is training with the intention of building muscle or increasing athletic performance. Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death. Eating lots of protein takes lots of calcium. Some of this may be pulled from bone. Following a high-protein diet for a few weeks probably won't have much effect on bone strength. Doing it for a long time, though, could weaken bone. Long-term high-protein diets should be used with caution, if at all. Protein is present in many foods such as eggs, meat, poultry and fish in abundant amounts and these foods should be incorporated into any healthy diet. Soybeans, tofu, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese and other soy-based foods are an excellent alternative to red meat. Proteins can be converted into carbohydrates through a process called gluconeogenesis. It is possible that eating more protein, especially vegetable protein, may benefit the heart.

Protein and weight control: You could lose weight by cutting out carbohydrates and eating plenty of protein. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may work more quickly than low-fat diets.

According Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, Dietary Sources of Protein are :

FOOD	Serving	Weight in Gram	Protein grams	% Daily Value*
Hamburger, extra lean	6 ounces	170	48.6	97
Chicken, roasted	6 ounces	170	42.5	85
Fish	6 ounces	170	41.2	82
Tuna, water packed	6 ounces	170	40.1	80
Beefsteak, broiled	6 ounces	170	38.6	77
Cottage cheese	1 cup	225	28.1	56
Cheese pizza	2 slices	128	15.4	31
Yogurt, low fat	8 ounces	227	11.9	24
Tofu	1/2 cup	126	10.1	20
Lentils, cooked	1/2 cup	99	9	18
Skim milk	1 cup	245	8.4	17
Split peas, cooked	1/2 cup	98	8.1	16
Whole milk	1 cup	244	8	16
Lentil soup	1 cup	242	7.8	16
Kidney beans, cooked	1/2 cup	87	7.6	15
Cheddar cheese	1 ounce	28	7.1	14
Macaroni, cooked	1 cup	140	6.8	14
Soymilk	1 cup	245	6.7	13
Egg	1 large	50	6.3	13
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	56	5.4	11
White bread	2 slices	60	4.9	10
Rice, cooked	1 cup	158	4.3	9
Broccoli, cooked	5 inch piece	140	4.2	8
Baked potato	2x5 inches	156	3	6
Corn, cooked	1 ear	77	2.6	5