Dynamic images

A couple of points that I picked up from here:

1.  If you are using dynamic images in IE, be sure to add this in your css:
img{-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic}.  Apparently, IE does this to save some processing power and enhance its speed.

2.  smush.it does a better job of image resizing for the web than Photoshop's "Save for Web" option (I have verified this for the default option).

To buy or rent

Dug out this interesting article from NY Times, which is an interactive graph - to help one understand when "Buying is better than renting" and the actual savings involved.

Dan Reeves also clarifies on some myths about it, specifically-
- in US - mortgage interest is tax deductible (I guess here in India, there's a yearly cap on it), but is more-or-less equiv to property taxes, so there is not real savings/cost.
- look at the savings margin between maintenance fees on a house - vis-a-vis - savings from rent - a house will typically eat 1K per month
- housing in the US has yet to bottom, very few places will see appreciation
    -- if you look at owning as an investment vs renting - investments have to give you a rate of return.
- look at rent ratio (if available) to help you decide

Other issues include:
- deal costs - including real estate agent's commission (Freakanomics, anyone?)

Incidentally, here's, BoA's, own calc on this.

State of Tech funcing in India

A good read -- by a CEO who got funded from a non-India VC.

Are Ads in Malls effective?

Nearly 95% of teen mall shoppers notice at least some kind of mall advertising according to
the study (pdf).

- 91% of teen shoppers notice poster display ads at the mall

- 85% notice hanging advertising banners

- 77% notice sampling

- 58% notice promotional events

- 57% notice TV/video screens

- 48% notice interactive displays/kiosks

- 31% notice moving images projected on the floor or walls