Bangalore, Sept. 27 Airtel Broadband & Telephone Services is offering its Wi-Fi Router at a monthly rental rate of Rs 99 for its users in South India.
The offer will give Airtel broadband customers wireless access to a true broadband experience of up to 2 Mbps speed. The offer includes a non-refundable registration charge of Rs 1,000.
source: TheHindu
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ericsson launches rural wireless broadband project
Chennai, Sept. 19 Ericsson India Private Ltd today launched a rural wireless broadband connectivity project named Gramjyoti in the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu in partnership with four other companies and a non-government organisation (NGO).
The project will cover 18 villages and 15 small towns in the region around Mahabalipuram and will cater to around one lakh people residing there. It aims to provide high-speed Internet connection enabling the users to access a range of services including telemedicine, e-education, e-governance, online local information, voice and video call services, live television and entertainment.Services offered
These services would be provided by the partner companies. Edurite will provide e-education, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation will provide healthcare services, One97 will provide information on local weather, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and market rates of crops and Turner International India Private Ltd will provide live television programmes through this network. The NGO Hand-in-Hand will organise the villagers at the local level and would work as a facilitator to help the villagers effectively use the new facilities.
“This will be the first HSPA-powered rural broadband demo network that will deliver the benefits of 3G to the local population,” the Vice-President (Marketing and Strategy) of Ericsson, Mr P. Balaji, told presspersons here today.
“The initiative seeks to demonstrate how the new WCDMA/HSPA technology can be a major catalyst for social and economic empowerment by bridging the digital divide and improve productivity and quality of life,” he said.
The entire exercise is not a corporate social responsibility project but would eventually be a self-sustaining revenue generating activity, he added.
The President of Apollo Telemedicine, Dr K. Ganapathy, said that the project had the potential to provide basic healthcare services at a cost of around Rs 2 per family per day if the total number of families covered is large enough.
source: Hindu
The project will cover 18 villages and 15 small towns in the region around Mahabalipuram and will cater to around one lakh people residing there. It aims to provide high-speed Internet connection enabling the users to access a range of services including telemedicine, e-education, e-governance, online local information, voice and video call services, live television and entertainment.Services offered
These services would be provided by the partner companies. Edurite will provide e-education, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation will provide healthcare services, One97 will provide information on local weather, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and market rates of crops and Turner International India Private Ltd will provide live television programmes through this network. The NGO Hand-in-Hand will organise the villagers at the local level and would work as a facilitator to help the villagers effectively use the new facilities.
“This will be the first HSPA-powered rural broadband demo network that will deliver the benefits of 3G to the local population,” the Vice-President (Marketing and Strategy) of Ericsson, Mr P. Balaji, told presspersons here today.
“The initiative seeks to demonstrate how the new WCDMA/HSPA technology can be a major catalyst for social and economic empowerment by bridging the digital divide and improve productivity and quality of life,” he said.
The entire exercise is not a corporate social responsibility project but would eventually be a self-sustaining revenue generating activity, he added.
The President of Apollo Telemedicine, Dr K. Ganapathy, said that the project had the potential to provide basic healthcare services at a cost of around Rs 2 per family per day if the total number of families covered is large enough.
source: Hindu
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Airtel Rolls Out 8Mbps Broadband
With the launch of its 8Mbps Broadband service, Airtel has become the first service provider in the country to offer such high speed Broadband.
Especially when existing Broadband speeds are not more than 256 KBps to 4Mbps.
With 8Mbps, Airtel Broadband customers will now be able to browse multiple windows even as they download heavy files, view streaming videos, enjoy online gaming, chat, email, and so on.
Airtel claims customers will no longer need to wait for videos to get buffered while watching streaming videos. Initially, the 8 Mbps Broadband service will be made available in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, and the NCR region, with a subsequent roll-out planned in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Airtel is working on price points for its offering, though prices are likely to be roughly in the region of Rs 2,000 per download (7 to 8 Gbs). Besides, for customers who do not want a 24-hour 8 Mbps speed, the company is working out other tariff plans to make the service available for shorter periods of time.
source: Techtree
Especially when existing Broadband speeds are not more than 256 KBps to 4Mbps.
With 8Mbps, Airtel Broadband customers will now be able to browse multiple windows even as they download heavy files, view streaming videos, enjoy online gaming, chat, email, and so on.
Airtel claims customers will no longer need to wait for videos to get buffered while watching streaming videos. Initially, the 8 Mbps Broadband service will be made available in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, and the NCR region, with a subsequent roll-out planned in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Airtel is working on price points for its offering, though prices are likely to be roughly in the region of Rs 2,000 per download (7 to 8 Gbs). Besides, for customers who do not want a 24-hour 8 Mbps speed, the company is working out other tariff plans to make the service available for shorter periods of time.
source: Techtree
Now See TV on BSNL GSM Handsets
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced its 'TV in mobile handset' service in some parts of the country.
Which means: GSM customers of BSNL will be able to watch as many as 12 television channels on their mobile handsets. These include: NDTV, Aaj Tak, Times Now, CNBC, ETV, TV9, Zoom, and Bindaas. By the year end, a total of 32 channels is expected to be brought under the 'TV in mobile handset' net.
Currently, the service is available on select Nokia handsets; to be extended later to Sony Ericssson and Motorola handsets.
Apalya Technologies, whom BSNL has entered into a partnership with, will provide content (TV signals) made available on BSNL GSM handsets. To view TV content on their handsets, BSNL GSM customers will have to visit mimobi.tv via their phones.
For the next 30 days, the service is free-of-charge, and is available (presently) in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of India.
Source: Techtree
Which means: GSM customers of BSNL will be able to watch as many as 12 television channels on their mobile handsets. These include: NDTV, Aaj Tak, Times Now, CNBC, ETV, TV9, Zoom, and Bindaas. By the year end, a total of 32 channels is expected to be brought under the 'TV in mobile handset' net.
Currently, the service is available on select Nokia handsets; to be extended later to Sony Ericssson and Motorola handsets.
Apalya Technologies, whom BSNL has entered into a partnership with, will provide content (TV signals) made available on BSNL GSM handsets. To view TV content on their handsets, BSNL GSM customers will have to visit mimobi.tv via their phones.
For the next 30 days, the service is free-of-charge, and is available (presently) in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of India.
Source: Techtree
BSNL Landlines Bundle Broadband
For every new landline connection installed across the country, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will offer a bundled Broadband connection at no additional cost, the company said. And, users will be able to activate the connection any time.
The bigger plan is that 99.9 percent of all new BSNL landlines will come with this facility, which will also be extended to rural areas of the country.
The next step would be to make all existing landline connections Internet-enabled. With the entire process likely to reach completion by this month end, all BSNL landline users will be able to log onto the Internet sans registering for Sancharnet connections.
The catch however is that speeds for these connections will be restricted to about 56 Mbps -- somewhat like dial-up connections -- and not like regular Broadband connections with speeds up to 256 Mbps.
source: Techtree
The bigger plan is that 99.9 percent of all new BSNL landlines will come with this facility, which will also be extended to rural areas of the country.
The next step would be to make all existing landline connections Internet-enabled. With the entire process likely to reach completion by this month end, all BSNL landline users will be able to log onto the Internet sans registering for Sancharnet connections.
The catch however is that speeds for these connections will be restricted to about 56 Mbps -- somewhat like dial-up connections -- and not like regular Broadband connections with speeds up to 256 Mbps.
source: Techtree
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Google Earth’s Hidden Surprise: A Flight Simulator
We’ve always known that Google has wanted to challenge Microsoft’s desktop dominance in a number of areas, but to date we didn’t know that extended to gaming.
Hidden inside Google Earth is a secret Flight Simulator that takes full advantage of Google’s extensive satellite imagery.
To access the hidden feature, open Google Earth and hit Command+Option+A (note it must be capital A) or Ctrl+Alt+A if you’re using a Windows Machine.
The Google Earth Flight Simulator comes with two aircraft options, a F16 Viper and the more manageable SR22 4 seater. Players have the option of commencing the game from their current location in Google Earth or can pick from a list of pre-determined runways. Control instructions can be found here.
Overall the game play is fairly simple in terms of control, but the striking difference is flying over real pictures of locations. I took a quick flight from San Francisco International, headed North to the Golden Gate then turn back over the city before heading towards the Valley. It wasn’t perfect, but it was as good visually as the paid Microsoft Flight Simulator, and in terms of actually presenting real objects it was better.
Hidden inside Google Earth is a secret Flight Simulator that takes full advantage of Google’s extensive satellite imagery.
To access the hidden feature, open Google Earth and hit Command+Option+A (note it must be capital A) or Ctrl+Alt+A if you’re using a Windows Machine.
The Google Earth Flight Simulator comes with two aircraft options, a F16 Viper and the more manageable SR22 4 seater. Players have the option of commencing the game from their current location in Google Earth or can pick from a list of pre-determined runways. Control instructions can be found here.
Overall the game play is fairly simple in terms of control, but the striking difference is flying over real pictures of locations. I took a quick flight from San Francisco International, headed North to the Golden Gate then turn back over the city before heading towards the Valley. It wasn’t perfect, but it was as good visually as the paid Microsoft Flight Simulator, and in terms of actually presenting real objects it was better.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Reliance ADAG Launches BigFlicks
Reliance ADAG's BigFlicks.com today launched its on-demand movie download service. BigFlicks aims to offer the biggest range of quality Indian entertainment panning across languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and Kannada, available either as 'download-to-own' or for 'free streaming'.
The company will also offer 'download-to-rent' and 'subscription' services as part of its portfolio of operations. Besides, BigFlicks is introducing innovative entertainment solutions to make Indian cinema, television, and music accessible to overseas Non Resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian cinema lovers both in India and abroad.
The movie rental services via online home delivery and retail network will be rolled out beginning next month. BigFlicks hopes to be the world's largest Indian entertainment content library, with plans to acquire more than 2,000 titles in one year.
"BigFlicks is a big step in the evolution of the Indian movie industry," said Rajesh Sawhney, president of Reliance Entertainment. "The online movie download service will work well for the nearly 25 million NRIs -- students and working professionals living overseas, who follow Indian entertainment on a regular basis, connecting with their homeland primarily through Indian movies and music," said Kamal Gianchandani, chief operating officer of Bigflicks.com.
Nokia Opens Doors to the Internet
In a paradigm shift, Nokia today introduced 'Ovi', its new Internet services brand name. 'Ovi' means 'door' in Finnish, and promises to enable consumers easily access their existing social networks, communities, and content.
As part of 'Ovi', Nokia has announced the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage, and Nokia Maps. As such, 'Ovi' at http://www.ovi.com will act as the gateway to all of these Internet services.
It will be an open door to Web communities, enabling people access their content, communities, and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device, or from a PC.
The first version of Ovi.com is slated to go live in English during Q4 2007, with additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.
Part of 'Ovi', the Nokia Music Store at http://music.nokia.com will offer millions of tracks from major artists, and independent labels, as well as local artists, available only through Nokia. The store can be accessed via a desktop computer, or directly from a compatible Nokia device such as the Nokia N81 or Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer.
Consumers will be able to browse for new music, buy what they want, or add a song to their wish-list to download later. They will also be able to transfer purchased songs to their mobile devices. With the built-in music player, they will be able to create playlists on the go and manage their music collection.
The store will open across key European markets this fall, with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months. In Europe, individual tracks will cost 1 euro and albums will be upwards of 10 euros, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming of 10 euros.
Also part of 'Ovi', N-Gage will offer an easy way to find, try, and buy great quality games directly from compatible Nokia devices. By selecting the N-Gage application on compatible Nokia devices, users will be able to preview available games, connect with friends, read reviews, or download free demos. Games can be bought either with a credit card, or by charging to the user's monthly phone bill.
Electronic Arts, Gameloft, etc, are making some of their big brands available through N-Gage. The application is expected to be available for download at http://www.n-gage.com in November 2007.
Meanwhile, Nokia Maps, as the name suggests, will offer maps, city guides, and more -- directly to compatible mobile devices. Commenting on Nokia's shift from mobile to Internet services, Olli Pekka Kallasvuo, president and chief executive officer of Nokia, said that the industry is converging towards an Internet-driven experience, and that 'Ovi' represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet with mobility.
As part of 'Ovi', Nokia has announced the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage, and Nokia Maps. As such, 'Ovi' at http://www.ovi.com will act as the gateway to all of these Internet services.
It will be an open door to Web communities, enabling people access their content, communities, and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device, or from a PC.
The first version of Ovi.com is slated to go live in English during Q4 2007, with additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.
Part of 'Ovi', the Nokia Music Store at http://music.nokia.com will offer millions of tracks from major artists, and independent labels, as well as local artists, available only through Nokia. The store can be accessed via a desktop computer, or directly from a compatible Nokia device such as the Nokia N81 or Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer.
Consumers will be able to browse for new music, buy what they want, or add a song to their wish-list to download later. They will also be able to transfer purchased songs to their mobile devices. With the built-in music player, they will be able to create playlists on the go and manage their music collection.
The store will open across key European markets this fall, with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months. In Europe, individual tracks will cost 1 euro and albums will be upwards of 10 euros, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming of 10 euros.
Also part of 'Ovi', N-Gage will offer an easy way to find, try, and buy great quality games directly from compatible Nokia devices. By selecting the N-Gage application on compatible Nokia devices, users will be able to preview available games, connect with friends, read reviews, or download free demos. Games can be bought either with a credit card, or by charging to the user's monthly phone bill.
Electronic Arts, Gameloft, etc, are making some of their big brands available through N-Gage. The application is expected to be available for download at http://www.n-gage.com in November 2007.
Meanwhile, Nokia Maps, as the name suggests, will offer maps, city guides, and more -- directly to compatible mobile devices. Commenting on Nokia's shift from mobile to Internet services, Olli Pekka Kallasvuo, president and chief executive officer of Nokia, said that the industry is converging towards an Internet-driven experience, and that 'Ovi' represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet with mobility.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Call Card Free Service for Asians - VSNL
Starting August 21st, VSNL, part of the Tata Group, will reportedly offer a new facility christened "Trueroots International Calling Service" to people of South Asian origin (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) residing in the US that will allow them securely and economically connect with their near and dear ones back home.
VSNL claims the new service will offer superior voice quality and error-free connectivity sans a physical calling card or hidden/extra charges.
The calls will be conducted on VSNL's extensive global fibre optic network. While the rates are not yet revealed, VSNL officials said these would be competitive to the South Asian countries concerned.
For the South Asian community residing in USA, they can purchase "Trueroots" online through a Web portal www.trueroots.us else call VSNL customer service directly.
The service is on 24x7, 365 days of the year, according to the company. "Trueroots" offers advanced features such as a prepaid recharge option that allows recharging a calling account through a credit card.
Other features include: instant recognition of calling line ID for PIN-less dialling from up to 5 registered phone numbers, the ability to make up to 3 follow-on calls without having to redial the access number, speed dial capabilities for up to 5 frequently dialled numbers, and last number redial.
VSNL says as part of Trueroots, account holders will soon have access to exclusive voice services, special offers, and incentive discounts through the Web site. One of these services to be launched soon will offer entry to a leading entertainment hub that will allow customers gain access to premium content such as full length movies including Bollywood, TV series, sports coverage, video games, music downloads, karaoke, and so on.
VSNL claims the new service will offer superior voice quality and error-free connectivity sans a physical calling card or hidden/extra charges.
The calls will be conducted on VSNL's extensive global fibre optic network. While the rates are not yet revealed, VSNL officials said these would be competitive to the South Asian countries concerned.
For the South Asian community residing in USA, they can purchase "Trueroots" online through a Web portal www.trueroots.us else call VSNL customer service directly.
The service is on 24x7, 365 days of the year, according to the company. "Trueroots" offers advanced features such as a prepaid recharge option that allows recharging a calling account through a credit card.
Other features include: instant recognition of calling line ID for PIN-less dialling from up to 5 registered phone numbers, the ability to make up to 3 follow-on calls without having to redial the access number, speed dial capabilities for up to 5 frequently dialled numbers, and last number redial.
VSNL says as part of Trueroots, account holders will soon have access to exclusive voice services, special offers, and incentive discounts through the Web site. One of these services to be launched soon will offer entry to a leading entertainment hub that will allow customers gain access to premium content such as full length movies including Bollywood, TV series, sports coverage, video games, music downloads, karaoke, and so on.
Google Intros India Labs, Services
Google India has reportedly announced India specific services, including Google Local Search and Google Local Business Centre. The company has also launched an innovation platform for India named Google India Labs.
Google Local Search is meant for Indian users to search for locally relevant information on the Web. With this tool, they can find information on local restaurants, shops, malls, hotels, other businesses by searching on http://local.google.co.in.
Whereas with Google Local Business Centre, even small businesses can add their information to Google Local for free.
The two products are meant to be mutually useful to consumers and businesses; providing one the information, and the latter the required visibility on the Web.
Meanwhile, Google describes it's Google India Labs, launched under the sub-domain labs.google.co.in, as a 'technology playground' for products in the process of development needing market feedback for improvement.
The innovations showcased will be specifically for the Indian market though they might come from any of the Google offices across the globe, the company said. Google says globally, it has 7 such labs panning across the US, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and now India.
For starters, Google India Labs will showcase 2 India-centric products.
The one, the Indic On-Screen Keyboard iGoogle Gadget offering users the ability to type search queries in 14 Indic languages.
All they need do is choose letters from an on-screen keyboard by using a mouse. They would be able to add the gadget of their chosen language to their personalized iGoogle home page, and use it to search for content in their language.
The other product, Google Indic Transliteration (http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/), will allow users type in Hindi by using phonetically equivalent English text entered through an English keyboard. With this product, users can create Hindi content and use it in applications of their choice including mails, documents, and so on.
Google Local Search is meant for Indian users to search for locally relevant information on the Web. With this tool, they can find information on local restaurants, shops, malls, hotels, other businesses by searching on http://local.google.co.in.
Whereas with Google Local Business Centre, even small businesses can add their information to Google Local for free.
The two products are meant to be mutually useful to consumers and businesses; providing one the information, and the latter the required visibility on the Web.
Meanwhile, Google describes it's Google India Labs, launched under the sub-domain labs.google.co.in, as a 'technology playground' for products in the process of development needing market feedback for improvement.
The innovations showcased will be specifically for the Indian market though they might come from any of the Google offices across the globe, the company said. Google says globally, it has 7 such labs panning across the US, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and now India.
For starters, Google India Labs will showcase 2 India-centric products.
The one, the Indic On-Screen Keyboard iGoogle Gadget offering users the ability to type search queries in 14 Indic languages.
All they need do is choose letters from an on-screen keyboard by using a mouse. They would be able to add the gadget of their chosen language to their personalized iGoogle home page, and use it to search for content in their language.
The other product, Google Indic Transliteration (http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/), will allow users type in Hindi by using phonetically equivalent English text entered through an English keyboard. With this product, users can create Hindi content and use it in applications of their choice including mails, documents, and so on.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Windows Live SkyDrive Beta Release
Reportedly, Microsoft has recently released an online storage service called Windows Live SkyDrive, as well as the beta of home.live.com, a centralized new Web site for consumers to access Windows Live services all in one place.
Windows Live SkyDrive (http://skydrive.live.com/) provides customers anytime, anywhere access to their files and information on the Web.
The service also gives users options for sharing their information with others. Windows Live SkyDrive has three areas demarcated for peoples' information: personal, shared, and public. The information placed in the personal and shared areas is secured with user names and passwords - both users' own and those belonging to people they want to share their information with. The public area is open to everyone on the Web.
The initial beta of Windows Live SkyDrive offers 500MB of free storage. As of now, the beta is available in India, the US, and UK.
Following the need to provide a centralized home for Windows Live customers, Microsoft has also released the beta of home.live.com.
The Web site home.live.com allows customers access Windows Live services all in one place with easy navigation between services.
Windows Live SkyDrive (http://skydrive.live.com/) provides customers anytime, anywhere access to their files and information on the Web.
The service also gives users options for sharing their information with others. Windows Live SkyDrive has three areas demarcated for peoples' information: personal, shared, and public. The information placed in the personal and shared areas is secured with user names and passwords - both users' own and those belonging to people they want to share their information with. The public area is open to everyone on the Web.
The initial beta of Windows Live SkyDrive offers 500MB of free storage. As of now, the beta is available in India, the US, and UK.
Following the need to provide a centralized home for Windows Live customers, Microsoft has also released the beta of home.live.com.
The Web site home.live.com allows customers access Windows Live services all in one place with easy navigation between services.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Reliance ADAG launches bigadda
BigAdda, part of Reliance ADAG, launched bigadda.com, calling it the first Indian Youth Networking Web site.
Refuting charges of being yet another social networking Web site, Rajesh Sawhney, president of Reliance Entertainment, said, "bigadda.com is the first unified platform where different media sharing activities will converge. Besides, most of the existing social networking Web sites are meant for a global audience. Unlike these, bigadda.com caters to a purely Indian audience.
Why should it always be that we look towards the West for a pioneering technology or idea or concept. Why cannot it be the other way round? Our new Web site is testimony to this feeling."
"The product/Web site is like any other product in it's class -- feature driven, but it is the ecosystem that is the differentiator. Our content is local and relevant to the youngsters of today. Importantly, it is meant for Indian sensibilities," added Siddhartha Roy, chief operating officer of BigAdda.
With a punch line that reads: 'Let's catch up', bigadda.com claims to be more than just a networking site -- it intends to help today's youth fulfil a very important need, that of 'self expression'.
Some of the salient features of bigadda.com include: media sharing including creating, uploading, and sharing of videos and photos; addas or communities; blogs and scribbles; forums; bookmarks and tags; and reviews and ratings.
Sawhney explained that bigadda.com aims at evolving a youth community, inclusive and aspirational, and at creating a youth culture that is cool.
In keeping with this objective, the Web site has roped-in five celebrities -- each famous in his/her own right -- who will establish connect with youngsters and lead them.
source: in.msn.com
Refuting charges of being yet another social networking Web site, Rajesh Sawhney, president of Reliance Entertainment, said, "bigadda.com is the first unified platform where different media sharing activities will converge. Besides, most of the existing social networking Web sites are meant for a global audience. Unlike these, bigadda.com caters to a purely Indian audience.
Why should it always be that we look towards the West for a pioneering technology or idea or concept. Why cannot it be the other way round? Our new Web site is testimony to this feeling."
"The product/Web site is like any other product in it's class -- feature driven, but it is the ecosystem that is the differentiator. Our content is local and relevant to the youngsters of today. Importantly, it is meant for Indian sensibilities," added Siddhartha Roy, chief operating officer of BigAdda.
With a punch line that reads: 'Let's catch up', bigadda.com claims to be more than just a networking site -- it intends to help today's youth fulfil a very important need, that of 'self expression'.
Some of the salient features of bigadda.com include: media sharing including creating, uploading, and sharing of videos and photos; addas or communities; blogs and scribbles; forums; bookmarks and tags; and reviews and ratings.
Sawhney explained that bigadda.com aims at evolving a youth community, inclusive and aspirational, and at creating a youth culture that is cool.
In keeping with this objective, the Web site has roped-in five celebrities -- each famous in his/her own right -- who will establish connect with youngsters and lead them.
source: in.msn.com
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Bangalore Goes Hi-tech to Tackle Traffic
Electronic billboards, SMSs and handheld devices are among the new technologies that will now be used to check traffic jams on the narrow and potholed roads of India's IT capital, Bangalore.
The traffic police are also attempting to discipline Bangalore's unruly three-wheeler autorickshaws and make them passenger-friendly.Calling their campaign the "B-TRAC 2010", the traffic police Friday formally launched BTIS - Bangalore Transport Information System - for real time traffic monitoring.Cell phone signals will be used to keep an eye on traffic movement.
The B-TRAC is being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.400 million, a senior city police official said.Information gathered through this system will be made available to vehicle users via SMS, the web, electronic billboards and helplines to enable commuters to avoid congested locations.
The information will help police tell commuters the estimated time required to reach a destination.A website, www.btis.in, has also been launched so that one can become familiarise with the system.Apart from traffic snarls, a major problem is violation of traffic rules and regulations.
To haul up the guilty, a large number of policemen are being provided with Blackberry handsets.The device will help police book cases on the spot and serve notice through wireless pocket printers. It will also enable police to keep track of past violations. Repeated violations will mean cancellation of the driving license.
Bangalore has nearly 100,000 three-wheeler autorickshaws and not a day passes without arguments breaking out between passengers and drivers on issues like overcharging, refusal to go to certain areas and rash driving.At important places such as the main city bus stand, the railway station and the airport there are pre-paid auto counters manned by police. Here too passengers face problems once the auto leaves the place
.To get over such problems, the 'easyauto' service is being launched. All that one has to do is SMS or call a particular number to get an auto. One can book these autos through the net by logging on to www.easyauto.in.co.
source: tech2.com
The traffic police are also attempting to discipline Bangalore's unruly three-wheeler autorickshaws and make them passenger-friendly.Calling their campaign the "B-TRAC 2010", the traffic police Friday formally launched BTIS - Bangalore Transport Information System - for real time traffic monitoring.Cell phone signals will be used to keep an eye on traffic movement.
The B-TRAC is being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.400 million, a senior city police official said.Information gathered through this system will be made available to vehicle users via SMS, the web, electronic billboards and helplines to enable commuters to avoid congested locations.
The information will help police tell commuters the estimated time required to reach a destination.A website, www.btis.in, has also been launched so that one can become familiarise with the system.Apart from traffic snarls, a major problem is violation of traffic rules and regulations.
To haul up the guilty, a large number of policemen are being provided with Blackberry handsets.The device will help police book cases on the spot and serve notice through wireless pocket printers. It will also enable police to keep track of past violations. Repeated violations will mean cancellation of the driving license.
Bangalore has nearly 100,000 three-wheeler autorickshaws and not a day passes without arguments breaking out between passengers and drivers on issues like overcharging, refusal to go to certain areas and rash driving.At important places such as the main city bus stand, the railway station and the airport there are pre-paid auto counters manned by police. Here too passengers face problems once the auto leaves the place
.To get over such problems, the 'easyauto' service is being launched. All that one has to do is SMS or call a particular number to get an auto. One can book these autos through the net by logging on to www.easyauto.in.co.
source: tech2.com
Kakle Vying for 'Search' Space
Amidst major search giants like Google, Yahoo!, MSN, comes a new player called "Kakle.com" trying to make its mark! Although a much lesser known brand, Kakle promises an interactive user experience with all the interesting features that a paradigmatic search engine may offer.
However one feature that possibly even beats Google is the free 5GB email account that Kakle offers. Meanwhile, Google's Gmail offers just 2GB of storage.
Apart from this, Kakle features instant messenger (IM), chat, games, forums, blogs, social networking communities, and unlimited audio, video, and picture uploads. The voice and video IM is interoperable with other major messenger services, something similar to Meebo.
In addition, users can also create their own Web portals and import RSS.
"The one thing that makes Kakle stand out from other search engines is the meta result," said Riko Chung, president and owner of Kakle. "We aggregate the results from major search engines, and rank the search engines on the basis of the results.
If the user clicks on the name of the search company, the page where the site is displayed comes up." Kakle.com has been in beta for the past six months, and is seeking feedback from users for further development.
"Various features are being modified, and once launched, it will look completely different from what it looks today," Chung added.
source: techtree.com
However one feature that possibly even beats Google is the free 5GB email account that Kakle offers. Meanwhile, Google's Gmail offers just 2GB of storage.
Apart from this, Kakle features instant messenger (IM), chat, games, forums, blogs, social networking communities, and unlimited audio, video, and picture uploads. The voice and video IM is interoperable with other major messenger services, something similar to Meebo.
In addition, users can also create their own Web portals and import RSS.
"The one thing that makes Kakle stand out from other search engines is the meta result," said Riko Chung, president and owner of Kakle. "We aggregate the results from major search engines, and rank the search engines on the basis of the results.
If the user clicks on the name of the search company, the page where the site is displayed comes up." Kakle.com has been in beta for the past six months, and is seeking feedback from users for further development.
"Various features are being modified, and once launched, it will look completely different from what it looks today," Chung added.
source: techtree.com
Spice Unveils Dual Mode Phone
Spice Mobile has newly launched a dual-mode handset wherein both GSM- and CDMA- based mobile connections can be activated. The dual-mode phone is meant for Tier II and Tier III cities, the company said.
During the launch, Kunal Ahooja, chief executive officer of Spice Mobile, said the new phone is targeted at all those who have two cell numbers but want the convenience of carrying just one phone. Ahooja said an estimated 8 percent of the total number of mobile phone subscribers already own two numbers.
source: techtree.com
Ahooja also hinted at the possibility of the company launching a 'people's phone' to cost less than Rs 1,000. He said Spice would likely start manufacturing these low-cost handsets in 2008.
Meanwhile the dual-mode phone has been launched in two variants: the D-88, which supports both GSM and CDMA active connections at the same time; and the D-80, which supports two GSM active connections, and is useful for travellers operating in the local area. The D-80 carries a price tag of Rs 9,849 while the D-88 is yet to hit the market.
During the launch, Kunal Ahooja, chief executive officer of Spice Mobile, said the new phone is targeted at all those who have two cell numbers but want the convenience of carrying just one phone. Ahooja said an estimated 8 percent of the total number of mobile phone subscribers already own two numbers.
source: techtree.com
Ahooja also hinted at the possibility of the company launching a 'people's phone' to cost less than Rs 1,000. He said Spice would likely start manufacturing these low-cost handsets in 2008.
Meanwhile the dual-mode phone has been launched in two variants: the D-88, which supports both GSM and CDMA active connections at the same time; and the D-80, which supports two GSM active connections, and is useful for travellers operating in the local area. The D-80 carries a price tag of Rs 9,849 while the D-88 is yet to hit the market.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
8 things that i love,like ..
The eight most passionate things that I want to share with you.
Kamal: The multifaced personality and one man army in the Tamil cinema. I like his perfection, dedication, eager in learning and experimenting new things and most interestingly his Tamil. Also I admire his singing and boldness. He is the one actor who can’t be compared with any one in Tamil cinema; no one is close to this living legend, sakala kala vallavar, mobile encyclopedia of cinema etc……
Tamil: It is my identity. Even if roam around the whole world still I’ll tagged as tamilian. I’m so affectionate towards Tamil, Tamilnadu and everything about tamil…. Tamil is one of the 2 classical languages of India and one of the 6 in the world. I’m so excited in knowing more about Tamil culture, tradition etc..
Temples: Tamil Nadu is the land of temples and a living museum of styles that originated in the 7th century. I have visited some of the oldest and most admired temples in tamilnadu which are the best and well known for architectures and painting and still I left a lot more places to visit. When I’m visiting these temples, I immersed myself in the art and paintings, which gives me a lot of pleasure and fulfillment.
Singing: Singing makes me feel self-assured, in control, physically alive and fantastically creative. If you love to sing, then you're already aware that singing is fun, energizing and a great stress reducer! I love singing (nalla kaththuvane) and very much interested in music. I can’t believe myself, I sung twice in stage and got prizes too…..
Internet: I’d say internet is the most useful and innovative technology invented in the last decade. Internet has become the most ever powerful tool for man throughout the world; today internet has brought a globe in a single room. Internet has great potential and lot to offer… however, like every single innovation in science and technology, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Google: The other name for innovation. Google has seen a tremendous growth in the past 7 years. Started with a search engine in 1998 and with their innovative ideas and tools now they became the world’s most visited website, most popular, most powerful brand and leads the world’s top web properties with a market capitalization of around $100 billion. Internet and software giant Microsoft join hands with yahoo to competitive with Google, this shows the real growth of Google. I use Google for a-z everything incl. of spell check, grammar check etc… make my life much easier.
Traveling: I like to travel a lot, which makes me feel good and keep cool. I have an ambitious dream to roam the entire Europe and like to explore their culture, food, lifestyle, landscapes, hill stations, architectures, trains, cruises, castles etc… kullu manali, Darjeeling and Shimla are the most favorite destinations I like to travel in India.
Karamadai: last but not least, karamadai is the one place I like, love and live. Even if I’m in Bangalore, there are many things that keep me in touch with karamadai like my school, schoolmates, family, friends, cinema, ranganathar temple, car festival etc...
Kamal: The multifaced personality and one man army in the Tamil cinema. I like his perfection, dedication, eager in learning and experimenting new things and most interestingly his Tamil. Also I admire his singing and boldness. He is the one actor who can’t be compared with any one in Tamil cinema; no one is close to this living legend, sakala kala vallavar, mobile encyclopedia of cinema etc……
Tamil: It is my identity. Even if roam around the whole world still I’ll tagged as tamilian. I’m so affectionate towards Tamil, Tamilnadu and everything about tamil…. Tamil is one of the 2 classical languages of India and one of the 6 in the world. I’m so excited in knowing more about Tamil culture, tradition etc..
Temples: Tamil Nadu is the land of temples and a living museum of styles that originated in the 7th century. I have visited some of the oldest and most admired temples in tamilnadu which are the best and well known for architectures and painting and still I left a lot more places to visit. When I’m visiting these temples, I immersed myself in the art and paintings, which gives me a lot of pleasure and fulfillment.
Singing: Singing makes me feel self-assured, in control, physically alive and fantastically creative. If you love to sing, then you're already aware that singing is fun, energizing and a great stress reducer! I love singing (nalla kaththuvane) and very much interested in music. I can’t believe myself, I sung twice in stage and got prizes too…..
Internet: I’d say internet is the most useful and innovative technology invented in the last decade. Internet has become the most ever powerful tool for man throughout the world; today internet has brought a globe in a single room. Internet has great potential and lot to offer… however, like every single innovation in science and technology, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Google: The other name for innovation. Google has seen a tremendous growth in the past 7 years. Started with a search engine in 1998 and with their innovative ideas and tools now they became the world’s most visited website, most popular, most powerful brand and leads the world’s top web properties with a market capitalization of around $100 billion. Internet and software giant Microsoft join hands with yahoo to competitive with Google, this shows the real growth of Google. I use Google for a-z everything incl. of spell check, grammar check etc… make my life much easier.
Traveling: I like to travel a lot, which makes me feel good and keep cool. I have an ambitious dream to roam the entire Europe and like to explore their culture, food, lifestyle, landscapes, hill stations, architectures, trains, cruises, castles etc… kullu manali, Darjeeling and Shimla are the most favorite destinations I like to travel in India.
Karamadai: last but not least, karamadai is the one place I like, love and live. Even if I’m in Bangalore, there are many things that keep me in touch with karamadai like my school, schoolmates, family, friends, cinema, ranganathar temple, car festival etc...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Israeli Start-up Launches VoIP Via Email
Israeli start up, Yoomba, has developed an open peer-to-peer application that sits on top of any email network and turns any email address into a phone or messenger, allowing users to talk to people around the world, for free. In other words, the free, downloadable application is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) tool that operates via any email address.
Yoomba integrates into email applications, adding buttons next to contact details in all of the major webmails, including Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. These buttons provide users with one-click access to all their contacts using voice or instant messaging. Once activated, Yoomba seamlessly loads all email contacts, giving users instant access at a glance, in order of popularity. The top 20 people in each user's Yoomba contact list will be the top 20 people they most frequently email.Elad Hemar, Co-founder and CEO of Yoomba said, "Before Yoomba, online communications offerings existed as part of closed networks. To communicate with friends, family or colleagues, users were required to join the network, register, create a new online identity, then search and add contacts one by one to each individual network. At Yoomba we are changing the way people communicate by providing the first open P2P network, putting consumers back in control. With Yoomba there is no registration, no need to create a new email address or a special number. You are no longer limited by the boundaries of an individual email or VoIP network. Yoomba has created email calling and email chat in the simplest way possible."Yoomba is jointly headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel and Silicon Valley in the USA.
Yoomba integrates into email applications, adding buttons next to contact details in all of the major webmails, including Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. These buttons provide users with one-click access to all their contacts using voice or instant messaging. Once activated, Yoomba seamlessly loads all email contacts, giving users instant access at a glance, in order of popularity. The top 20 people in each user's Yoomba contact list will be the top 20 people they most frequently email.Elad Hemar, Co-founder and CEO of Yoomba said, "Before Yoomba, online communications offerings existed as part of closed networks. To communicate with friends, family or colleagues, users were required to join the network, register, create a new online identity, then search and add contacts one by one to each individual network. At Yoomba we are changing the way people communicate by providing the first open P2P network, putting consumers back in control. With Yoomba there is no registration, no need to create a new email address or a special number. You are no longer limited by the boundaries of an individual email or VoIP network. Yoomba has created email calling and email chat in the simplest way possible."Yoomba is jointly headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel and Silicon Valley in the USA.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
'Asknaukri.com' Naturally Fits Naukri
Internet company, Info Edge India, which owns 4 portals including Naukri.com, Naukri Gulf.com, Jeevansathi.com, and 99acres.com has launched a career guidance Web site named "asknaukri.com". A free-to-use Web site, "asknaukri.com" offers 'relevant, researched, and customized' counseling on all work-related queries, thus building on the trust established by Naukri.com.
Designed as a natural fit to Naukri.com, asknaukri.com aims to bridge the gap in terms of advice on career-related issues. Users can submit queries online, which would then be directed to a distinguished panel. Info Edge claims that answers to user queries will be posted on the Web site within 48 hours, along with an email sent to the user's inbox. For ease-of-use, queries will be categorized into clusters such as 'Career Guidance', 'Interviews & Resumes', and 'Office Advice' with further classification under each category. Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder and chief executive officer, Naukri.com, said, "Career guidance is a natural progression, and with 'asknaukri.com', we want to emerge as the definitive face of career guidance in India." The company said there are plans to get "asknaukri.com" mobile-enabled, allowing users ask questions from- and get replies on - their mobiles
Airtel Announces GPS Navigation
Bharti Airtel, in collaboration with Sweden-based Wayfinder Systems, today launched its GPS-based Navigation Application on compatible mobile handsets. The company said the application is so designed that it turns compatible mobile phones into whole GPS-based navigation systems -- complete with detailed maps and points-of-interest of several cities across the country.
For starters, the application will be available on the BlackBerry 8800, Airtel said. And, it will cover information on cities including Delhi and NCR (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad), Bangalore, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chandigarh. Speaking at the launch, Sanjay Gupta, chief marketing officer of mobile services, Bharti Airtel, said, "We are now introducing in India a state-of-the-art GPS-based navigation system that will largely benefit all frequent travelers using compatible mobile handsets like the BlackBerry 8800." To download the application, Airtel BlackBerry 8800 users need send NAV as SMS to the shortcode 3636. For further instructions, they can refer to the Airtel Web site. On offer is a six-months free trial for all Airtel BlackBerry 8800 users. Under the scheme, customers will not be required to pay any subscription charges on the application during this period. However, there will be data download charges applicable as per subscribers' BlackBerry plans.
For starters, the application will be available on the BlackBerry 8800, Airtel said. And, it will cover information on cities including Delhi and NCR (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad), Bangalore, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chandigarh. Speaking at the launch, Sanjay Gupta, chief marketing officer of mobile services, Bharti Airtel, said, "We are now introducing in India a state-of-the-art GPS-based navigation system that will largely benefit all frequent travelers using compatible mobile handsets like the BlackBerry 8800." To download the application, Airtel BlackBerry 8800 users need send NAV as SMS to the shortcode 3636. For further instructions, they can refer to the Airtel Web site. On offer is a six-months free trial for all Airtel BlackBerry 8800 users. Under the scheme, customers will not be required to pay any subscription charges on the application during this period. However, there will be data download charges applicable as per subscribers' BlackBerry plans.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Content Sharing Platform from Rediff
The newest entrant to the social networking phenomenon is Rediff.com, which today launched "iShare", a social content sharing platform that will allow users share videos, music, pictures, et al. Rediff said it intends for "iShare" (http://ishare.rediff.com/) to bring together users sharing similar passions to form a vibrant online community. "iShare" is also expected to throw open opportunities for Indian youth to showcase their talent on the Internet. Besides, it will bring professionals newer audiences for their work.
Speaking at the launch, Ajit Balakrishnan, chairman and chief executive officer of Rediff.com, said, "With broadband becoming affordable, and social networking taking-off in India, we believe that 'iShare' will provide users a context to connect and enjoy a more comprehensive multimedia entertainment experience on the Internet." Coinciding with the launch of "iShare", Rediff.com, along with Zee TV, announced a joint initiative named 'Voice of Rediff on Zee Sa re ga ma pa'. This initiative is meant for all those looking for an opportunity to get onto Zee TV's wildly popular musical show, 'Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'. All these budding singers need to do is upload their audio files and videos onto "iShare". The program's gurus; Vishal-Shekhar, Bappi Lahiri, Himesh Reshammiya, and Ismail Darbar will select a winner out of five short-listed entries, and the lucky guy/gal will get to perform on the final episode of the show. According to Rediff.com, "iShare" is easy-to-use thanks to the light utility tool, which users can install on their PCs and then upload multiple files at low speed without having to worry about the source of these files.
Speaking at the launch, Ajit Balakrishnan, chairman and chief executive officer of Rediff.com, said, "With broadband becoming affordable, and social networking taking-off in India, we believe that 'iShare' will provide users a context to connect and enjoy a more comprehensive multimedia entertainment experience on the Internet." Coinciding with the launch of "iShare", Rediff.com, along with Zee TV, announced a joint initiative named 'Voice of Rediff on Zee Sa re ga ma pa'. This initiative is meant for all those looking for an opportunity to get onto Zee TV's wildly popular musical show, 'Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'. All these budding singers need to do is upload their audio files and videos onto "iShare". The program's gurus; Vishal-Shekhar, Bappi Lahiri, Himesh Reshammiya, and Ismail Darbar will select a winner out of five short-listed entries, and the lucky guy/gal will get to perform on the final episode of the show. According to Rediff.com, "iShare" is easy-to-use thanks to the light utility tool, which users can install on their PCs and then upload multiple files at low speed without having to worry about the source of these files.
RCom Offers Free Internet Data Card
Reliance Communications (RCom) is offering it's NetConnect customers across the country a mobile Internet data card at no additonal cost. Elaborating on the scheme, S P Shukla, chief executive officer of personal business at Reliance Communications, said that customers can choose from a wide range of options, including getting a free data card against a 12-months subscription.
Under the 24-month subscription Freedom Plan, free usage of up to 1GB is available every month, whereas under the Swift 50 plan, users can avail up to 40 hours free usage every month. Alternatively, customers can purchase the mobile Internet data card by making an upfront payment of Rs 2,850 for the USB data card, and Rs 2,990 for the PCMCIA data card. Shukla said the company has already entered into alliances with laptop manufacturers to bundle the NetConnect Data cards. Reportedly, there are over 10-million Reliance NetConnect customers across the country. With this offering, they will be able to access the Internet at any time and from any where, RCom said.
Under the 24-month subscription Freedom Plan, free usage of up to 1GB is available every month, whereas under the Swift 50 plan, users can avail up to 40 hours free usage every month. Alternatively, customers can purchase the mobile Internet data card by making an upfront payment of Rs 2,850 for the USB data card, and Rs 2,990 for the PCMCIA data card. Shukla said the company has already entered into alliances with laptop manufacturers to bundle the NetConnect Data cards. Reportedly, there are over 10-million Reliance NetConnect customers across the country. With this offering, they will be able to access the Internet at any time and from any where, RCom said.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Britannica Encylopaedia is on Hutch
Hutch, in association with US-based mobile content provider, Mobifusion, has announced the mobile version of the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia exclusively for its pre-paid and post-paid customers.
With this move, Hutch aims to provide a huge reservoir of knowledge and one of the most trusted sources of information -- that is the Britannica encyclopaedia, to its subscribers.
The service features an easy-to-use tool to research history, art, entertainment, politics, sports, and a host of other topics on Hutch phones.
To access the service, subscribers need to log on to Planet Hutch at www.hutchworld.co.in; and click on Infoservices. The service costs around Rs 99 for 3 months, and Rs 30 per week.
Harit Nagpal, director of marketing and new business development, Hutch, said, "Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia on Hutch phones introduces the concept of 'knowledge on the go', and will greatly benefit those who need constant access to information."
Prashant Gupta, general manager of Mobifusion, said, "Indian consumers are increasingly demanding high quality content, and by offering some of the world's best-selling brands, Mobifusion is able to deliver a mixed variety of applications to the Indian market at an affordable price."
Hutch, in association with US-based mobile content provider, Mobifusion, has announced the mobile version of the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia exclusively for its pre-paid and post-paid customers.
With this move, Hutch aims to provide a huge reservoir of knowledge and one of the most trusted sources of information -- that is the Britannica encyclopaedia, to its subscribers.
The service features an easy-to-use tool to research history, art, entertainment, politics, sports, and a host of other topics on Hutch phones.
To access the service, subscribers need to log on to Planet Hutch at www.hutchworld.co.in; and click on Infoservices. The service costs around Rs 99 for 3 months, and Rs 30 per week.
Harit Nagpal, director of marketing and new business development, Hutch, said, "Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia on Hutch phones introduces the concept of 'knowledge on the go', and will greatly benefit those who need constant access to information."
Prashant Gupta, general manager of Mobifusion, said, "Indian consumers are increasingly demanding high quality content, and by offering some of the world's best-selling brands, Mobifusion is able to deliver a mixed variety of applications to the Indian market at an affordable price."
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Google Gets Web Phone Service
Google has reportedly acquired California-based GrandCentral Communications, a company that provides Web-based services for managing voice communication.
GrandCentral's Web services allow users to integrate all of their existing phone numbers and voice through one simple interface.
In its blog post, Google said, "We think GrandCentral's technology fits well into Google's efforts to provide services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users."
GrandCentral's Web services complement existing phone services. For instance, users with multiple phone numbers can get one phone number programmed to ring all/some/none of the numbers, depending on who is calling.
The services also feature a central voice mailbox, where calls can be recorded and then accessed online or from any phone, as well as forwarded to other phones.
GrandCentral's Web services have been in beta testing since September 2006, and Google says it will continue to support current beta users who are accessing the service for free. And, a limited number of users will be able to sign-up for new invitations for continued beta testing.
A post on the GrandCentral site said, "The service will remain operational as will the site while we integrate with Google. Google will continue to support uninterrupted service for all current GrandCentral customers."
Meanwhile, speculation is on that Google might build the unified communications and call-handling functionality of GrandCentral into Google Talk. Or that, it might build GrandCentral into Gmail...
GrandCentral's Web services allow users to integrate all of their existing phone numbers and voice through one simple interface.
In its blog post, Google said, "We think GrandCentral's technology fits well into Google's efforts to provide services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users."
GrandCentral's Web services complement existing phone services. For instance, users with multiple phone numbers can get one phone number programmed to ring all/some/none of the numbers, depending on who is calling.
The services also feature a central voice mailbox, where calls can be recorded and then accessed online or from any phone, as well as forwarded to other phones.
GrandCentral's Web services have been in beta testing since September 2006, and Google says it will continue to support current beta users who are accessing the service for free. And, a limited number of users will be able to sign-up for new invitations for continued beta testing.
A post on the GrandCentral site said, "The service will remain operational as will the site while we integrate with Google. Google will continue to support uninterrupted service for all current GrandCentral customers."
Meanwhile, speculation is on that Google might build the unified communications and call-handling functionality of GrandCentral into Google Talk. Or that, it might build GrandCentral into Gmail...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Search Engine For Science Videos, Now Online
search engine that finds videos for science enthusiasts has just made its debut online. The videos searched by Science Hack are claimed to be screened by a scientist, to verify its accuracy and quality.
Science Hack searches videos across topics such as Trigonometry, exothermic chemical reaction and the Levitron toy among others, across genres such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and space.
Representatives of the site say their database is relatively small as of now, but their scientists are working very hard to 'index every science video on the internet.' Web surfers may also submit their science videos to the database. The representatives also clarify that ScienceHack does not host videos, but only indexes videos from other sites like YouTube and MetaCafe.
Rami Nasser, Founder of ScienceHack says, "Science Hack is in alpha release to test the idea and the system. When you search our database you will get relevant and informative results. Moreover, you could browse our videos and you will defiantly learn something new."
Users also have the option of integrating the search engine into social networking sites such as Facebook.
Science Hack searches videos across topics such as Trigonometry, exothermic chemical reaction and the Levitron toy among others, across genres such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and space.
Representatives of the site say their database is relatively small as of now, but their scientists are working very hard to 'index every science video on the internet.' Web surfers may also submit their science videos to the database. The representatives also clarify that ScienceHack does not host videos, but only indexes videos from other sites like YouTube and MetaCafe.
Rami Nasser, Founder of ScienceHack says, "Science Hack is in alpha release to test the idea and the system. When you search our database you will get relevant and informative results. Moreover, you could browse our videos and you will defiantly learn something new."
Users also have the option of integrating the search engine into social networking sites such as Facebook.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
RCom Launches Mobile Radio
Reliance Communications (RCom) has launched 'Mobile Radio' on all of its phones, the company said. The service is available to both post-paid and pre-paid subscribers of Reliance Mobile and Hello, as well as to Reliance landline subscribers.
Regardless of the kind of mobile phone, all Reliance customers will be able to avail "Mobile Radio" in 8 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Hindi.
The company said that with this service, even those customers who bought mobile phones way back in 2003 that do not have built-in radio, will still be able to avail "Mobile Radio".
A visibly excited Mahesh Prasad, president of Applications, Solutions, and Content Group for Reliance Communications, expressed the view that with the launch of this service, the fundamental barrier between mobile and radio has been bridged.
Reliance "Mobile Radio" sports categories such as devotional, latest hits, evergreen, and romantic, among others. And, subscribers to the service can either opt to access entire songs of their choice, or replay, or just skip the song altogether.
Subscribers will have two options: one, they can subscribe for a monthly fee of Rs 30, and listen to radio for Rs 1 per minute; or they can listen to the service directly without subscribing for a fee of Rs 3 per minute. To access "Mobile Radio" Reliance subscribers need to dial the number, 51234777.
RCom said there are plans to provide access to regional content as well.
Regardless of the kind of mobile phone, all Reliance customers will be able to avail "Mobile Radio" in 8 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Hindi.
The company said that with this service, even those customers who bought mobile phones way back in 2003 that do not have built-in radio, will still be able to avail "Mobile Radio".
A visibly excited Mahesh Prasad, president of Applications, Solutions, and Content Group for Reliance Communications, expressed the view that with the launch of this service, the fundamental barrier between mobile and radio has been bridged.
Reliance "Mobile Radio" sports categories such as devotional, latest hits, evergreen, and romantic, among others. And, subscribers to the service can either opt to access entire songs of their choice, or replay, or just skip the song altogether.
Subscribers will have two options: one, they can subscribe for a monthly fee of Rs 30, and listen to radio for Rs 1 per minute; or they can listen to the service directly without subscribing for a fee of Rs 3 per minute. To access "Mobile Radio" Reliance subscribers need to dial the number, 51234777.
RCom said there are plans to provide access to regional content as well.
Google Apps Adds Five New Features
Google has introduced five new features within Google Apps, to make it easier for organizations and schools to start using Google Apps email services without leaving any of their email data behind.
Google has introduced the 'shared address book' which is designed to make it easier to get in touch with everyone in the organization without going to a separate list or company directory. When composing a new email, or sharing a document, users now have the option to search through all the users on the domain, even if they aren’t in the users’ personal contact list.
The new chat feature allows the user to interact with colleagues and friends directly from within the Google Apps start page. The new Google Talk gadget also allows for multi-person chat, so users can schedule a meeting or get input from multiple people without switching back and forth between chat tabs.
In addition, the start page is now a central place to preview and access the calendar and inbox, find company information, and search the web. Now users have access to even more options to customize the start page thanks to the new start page directory, which features thousands of Google Apps gadgets.
Users can access Google calendars through an easy-to-browse gallery where they can sort through public calendars that can be overlaid on top of school or business calendars. They can also open PowerPoint attachments as slideshows without having to download anything. Since users can open .doc and .xls attachments with Google Docs and Spreadsheets, there's no need to leave the web browser to view email attachments.
Lastly, users can start sharing more large presentations and files as attachments, as Google has doubled the allowable attachment size to 20 MB.
Google has introduced the 'shared address book' which is designed to make it easier to get in touch with everyone in the organization without going to a separate list or company directory. When composing a new email, or sharing a document, users now have the option to search through all the users on the domain, even if they aren’t in the users’ personal contact list.
The new chat feature allows the user to interact with colleagues and friends directly from within the Google Apps start page. The new Google Talk gadget also allows for multi-person chat, so users can schedule a meeting or get input from multiple people without switching back and forth between chat tabs.
In addition, the start page is now a central place to preview and access the calendar and inbox, find company information, and search the web. Now users have access to even more options to customize the start page thanks to the new start page directory, which features thousands of Google Apps gadgets.
Users can access Google calendars through an easy-to-browse gallery where they can sort through public calendars that can be overlaid on top of school or business calendars. They can also open PowerPoint attachments as slideshows without having to download anything. Since users can open .doc and .xls attachments with Google Docs and Spreadsheets, there's no need to leave the web browser to view email attachments.
Lastly, users can start sharing more large presentations and files as attachments, as Google has doubled the allowable attachment size to 20 MB.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Microsoft, BBC Offer 3D Online Tour of UK
Microsoft Live Labs has announced a collaboration with the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) in a time-limited technical trial to launch unique three-dimensional photographic representations of historic sites throughout the UK. This offering will allow users to experience a trial 3-D online interactive experience to complement BBC's 'How We Built Britain' television series.
Microsoft Live Labs will allow viewers to explore Photosynth representations of Ely Cathedral, Burghley House, the Royal Crescent, Bath, the Scottish Parliament buildings and Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The BBC will also have units on location at each of the historic sites to collect images from tourists visiting the sites. The synths will then be updated during the television series with a selection of these images.
Historical and user-submitted images will be integrated into the synths to contrast how people interacted with the locations in the past and present. By clicking and dragging their mouse, visitors to the site will be able to explore a building, zooming in to see the smallest decorative detail, or zooming out and panning through 360 degrees to place the building in a wider context.
Adam Sheppard, group product manager for Microsoft Live Labs said, "Photosynth is an extremely immersive experience where one can find oneself spending hours walking in the footsteps of the photographer and exploring minute details of the 3-D environment. This opportunity with the BBC allowed us to test the limits of the Photosynth technology by integrating photographs from decades ago of the UK's historic sites along with those of the general public today. We're eager to see how people tell their stories with this new interactive medium."
Microsoft Live Labs will allow viewers to explore Photosynth representations of Ely Cathedral, Burghley House, the Royal Crescent, Bath, the Scottish Parliament buildings and Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The BBC will also have units on location at each of the historic sites to collect images from tourists visiting the sites. The synths will then be updated during the television series with a selection of these images.
Historical and user-submitted images will be integrated into the synths to contrast how people interacted with the locations in the past and present. By clicking and dragging their mouse, visitors to the site will be able to explore a building, zooming in to see the smallest decorative detail, or zooming out and panning through 360 degrees to place the building in a wider context.
Adam Sheppard, group product manager for Microsoft Live Labs said, "Photosynth is an extremely immersive experience where one can find oneself spending hours walking in the footsteps of the photographer and exploring minute details of the 3-D environment. This opportunity with the BBC allowed us to test the limits of the Photosynth technology by integrating photographs from decades ago of the UK's historic sites along with those of the general public today. We're eager to see how people tell their stories with this new interactive medium."
Friday, June 1, 2007
'Google Gears' Shift Web to Offline
Google has announced "Google Gears" for developers; an open source technology for creating offline Web applications.
"Google Gears" marks an important step in the evolution of Web applications because it addresses a major user concern: availability of data and applications when there's no Internet connection available, or when the connection is slow or unreliable.
Reportedly, the new software will run both online and offline, affording users the flexibility to work anytime anywhere, including at the remotest of locations. All the user needs to do is install a plug-in into Web browsers, and the software will open an offline door to applications that till now were accessible only via an Internet connection.
Google hopes that in the long term, "Google Gears" will help the industry as a whole move towards a single standard for offline capabilities that all developers could use.
Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google, said, "With 'Google Gears' we are tackling a key limitation of the browser in order to make it a stronger platform for deploying all types of applications, and enabling a better user experience. We believe strongly in the power of the community to stretch this new technology to the limits of what's possible, and ultimately emerge with an open standard that benefits everyone."
Google is offering "Google Gears" as a free, fully open source technology in order to help not just Google applications but all Web applications. For starters, the Google Reader feed reader (http://reader.google.com) is available with Gears-enabled offline capabilities.
Meanwhile, the company also plans to add other programs such as e-mail, calendar, word processing, and spreadsheet to its list of Gears-enabled offerings.
As of now, Google has partnered with Adobe Systems to use "Google Gears" in their products.
source: Techtree.com
Monday, May 28, 2007
Webaroo Offers Group Messaging
Webaroo has announced the launch of a new group messaging service in India, called "SMS GupShup".
The company says "SMS GupShup" is a free service that offers users a chance to create groups of any size, and communicate within them. The messages sent by the creator of the group are forwarded by Webaroo, at no charge, to all members of the group.
Using a single SMS message, users can join any group they want. Once a part of the group, the members will then automatically receive messages posted to the group as an SMS on their phone. Besides, users can use SMS messages to create their own groups, and also to invite friends, and post messages to the group.
Moreover, users can also run a poll, rating, and quiz within their group. The groups and their messages are available online at www.smsgupshup.com as an archive, except for private groups.
Talking about the service, Beerud Sheth, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Webaroo, said, "SMS Gupshup is a fun, new, and powerful SMS service for users of any mobile phone. It is an ideal tool for connecting with friends, building new relationships, and forming mobile communities."
According to Webaroo, this free service can be used to stay connected with friends, to receive alerts and notifications, as well as to stay updated with news and current events. In addition, users can also receive weather updates or sports scores from their favorite sources.
source: Techtree.com
The company says "SMS GupShup" is a free service that offers users a chance to create groups of any size, and communicate within them. The messages sent by the creator of the group are forwarded by Webaroo, at no charge, to all members of the group.
Using a single SMS message, users can join any group they want. Once a part of the group, the members will then automatically receive messages posted to the group as an SMS on their phone. Besides, users can use SMS messages to create their own groups, and also to invite friends, and post messages to the group.
Moreover, users can also run a poll, rating, and quiz within their group. The groups and their messages are available online at www.smsgupshup.com as an archive, except for private groups.
Talking about the service, Beerud Sheth, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Webaroo, said, "SMS Gupshup is a fun, new, and powerful SMS service for users of any mobile phone. It is an ideal tool for connecting with friends, building new relationships, and forming mobile communities."
According to Webaroo, this free service can be used to stay connected with friends, to receive alerts and notifications, as well as to stay updated with news and current events. In addition, users can also receive weather updates or sports scores from their favorite sources.
source: Techtree.com
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Website Offers Finance Know How
A Web site called www.money4you.in has been launched under the aegis of the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the India Cards Council (ICC), developed in association with MasterCard Worldwide; marks a first-of-its-kind financial education initiative.
Supporting guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the online initiative aims at providing tools for greater financial inclusion to consumers. More importantly, it is aimed at close to 30,00,000 graduating youngsters joining the workforce each year, who need assistance with managing incomes and spending.
Meanwhile, the main objective is to empower the average person with financial information and guidance to make 'financially' informed decisions.
The content on money4you.in comprises comprehensive personal finance information, including tips on how to manage money and balance spending with saving. The Web site offers easy financial tools, budget calculators, and an interactive section with an on-line virtual financial wizard named 'Mani'.
Commenting on the initiative, Sinor, Chief Executive of IBA, said, "This initiative is aimed at empowering consumers in a manner that they are best able to make informed decisions. Through our member banks, we would encourage consumers to refer to the Web site for advice on financial matters."
Besides, the IBA, ICC, and MasterCard Worldwide claim to have developed a comprehensive outreach plan to further this education initiative, and make financial planning information readily available to consumers.
sorce: Techtree.com
Supporting guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the online initiative aims at providing tools for greater financial inclusion to consumers. More importantly, it is aimed at close to 30,00,000 graduating youngsters joining the workforce each year, who need assistance with managing incomes and spending.
Meanwhile, the main objective is to empower the average person with financial information and guidance to make 'financially' informed decisions.
The content on money4you.in comprises comprehensive personal finance information, including tips on how to manage money and balance spending with saving. The Web site offers easy financial tools, budget calculators, and an interactive section with an on-line virtual financial wizard named 'Mani'.
Commenting on the initiative, Sinor, Chief Executive of IBA, said, "This initiative is aimed at empowering consumers in a manner that they are best able to make informed decisions. Through our member banks, we would encourage consumers to refer to the Web site for advice on financial matters."
Besides, the IBA, ICC, and MasterCard Worldwide claim to have developed a comprehensive outreach plan to further this education initiative, and make financial planning information readily available to consumers.
sorce: Techtree.com
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Online Document of Living Species
The world's leading scientific institutions have come together to announce the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), a global effort to document the nearly 1.8-million named species on Planet Earth.
This initiative will for the first time in history, enable scientists, students, and citizens have multimedia access to all known living species such as animals, plants, and other forms of life, as well as those that are just discovered.
The project worth $12.5-million is being jointly initiated by the Field Museum, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library.
According to Dr James Edwards, Executive Director of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), "The EOL will provide valuable bio-diversity and conservation information to anyone, anywhere, at any time. It will ultimately make high-quality, well-organized information available on an unprecedented level. Even five years ago, we could not create such a resource, but advances in technology for searching, annotating, and visualizing information now permit us, indeed mandate us, to build the EOL."
The plan is to complete the project in the next decade, and as such, include further classification of the millions of species yet to be discovered. The pages, housed at www.eol.org, will provide written information, photographs, video, sound, location maps, and other multimedia information on each species.
Ralph E Gomory, President of the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, believes that EOL will provide citizens of the world a 'macroscope' of almost unimaginable power to find and create understanding of bio-diversity across the globe.
While initial work will emphasize species of animals, plants, and fungi, the design can be extended to encompass microbial life. To provide depth to the portal page for each species, scanned and digitized pages of scientific literature will be offered for detailed knowledge.
In addition, EOL will provide users an opportunity to personalize the learning experience through its "my eol" feature. There are plans to make the site available in all major languages, and connect scientific communities concerned with ants to Apples to Zebras.
Jonathan F Fanton, President of the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, said, "The Encyclopedia of Life will be a vital tool for scientists, researchers, and educators across the globe, providing easy access to the latest and best information on all known species. Technology is allowing Science to grasp the immense complexity of life on this planet. Sharing what we know, we can protect Earth's bio-diversity, and better conserve our natural heritage."
source: Techtree.com
This initiative will for the first time in history, enable scientists, students, and citizens have multimedia access to all known living species such as animals, plants, and other forms of life, as well as those that are just discovered.
The project worth $12.5-million is being jointly initiated by the Field Museum, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library.
According to Dr James Edwards, Executive Director of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), "The EOL will provide valuable bio-diversity and conservation information to anyone, anywhere, at any time. It will ultimately make high-quality, well-organized information available on an unprecedented level. Even five years ago, we could not create such a resource, but advances in technology for searching, annotating, and visualizing information now permit us, indeed mandate us, to build the EOL."
The plan is to complete the project in the next decade, and as such, include further classification of the millions of species yet to be discovered. The pages, housed at www.eol.org, will provide written information, photographs, video, sound, location maps, and other multimedia information on each species.
Ralph E Gomory, President of the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, believes that EOL will provide citizens of the world a 'macroscope' of almost unimaginable power to find and create understanding of bio-diversity across the globe.
While initial work will emphasize species of animals, plants, and fungi, the design can be extended to encompass microbial life. To provide depth to the portal page for each species, scanned and digitized pages of scientific literature will be offered for detailed knowledge.
In addition, EOL will provide users an opportunity to personalize the learning experience through its "my eol" feature. There are plans to make the site available in all major languages, and connect scientific communities concerned with ants to Apples to Zebras.
Jonathan F Fanton, President of the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, said, "The Encyclopedia of Life will be a vital tool for scientists, researchers, and educators across the globe, providing easy access to the latest and best information on all known species. Technology is allowing Science to grasp the immense complexity of life on this planet. Sharing what we know, we can protect Earth's bio-diversity, and better conserve our natural heritage."
source: Techtree.com
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Google Expands Personalization With iGoogle
Google Inc. is stepping up efforts to allow its users to personalize how they search the Web, moving beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to search it already offers.
Officials told reporters at Google's Silicon Valley headquarters on Monday of moves to allow users to share their own writings, photos, lists and other creative efforts, as well as to give consumers personalized views of the Web through use of their geographical location and search history.
The world's top provider of Web search services is bringing together the more idiosyncratic approach to finding information on the Internet under the umbrella term "iGoogle", the new name for its enhanced personalized home page services.
"We want to personalize the traditional notion of search," Sep Kamvar, lead engineer for the personalization push, told reporters. "I am an eclectic person. But everyone is. We can't go about designing products for the average person."
Reinventing the classic Google.com home page—with its simple, uncluttered design—the company is introducing features that range from colourful new Web page designs to helping users publish their own creative content.
Google is borrowing or reinventing ideas that have already become popular features on many social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Bebo and Photobucket, where users are encouraged to share their own creative work with friends.
To help users create personalized features on iGoogle, the company introduced "Gadget Maker", which allows any user who knows how to upload a photo and fill out a simple Web form to publish their content without knowing computer coding.
Google introduced seven templates for creating personalized "gadgets"—publishing features—that include tools for publishing photos, sending virtual greeting cards or creating personal profiles or lists of favorite songs or films.
"I look at personalized search and I think it is one of the biggest advances we have had in the last couple of years," Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president in charge of search and user experience, told a news briefing.
Google's personalized home page, introduced two years ago, offers users the ability to choose from thousands of regularly updating Web features on one page. Tens of millions of users have signed up so far for the personalized approach to search and they are some of Google's most active users, Mayer said.
source: tech2.com
Officials told reporters at Google's Silicon Valley headquarters on Monday of moves to allow users to share their own writings, photos, lists and other creative efforts, as well as to give consumers personalized views of the Web through use of their geographical location and search history.
The world's top provider of Web search services is bringing together the more idiosyncratic approach to finding information on the Internet under the umbrella term "iGoogle", the new name for its enhanced personalized home page services.
"We want to personalize the traditional notion of search," Sep Kamvar, lead engineer for the personalization push, told reporters. "I am an eclectic person. But everyone is. We can't go about designing products for the average person."
Reinventing the classic Google.com home page—with its simple, uncluttered design—the company is introducing features that range from colourful new Web page designs to helping users publish their own creative content.
Google is borrowing or reinventing ideas that have already become popular features on many social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Bebo and Photobucket, where users are encouraged to share their own creative work with friends.
To help users create personalized features on iGoogle, the company introduced "Gadget Maker", which allows any user who knows how to upload a photo and fill out a simple Web form to publish their content without knowing computer coding.
Google introduced seven templates for creating personalized "gadgets"—publishing features—that include tools for publishing photos, sending virtual greeting cards or creating personal profiles or lists of favorite songs or films.
"I look at personalized search and I think it is one of the biggest advances we have had in the last couple of years," Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president in charge of search and user experience, told a news briefing.
Google's personalized home page, introduced two years ago, offers users the ability to choose from thousands of regularly updating Web features on one page. Tens of millions of users have signed up so far for the personalized approach to search and they are some of Google's most active users, Mayer said.
source: tech2.com
Airtel offers FM radio service
AirTel has introduced Airtel FM, a new service that allows its customers to turn their mobile handsets into radios. A customer can listen to music of choice from the featured list on the go. This comes with Rs 30 per month charge. While listening is free thereafter, a song and other downloads costs Rs 10 per track, according to a statement.
source: thehindu.com
source: thehindu.com
Yahoo! Puts IM inside the Web
For those of you who prefer to surf the Web in Internet cafes, there's reason to cheer!
Yahoo! has announced beginning offering a Web-based version of its Instant Messenger (IM) that works inside a Web browser, thus doing away with the need to install and run a separate software program.
The service is sure to appeal to travellers and professionals on-the-go, not to mention those whose companies block IM software downloads on their internal servers for security reasons.
As of now, Yahoo!'s Web-based IM service is available in India, Brazil, Malaysia, the Philippines, USA, and Vietnam, with plans to expand to more countries within a year, sources at Yahoo! said.
A unique feature of Yahoo!'s Web-based IM is 'archive,' whereby users will be able to search back to find all of their previous conversations with any of their IM contacts. Another plus point is the service will allow users to manage 10 or more simultaneous conversations in just one IM window.
Announcing the service, Brad Garlinghouse, Yahoo!'s Senior Vice President in charge of Communications, said Internet is fast evolving from a static experience, where a Web page is just that, to one where a Web page behaves more like a traditional desktop computer application.
He said too many people have been restricted from using IM services till date, and that with the new service, Yahoo! intends to cast the IM net wider.
Garlinghouse also suggested that Yahoo! sees an opportunity in the new service as a possible intersection between social networking Web sites and real-time IM communications. However, he gave no timeline as to when such a thing might materialize.
According to comScore Data, nearly 46 percent of Web users in India log on from Internet cafes. And, globally, Yahoo! comes in at second position in terms of Instant Messaging services, with approximately 88.5 million IM users worldwide.
source: techtree.com
Yahoo! has announced beginning offering a Web-based version of its Instant Messenger (IM) that works inside a Web browser, thus doing away with the need to install and run a separate software program.
The service is sure to appeal to travellers and professionals on-the-go, not to mention those whose companies block IM software downloads on their internal servers for security reasons.
As of now, Yahoo!'s Web-based IM service is available in India, Brazil, Malaysia, the Philippines, USA, and Vietnam, with plans to expand to more countries within a year, sources at Yahoo! said.
A unique feature of Yahoo!'s Web-based IM is 'archive,' whereby users will be able to search back to find all of their previous conversations with any of their IM contacts. Another plus point is the service will allow users to manage 10 or more simultaneous conversations in just one IM window.
Announcing the service, Brad Garlinghouse, Yahoo!'s Senior Vice President in charge of Communications, said Internet is fast evolving from a static experience, where a Web page is just that, to one where a Web page behaves more like a traditional desktop computer application.
He said too many people have been restricted from using IM services till date, and that with the new service, Yahoo! intends to cast the IM net wider.
Garlinghouse also suggested that Yahoo! sees an opportunity in the new service as a possible intersection between social networking Web sites and real-time IM communications. However, he gave no timeline as to when such a thing might materialize.
According to comScore Data, nearly 46 percent of Web users in India log on from Internet cafes. And, globally, Yahoo! comes in at second position in terms of Instant Messaging services, with approximately 88.5 million IM users worldwide.
source: techtree.com
Yahoo!'s India Our City & India Maps
Yahoo! India has launched two new exciting products for the Indian market, including Yahoo! India Our City, and Yahoo! India Maps.
The company said the Yahoo! India Our City beta is an innovative, next generation Web 2.0 mash-up application from Yahoo!.
According to company sources, this is the direct outcome of the internal Hack Day event organized at Yahoo! India R&D, where the idea was first conceived.
David Filo, Co-Founder of Yahoo!, said, "Yahoo! India Our City provides an interesting, rich, and dynamically updated perspective of a city as seen and experienced by people at large. Users can use 'Our City' to explore photos, videos, events, news, weather, blogs, and share events, photos, videos, and trip plans with others.
The product aggregates both editorial and user generated content, and is currently available for 20 cities across India. These include: Tier 1 cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, for which Yahoo! has a differentiated offering; and Tier 2 cities such as Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Madurai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and many more that do not have any noteworthy city portals.
Meanwhile, the Yahoo! India Maps beta boasts unique features, providing street level search functionality along with street maps, satellite maps, and an additional feature of hybrid maps. Users can search over 170 cities, 4,785 towns, and over 220,000 villages across India. Detailed search as per street name, locality, city, and district is also possible.
Filo said, "Yahoo! India Maps enables you search by street name, locality, city, district, and state. It searches by airport code (BLR, BOM), businesses and services like hotels, ATMs, petrol pumps in cities, etc. It also helps you view satellite maps of these places, take a print out, and carry the map with you."
Yahoo! India Maps uses AJAX Map APIs of Yahoo!. The map data is provided by CE Infosystems (Map My India), and is compliant with the guidelines as provided by the Government of India.
In a separate development, Yahoo! has inaugurated its new R&D facility in Bangalore that boasts 2.2 lakh square feet floor space with a seating capacity of 1,600.
techtree.com
The company said the Yahoo! India Our City beta is an innovative, next generation Web 2.0 mash-up application from Yahoo!.
According to company sources, this is the direct outcome of the internal Hack Day event organized at Yahoo! India R&D, where the idea was first conceived.
David Filo, Co-Founder of Yahoo!, said, "Yahoo! India Our City provides an interesting, rich, and dynamically updated perspective of a city as seen and experienced by people at large. Users can use 'Our City' to explore photos, videos, events, news, weather, blogs, and share events, photos, videos, and trip plans with others.
The product aggregates both editorial and user generated content, and is currently available for 20 cities across India. These include: Tier 1 cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, for which Yahoo! has a differentiated offering; and Tier 2 cities such as Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Madurai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and many more that do not have any noteworthy city portals.
Meanwhile, the Yahoo! India Maps beta boasts unique features, providing street level search functionality along with street maps, satellite maps, and an additional feature of hybrid maps. Users can search over 170 cities, 4,785 towns, and over 220,000 villages across India. Detailed search as per street name, locality, city, and district is also possible.
Filo said, "Yahoo! India Maps enables you search by street name, locality, city, district, and state. It searches by airport code (BLR, BOM), businesses and services like hotels, ATMs, petrol pumps in cities, etc. It also helps you view satellite maps of these places, take a print out, and carry the map with you."
Yahoo! India Maps uses AJAX Map APIs of Yahoo!. The map data is provided by CE Infosystems (Map My India), and is compliant with the guidelines as provided by the Government of India.
In a separate development, Yahoo! has inaugurated its new R&D facility in Bangalore that boasts 2.2 lakh square feet floor space with a seating capacity of 1,600.
techtree.com
International Roaming to Cost Less
Hutch has introduced 'Basic International Roaming' wherein Hutch customers can receive calls and SMS in over 180 countries across the world, without having to pay high deposits.
According to Hutch sources, the maximum security deposit charged for the service has been brought down from a high of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,500 only. Apart from the security deposit, a monthly rental of Rs 99 is payable to avail the service. The mentioned charges are exclusive of service tax.
Speaking on the launch of the service, Samuel Selvakumar, Director of Operations, Hutch, said, "Hutch has launched this service with a very low deposit, so that families can enjoy their summer holidays abroad, while staying connected with friends and family at home. With more and more Indians traveling abroad during school holidays, Hutch now provides them with added connectivity while on-the-move."
Availability of the new service is based on the discretion of Hutch credit services, sources said. And, it takes 48 hours to process each roaming subscription request.
For details on the new service, SMS ROAM to 123 (charges of Rs 3 per SMS). Alternatively, Hutch customers can call Hutch Care at 111 or 98860 98860 from their Hutch phones.
To activate 'Basic International Roaming' SMS ACT BIR to 111 (toll-free), or call 111 (toll-free) from your Hutch phone.
VSNL to 'Connect' Visitors to India
If Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has its way, global travellers will not lose out on the 'connect' factor while in India...
According to an IANS report, this Tata Group company is ready to roll-out roaming wireless broadband services to international travellers over the course of their stay in India.
The upcoming service will facilitate seamless roaming/usage within the VSNL wireless broadband network in the country. As such, foreign visitors will be able to access high-speed wireless broadband, using their home country accounts/identities.
As part of the roll-out, VSNL has tied-up with Singapore's second largest info-communication company, StarHub. Hence, all StarHub customers (mobile/broadband/cable) will be able to use wireless broadband services at over 200 Tata Indicom Wi-Fi Hotspots across the country.
And, plans are underway to add other global Wi-Fi operators to VSNL's list of roaming partners.
VSNL, a global communications services provider, is the only Indian member in the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), which is a global consortium of the world's leading wireless operators.
source: Techtree.com
According to an IANS report, this Tata Group company is ready to roll-out roaming wireless broadband services to international travellers over the course of their stay in India.
The upcoming service will facilitate seamless roaming/usage within the VSNL wireless broadband network in the country. As such, foreign visitors will be able to access high-speed wireless broadband, using their home country accounts/identities.
As part of the roll-out, VSNL has tied-up with Singapore's second largest info-communication company, StarHub. Hence, all StarHub customers (mobile/broadband/cable) will be able to use wireless broadband services at over 200 Tata Indicom Wi-Fi Hotspots across the country.
And, plans are underway to add other global Wi-Fi operators to VSNL's list of roaming partners.
VSNL, a global communications services provider, is the only Indian member in the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), which is a global consortium of the world's leading wireless operators.
source: Techtree.com
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Mozilla has announced that Thunderbird 2, the latest version of its popular, free, open source e-mail client, is now available worldwide.
The company said that Thunderbird 2 allows users to easily manage and organize e-mail with tags, advanced folder views, and fast inbox and message searches. Besides, users can also customize Thunderbird 2 with add-ons that match individual preferences.
Speaking on the occasion, Scott MacGregor, Lead Engineer for Thunderbird, Mozilla, said, "Thunderbird 2 has powerful new features and proven security, delivering an improved e-mail experience to users worldwide. In Thunderbird 2, we've incorporated the proven benefits of tagging to e-mail. Tagging initially gained popularity on blogs, photo and link-sharing sites, as an intuitive way to organize online information so users could easily find desired content."
According to Mozilla, Thunderbird 2 users can choose from hundreds of add-ons to customize the application for their needs. And by integrating professional networking tools, VOIP calling, and shared address books directly into Thunderbird, users can expand the e-mail client into a versatile information and communications hub.
The major enhancements in this new updated application include message tagging, wherein users can now apply tags to specific messages to group them together for easier management; message history navigation that enables the user to move around from one message to another like a Web browser next and back button; improved searching capabilities; and Web mail support that offers quick and easy access to several Web mail services like Gmail.
Meanwhile, Thunderbird 2, which is built using the same open source development model as the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, is available now as a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux, in more than 30 language versions at www.getthunderbird.com.
aouece: techtree.com
With a view to bridging the digital divide worldwide, Microsoft has announced plans to create new products and programs to help bring social and economic opportunity to an estimated 5 billion people who continue to remain untouched by the benefits of technology.
Among these announcements, the one that draws most attention is Microsoft's intention to introduce a $3 (Rs 150 approx) software package called "Student Innovation Suite" for governments to subsidize student PCs.
Microsoft said starting the second half of 2007, the "Student Innovation Suite," including Windows XP Starter Edition, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Math 3.0, Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office, and Windows Live Mail desktop, will be sold for $3 (Rs 150 approx) to governments looking to subsidize the cost of PCs for primary and secondary students - for use at home and at school.
The company also announced it will open 90 new innovation centers around the world. Currently, there are 110 such centers offering technology access/know-how to academics, local startup software companies, and other groups.
Microsoft said it is designing a Web site to help Engineering Grads to get additional training and find jobs. Initially, this program will be available only in India, with plans to widen the footprint across the globe. The site is slated to go online by end 2007, Microsoft said.
Speaking about the initiative, Chairman of Microsoft and eternal Philanthropist, Bill Gates said, "Bringing the benefits of technology to the next 5 billion people will require new products that meet the needs of underserved communities; creative new business approaches that make technology more relevant, accessible and affordable; and close collaboration between local governments, educational institutions, and community organizations."
As such, Microsoft intends to partner with government, inter-governmental organizations, academia, and industry leaders to expand the opportunities presented by technology worldwide.
source: techtre.com
Coming Soon: Google's 'PowerPoint'
According to reports, Google plans to add a new, PowerPoint like application to its hosted suite.
With this, Google's hosted suite, "Docs & Spreadsheets," will offer a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentations application.
The announcement was made by Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, at the Web 2.0 Expo event held in San Francisco.
This move by Google was widely expected, as the company has embarked on developing hosted communication and collaboration products for organizations.
The suite is seen as a competitor to Microsoft's Office. Schmidt however said, the suite does not compete with Office, as "Docs & Spreadsheets" does not have all of Office's functionality, and is instead, more focused on Web collaboration.
Schmidt is calling the PowerPoint like application a Web-based, hosted architecture for applications, designed to allow users collaborate and share information.
This application is expected to be available in the US this Summer. It is also expected for it to become a part of Google Apps, soon after release.
Google also announced it has acquired Tonic Systems, a company based out of San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia, which offers technology to create presentations and convert documents.
The timing of the acquisition coincides with the launch of the new application - perceived as a win-win by Google.
source: techtree.com
With this, Google's hosted suite, "Docs & Spreadsheets," will offer a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentations application.
The announcement was made by Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, at the Web 2.0 Expo event held in San Francisco.
This move by Google was widely expected, as the company has embarked on developing hosted communication and collaboration products for organizations.
The suite is seen as a competitor to Microsoft's Office. Schmidt however said, the suite does not compete with Office, as "Docs & Spreadsheets" does not have all of Office's functionality, and is instead, more focused on Web collaboration.
Schmidt is calling the PowerPoint like application a Web-based, hosted architecture for applications, designed to allow users collaborate and share information.
This application is expected to be available in the US this Summer. It is also expected for it to become a part of Google Apps, soon after release.
Google also announced it has acquired Tonic Systems, a company based out of San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia, which offers technology to create presentations and convert documents.
The timing of the acquisition coincides with the launch of the new application - perceived as a win-win by Google.
source: techtree.com
CSIA Getting Free WiFi Service
Reportedly, Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) is providing enterprise-class Wi-Fi service throughout the domestic (IA and IB) and international (2A and 2C) terminals at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), thus becoming the first international airport in the country to launch a free wireless network.
This free Wi-Fi Internet service is powered by Bharti Airtel, enabling first ever wireless coverage at a major international airport in India, with wall-to-wall service accessible throughout the CSIA passenger terminal buildings.
Which means that only bonafide passengers inside the terminal building will be able to take advantage of the facility. And to prevent potential misuse, each session would be valid for about four hours.
In a statement, a spokesperson for MIAL, said that travelers could use their laptops to connect to the Internet, to send and receive e-mail, access their corporate servers, download important documents, and surf the Web. The login process does not require users to install or use proprietary software, and can be done just by entering mobile numbers.
The facility is also available on other hand-held devices such as pocket PCs, smart phones, mobile phones, gaming devices, and PDAs.
The MIAL spokesperson said, currently, the speed would vary between 64 kbps and 128 kbps, depending on the number of simultaneous users. However, it will never fall below 64 kbps.
And while this service is offered free-of-charge for all passengers carrying Wi-Fi enabled laptops, a paid service for a bandwidth of 512 kbps and above will soon be introduced. Free Internet kiosks will also be set up at all terminals, with each terminal having at least one kiosk with a minimum of four computers.
G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director of MIAL, said that they are pleased to be the first airport in India to provide wireless coverage of this nature to passengers. Wi-Fi connectivity and the free Internet kiosks will facilitate better communication access for travelers to CSIA. This initiative would help the airport enhance passengers' experience, and is in line with their commitment to making CSIA a world-class airport.
source: techtree.com
This free Wi-Fi Internet service is powered by Bharti Airtel, enabling first ever wireless coverage at a major international airport in India, with wall-to-wall service accessible throughout the CSIA passenger terminal buildings.
Which means that only bonafide passengers inside the terminal building will be able to take advantage of the facility. And to prevent potential misuse, each session would be valid for about four hours.
In a statement, a spokesperson for MIAL, said that travelers could use their laptops to connect to the Internet, to send and receive e-mail, access their corporate servers, download important documents, and surf the Web. The login process does not require users to install or use proprietary software, and can be done just by entering mobile numbers.
The facility is also available on other hand-held devices such as pocket PCs, smart phones, mobile phones, gaming devices, and PDAs.
The MIAL spokesperson said, currently, the speed would vary between 64 kbps and 128 kbps, depending on the number of simultaneous users. However, it will never fall below 64 kbps.
And while this service is offered free-of-charge for all passengers carrying Wi-Fi enabled laptops, a paid service for a bandwidth of 512 kbps and above will soon be introduced. Free Internet kiosks will also be set up at all terminals, with each terminal having at least one kiosk with a minimum of four computers.
G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director of MIAL, said that they are pleased to be the first airport in India to provide wireless coverage of this nature to passengers. Wi-Fi connectivity and the free Internet kiosks will facilitate better communication access for travelers to CSIA. This initiative would help the airport enhance passengers' experience, and is in line with their commitment to making CSIA a world-class airport.
source: techtree.com
Friday, April 20, 2007
Mayatel's Prepaid Calling Cards
Mayatel, a leading VoIP carrier headquartered out of London, has introduced pre-paid international cards for calling over 30 countries, including USA, UK, Canada, Australia ,Denmark, Ireland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and China.
The company is offering an inaugural call rate of 95 paise per minute, which it says is the cheapest international call rate in the country.
Sam Mohanty, Country Manager of Mayatel India, said, they aspire to make superior quality international voice calling extremely affordable for every Indian customer, riding on Broadband connection now available even in remote areas.
Mayatel pre-paid Internet telephony cards are available in denominations of Rs 250, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, along with a 180 days validity.
They can be purchased either by logging on to the Mayatel Web site at www.mayatelfone.com, or via Mayatel's nation-wide channel network.
Customers can place an international call from anywhere within the country by using a PC, by downloading the dialer from Mayatel's Web site.
Alternatively, they can install an Internet Protocol device, which can also be provided by Mayatel.
Currently, Mayatel cards are available in a number of small cities. The company is looking at expanding its dealer network to make its pre-paid Internet telephony cards more widely and easily available.
source: Techtree.com
The company is offering an inaugural call rate of 95 paise per minute, which it says is the cheapest international call rate in the country.
Sam Mohanty, Country Manager of Mayatel India, said, they aspire to make superior quality international voice calling extremely affordable for every Indian customer, riding on Broadband connection now available even in remote areas.
Mayatel pre-paid Internet telephony cards are available in denominations of Rs 250, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, along with a 180 days validity.
They can be purchased either by logging on to the Mayatel Web site at www.mayatelfone.com, or via Mayatel's nation-wide channel network.
Customers can place an international call from anywhere within the country by using a PC, by downloading the dialer from Mayatel's Web site.
Alternatively, they can install an Internet Protocol device, which can also be provided by Mayatel.
Currently, Mayatel cards are available in a number of small cities. The company is looking at expanding its dealer network to make its pre-paid Internet telephony cards more widely and easily available.
source: Techtree.com
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Now, a SET system for faster downloads from Internet
Washington, Apr 14 (ANI): A Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist and an Intel researcher duo claim to have designed a system that allows for faster transferring of large data files, such as movies and music, over the Internet.
David G. Andersen, assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, and Michael Kaminsky of Intel Research Pittsburgh say the Similarly Enhanced Transfer (SET) system speeds up the download process by configuring the peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing services to share not only identical files, but also similar files.
"By identifying relevant chunks of files similar to a desired file, SET greatly increases the number of potential sources for downloads, and boosting the number of sources usually translates into faster P2P downloads," said Andersen.
However, how much SET could speed up downloads would vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and popularity of a given file, he said. In some cases, SET might speed transfers by just five percent; in others, it might make downloads five times faster, he added.
SET speeds by data transfer by simultaneously downloading different chunks of a desired data file from multiple sources, rather than downloading an entire file from one slow source, much like other P2P services such as BitTorrent, Gnutella and ChunkCast.
However, the difference lies in that SET takes additional steps of identifying files that are similar to the desired file, unlike other P2P services where downloads can be slow with networks not finding enough sources to use all of a receiver's download bandwidth.
"This is a technique that I would like people to steal. Though we have no intention of applying it ourselves to movie- or music-sharing services, but it would make P2P transfers faster and more efficient, and developers should just take the idea and use it in their own systems," Andersen said.
"In some sense, the promise of P2P has been greater than the reality. By creating many more sources for data files, P2P reduces bottlenecks for data transfers. But residential Internet service providers allot far more bandwidth for downloading than they do for uploading files, an imbalance that continues to slow P2P data transfers. And members of P2P services often limit their computer's upload capacity so it is not tied up with other peoples' uploads," he added.
Comparison tests on real file downloads between today's P2P networks further revealed that SET improved the transfer time of an MP3 music file by 71 percent. A larger 55-megabyte movie trailer went 30 percent faster using the researchers' techniques to draw from movie trailers that were 47 percent similar.
The findings were presented at the 4th Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation, April 11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (ANI)
source: yahho.com
David G. Andersen, assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, and Michael Kaminsky of Intel Research Pittsburgh say the Similarly Enhanced Transfer (SET) system speeds up the download process by configuring the peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing services to share not only identical files, but also similar files.
"By identifying relevant chunks of files similar to a desired file, SET greatly increases the number of potential sources for downloads, and boosting the number of sources usually translates into faster P2P downloads," said Andersen.
However, how much SET could speed up downloads would vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and popularity of a given file, he said. In some cases, SET might speed transfers by just five percent; in others, it might make downloads five times faster, he added.
SET speeds by data transfer by simultaneously downloading different chunks of a desired data file from multiple sources, rather than downloading an entire file from one slow source, much like other P2P services such as BitTorrent, Gnutella and ChunkCast.
However, the difference lies in that SET takes additional steps of identifying files that are similar to the desired file, unlike other P2P services where downloads can be slow with networks not finding enough sources to use all of a receiver's download bandwidth.
"This is a technique that I would like people to steal. Though we have no intention of applying it ourselves to movie- or music-sharing services, but it would make P2P transfers faster and more efficient, and developers should just take the idea and use it in their own systems," Andersen said.
"In some sense, the promise of P2P has been greater than the reality. By creating many more sources for data files, P2P reduces bottlenecks for data transfers. But residential Internet service providers allot far more bandwidth for downloading than they do for uploading files, an imbalance that continues to slow P2P data transfers. And members of P2P services often limit their computer's upload capacity so it is not tied up with other peoples' uploads," he added.
Comparison tests on real file downloads between today's P2P networks further revealed that SET improved the transfer time of an MP3 music file by 71 percent. A larger 55-megabyte movie trailer went 30 percent faster using the researchers' techniques to draw from movie trailers that were 47 percent similar.
The findings were presented at the 4th Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation, April 11 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (ANI)
source: yahho.com
Your office follows you!
The world has been talking about paperless offices; I've moved to an office without walls," an acquaintance quipped talking about the way he worked entirely out of cybercafés. The year was 2003 and Internet outlets offering broadband connectivity were just coming up.
Looking back from 2007, we may chuckle at his idea of carrying software to an office on the Web. There are programs available on the Web for small offices and enterprises that can give you the keys to your own ready-made office. Networked and loaded with all the necessary digital office supplies and software, these are essentially aimed at organisations that can't or are reluctant to invest in large IT systems and solutions. It's an office domain that's 24/7, that can house up to a couple of hundred people from different geographical locations, that follows you and your colleagues wherever you go, that doesn't require you to spend money on system maintenance or software that we are talking about. The best part is, it comes free of cost, if you want it that way.
Monikered office 2.0, there are many companies that offer this concept of office-anytime-anywhere and new ones are coming up every day. A lot of them charge a small fee for the service but almost all of them offer trial versions so you can know what you're getting.
The two big and most visible players, Microsoft Office Live and Google Apps offer basic versions that are free of cost. At the time of writing, Microsoft Office Live hasn't gone, well, live, in India. Let's take a look at Google apps and what they have on offer on the free version.
Here are a few more of the players in the Office 2.0 arena. Though all of them offer Web-based office productivity and collaboration packages, they vary in finer details. Most of them have Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation and File Sharing as standard offerings. Check them out:
Joyent: Basic plan at $15 per month. http://www.joyent.com/
Zoho: Free for open-source projects. http://www.zoho.com/
Basecamp: Basic plan at $12 per month, free trial. http://www.basecamphq.com/
Central Desktop: Basic plan at $25 per month, free plan available but limited to 25mb among 5 members. http://www.centraldesktop.com/
Web office: Basic plan at 59.95per month, free trial. http://www.weboffice.com/
Thinkfree Online:Free. http://www.thinkfree.com/
Peepel: Free. www.peepel.com
source: Hindu
Looking back from 2007, we may chuckle at his idea of carrying software to an office on the Web. There are programs available on the Web for small offices and enterprises that can give you the keys to your own ready-made office. Networked and loaded with all the necessary digital office supplies and software, these are essentially aimed at organisations that can't or are reluctant to invest in large IT systems and solutions. It's an office domain that's 24/7, that can house up to a couple of hundred people from different geographical locations, that follows you and your colleagues wherever you go, that doesn't require you to spend money on system maintenance or software that we are talking about. The best part is, it comes free of cost, if you want it that way.
Monikered office 2.0, there are many companies that offer this concept of office-anytime-anywhere and new ones are coming up every day. A lot of them charge a small fee for the service but almost all of them offer trial versions so you can know what you're getting.
The two big and most visible players, Microsoft Office Live and Google Apps offer basic versions that are free of cost. At the time of writing, Microsoft Office Live hasn't gone, well, live, in India. Let's take a look at Google apps and what they have on offer on the free version.
Here are a few more of the players in the Office 2.0 arena. Though all of them offer Web-based office productivity and collaboration packages, they vary in finer details. Most of them have Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation and File Sharing as standard offerings. Check them out:
Joyent: Basic plan at $15 per month. http://www.joyent.com/
Zoho: Free for open-source projects. http://www.zoho.com/
Basecamp: Basic plan at $12 per month, free trial. http://www.basecamphq.com/
Central Desktop: Basic plan at $25 per month, free plan available but limited to 25mb among 5 members. http://www.centraldesktop.com/
Web office: Basic plan at 59.95per month, free trial. http://www.weboffice.com/
Thinkfree Online:Free. http://www.thinkfree.com/
Peepel: Free. www.peepel.com
source: Hindu
Monday, April 16, 2007
SanDisk, Yahoo! in 'Sansa' Connect
SanDisk has gotten into a partnership with Yahoo! Music for its new Sansa Connect WiFi-enabled MP3 player.
Featuring a combination of Yahoo! and Yahoo! Music services, Sansa Connect allows access to these features with the simple click of a button and an open WiFi connection.
The player will enable Yahoo! ID owners to listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr sets and photos, as well as connect with Yahoo! Messenger friends, and other Sansa Connect owners nearby.
Under the deal, Sansa Connect offers both free and subscription-based services from Yahoo!, allowing users to stay constantly connected to their music, photos, and friends via WiFi. Those with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go subscription will also be able to discover and download music, plus listen to or download tracks recommended by friends.
The player can be used as a usual flash MP3 player, when not connected to a WiFi network. Users can play music and view photos stored either on the player, or on an optional microSD card.
Daniel Schreiber, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the SanDisk Audio Video Business Unit, said, "The Sansa Connect is a new breed of music player. It untethers consumers from their computers, and allows them to get new music and share their recommendations anytime, anywhere -- over an open wireless Internet network."
The sleek 4 GB Sansa Connect features a large 2.2-inch TFT color screen, a microSD slot for music and photo capacity expansion, and an internal speaker.
According to SanDisk, the Sansa Connect player is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. While optimized to work wirelessly with 'Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go', the player supports all of the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music via a PC connection.
source: Techtree.com
Featuring a combination of Yahoo! and Yahoo! Music services, Sansa Connect allows access to these features with the simple click of a button and an open WiFi connection.
The player will enable Yahoo! ID owners to listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr sets and photos, as well as connect with Yahoo! Messenger friends, and other Sansa Connect owners nearby.
Under the deal, Sansa Connect offers both free and subscription-based services from Yahoo!, allowing users to stay constantly connected to their music, photos, and friends via WiFi. Those with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go subscription will also be able to discover and download music, plus listen to or download tracks recommended by friends.
The player can be used as a usual flash MP3 player, when not connected to a WiFi network. Users can play music and view photos stored either on the player, or on an optional microSD card.
Daniel Schreiber, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the SanDisk Audio Video Business Unit, said, "The Sansa Connect is a new breed of music player. It untethers consumers from their computers, and allows them to get new music and share their recommendations anytime, anywhere -- over an open wireless Internet network."
The sleek 4 GB Sansa Connect features a large 2.2-inch TFT color screen, a microSD slot for music and photo capacity expansion, and an internal speaker.
According to SanDisk, the Sansa Connect player is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. While optimized to work wirelessly with 'Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go', the player supports all of the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music via a PC connection.
source: Techtree.com
Adobe Media Player
Adobe has reportedly announced the "Adobe Media Player" at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show.
The Adobe Media Player promises to deliver more engaging video experiences to viewers, with the option to discover high-quality content both online and offline.
This new desktop application is a lightweight download that enables higher quality Flash format playback. It offers users the ability to download and view videos offline, ways to discover interesting new shows, full screen playback, one-click viewer ratings, and a powerful Favorites feature that automatically downloads new episodes of favorite TV shows or video podcasts.
According to Adobe, the player is cross-platform, based on open standards, including RSS and SMIL, and brings viewers the highly desired ability to play the Web's most popular video formats outside of their browser.
Adobe Media Player is perceived as a key part of Adobe's emerging ecosystem for creation and delivery of next generation Internet video.
Adobe Media Player, built using Adobe's Apollo platform, complements and leverages other Adobe components, including Flash Player; the newly announced Flash CS3 Professional; Flash Media Server 2, server software for streaming media applications; Flash Lite mobile video playback technology; Creative Suite 3 Production Premium for video, audio, and motion graphics production; and Media Encoder for compression and live streaming.
The company plans to make Adobe Media Player available as a free beta later this year; while the final version will likely be available by end of year.
source: Techtree.com
The Adobe Media Player promises to deliver more engaging video experiences to viewers, with the option to discover high-quality content both online and offline.
This new desktop application is a lightweight download that enables higher quality Flash format playback. It offers users the ability to download and view videos offline, ways to discover interesting new shows, full screen playback, one-click viewer ratings, and a powerful Favorites feature that automatically downloads new episodes of favorite TV shows or video podcasts.
According to Adobe, the player is cross-platform, based on open standards, including RSS and SMIL, and brings viewers the highly desired ability to play the Web's most popular video formats outside of their browser.
Adobe Media Player is perceived as a key part of Adobe's emerging ecosystem for creation and delivery of next generation Internet video.
Adobe Media Player, built using Adobe's Apollo platform, complements and leverages other Adobe components, including Flash Player; the newly announced Flash CS3 Professional; Flash Media Server 2, server software for streaming media applications; Flash Lite mobile video playback technology; Creative Suite 3 Production Premium for video, audio, and motion graphics production; and Media Encoder for compression and live streaming.
The company plans to make Adobe Media Player available as a free beta later this year; while the final version will likely be available by end of year.
source: Techtree.com
Monday, April 2, 2007
Google Pack Gets More Free Features
Google has added some new features to its Google Pack service.
Symantec Norton Security Scan that is now a part of Google Pack features automatic security updates and scheduled scanning, without a subscription fee. PC Tools Spyware Doctor Starter Edition is another addition to Google Pack and this version of the anti-spyware and anti-malware utility includes scheduled scanning, threat removal, limited active protection and free automatic updates.
Google has also included Photos Screensaver that can turn your screen into a digital picture frame that displays the latest photos from friends, family, and favorite photographers.
Google Pack downloads and installs these applications and the Google Updater, included in the Google Pack, keeps them up to date.
Google Pack Beta is available in 12 languages, runs on Window XP and Vista, and supports Internet Explorer 6.0 and Firefox 1.0 and higher.
source: tech2.com
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Get ready for 'anywhere' ticketing
Jousting for space in serpentine queues might well be a thing of the past with rail travel set to become a more relaxed affair. That elusive reserved train ticket can now be purchased from the local post office, petrol pumps and even ATMs.
The new budget also envisions setting up passenger reservation system (PRS) facilities at all non-suburban stations under group D and E. As far as unreserved tickets go, about 6,000 automatic ticket vending machines will be installed in all major cities. PRS-cum-UTS (unreserved ticketing system) counters will be provided at post offices as well as defence organisations.
In another welcome measure, central railways will also start a pilot project for issuing tickets through multi-purpose smart cards from Mumbai, followed by Chennai and Kolkata. The smart cards can be both bought and recharged at various designated points and they will be readable on touch by hand-held terminals provided to TTEs.
To prevent reserved berths from remaining unoccupied due to passengers not turning up, the hand-held terminals provided to TTEs will note current vacancies and transmit them to the PRS for allotting the berths to waitlisted passengers at ensuing stations. These terminals will be made available on a pilot basis on select Shatabdis.
Train enquiry call centres will start operating in the four major railway hubs between June and September this year, providing information on departures, arrivals and seat availability. They will also provide value-added services like SMS, railway ticketing and taxi booking in the near future.
Physically challenged people too might finally get an easier ride. More than 1,200 special coaches with wider doors and greater aisle passage for handicapped passengers will also be introduced in mail and express trains over the next two years.
There’s more: To make travel more easy for vendors, custom-designed vendor coaches will be built for milk, vegetable and fruit sellers. In addition to all that, a certain number of lower berths will be reserved for senior citizens and women aged above 45.
source: Economic Times
The new budget also envisions setting up passenger reservation system (PRS) facilities at all non-suburban stations under group D and E. As far as unreserved tickets go, about 6,000 automatic ticket vending machines will be installed in all major cities. PRS-cum-UTS (unreserved ticketing system) counters will be provided at post offices as well as defence organisations.
In another welcome measure, central railways will also start a pilot project for issuing tickets through multi-purpose smart cards from Mumbai, followed by Chennai and Kolkata. The smart cards can be both bought and recharged at various designated points and they will be readable on touch by hand-held terminals provided to TTEs.
To prevent reserved berths from remaining unoccupied due to passengers not turning up, the hand-held terminals provided to TTEs will note current vacancies and transmit them to the PRS for allotting the berths to waitlisted passengers at ensuing stations. These terminals will be made available on a pilot basis on select Shatabdis.
Train enquiry call centres will start operating in the four major railway hubs between June and September this year, providing information on departures, arrivals and seat availability. They will also provide value-added services like SMS, railway ticketing and taxi booking in the near future.
Physically challenged people too might finally get an easier ride. More than 1,200 special coaches with wider doors and greater aisle passage for handicapped passengers will also be introduced in mail and express trains over the next two years.
There’s more: To make travel more easy for vendors, custom-designed vendor coaches will be built for milk, vegetable and fruit sellers. In addition to all that, a certain number of lower berths will be reserved for senior citizens and women aged above 45.
source: Economic Times
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Net over pre-paid Tata Walky
Tata Indicom announced the launch of their Internet facility with pre-paid Walky. According to a statement, in order to connect to the Internet, the subscribers should have an Internet-enabled LG LSP 350T Walky and a data cable to connect the phone to the personal computer. Modem is not required as the LG LSP phone Walky has an inbuilt modem. Priced at Rs 1,999, the Internet access is charged Rs 2 per MB and the data cable has to be purchased separately.
source: Business Line
source: Business Line
Play Live Music Over the Net With Audio Fabric
Collaboration solutions maker, Raveta has announced the release of Audio Fabric, a service that enables musicians to play together live over the Internet using any type of instrument-acoustic, electric, MIDI, or voice. Musicians in different locations can play together as if they are in the same room using their ordinary broadband Internet connections.
Audio Fabric also enables musicians to find each other, record their sessions, store sessions in a band archive, and make their music available for the world to hear.
Musicians need to download the Audio Fabric Desktop software at www.audiofabric.com, plug their instrument or microphone into their computer sound card or audio interface, and can then jam online. The patent-pending technology in Audio Fabric Desktop locates the participants for a session, synchronizes their sounds, and delivers the signal to all the collaborators with low latency. All users can record their sessions, import the sessions into music editing software, participate in an unlimited number of Groups, and invite other musicians to join the Groups they create. Users can also take advantage of the web site features, such as store session files, download music files, and utilize the calendaring and message forums for communications within their Groups.
"Hundreds of musicians from around the world registered during Audio Fabric's beta period. Now that the service is in general release, we expect thousands of others to join in," said Rik Frost, Director of Business Development for Raveta. "My old college band mates and I are able to jam again even though we live all over California!"
Audio Fabric Desktop is available in two versions. The Silver Audio Fabric Desktop is free for all musicians. The Gold Audio Fabric Desktop, available for a monthly fee and allows more collaborators in a session with better quality sound.
source: tech2.com
Audio Fabric also enables musicians to find each other, record their sessions, store sessions in a band archive, and make their music available for the world to hear.
Musicians need to download the Audio Fabric Desktop software at www.audiofabric.com, plug their instrument or microphone into their computer sound card or audio interface, and can then jam online. The patent-pending technology in Audio Fabric Desktop locates the participants for a session, synchronizes their sounds, and delivers the signal to all the collaborators with low latency. All users can record their sessions, import the sessions into music editing software, participate in an unlimited number of Groups, and invite other musicians to join the Groups they create. Users can also take advantage of the web site features, such as store session files, download music files, and utilize the calendaring and message forums for communications within their Groups.
"Hundreds of musicians from around the world registered during Audio Fabric's beta period. Now that the service is in general release, we expect thousands of others to join in," said Rik Frost, Director of Business Development for Raveta. "My old college band mates and I are able to jam again even though we live all over California!"
Audio Fabric Desktop is available in two versions. The Silver Audio Fabric Desktop is free for all musicians. The Gold Audio Fabric Desktop, available for a monthly fee and allows more collaborators in a session with better quality sound.
source: tech2.com
Indian Postal Codes Search Launched
innINDIA.com, an India-centric portal, has launched an Indian Postal Code Search Service, with the help of the web services offered by Department of Posts, Government of India.
The service will enable users to search from around 50,000 postal codes, across India. Aaron Sarbagna, the CTO of innINDIA.com said, "We are looking forward to integrate some advanced features like Indian Map and Weather information in the following releases. I think it's important to realize that first and foremost innINDIA.com is a technology company, focused towards catering to the Indian population in particular."
Sarbagna also pointed out towards the future introduction of 'Fog Alert', 'Storm Warning,' as value added mobile enabled services.
Earlier this month, innINDIA.com released a Medical Search Engine, utilizing the coop service from Google.
The search engine is designed to provide a tailored search experience, built using Google's core search technology, which prioritizes or restricts search results based on websites and pages that has been scrutinized by an expert panel of medical professionals. The expert panel comprises of medical, bio-medical, pharmaceutical and bio-technology professionals... who have proven expertise in their respective fields and would review/scrutinize all relevant sites, before adding those to the index list.
Also, innINDIA is coming up with other Medical Services to beef up the Health Portal part of innINDIA.
source: tech2.com
The service will enable users to search from around 50,000 postal codes, across India. Aaron Sarbagna, the CTO of innINDIA.com said, "We are looking forward to integrate some advanced features like Indian Map and Weather information in the following releases. I think it's important to realize that first and foremost innINDIA.com is a technology company, focused towards catering to the Indian population in particular."
Sarbagna also pointed out towards the future introduction of 'Fog Alert', 'Storm Warning,' as value added mobile enabled services.
Earlier this month, innINDIA.com released a Medical Search Engine, utilizing the coop service from Google.
The search engine is designed to provide a tailored search experience, built using Google's core search technology, which prioritizes or restricts search results based on websites and pages that has been scrutinized by an expert panel of medical professionals. The expert panel comprises of medical, bio-medical, pharmaceutical and bio-technology professionals... who have proven expertise in their respective fields and would review/scrutinize all relevant sites, before adding those to the index list.
Also, innINDIA is coming up with other Medical Services to beef up the Health Portal part of innINDIA.
source: tech2.com
Free Virtual PC from Microsoft
How often have you wished you could run two or more operating systems simultaneously on your computer? A lot of people indeed do that, but doing so isn’t easy for a non-geek. Now you can do it, and for free, courtesy the software giant Microsoft. Yes, the company's latest version of Virtual PC 2007 is now available for free download from its website.
In simple terms, Virtual PC is a virtualization suite for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Virtual PC emulates a standard PC and its associated hardware. Thus, it can be used to run nearly all operating systems available for the PC. With virtual technology, users can simply switch back to a previous state. They can install their virtual operating system and save the current state (ie. the current installation) and then switch back to that, at a later date.
Users can use the virtual machine to run OS such as MS-DOS, Windows, and OS/2. They can run multiple OS simultaneously on a single physical computer and toggle between them as easily as switching applications-instantly, at the click of a mouse! In fact, the choice of the OS can be made from a simple drop-down menu.
see the below link
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Infotech/Software/Free_virtual_PC_from_Microsoft/articleshow/msid-1669064,curpg-1.cms
source: Economic Times.
In simple terms, Virtual PC is a virtualization suite for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Virtual PC emulates a standard PC and its associated hardware. Thus, it can be used to run nearly all operating systems available for the PC. With virtual technology, users can simply switch back to a previous state. They can install their virtual operating system and save the current state (ie. the current installation) and then switch back to that, at a later date.
Users can use the virtual machine to run OS such as MS-DOS, Windows, and OS/2. They can run multiple OS simultaneously on a single physical computer and toggle between them as easily as switching applications-instantly, at the click of a mouse! In fact, the choice of the OS can be made from a simple drop-down menu.
see the below link
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Infotech/Software/Free_virtual_PC_from_Microsoft/articleshow/msid-1669064,curpg-1.cms
source: Economic Times.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Airtel launches `Mobile Radio` in Nashik
Airtel has launched `Mobile Radio', an innovative value-added service (VAS), for its customers in Nashik. The new service will enable customers to listen to FM radio ‘anytime, anywhere on the move?. The company is also planning to make this service available in Marathi in Maharashtra and Goa circle, shortly.
Speaking to the media, Mandeep Bhatia, COO, Bharti Airtel Ltd (Mobile Services), Maharashtra & Goa circle, said: “Airtel’s Mobile Radio is a step further in offering our customers more options in listening to music on mobile phones”.
source: Buesiness Standards.
Speaking to the media, Mandeep Bhatia, COO, Bharti Airtel Ltd (Mobile Services), Maharashtra & Goa circle, said: “Airtel’s Mobile Radio is a step further in offering our customers more options in listening to music on mobile phones”.
source: Buesiness Standards.
Guruji.com developing local language search engines
About 30 per cent of all global searches are local in nature. Most of us use Google to query India-specific information. It only seems logical then to have an India-specific search engine.
"Local search engines are the future. As Internet content gets local, so will search engines," says Mr R. Ramaraj, former Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Sify Ltd, who is now a board member of Guruji.com, a recently-launched Indian search engine. Russia, China, Korea and Germany have their own local language search engines.
"Search is the second most frequent activity on the Internet after e-mail usage. A vernacular search engine will attract more Internet users in India," says Mr Ramaraj. At present, there are about five crore Internet users accessing English content and about 15 crore are expected to be added by 2010. These will be driven mainly by vernacular content, he says.
Guruji.com is developing Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada platforms for its search engine, with the Hindi platform likely to be released in a few months. It plans to develop platforms for all Indian languages over the next year.
On the content front, the company is focused on `relevant search'. For instance, if one were to search for `newspaper', guruji.com would throw up links to Indian newspapers unlike Google that is more likely to show links to foreign newspapers.
The company's city-centric search (similar to a yellow pages listing) today covers 15 cities providing information on private and government entities including telephone numbers, URL or any other content provided by the owner. Large cities such as Mumbai have about 3 lakh listings while smaller ones like Pune have about 1-lakh listings.
According to Mr Anurag Dod, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Guruji.com, the company plans to cover 15 more cities by the end of this year.
"We also plan to add more content, like reviews and pictures," he said. An image search is also in the pipeline. The company has tied up with Tata Infomedia and also has an in-house team collecting information through field visits.
"We have invested about $100,000 so far on infrastructure alone. A significant amount will be spent on developing the vernacular search and extending the city search," said Mr Dod. Sequoia Capital has committed to invest $7 million in the company.
Guruji.com also plans to host online ads in future. "Search engine based marketing in India is doubling each year, though it still constitutes only 1 per cent of the total ad spend in the country," says Mr Ramaraj. The Internet and Mobile Association of India has estimated this market to be about $50 million.
source: Hindu
"Local search engines are the future. As Internet content gets local, so will search engines," says Mr R. Ramaraj, former Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Sify Ltd, who is now a board member of Guruji.com, a recently-launched Indian search engine. Russia, China, Korea and Germany have their own local language search engines.
"Search is the second most frequent activity on the Internet after e-mail usage. A vernacular search engine will attract more Internet users in India," says Mr Ramaraj. At present, there are about five crore Internet users accessing English content and about 15 crore are expected to be added by 2010. These will be driven mainly by vernacular content, he says.
Guruji.com is developing Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada platforms for its search engine, with the Hindi platform likely to be released in a few months. It plans to develop platforms for all Indian languages over the next year.
On the content front, the company is focused on `relevant search'. For instance, if one were to search for `newspaper', guruji.com would throw up links to Indian newspapers unlike Google that is more likely to show links to foreign newspapers.
The company's city-centric search (similar to a yellow pages listing) today covers 15 cities providing information on private and government entities including telephone numbers, URL or any other content provided by the owner. Large cities such as Mumbai have about 3 lakh listings while smaller ones like Pune have about 1-lakh listings.
According to Mr Anurag Dod, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Guruji.com, the company plans to cover 15 more cities by the end of this year.
"We also plan to add more content, like reviews and pictures," he said. An image search is also in the pipeline. The company has tied up with Tata Infomedia and also has an in-house team collecting information through field visits.
"We have invested about $100,000 so far on infrastructure alone. A significant amount will be spent on developing the vernacular search and extending the city search," said Mr Dod. Sequoia Capital has committed to invest $7 million in the company.
Guruji.com also plans to host online ads in future. "Search engine based marketing in India is doubling each year, though it still constitutes only 1 per cent of the total ad spend in the country," says Mr Ramaraj. The Internet and Mobile Association of India has estimated this market to be about $50 million.
source: Hindu
New tool from Sun Micro India
A group of engineers at Sun Micro India headed by Mr Moinak Ghosh have developed BeleniX, which they describe as the first OpenSolaris-based live CD. It allows users to have a full-fledged operating system running on desktop or laptop without installing the system on their hard disk. This can also be loaded on to a USB drive and carried along.
Mr Moinak Ghosh told Business Line that the product was intended to increase OpenSolaris awareness in India and make it more accessible to users. BeleniX includes free open source software and efforts are on to include new features.
source: Hindu
Mr Moinak Ghosh told Business Line that the product was intended to increase OpenSolaris awareness in India and make it more accessible to users. BeleniX includes free open source software and efforts are on to include new features.
source: Hindu
Hutch Roaming Sans Rentals
Hutch has announced national roaming without monthly rentals. Hutch has also announced a drop in national roaming rates by up to 56 percent. Now users will also not pay any security deposit for national roaming.
Hutch users will now pay only Rs 1.75 for incoming calls, which will save costs between 54 to 56 percent, depending on the roaming distance. Outgoing local calls will be Rs 1.40 per minute, while STD calls will cost Rs 2.40 per minute. There will be no change in cost for ISD rates and SMS or GPRS usage.
Commenting on the slash in tariffs, Samuel Selvakumar, Operations Director, Hutch, said, "The drop in roaming tariffs and abolition of monthly rentals on roaming service is uniform across all operators, and is in line with the recent guidelines issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. While TRAI had initiated various rate drops in the 'local calls' segment, this is the first initiative by them in the long distance calls segment. This was introduced by TRAI with a view to providing customers lower call rates, and was a decision taken in conjunction with representatives of COAI and AUSPI organizations."
Reportedly, TRAI has said that the new tariffs; effective from Feb15, 2007, would be applicable for the dominant GSM network as well as the CDMA platform, and the new charges would cut roaming tariffs by 22 to 56 percent.
Selvakumar said, "TRAI has in the recent past introduced significant developments, which have brought down cost of serving the customer. Constant innovation, new and evolving technologies have brought about drop in costs, and we have been keen to pass this on to customers."
"We in fact have a backend team that constantly analyses usage and advises customers proactively on 'toppings' viz SMS packs, STD packs for high end SMS users, or STD users, as applicable. We also advise customers on new tariff plans, and how to subscribe to these plans basis their usage."
source: Techtree
Hutch users will now pay only Rs 1.75 for incoming calls, which will save costs between 54 to 56 percent, depending on the roaming distance. Outgoing local calls will be Rs 1.40 per minute, while STD calls will cost Rs 2.40 per minute. There will be no change in cost for ISD rates and SMS or GPRS usage.
Commenting on the slash in tariffs, Samuel Selvakumar, Operations Director, Hutch, said, "The drop in roaming tariffs and abolition of monthly rentals on roaming service is uniform across all operators, and is in line with the recent guidelines issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. While TRAI had initiated various rate drops in the 'local calls' segment, this is the first initiative by them in the long distance calls segment. This was introduced by TRAI with a view to providing customers lower call rates, and was a decision taken in conjunction with representatives of COAI and AUSPI organizations."
Reportedly, TRAI has said that the new tariffs; effective from Feb15, 2007, would be applicable for the dominant GSM network as well as the CDMA platform, and the new charges would cut roaming tariffs by 22 to 56 percent.
Selvakumar said, "TRAI has in the recent past introduced significant developments, which have brought down cost of serving the customer. Constant innovation, new and evolving technologies have brought about drop in costs, and we have been keen to pass this on to customers."
"We in fact have a backend team that constantly analyses usage and advises customers proactively on 'toppings' viz SMS packs, STD packs for high end SMS users, or STD users, as applicable. We also advise customers on new tariff plans, and how to subscribe to these plans basis their usage."
source: Techtree
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Sify's WiMAX solution with Mobility
At an event held in Mumbai yesterday, Sify along with Proxim Wireless launched its new WiMAX solution with mobility features.
In order to demonstrate the range and mobility features of the solution, the launch was held about 5 km away from land on a catamaran cruising along the sea with a live demonstration of a 3.3 Ghz based product of 802.16d WiMAX standard.
Regarded as the first-of-its-kind solution, Sify has chosen and deployed Proxim Wireless's Tsunami MP.11 WiMAX product line as the core communications platform for last mile access using the 5.8 GHz frequency band.
The Tsunami MP.11 product family of rugged base stations, indoor and outdoor subscriber units, and accessories have been developed as a platform to enable WiMAX capabilities for license-free frequency bands.
As of now, the company claims to have deployed over 700 Tsunami MP.11 base stations and 3,500 subscriber units to provide Internet access, voice, and video broadband services to all sections including enterprise, residential, and cyber cafe subscribers in over 200 cities. There are further plans on expanding the service to more cities, but haven't revealed any name in specific.
Lionel Chmilewsky, Senior Vice President- International, Proxim Wireless, said, "Sify's deployment is certainly a strong endorsement of our WiMAX technology and product line. As India's premier provider of broadband access services, Sify is setting the standard for delivering 'triple play' of voice, data, and video to subscribers wherever they are located throughout the country. We are pleased and honored to be their partner in this effort."
Commenting on Sify's partnership with Proxim, Bhaskar S, Chief Technology Officer, Sify, said, "After testing and evaluating products from a number of manufacturers over a period of eight months, we chose Proxim's product line because the company met all our criteria, and its point-to-multipoint products offer the best packet processing capacity for last mile access."
The service is available in both, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint Proxim products and Sify claims to have tested a range of about 27 km on it's solution.
When asked about the cost, Bhaskar refused to disclose the amount but hinted that it will be a little expensive (30 percent more) as compared to other solutions. However, the cost will eventually come down, he said.
source: Tech Tree
In order to demonstrate the range and mobility features of the solution, the launch was held about 5 km away from land on a catamaran cruising along the sea with a live demonstration of a 3.3 Ghz based product of 802.16d WiMAX standard.
Regarded as the first-of-its-kind solution, Sify has chosen and deployed Proxim Wireless's Tsunami MP.11 WiMAX product line as the core communications platform for last mile access using the 5.8 GHz frequency band.
The Tsunami MP.11 product family of rugged base stations, indoor and outdoor subscriber units, and accessories have been developed as a platform to enable WiMAX capabilities for license-free frequency bands.
As of now, the company claims to have deployed over 700 Tsunami MP.11 base stations and 3,500 subscriber units to provide Internet access, voice, and video broadband services to all sections including enterprise, residential, and cyber cafe subscribers in over 200 cities. There are further plans on expanding the service to more cities, but haven't revealed any name in specific.
Lionel Chmilewsky, Senior Vice President- International, Proxim Wireless, said, "Sify's deployment is certainly a strong endorsement of our WiMAX technology and product line. As India's premier provider of broadband access services, Sify is setting the standard for delivering 'triple play' of voice, data, and video to subscribers wherever they are located throughout the country. We are pleased and honored to be their partner in this effort."
Commenting on Sify's partnership with Proxim, Bhaskar S, Chief Technology Officer, Sify, said, "After testing and evaluating products from a number of manufacturers over a period of eight months, we chose Proxim's product line because the company met all our criteria, and its point-to-multipoint products offer the best packet processing capacity for last mile access."
The service is available in both, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint Proxim products and Sify claims to have tested a range of about 27 km on it's solution.
When asked about the cost, Bhaskar refused to disclose the amount but hinted that it will be a little expensive (30 percent more) as compared to other solutions. However, the cost will eventually come down, he said.
source: Tech Tree
Govt delicenses 50 MHz of spectrum for WiMAX
In a move that will help roll-out of WiMAX services, the government has delicenced 50 MHz of spectrum in the 5.8 GHz band for commercial use.
The move assumes importance as the global WiMAX forum has identified three frequency bands — 5.8 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz — to deploy systems using this technological platform. Of these three frequencies, the world over, only the 5.8 GHz is a licence-exempt band, and therefore the Department of Telecom’s move to delicense this frequency puts India in line with global standards. DoT has already initiated moves to get spectrum vacated for WiMAX services in both the 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequencies, currently in use respectively for INSAT series of satellite communications and satellite television broadcast.
When asked on the commercial implications of the move, Rajesh Chharia, president of Internet Service Providers Association of India told ET, “A lot of ISPs are likely to offer services in this frequency as it is now free. However, if a large number of ISPs switch, then this frequency can get choked, as only a total of 50 MHz (from 5.825 to 5.875 GHz) has been delicensed. This can result in poor quality of services.”
Explained an executive with another leading ISP, “Globally, since this is a license-exempt band, the equipment that are available on this frequency have not received any certification. Identifying the right equipment for using and launching services in this frequency can be an issue.” Additionally, the spokesperson of another ISP said that players would be able to derive maximum commercial benefits only if the government were to delicence the entire 5 GHz band, and not just the 5.8 GHz band. “Most of the equipment that is currently available can hop over the entire range of the 5 GHz band. This is because, the complete 5 GHz band has been delicenced in many countries. If Indian operators were to buy this equipment from vendors abroad, it would not be possible to restrict its usage to just 5.8 GHz frequency,” he added.
WiMAX, which is considered as an alternative to cable and DSL, for data transfer, is a standards-based broadband wireless access technology for enabling the last-mile delivery of information. WiMAX can offer fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight connection between a base station and a subscriber station in a typical cell radius deployment of 3 to 10 Km.
sourc: Economic Times
The move assumes importance as the global WiMAX forum has identified three frequency bands — 5.8 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz — to deploy systems using this technological platform. Of these three frequencies, the world over, only the 5.8 GHz is a licence-exempt band, and therefore the Department of Telecom’s move to delicense this frequency puts India in line with global standards. DoT has already initiated moves to get spectrum vacated for WiMAX services in both the 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequencies, currently in use respectively for INSAT series of satellite communications and satellite television broadcast.
When asked on the commercial implications of the move, Rajesh Chharia, president of Internet Service Providers Association of India told ET, “A lot of ISPs are likely to offer services in this frequency as it is now free. However, if a large number of ISPs switch, then this frequency can get choked, as only a total of 50 MHz (from 5.825 to 5.875 GHz) has been delicensed. This can result in poor quality of services.”
Explained an executive with another leading ISP, “Globally, since this is a license-exempt band, the equipment that are available on this frequency have not received any certification. Identifying the right equipment for using and launching services in this frequency can be an issue.” Additionally, the spokesperson of another ISP said that players would be able to derive maximum commercial benefits only if the government were to delicence the entire 5 GHz band, and not just the 5.8 GHz band. “Most of the equipment that is currently available can hop over the entire range of the 5 GHz band. This is because, the complete 5 GHz band has been delicenced in many countries. If Indian operators were to buy this equipment from vendors abroad, it would not be possible to restrict its usage to just 5.8 GHz frequency,” he added.
WiMAX, which is considered as an alternative to cable and DSL, for data transfer, is a standards-based broadband wireless access technology for enabling the last-mile delivery of information. WiMAX can offer fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight connection between a base station and a subscriber station in a typical cell radius deployment of 3 to 10 Km.
sourc: Economic Times
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