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.
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