Genelia D'souza: Genelia D’Souza's new photoshoot

Genelia D'souza: Genelia D’Souza's new photoshoot

China Puts Best Face Forward With News Channel

SHANGHAI — The Xinhua News Agency, China’s dominant news service and the propaganda arm of the Communist Party, introduced a 24-hour English-language news channel and is preparing to open a prominent newsroom in Times Square, part of an expensive push to increase the reach and influence of the Chinese news media overseas.  
     The president of Xinhua, Li Congjun, said Thursday at a press conference in Beijing that CNC World, the agency’s new 24-hour news channel, was part of a government effort to "present an international vision with a Chinese perspective."

The announcement is the strongest sign yet that China intends to spend billions of dollars over the next few years to create a global media empire that can match the country’s rising economic and diplomatic power and more effectively project its views to an international audience.
Beijing officials have long complained that China is often portrayed unfavorably in the Western media and that what it considers biased news coverage has hurt the country’s interests abroad.
The new channel, which media experts say appears to be modeled on Al Jazeera, the Arabic news network, aims to provide comprehensive coverage of world affairs, while explaining matters of direct concern to the Chinese leadership in a perspective its producers consider appropriate.
Analysts say China’s global media expansion is striking because many Western media giants, faced with an advertising slump, have scaled back operations by closing bureaus and laying off employees.
“While our media empires are melting away like the Himalayan glaciers, China’s are expanding,” said Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York and a former dean of the journalism school at the University of California, Berkeley. “They want to get every hallmark of the world of credible journalism they can, and being in New York City, in an iconic location, is part of that.”
On Thursday, an official with Xinhua, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press, said Xinhua was planning to build a newsroom at the top of a 44-story skyscraper in Times Square, giving it an address in the same neighborhood as Reuters, Conde Nast, News Corp and The New York Times.
Xinhua’s move is just one of several planned by Beijing. China Central Television, the country’s biggest state-run television broadcaster, has also been expanding overseas and offering broadcasts in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and other languages. And China has heavily financed a makeover of China Daily, its English-language daily newspaper, and introduced a new English edition of Global Times, which is controlled by People’s Daily, the leading Communist Party-run newspaper.
Whether state-run news services financed and controlled by Beijing can attract a big international audience or earn significant revenues overseas remains uncertain. Many media experts say Chinese news agencies, though improving, lack credible and objective reporting and are widely perceived to be propaganda vehicles for the Chinese government.
“We’ve criticized them a lot because they’re a propaganda tool,” said Clothilde Le Coz, the Washington director of Reporters Without Borders. “So the fact that they want to expand in the U.S., we’d like to see what that would look like.”
There have also been reports over the years that some of China’s state-run news agencies are closely tied to state intelligence agencies. Xinhua got its start in 1931 as the Red China News Agency, even before the Communist Party gained power in 1949.
Xinhua still functions as China’s official news bureau, releasing government reports and official statements for Politburo members, and setting the tone for China’s other heavily censored news publications, which are often instructed to republish Xinhua dispatches on major news events without alteration.
On Thursday, the agency said in announcing its new 24-hour English news channel that it hoped to offer a “better view of China to its international viewers.” And it will try to do that, it said, with English-language news, live Internet broadcasts, talk shows and in-depth reporting.
The agency already has more than 10,000 employees and 120 bureaus around the world, rivaling the reach, if not the quality, of Western news services like Reuters or Bloomberg. Xinhua has begun recruiting non-Chinese journalists from around the world to write for its news services.
Mr. Schell at the Asia Society says Beijing is serious about trying to present its news agencies as a credible alternative to global brands.
“Despite Herculean efforts, they don’t think they’re taken seriously; the agency is not on equal footing on credibility,” he said of Xinhua. “But we’re one step away from the next stage, when they pick up distressed properties in the global media world.” 

Source: Ntimes

Apple 'Stunned' To Find IPhones Show Too Many Bars

NEW YORK -- Apple Inc. said Friday that it was "stunned" to find that its iPhones have for years been using a "totally wrong" formula to determine how many bars of signal strength they are getting.

Apple said that's the reason behind widespread complaints from users that the latest model, iPhone 4, can show a sudden plunge in signal strength when they hold it in a way that covers a small black strip on one edge of the phone. Users online have jokingly called this the "death grip" for the phone.

That drop seems exaggerated because the phone can wrongly display four or five bars of signal strength when it shouldn't, Apple said.

"Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place," the company said in a letter to users.

Apple launched the iPhone 4 on June 24 in the U.S. and four other countries.

Some outside engineers and users have blamed the iPhone 4's apparent reception problems on the novel design that incorporates its antenna into the case. But the company said that any phone will show reduced reception if held in a way that covers the antenna, usually mounted at the rear and bottom of a phone. It maintains that iPhone 4's wireless performance is better than previous models. And it said the incorrect signal-strength formula existed in the original iPhone, launched in 2007.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., said it will fix its signal strength formula to conform to other AT&T phones through a free software update for iPhone models 3G, 3Gs and 4 within a few weeks.

"We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see," Apple said.

Despite recurring complaints about dropped calls and slow data service, particularly in the U.S., the iPhone is a standout success, with each model selling faster than the previous one. Apple said it sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s in its first three days, essentially running out of stock.

AT&T Inc., the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S., has faced much of the users' blame for dropped calls and poor wireless performance. Apple apologized to customers Friday "for any anxiety we may have caused."

Source: Dlsreports

Haryana offers police officer's job to Saina

The Haryana government on Friday offered the job of a police officer to ace badminton player Saina Nehwal.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda made this offer in a letter to Saina. He said the state government wants her to join service as deputy superintendent of police (DSP).

Though Saina, ranked World No 3 in women's badminton, has lived and trained in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, her family originally hails from Haryana.

Hooda said Haryana had been rewarding outstanding sportspersons, who made a mark at national and international levels, and had appointed them directly at the level of DSP.

"In view of this, the state government was offering her to join the state police force as DSP," Hooda added.

Congratulating Saina for her exceptional success in international badminton events, Hooda said she had achieved a "marvellous feat" by winning the third super series title in a row and becoming the first ever Indian to win a super series tournament.

SOURCE: News24online

Uniform e-toll system on National Highways soon

The revenue a leakage is at least c 15 pc of the toll v collection, which w a comes to about t p Rs 300 crore a -- KAMAL NATH i

       INDIA will soon see a uniform electronic toll collection system on its national highways, increasing the revenue, curbing leakages and ensuring smooth travel across the country.
The system, which will use passive RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, is likely to be in place by May 2012. "Passive RFID will ensure that a person can travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari without stopping anywhere. The revenue leakage at present is at least 15 percent of the toll collection, which comes to about Rs 300 crore," said Road and Transport Minister Kamal Nath.
RFID technology is a tracking system and has widespread applications across several industries like retail and logistics.
       The government had constituted a committee headed by Unique Identification Authority chairman Nandan Nilekani for this purpose.
      "The challenge was to have a technology which was modern, user-friendly and has inter national standards," said Nath.
      The RFID tag, will be stuck on the windscreen and cost about Rs 100, while the toll booth will have a tag reader, which is expected to cost about Rs 2 lakh.
A vehicle owner can `recharge' the account for the vehicle (the account number will be the RFID tag number), and when the vehicle passes through the lane of any toll plaza across the country, the appropriate toll will be debited from the account.
       India has about 71,000 km of national highways, but toll is collected on only 8,500 km.
The government plans to increase this to at least 30,000 km in the next five years. "We should be able to collect toll 30,000 km of national highways in five years," said the minister.
Talking about the multiple utility of the system, Nilekani said it will also act as a platform for vehicle identification and prove effective in tracking stolen vehicles IANS 
SOURCE: Expressbuzz 
 

Order on outside liquor inside clubs stayed

          THE Madras High Court on Friday stayed the operation of a circular dated March 23, 2010 of the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise prohibiting consumption of liquor purchased outside in any club premises.
        Justice N Paul Vasantha tion for four weeks, while passing interim orders on a writ petition from K Manoharan of Saidapet, a member of Thyagaraya Nagar Social Club.
      According to the petitioner, it was the practice of the club members to bring liquor purchased from outside and consume it on the club premises. The club charged a corkage fee for this. How ever, the March 23 circular prohibited bringing inside the club premises liquor purchased from outside outlets.
The petitioner contended that the circular violated Article 14 of the Constitution as star hotels were excluded from its applicability. 
      There would not be any loss to the State exchequer as the members bought liquor only from Tasmac shops outside the premises, the petitioner pointed out. 

SOURCE: Expressbuzz 
 

TOYOTA TO RECALL LEXUS LS460 OVER ENGINE PROBLEM

TOYOTA Motor Corp is to recall its topof-the-range Lexus LS460 sedans on concerns about the vehicle’s engine stalling, a media report said on Thursday.
The Nikkei business daily reported that Toyota is considering recalling tens of thousands of the Lexus LS460 worldwide.’ The model’s engine reportedly stalls while the vehicle is running and in the worst-case scenario, might not restart, the daily said.
Toyota has received no reports of accidents related to the problem, the paper said. The automaker is in the process of investigating the cause of the problem.
It would be the latest in a series of quality problems for Toyota since last fall. The world’s biggest automaker has recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide over problems with accelerator pedals, floor mats and brakes, which put a dent into its reputation for quality and safety. 

SOURCE: Expressbuzz 
 

Facebook, Twitter powerful business tools

"Businesses can no longer afford to simply observe the social media phenomenon, they need to embrace it."
 

SOCIAL media such as Facecbook and Twitter or blogging sites have become powerful tools that influence what people buy, online researcher Nielsen said on Wednesday, urging business to embrace the trend.

Nearly three in four people worldwide who use the Internet have visited a social networking site or blog, spending an average of almost six hours a month on them, The Nielsen Company said in a report. "Social media is having a larger and larger influence on purchasing decisions," said Charles Buchwalter, chairman and chief executive of Nielsen Online Japan.
According to Nielsen's findings, online product reviews are the third most trusted source of information when consumers decide to purchase a product.
From China and India to Australia, online reviews are a major influence in buying electronics items, cosmetics, cars and food, among other things, it said. An average 32 percent access social media sites from their workplaces and 31 percent access them from the confines of their bedrooms.

"The findings we've uncovered highlight that social media needs to be taken seriously by the broader business community," said Megan Clarken, managing director of Nielsen's online business in the Asia Pacific.
He said, "Businesses can no longer afford to simply observe the social media phenomenon, they need to embrace it. "Buchwalter said Facebook "is much more than a poster child for social media" as businesses increasingly use it. "Social media is for real.
There's no turning back."

SOURCE: Expressbuzz 

Air travel, under construction houses to cost more from today

The Finance Bill 2010 seeks to bring more services under the ambit of service tax
TRAVELLING by air and purchase of houses that are under construction will get costlier from Thursday as they are going to come under the ambit of modified service tax from July 1, 2010, as announced in the Finance Bill 2010. As per the circular issued by the Ministry of Finance, all domestic air travel ticket would be levied a service tax of 10.3 per cent on the gross value
of the ticket or Rs 103, whichever is lower on a economy class ticket, while on a international travel air ticket a service tax of 10.3 per cent on the gross value of the ticket or Rs 515, whichever is less, will be levied. The service tax is only applicable on journeys originating in India. But it will not be levied for those taking a flight from or to airports in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Bagdogra in West Ben
gal, Jammu and Kashmir and Leh. Similarly as per the provisions of the Finance Bill, all sales of under construction houses from July 1, 2010 will attract service tax of 10.3 per cent. There is a silver lining though.
According to tax expert, Pawan Gupta, as per the circular only 33 per cent of the base price of the flat will be chargeable to service tax levied at the rate of 10.3 per cent, which means that taking the effective tax to 3.3 per cent. This effectively means, if you are buying a house under construc
tion for say Rs 50 lakhs, you will have to shell out service tax to the tune of Rs 1,65,000 on the purchase. Low-cost housing under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and the Rajiv Awas Yojana has been exempted from service tax. In the days to come the Government is also looking at bringing more services under the ambit of service tax. For example electricity distributed by companies to our homes, and rail freight services are all likely to attract service tax in the future. 

SOURCE: Expressbuzz 

No overwriting on cheques after Dec 1

June 30 THE RBI directive to banks, asking them not to honour cheques with overwriting, will come into effect from December 1 effect from December 1 instead of the earlier scheduled date of July 1, the apex bank said in its latest circular.
The new rule is intended to prevent fraudulent withdrawal o f money and expedite clearance of cheques.
When contacted, an RBI spokesperson said, "The notification regarding Cheque Truncation System (CTS), which prohibits alteration, will come into effect from December 1, 2010. There is no mention of July 1."
The central bank in February had come out with circular on standardisation and enhancement of security features in cheque forms, detailing the norms for image-based processing of cheques.
RBI had said that fresh cheques should be issued by customers in case of change in payee's name or amount whether in figures or words. Changes, however, could be made with regard to date.
The new norms will not apply to those cheques that are cleared by clear ing houses that use mag netic ink character recognition (MICR) or non-MICR system.
Also, the norms will not be mandatory for over the counter collection of funds or for direct collection of cheques outside the clearance house arrangement. 

SOURCE: Expressbuzz 

Google to end rerouting of China users in 2 days

SHANGHAI: Google Inc will end the automatic redirection of users from its China to its Hong Kong website within the next 24 to 48 hours, a Google spokeswoman said on Wednesday.Google said late on Monday it would end the automatic rerouting of users to its Hong Kong search site, which gives unfiltered search results, after Beijing said it would not renew the firm's China operating license if it continued.Every China-based website needs to apply for an Internet Content Provider license from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that needs to be renewed on a yearly basis. Google's license ends in 2012 but comes up for renewal on Wednesday.Without the license, Google would not be able to run a search website in China. Some users visiting Google.cn now get a webpage with the Google logo and search box, but clicking anywhere on the page bring them to the Hong Kong search site.China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology could not be reached for comment.
SOURCE: Expressbuzz

Space Cooperation with India vitally important, says US

President Barack Obama unveiled a new national space policy designed to strengthen US' leadership in space and putting emphasis on greater cooperation with India.
Shortly after the policy was announced yesterday, White House officials in a conference call with reporters said the US emphasises a lot on its co-operation with India, noting the south asian country has a "very space friendly" programme.
The US greatly values India's emergence as a global player in space and research and aims to deepen its cooperation with India in the field of space, one official said.
"This policy is about the boundless possibilities of the future," Obama said in a statement as the White House unveiled the basic contours of America's New Space Policy.
"That is why we seek to spur a burgeoning commercial space industry, to rapidly increase our capabilities in space while bolstering America's competitive edge in the global economy". 

He said the administration is proposing improved observation of the earth, to gain new insights into the environment and the planet.
Noting that the US will engage in expanded international cooperation in space activities, a fact-sheet issued by the White House said: "The United States will pursue cooperative activities to the greatest extent practicable in areas including space science and exploration, earth observations, climate change research, and the sharing of environmental data; disaster mitigation and relief; and space surveillance for debris monitoring and awareness".
"We set ambitious goals for NASA: ramping up robotic and human space exploration, with our sights set on Mars and beyond, to improve the capacity of human beings to learn and work safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time.

 "And this policy recognises the importance of inspiring a new generation of young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For, ultimately, our leadership as a nation - in this or any endeavour - will depend on them," Obama said.
The new policy says that all nations have the right to explore and use space for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity, in accordance with international law.
Consistent with this principle, "peaceful purposes" allows for space to be used for national and homeland security activities, the new US policy said.
As established in international law, there shall be no national claims of sovereignty over outer space or any celestial bodies, it said.
"The United States considers the space systems of all nations to have the rights of passage through, and conduct of operations in, space without interference. 

"Purposeful interference with space systems, including supporting infrastructure, will be considered an infringement of a nation's rights," it said.
"The US will employ a variety of measures to help assure the use of space for all responsible parties, and, consistent with the inherent right of self-defense, deter others from interference and attack, defend its space systems and contribute to the defense of allied space systems, and, if deterrence fails, defeat efforts to attack them," the new policy says.
Besides expanded international cooperation, one of the important goal of the new policy is to strengthen stability in space through domestic and international measures to promote safe and responsible operations in space, improved information collection and sharing for space object collision avoidance, protection of critical space systems and supporting infrastructures, with special attention to the critical interdependence of space and information systems, and strengthening measures to mitigate orbital debris.

SOURCE: IndianExpress 

Maoist rebels ambush Indian troops, killing 27

PATNA, India — Up to 200 Maoist rebels ambushed paramilitary troops in eastern India, killing at least 27 in the latest bold attack by the guerrillas, a senior police official said.

A 63-member patrol of the Central Reserve Police Force was ambushed in dense forest Tuesday evening in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh state, said Sunder Raj, a senior local police official. Ten troops were wounded, he said.
Girdharilal Naik, another police officer, said the paramilitary soldiers also fired at the insurgents, numbering up to 200, and the fighting lasted nearly 90 minutes.
The rebels fled after police reinforcements reached the remote area that is a stronghold of the rebels, who are also called Naxals, after the village of Naxalbari where their movement started in the 1970s.
Inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, the rebels have tapped into the rural poor's growing anger at being left out of the country's economic gains and are now present in 20 of India's 28 states. They have an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 fighters.
In recent months, the rebels have grown bolder despite a renewed government military offensive against them.
Late last month, officials blamed the group for causing a train derailment that killed nearly 150 people in West Bengal state. In April they killed 76 troops in an attack in Chhattisgarh.
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the country's greatest "internal security threat."
They frequently target police and government officials, whom they accuse of colluding with landlords and rich farmers to exploit the poor.
About 2,000 people — including police, militants and civilians — have been killed over the past few years.

SOURCE: MSNBC

Major earthquake hits southern Mexico

People in capital flee their homes as 6.2 temblor strikes

 

MEXICO CITY — A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico early Wednesday, shaking buildings in Mexico City 220 miles away where people fled into the streets in their pajamas.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 2:22 a.m. local time (3:22 a.m. ET), was 75 miles west-southwest of Oaxaca City, Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It put the magnitude at 6.5, but later downgraded this to 6.2.
Civil protection officials in the city had no initial reports of casualties, although a photograph taken by the european pressphoto agency showed a collapsed building in the area.
"It felt strong, especially near the coast. It woke me up, I was scared too," said Oaxaca civil protection official Gilberto Mateo. "For now we haven't had reports of damage, we are checking communities."
Some hotel guests in the cobblestoned center of Oaxaca felt the tremor strongly and evacuated briefly.
'Very strong'
However Eliel Medina, who works on the front desk of the Hotel de la Parra in Oaxaca City, reacted calmly.
"I noticed it first when I saw that the computer monitor started to move … it was very strong," he told msnbc.com. "I didn't leave my desk because I am working. I waited for it to pass and then it started again. The second one was stronger."
Story continues below

SOURCE: MSNBC 

Amusement park accident kills 6 in China

'Space flight' attraction aimed to give riders experience of a rocket launch

BEIJING — A space shuttle simulator ride plunged 50 feet to the ground at a popular Chinese amusement park, killing six people and injuring another 10.

Survivors said there was a power cut and they heard a loud explosion moments before the drop, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

Five of those injured in Tuesday's accident are still in a serious condition, the paper added.
The "space flight" attraction at Overseas Chinese Town East aimed to give riders in 11 four-person cabins the experience of a rocket launch, the official Xinhua agency said.

Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News quoted witnesses as saying one cabin came loose during a high-speed spin and struck other cabins. Some fell 50 feet, sending passengers tumbling.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, and part of the amusement park in the coastal city of Shenzhen has been shut down for safety checks, Xinhua quoted local official Xiao Wenhong saying.

The booming southern city of Shenzhen is a one-hour drive north of Hong Kong.

SOURCE: MSNBC

Dell releases Inspiron R series

Happy FatheR’s Day! Dell just released the new Inspiron R series laptops, available now starting at $449. Pertinent specs abound:

* Intel Core i3 and i5 mobile processor options for outstanding everyday performance with Microsoft Windows 7
* Choice of models offering bright 14-, 15-, and 17-inch displays, with high definition (HD) resolution offered on all systems
* Choice of optional colors on select models : Mars Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red and Lotus Pink
* Optional Intel Wireless Display that allows for a cable-free connection to most HDTVs when paired with a separate third party Intel Wireless Display TV adapter
* Optional 1GB ATi graphics provide realistic video effects
* Up to 640GB* hard disk drives on select models for storing large photos, music and video collections
* Up to 8GB* DDR3 memory performs tasks quickly and seamlessly

Peacock blue! Anyway, fun laptops, yay team.

GORGEOUS, INTUITIVE AND ENTERTAINING, SAY HELLO TO THE
NEW INSPIRON R LAPTOPS FROM DELL
* Dell’s Most Popular Laptops Designed to Keep Families Organized and Entertained
* Available at Dell’s Newest U.S. Retail Partner, Fry’s Electronics on June 25
ROUND ROCK, Texas, June 21, 2010 – Today, more than ever, families are looking to technology as an extra set of hands – one that helps them stay connected, quickly cross items off daily ‘to-do’ lists, and keep them entertained. The new Inspiron R laptops were designed with this in mind – making it easier than ever to access personal files and securely share photos and videos wirelessly, as well to enjoy the ideal mobile personal entertainment hub, offering smooth video playback, surround sound and a built-in Webcam.
Wrapped in curvy edges, smooth lines and available in four unique colorful finishes with chrome accents, the Inspiron R laptops are as beautifully designed as they are useful. With several display sizes ranging from 14-inch models that fit perfectly in a messenger bag, to home and dorm room-friendly 15- and 17-inch versions, the Inspiron R boasts a contemporary and sleek appearance that will make anyone feel good about bringing it out in the classroom or the local coffee shop.
Dell also built in unique features and timesavers like the Dell Dock, which reduces time searching applications and files – photos, videos and most commonly used apps are placed right at the top of the screen. For those who choose the optional Intel Wireless Display* feature, the Inspiron R makes it easy to project what is on the laptop display on a nearby HDTV without the need for cables. Students have the option to purchase any version of Microsoft Office 2010 pre-installed on their Inspiron R laptops, to ensure they have the tools they need to kick off the school year.
“The Inspiron R takes the rock solid Inspiron line and amps up the cool factor with a sexy and practical machine for entertainment, and social networking along with all the usual home, school and work functions,” said Glen Robson, vice president, product marketing, Dell. “Photos, videos and personal files can also be securely stored and shared with DataSafeOnline for peace of mind right out of the box. This is a laptop that moms will love and youths will ask for.”
Designed to stand up to the rigors of active families and students on the go Inspiron R models feature smudge-resistant palm rests, a full-size, comfortable keyboard and a stiffer frame for a solid, quality feel. Available Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors and optional ATi graphics ensure great performance today and tomorrow.
Prices for Inspiron R laptops begin at $449 at www.dell.com. For students and families who need a laptop as soon as possible, popular configurations of the new Inspiron R are also available via Dell’s FastTrack* program, which can ship systems within 24 hours. By upgrading to next business day shipping,* new Inspiron R systems can arrive within 48 hours. The new Inspiron R laptops are also available through authorized retailers, including Dell’s newest retail partner in the U.S., Fry’s Electronics. Select Inspiron R laptops will be available in all 34 Fry’s Electronics stores starting June 25.
Common Technical Highlights for the Inspiron 14R, 15R and 17R:
* Intel Core i3 and i5 mobile processor options for outstanding everyday performance with Microsoft Windows 7
* Choice of models offering bright 14-, 15-, and 17-inch displays, with high definition (HD) resolution offered on all systems
* Choice of optional colors on select models : Mars Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red and Lotus Pink
* Built-in wireless connectivity
* Optional Intel Wireless Display that allows for a cable-free connection to most HDTVs when paired with a separate third party Intel Wireless Display TV adapter
* SRS Premium Sound provides an excellent stereo surround soundstage
* Built-in media card readers speed up transferring photo and video files.
* Optional 1GB ATi graphics provide realistic video effects
* Up to 640GB* hard disk drives on select models for storing large photos, music and video collections
* Up to 8GB* DDR3 memory performs tasks quickly and seamlessly
* Built-in Webcam enables Web chats on the go
* Touchpad with integrated scrolling and gestures makes using the laptop more intuitive and simple to use
* Dedicated 10-key number pad on the 15-and 17-inch systems that gives gamers additional keys for more shortcuts
* Dell Dock organizes music, videos and photos and puts most commonly-used apps right up top
* DataSafeOnline data backup & recovery keeps data & memories secure outside of the system
* DataSafeLocal, a secure, simple and reliable way to create backup copies of the factory image

SOURCE: Crunchgear

Google Announces Gmail For iPad

Not wishing to get left behind amid all the iPad fussing, Google has announced an experimental web UI for iPad and other tablet devices.
Taking cues from Apple’s own Mail for iPad, the webapp puts an inbox down the left side and displays messages on the right.
In the same post, Google’s Punit Soni reminds us that no matter how bad the Apple-Google relationship has been painted by the press, things are obviously going well enough for a number of Google products to be included by default on iPads out-of-the-box, namely: Google search inside Safari, YouTube, and Maps.
That doesn’t sound like two companies at war to me.

SOURCE: CultOfMac

‘iAd’ Mobile Ad Platform Unveils in April as Apple-Google War Heats Up

Apple is planning to launch a new mobile ad platform in April, and Apple chief Steve Jobs is calling the platform Apple’s “next big thing.”
News such as this has been expected since Apple purchased mobile ad developer Quattro in January.
Apple will unveil the new iAd platform to agencies April 7, reports MediaPost.
Details Still Scanty
No details have been released about the new mobile ad system, though some speculation has it that Apple may offer hypertargeting capabilities which would allow advertisers to target consumers based on their geographic proximity to specific locations, which could lead to location-based advertising beyond what is possible now.
Others say Apple could potentially control ads on any screen connected to an operating system, turning off the content or application if the user isn’t paying attention to the ads.
Fast Company, analyzing info from Quattro’s website, says the offering will likely be an ultra-precise, user-targeting ad placement system with an analytics package to go along with it. It may be intertwined into the iPhone’s code so developers can access it through apps.
Battling with Google for the Mobile Ad Space
Apple is attempting to move fully into the mobile ad space early, before Google - which purchased mobile ad platform AdMob reportedly at the eleventh hour just as Apple was negotiating to nab it first - can move in and dominate it.
Google and Apple’s interests have begun to overlap, and a fierce rivalry seems to be about to take place for the mobile space. A recent report from Juniper indicated that Apple is thought to be considering ways to replace Google with Microsoft’s Bing as the iPhone’s default search engine, writes eWeek.
The mobile ad space is poised to boom, with mobile advertising expecting to reach $6 billion by 2014, according to Juniper. Presaging the boom were merger and acquisition transactions in 2009: while the online media and tech sector saw M&A activity decline 21% for the year, transactions in the mobile media and tech space doubled during that time, with total transaction value jumping more than 400%

SOURCE: MediaBuyerPlanner

Adobe Releases Flash Player 10.1 For Mobile platforms

Adobe has announced the release of Flash Player 10.1 for the mobile platform.  The application will be available first on the smartphones.

 

According to sources, the final version of Flash Player 10.1 will be released for Adobe’s partners including Research in Motion, Palm, Symbian and Microsoft.

 

Anup Muraka, director of technology strategy at Adobe, said, users with Android 2.2 Froyo update running on it would be the first ones to get Flash Player 10.1. Adobe will also release the latest version of Flash Player later for several other platform including Symbian, webOS, BlackBerry, Meego, LiMo and Windows Phone 7.

 

A company statement said its new Flash Player would be supported by major companies like Dell, Samsung, Google, RIM, HTC, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, Texas Instruments, Turner, Viacom and HBO.

 

SOURCE: Indiaserver.com

The rupee is in for a change

Imagine your computer keyboard having a new key with a new symbol. And the Rupee note you hold sporting an altogether a new look with a currency symbol you have not seen before.

This is just what’s going to happen in the next few months, with our Indian Rupee all set to get its own unique symbol, in line with the world’s most powerful currencies — the US dollar, the British Pound, the Euro and the Japanese Yen.

“The unique symbol will give Indian Rupee a place of its own in the world financial market, making it easily tradeable in the West. It will also establish the supremacy of the Indian economy and the prowess of the Indian Rupee,” says K. Narasimha Murthy, IDBI director.

Symbolism of money

The symbol will also give a distinct identity to the Indian currency as neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka also use the abbreviated letters Rs for their money. “This is leading to confusion in the world financial market. A unique symbol for the Indian currency is the need of the hour,” Murthy points out.

Though India is the second largest democracy in the world, its currency does not have a unique symbol in the world financial market.

This is in contrast with currency symbols of powerful nations — $ sign for the US dollar, £ for British pound and ¥ for Japanese Yen. The new symbol for the Rupee will be in Devanagri script representing the letter ‘Ra’ (ra).

The Finance Ministry received as many as 36,000 responses to the ‘Unique symbol for the Indian Rupee’ competition it held last year. Of these entries, officials have zeroed in on five, for approval by the Cabinet. The winner (whose design is selected) will get a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh, but he has to surrender the rights over the unique design.

Business magnate Y. Harischandra Prasad, who headed CII State chapter till recently, observes the symbol will give a “definite edge” to the Indian currency as India is “poised to become a major financial superpower.” It will also boost exports.

Money changers

While the Rupee gets a unique symbol, the changeover is not going to be an easy task. First, computer manufacturers will have to create a new key on the keyboard to accommodate the new Rupee symbol, or replace one of the existing characters with the Rupee character.

Secondly, the Reserve Bank of India and the foreign agencies invol-ved in the printing of the currency will have to make changes in their printing set-up. Thirdly, there has to be a massive campaign to inform people that both the new currency and the old currency continue to be the legal tender.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mu-kherjee announced that the Rupee would get the unique symbol during 2010-2011.

According to BS Rawat, deputy secretary to the Government of India, the symbol will represent the historical and cultural ethos of India as widely accepted across the country. The symbol will also be applicable to standard keyboards.

 

SOURCE: Deccan Chronicle