Archive for February, 2012
Save Lives in Drought-Stricken East Africa
Feb 29th
With famine in southern Somalia and more than 9.6 million people in desperate need of food assistance in the region, countless lives hang in the balance. Just 50 US cents per day is enough to feed a hungry child or mother on the edge of survival.
We urgently need more resources to expand our emergency relief operation.
Make a lifesaving donation today by filling out the form to your right or donating through PayPal Checkout (below). Please note that monthly gifts may be directed to where most needed if funding needs shift in the future.
Source : https://www.wfp.org/donate/hoa_banners?icn=rubicon-appeal&ici=horn-of-africa
India’s tablet: reality bites
Feb 29th
Reaching for the Aakash (tablet) – which means ‘sky’ in Hindi – may prove to be just that, after a series of performance complaints and development hiccups have hit the Indian government’s pet project to develop the world’s cheapest tablet computer.
Test runs of the $49 device (Rs 2,414), which was launched with much fanfare last year, have revealed slow operating speeds, a short battery life, and a lack of relevant content for the target audience of students.
Analysts who have tested the device said the lack of a supporting ‘ecosystem’, like continuous power supply and IT-trained teachers, is an added problem for the project, as is its limited appeal in the professional world.
“Though technically not sound, Aakash is very price-competitive,” said Vishal Tripathi, principal research analyst at Garnter, a technology research firm. “[In terms of quality] it would also depend with which devices it is being compared. Users must understand that for that kind price tag, one can’t expect anything close to the seamless experience of Apple’s iPad or a Samsung Galaxy tab. The device is one aspect of the overall solution… the whole ecosystem needs to be built: relevant apps, overcoming electricity challenges, investment in educating the teachers to handle.”
Though pre-orders for the tablet stand at 3m, only a few thousand have been distributed due to the halting roll-out of the device. Last week, local media reported Kapil Sibal, minister for human resource development, as saying, “There have been some problems with Datawind I must confess. Therefore, I have got into the act…I am going to ensure that this product is fully indigenous and truly an Indian product,” he said, according to the Business Standard.
Datawind, the London-based company behind the design and development of the tablet – and the brunt of much of the criticism surrounding it – said it remains associated with the project, though the Indian government is open to other players developing the upgraded Aakash 2, due to be launched in April.
“The government has said that they are committed to buying the original 100,000 units from Datawind, and that Datawind is welcome to bid on future projects, as the government rolls out their vision for 220m devices to equip each and every student in India,” Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind told beyondbrics in an email. “We’ve recommended to the government that they consider a higher level of [specifications] for the next tender [and] they’ve agreed…We are committed to this project for the long-term, as we share the vision of using technology to break the digital divide.”
Given the grievences that were out of Datawind’s control, potential suppliers for the Aakash 2 might want to get their excuses lined up early.
Source : http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/02/29/indias-tablet-reality-bites/#axzz1nkAg5Wxh
Sleeping pills may kill you early: Study
Feb 29th
Taking sleeping pills frequently can increase the risk of premature death more than five-fold a new study has warned.
The study published in the British Medical Journal Open found that patients who even take fewer than 18 pills a year more likely to die early than those not on medication.
The higher the dose the greater the risk. And those on higher doses also have an increased risk of cancer said the researchers at the Jackson Hole Centre for Preventive Medicine in Wyoming and the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in California.
The commonly prescribed drugs that may raise such
risks included benzodiazepines newer sedative hypnotics zolpidem zopiclone and zaleplon and barbiturates and antihistamines.
However experts said worried patients should not stop taking the pills but talk to their doctors first the Daily Mail reported.
Oscars 2012: Silent film The Artist ties with Hugo for five awards
Feb 28th
LOS ANGELES — Silent romance “The Artist” won five Oscars on Sunday including best film, and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” also took five of the world’s top movie honors on a night where stories about movies felt the love of Hollywood.
“The Artist,” a black-and-white tale of a fading star who finds redemption through romance in the era when silent movies were overtaken by talkies, added to its best film victory with Oscars for its French star Jean Dujardin and director Michel Hazanavicius, as well for musical score and costume design.
“I am the happiest director in the world right now. Thank you for that,” Hazanavicius told the audience of stars including George Clooney, Michelle Williams, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Dujardin was equally excited, exclaiming “I love this country” before thanking the Academy, fellow filmmakers and his wife and recalling silent actor Douglas Fairbanks as an inspiration.
Meryl Streep won for her role as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who is slipping into dementia in “The Iron Lady.” It was Streep’s third Academy Award out of 17 nominations. She joked that the audience was probably tired of seeing her, then added, “whatever.” But Streep couldn’t hide her emotion as she choked up while thanking her husband and talking about her long career.
Director Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” which tells of a boy lost in a train station and serves as an ode to early filmmaking, came into the night with a leading 11 nominations and picked up five wins for cinematography, art direction, sound editing and mixing and visual effects.
Veteran Plummer, a star of classic film “The Sound of Music,” won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of an elderly gay man who comes out to his family in “Beginners,” making Oscar history becoming the oldest ever Academy Award winner at age 82.
“You’re only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all of my life,” he said, looking at his golden Oscar, which was celebrating its 84th awards ceremony.
Spencer, a relative newcomer in contrast to Plummer, had to hold back tears as she accepted her trophy for her portrayal of a black, southern maid in civil rights drama “The Help.”
“Thank you Academy for putting me with the hottest guy in the room,” she said holding her Oscar in her hand. She then went on to talk about her family in Alabama and could not hold back her tears as she joyously accepted her trophy.
In other major wins, the foreign language film award went to Iranian divorce drama “A Separation.”
“I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment,” said its director Ashgar Farhadi.
Tata Docomo offers unlimited premium Android games
Feb 28th
Tata Docomo has partnered with Exent, which provides a subscription based gaming service under the brand name ‘GameTanium’, to offer game subscription services to its subscribers in India.
The new service, called Let’s Play, provides Tata Docomo customers unlimited access to full-version games with no advertising. The service will offer the Android games like Zenonia, Wave Blazer and Edge.
GameTanium catalog will also offer editorial features such as ratings, reviews and an extensive collection of game trailers. The service can also be played even while offline.
Tata Docomo customers can subscribe to ‘Let’s Play’ service for a low monthly fee by sending the keyword ‘Play’ as an SMS to 53333 from Android mobile devices. A free three-day trial of the service is also available.
The emergence of sophisticated mobile devices at affordable prices and wider range of smartphones along with greater wireless mobile broadband penetration has led our customers to expect much more from their service beyond calling and texting. Android is believed to have a rich user interface that adds functionality to the device and increases the overall mobile experience, especially gaming,” said Sharad Arora, head mobility, wireless solutions, Tata Teleservices.
Source : http://www.themobileindian.com/news/5443_Tata-Docomo-offers-unlimited-premium-Android-games
BSNL tablet gets over one lakh pre order requests
Feb 28th
The tablets will be available in retail stores and BSNL outlets from March 1.
Public sector telecom operator, BSNL, which recently launched extremely low cost tablets along with two mid range tablets, has got a tremendous response from Indian consumers. The three tablets, bundled with its connection, are in the price range of Rs 3,499 – Rs 12,500. They are manufactured by Noida based Pantel Technologies.
Virendra Singh, managing director of Pantel Technologies, said to The Mobile Indian, “We have received more than one lakh pre booking orders over phone and online for the three tablets which we have launched in association with BSNL.”
He further added, “Apart from the consumers’ interest, we have also got an order for two lakh tablets from Sahara India.”
The entry level BSNL tablet, Penta IS701R, is a WiFi only device with Android 2.3 operating system, 1 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM. The tablet also has an HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touchscreen has 800 x 600 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through a micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling.
The mid-range 7 inch tablet with capacitive touchscreen is named Penta Tpad_ws704c. It has the same specifications as Penta IS701R, but offers added 3G connectivity through a SIM slot, inbuilt A-GPS, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth. It has a 2 megapixel rear camera and a bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance.
The most expensive among the three is the Penta Tpad WS802C, which has an 8 inch capacitive screen and a SIM slot for 3G/2G connectivity. It too comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is also bigger at 4 GB. Rest of the features like GPS, camera and Bluetooth are same as those in the 704C.
The delivery of tablets which have been pre booked will commence after March 5, and the tablets will be available in retail stores and BSNL outlets from March 1.
Source :http://www.themobileindian.com/news/5447_BSNL-tablet-gets-over-one-lakh-pre-order-requests
Aakash vs BSNL’s tablet
Feb 27th
BSNL has come out with a Rs 3,499 tablet that has better specs than Aakash tab, which costs only Rs 2,500.
Last year, DataWind in association with the Government of India came out with a 7 inch Android tablet for students. Named Aakash, the tablet costs Rs 2,999 in the market; while its subsidised rate is just Rs 2,250.
Aakash, which was hailed as the cheapest tablet in the world, was projected as revolutionary and was talked about the world over. In fact, its makers got lakhs of preorders.
Before the euphoria could die down, though, public sector telecom operator BSNL has come out with an extremely low cost tablet of its own. Manufactured by Noida based Pantel Technologies, the Penta IS701R tablet has WiFi and is priced at Rs 3,499.
Now we have two tablets in the same category – at around Rs 3,000. Here we try to compare the Aakash and BSNL tablets in terms of availability, price, specifications and value additions.
Availability
DataWind, the Canadian company that is manufacturing Aakash, on a previous occasion failed to honour its commitment to make the tablet available in retail stores by the end of November last year. Now the company has said that Aakash will be available in stores by March, but there has been a lot of flip flop on DataWind’s side.
Aakash tablet was initially to be made available only to students through colleges and schools. However, the company then started taking online orders for the tablet from everyone, including students. Besides, DataWind has given only 10,000 Aakash tablets to the government for distribution in schools and colleges of the one lakh initially proposed.
On the contrary, BSNL’s Penta IS701R will be available in retail stores and BSNL outlets across the country by March 1.
Virendra Singh, managing director of Pantel Technologies, said to The Mobile Indian, “We have the shipments ready and we will definitely see to it that our tablet reaches the store by March 1.”
Since Aakash tablet has missed the delivery deadline on three occasions we should not jump to the conclusion that BSNL’s tablet will also meet the same fate.
As of now, though, neither tablet has yet hit the market.
Price
DataWind has two versions of Aakash tablet: The original Aakash tablet comes with much lower specifications and is priced at Rs 2,500. Its cousin – UbiSlate, is comparatively more powerful and is priced at Rs 2,999. In fact, DataWind has come out with another upgraded version, named UbiSlate7+, which also costs Rs 2,999.
BSNL’s entry level model, Penta IS701R is priced at Rs 3,499 and comes with a bundled data plan of 5 GB for 60 days, after which consumers can recharge the same plan for Rs 750.
So basically, one can compare UbiSlate, the upgraded version of Aakash tablet with Penta IS701R because the original Aakash tablet does not have the best of specifications. The price difference between the two tablets is just Rs 500 but users will get 5 GB for data download for 60 days with BSNL’s tablet. Whereas in case of Aakash, users will get internet access on either tablet across mobile networks at Rs 99 for 2 GB, but the company has not provided details about the data service provider.
In terms of pricing, BSNL’s tablet is definitely more expensive by Rs 500, but since a leading telecom operator is pushing for the tablet’s availability, data services or connectivity and support might be less of an issue.
Specifications
UbiSlate will be powered by Android 2.3 and will have a resistive touchscreen, Cortex A8-700 MHz processor and graphics accelerator, an HD video processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of internal memory. Besides, it will have one standard USB port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, a 7 inch display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, GPRS, and WiFi support.
The 7 inch Aakash tablet has Android 2.2 operating system, an Arm 11 366 MHz processor, a 2100 mAh battery, WiFi, and support for a 3G modem. UbiSlate7+ has the same specifications as UbiSlate except for the additional SIM and phone functionality.
On the other hand, Penta IS701R is a WiFi-only tablet with Android 2.3 operating system, a 1 GHz processor and 256 MB of RAM. The tablet has an HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touchscreen has 800 x 600 pixel resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory that can be expanded through a micro SD card. It also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling.
In terms of specifications BSNL’s tablet has an edge over Aakash.
Options
To provide options to tablet users, Pantel has also unveiled a mid-range 7 inch tablet with capacitive touchscreen named Penta Tpad_ws704c. It has the same specifications as Penta IS701R, but offers, in addition, 3G connectivity through a SIM slot, an inbuilt A-GPS, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth. It also has a 2 megapixel rear camera and a bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance. It is priced at Rs 10,999.
Pantel has also unveiled Penta Tpad WS802C, which has an 8 inch capacitive screen and a SIM slot for 3G/2G connectivity. It also comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is bigger at 4 GB. The rest of its features like GPS, camera, operating system and Bluetooth are same as those of the 704C. It is priced at Rs 13,500.
On the other hand, DataWind’s Aakash and UbiSlate tablets are powered by Android 2.2 and 2.3, respectively. Both tablets have resistive touchscreens.
In terms of variety too BSNL scores over DataWind’s offering.
Conclusion
From the above argument, it can be summed up that BSNL’s tablets score over DataWind’s Aakash but the actual performance of both can only be ascertained after a thorough review. The Mobile Indian will very soon do the review of BSNL’s tablet.
Source : http://www.themobileindian.com/news/5423_Aakash-vs-BSNLs-tablet
Seven bank unions call for strike on 28th February
Feb 27th
“Seven bank unions of nine have given strike call for stringent and effective measures to recover bad loans of banks and unilateral imposition of Khandelwal Committee recommendations,” All India Bank Employees Association general secretary CH Venkatachalam told reporters
New Delhi: As many as seven employees’ unions of banks have given a call for strike on Tuesday, demanding stringent measures to recover bad loans and opposing outsourcing of non-core activities to the private sector, reports PTI.
“Seven bank unions of nine have given strike call for stringent and effective measures to recover bad loans of banks and unilateral imposition of Khandelwal Committee recommendations,” All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) general secretary CH Venkatachalam told PTI.
Besides, the unions are opposing banking sector reforms and outsourcing of jobs, he said, claiming that about 8,00,000 employees and officers affiliated with these unions will participate in the strike.
There are about 87,000 branches of public sector banks across the country. The state-owned lenders control about 75% of banking business.
Meanwhile, many banks including, SBI, Corporation Bank, State Bank of Mysore have said that if the proposed strike materialises, normal services may have to be curtailed.
The Centre-appointed Khandelwal panel had suggested a slew of measures, including outsourcing more and more non-core activities in a time-bound manner.
The panel had also recommended raising the standard of recruitment, including the methodology and content for tests, besides making the testing of computer skills mandatory for both officers and clerks.
The Khandelwal Committee on human resources (HR) had also suggested that the minimum qualification for clerks and sub-staff should be graduation and class 10, respectively.
