Drive Easy with GPS Navigator

Driving in India is a tough task if you are not aware of routes. But this task has been made easier by the new MapmyIndia navigator, which is an in-car global positioning system (GPS) navigation device designed by CE Info Systems based in New Delhi.

The device comes loaded with maps of Indian roads, both state- and national- highways, linking together 55,000 towns and villages, complete with landmarks. It can be placed on the dashboard or windshield of a car, and functions via a satellite system. MapmyIndia navigator has real-time voice support for each and every road turn that instructs the driver about current location as well as locations to be arrived at.

The device offers entire details of streets, localities, landmarks, ATMs, hospitals, and cafeterias, based in 18 major cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mohali, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Thane, and Pune.

Presently, CE Info Systems is outsourcing the MapmyIndia navigator device from Delphi and Amax. It's available in two variants; Delphi NAV 200, and Amax 06GP5A with built-in GPS (SirfStar III) having 3.5-inches color touch-screen backed by Samsung 400 MHz processor. The touch-screen even allows playing music, games, and viewing movies and photos.

Rohan Verma, director of CE Info Systems, said that the market for in-car GPS navigation systems is rising across the world. Last year, 20 million personal navigation devices were sold in the US, and another 30 million in Europe. In India, the product has been introduced only two years ago, and is slowly catching on.

MapmyIndia navigator is priced at Rs 21,000 in Delhi, and Rs 22,000 outside Delhi, and can be purchased through the MapmyIndia.com Web site.

Gmail Accounts Disabled by Mistake

In a very recent incident, Google had accidentally disabled some Gmail accounts in an attempt to deal with spammers.

Some users posted their grievance on the Gmail Help Discussion Forum about their accounts being locked. However, a Google staffer, who monitors and posts messages on Gmail Help forum, acknowledged the existence of the occurrence on behalf of the company.

Identifying the problem, Google said that their efforts to prevent breach of the Terms of Use (policy) caused a number of users to be incorrectly identified as spammers or other abusive users.

Several hours later, Google Guide declared that things were back to normal and the accounts that were disabled have regained access with no data loss.

Meanwhile, the messages that were sent to the displaced account during the problem period will not reach the inbox, but bounce back to the sender, Google said.

Source : TechTree

Mobile Adult Services Revenue to Reach up to $3.5 Billion by 2010

Jupiter Research, a UK-based research company has come to the conclusion that mobile adult service revenues will be pushed up to $3.5 billion in just three years from now. The result was concluded on the basis of interviews, case studies and analysis from representatives of some of the leading organizations in the growing mobile adult services industry.

Increasing adoption of streamed video and video chat services together with a sharp rise in 3G services is the root cause of rising acceptance of mobile adult services. Surprisingly, major part of revenues is expected from underdeveloped North American markets, where on-portal content restrictions are strict.

Report author Dr Windsor Holden said, “While operators in the US and Canada are still very reluctant to introduce age-verification systems and offer adult content, it is a completely different story off-portal with a number of service providers now offering D2C content and services aimed at those markets. Furthermore, as mobile subscribers become more comfortable and familiar with the off-portal environment, then the traffic to these sites is likely to mushroom.”

Some of the other findings from the Juniper report are:

Western Europe will remain the largest regional market for mobile adult services throughout the period covered by the report, with revenues rising from $775m in 2007 to $1.5bn by 2012 Global revenues from video chat services will rise from just $138m in 2007 to more than $1.5bn by 2012 While users of adult services are far less price sensitive than consumers of other mobile entertainment services, service providers should be careful not to overprice content

Motorola Launches MOTO Q 8, 9h in India

Motorola has introduced the MOTO Q 8, the GSM version of the original CDMA-based MOTO Q, as well as the flagship, quad-band 3G QWERTY, the MOTO Q 9h, in India.

The MOTO Q 9h, based on the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, features a dual-processor HSDPA/UMTS engine, enabling downloads at up to 3.6Mbps. Moto Q 8 is a quad band GPRS/EDGE1 QWERTY device that is also based on Windows Mobile 6 operating system.

"Motorola is expanding its range in the enterprise segment in India with the launch of MOTO Q 8 and MOTO Q 9h'" said Lloyd Mathias, Director Marketing, India & South West Asia for Motorola Mobile Devices. "The MOTO Q 9h was developed as a multi-purpose communication device that is easy to use and doesn't compromise on experiences. This smartphone offers state-of-the art voice quality technology, messaging, speed, processing power, keyboard and display packaged within a sleek design for the modern consumer. A complete productivity and entertainment-on-the-go device."

Both MOTO Q 8 and MOTO Q9h are preloaded with Documents To Goapplication which enables user to create, edit and view Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides and view PDF files.

The MOTO Q 9h features a 2.0 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and video plays back at 30 frames per second. It has 2GB of optional removable microSD storage and 256MB4 of on-board flash memory and integrated Bluetooth.

The MOTO Q 8 GSM and MOTO Q 9h will be available at all Indian MOTOSTOREs and participating retailers.

The MOTO Q 8 GSM is available at an MRP of Rs. 17,359 while the MOTO Q 9h is available at an MRP of Rs. 20,720. Both come with 1GB mini SD Card and a portable charger.

Source: www.tech2.com

Car Computers Knock Indian Market

Imagine yourself driving with your family on a weekend on the outskirts of the city using detailed map for the directions, but you are confused, so now what to do, hang on, here is the solution for all your problems related to the directions. All this is actually possible with Map My India's latest portable GPS navigation device, the Map My India navigator.

This smart and sleek GPS based-in-car Navigation portable gadget uses satellites to determine your current location. Anybody can search and navigate anywhere in India. It covers 55,000 towns and villages connected by national and state highways.

The company earlier also has served over 500 leading enterprise customers, and is now offering direction and navigation services to consumers. Rakesh Verma, MD of CE Info Systems, said, "In a country like India, where roads either don't have names or road signs are not clearly marked, following directions based on road names or traditional methods can be a frustrating experience. With the GPS technology and accurate maps, telling you exactly where to take your next turn, so, unnamed and unclear roads are no longer an issue now. The Map My India navigator will guide you effortlessly to your destination. It is our commitment to continuously keep providing comprehensive and high quality maps to drive this industry."

Speaking to itVARnews, Rohan Verma, Marketing Head, CE Info Systems said, "We are looking for more channel partners across India and are happy to inform that we are already working with 25-30 channel partners. We have around channel partners in Delhi and NCR itself. We are targeting all the segments in IT world and planning a growth rate of 10 times more than the current growth rate."

Map My India navigator is currently available in two hardware models. One is Delphi Nav200 and the other one is A MAX 06GP5A. Both the personal navigation devices have built in GPS - Sirf star 111, 3.5" colour touch screen, Samsung 400 Mhz processor and additional multimedia features to play movies, music, photos, games etc. The device is currently available with car accessories and consumer electronics dealers in New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. The Map My India navigator is available for Rs. 21,000/- in Delhi and Rs. 22, 000/- in other states.

Map My India will be partnering with leading hardware manufacturers and consumer brands to preload navigator software and maps on a handsets and navigation devices, bringing GPS navigation to the mainstream market.

Indian student develops molecular condom

The University of Utah is working on deals with four Indian companies for commercialisation of cutting edge anti-HIV and contraceptive delivery products including a molecular condom developed by an Indian student.

Developed by Kavita Madanlal Gupta, an international student from India currently working toward a Ph.D. in bioengineering, and Patrick Kiser, an assistant professor of bioengineering at the university, the condom will be commercialised through a partnership with India's Pregna International.

Microbicides, such as the microbicidal molecular condom developed by Gupta, are seen as a way for women to gain power by protecting themselves from HIV, the university said on Tuesday. Pregna and the university will together work on this and a variety of other technologies, which have the potential to provide humanitarian aid to the people of India.

The dynamic partnership between the University of Utah and Pregna International, a world leader in contraceptive manufacturing located in Mumbai, will focus on the commercialisation of cutting edge anti-HIV and contraceptive delivery products for the Indian marketplace, it said.



"There are over two-million individuals living with HIV/AIDS in India today with 84 per cent of the infections resulting from sexual transmission of the virus," said Kiser.

"The university's portfolio of innovative technologies coupled with the product development experience of Pregna could help the control of the spread of this devastating disease.

"This partnership will give the university a chance to place their technologies in the hands of people that need them most and will enhance the value of our technologies in the developed world," he said.

Apart from Pregna, the university's vice president of technology venture development, Jack Brittain will also sign memoranda of understanding with Globerian, Global Health Private Ltd. MediCity and Manipal AcuNova Ltd.

The memoranda to be signed in the presence of Utah Governor Jon Huntsman who is currently leading a trade delegation to India, in Mumbai and New Delhi will initiate a long-term international collaboration between the University and India.

The university will work with each of the four companies to create a progressive alliance to accelerate commercialisation of university-invented technologies, expand educational and research opportunities, as well as aid in humanitarian efforts.

"These Indian companies are unique partners for the University of Utah," Brittain said. "Their leaders are innovative and eager to bring new medical technologies to their community."

"Partnering with Indian companies will allow the university to benefit from their expertise and willingness to engage in collaborative research and development. Through this alliance we will be able to accelerate commercialisation of University technologies and provide economic benefits to both the United States and India.

"The University of Utah is continually contributing to the strength of Utah' s economy through the commercialisation of their cutting-edge research and technologies," said Huntsman.

"As the home of Nobel Prize winner Mario Capecchi, the University of Utah has been appropriately recognised as an international leader in research. Working collaboratively with India through these four international partnerships, the University of Utah will open up opportunities for existing businesses and aid in the start-up of new companies which will create meaningful jobs through a strong humanitarian focus," he said.

Globerian, headquartered in New Delhi, is a world leader in health information technology, research and healthcare practice management. It will help medical and bio-informatics researchers and students at the University of Utah identify emerging opportunities for the development and commercialisation of its medical informatics expertise.

Future collaborative efforts may include advancing health information research and data management technologies to provide individuals and institutions global access to health information.

Manipal AcuNova Ltd., a global clinical research organisation based in Bangalore, will help university researchers more efficiently conduct clinical trials in India, accelerate collaborative medical technology commercialisation, and offer students a practical experience in an international business-research setting.

Global Health Private Ltd., MediCity, is currently developing a four-million-square-foot, 40-acre facility in Gurgaon.

Backed by clinical and biotechnology research, it will provide medical care to the growing middle class in India. Their partnership will facilitate collaborative efforts to enhance healthcare delivery while providing international experience for students, the university said.

World's smallest radio - here comes the nanopod

It's the world's smallest radio, run with a single carbon nanotube one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair, and radio buffs are already dubbing it the nanopod. A single battery and earphones are all you need to tune in with the radio, built by physicists at the University of California in Berkeley, a paper published online Wednesday by the journal Nano Letters said. The nanoradio, currently only a receiver, is 100 billion times smaller than the first commercial radios, and the physicists began building it to mark the 100th anniversary last year of the first voice and music radio transmission. "We were just in ecstasy when this worked," said team leader Professor Alex Zettl. "It was fantastic." The radio, which could also work as a transmitter, has any number of applications - from cell phones to microscopic devices that sense the environment and relay information via radio signals, Zettl said. "The nanotube radio may lead to radical new applications, such as radio-controlled devices small enough to exist in a human's bloodstream," the paper said. Nanotubes are rolled-up sheets of interlocked carbon atoms that form a tube so strong that some scientists have suggested using a nanotube wire to tether satellites in a fixed position above the earth.

Microsoft's Silverlight 1.0 Comes to India

Microsoft's Silverlight 1.0 Comes to India (Source : EFY News Network)


Thursday, November 01, 2007: Microsoft has announced the availability of Silverlight 1.0 in India. Silverlight 1.0 is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that delivers media experiences through the Web. It is available to end users for free download from the Web.


According to the company, the platform integrates with existing Web technologies and offers consistent experiences to Windows and Macintosh users on a variety of browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. The company is also working with Novell Inc to deliver Silverlight support for Linux, called Moonlight.

Tarun Gulati, general manager, developer and platform Evangelism, Microsoft India, said, "Many companies in India and across the world today are using path breaking customer experience as a competitive advantage for their businesses, and we believe that Microsoft’s products such as Silverlight, Expression, WPF will allow companies to take this to the next level in an easy, cost effective manner. We have seen a lot of excitement among consumers when they see interface with solutions developed on these technologies. I believe that businesses can use this to create strong differentiators and customer loyalty. This is particularly important because companies in India are beginning to increasingly adopt online models of business, often in addition to existing offline ones, and are using the Web as a tool to drive better and cost effective ways to increase customer interactions."

In India, some early adaptors of Silverlight 1.0 are Sify.com, Rediff.com, the Indian Cricket League, and Sulekha.com.

In addition to Silverlight 1.0, Microsoft has also recently launched for the first time, a product suite– Expression Studio, for the designer community, focused on enabling better collaboration between designers and developers. Together with Visual Studio 08, Expression Studio and Silverlight will allow seamless creation of rich user experiences, and in turn accelerate this trend across mobile, PC and Web.

Science, Engineering and Technology

The distinction between science, engineering and technology is not always clear. Science is the reasoned investigation or study of phenomena, aimed at discovering enduring principles among elements of the phenomenal world by employing formal techniques such as the scientific method. Technologies are not usually exclusively products of science, because they have to satisfy requirements such as utility, usability and safety.Engineering is the goal-oriented process of designing and building tools and systems to exploit natural phenomena for practical human means, using results and techniques from science. The development of technology may draw upon many fields of knowledge, including scientific, engineering, mathematical, linguistic, and historical knowledge, to achieve some practical result.

Technology is often a consequence of science and engineering — although technology as a human activity preceeds the two fields. For example, science might study the flow of electrons in electrical conductors, by using already-existing tools and knowledge. This new-found knowledge may then be used by engineers to create new tools and machines, such as semiconductors, computers, and other forms of advanced technology. In this sense, scientists and engineers may both be considered technologists; the three fields are often considered as one for the purposes of research and reference.

Definition of Technology

In general, "technology" is the relationship that society has with its tools and crafts, and to what extent society can control its environment. The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers a definition of the term: "the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area" and "a capability given by the practical application of knowledge". Ursula Franklin, in her 1989 "Real World of Technology" lecture, gave another definition of the concept; it is "practice, the way we do things around here". The term is often used to imply a specific field of technology, or to refer to high technology, rather than technology as a whole. Bernard Stiegler defines technology in two ways: as "the pursuit of life by means other than life," and as "organized inorganic matter." However, the term is mostly used in three different contexts: when referring to a tool (or machine); a technique; the cultural force; or a combination of the three.

Technology can be most broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage, technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems. It is a far-reaching term that may include simple tools, such as a crowbar or wooden spoon, or more complex machines, such as a space station or particle accelerator. Tools and machines need not be material; virtual technology, such as computer software and business methods, fall under this definition of technology.

The word "technology" can also be used to refer to a collection of techniques. In this context, it is the current state of humanity's knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants; it includes technical methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials. When combined with another term, such as "medical technology" or "space technology", it refers to the state of the respective field's knowledge and tools. "State-of-the-art technology" refers to the high technology available to humanity in any field.

Technology can be viewed as an activity that forms or changes culture. A modern example is the rise of communication technology, which has lessened barriers to human interaction and, as a result, has helped spawn new subcultures; the rise of cyberculture has, at its basis, the development of the Internet and the computer. Not all technology enhances culture in a creative way; technology can also help facilitate political oppression and war via tools such as guns. As a cultural activity, technology predates both science and engineering, each of which formalize some aspects of technological endeavor.