Mobile World-13: "Motorola's New Camera Phone"

Motorola on August 27, 2008 announced the launch of Motazine ZN5 handset in India equipped with high-quality camera specially designed by Kodak.

The ZN5 is the first mobile phone to combine Motorola's ModeShift Technology and KODAK 'Imaging Technology'.

The technologies redefine the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices.

With Kodak Easyshare software and easy access to the Kodak Gallery1 or other websharing sites, pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favourite photos whenever they want.

To be available in India from mid-September and priced around Rs.20,000, Motozine ZN5 will come with a 2-GB memory card and a TV-out cable for easily viewing pictures on a television set.

Motozine ZN5 also has an ultrafast 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4 GB of optional external memory and optimised settings for low-light environments.

Excerpt from The Hindu, Madurai, August 28, 2008 ("Motorola's New Camera Phone Offering" by Special Correspondent).

Wikipedia article on "MOTOROLA":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Dotcom World-15: "Google Launches Mapping Tool in India"

Internet search engine giant Google on August 27, 2008 launched a mapping tool called Google Map Maker in India, which was conceived and developed by its Indian engineering team. This tool allows users to add or edit geographical features such as roads, businesses, parks, schools, apartment buildings and localities among others in the exiusting maps of their city, a release said.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Maduria, August 28, 2008 (From the "Business Page").

Wikipedia articles on "Cartography" (Map Making) and "Google Map":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map_maker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Map

Graterful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Computer World-10: "Dell Introduces Low-cost PCs"

Dell Inc unveiled four lost-cost computer models on August 27, 2008 desgined for China, India and otehr emerging economies. Prices for the new Vestro notebooks will start at 3,299 yuan ($475) and for the desktop PCs at 2,999 yuan ($440).

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 28, 2008 ("Business" page).

Wikipedia article on "DELL":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Inc

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

IT News-3: "Outsourcing and Insourcing"

A recent study by Catherine Mann at the Institute for International Economics, who predicted that 3.3 million jobs would have moved to developing countries by the end of 2015.

On the other hand, jobs in the U.S. increased by six million due to insourcing in the U.S. from other countries.

Excerpt from "Outsourcing is here to stay" by Special Correspondent, The Hindu, Madurai, date and other details not available.

Wikipedia article on "Outsourcing" and "Insourcing":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insourcing

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

SMS Jokes-5:

"What do u call a woman in heaven"

"An Angel."

"A crowd of women in heaven?"

"A host of Angels."

"And all women in heaven?"

"PEACE ON EARTH."

Courtesy: Chennai Times, June 6, 2008 ("Toons & Trivia")
Grateful thanks to Chennai Times and The Times of India.

Dotcom World-14: "Russia plans Web Addresses in Cyrillic"

Russia will be able to create its first internet addresses using the Cyrillic alphabet next year, communications ministry official Vladimir Vassilieve told Interfax news agency. The move follows a decision by the organisation that regulates the internet to deliver a radical shake-up to the domain-name system. Russia, which currently uses two top level domain names .ru and .su, will be able to create a third in Cyrillic by the second quarter of next year, Vassiliev said.

Courtesy: The Times of India, Chennai, July 1, 2008.

Wikipedia articles on "DOMAIN NAME" and "CYRILLIC ALPHABET":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_Alphabet

Grateful thanks to The Times of India and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Dotcom World-13: "Yahoo plans to mesh Net and TV"

Yahoo and Intel unveiled plans to make television more interactive with online capabilities. TV viewers will be able to interact with and watch a dynamic set of TV widgets - small web-based applications that complement TV shows.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 22, 2008.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Dotcom World-12: "Microsoft developing 23 New Products"

Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), which incubated 70 projects so far, is at present engaged in developing 23 others, with special focus on mobile computing and testing tools.

Excerpt from “Microsoft developing 23 New Products” by Special Correspondent, The Hindu, August 13, 2008.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Dotcom World-11: Wikipedia looks for Top Slot

Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales, told the Global Brand Forum in Singapore that he hopes Wikia Search, a project he spearheads, would break Google’s domination of the world’s Internet search engine market – AFP

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 15, 2008

Wikipedia article on “Web Search Engines”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_search_engine

Grateful thanks to AFP, The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Computer World-9: Laptop Computer for Rs.4000/-

IIT- Madras and IISc-Bangalore are planning on a Laptop Computer for students which will be available at Rs.4000/-.

Courtesy: ‘Ananda Vikatan’, Tamil weekly, August 13, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Ananda Vikatan.

Computer World-8 : “Bamboo PC !”

Dell, one of the biggest sellers of PCs, is aggressively pursuing a ‘green’ agenda. At its main design centre at Austin, Texas, USA, Dell engineers are working on an ultra small, extra light PC, which is small and encased in shiny, brown bamboo.

Bamboo is light, flexible and strong and can be given a great finish.

The new PC to be launched later this year promises to cut the size of a conventional desktop tower by 80% and reduce power requirement by some 70%.

The media has already named the PC as Bamboo PC.

Excerpts from “Coming soon, Bamboo PC?” by Anand Parthasarathy in The Hindu, Madurai, June 8, 2008.

Wikipedia article on “Dell”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell

Grateful thanks to Mr Anand Parthasarathy, The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Dotcom World-10: "Hackers Menace"

As many as 1687 Indian websites were defaced by hackers in 2003 alone.

Courtesy: The Week, March 13, 2005.

Wikipedia article on "Hacker":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_%28computer_security%29

Grateful thanks to The Week and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mobile World-12: “3 million people use GSM”

According to Wikipedia:

“Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. Its promoter, the GSM Association, estimates that 82% of the global mobile market uses the standard.

GSM is used by over 3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories.

Its ubiquity makes international roaming very common between mobile phone operators, enabling subscribers to use their phones in many parts of the world.”

To read the full article from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM
Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mobile World-11: “Mobiles outnumber Britain's population!”

According to the Sun, the mobile phone penetration in Britain in 2005 was 101%, outnumbering its population.

Courtesy: The Week, May 22, 2005.

Wikipedia article on “Mobile Phone”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones

Grateful thanks to The Week and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mobile World-10: "Where does the SMS go?"

What happens when a SMS is sent to a receiver whose mobile phone is switched off? Where does it go? – Pankaz Garg, Jaipur, Rajasthan

The SMS sent from the mobile takes a route through the callers Service Provider network to his SMSC (SMS Centre) which is nothing but a server and then to the called mobiles’ Service Provider Network and to the called mobile number if it is in a switched on condition that is, in the normal course.

But before sending the message the status of the called number is first found out from the HLR (home location register) of the terminating network. A flag will be set in the HLR if the called mobile is switched off.

Hence SMSC will not send the message but leave an indicated to HLR to call back to receive the message as soon as the mobile is switched on. Till then the SMS is stored in the originating network’s SMSC.

Duration for storing depends on the design, may be for 4 hours or 6 hours or 2 days. HLR in the terminating network is monitoring the status of all mobiles continuously and immediately after sensing a ‘switched on’ condition of the called number, HLR informs SMSC accordingly and the SMS is sent to called mobile number now. – A.Ganesan, Former DGM, BSNL, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai (“Question Corner”), August 7, 2008.

Article on “Short Message Service – SMS” (History, Technical Details, Links and Further Reference) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_message_service

Grateful thanks to Mr.A.Ganesan, The Hindu and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

SMS Joke-4:

Do you know why couples hold hands during their wedding? It is just a formality like two boxers shaking hands before the fight.

Mobile World-9: "Airtel, Vodafone to launch iPhone in India!"

Apple’s iPhone will be available to Indian mobile users through private telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar from August 22, 2008.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, August 7, 2008 (“Snapshots”)

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Mobile World-8: "Is Your Cell Phone Trying to Kill You?"

"Is Your Cell Phone Trying to Kill You?"
by Mike Elgan, Computerworld, 08/01/2008

Don't look now, but your cell phone is out to get you. This deadly device can cause accidents, give you cancer or even kill you, according to a rising chorus of alarmist reports.

Excerpt from "Is Your Cell Phone Trying to Kill You?" by Mike Elgan, Computerworld, 08/01/2008, which appeared on Network World at:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/080108-is-your-cell-phone-trying.html

To read this interesting article in full, click the URL above.

Grateful thanks to Mike Elgan, Computerworld and Network World.

Computer World-7: “PC sales in India”

30,35,591 Personal Computers were sold in India in 2003-04 as compared to 22,93,643 in 2002-03.

Courtesy: The Week, May 29, 2005.

Detailed article on “Personal Computers” from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computers

Article on “Gartner Says More than 1 Billion PCs In Use Worldwide and Headed to 2 Billion Units by 2014"
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=703807

BBC News article, “Computers reach one billion mark”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2077986.stm

Grateful thanks to The Week, Gartner Inc., BBC News World Service and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sivaraman's Column-7: "Google Notebook"

Google Notebook is a very useful free tool to collect information while surfing the web. Usually we do the following to take notes from the web.

· We select the information.
· Copy it.
· Open any text editor like MS-Word, Notepad etc.
· Paste it.

When you want to add another page, you will have to do all the steps again.

When we save the downloaded matter on the hard disk of your PC, we cannot access it from other places. So, we transfer it to a CD or DVD or Pendrive so that we can take it wherever we go.

Google Notebook obviates this and helps us to access the matter from anywhere in a new way.

First you need to download the Google Notebook browser extension from the Google Welcome page or in your Google Notebook window. After downloading and installing the Google toolbar, The Notebook icon along with a few other Google service icons will be in your browser.

You can use the Google Notebook by clicking on the Google Notebook icon and sign in with your gmail account.

If you want to record any matter from the web, just select and click the clip button in the Google Notebook window. Or select the information and right click and select “Note this (Google Notebook)” option. Then it is automatically saved into your Notebook.

You can view your notes from anywhere by logging into your Google Notebook window.

You can open the note and view in full page.

You can invite someone to edit your notes.

You can publish your note as web page.

You can take it to Google Docs for further editing.

Limitations

The space restriction for each note is 64 KB.

Presently this feature is supported in Internet Explorer and Firebox browsers only.

Kindly try Google Notebook and tell me what you feel about it. Bye – Sivaraman.

For more details, Wikipedia article on "Google Notebook":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Notebook