Here's why mobile call rates may fall soon

rai gave its recommendations to the telecom ministry, which will now work on final recommendations related to spectrum sharing as well as trading

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NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) gave a go-ahead to sharing of spectrum between operators, a move that is expected to enhance the efficiency of the coveted airwaves and boost the quality of service offered to customers. The decision has the potential to lower customer tariffs, though not immediately.

Trai gave its recommendations to the telecom ministry, which will now work on final recommendations related to spectrum sharing as well as trading (where recommendations have already been submitted). Trai said sharing of spectrum has to be within the same band, and recommended a minor 0.5% increase in the spectrum usage charge (SUC) fee due to the enhanced airwave holdings. The stipulation on the same band means that both the operators should have individual spectrum in the band, say 800/900/1800 MHz, where they wish to share the airwaves. Trai has also allowed sharing of spectrum in the 3G band, something that was not being considered earlier.

In a major relief to the debt-laden industry, the regulator did not bar — or put additional charges — in case of sharing of spectrum that was not bagged through auction but came through the administered price mechanism.

"The basic objective of spectrum sharing is to enhance spectral efficiency by combining/pooling the spectrum holding of two licensees... Spectrum sharing would involve both the telecom service providers (TSPs) utilizing the spectrum. Leasing of spectrum is not permitted," Trai said.

Trai did not recommend any major charges for spectrum sharing, stipulating a fee of Rs 50,000 for each circle. Also, it sought to have least bureaucratic controls, saying that operators will not need permission from the government for spectrum sharing but will only have to inform.

The sharing of airwaves will help operators pool in resources in areas where there is too much of congestion and spectrum is scarce. Higher spectrum availability through sharing has the effect of boosting the efficiency of the airwaves manifold, which is likely to lower cases of call drops and boost internet speed.

The beleaguered telecom operators are now keenly awaiting the final recommendations from the government on sharing and trading of spectrum. Trai's decision may, however, dampen future spectrum auctions as operators may not go very aggressive in their bids knowing that they can share or trade the airwaves. This may impact the collections that the government hopes to get through sale of mobile airwaves.

Rajan Mathews, director-general of GSM lobby group COAI, said the recommendations will have a positive impact on the quality of mobile services. However, he said the spectrum holding caps that have been retained by Trai — 25% of total spectrum assigned and 50% in a band - may come in the way of sharing between big operators like Airtel or Vodafone.

CDMA lobby group AUSPI said the recommendations do not provide clarity on sharing of spectrum in those districts where operators have not been allocated spectrum although they were entitled to do it under their licences

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Easy diets to lose weight

Easy diets to lose weight (Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images)

Don't go for a crash diet, there are smart options to stay in shape.

For all those of you who thought opting for a celeb diet was a bad idea, hold that thought. Some celeb diet fads are actually pretty easy to emulate and follow and you don't need to punish yourself either. The guilt binge is not required because most of these diets allow you the luxury to eat smart and eat right.

22-day Vegan challenge: Going vegan is nothing unusual in these days and time, but doing it in 22 days is no mean feat. Celebs like Jay Z and Beyonce started off this trend in December 2013 and it's quite a rage in 2014. One sure shot way of cutting the extra flab. All-vegan dishes like macaroni, mushrooms and grilled corn on the cob are very healthy.

Flexitarian diet: Essentially a vegetarian diet, but you can allow yourself a meaty dish once ina while. This way you can enjoy the benefits of being a vegetarian and indulge yourself on special occasions without feeling guilty. An average flexitarian weighs 15% less than someone who's a regular non-vegetarian.

Juice detox diet: This is an extremely doable diet and most celebs vouch for it. Fresh fruits, fruit juice, smoothies made at home, salad, lean meat, organic and low fat food are just right for 'clean eating'. Although, this diet, also labeled as the starvation diet has come under fire, but if followed sensibly can help you drastically lose weight.

Ketogenic diet: A low carb high fat diet, this is stage one of Atkins diet. You have to avoid carbohydrates and eat lots of fatty food (that will cause the body to burn fats for energy).

Mediterranean diet: Lots of veggies, fish, healthy fats comprise this diet. Penelope Cruz follows this diet closely and considering she was voted 'Celeb with the hottest body' you know this is worthy of being imitated!

Paleo diet: This was the most popular diet in 2013 and is likely to remain popular this year too! A diet that is high in fibrous fruits, nuts, seafood, meat this one is supposed to be ideal to shed off some unwanted flab.

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Microsoft job cuts: Satya Nadella is cleaning up Steve Ballmer's mess

It's now clear that Microsoft's new CEO, Satya Nadella, thinks the Nokia acquisition was a big mistake.

Microsoft said recently that it will eliminate up to 18,000 jobs, the largest round of layoffs in company history. Most of those cuts come from Nokia, which Microsoft recently acquired for $7.2 billion in a transaction that formally closed in April.

It's now clear that Microsoft's new CEO, Satya Nadella, thinks the Nokia acquisition was a big mistake.

Microsoft announced it was buying Nokia last year when former CEO Steve Ballmer was still in charge. According to one report from Businessweek, Ballmer threw a fit when the board originally denied his request to buy Nokia. Ballmer eventually got his way, but the Businessweek story implied that the contention with the board was the beginning of the end for Ballmer. He eventually decided to retire and Nadella got the job several months later.

Since Nadella took over, he's distanced himself from Ballmer's mission of making Microsoft a "devices and services" company. Ballmer thought Microsoft should shift to making hardware and the software and apps that power it, the same strategy that has made Apple's mobile business a roaring success. That was a big driver behind the Nokia acquisition.

But Nadella has all but eliminated "devices and services" from Microsoft's vocabulary in recent months. Instead, he now touts a "cloud first, mobile first" strategy, a mushy mantra that apparently means he wants Microsoft to create the productivity tools, apps, and services people need no matter what kind of gadget they're using. For example, Nadella finally pulled the trigger on Office for iPad this spring. And much of Microsoft's marketing recently has shown a willingness to make even more stuff for Android and iOS.

Tuesday's announcement that thousands of Nokia employees were going to lose their jobs is perhaps the biggest signal yet that Nadella thinks the Nokia acquisition never should've happened and that Microsoft should focus less on hardware. It's a waste of time and effort to invest so much in Windows Phones from Nokia that have failed to gain significant market share in a world dominated by the iPhone and Android.

Nadella recognizes the reality of that situation. Ballmer did not.

This is Nadella trimming the fat and cleaning up the mess Ballmer left him. It's a harsh move, but a necessary one if Nadella's software and services-driven mission for Microsoft is going to succeed.

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Twitter will offer full DM history on iOS and Android apps

Twitter posted that it is restructuring back-end elements of our direct message system. 

NEW DELHI: It looks like social networking service Twitter is overhauling its Direct Message (DM) feature, making access and management of messages consistent across devices and offering users their complete message history via the native iOS and Android apps.

Talking about the changes via a tweet, Twitter's Support account posted that over the next few weeks,it is rolling out an update that makes deleting DMs more consistent across web and mobile. At the moment, deleting Direct Messages on Twitter's mobile apps is a little different compared to Twitter's web interface.

Also, Twitter's iPhone and Android apps don't offer access to the user's full DM history. This is all set to change with forthcoming update, according to Twitter.

On a support page related to DMs, Twitter posted that it is restructuring back-end elements of our direct message system. Due to the restructuring, users may not be able to send some URLs(web links) in direct messages. It mentioned that on Twitter.com and non-native applications, only the users' 100 most recent messages (both sent and received) are visible. Twitter is working to make more DMs available, in the future.

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Review: Amazon unlimited ebook service is limited

Amazon's new "unlimited" ebook service lets you read 600,000 books. 

By Anick Jesdanun

NEW YORK: Amazon's new "unlimited" ebook service lets you read 600,000 books. That sounds like more than you'll ever read, but I found myself struggling to find the books I wanted.

It turns out that the library of 600,000 is bit like a small bookstore with a few current titles such as "The Hunger Games," attached to a block-sized bargain bin of obscure stuff mixed with "Robinson Crusoe" and other classics that are in the public domain and available for free online anyway.

Startups Scribd and Oyster both offer better value for avid readers of popular books.

Though Oyster has only 500,000 books and Scribd has 400,000, both offer extensive libraries from two of the largest publishers, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Kindle Unlimited doesn't.

Kindle Unlimited and Oyster both cost $10 a month, while Scribd goes for $9. All three offer the first month free.

Weeks ago, as I was reviewing Scribd and Oyster, I asked colleagues to suggest books that ought to be on such services. I also added titles from my own wish list. Of the 75 I checked, Oyster had 17 and Scribd had 16. That's not a lot. I got even fewer with Kindle Unlimited — six matches, plus one that's free for everyone.

But through Amazon's $99-per-year Prime program, I could already read four of those six books for free on Kindle devices. Only "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson and "Flash Boys" by Michael Lewis require the Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Under Prime, however, I can read only one book a month. Kindle Unlimited lets you download 10 books at a time on up to six devices. Those devices don't have to be Amazon devices, as Prime requires.

Kindle Unlimited also beats its rivals in several ways:

* It has 2,000 audiobooks from Amazon's Audible business. They're synchronized to the corresponding books, so if you need to break off reading to drive, you can have the audiobook play instead, starting where you left off reading.

* For the first three months of your subscription, you can choose one additional audiobook per month from Audible's larger catalog. You get to keep these books even if you cancel your subscription.

* Only Kindle Unlimited permits reading on Kindle e-readers such as the Paperwhite. I personally prefer reading without distractions from email and Facebook.

* Kindle apps for phones and tablets are more sophisticated than the competition. For instance, you get an estimate of how much time you need to finish the chapter or the book, based on your personal reading speed. Oyster does that only for the chapter, while Scribd offers neither.

* Kindle apps are available for a greater range of devices. Oyster works on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Scribd supports those, plus Macs and Windows devices. Kindle does all that, plus WebOS and BlackBerry devices.

Back in 2011, Amazon began making a selection of movies and TV episodes available for free to Prime members. At the time, the free service had 5,000 videos — but few that I actually wanted to watch. That's been expanded to more than 40,000 and includes decent movies and shows. Amazon has even commissioned original shows for Prime, including the John Goodman comedy "Alpha House."

Kindle Unlimited will have to follow the same path and expand its library to be useful for most people.

With any of these services, you need to be reading three or more books a month to make it worth the subscription. Otherwise, buying the e-book through Amazon or a discount service such as Entitle is more economical. The limited selection makes it tougher to find those three books a month, especially for those who already get a book a month for free through Prime.

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iPhone 6 to enter mass production soon: Report

Mass production of a 4.7-inch successor to the wildly popular iPhone 5 series of smartphones will begin during the third week of July.

(This image is for representational purpose only.)

TAIPEI: Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world's largest contract manufacturer of electronic goods, will begin mass production of Apple's next-generation iPhone this month, local media reported.

Mass production of a 4.7-inch successor to the wildly popular iPhone 5 series of smartphones will begin during the third week of July, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said, without citing sources. Production of a 5.5-inch version will begin during the second week of August, it said.

A separate report by a China state-run news service said Hon Hai is planning to hire 100,000 workers at its mainland facilities to meet future demand for the gadget, citing comments made by the chief of the Henan Provincial Commerce Department.

Fellow Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron Corp this month also began recruitment of over 10,000 workers for its mainland facilities to manufacture the phone, according to the Economic Daily News report.

Hon Hai had no comment on the report. Representatives for Pegatron and the Henan Provincial Commerce Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Here's why Microsoft killed Nokia X Android phones

The Nokia X phones that Microsoft discontinued this week blend two rival operating systems, but leave out the best of each.

NEW YORK: The Nokia X phones that Microsoft discontinued this week blend two rival operating systems, but leave out the best of each.

As a result, the devices didn't become a runaway hit as Nokia's low-cost answer to serving emerging markets.

Nokia X phones were devised to be a gateway to the company's pricier Lumia phones. The operating system that runs the phones was to blend the core technology found in Google's Android system with services and designs found in Microsoft's own Windows Phone system. Nokia looked to Android as a way to sell phones with locally tailored apps unavailable on Windows.

But Microsoft completed its deal to buy Nokia's phone business in April, and Nokia X is gone less than three months later.



"Nokia tried to bring the best of both worlds on this device, but once you play around with it, this phone kind of falls short of how fantastic it could be," said Ramon Llamas, an IDC analyst who follows phones.


Although sales figures aren't available, Llamas said his research showed Nokia X was "not the one that everybody seems to be flocking to."

The Nokia X project is an example of clashing priorities that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is trying to curb with a refocusing effort that includes 18,000 job eliminations over the next year. In Thursday's announcement of the cuts, Microsoft said it will shift future Nokia X product designs to its Lumia line of Windows devices.

Although Microsoft Devices chief and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop pinned the move on a need to align Nokia's strategy with Microsoft's, two other factors contributed to the downfall: Nokia X lacked an identity, while Windows got better.

Now, Microsoft is left to target emerging markets with Windows alone.

Nokia and Microsoft had been partners long before Microsoft bought the phone business. To maintain the relationship, Nokia sought to appease Microsoft by replacing many of the Google services on Android with Microsoft's services. Android staples such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google's app store are nowhere to be found. Instead, Nokia X phones have Here Maps from Nokia and Skype and OneDrive from Microsoft. The Nokia X home screen looks nothing like Android, but resembles Windows.



The thinking was that once Nokia X users were ready for higher-end phones, Lumia would be their choice because they are already accustomed to Microsoft's services and designs.

But Nokia adapted Android so much that it affected functionality. Software developers had to tweak some of their apps because Nokia X lacks key Google services. For instance, location services have to use Nokia's Here rather than Google Maps. In-app payments also had to be tweaked to allow billing through mobile carriers, something Nokia X enabled because many people in emerging markets lack credit cards.



Meanwhile, even as Nokia adopted the look of Windows, it didn't adopt its ease of use. It was more like a knockoff version of Windows.

Windows devices set themselves apart by offering colourful home-screen tiles stuffed with content. Instead of just a logo of Facebook, for instance, you get the first several words of notifications. For email, you get the email's sender and the start of the subject line, so users know whether there's anything worth opening the app for. Windows also lets you create tiles to serve as shortcuts to specific tasks within apps - such as places you go often using the mapping app.

Nokia X has none of that. Its home-screen tiles are static, like overblown versions of Android icons.

Now, Llamas said, Microsoft is under even more pressure to succeed with Windows in emerging markets. Although recent improvements help, he said, many phone makers by now have settled on Android for cheaper devices.

Nokia X did succeed at keeping prices low. Its four models range from $120 to $150. By contrast, Nokia's Lumia Icon costs $550 without subsidies that come with two-year service contracts. Apple's iPhone 5S and Samsung's Galaxy S5 cost even more.

In killing Nokia X, Microsoft isn't changing Nokia's commitment to serving emerging markets. Microsoft knows those regions are high-growth areas, as many people in the United States and other industrialized markets already have smartphones. Microsoft is also aware that those devices need to be affordable.

The day before Nokia announced its Android phones at a February wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft unveiled plans to update its Windows Phone system. Among other things, the software runs more efficiently, so it doesn't require as much processing power. That update, Windows Phone 8.1, came out in May. Microsoft also began giving the Windows software to phone makers for free, the way Google has with Android. And it relaxed requirements for physical buttons. All that has made Windows phones cheaper to make.

The Nokia X phones do have some good touches, including slots for two sim cards — something important for emerging markets, where phone rates vary so much that people often switch services depending on whom they are calling or texting. Windows didn't allow that until the May update.



The improvements made to Windows ultimately reduced the need for Nokia X. But even if that hadn't happened, it was doubtful Nokia X would have survived under new owners.

In his memo, Elop pointed out that "the role of phones within Microsoft is different than it was within Nokia."

Nokia's business had been to make phones. With Microsoft, the phones are a way to showcase the company's other offerings in services and software, including the Windows Phone system.

And Nokia X had no role in that.

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Facebook testing 'Buy' button

Facebook is testing a "Buy" button in its latest effort to help businesses boost their sales through the world's biggest online social network.

 

NEW YORK: Facebook is testing a "Buy" button in its latest effort to help businesses boost their sales through the world's biggest online social network.

The company said in a statement on Thursday that the button will let people buy products directly from businesses without leaving Facebook. A "Buy" button appears at the bottom of sponsored ads and is being tested by a limited group of several small- and medium-sized US businesses.

The move comes as Facebook continues to grow its advertising business. The company will account for 7.8% of global digital ad spending this year, up from 5.8% in 2013, according to eMarketer. Google, the world's No. 1 recipient of ad dollars, is expected to account for 31.5% of ad spending in 2014.

EMarketer analyst Debra Aho said that not long ago, most businesses thought Facebook was better suited for building awareness than driving sales, but the Menlo Park, California-based company is trying hard to change that image.

"With this step, Facebook is becoming even more firmly established as a major player in direct response advertising, and though this test is still only a test, it's a definite sign that Facebook wants to restart its efforts to become an e-commerce company as well," she said.

Facebook says it won't share users' credit and debit card information with other advertisers. The company said it will provide more details once it has gathered feedback from the test.

In January, Facebook said in a blog posting that it was working on offering more ways for direct-response marketers to communicate with Facebook users.

Mobile advertising is one of Facebook's fastest-growing revenue categories. Nearly 80% of its users access the site on smartphones and other portable gadgets. In the January-March quarter, earnings nearly tripled and revenue grew sharply as advertising revenue rose 82 percent.

Meanwhile, mobile commerce is growing at a fast clip, and is expected to total $304.1 billion in 2014, up 15.5% from the prior year, according to eMarketer. Mobile commerce will account for 19% of all e-commerce sales this year, or $57.79 billion.

Facebook shares fell $1.25 to close at $66.41 on Thursday.

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.LG launches mid-range variant of G3, G3 Beat

.LG launches mid-range variant of G3, G3 Beat

The mid-tier phone is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and just 1GB RAM.

NEW DELHI: LG has launched G3 Beat, a mid-range variant of its flagship smartphone, G3. 

The G3 Beat features the same floating Arc metallic design seen in the G3 but comes with a smaller, 5-inch HD(720x1280p) IPS display. Unlike the G3 which boasts a 2K resolution display, the G3 Beat's display is just 720p. 

The mid-tier phone is powered by a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and just 1GB RAM. It comes with 8GB internal storage and a microSD card slot. 

LG G3 Beat runs Android 4.4 KitKat with LG's custom UI skin. The phone comes with features such as Touch & Shoot that lets users touch anywhere on the display to focus and shoot; Gesture Shot that enables users to clench their hand in front of the screen to automatically begin a three-second countdown before a picture is snapped; Smart Keyboard which learns how users type for faster input and QuickMemo+ that lets users jot, sketch, and take notes. 

It sports an 8MP rear camera with fast Laser Auto Focus technology featured in the G3 and a 1.3MO front-facing camera. The phone has a 2,540mAh battery. 

In terms of connectivity, LG G3 Beat supports 3G, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS/Glonass, NFC, and USB 2.0. 

"Smartphone manufacturers cannot ignore this growing segment of consumers who want the best balance of looks, features, performance and, of course, price," said Dr Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "The LG G3 Beat represents our commitment to the mid-tier smartphone market that demands mature technology, proven branding, great innovation and attractive price, all in a single device." 

The LG G3 Beat will be available in South Korea starting July 18 with the global rollout starting in a few weeks. The LG G3 Beat will be known as LG G3 s in Europe and the CIS. Pricing and availability details will be announced at the time of launch in the respective regions.

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Vishal Sikka is good for Indian IT: iGate CEO

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka.

Igate has a new logo in blue, and with the 'i' now upper cased. It has also dropped the tagline 'iToPS for business outcomes'. iToPs, or integrated technology and operations, represented Igate's focus on delivering business outcomes rather than simply providing people and resources to build and maintain applications -and on which it had spent a lot of marketing dollars to position it as a differentiator among IT companies. In an interview to TOI, CEO Ashok Vemuri spoke about these changes and on what he thinks of his former employer, Infosys, appointing Vishal Sikka as CEO. 

You appear to be consciously defocusing on the outcomes-based model. 

We are not defocusing from iToPS. But when you put out a value proposition and say we are going to give you business outcomes, the first thing you need to understand is the business against which you're pro mising an outcome. To understand business, your organizational structure should be such that you understand the industry in which they operate. Without that, if you go to the bottom of the story and say we will do business outcomes and nothing else, you will get laughed out. Now, with our new verticalized structures, we will be able to build those specific solutions that can address clients' business problems. 

Brokerage firm Jefferies has put a buy on the stock with a target price of $43 and a few other brokerages have put a buy rating. What's building the momentum in the stock? 

I think there is a higher degree of appreciation for our reconstructed brand and story. 

We are making investments and we have become confident about ourselves and our clients are reciprocating the confidence. They like the fact that here is a company that's not pretending to be every thing. We have defined niches for ourselves, and investing and taking solutions to our clients. We are creating an ecosystem to build a world class company. The number of employees recommending other people to join the company has gone up by 50% in the last two quarters. 

What do you think of Vishal Sikka at Infosys? 

It's a great move for the company . He's a well-established leader with a great reputation in the market place. It's good for the industry and an iconic company like Infosys needs to have a great leader to bring stability which is good for other members of the community . I wish him all the very best. 

What do you have to say about a product person in a services company? 

That's neither here not there. 

In Igate, we are focused on building productized services. We don't have a desire to be a product company, but we will have more platforms.
 

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Microsoft set to cut 6,000 jobs

Microsoft is set to cut more than 6,000 jobs in an announcement expected early Thursday.

SEATTLE: Microsoft is set to cut more than 6,000 jobs in an announcement expected early Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter, as it trims its newly acquired Nokia phone business and reshapes itself as a cloud-computing and mobile-friendly software company. 

What could be the deepest job cuts in the company's 39-year history come five months into the tenure of chief executive officer Satya Nadella, who outlined plans for a "leaner" business in a public memo to employees last week. 

Many of the cuts are expected to come from the Nokia unit, which Microsoft acquired in April for $7.2 billion, pushing up Microsoft's headcount by a quarter to 127,000. Microsoft said when it struck the deal to buy the Finnish phone maker that it would cut $600 million per year in costs within 18 months of closing the acquisition. 

Microsoft is also expected to trim staffing at its Xbox game and entertainment unit, which Nadella last week praised but stopped short of describing as a "core" business. 

Nadella's cuts are set to be the biggest at the Redmond, Washington-based company since his predecessor Steve Ballmer axed 5,800, or about 6% of headcount at that time, in the depths of recession in early 2009. 

The new CEO's move is designed to help Microsoft shift from being a primarily software-focused company to one that sells online services, apps and devices that it hopes will make people and businesses more productive. Nadella needs to make Microsoft a stronger competitor to Google Inc and Apple Inc, which have dominated the new era of mobile-centric computing. 

Marking this change of emphasis, Nadella last week rebranded Microsoft as "the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world." 

Microsoft is not alone among the pioneers of the personal computer revolution that are now slimming down as they adapt to the Web-focused world. 

PC-maker Hewlett-Packard is in the midst of a radical three-to-five-year plan that will lop up to 50,000 of its 250,000 staff. 

International Business Machines is undergoing a "workforce rebalancing," which analysts say could mean 13,000, or about 3 percent of its staff, being laid off or transferred to new owners as units are sold. 

Chip maker Intel and network equipment maker Cisco Systems both said in the past year they are cutting around 5% of their staff
.

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Indian CEOs spend more time in addressing regulatory issues’

Stating that Indian CEOs spend more time in addressing regulatory issues than their global peers, Tata Steel India Managing Director T V Narendran, however, defended regulators, saying industry has invited this scrutiny to some extent.

“CEOs in India spend far more time addressing regulatory issues than CEOs in other countries do. To be fair to the regulators, the industry has invited this scrutiny to an extent,” Narendran has said in an interview to Tata Review, an inhouse magazine. “There is a need for the industry to look at responsible growth and be good corporate citizens,” he added.

Narendran, however, also pitched for simplification of regulations to support to attract investors (in steel sector) and tight enough to ensure communities are not exploited. Stating that in the next two years, the demand for steel in India is expected to grow to about 180-200 million tonnes (MT), capacity of an additional 100 MT has to be built, for which we need to spend approximately US $ 100 billion.

“Very few countries in the world have both the raw material and the market. India has both. But if we don’t leverage this opportunity to translate the richness below the ground to opportunities above the ground, then we will be missing out,” he said.

Narendran said Tata Steel intends to add 1 MT capacity of every year in India and plans to raise the capacity in South East Asia by 2 MT to 6 MT. Tata Steel has recently increased annual capacity of its Jamshedpur plant in India to 10 MT. The first phase of the Kalinganagar plant in Odisha with 3 mtpa capacity would go on stream in the last quarter of the year.

“In South East Asia, we will continue to go downstream, setting up facilities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong. We are currently at 4 MT of sales in this region and I would like to take that to 5 to 6 MT,” he said.

As countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar are still at an early stage of steel consumption, Narendran said, “We have huge opportunities to tap. The key is in going about it in an integrated fashion.”

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New software testing skills you must have

In today’s changing IT environment, a software tester has become more of a tools-smith, who fine-tunes as things move along 

There is no denying that the role of the software tester is evolving today. The number of testing resources required to address any given challenge has decreased primarily due to two key factors:

• Agile Development techniques that integrate test automation into the development process

• Mature Test Automation tools that simplify test creation, automation and execution

“However in all cases the need for testing in itself has not decreased,’’ says Mrinalini Chandok, HR head IT & Telecom, Winfo Technologies. “It is just that the responsibility has shifted to either development (like in the case of test-driven development) or functional test automation. Thus as separate automation implementation programs the software tester has become more a test designer, test engineer, test manager or a tools-smith, who fine-tunes as things move along.’’

The mind-set that testing is a job meant for those with lesser analytical and problem-solving skills, is fast changing across the industry.

“How effective is the testing in an IT organisation has major implications on the market success of a product or application. The accuracy with which the tester can predict and emulate end-user behavior provides critical developmental feedback which act as an early warning indicator in the developmental cycle even today,” says Amrinder Singh, HR consultant and lead consultant and adviser for several IT companies.

So what are some of the essential skills that the software tester needs to have in today’s changing IT environment?

• Ability to envisage abstract ideas

“An analytical and logical thinking mind alone is not enough,” says Chandok. “What we look for today is the candidates’ ability to envisage real-time business situations through mental mapping; and the ability to plan forward.’’

• A “glocal” approach to solutions

System design involves multiple stakeholders thus the ability to deal effectively with business situations marked by complexities and innumerable interactions with third-party systems is essential.

“It is the tester’s responsibility to identify how the system interacts with other constituents within the system as well as with the external factors. To be able to isolate the minute units of the application under test and validate, keeping in mind the behavior of the system as a whole is thus key,’’ says Singh. “This is the global + local, the `glocal approach’ that is a must.’’

• Ability to apply fundamental knowledge to  contextual information and expert insight

“Even a tester with a couple of years experience is expected to be able to use fundamental communication, mathematical and software application skills for practical situations and address the problem,” says Singh.

Thus a thorough plan needs to be in place before work begins with a test strategy, levels of testing, pass/fail criteria and the schedule.

“Testers today need to be risk takers with a willingness to fail,” says Singh. “Judgment calls are made based on past experience and individual & team understanding. If they consistently adopt a safe path, the chances of up-skilling actually reduce.”

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Twitter testing ‘Share to WhatsApp’ feature on Android app

Twitter may soon roll out a ‘Share to WhatsApp’ button in the upcoming version of its Android app. The button will make it easier for users to share their tweets on WhatsApp.

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NEW DELHI: Twitter may soon roll out a 'Share to WhatsApp' button in the upcoming version of its Android app. The button, as the name suggests, will make it easier for users to share their tweets on the mobile messaging app.

The feature is currently under testing, as revealed by posts of some users on the microblogging website.

Presently, users can share tweets on WhatsApp via Share button. Having a button especially for WhatsApp will not only make the task effortless for users but also prompt them to share their tweets with WhatsApp contacts.

As the screenshots show, users will be able to send a message along with the tweet while sending it to a WhatsApp contact.


With this move, Twitter will follow in the footsteps of social sharing website Po.st, which added the 'Share to WhatsApp button' last week.
The new share button may help Twitter reach out to more people, especially in a country like India, where WhatsApp is more popular than Twitter. At present, over 50 million Indians use WhatsApp.

Twitter also launched a new profile design last month. The microblogging website is also testing a feature that will give users the ability to see real-time notifications pop-up on their screens.

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Amazon's 3D smartphone: Challenges ahead

Amazon's phone comes at a time when the nation's largest e-commerce company is at a crossroads.

NEW YORK: Amazon, a company of seemingly boundless ambition, appears to be venturing into yet another market: Smartphones. 

The corporate juggernaut that started out with books and soon moved into music, video, cloud computing and Kindle e-readers is hosting a launch event in Seattle, and media reports indicate the product will be an Amazon phone — perhaps one with multiple cameras that can produce 3D photos. 

Amazon declined to comment, but analysts said the goal is almost certainly a device designed to get customers to buy more things from Amazon. It might include an Amazon shopping app or other features tied in tightly to the products the company sells. 

"It's Amazon. That says to me the core value proposition is going to be about shopping," said Ramon Llamas of the research firm International Data Corp. 

Amazon's phone comes at a time when the nation's largest e-commerce company is at a crossroads. 

Its stock, which surged for years despite narrow profits, has dropped 18% in 2014 to about $326, in part because investors have been losing patience with its habit of plowing revenue back into new ventures. 

Analysts said the move into smartphones is a bit of a head-scratcher, since the company is a late entrant into the highly competitive market. 

For all its success with other products, Amazon will be hard-pressed to compete with Samsung and Apple, the No. 1 and 2 mobile phone companies in the world. 

Globally, Samsung led mobile phone manufacturers with 31% of the 288 million units shipped in the first quarter, followed by Apple at 15%. In the US, Apple dominates with more than 37% of the 34 million units shipped, with Samsung at close to 29%. 

Some analysts have speculated that the 3D feature might tie into an Amazon shopping app. Shoppers might be able to use the phone to take a 3D picture of a product in a store, then search for the object on Amazon and buy it online. 

Analysts said the phone could also come with a data plan that could let owners use Amazon services without using up any data. 

"Anything that generates more repeat orders and more frequent purchases is probably part of what they intend to do with this," said RW Baird analyst Colin Sebastian. 

To compete, Amazon needs more than an expected 3D viewing feature, which has been tried before by smartphone makers like HTC and LG, Llamas said. 

Competing on price won't help if it leaves people with the impression that the device is cheaply built, and getting customers to buy a phone without being about to touch it first could prove difficult, he said. 

"If they sell it only online, as Amazon sells many of its goods and products, that could be a challenge," Llamas said. 

Here's a look at the impact Amazon has had in music, video and other markets it has entered: 

Books
Amazon.com Inc started as an online bookstore in 1995 in CEO Jeff Bezos' garage in Bellevue, Washington. As more and more bookstores have closed, Amazon is now believed to be the nation's largest bookseller, with an estimated 30% of a total book market that PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates hit $34.9 billion last year, and 60% of an e-book market that PwC pegged at $7.9 billion. 

Mike Shatzkin, founder and CEO of book industry consultancy The Idea Logical Co, said book publishers view Amazon with "a mixture of dependence and fear." 

"They can't live without Amazon's sales, and they can't live with Amazon's market power," he said. 

Music
Amazon is a major player in music. It has sold compact discs by mail since 1998 and digital downloads since 2007. 

Russ Crupnick, managing partner of consulting company MusicWatch, pegs Amazon's share at 18% of the $2.8 billion digital download market in the US last year and 23% of the $2.1 billion market for CDs. In comparison, Apple's iTunes commands about 67% of digital downloads and doesn't sell CDs. Amazon is the only competitor to Apple of any real size. 

Amazon last week launched a music streaming service that makes more than 1 million tracks available to members of its $99-a-year Amazon Prime subscription plan. 

Tablets
Amazon took over the e-book market soon after its first Kindle was launched in 2007. It took a big step by introducing its full-color Kindle Fire tablet in 2011, with a price starting at $199 and a screen just 7 inches diagonally. 

"At the time, none of the other vendors had something similar," said Jitesh Ubrani, an IDC analyst. 

But since then, others have matched the size and price, especially Samsung, which has made big gains. Amazon's share of global shipments has slid from more than 7% in 2012 to 2% in the first quarter of the year. 

"Other vendors have cheaper, better products," Ubrani said. 

Movies and TV shows
Amazon is a large retailer of DVDs and Blu-ray discs and also offers online rentals and purchases of digital video products. 

Amazon has 15% of the $1.8 billion US market for movie and TV show rentals and downloads, trailing Apple's 58%, according to Dan Cryan, an analyst with market research firm IHS. 

As for subscription video streaming, Cryan estimates Amazon accounted for 15% of the 43.6 million active US subscribers of streaming video plans through its Prime Instant Video service. Netflix accounted for 73% of active streaming subscribers, while Hulu Plus had 12%. 

Cloud services
Amazon essentially created the marketplace for what is known as cloud infrastructure as a service in 2006 with Amazon Web Services. That is where it allows its servers to be used by third parties to host the data and applications they need to run mobile apps, websites and other services. 

As the overwhelming market leader, Amazon maintains five times the computing capacity of the next 14 service providers combined, according to Gartner analyst Lydia Leong. Amazon is aggressive with price cuts and innovation, which will probably keep competitors like Microsoft from catching up for years, Leong said. 

Overall retail
Amazon sold $40.8 billion worth of goods in North America last year. That's 17% of all e-commerce, according to Anne Zybowski, vice president of retail insights at research firm Kantar Retail.

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