Thursday, 20 March 2014

South Korean University now accepts gamers as student athletes

3/20/2014 12:03:00 pm EDUCATION, JOBS, TECHNOLOGY No comments

South Korean University now accepts gamers as student athletes

Man, remember how your folks would harass you about get ahead in life rather than molting in front of a video game for 42 hours on end? Throw this in your ma's face: Chung-Ang University in South Korea now considers competitive gamers the same as traditional athletes. And it's a top 10 (South Korean) school!

The university will begin accepting eSports applicants starting next year, with students matriculating into the school's Department of Sport Science - previously home to the ball sports you'd generally associate with college athletes.

The move seems a little non-traditional, but let's not forget that South Korea has a robust gaming community that's a bit more mainstream than it is in places like the US Live public gaming tournaments are a spectacle in South Korea, often televised with the kind of fanfare we associate with professional wrestling.

Now that Chung-Ang University is accepting gamer-athletes, we can only hope the next step is a giant badass gaming stadium on campus.
By Robert Sorokanich

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Online Employer Branding Is Key To Attract Good Talent

3/20/2014 12:01:00 pm EDUCATION, JOBS, TECHNOLOGY No comments

Online Employer Branding Is Key To Attract Good Talent

Irrespective of the company size, it’s important to build a strong employer brand name on the internet

A large number of employers now-a-days are tracking prospective candidates on the internet and analysing their social media presence to determine their fitment in their organisation. Even candidates have become very particular when it comes to choosing their employer. They leverage the power of the internet to find the right career option. According to a TimesJobs.com poll, 65 per cent respondents would research the right sector and company needed for their career growth. Another 45 per cent would check and access jobs from multiple sources on the internet.

“There is often a lot of focus and talk about organisations finding the right talent that align with their competence and cultural needs. What is equally important is for the job seeker to find an organisation that reflects and supports his/her values and career objectives,” stated Chinmayi VS, head- Human Resources, Maxim Integrated, during one of the TimesJobs.com High-Tea chat session.

She believes that a job seeker’s primary goal is to seek an organisation that offers him/her a good role with learning and career progression opportunities, along with a good working culture. He/she would be spending at least 40 hours, five days a week in an organisation; therefore it is important that a job seeker finds an organisation and colleagues reflect the values he/she believes in.

“There are websites that reflect employee ratings that certainly provide a generic view of the employee engagement and culture but it may not be accurate. A job seeker can explore the company’s work culture and career opportunity system directly on their website or by contacting employees of the company,” she highlighted.

It’s imperative for organisations to engage job-seekers online to attract the best talent. Leveraging the power of social media can prove to be a highly effective method to tap into this talent pool. During one of the recent TimesJobs.com Boardroom Dialogues, Rajesh Pandey, vice president – Human Resources, OnMobile Global Ltd, highlighted that social media plays a key role in employer branding, so does word-of-mouth. Therefore, it’s very critical to manage your organisational brand on social media and the internet.

According to Dalbir Singh, India staffing director, Microsoft India, engaging candidates on the web is imperative for attracting good talent. He highlighted that, in spite of being such an impressive brand, Microsoft still has to engage talent online as much as any other organisation. They are actively involved in blogging, conducting webinars and promoting dedicated pages. “Put your opportunity across, if it excites them, they will come to you,” he stated.

Sebi strips FTIL of ‘fit and proper’ tag

3/20/2014 11:58:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Sebi strips FTIL of ‘fit and proper’ tag

MUMBAI: Market regulator Sebi on Wednesday said that Jignesh Shah-promoted Financial Technologies (FTIL) was not a 'fit and proper' entity to hold stake in any stock exchange or a clearing corporation for a stock exchange. Sebi also directed FTIL to divest all its stakes in MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX), MCX-SX Clearing Corporation, Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE), Vadodara Stock Exchange (VSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) within the next three months.

The regulatory order came in relation to FTIL's role in the Rs 5,600-crore NSEL scam, which in turn had prompted the Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the regulator for the commodity derivatives market, declaring FTIL as not a 'fit and proper' entity to hold stakes in any commodity exchange.

The late evening order from Sebi said that FTIL was not a "'fit and proper person' to acquire or hold any equity share or any instrument that provides for entitlement for equity shares or rights over equity shares at any future date, in a recognized stock exchange or clearing corporation, either directly or indirectly." It also directed that FTIL and the related entities which hold equity shares or any instrument entitling voting rights in MCX-SX, MCX-SX CCL, DSE, VSE and NSE should cease to be entitled to such rights with immediate effect.

The 11-page order by Rajeev Kumar Agarwal, a whole-time Sebi member, said that it was primarily based on an FMC order of December 17 last year that said that FTIL was being declared not a 'fit and proper person' to hold shares in Multi Commodity Exchange "in public interest and in the interest of the commodities derivatives market".

The genesis of these regulatory orders date back to July 31 last when NSEL declared its inability to pay about Rs 5,600 crore to investors and a payment crisis ensued. Later several of the top NSEL officials were arrested by the investigative agencies. Shah and other current and former directors of the group were also questioned. Recently CBI also started a probe against two former top Sebi officials, C B Bhave and K M Abraham, and also Shah to look into how the group managed to get the regulatory nod to start a stock exchange. Last week, FTIL also sold its 100% holding in National Bulk Handling Corp (NBHC), its warehousing business, for about Rs 240 crore.

The Sebi order said that FTIL was issued a show-cause notice as to why it should not be declared 'fit and proper' entity. Subsequently, representatives of FTIL had presented their case to the regulator. One of the main points presented by FTIL to Sebi was that FMC did not 'direct' FTIL to divest its stake in MCX but merely 'advised' it to do so. However, Sebi found FTIL's was a fit case to declare it as an entity not 'fit and proper person' to hold any stake in any stock exchange or a clearing corporation.

Eat oats for better heart health, and beyond

3/20/2014 11:56:00 am HEALTH TIPS No comments

Eat oats for better heart health, and beyond

Eat oats for better heart health, and beyond (Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images)

A key morning breakfast food has just got better. The soluble fibre in oats helps lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol but scientists now say that the cardiovascular health benefits of oats goes beyond fibre.

The phenolic compound avenanthramide (AVE) - found only in oats - may possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-itch and anti-cancer properties.

It suggests that oat AVEs may play an important role in protecting the heart.

Eating whole grains is consistently associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease.

"Our studies reveal that the heart health benefit of eating oats may go beyond fibre," said Shengmin Sang from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

The soluble fibre beta-glucan found in oats has been recognised for its ability to lower both total and LDL cholesterol.

According to Mohsen Meydani from the Vascular Biology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University, oat AVEs suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines associated with fatty streak formation in the arteries.

In addition, oat AVEs appear to repress the process associated with the development of atherosclerosis.

Eleven top scientists from around the globe presented the latest findings on the powerful compounds found in oats in a scientific session titled 'Physicochemical Properties and Biological Functionality of Oats' at the 247th Annual Conference of the American Chemical Society in Dallas, Texas, recently.

Qantas reduces TCS contract size

3/20/2014 11:53:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Qantas reduces TCS contract size

TCS is expected to be a loser in a new contract that Australian carrier Qantas is close to finalizing.

BANGALORE: TCS is expected to be a loser in a new contract that Australian carrier Qantas is close to finalizing. The publication The Australian has reported that Qantas intends to consolidate its IT vendors to achieve significant cost savings and has awarded the master service agreement of the $800 million contract to IBM. Some of this work that was previously done by TCS and Tech Mahindra will move to IBM. "The seven-year agreement will result in up to 400 employees from TCS and Tech Mahindra working on the Qantas contract transition to IBM to continue their current duties," the article said. India's largest IT services company has a $120 million IT contract for application, development and maintenance. But the larger outsourcing contract with IBM might reduce TCS's scope of work to about $30-40 million, the article said. When TOI reached out to TCS for comments, the company said it does not comment on client-specific information.

Flappy Bird creator tweets that the game will return soon

3/20/2014 11:51:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Flappy Bird creator tweets that the game will return soon

Popular game Flappy Bird would be returning to the app store according to a tweet by its creator.

Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen tweeted that his infamous game would be returning to the App Store, reports Gawker.

Nguyen originally took the game down because he claimed it was ruining lives. When the app arrived, people became obsessed with the notoriously difficult game. When Nguyen announced he was removing it from the app store, he received disturbing death threats from people on Twitter.

In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this month, Nguyen explained he would have the new version come with a warning telling people to take a break.

Nguyen didn't specifically mention when the game would return, but there still are quite a few clones sitting in the App Store. It's also unclear if Flappy Bird will even be its name.

— Ryan Bushey

Motorola launches Moto X in India at Rs 23,999

3/20/2014 11:48:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Motorola launches Moto X in India at Rs 23,999

Motorola has launched its flagship smartphone, Moto X, in the Indian market at starting price of Rs 23,999.

NEW DELHI: Motorola has launched its flagship smartphone, Moto X, in the Indian market. Just like Moto G, the new smartphone will be available in India only via e-commerce website Flipkart.

The company is offering the Moto X variant with plastic back panel at Rs 23,999; Motorola is offering back panels in five colours, namely black, white, turquoise, blue and red. The models with wood finish (walnut and teak) have been priced at Rs 25,999.

As per the listings on Flipkart, only the Moto X variants in white and black colours are available for purchase at present. The other versions can only be pre-ordered at present and will be delivered to buyers in the second week of April. Flipkart is providing launch-day offers for Moto X, such as cashback of Rs 1,000 for those who buy the device on EMIs, 70% off on body cases and 100% cashback to select buyers.

Moto X is the only flagship smartphone by a major company that aims to lure customers with the promise of optimized user experience instead of beefed up hardware. The device has a 4.7-inch HD screen, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 10MP camera and 2GB RAM. It is among the few smartphones in the country that run on Android 4.4 operating system and has a water-resistant coating. Buyers get free 50GB of Google Drive storage with Moto X.

Motorola has not rolled out the Moto Maker online tool, which allows buyers to customized their Moto X smartphone at the time of ordering, in India.

The smartphone comes with a unique always-on voice assistant that listens to the commands even if the user is not operating the handset. It also comes with a Quick Capture feature, which allows users to jerk their wrist twice to open the camera app. The camera of Moto X also features ClearPixel technology that allows 75% more light to enter, thus producing better low light pictures.

Much like Nokia's Glance Screen, Moto X comes with Active Display; this feature shows the time, unread messages and emails, missed calls and other notifications even when the screen is turned off. The device is preloaded with the Migrate app, which allows users to transfer data like contacts, photos, videos and even call log and SMSs from any Android 4.2-powered phone.

Other smartphones available at this price point in India are Google Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy Grand 2, Sony Xperia T2 Ultra, Gionee Elife E7 and Nokia Lumia 1320.

Moto X in India: 6 unique features

1 of 7

Motorola has finally brought the Moto X smartphone to India, at a price point of Rs 23,999. One of the most unique handsets in the market, Moto X tries to please customers with a better user experience, rather than just beefed up specifications.

Wondering what different has Moto X brought to the market? Here are six unique features of the Moto X smartphone…

Here's what we just learned about Motorola's new smartwatch

3/20/2014 11:43:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Here's what we just learned about Motorola's new smartwatch

This summer Motorola will be launching its Moto 360, which the company is touting as a smartwatch that looks more like a timepiece than a gadget.

This summer Motorola will be launching its Moto 360, which the company is touting as a smartwatch that looks more like a timepiece than a gadget. Although we still don't know how much it will cost, Motorola just revealed some more details on its functionality.

Here's a brief overview of what we know so far:

* The watch will be water-resistant. Water resistant usually means it can withstand being sprayed with water but not submerged, so don't count on going swimming with this watch.

*The Moto 360 will be available globally - eventually - but is initially rolling out this summer.

* It won't charge through USB, but Motorola says it's exploring "alternative ways" to charge it. Perhaps this means we'll see wireless charging, although it's too soon to tell.

* You'll be able to change the watch's wristband. The company stressed that the 360 is meant to be a mass appeal device, so buyers will be able to switch out the bands to fit their taste and size.

* The Moto 360 will work with all Android devices running 4.3 Jelly Bean and up.

* The user interface is capable of switching orientation depending on how you wear it. So you never have to worry about putting it on upside down or wearing it on your opposite wrist.

* It won't have a camera. Motorola said it "did not see it as essential to what we thought people wanted" from the watch. The Moto 360 will focus on delivering contextual information, not acting as a phone replacement on your wrist, the company says.

* It'll be a lot like the Moto X - meaning the screen will turn on as you life up your hand to check the watch, etc. Motorola said the technology that's in the Moto X will appear in the Moto 360.

* You'll always be able to see the time when you glance down at your wrist. Some smartwatches' screens turn off when they remain inactive, meaning you have to wake up the screen to see the time. Motorola suggests the Moto 360 won't be this way. We expect to learn more as the summer approaches.

Few takers for wearable gadgets in India: Phone makers

3/20/2014 11:41:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Few takers for wearable gadgets in India: Phone makers

Wearable devices may be the next big thing in the tech arena, but they will find very few takers in India anytime in the near future.

NEW DELHI: Wearable devices may be the next big thing to hit the world of telecom, but they will find very few takers in India anytime in the near future, some handset makers and experts say.

Karbonn Mobiles, India's third largest smartphone seller, feels that wearable technology including Android Wear announced recently by Google, is only an accessory but the company may consider developing wearable devices on a trial basis. Wearable devices are "more of a fad."

"There are very few tangible use cases and it's more of an accessory", said Shashin Devsare, executive director at Karbonn Mobiles. He was speaking on the sidelines of launching three smartphone models, which will help the company increase annual revenue to Rs 8,000 crore in the financial year 2014-15, 60% higher than in the current fiscal year.

On Tuesday, Google announced Android Wear, an operating system tailored for smartwatches and wearable technology. LG and Motorola have said that they will come out with G Watch and Moto 360 in this category.

Google is working with leading multinational device makers like Samsung, Asus and HTC and chipmakers, including Qualcomm, Intel and Mediatek, for spreading this technology for wider adoption.

"We have to see how they (wearable devices) have progressed in the world. India is a follower market for technology and gadgets. And wearables are yet to take off globally," said Jayanth Kolla, co-founder and partner at research firm Convergence Catalyst.

Chinese smartphone maker Gionee's India head Arvind Vohra concurred that a mobile phone was the key utility product and added that most Indians were yet to upgrade to smartphones from feature phones, which meant a further step up was still far away.

"This is a pure marketing exercise. Bluetooth hasn't worked. Today the biggest wearable device that we see is the headset. Beyond that, how many wearable devices are you going to use," Vohra said.

Pricing would also be a big hurdle in a price sensitive market like India, say experts. Sony and Samsung have launched their own versions of smartwatches, priced between nearly Rs 15,000 and Rs 19,000.

Karbonn's Devsare said that wearable technology makers will have to bring down the cost of making these devices to retail between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 such that these products to go mainstream or to be used by a large number of people in India.

"In India, it's all related to price. The people who see these devices and use these devices are all urban. The market is somewhere else," added Gionee's Vohra.

However, Taiwanese chipset maker Mediatek's international sales and marketing head Finbarr Moynihan was of the view that wearable technology is imminent as a number of use case trends will emerge. For instance, health and fitness related watch-type formats which has been established and can be developed further to have superior sensory capabilities monitoring everything from temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen levels.

"It's not for everyone but it's not a fad," he said while adding that the high-end smartphone users in the Indian market may be the early adopters of wearable technology as a fashion accessory or a complementary device to a smartphone, as they hold the same socio economic status and purchasing power as customers in some developed markets
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Thursday, 20 March 2014