Monday, 26 August 2013

Vodafone and ICICI Bank extend M-Pesa mobile wallet service to Delhi and NCR

8/26/2013 10:35:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Vodafone and ICICI Bank extend M-Pesa mobile wallet service to Delhi and NCR

Vodafone India has launched its mobile money transfer and payment service, M-Pesa, in Delhi and NCR, in collaboration with ICICI Bank.

According to Vodafone, the service will now be available through 1400 specially trained authorised agents and across 130 Vodafone exclusive retail stores in Delhi and NCR region.

Through the M-Pesa service, users will be able to deposit and withdraw cash from designated outlets, transfer money to any mobile phone in India, remit money to any bank account in India, make payments to recharge mobiles, clear utility bills and for DTH service subscription, shop at select shops and use it for e-commerce/m-commerce transactions.

The service was initially announced in November 2012 when Vodafone India through its 100% subsidiary, Mobile Commerce Solutions Ltd. ("MCSL") had inked a strategic alliance with ICICI Bank for M-Pesa. Vodafone offers mobile payment services across the world under the 'M-Pesa' brand. It was later launched in Kolkata, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand through over 8,300 authorized agents, in April.

Highlighting the relevance of 'M-Pesa' for the residents of Delhi/NCR, Subrat Padhi, Business Head -Delhi, Vodafone India said, "Vodafone is always at the forefront to introduce innovative products and services that enrich the lives of our customers. We are delighted to bring to Delhi, 'M-Pesa', a world class mobile banking service, in partnership with ICICI Bank. 'M-Pesa', is a safe, secure and convenient service to transfer money and make payments beyond the reach of traditional banking channels. For households where the earning members migrate to larger cities for earning livelihood, 'M-Pesa' will be the best way to send money back home to their families."

Added Suresh Sethi, Business Head - M-Pesa, Vodafone India, "Vodafone is the world's largest and leading provider of mobile payment services through 'M-Pesa', which offers millions of people including the unbanked and under-serviced sections of society, basic financial services. Today, less than 5 percent of villages in India have a banking outlet. Financial inclusion is a national priority and we believe that with 'M-Pesa', we now have the ideal offering to facilitate the same across the country in compliance with all applicable regulations."

To register for the service, Vodafone customers need to visit an 'M-Pesa' agent outlet, fill up a form, submit identity, address proofs and deposit a minimum amount along with it, to open their 'M-Pesa' account. Following the registration, Vodafone will activate the MCSL Mobile Wallet for the customer who will be able to use it as a closed wallet and make a variety of transactions including cash deposits, transferring money to any bank account, transferring money to any other 'M-Pesa' customer, recharge mobiles and DTH connections, and pay mobile and utility bills. The customers will also be able to withdraw cash and send money to any mobile number once the documents are verified and approved by MCSL and ICICI Bank. They'll also be able to pay online retailers.

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Spice Stellar Glamour and Smart Flo Space with Android 4.2 launched

8/26/2013 10:34:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Spice Stellar Glamour and Smart Flo Space with Android 4.2 launched

Spice has launched Spice Stellar Glamour and Smart Flo Space budget smartphones for Rs. 5,999 and Rs. 3,799, respectively.

The Spice Stellar Glamour features a 4-inch WVGA display with 480x800 pixels resolution. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired with 512MB RAM. The Spice Stellar Glamour offers dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) connectivity with both the SIMs supporting 3G connectivity. It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The handset runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It also includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The device is backed by a 1400mAh battery. Connectivity features include GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Spice Stellar Glamour comes preloaded with NQ Antivirus that comes with a 6 months subscription.

The Spice Flo Space Mi-354 features a 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 320x480 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor coupled with 256MB RAM. It packs a 3-megapixel rear camera along with an LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It also runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The device includes 512MB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB through a microSD card. It is backed by a 1450mAh battery. The Spice Flo Space is a dual SIM (GSM+GSM) device with 2G support for both the SIMs.

Commenting on the launch, T M Ramakrishnan, CEO - Devices, S Mobility Ltd, said, "We have witnessed massive growth with low-cost offerings and delivering the best android experience without sacrificing on performance or features. These products position themselves as premium budget phones with enhanced features and better than what competition is offering. This latest offering by Spice is a perfect amalgamation of functionality, style & entertainment. "

Both the devices come preloaded with Spice Cloud app that provides consumers free Cloud backup with 2GB data storage and access to user photos, documents, music, videos and contacts across the devices, along with security and anti-theft features.

Mobiles launched in August 2013

Spice Stellar Glamour Mi-436 key specifications

4-inch WVGA display with 480x800 pixels resolution
1.2GHz dual-core processor
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
1.3-megapixel front facing camera
1,400mAh Battery
Dual-SIM (3G+3G)

Spice Flo Space Mi-354 key specifications

3.5-inch display with a resolution of 320x480 pixels
1GHz dual-core processor
256MB RAM
512MB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
3-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
1.3-megapixel front facing camera
1,450mAh Battery
Dual-SIM (2G+2G)

Samsung Galaxy Golden Android flip phone with dual-screens launched

8/26/2013 10:33:00 am TECHNOLOGY 1 comment

Samsung Galaxy Golden Android flip phone with dual-screens launched

Not too long ago, Samsung launched its first Android-based dual screen flip phone, the Samsung W789 in the Chinese market. Now, we get to hear that Samsung's second flip phone, the Galaxy Golden SHV-E400 has also been officially unveiled in Korea. Like the Samsung W789, the Samsung Galaxy Golden also features a dual screen with dual-touch display.

The Samsung Galaxy Golden sports two 3.7-inch Super AMOLED displays, on the inside and the outside. The phone is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The phone also includes FM Radio and will come in Champagne Gold colour. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. It comes with a 8-megapixel camera. The onboard storage and other specifications of the phone are not clear at this stage.

The Galaxy Golden comes with plethora of apps like S Health, Business card app which recognises contact details when clicking a photo of a business card, WatchOn app which offers TV program guide, and S Translator App that can translate 12 languages, either spoken or in text, including emails or sign boards as well.

The Samsung Galaxy Golden has been launched through Korean telecoms SKT and KT. For now it seems the handset will be available only in Korea and there is no word about it being launched in other markets.

Mobiles launched in August 2013

Samsung Galaxy Golden key specifications

2 x 3.7-inch Super AMOLED displays
1.7GHz dual-core processor
2GB RAM
8-megapixel camera
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)

Nokia Lumia 925 and Lumia 625 officially launched in India

8/26/2013 10:32:00 am TECHNOLOGY 1 comment

Nokia Lumia 925 and Lumia 625 officially launched in India

Nokia has launched its much anticipated smartphone, the Lumia 925 in India for Rs. 33,499 . The Finnish handset maker has also launched its large screen mid-range Lumia device, the Lumia 625 for Rs. 19,999.

The Lumia 925 had been listed on Nokia's official website with a price tag of Rs. 34,169. However, the MRP of the phone was listed as Rs. 38,529.

The Nokia Lumia 925 was introduced back in May at an event in London and was seen as a new interpretation of company's flagship phone, the Nokia Lumia 920.

The Nokia Lumia 925 is a premium smartphone and sports a metal frame with a polycarbonate back. As far as the specifications go, it comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display with a resolution of 768x1280 pixels and Gorilla 2 Glass. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor alongside 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It has an 8.7-megapixel PureView rear camera and 1.2-megapixel wide-angle front camera. Nokia claims that the Lumia 925's camera is better than the one featured in the Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 925 is available in two colour variants Black and Grey. It comes with a 2,000 mAh battery and runs Windows Phone 8. A wireless charging cover can be attached with the phone, available in Yellow, Red, White and Black colours.

With the launch of the Lumia 925, the company also introduced the new Nokia Smart Camera mode that offers an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus.

Meanwhile, the Nokia Lumia 625 has also been officially unveiled after being listed on an e-commerce retailer's website, earlier this week for Rs. 19,499.

Nokia had announced the launch of the Lumia 625 sporting a 4.7-inch LCD screen, its biggest one on a smartphone yet, last month. The specifications of the Nokia Lumia 625 include a 1.2GHz dual-core processor alongside 512MB RAM and 8GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD card. It comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-facing shooter. The 4.7-inch screen sports a 480x800 pixel resolution. The device runs Windows Phone 8. The phone will be available in Orange, Yellow, bright Green, White and Black colours.

Mobiles launched in August 2013

Nokia Lumia 925 key specifications

4.5-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display with 768x1280 resolution
1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor
1GB RAM
16GB of internal storage
8.7-megapixel PureView rear camera
1.2-megapixel wide-angle front camera
Windows Phone 8
2,000 mAh battery

Nokia Lumia 625 key specifications

4.7-inch 480x800 resolution
1.2GHz dual-core processor
512MB RAM
8GB internal storage, expandable by up to 64GB
5-megapixel rear camera
VGA front camera
2,000mAh battery
Windows Phone 8 with Amber update

Nokia says India 'least favourable market': Report

8/26/2013 10:31:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Nokia says India 'least favourable market': Report

Finnish telecom giant Nokia has told India's government that the country is now its "least favourable market" to operate in and it makes better sense to export its products from China, a report said Friday.

Nokia, which is fighting a 20-billion rupee ($311 million) tax demand from Indian authorities, urged the government to "act quickly to correct the wrong perception of India as a place for business", The Indian Express newspaper reported.

"The political risk of operating in India" has become "suddenly substantially higher and may inevitably influence future decisions to develop one's operations in India", Nokia said in a letter quoted by the daily.

The reported warning comes at a bad time for India when foreign direct investment has slowed to a trickle amid mounting domestic economic woes including a plunging rupee, a huge current account deficit, slowing growth and perceived government policy paralysis.

The Finnish group did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the message which The Indian Express said was dated June 19 and was received by the finance ministry last month.

Nokia said its tax problems made it "more cost-efficient for Nokia to transfer the manufacture of mobile phones to China and to import them to the Indian market rather than manufacture them in Chennai".

Nokia, which has one of its biggest plants world-wide in the southern city of Chennai, is among a string of multinationals in tax disputes in India including Cadbury Royal Dutch Shell and Vodafone.

India has stepped up its pursuit of alleged tax delinquents to reduce a hefty budget deficit.

Nokia insists software downloaded onto its mobiles in India should to be taxed in Finland under a bilateral treaty between the countries, but India's tax authorities view it differently.

"Nokia does not think India can override its international obligations," Nokia was quoted as saying.

Tax claims against Nokia and other multinationals have "too great an impact on the predictability and certainty of Indian business environment to be ignored", Nokia added.

India one of the world's fastest-growing mobile phone markets is the second largest market for Nokia which began operations in the country in 1995 and employs 8,000 workers directly in Chennai.

Nokia which had been the country's leading handset maker for 14 years recently ceded its crown to South Korea's Samsung.

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 A240 with 5.7-inch HD display, stylus listed online

8/26/2013 10:30:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 A240 with 5.7-inch HD display, stylus listed online

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 is now official, after being spotted in various leaks and official teaser posts earlier this week.

Flipkart has listed the device carrying a coming soon tag, and there is no word yet on availability or pricing of the device. The listing was first spotted by Fonearena.

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 A240 features a 5.7-inch HD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The device is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. It packs in a 12-megapixel rear camera accompanied by dual LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The device includes 12GB of internal storage, as per Flipkart's listing. The Canvas Doodle 2 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There is a 2600mAh battery that can give up to 8 hours of talk time, as per the listing. It is a dual-SIM device (GSM+GSM). Connectivity options include EDGE, GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G. Pre-loaded apps include M! Doodle, M! Live, M! Security, M! Zone, Hike, Spuul, Foneclay and Facebook.

The listing also confirms that the device comes with a stylus, like the original Micromax Canvas DoodleA111. The phablet also includes features like Smart Pause, Skitch and Blow or Shake to Unlock, which were recently seen on company's flagship smartphone, the Micromax Canvas 4.

Recently, Micromax teased its upcoming Canvas Doodle 2 smartphone on Facebook. A post from Micromax's official Facebook page displayed an illustration with tidbit of the promotional copy for the Canvas Doodle 2: "Draw, Depict or Doodle and let your thoughts come to life on a bigger Canvas. Canvas Doodle 2 - Coming Soon!"

Mobiles launched in August 2013

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 A240 key specifications

5.7-inch HD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels
1.2GHz quad-core processor
12GB of internal storage
12-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash
5-megapixel front-facing camera
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
2,600 mAh battery
Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM)

Yahoo overtakes Google to become the number one Web property in the US: comScore

8/26/2013 10:28:00 am TECHNOLOGY No comments

Yahoo overtakes Google to become the number one Web property in the US: comScore

Looks like Yahoo's back in the game, at least in the US.

According to a report released by popular digital analytics firm comScore, Yahoo's Internet properties managed to capture the numero uno position in US in the month of July 2013, overtaking Google in the process for the first time in over two years.

comScore's Media Metrix Ranks of the top 50 US properties reports Yahoo sites were on the number one position with 225,359,000 unique visitors in July 2013. This was followed by Google sites with 192,251,000 unique visitors, Microsoft sites with 179,595,000, Facebook with 142,266,000 unique visitors and AOL with 117,395,000 unique visitors.

Yahoo has also been ranked number one in comScore's Ad Focus rankings which are computed on the basis of Internet audience reach. The reach of Yahoo sites was recorded at 87.2 percent out of the total sample size of 225 million Internet users, in July. Google was number four, with a reach of 80.6 percent.

The last time Yahoo was number one was May 2011, as pointed out by MarketingLand. This makes it the first time in over two years that Yahoo has managed to pass Google, pushing it to the second position.

While some initially linked Yahoo's upswing to the surge in traffic from Tumblr blogs, comScore clarified that Tumblr's traffic figures had not been combined with that of Yahoo's figures yet.

In a statement, comScore said, "Tumblr is not currently included in the Yahoo! Sites roll-up. Seems there are other factors at play, and given how close Yahoo Sites and Google have been in recent months it can likely just be normal seasonal/ month-to-month fluctuations."

Yahoo acquired popular blogging platform Tumblr in June for a reported fee of 1.1 billion dollars.

Since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO in July 2012, Yahoo has been trying to transform itself into a modern Internet and mobile company. It has been on a buying spree acquiring biggies like Tumblr and has launched revamped versions of its mobile apps and its online image sharing service, Flickr.

6 Habits that give you a paunch

8/26/2013 10:25:00 am HEALTH TIPS No comments

6 Habits that give you a paunch

We tend to overlook on certain habits that affect our life. We list down seven such habits that give you a belly pudge and how you can get rid of the unwanted fat gathering around your increasing waistline...

Skipping meals
When you skip meals, you end up overeating later and the fat inevitably finds a way to your midsection. Make it a point to eat small to medium-sized meals every three to four hours daily. Says nutritionistJivesh Shetty, "We have to trick our body into having smaller meals every two to three hours to keep our metabolic rate high, not making us feel hungry and binge later."

Binge drinking
When you binge-drink, you are inviting flab to settle down on your mid-section. Alcohol contains lots of calories and you often tend to feel hungry while you are drinking. If you want to go out drinking with friends, make sure you opt for red wine — it helps fight paunch. Nutritionist Namita Nanal, says, "The consumption of alcohol in moderation is fine during weight maintenance. You can choose to have wine as it is a rich source of antioxidants."

Crazy about crunches
Sit-ups tone the muscles and does not affect the layer of fat covering them. Doing 50 or 100crunches will not make your jeans fitting loose. Instead of doing 50 crunches a day, it is advisable to jog or brisk walk in the park or on the treadmill for half an hour daily to get rid of the belly pudge. Nanal says, "Only doing too much of crunches will not help. A proper combination of a good workout along with diet will help you to lose the fat faster."

Consuming 'lite' products
Remember that opting for sugar-free sweets, yoghurt, low-fat snacks or diet sodas will not help in the long run. These artificial sweeteners trigger your metabolism to increase the storage of fat.

Staying away from bread
Whole-grain breads and cereals allow insulin to rise and gradually reduce the chances of adding fat to your belly. Make it a point of include wild rice, whole wheat chappatis and oatmeal in your meal plan once a day. Says Shetty, "Bread made from whole wheat and other processed grains have usually more fibre and are usually no different from homemade chapattis. It is healthy to have some amount of carbohydrates to help in the digestion process."

Fatty foods: a big no-no
Not all kinds of fats are unhealthy. Monounsaturated fats are good for you. Nutritionists opine that if you consume one-quarter of an avocado either in your sandwich or salad, you will lose the fat around your belly soon. Nanal adds, "Good fats are essential for your body. For example, you can have nuts, healthy oils like sunflower and olive oil. Avoiding them completely will not benefit your body completely.
"

Over 2,500 posts of IAS, IPS vacant across the country

8/26/2013 10:24:00 am EDUCATION, JOBS No comments

Over 2,500 posts of IAS, IPS vacant across the country

There is a shortage of 2,500 officers in Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service across the country, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Out of total 2,573 vacancies, 1,480 are for IAS officers and 1,093 for IPS officers, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, V Narayanasamy said in a written reply.

The total authorised strength of IAS is 6,217 and 4,730 for IPS.

“There is an overall shortage of IAS and IPS officers in country,” he said.

The reasons for shortage of officers are increase in cadre size due to increased developmental activities and limited intake on account of constraints of training requirements, quality management and matching infrastructure, he said.

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=8310http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=7677&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.Obb40Y9a.dpuf

Companies look for niche skills, do away with group discussions

8/26/2013 10:23:00 am EDUCATION, JOBS, TECHNOLOGY No comments

Companies look for niche skills, do away with group discussions

Time was when clearing the group discussion stage by a candidate was considered one of the most important steps in the hiring process. Although a large number of companies still resort to this traditional mode of recruiting to save time, some companies have entirely eliminated this tedious process. Companies such as SAP India, Dell India and Godrej Group have discontinued group discussions in hiring, whereas others such as Cummins believe for assessing the character and values in a person – there is a growing demand for these traits today – group discussion is not the best tool.

While for companies such as Hindustan Unilever, GDs are still an integral part of the hiring process, experts believe in the current recruiting scenario, companies are shying away from holding the GD process owing to its high cost.

SAP India, which earlier used GDs in selective focused groups, has discontinued using the practice on realizing that the tool may not be effective for analyzing people’s analytical bent of mind. “…it is more helpful when choosing candidates for roles where oral communication is very important,” said Nagraj Shriyan, head – talent acquisition, SAP India. One of the ways in which SAP India assesses candidates is by asking people to write a note on either a customer, technical or business situation they have faced. This, said Shriyan, helps the company in analyzing the thought structure, grasp of language, and communication skills of the candidate.

It is for similar reasons that Godrej Group decided to do away with GDs. “While this format has worked well in the past, allowing for recruiters to observe a larger pool of applicants within a short duration, it is limiting in approach and has also become rather predictable,” said Sumit Mitra, head – Group HR & corporate services, Godrej Industries and associate companies.

“We have found simulated games, role plays and even theatre interesting alternatives which work well – it offers us a better opportunity to judge group interaction, initiative, creativity and problem solving skills,” he added.

Group discussions work best when organizations are hiring in volume. “However, in the professional hiring space, when an organization is looking for niche skills group discussion do not serve as the best option,” said Savneet Shergill, head – talent acquisition, Dell India.

“Some candidates take longer than others to open up or have limited ability to stand out in a crowd even though they have great depth in terms of knowledge and skills – No organization will want to end up losing a potential candidate with great subject matter expertise!” added Shergill.

If not managed sensitively, GD’s can also tend to be very impersonal and that can keep great candidates away from applying in future. Moreover, this method does not provide the candidates with an opportunity to ask questions about the company they expect to join.

“I must admit that GDs are a cruel process and perhaps not the best. In as far as selection of personnel from the market is concerned, we do rely on GDs where at junior levels we have large number of applications. But then, as you go up to more mid levels and beyond, there are no GDs employed,” said Ernest Louis, VP – HR, Asian Paints.

For a group like Cummins, though, group discussions continue to be an essential tool for filtering applicants when the numbers are large, the organization does not lean on group discussions alone for assessing an applicant’s character and values. This is because Cummins looks for personality traits such as decisive, driven to win, agile, passionate and caring in a candidate.

At Cummins, the hiring process includes preliminary screening on the basis of academic records, technical and analytical tests, and personal interviews, according to Nagarajan Balanaga, vice president HR – Cummins Group in India.

According to Asim Handa, CEO India, Gi Group, a global staffing and recruitment firm: “GDs becomes cost expensive as one needs to ensure at least 3-4 candidates at a single time, a moderator to manage the GD, a venue (in case hiring is for a new location) and many other such limiting and costly factors.”

- See more at: http://content.timesjobs.com/?p=8303&fromsite=toi&utm_source=toi&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=toi-tj-whitelabel#sthash.Y867YFqH.dpuf

Lessons From My First Job: Ramaswamy Kavalapara, Head-HR, Xchanging APAC

8/26/2013 10:22:00 am JOBS No comments

Lessons From My First Job: Ramaswamy Kavalapara, Head-HR, Xchanging APAC

Ramaswamy Kavalapara, Head-HR, Xchanging APAC shares his first job experience

My First Job: It was with Wipro in the Personnel (HR) Department

My experience: It was phenomenal. I was just out of college when I joined Wipro. Being a fresher, I had to learn ground up. Every team member was helpful in guiding me on the areas assigned. In a couple of months I was up and running in the few areas assigned. I could see a big opportunity, and decided to grow. The environment was very flexible and they were willing to let you learn and explore. In a couple of years I mastered every area assigned. My principle was to work smartly and take less time to complete an assignment and be able to take on more. Because of my enthusiasm, my manager added more to my portfolio, giving me complete exposure to all the activities undertaken by the department.

Things I learnt: When I started 26 years ago in Wipro, everything was manual. The entire department had one personal computer (PC 286) and it was largely used for learning. All work was hand-written, or by a manual type writer. My learning was patience, empathy, team work and that working hard as well as smart really pays off in the long term.

Skills I Acquired: Everything around the Personnel / HR space that I could gather.

My Manager’s Teaching: He was a very strong person in the domain but very strict. He took the pain to explain everything from scratch and tracked you closely on the progress. Adherence to timelines, accuracy, and error-free completion of tasks were some of the areas he emphasised on.

My Journey So Far: Wipro was a solid foundation and I did not look back. I learnt that long-term stability pays. In the next organisation, I spent close to 17 years with a multi-faceted opportunity including stints overseas. Growth has been a steady factor with me and in the current organisation as well, the experience and learning has been tremendous.

Turning Point in my Career: This was at my second job. We had a new CEO regularly interacting with all youngsters in the organisation, and I was one of them. At some point he told me that he is going to make me the head of the function (I was second-in-running at that time) and it will be under the mentorship of a senior colleague from a different department. This mentorship was planned for a year, but in 3 months I gained his confidence and started reporting directly to him. Working under his leadership was a turning point in my career. It used to be 18 to 20 hour work days, but every bit was a great learning and growth opportunity. The share price of the company shot up by 600%. Attrition dropped from 39% to 9% and many more laurels were achieved.

My most crucial step: I was given a target to reduce attrition from 39% to below 10%. It was just me and one other colleague reporting to me. I had to work really hard to get the entire organisation together to make this happen. We had to connect with every employee on the shared vision as mutual trust was the key. A lot of actions were taken in this space, eventually bringing transparency and getting everyone aligned to the organisation’s vision. People were encouraged to talk about their aspirations. Value creation was done for people in the bottom of the pyramid to bring out the best in them. Additionally, the entire management team addressed all employees in groups (including security and housekeeping staff) on the vision, achievements and plans ahead. We had a happy lot, who helped in creating value for customers, shareholders and themselves.

My Advice: Hard work, be patient and leverage every opportunity. But do not forget the basics; roll up your sleeves and be ready to dirty your hands. Also, it is very important to be compassionate.

Micromax’s biggest, most expensive phone launched

8/26/2013 10:19:00 am TECHNOLOGY 1 comment

Micromax’s biggest, most expensive phone launched

Micromax has launched its biggest-ever and most expensive smartphone in India, the Canvas Doodle 2.

NEW DELHI: Indigenous smartphone manufacturer Micromax has launched its biggest-ever and most expensive smartphone in India. The new phone, named Canvas Doodle 2, has a 5.7-inch screen; the upcoming SamsungGalaxy Note III is also said to have a 5.7-inch display.

Available on online retailer Snapdeal, the new Micromax phone has been priced at Rs 19,990, making it the most expensive handset by the company. The listing says the phone will be dispatched in five days.

The new Canvas Doodle 2 has previously been teased by Micromax via its Facebook page with the tagline "Can your imagination get bigger?" The phone is not listed on the company's website as of now.

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 has screen resolution of 1280x720p, same as that of Canvas HD and Canvas 4. It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, backed by 1GB RAM and comes with 12GB internal storage. This dual-sim smartphone will run on Android4.2 (Jelly Bean) and come with Micromax's 'Blow to Unlock' feature.

The manufacturer has used a 12MP camera with dual-LED flash on the back and a 5MP shooter in front. The listing on Snapdeal mentions connectivity options like 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi. The 2,600mAh battery of the phone has been rated at 8 hours of talk time on 2G network.

Micromax has said it will launch a total of 30 smartphones this year and has tasted success with handsets likes Canvas HD and Canvas 4
.

Rupee down 70 paise against dollar in early trade

8/26/2013 10:18:00 am BUSINESS No comments

Rupee down 70 paise against dollar in early trade

MUMBAI: The rupee on Monday again turned weak and plunged 70 paise to 63.90 against theUS dollar in early trade after strong recovery on Friday, due to increased demand for the American currency from importers and some banks.

Dealers said besides increased month-end demand for dollar from importers, dollar's gain against some currencies overseas put pressure on the domestic currency.

However, a higher opening in the domestic equity market, capped the rupee's fall, they said.

Google to work with IBM, Continental on self-driving cars

8/22/2013 12:51:00 pm TECHNOLOGY No comments

Google to work with IBM, Continental on self-driving cars

German automotive parts maker Continental AG is close to agreeing alliances with Google and IBM to develop autonomous driving systems for cars.

FRANKFURT: German automotive parts makerContinental AG is close to agreeing alliances with Google and IBM to develop autonomous driving systems for cars, a German newspaper reported.

Daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cited unspecified sources as saying Continental aims to unveil the two pacts at the Frankfurt Car Show in September.

Continental is already in an alliance with US network equipment maker Cisco Systems to work on systems for automated and driverless automobiles and on data transfer between cars.

A Continental spokesman declined to comment. Spokespeople for Google and IBM in Germany were not immediately available for comment.

Google has been working on self-driving technology since 2010, including testing a fleet of self-driving cars along California roadways.

A raft of automakers including GM, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen are developing computer-controlled features that help drivers avoid accidents.

8/22/2013 12:47:00 pm No comments

Google Chromecast review

A new device from Google makes it easy to stream video from several popular services to a high-definition TV. Chromecast is tiny enough to dangle from a keychain when not in use, but it packs a big punch for a low price.

At merely $35, Chromecast is irresistible. Using your home Wi-Fi network, it streams some of your favorite shows from some of your favorite services, including Netflix and Google's YouTube. It takes only a few minutes to set up, and the device worked flawlessly.

Chromecast joins Roku, Apple TV and several other devices meant to project Internet content onto TVs. In the early days of online video, people were content watching movies and shows on their desktop or laptop computers. But as these services become more popular and even replace cable TV in some households, there's a greater desire to get them playing on television sets, which tend to be the largest screens in living rooms.

That's especially true when your computer is a phone or tablet and has a smaller screen.

Chromecast, which is about the size of a thumb drive, plugs directly into the HDMI port of an HDTV. A USB cable must be inserted at the other end of the Chromecast and connected to a power source, either a wall outlet or a USB port on the TV.

It was easy to sync Chromecast with my Android phone, and it was an even nicer experience with Google's new Nexus 7 tablet. There's something to be said for turning my touch-screen device into a remote control for Netflix.

I watched an episode of Netflix's original series "House of Cards" in high definition without a glitch. Same goes for watching the BBC's "Empire of the Sun," a free offering from Google's online Play store. But other titles there cost money, as does a Netflix subscription. Chromecast is merely a physical conduit to the services I'd already signed up and paid for.

Even though I already have a Netflix app on my smartphone, I had to download a Chromecast version of it, as well as the main Chromecast app from Google. That's a one-time affair, and it's a snap to get them up and running after the initial installation.

To watch a movie, I simply choose it from the Chromecast Netflix app. Once it's playing on the big screen, I was able to easily pause, play and forward through my content with a swipe of the finger. "House of Cards" continues to play even after I power off my phone completely, as the video passes through my Wi-Fi network, which remains on. I do have to turn my phone back on to regain remote control over the viewing experience.

It works similarly with Chromecast app for Google Play and YouTube.

More apps are coming. For Hulu Plus, HBO Go and other services without apps yet, it's possible to simply stream that content on Google's Chrome Web browser, assuming you have accounts with them. You can then have whatever is showing on the browser project onto the TV.

In practice, though, I was never able to successfully connect a desktop or a laptop computer, each running the latest version of the Chrome browser, to the Chromecast device. There are apps and browser extensions and not-fully supported operating systems that all need to be in sync to pull it off. In my tests, using two different Macs and a Windows computer, they never were.

Also, Chromecast doesn't allow so-called "sideloaded" content to be streamed on it. "Sideloaded" is essentially shorthand for content that Google can't be certain you have legally purchased and have the rights to consume. If I had gotten the Chrome browser method to work, I could have used that to view them on the big screen. But it's easier said than done.

Plenty of devices allow much easier local content streaming. Chromecast isn't one of them. It's not a deal-breaker for me, though.

I suspect many people already have devices that can stream these popular services to an HD display. If you have an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3, you're already good to go. The same goes for the Roku streaming box that handles some of the same streaming apps as Chromecast, and many more. Heck, even a laptop with an HDMI output can deliver the content to an HDTV.

Unlike many of the other streaming devices, you still need a phone, tablet or regular computer to control your viewing with Chromecast. Roku's streaming box, for instance, lets you sign into accounts, choose content and rewind video with an included remote. Roku does make a separate streaming stick, similar to Chromecast, but that works only with TVs that have a technology known as mobile high-definition links, or MHL.

For now, there are only a handful of apps currently available to use with Chromecast. But they are among the most popular Internet video services. Video from Apple's iTunes isn't likely to come to Chromecast any time soon, but you can expect many more to be added if the device takes off. (If you really need iTunes, you'll need an Apple TV. Roku doesn't have it, either.)

At $35, Chromecast is cheaper than other streaming devices, which run about $100 each. I can think of a lot of worse ways to fork over $35.

If you don't already have a device that can stream Netflix to your HDTV, Chromecast hits the sweet spot.

Monday, 26 August 2013

Vodafone and ICICI Bank extend M-Pesa mobile wallet service to Delhi and NCR

Spice Stellar Glamour and Smart Flo Space with Android 4.2 launched

Samsung Galaxy Golden Android flip phone with dual-screens launched

Nokia Lumia 925 and Lumia 625 officially launched in India

Nokia says India 'least favourable market': Report

Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 A240 with 5.7-inch HD display, stylus listed online

Yahoo overtakes Google to become the number one Web property in the US: comScore

6 Habits that give you a paunch

Over 2,500 posts of IAS, IPS vacant across the country

Companies look for niche skills, do away with group discussions

Lessons From My First Job: Ramaswamy Kavalapara, Head-HR, Xchanging APAC

Micromax’s biggest, most expensive phone launched

Rupee down 70 paise against dollar in early trade

Thursday, 22 August 2013

Google to work with IBM, Continental on self-driving cars

Google Chromecast review

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