VARINDIA IT MAGAZINE

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Hewlett-Packard Co. is reorganizing its personal-computer division as part of a push to broaden use of the software it gained from the acquisition of Palm Inc. Jon Rubinstein, Palm's former chief executive officer, will take charge of product development and innovation for the Personal Systems Group, which encompasses PCs, tablets and smartphones. Senior Vice President Stephen DeWitt will run a new unit responsible for developing and promoting the WebOS computer operating system. Both will report to Todd Bradley, who runs PSG. Hewlett-Packard is counting on the integration of WebOS to differentiate its products from rival machines, including Apple Inc's iPad and those using Google Inc's Android. For More Details See www.varindia.com

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Plasma television may soon go blank as sales go flat as Samsung and LG shift focus to fast-growing LCD and LED televisions. Sales of the plasma televisions have been flat for the last 6-9 months even though the overall flat panel TV segment is growing at a rate of 119%. Plasma TV now accounts for just 2% of the overall flat-panel television market, with LCD holding 85% and LED TV 13%. The largest reason for Plasma's dwindling market share could be that the products are available only in large-screen sizes of 40-inches and above, while LCD and LED TVs are available right from 14-inches onwards. Also, the 20-30 % price premium that LCD TVs used to command over plasma in like-to-like screen sizes has narrowed down to 10% as higher volumes help LCD TV makers cut production costs and work on smaller margins. Even at Panasonic India, which is a major champion of plasma TV, LCD and LED TVs account for almost 85% of the total flat panel TV sales....

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE HTC has rejected fresh patent infringement claims by Apple as the legal battle between the rivals escalated. Apple filed a complaint against HTC with the US International Trade Commission (ITC). It has also lodged a suit in a US District Court in Delaware. Apple in March 2010 called on the ITC to investigate HTC over iPhone patents. That was followed months later by HTC filing for a probe into possible software patent abuse by Apple. Patent lawsuits are a regular occurrence among technology giants and Apple is currently being sued by Nokia for patent infringement. Apple has fired back a countersuit against the Finnish mobile phone giant. And last week Apple hit back at an infringement claim by Samsung by calling for the South Korean company to be investigated. For More Details See www.varindia.com

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Cisco Systems may cut about 14 per cent of its workforce, to revive profit growth. Cisco is planning to cut almost 10,000 jobs. As many as 7,000 jobs would be eliminated by the end of August. Cisco is also providing early-retirement packages to about 3,000 workers who took buyouts. The pending job cuts "will help right the ship" and achieve a reduction in operating expenses by about $1 billion annually. Cisco would also need to lower its long-term revenue growth target to about 10 per cent from a forecast of 12-17 per cent. Prior to this, Cisco's record layoffs came in 2001, when the company shed nearly 8,000 jobs. For More Details See www.varindia.com

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Freescale Semiconductor has expanded its portfolio of i.MX applications processors that integrate hardware-based display controllers and ARM Cortex-A8 cores with three new members of the i.MX50 product family that enable compelling end devices featuring LCD and/or electronic paper displays (EPDs). Combined with Freescale's complementary new MC34708 power management IC (PMIC), this platform helps speed time to market and allows customers to buy right-sized, easy-to-use solutions for their specific applications. Ample memory bandwidth helps i.MX50 processors enable faster memory connections for optimized system performance. Integrating an enhanced pixel processing pipeline (ePxP) and the OpenVG hardware accelerator, the devices allow customers to display advanced graphics and UIs with minimal CPU overhead. An integrated, enhanced LCD interface offers maximum display flexibility, supporting even the simultaneous deployment of EPD and LCD di...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Cognizant and Visma have announced that they have entered into an outsourcing arrangement with Norway Post. As part of the multi-year deal, Cognizant and Visma will collaborate to deliver finance and accounting services to Norway Post. Visma will combine its local Norwegian accounting and regulatory expertise with Cognizant's global delivery model, transaction processing capabilities, and Oracle solution accelerators to deliver significant process improvements, greater operational efficiencies, increased automation, enhanced productivity, and a high-quality customer experience. "This is one of the largest Norwegian outsourcing contracts ever awarded within finance and accounting outsourcing," said Peter Lauring, CEO, Visma Services. "A prerequisite to be competitive on cost is to perform all transactional tasks in a global sourcing model. An innovative delivery model has been developed in cooperation with our partner Cogni...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) is expanding its family of external storage and backup solutions with its new line of Hitachi Touro Pro desktop and mobile external hard drives. Delivering two levels of protection - local backup and cloud storage, the Touro Pro line is an all-in-one solution to help protect, transport and store your photos, music, videos and documents for easy access from anywhere. In addition to providing simple local backup, the Touro Pro family's online storage option ensures that your data is always protected and accessible in the cloud. With Hitachi's intelligent storage solutions, users can access and share files from any web browser, tablet or Smartphone - even from an iPhone and iPad using Hitachi apps. When using the cloud service, all content is stored in its natural format (no proprietary formatting). So, files are easy to view, download and share from any web browser, anywhere. You can e...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Nokia has announced the Nokia X7 Full Throttle Tournament, inviting gaming fanatics to face off on Need for Speed using the new Nokia X7, starting from July 07 to August 07 across 8 cities in 150 Nokia retail outlets. The tournament comprises two phases, an on ground leg and an online phase on facebook.com/nokiaindia. All that consumers need to do is either visit a participating Nokia outlet or the online page, register him/herself and play away. The top 10 participants, who will be chosen on the basis of the total online and on ground scores, will win an all-expense paid trip and a ticket each to the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore being held on September 25 this year. "The large display on the Nokia X7 is perfect for internet browsing, playing games and viewing video content," said Viral Oza, Director - Marketing, Nokia India. "Not only have we preloaded the Nokia X7 with the popular games Asphalt 5 HD and Galaxy on Fire HD, but ...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, to put a check on unsolicited calls and SMS, had asked the DoT to allocate an easily identifiable number series for telemarketing companies. While a series beginning with '140' was allocated to mobile services, a separate identifiable number series for landline numbers has not been allocated yet. The DoT had pointed out various technical, billing and security concerns in issuing a number series for landline services. A call from a landline number can be identified based on the STD code. In case an identifiable series of '140' is used, it will impact the numbering system being used at present for allocating new connections. Adding a 3-digit series to landline numbers will take the total digits to 13 and to transmit such numbers on telecom networks. Also, it will be difficult for security agencies to track the calls, as it will display a uniform code instead of a STD code for connectio...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Apple is working to patch a vulnerability that hackers could use to break into the company's popular iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The move came after BSI warned of a flaw that would let hackers infiltrate Apple mobile devices by duping users into opening PDF document files booby-trapped with malicious computer code. Trudy Muller, a spokesperson, Apple, said, "Apple takes security very seriously". Engineers at the California firm are fixing a weakness pointed out by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). She informed, "We are aware of this reported issue and developing a fix that will be available in an upcoming software update." Although no attacks have been observed, hackers are likely to try to exploit the weakness. According to BSI, possible "attack scenarios for cyber-criminals" include accessing passwords, e-mail messages, contact lists, or built-in cameras and eavesdropping o...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Delta India Electronics has announced its Rudrapur plant which has successfully achieved LEED certification as "Gold-rated" green building and received the honour from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). Yancey Hai, Vice-Chairman & CEO, Delta Electronics, Inc., said, "With our corporate mission: 'To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow', Delta continues to develop eco-friendly, energy-efficient manufacturing and products and we are committed to constructing all future Delta facilities as green buildings. The LEED certification of the Rudrapur plant not only serves as significant recognition for our green practices, but also demonstrates Delta's dedication to a green and sustainable Earth environment." The Rudrapur factory consumes 35% less energy compared to a conventional building of the same size. It is designed using energy- efficient architecture, natural...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE From connecting the people from the remotest parts to government authorities to assisting in shopping or monitoring healthcare to education on the go, the 3G-, 4G- enabled mobile would be changing life style of the people. Presenting the future scenario, telecom experts said at VAS Asia 2011 that mobile smartphone would also become a platform for providing a level-playing field for people from different socio-economic communities. BSNL Chairman & Managing Director Rakesh K Upadhyay inaugurated the conference organized by Bharat Exhibitions. "It is a huge opportunity as the market for value-added services is set to expand beyond voice and phone, from entertainment to utilities and services," explained Jason Stirling, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific, Nuance Communications, giving the keynote address. This would bring "scaleable, cost-effective secure" ways to deploy VAS to masses especially in rural areas to change...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Logitech has introduced energy-efficient Logitech Cooling Pad N200, which helps users to be more comfortable wherever the users work on the laptop, including the couch, the bed - even the floor. Logitech's country manager for India and South West Asia, Subrotah Biswas, said, "The Logitech Cooling Pad N200 is simply the coolest laptop companion around. Laptops can overheat on uneven surfaces or without proper ventilation. The Logitech Cooling Pad N200 solves this problem by keeping laptops cool, wherever you use them." Additionally, the Logitech Cooling Pad N200's lightweight, slim design is easy to move from room to room. And, a convenient front lip helps prevent the laptop from sliding around. The rear and side air intakes give the user steady, unobstructed ventilation, and with two fan speeds plus an off switch, the user can adjust the airflow accordingly - or turn it off completely. Powered through USB, the fan is design...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Epson has announced the arrival of its most revolutionary printing products - Epson L100 Inkjet printer and the L200 Inkjet All-in-One Created, especially for India and a few key Southeast Asian countries. The products were first introduced in Southeast Asia in late 2010. The new printers feature Epson Original Ink Tanks that help users increase productivity and save on printing costs. The printers come with a starting set of one black 70ml ink bottle that can print 4,000 black pages and three 70ml colour ink cartridges that can print 6,500 colour pages. With each set of one black and three colour inks, the printers offer an extremely low-cost per page of only 0.10 Paise per black page and 0.20 Paise per colour page. In addition, each new unit comes with two additional black ink bottles to provide greater value to customers. The Epson Micro Piezo print head found in the Epson L100 and L200 achieves a maximum print resolution of 5760 x 1440 d...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Facebook has planned to hire a public policy expert in India. With nearly 25 million active users in India, Facebook lags behind Google. As the Internet giants seek to expand their base in India's lucrative Internet market, they face challenges of regulatory hurdles, misinterpreted features and lack of awareness among government departments. Facebook claimed, "The new head of public policy to be based in Delhi, will actively promote of the uses of Facebook with policymakers and influencers in both electoral and governing bodies. The need for internet companies to engage with the government and even lobby comes in wake of the amendment of the Indian IT act of 2008 - a tool with which the government regulates content on the internet." Officials at the public relations agency handling Facebook's communications in India said, "Companies in possession of third party data have come under the scanner as the government has dra...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Vodafone Essar has launched its mobile newspaper - Newswrap - for its customers in Hyderabad. Users subscribing to this service can read the news as an MMS and be updated with the latest happenings around the world. In addition to regular morning and evening alerts, all breaking news will be available at the subscribers' fingertips. Newswrap provides the reader with a brief synopsis of the news bulletin along with pictures and makes the reading experience more informative. It covers national, international, business, sports and entertainment-related stories. For More Details See www.varindia.com

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE NTT DoCoMo is to launch 15 to 20 new smartphone and tablet models this year, its CEO unveiled. The new products will come on top of nine smartphones launched since April, and compare with a total of 13 models launched last financial year, ended 31 March. NTT DoCoMo seeks to sell 6 million smartphones in the year to March 2012, compared with 2.52 million last year. Second-placed mobile operator KDDI expects to sell 4 million smartphones this year. Ryuji Yamada said, "NTT DoCoMo could offer the iPhone in future. Three years ago the iPhone was just about the only smartphone. Models such as Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arco were proving popular in advance reservations because they offer features popular in the Japanese market, such as "Wallet Mobile", which enables users to use their phone to make payments or as a ticket or identity card. Even if we offer the iPhone at this stage, it would be just one model in our lineup. It would li...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Google Inc is readying business-focused features for the Google+ social-networking site, potentially opening up new competition with Facebook Inc's company pages and sites such as LinkedIn Corp. The business tools are expected to be available later this year. "Right now we are very much focused on optimising for the consumer experience, but we have a great team of engineers building a similarly optimised business experience for Google+. Google has set up a test version for businesses. It will link up with existing Google services, such as its AdWords advertising system for Internet searches. It'll include things like rich analytics and the ability to connect that identity to other parts of Google that businesses might use on a daily basis like AdWords," said Christian Oestlien, Product Manager, Mountain View, California-based Google. For More Details See www.varindia.com

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE HCL Technologies denied the allegations that the emails belonging to its client News International were destroyed at its Chennai office. News Corp is at the centre of controversy following the phone-hacking scandals, which resulted in the company deciding to shut down its tabloid, 'News of the World'. According to the Labour backbencher, News Corp made the attempt to destroy the data in an attempt to cover-up the phone hacking scandal. "I believe that the police should ask James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks whether they know of the attempted destruction of data at the HCL storage facility in Chennai, India," Labour Party member Tom Watson said. Refusing the allegation, HCL said, "The Company does not store any of its customers' data locally and said that such reports are misleading. In light of some regrettable comments made over the last few days, we categorically confirm that the company does not and has not stored...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE Times Internet Limited (TIL) has launched T-Labs a unique incubation and development programme designed to nurture and support the ideas and projects of budding Internet and mobile entrepreneurs. T-Labs will work with the start-ups and provide them support at each and every step. It will not only help them in defining and detailing their concept into a business plan, but will also help in implementing of the idea and refining the product by leveraging its vast infrastructure, user base and experience. Rishi Khiani, CEO, TIL, said, "We are providing a much-needed platform to the aspiring entrepreneurs to shape their ideas into sustainable business models. "We have always believed that entrepreneurship will script the next big Indian growth story, and T Labs is a major step towards giving a concrete shape to the start-up ecosystem of the country. Our mentorship and quality leadership would ensure that the products of these budding en...