GOOGLE UNVEILS AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES

GOOGLE UNVEILS AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES

Google has unveiled a pair of futuristic glasses - reminiscent of a Star Trek prop - as part of a bid to introduce wearable computing into the mainstream technology industry. The slim line device fits around the forehead, with a small screen in the top right corner to transmit information to the wearer. In a short video released last Wednesday, the wearer (pictured here) is seen taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call, all of which are controlled using voice activated icons that appear in the user’s field of vision. Android software is believed to power the gadget, enabling similar features to its smartphone and tablets. A 3G or 4G data connection, motion sensors and GPS navigation are believed to be included in the device’s capabilities. The augmented-reality glasses are the culmination of a two-year initiative called Project Glass, developed in the clandestine Google X laboratory, near the company’s main campus in Mountain View, California,

HTC One X The best phone available now? Switched on, the screen is the best currently available on an Android device and arguably even better than the iPhone. There are even apps to turn the phone into a mirror or a torch. It’s the smaller features that make the One X very impressive,

HTC One X The best phone available now?

Switched on, the screen is the best currently available on an Android device and arguably even better than the iPhone. There are even apps to turn the phone into a mirror or a torch. It’s the smaller features that make the One X very impressive,

HTC’s flagship new phone is big and beautiful - but at £35 (Rs 2,853) a month or more on a two-year contract, it’s aiming to compete with top-of-the-range handsets from Samsung and Apple and it needs to impress. Even before you’ve turned the device on, it does. A scratch-resistant ‘Gorilla Glass’ 4.7-inch screen runs seemingly over the edges of a matt plastic back, and the 130-gram device is just 8.9-mm thick. Switched on, the screen is the best currently available on an Android device and arguably even better than the iPhone. Colours are warm and images are sharp. Key to using the phone, however, is the software rather than the hardware: so the fact that the One X has a processor that’s also faster than any other currently on the market is somewhat academic. Indeed, fast as the device is, the main noticeable impact of that technology is its detrimental effect on battery life - heavy smartphone users will need to charge this during the day, perhaps even more so than the X’s rivals. Of the features that stand out, however, first is the device’s excellent camera, which takes some of the sharpest images I’ve yet seen on any mobile phone and also offers easy editing features. Second is the integration with online storage system Dropbox - 25gb come free for two years, so you can store all your music, documents and photos without fear of ever losing them again. This may not be innovative but it’s certainly impressive and useful. In a way, however, it’s the smaller features that make the One X so impressive - it runs the latest version of Google’s operating system, called Ice Cream Sandwich, but it’s been enhanced by HTC’s newly streamlined Sense interface. So Google offers users the chance to reject an incoming phone call and simultaneously send a text message saying ‘I’ll call you right back’. HTC adds an automatic reminder to actually do so. Users who also purchase the driving kit will find that the phone is the best satnav they’re likely to have used, thanks to big on-screen buttons and live traffic information. Again, not innovative but beautifully done. Clever additional touches include building in a host of widgets, to add contacts, social media feeds or just simple access to document editing. There are even apps to turn your phone into a mirror or a torch, as well as excellent audio from Beats. Is the One X as instantly intuitive as an iPhone? No. But does it offer more power and more possibilities? Yes. It’s the first phone of its generation and as such it’s the phone I’d buy right now because it’s (arguably) the best phone in the market. It remains to be seen how long that will be the case, but it’s more than likely to hold its own against the coming competition.

Old sites connect, new applications disconnect Using technology to network and connect is passé. Now, apps and sites help people to get over toxic relationships as well,

Old sites connect, new applications disconnect

Using technology to network and connect is passé. Now, apps and sites help people to get over toxic relationships as well,

Facebook. MySpace. Orkut. LinkedIn. And a million other such digital brands have made a name and fortunes for themselves by connecting people across the world. But what if all that frantic networking spawns relationships that don’t last long? What to do if break-ups are messy? Why, milk the selfsame digital medium to recover. Here are five apps and sites that help you to do precisely that. The Ex app: This app is compatible with iPhone and bars you from getting in touch with your ex. If self-control is what you lack, then you can install this app for free and it will disable you from getting in touch with your ex. This app not only bars you from calling - like Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Do Not Call Her’ mobile in No Strings Attached — but also blocks the text messages and emails that you send. Dear Old Love: If you have been ranting to your friends a lot and they have branded you as a lovelorn puppy, then now you can log on to www.dearoldlove.com and express all that you want to. This website allows you to go and vent out your feelings on the web page. So you can just log in and post an anonymous message and get over with what you are feeling. Never Liked It Anyway: Has it been a bitter break-up for you and you want to throw away all the stuff that reminds you of the old relationship? Well, instead of throwing it in the garbage bin, you can just log onto www.neverlikeditanyway.com and auction the items. The goods on auction here have a special price called the break-up price, which is considerably lower than the market price. For instance, a dark sapphire ring of .05 carat with diamond accents in 14k gold that has a listed market price of $18,000 is available at $8,500. The seller is also required to give in a one-line story about reasons for selling the item. Never Liked It Anyway is based in the US but works internationally. Transactions on this website are independent and the buyer and the seller are supposed to verify independently. The seller may levy shipping charges, depending on the location. You will have to shell out $2.50 for a basic listing and if you want your item to have better visibility and be a part of the featured listing, then you will have to shell out $7.50. Wot Went Wrong: If you have been waiting in vain to know why the relationship ended, then now you can ask technology to intervene and help you get an answer. You can log on to www.wotwentwrong.com and customise a set of questionnaire for your ex. This can then be sent over email or they can be notified via SMS. It depends on them if they choose to answer it or not, but this can just be another last ditch attempt in your quest for an answer. Cheaterville.com: If you are in a mood to let it get ugly and revenge is what’s on your mind then you can log onto www.cheaterville.com. This website allows you to post a picture and description of the “cheater”. You can also choose to tell your story of heartbreak. If getting back is what you mean by getting over, then this may be the stop for you.

2 EXCITING cameras - Nikon 1 V1 - Canon Powershot A4000 IS

2 EXCITING cameras

Nikon 1 V1 Nikon, arguably, is one of the best DSLR manufacturers. The new breed of compact system cameras may not replace DSLRs yet, but they are easy to carry around and offer great image quality. Nikon has stepped into this segment - it is currently dominated by the likes of Olympus and Panasonic with their Micro Four Thirds system cameras — with the Nikon 1 series; its flagship is the Nikon 1 V1 mirrorless interchangeable camera. Nikon has stepped away from the herd with this range and added a brand new CX sensor unit which is sized between the sensor found on a compact camera and their DX DSLR sensor. With the V1, Nikon features a pixel count of 10MP and with the sensor not being overloaded with pixels, the camera aims to produce images with a significant lower amount of noise. The brand has also stepped away from their traditional F mount and instead opted for a brand new Nikon 1 lens mount. However, if one does have F mount lenses, they can pair it with the V1 using a FT1 mount adaptor. Nikon adds a Nikkor 1 10-30mm lens with the camera and in reference to a 35mm equivalent lens, it translates to 28-80mm. This will allow one to capture images at 3x zoom. This is a collapsible lens type and when paired with the body, it is not really a pocketable solution. The camera is made from magnesium alloy, making it very sturdy and durable. Available in a choice of white or black, it can appeal to both genders as well. The display and the EVF are the stand-out points of the camera, both of which are of very high resolutions. At first glance, it may seem that the camera is not the easiest of devices to use, but play around with it for a few minutes and you should know how it works. There’s no dedicated denotation on the mode dial for semi-manual or manual controls; instead, one has to dive into the interface to adjust the various options. This may be a cumbersome process and deter potential consumers after all these types of cameras are about having complete control over the image. It features 1080p video recording at 30fps and 1080i at 60fps. The Nikon 1 V1 is rather expensive and does not feature a flash. Though the image quality is almost excellent in most environments, there are other options available at a lesser rate from Olympus or Panasonic. Canon Powershot A4000 IS The entry-level camera segment is swamped with options these days from various brands. How does one differentiate? Canon, building up on their range of Powershot cameras, has recently unveiled the A4000 IS. This point-and-shoot option is designed for those who want a camera for casual photography yet something that is stylish in looks as well. The trump card Canon has used here in terms of features is the large 8x zoom on a slim compact body. Being a stylish camera, this compact camera can appease either gender as it is available in a range of colour options black, blue, silver and red). The camera comes loaded with a 16 megapixel CCD sensor and is powered using a DIGIC 4-processor that helps in reducing the amount of noise in the pictures. Contrary to most of the Powershot models, this camera is not bulky, but does have that chunky design that is usually found on this line from Canon. The 3-inch screen found at the back sits flush along the body of the camera and does not jut out keeping in line with its overall slim body. The buttons feel quite sturdy overall but one thing about them is size — simply too small. People with large hands may find it difficult to navigate through the options due to their rather tiny size. This camera is designed primarily for those who want an easy option to use, hence there is no way one can tweak settings beyond a certain point. The only options that can be tweaked are found in the programme mode where one can adjust settings like ISO sensitivity, white balance, etc. The auto mode is sufficient for most photography and one can easily use this in most lighting conditions as well. The 8x zoom does well while capturing shots and not much blur is visible even with the zoom set to maximum. If one wants to take some creative photography to put up on social networking sites, the A4000 IS comes with various preset shooting modes such as fish eye effect, miniature effect, toy camera, discrete mode, etc. Performance-wise, the camera really excels in outdoor photography with a lot of detail seen in images. The screen, however, is not the best and does not handle sunlight quite well. Images on the camera’s screen appear washed out while facing the sunlight but the same issues are not present on the captured image. If one is not concerned with tweaking or playing around with the settings of the camera, then this will make a good buy as it is easy to use and offers good performance for casual photography.

Premium Lumia, value price The new Nokia Lumia 900 is more pleasurable than any of half-a-dozen largely indistinguishable Android phones. It’s well worth considering

Premium Lumia, value price

The new Nokia Lumia 900 is more pleasurable than any of half-a-dozen largely indistinguishable Android phones. It’s well worth considering, writes Rich Jaroslovsky

When people buy smartphones, they don’t usually base their decision on how many cores the processor has or other arcane specs. They want to know how the phone looks and feels, how enjoyable it is to use, and how much it costs. On those points, the Nokia Lumia 900, which went on sale last weekend, measures up well. It’s a very good phone and an even better value, delivering advanced features for $100 (about Rs 5,130) in the US on a two-year contract (Please note: In the US, operators subsidise the price of a phone. The 900 will be much more costlier in India), much less than competitive offerings. A lot is riding on this phone’s success. For Nokia and its partner Microsoft, it’s a chance to become relevant in a marketplace that has largely passed them by. For AT&T, it’s an opportunity to attract users to its newest high-speed data network and set itself apart now that its monopoly on Apple iPhone sales in the US has expired. The Lumia 900, which runs Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 operating system, doesn’t match the iPhone’s ease of use or the vast ecosystems of apps and services that have grown up around both it and phones running Google’s Android operating system. But I found it more pleasurable than any of a half-dozen largely indistinguishable Android phones I’ve recently checked out. Extra texture The phone weighs 5.6 ounces (about 159 grams), features a vivid 4.3-inch screen and comes with 16 gigabytes of storage. You have your choice of three colors and, curiously, two textures: The polycarbonate bodies of the blue and black models have a matte surface similar to the smaller Lumia 800. The white version has a glossy finish. While the case of my blue test model proved impressively impervious to smudges, the feel of the phone still took some getting used to, due to the raised ridges around the screen where it’s set into the case. My ears took a while to adjust. I’m a fan of Windows Phone 7, whose user-friendly interface features large, colorful tiles that display continuously updated data about people, messages and other things important to you. One thing I’m not a fan of, though, is turning on a new device and immediately having to delete a bunch of stuff I don’t want. Junked up AT&T has junked up the home screen with proprietary apps for, among other things, its U-verse television service and a paid navigation service. If you want Nokia’s free navigation app — and you do — you’ll have to download it yourself from the “Nokia collection” listing on the Windows Phone online store. Once you take care of the housekeeping, you’ll find the Lumia 900 a pleasure to use, thanks in part to a couple of important firsts. It’s the first Windows phone to run over AT&T’s 4G LTE, for “Long-Term Evolution,” network. In the areas where the phone has been introduced, apps and data download far faster than on the older 3G network (including the tweaked 3G service that AT&T confusingly markets as “4G”). But be sure to check on coverage; AT&T still lags behind rival Verizon Wireless in rolling out the new high-speed service. Facing front The other first, for a Nokia Windows phone, is the front-facing camera. Using the Lumia 900 and a beta version of Microsoft’s Skype app, I was able to easily video-chat over LTE with an iPhone user. I also liked the rear-facing camera, unusually nice for a $100 phone, with its Carl Zeiss optics and eight-megapixel sensor. Unlike some more expensive phones, which can shoot 1080p video, the Lumia is limited to 720p, but that’s still good enough to be considered high-definition. Battery life on the 900 is good, not great. In my tests, I was able to get through a full day of normal use but found the battery level dropped appreciably while the phone was in standby mode if I kept the power-hungry LTE service turned on. The Nokia’s performance was slightly better than my Droid Charge, which runs over Verizon’s LTE network. On the other hand, the Charge has a replaceable battery; the Lumia’s case, like the iPhone’s, is sealed. Even at twice the price, the Lumia 900 would be a creditable challenger to Android phones from the likes of Samsung, Motorola Mobility and HTC. It may not be enough to restore the mobile fortunes of Nokia and Microsoft, but for $100 it’s a premium product at a value price, and well worth considering. Bloomberg

iGate to delist Patni @ Rs.520

iGate to delist Patni @ Rs.520

iGate Corp will pay minority shareholders of Patni Computer Systems Rs.520 per share to be able to delist the company from stock exchanges and merge it with itself, the company announced on Monday. US-based iGate, which holds 81% stake in Patni, will have to shell out close to Rs.1,394.82 crore to complete the delisting offer. This is much higher than what iGate had budgeted for initially, when it made an offer for 26,823,624 shares in March. The company had set a floor price of Rs.356.74 in its reverse book building process, and indicated that it was comfortable paying a maximum price of Rs.430-450 per share. But minority shareholders were holding out, demanding a higher price in the reverse book building, as the market price of the stock had shot up to Rs.500-520 since March 14, 2012. The company finally relented, agreeing to pay Rs.520 apiece. Analysts, however, said the price is only slightly higher than the Rs.503 per share at which iGate had acquired the controlling stake in Patni in May last year. “Considering relief from hassles of domestic listing and integration benefits post delisting, it’s a slight premium. The investors as such also try to benefit from delisting if they know company is determined to get itself delisted,” said an IT analyst at domestic brokerage house, unwilling to be quoted. iGate, which had initially raised debt of $215 million, is likely to fund the differential amount with further debt of $50 million. iGate CEO Phaneesh Murthy pointed out a few factors which helped the company secure the debt. “Our December quarter was quite good, looking at which banks were ready to extend the credit to $265 million. Also, the interest rate on the loan was a little lower than what we had expected.” Murthy said the delisting process was a big step towards the goal of working as a single entity. “This will now avoid dual compliance. Things work out better when you function as one company.”

Loop Telecom to exit business Asks subscribers to log out of network by April 30

Loop Telecom to exit business

Asks subscribers to log out of network by April 30

Loop Telecom has become the third mobile operator to shut shop after a Supreme Court verdict in February cancelled 122 licences including Loop’s. According to sources, the operator has asked all its GSM customers in its 13 circles of operation to port out latest by April 30 as it plans to completely stop operations by May 15. A company statement said, “Loop Telecom is in the process of complying with the directive of the Honorable Supreme Court of India.” Loop Telecom has a subscriber base of 6,000 subscribers, which translates into a miniscule 0.00066% share of the Indian telecom market, according to data from the telecom regulator. The development would not have any impact on Loop Mobile, which operates in the Mumbai circle and has around 32,50,000 subscribers in Mumbai. Loop Mobile said in a statement, “Loop Mobile is Mumbai’s non-stop operator with a strong subscriber base of over 3 million customers across over 50 Loop Mobile galleries in Mumbai.” Loop Mobile was earlier BPL Mobile before Essar group acquired the company from BPL and renamed it as Loop. Loop Telecom and Loop Mobile are both owned by Essar Teleholdings. Loop Telecom, sources said, was already looking at an exit strategy and the decision to wind up following the SC ruling was just a formality. An industry analyst said, “Loop Telecom was among the first of the new operators to explicitly request for an exit option and refund of its entry fee. Thus, after the SC turned down the review petition over the 2G verdict, this was the next logical step, since Loop would have time only till June 2 to continue its operations.” “In case there was a revision of the verdict or an extension of the deadline till the new 2G auctions slated for the end of the year, Loop may have stuck around,” the analyst said. Earlier S Tel and Etisalat DB, whose licences were also cancelled, announced winding up of operations and asked their subscribers to port out to another operator. It is also expected that unlike Etisalat DB, which is under fire from its investors for alleged failure to meet financial obligations, Loop Telecom will not have any issue in honouring its obligations to stakeholders. Shoubhit Khare, telecom analyst with Motilal Oswal, said, “Since the scale of operations was very small, the losses would be minimum. Besides, the operator had not rolled out services in many circles and so the question of dishonouring financial commitment does not arise.”

A crash in global gold prices looks premature now

A crash in global gold prices looks premature now

Until the rising reserve powers of Asia, Russia and the Gulf regain trust in the shattered credibility of the world’s two great fiat currencies - if they ever do - gold is unlikely to crash far or remain in the doldrums for long. ‘Peak gold’ cements the price floor in any case. It has been an unsettling experience for late-comers who joined the gold rush near all-time highs of $1923 an ounce last September. The slide has become deeply threatening since the US Federal Reserve took quantitative easing (QE3) off the table six weeks ago — or appeared to do so — and signalled the start of a new tightening cycle. Spot gold ended the pre-Easter week at $1,636. “The game has changed,” says Dennis Gartman, apostle of the long rally who now scornfully tells gold bugs that he is just a “mercenary”, not a member of their cult. “They genuflect in gold’s direction; we merely acknowledge that it exists as a trading vehicle and nothing more. There are times to be bullish, and times to be bearish … to every season, as Ecclesiastes tells us.” Gold has risen sevenfold from its nadir below $260 in 2001, that Indian summer of American hegemony, when the 10-year US Treasury bond was the ultimate “risk-free” asset , and Gordon Brown ordered the Bank of England to auction half its metal. The stock markets of Europe, America, and Japan churned sideways over the same decade, and that precisely is the clinching argument against gold for contrarian traders. You avoid yesterday’s stars like the plague. “Gold is far too popular,” said James Paulsen from Wells Capital. It has reached a half-century high against a basket of indicators: equities, treasuries, homes, and workers’ pay. Each interim low in price has been lower, and chartists tell us that gold’s 100-day moving average has fallen through its 200-day average for the first time since March 2009. It is a variant of the ‘death’s cross’. Ugly indeed, though Ashraf Laidi from City Index said the more powerful monthly trend-line remains unbroken. Whether or not the global economy has really put the nightmare or 2008-2009 behind it and embarked on a durable cycle of growth is of course the elemental question. The answer depends on what you think caused the crisis in the first place. If you think, as I do, that the root cause was the deformed structure of globalisation over the last twenty years — a $10 trillion reserve accumulation by China and the emerging powers, with an investment bubble in manufacturing to flood saturated markets in the West, disguised for a while by debt bubbles in the Anglo-sphere and Club Med — then little has changed. In some respects it is now worse. China’s personal consumption has fallen to 37% of GDP from 48% a decade ago. The mercantilist powers (chiefly China and Germany) are still holding on to their trade surpluses through rigged currencies, the dirty dollar-peg and the dirty D-Mark peg (euro), exerting a contractionary bias on output in the deficit states — though China at least recognizes that this must change. There is still too much world supply, and too little demand, the curse of the inter-War years. That at least is the Weltanschauung of the pessimists. If correct, we face a globalized “Lost Decade”, a string of false dawns as each recovery runs into the headwinds of scarce demand, and debt leveraging grinds on. There are two implications to this: central banks will have to keep printing money for a long time, and the Asian surplus powers — as well as Russia and the Gulf states — will have to find somewhere to park their growing foreign reserves. “These countries don’t want other peoples’ paper promises any longer,” said Peter Hambro, chair of the Anglo-Russian miner Petrovalovsk. “There is no sign yet that we are returning to a well-balanced and normal financial system. The ECB is accepting bus tickets as collateral and the only way out of this debt and banking crisis will be inflation in the end.” Russia is raising the gold share of its reserves to 10%, buying the dips with panache. China is coy, but Wikileaks cables reveal that Beijing is eyeing “large gold reserves” to back the internationalization of the renminbi. China’s declared gold reserves of 1,054 tonnes are tiny, though it may be accumulating on the sly. Sascha Opel from Orsus Consult expects Beijing to boost its holdings by “several thousand tonnes” over the next five years to match the US stash of 8,000 and the euro zone’s 11,000. We do not know whether China’s central bank or wealth funds suffered a 75% haircut on Greek bonds — as Norway’s petroleum fund did — but they are undoubtedly nursing large paper losses in other Club Med bonds, and the precedent for the monetary union sovereign default is now established. The euro zone has become a danger zone. Rules are not upheld. Some bondholders are spared, while others are not. As for the US, its economy in uncomfortably close to stall speed, and real M1 money has levelled out over the last four months. The underlying pace may not be much more than 1.5%. The US Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI) is sticking to its recession call, describing the warning signals as “pronounced, persistent, and pervasive.” We will see what happens as markets prepare for the “massive fiscal cliff” at the end of the year - as Ben Bernanke called it - when stimulus wears off and a tax rises kick in automatically, and as the delayed effect of Brent crude at $125 feeds through. Fed hawks are making much noise, as they did in the Spring of 2008, but Goldman Sachs says they will be forced into QE3 whatever they now hope, probably in June. Hence its call that gold will rally to fresh highs of $1,940 over the next year. Interest rates are falling in real terms as inflation creeps up, and that may be the biggest single driver of gold prices. “Even without QE3, the Fed is still ultra-accommodative and they are about to reverse this,” said James Steel, HSBC’s gold guru. He said the “marginal cost” for mining gold is around $1,450. That is when miners leave low-grade ore in the ground and weaker producers shut down. It creates a natural floor of sorts. Besides, `peak gold’ is a more immediate reality than `peak oil’, he said. There has been no equivalent to the shale revolution seen in oil and gas. World output has been stuck for a decade at around 2,700 tonnes a year despite a fourfold increase in investment. There are no great finds, no Wittwatersrand this time. There will come a day then the bullion super-cycle finally sputters out. My guess is that it will come once Europe’s monetary system has returned to a viable footing - either by real fiscal union, or by break-up - and once China’s renminbi becomes fully convertible and takes it place as the third pillar of the world’s currency system. We are not there yet.

Vinod Kumar, CEO & managing director, Tata Communications,

‘Using the PPP model, we've transformed an India-centric business into a global leader’

Tata Communications has come a long distance since the Tata Group took over the company under the government’s disinvestment programme ten years back. The company has been described as a visionary in IT research firm Gartner’s Magic Quadrant and is looking to build the best network in South Africa. Vinod Kumar, CEO & managing director, Tata Communications, tells Beryl Menezes how the company has grown from being an India-centric one to having a presence in 50 countries today. Excerpts from the interview : Tell us your journey towards disinvestment and your partnership with the government? A public-private partnership (PPP) is like any other partnership — there are shared objectives and there are longer-term objectives. In any kind of transformation journey, there will be ups and downs, but if you are willing to resolve issues at the Board level through dialogue and discussion, it will succeed. I think both the Tatas and the government have approached the relationship with an openness. I think this has been proven from the fact that we are still working together. As for the operating aspects of the business, we have been shielded from all controversies, thanks to a strong Board of directors. As a manager of the business, I, too, have never felt any impediment on account of any turbulence. What has made your PPP work, when so many others have fallen through in India? Every organisation has a process of decision-making and the same applies to private companies and the government. We have had to understand the process of decision-making within the government and provide the information required to enable that decision-making and allow some time for it to take place. The government has been a big supporter of decision-making and strategy and we have faced no impediment to our relationship so far. How has your image changed from a leader in Indian enterprise data services to a global communications leader? We have made a very India-centric business into a global business, and we are now recognised as a global challenger and leader in many areas. We have grown the company from one country to presence in 50 countries, serving customers in 115 markets. We have grown from 3,000 employees to 7,800, from one nationality to 40 nationalities — and we have done all this with good corporate governance along the way. By any yardstick, it is clear that the transformation that took place was done using the PPP model and I don’t see why others can’t emulate us. Subodh Bhargava recently cited differences with the Board for stepping down as the chairman of Viom Networks. Will this have any impact on his place on the Board of Tata Communications? While we cannot comment on Viom, Subodh has been doing a great job on the Board of Tata Communications and will continue to be the chairman. Your South African unit Neotel has not been able to show profits despite it being operative for 4-5 years… Any telecom venture in a new market where infrastructure has to be built from scratch takes time to take off, because in the beginning, you are investing heavily to build a state-of-the-art network, which is the best network in South Africa. You cannot fill that network with customers from day one — it takes time to get customers and the operations going. Neotel is an opportunity, a positive story and it will play a bigger role in our financials. What chance does Neotel have against competition? We are the only viable option to Telecom South Africa and have a fibre-based and owned infrastructure; which is why we are gaining with enterprise customers there. Neotel is well-positioned to grow, so we welcome the regulatory changes that are allowing more competition in South Africa because we have been ahead of the curve to invest and capitalise on that opportunity. Neotel is still establishing adequate coverage to serve enterprise or business customers in South Africa. We will continue doing that till we have adequate coverage to offer South African customers the full range of Tata services. Neotel has now started offering VPN and ethernet services, and will launch cloud services and more industry-specific applications going forward. Tata Communications is seeing steady quarter-on-quarter losses. What strategies have you put together to turn the business around? There was a marginal decline in Q2-Q3, but that was because we had actually seen a big jump from Q1 in Q2 - usually these kinds of variations are there because there are big projects, big expenses and also you tend to build for next year. Overall, our data margins have been good and have improved significantly quarter -on-quarter from a year ago. Tell us about the opportunities you see with respect to voice versus data, especially with the growth of mobile broadband? Our voice and data revenues are almost equal, in a ratio of 55:45. Obviously, data is growing faster, and a lot of voice is becoming data. This is a reversal of an earlier trend, where voice made up 95% of the revenues. However, voice is not going to become insignificant, and it is how one still makes money from voice that is critical. As the number of broadband players and mobile broadband users increases, we see huge opportunities for our business. What services will you offer for mobile broadband? We will offer multiple services on one IP network to be exchanged between mobile operators — this is still at a conceptual stage, but it will help in enabling minimum quality requirements and services and still make the services interact with each other. What is your strategy to reduce capital expenditure that has been hurting your bottomline for a while now? We have been spending about $400-500 million per annum towards capex in the last few years, but a large part of that went towards some very specific strategic projects, in which submarine cables and data centres took 30-40% of the investments. However, this was a one-time spend and we don’t anticipate spending on them again. So from $400-500 million, we are now talking of $200-250 million capex in the next few years. Whatever cash or profits we now generate, should be sufficient to meet our capex requirements. How are you going to beat the gloomy telecom forecast predicted for the next quarter? While there may be some degree of uncertainty of the mobile wireless business, we see adoption of network services by enterprises rising rapidly because businesses are using networks now to transform themselves. Things may not grow at the same pace every year, but they are definitely on a growth trajectory. Besides, people are turning to new technology and they are also looking at new markets where growth rates may be higher. In India, we will continue to expand our network as more and more enterprises grow in semi-urban and rural areas. We see an increasing willingness of Indian enterprises and CIOs to outsource many activities and focus on their core businesses. This presents a great opportunity and we are positioning ourselves to provide end-to-end services and managed outsourcing services for them - rather than just providing bandwidth. Lastly, there are certain verticals like banking and financial services that are doing well and have a higher propensity to use our services

Tablets nearing point of inflexion in India

Tablets nearing point of inflexion in India

Guess how many tablet brands are available in India? Naveen Mishra, analyst with the technology research wing of Cybermedia, says there are 60-65 of them, and it’s unlikely many of them will go the ill-fated Aakash’s way. “It (tablet market) could rather go the handset way. If you recall, there was a sudden surge in demand with the entry of Indian and Chinese low-cost handsets. Today there are 200-250 handset brands in India. How soon the spike in demand for tablets takes place is to be seen,” he said. Though the Indian tablet market is still small at 4.5 lakh units, many believe 2012 is a crucial year when it would swell to over one million. That would be over 100% growth. Not surprisingly, vendors are jumping in. Korean electronics major Samsung, which was the first to launch its tablet in India in October 2010, is the market leader, while Apple, Acer, HCL and others are trying to grab a higher chunk of the market. Gautam Advani, executive vice-president and head mobility, HCL Infosystems, is bullish about the segment, expecting his company to retain its 15% share. But market research firm IDC is conservative in its outlook on tablet growth: it expects sales to move up to 5.75 lakh units in 2012 and not all the way to the million mark. Of this, nearly a fifth will be low-cost ones, the consultant predicts. Interestingly, most of the recent launches have been in the price range of Rs.4,000-10,000, and moving downwards. A fortnight back, Wishtel launched its ‘Ira’ brand at Rs.4,000 even as the price warrior in the mobile handset space, Micromax, is heating up competition with its sub-Rs.8,000 funbooks. On the day of the launch, Deepak Mehrotra, CEO, Micromax, said his company was asking its Hardwar-based vendor to scale up production. “Currently, it (manufacturing unit in Hardwar) has a capacity of about a lakh per month. On the day of the launch, we have already told our partner to scale up. We believe we will possibly run short of capacity,” said a bullish Mehrotra. He believes players will have to bundle the hardware with software packages, which will make the tablet a functional tool, besides being an entertainment and connectivity device. “If you are offering just the hardware, then there’s a lot of competition that you need to worry about, but if you are offering something which is different, unique … in terms of addressing a customer’s needs, then there is a huge potential that can be tapped,” said Mehrotra. Both HCL and Micromax are eyeing markets abroad, too. Sushmita Das, country manager - India, Kobian Pte Ltd, also believes that more than price it would be technology that would work with the tablet consumer. “Tablet is not a segment where the consumer shall shift to a different brand for a slightly lower price. Tablet is an experience and the buying is governed by the features and the ease of operation of the tablet itself,” she said. Das expects tablets to outperform not just laptops and desktops but even smartphones in the Indian market. “Smart phones also saw a sudden increase in the acceptance as these gadgets could give the ease of computing, communicating and surfing anywhere. But tablets have come with a better deliverable, which is with a bigger screen size that allows the user to have a view similar to in a notebook.” However, research firm Gartner differs on this and believes that even though tablets may see higher adoption this year compared with 2011, they are not going to have any major impact on the PCs and will continue to be the second or third device for the consumer.

Fish becomes too rich for our diet Pomfret now costs Rs.600-700 apiece, up from Rs.400-500 a fortnight back

Fish becomes too rich for our diet

Pomfret now costs Rs.600-700 apiece, up from Rs.400-500 a fortnight back


There is often one fish-lover to every family. “My little daughter will not touch any food till she does not see some fried pomfret on the table. Which is why I’m forced to buy fish at these prohibitive rates,” complains Shaju Devassy, who is 38 and a video editor with a leading production house.

This Marol resident was caught grumbling because he was being made to shell out Rs1,500 for a pair of large black pomfrets (halwa). After being initially asked for Rs1,800, Devassy was able to wrangle for a Rs300 reduction, but what left him peeved was the fact that he had paid Rs1,100 for the same pair only a week ago.

“During Lent when many Christians abstain from non-vegetarian food, prices generally stabilise or drop, but this year I shudder to think what they will be on Easter when demand will peak.” He turns to the large tiger prawns being displayed by a neighbouring vendor and quickly retreats when told the price. “Let it be. It is for Rs400 a vaata (portion),” scoffs the fish-monger with unmistakable scorn.
Across the city, at Bhandup’s Gadav Naka fish market, the stories being narrated are of a similar tenor. Homemaker Vinita Narvekar, 29, talks about how fish, a staple for her South Konkan migrant family, is now a luxury. “We are not complaining about expensive fish like pomfret that costs Rs600-800 or surmai (seer fish) that comes for Rs300-350 a piece. But what do you do when even bangda (mackerel), taarli (sardines), bombil (Bombay duck) and mandeli (anchovies) become so expensive!”

While buyers like Devassy and Narvekar are complaining about the prices, Koli fisher folk insist that they hardly benefit from this steep rise in prices.
Dattu Bhoir, 46, of Vesave fishing village says his last two fishing expeditions have been disasters. “Diesel, provisions and the khalasis’ (crew) payments can cost in the excess of Rs 1 lakh a trip when we are out for a week. If we don’t bring back a substantial catch then fishermen like me lose a lot of money.”
Vijay Patil from Thane’s Chendani Koliwada echoes Bhoir. According to him this has been a terrible year. “Every year winter is when the catch is good but this year the cooler than usual temperatures meant that fish shoals stayed deep in the warmer currents where our nets don’t reach. We were hoping to cover up for that before the monsoon sets in when we don’t go to sea for four months but now this season is also ruined.”
The question, though, that everyone wants to know the answer to is — Where have all the fish gone? Marine biologist-conservationist Sarang Kulkarni explains, “Seasonally, surface sea temperatures rise and fish move away but this year the temperature has risen faster and higher. Obviously this has its effect.” According to him there is also a larger problem at work. “While local currents and weather are an important factor, overall climate change and pollution are the bigger problem that we need to worry about. The huge presence of international trawlers in our waters only makes this problem worse.”

Micromax unveils tablet at Rs 6,499

Micromax unveils tablet at Rs 6,499


A digital education and entertainment device, "Funbook on Ice Cream Sandwhich", combining learning and fun was launched by eucational publisher Pearson, Micromax Informatics and education company Everonn. Micromax Funbook is available in 2 variants; suave silver and brilliant black. A perfect combination of hardware, content and seamless connectivity for a high-quality and engaging experience, Funbook is poised to change the way fun and learning is consumed on the go. The device is targeted at at nearly 20 million of the total urban youth population in India and costs Rs 6,499.

The device, launched on the Android 4.0.3 digital platform, will help children watch their favourite movies, read books and play games at the same time.


While Pearson,will provide content for students, BigFix, Zenga and Indiagames will pitch in with games and entertainment features in the Funbook.


The device can be customized as a mini library by storing contents upto 4GB in its internal memory which is expandable up to 32GB for avid readers. 


The Funbook integrates a 0.3 MP camera to capture images and has HD Video playback watching videos, movies and clips.

04-05-2012, 08:51 AM #5

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The device has a 7 inches screen, runs on 1.2 GHz processor and is 1cm in thickness.

Where to park money if rates cool

Where to park money if rates cool

The potent combination of a high interest rate regime and high inflation can leave the most prudent investor in doubt about the best investment avenues. And so it is now in India. But the expectation is that interest rates will soften sooner than later and would in turn lower deposit rates. In such a situation, retail investors would require clarity on the right investment options. DNA Investor checks out a few avenues:  Fixed deposits Does it make sense, then, to get locked in with fixed deposits now? The answer is yes. Expecting that interest rates are going to soften, financial advisors feel that it is better to park your money in bank fixed deposits (FDs) that will fetch you good returns at the current high interest rates. For instance, the Oriental Bank of Commerce and Karnataka Bank offer the highest rate of 9.75% on 1- to 2-year FDs. Punjab & Sind Bank offers 9.5% on 3- and 5-year FDs. Investors should choose the tenure depending upon their liquidity or interim need of money. Since the cost of premature redemption of FDs is high, the investor has to take a call on the tenure. As the central bank is expected to further cut the cash reserve ratio (which was slashed by 75 bps to 4.75% recently), the deposit rates may come down. An FD with a five-year lock-in period may give you tax benefits as well. “Liquidity of investors matters a lot when they decide the lock-in period. If you have money to spare for a specific period, then they can choose the tenure accordingly,” says Suresh Sadagopan who runs Ladder7financial services. Fixed maturity plans Fixed maturity plans (FMPs) are now one of the top picks in the debt basket. FMPs are closed-ended debt schemes with a fixed time horizon that can vary from a month to anywhere between one year and two years. Some schemes can also go up to even five years. These are debt instruments with a fixed maturity date; they invest in debt and money market securities whose maturity coincides with the fund’s maturity date. Experts point out that FMPs are most favoured in the months of February and March (toward the financial year-end). For instance, 94 new funds were launched in February alone, swelling the total number of fund launches in 2011-12 to 719. This is because investors rush to make the most out of the double indexation benefit that these instruments offer. Jayant Pai, head of marketing at PPFAS AMC, says that the advantage of double-indexation sets in if the instrument is held for more than a year. “If you buy an FMP in March 2012 (FY2011-12) and sell it in April 2013 (FY 2013-14), then you can avail tax benefits for both FY12 and FY14.” Pankaaj Maalde, head of financial planning, Apnapaisa.com, gives a thumbs-up to investment in FMPs but cautions that “before investing in any FMP, you should take a look at the papers that the company is planning to invest in. A check on the kind of investments made by the company in previous plans also gives a fair bit of idea about where it is going to park its money. In fact, one should try and invest in AAA-rated funds”. The returns are not disclosed by companies but generally managers share indicative returns. Debt mutual funds “When you are not sure about the requirement of money in the interim, then it is better to choose debt mutual funds instead of other instruments, since these instruments do not have a lock-in,” says Jayant R Pai of PPFAS. With interest rates expected to soften, it is better to go in for options with longer maturity. As a general rule, debt instruments with longer tenure may benefit more during a reversing interest rate cycle and vice-versa. Gilt funds outperform other avenues. These funds usually invest in government securities and corporate bonds. As interest rates fall, yield of your portfolio goes up. “At the shorter end, rates are looking extremely attractive right now. These are poised to fall over the next three or four months, whether or not the RBI eases rates. For, there won’t be any liquidity and year-end refinancing pressures by then. In that sense, short-term bond funds and products anchored around 1-year rates would make a lot of sense,” says Suyash Choudhary, head of fixed income, IDFC Mutual Fund. Liquid funds; ultra short-term funds Liquid funds are debt mutual funds which invest your money in short-term money market instruments like certificate of deposit, commercial paper and treasury bills, all of which have maturities of less than a year. Pure liquid funds and liquid-plus funds (which come with a longer tenure) are the two kinds available under this category. Returns are tax-free in the investor’s hands, if the dividend option is taken. There is a dividend distribution tax of 28.33% on liquid funds and 14.16 % on liquid-plus funds. Experts feel that these may suit evolved investors and not novice retail investors.

Laws on Delivery of Public Services

Upcoming Laws on Delivery of Public Services

in In Brief by M R Madhavan — December 7, 2011 

 

One of the key demands by Anna Hazare on the Lok Pal Bill was to include provisions to redress grievances of citizens. Indeed, this demand was one of the three key issues discussed by Parliament in a special Saturday sitting in August. A few states have passed laws in this regard. It is interesting to note that three pieces of legislation at the central level address this issue. A set of Rules notified under the Information Technology Act, 2000 has provisions to ensure that public services are provided through electronic channels. The Electronic Services Delivery Bill, 2011, which has been slated for introduction in the current session of Parliament has similar provisions, with an administrative mechanism. The government has also published the draft Citizen's Right to Grievance Redress Bill, 2010 for public feedback. We discuss the main features of these statutes.

The Electronic Service Delivery Rules 2011 were notified in April 2011 to enable the government to use electronic means to deliver services. The objective was that services such as filing of income tax returns, applications for passports, payment of central excise tax, issue of permits etc. could be provided through the internet. The government may authorise various entities to provide these services for a fee.

Even before these Rules were notified, several government departments had started internet enabled access to services. For example, over five million income tax returns were e-filed in 2009-10 and 15 million PAN cards were allotted through online applications in that period.

It must be noted that these Rules enable departments to use electronic commerce, and to outsource such work. However, there is no requirement for every department to provide services through these channels.

The Electronic Service Delivery Bill, 2010 requires the central and state governments to deliver all public services through the electronic mode within a period of five years from the enactment of the Bill. The Bill recognises the head of every department in the central and state government as the competent authority for ensuring service delivery through electronic means. The government shall notify the list of services which are not feasible to be provided through electronic mode (for example, if it needs a test such as for a driving licence). The government is also required to create a mechanism to address the grievance of any person who is aggrieved by the outcome of a request made for e-service.

The Bill also creates mechanisms similar to the Right to Information Act to ensure that such services are provided. There is a three-person commission in each state and at the national level (Interestingly, only retired civil servants can become members of the commissions). Any person may appeal to the central or state commission if a department head or their subordinate does not comply with the provisions of the Bill. The commission may impose a fine up to Rs 5,000 on the department head or her subordinate.

This Bill will override all other Acts on this topic (including the Rules discussed above). Unlike those Rules, which are of an enabling nature, this Bill will make it compulsory for every department to provide the option of obtaining services through electronic channels. However, it does not have some of the features of those Rules such as enabling service fees and requiring electronic signatures. It also does not specify safeguards to protect the confidentiality of information collected. Even current systems are lax in this regard. For example, the PAN number of any person can be accessed by providing the name and date of birth.

The draft Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill, 2010 requires every public authority to publish a citizen's charter within six months of the commencement of the Act. Public authorities include Constitutional institutions, statutory bodies and NGOs that are substantially financed by the government.

The citizen's charter has to include (a) the details of the goods and services to be provided by the public authority; (b) the name of the authorised person responsible for providing the goods and services; (c) time frame to provide these; (d) class of people entitled to receive these; (e) grievance redressal mechanism; and (f) any other obligation of the public authority.

The Bill provides a grievance redressal mechanism. Every public authority is required to set up an information and facilitation centres to ensure effective delivery of goods and services. Grievance redressal officers (GRO) have to be appointed at every level, i.e., central, state, district and municipalities to inquire into complaints. All complaints must be acknowledged within a day. The GRO has to ensure that complaints are remedied within 15 days and grievances addressed within a month. The complainant will also receive an action taken report.

The Bill also sets up an appellate procedure. The central government and state governments have to appoint public grievance redressal commissions. If a complainant is unsatisfied with the decision of the GRO, he can appeal to the head of the department within 30 days; the appeal has to be disposed of in 30 days. Appeals against this decision will lie with the state commission and the central commission.

The Bill specifies the selection committee for the state and central commissions. The state commission will be selected by a panel of the chief minister, leader of the opposition and a High Court judge. The central commission will be selected by the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and a Supreme Court judge.

The head of the department or the state or central commission may initiate proceedings against any official if they believe there is prima facie evidence of a corrupt action. They may also impose a penalty (at rates to be specified in the Rules) for acting in a malafide manner. However, unlike the draft Electronic Service Delivery Bill and the Right to Information Act, there is no penalty if malafide intent is not established.

The widespread frustration with the government's delivery mechanisms for public services was evident during the Jan Lok Pal agitation. There are three new mechanisms that have been proposed. Two of these focus on electronic delivery mechanisms, thus eliminating the need of human interaction at the service centre, and the potential for harassment and rents. The third tries to make existing delivery systems more accountable by publishing service standards and grievance redressal mechanisms. The two Bills are still at the consultation stage, and interested citizens should engage with the ministry and the parliamentary standing committee to provide their feedback.

Digital reads As a recent survey reveals, the publishing industry is steadily shifting gear towards digital formats with changing reading habits

Digital reads

As a recent survey reveals, the publishing industry is steadily shifting gear towards digital formats with changing reading habits




You see it every day. On your way to work, you’ll probably notice someone engrossed in their latest tablet or Kindle, reading the new bestseller. This shift towards reading on a digital platform is gaining new heights. A recent survey of e-books’ impact on reading habits in the US showed that four times more readers were reading e-books daily. And though nothing can really replace the smell of your old, yellowed pages of your favourite classic, reading on the tablet is considered a cool thing to do. And publishers are cashing in on this, as books are increasingly being released on the digital platform as well. Whether it’s classics like Oliver Twist, biographies like Nelson Mandela, comics like Lotpot and Level 10, they are all available on digital now.
Andrew Dodd, Marketing and Rights Consultant and general dogsbody, of Campfire Comics, says that all their comic books are available on digital. “Comics are still a fairly niche market, and we want our books to be accessible. By digitising our content and making it available on all the devices, which provide high resolution, full colour images, we are ensuring we reach a much wider audience,” he explains. But does it not discourage the good old style of reading? “We accept that many people still prefer to hold a book or a comic in their hands, and enjoy the physical experience of turning the page and smelling the freshness of a brand new book. However, we are also well aware that a growing segment like the ease with which a graphic novel can be downloaded onto their iPad, Kindle Fire or smart phone,” Dodd opines. He adds that Campfire has a graphic novel biography on the life of Steve Jobs coming up, and there was a free digital preview of the first 30 pages made available a few weeks ago to attract young readership.
Manish Dhingra, director of Mediology Software, a firm offering 360 degree publishing across web, mobile and tablet devices, says, “Publishers today face immense challenges, since the pace of progress and rapid advancement of technology, has led to a void in their publishing capabilities. The digital facets of today’s life offer unique opportunities for comics to go digital and create new forms of comics, which utilise animation to create motion comics, or utilise games to create game comics. What is needed is the ability to leverage the existing content for audience higher interactivity.”
The future is digital, agrees Shreyas Srinivas, CEO, Level 10 Comics. “Whereas it’s important to not lose the print counterpart, it is increasingly clear that the next spurt of growth will be led by the digital medium. The reasons are simple — better and immediate reach. For new-age publishers, the digital platform provides a cost effective way of reaching out to the audience.” And not to forget, digital reading reduces the carbon footprint as well!