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Windows 8 Will Run On 500 Million Devices: Microsoft

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:24 +0000

At the recent Seoul Digital Forum in South Korea, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made promised that 500 Million devices could run Windows 8.

The highly anticipated next iteration of Windows after Windows 7, simply titled Windows 8 is the first Operating System (OS) that is built keeping in mind the emerging market of tablets.

Windows 8, currently is the only OS that is designed to run seamlessly on both the Desktops as well as Tablets. While Blackberry’s revolutionary OS 10 may have QNX technology behind it, the Playbooks still require a tether with the phones to work fully.

How did Ballmer come up with this figure? The CEO simply extrapolated the number of Windows 7 Licenses sold world-wide. Since all of the PCs that can run Windows 7, will be able to comfortably run Windows 8, Ballmer is confident of offloading the same number of Windows 8 Licenses.

Windows is currently run on more than 92% of Desktops world-wide. Unfortunately, it is also the most widely pirated software. Though Microsoft is in constant battle against hackers, sometimes its just not enough. Though Microsoft may be leading in the Desktop market, it’s the mobile phones & tablets that the company needs to focus on.

Currently the portable computer market is dominated by Apple & closely followed by Google’s Android. Microsoft has yet to come up with a tablet-specific OS. However, given the clout it enjoys in the Desktop market, we can easily speculate that Windows 8 will be a great success provided there is powerful hardware backing it.

Though Steve Ballmer can’t stop complimenting Windows 8 as, “Deepest, broadest and most impactful software the company has ever created”, it will be the users who will ultimately decide its fate.

What are your expectation from Windows 8 when it comes out?

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Garmin Introduces GPS Devices With Hindi Support

Clara Kangare — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:30:47 +0000

The GPS (Global Position Satellite) navigation system has no doubt helped a lot of us in this complicated world of driving and directions. Physical road-maps are the tools of the past and GPS assists drivers in navigating across unfamiliar territory with confidence. Taking into account the amount of time Indians spent on Internet via mobile it is not surprising to come across a report which says, “New navigation device rolled out with Hindi and Indian English language support“.

These two new navigation devices are called 40LM and 50LM and they have been launched by satellite navigation company, Garmin. The devices are priced at Rs 8,450 and Rs 9,990 for nüvi 40LM and 50LM respectively. It is reported that NAVTEQ maps will be used by these two devices. This year itself NAVTEQ has managed to boost its services twice by launching its navigation traffic service across metro cities and by bringing out NAVTEQ Traffic Pro.

After Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Gmail , YouTube as well as Wikipedia supporting Indian regional languages to gain more attention and usage from masses, it is not surprising to see that even navigational devices will now feature Indic language support. In fact, according to one of the sources, “Voice guidance in Hindi will further help in popularising the devices.”

In the year 2009, MapmyIndia brought out Version 3.0 of MapmyIndia maps betting on the fact that the new maps would cover 90% of the pan-Indian population with the most comprehensive and detailed information/directions.

Have you been guided by any of these navigation devices till now? What was your experience?

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Vodafone India Defeats The Odds And Posts A Profitable Quarter

Aatif Sumar — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:21:54 +0000

The Indian Telecom Sector is not an easy industry to be in. Intense competition exists as there are so many players. Further, the Indian Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is one of the lowest in the world, with rates being rock bottom. The TRAI doesn’t help, by making their life difficult with retro-active tax laws, re-auctions of a year old spectrum.

However, in this environment, Vodafone actually made a profit. It hasn’t been an easy road, with Vodafone losing money initially on their huge capital investment in India. Their income tax troubles with the Government compounded this. However, Vodafone Group has posted a 14% Growth in Operating Earnings, which now stands at Rs 9,740 Crores for 2011-12. Factors that have been attributed to this are good growth in voice minutes and a rising consumer base. Compared to 2010-11′s 3.85 Billion Pounds, Vodafone saw a surge in Revenue to 4.26 Billion Pounds. EBITDA too rose from 985 million to 1120 million pounds.

“Service revenue grew by 19.5 per cent, driven by an 11.8 per cent increase in the customer base, strong growth in incoming and outgoing voice minutes and 51.3 per cent growth in data revenue. In India, pricing showed clear signs of stabilisation after a prolonged price war. Our focus on the key growth areas of data, emerging markets and enterprise is positioning us well in a difficult macroeconomic environment. Our commercial performance and our ability to leverage scale continue to be strong, enabling us to gain or hold market share in most of our key markets, and reduce the rate of margin decline,”, said Vodafone Group Chief Executive Vittorio Colao.

We are not so sure of their statement that the ‘prolonged price war’ is over, given the falling 3G rates amongst all operators in India. Nevertheless, it is reassuring seeing a major telecom operator making a profit in our market. It is bound to stem the rising dissatisfaction in Vodafone’s ranks with the TRAI’s attitude toward operators.

What do you think? Will other operators too post successful financial results? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Jury Decides That Google Didn’t Infringe On Oracle Code

Denzil — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:46:40 +0000

In what has been an almost 2 year old case between Google and Oracle over the copyright and patent issues over the use of Java technology in Android, the jury of the U.S District Court of North Carolina has decided in favor of Google in the patent infringement part of the lawsuit. Both the company and Android enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief. The case has raised concerns from everyone on what would happen to Android if Oracle won the suit. The patent scenario is very complicated in the Technology business at present and a lot of company are suing each other over alleged infringements.

Source: Slashgear.com

The complication arose soon after Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in early January for US $7.4 billion. The Java language and the subsequent framework were created by Sun which was now in Oracle’s hand. Google had chosen Java as a primary pillar in creating its Android platform. They use something called the Dalvik Virtual Machine which translates programs written in Java into a virtual executable files. Dalvik is licensed as open source under the Apache Open Source License. Google says that this is a clean room implementation (reverse engineering) of the Java language and thus it comes under fair usage. It was thus established that Google hadn’t infringed on Oracle patents i.e. U.S. Patent RE 38,104 and U.S. Patent 6,061,520.

Although the jury earlier thought that Google infringed upon the patents, it could not decide unanimously over the fact that Google used a clean room implementation. Some of the codes are indeed similar but they are not significantly infringing Oracle’s patents. The trial has begun as a very doomsday scenario for Google since if Oracle won, the company would have to license the infringing part and thus pay a huge sum of money ($1 billion) for it in damages.

And #Googacle The Trial is over. Judge Alsup dismissing jury. Since Oracle won virtually nothing, no damages phase at this point.

— Ginny LaRoe (@GinnyLaRoe) May 23, 2012

This trial is not over as the Judge, William Alsup has yet to make a decision on whether Google infringed Oracle’s Java copyrights, since the jury couldn’t get to an agreement on the issue earlier. This judgment is likely to be delivered this coming Monday.

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CBSE Pushes Out Results Via Mobiles

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:41:59 +0000

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has put out Class X results of the Chennai region through IVR & SMS. The rest of the regions will have their results ready by 4 o’clock today evening.

Quite some time back in 2010, Rediff had managed to offer SSC results online. The education system has come a long way on its own.

Source: newsreporter.in

How can students know their results:

Well, the board has offered two methods using the all-important mobiles for the same:

Students can dial +91 – 11 – 24357276 & make use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to get results. An all India number 011 –28127030 has been dedicated to offer the results too. Anxious students can also opt for the traditional route of SMS. They simply need to type CBSE10 and send an SMS to 9212357123. Though the service is free, standard SMS rates will be applicable.

Though the core education system is still at its nascent stage of technology adoption, many companies are already gearing up to offer quality education through use of modern technology. Following the fiasco of Aakash I, Kapil Sibal might have granted a huge monetory boost to Aakash II, but we still have to see the refined product up close. However, its competitors are already rearing their heads.

The use of Technology in the Education field has now become mandatory to ensure high standards & quick delivery of updated content. Realizing this, companies like Carveniche are working on innovative platforms. Furthermore, the cloud computing phenomenon can truly boost the education in our country where many regions are still inaccessible.

Though the CBSE board has taken baby steps, it is still inspirational for other boards as well. In case students want to access their results online they can visit to any of the following websites:

www.results.nic.in

www.cbseresults.nic.in

www.cbse.nic.in

Good Luck Students!

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Yahoo Launches New Browser Called Axis For iOS And Desktops

Denzil — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:33:40 +0000

The fact that search engines can devise their own browsers to leverage searches and make it easy for users to get their information easily came to light when Google launched their browser Chrome. Bing picked up by tying up its search with IE. Yahoo was the only other search engine to not have its dedicated browser and used to rely completely on its toolbars embedded in other browsers. Now that has changed with the struggling search giant debuting its own web browser called Axis.

Yahoo’s Axis is a browser which connects seamlessly between your computer, your iPad and the iPhone. This concept is not new since Chrome introduced the same feature after the Chrome 19 update. Chrome also offers mobile sync with its Android app. Yahoo is looking at edging Google by introducing Axis first primarily on iOS platforms. Axis is definitely more visual in nature than Chrome and has a very good UI in addition to its features.

Some of its salient features are:

1. Visual Search: The Axis browser focuses mostly on a more visual kind of search which can easily deliver more information to the user than mere text can. The visual approach is important and many content and search companies are looking deep into it. A prime example would be how Facebook has been focusing more on showing bigger photos and arranging them appropriately in their web and mobile interface. We will give Axis the thumbs up for this.

2. Bing integration: Yahoo’s search deal with Microsoft’s Bing makes Bing the default search provider on Axis. This will definitely drive up traffic to Bing. Both Bing and Yahoo seem to have united to take on Google in the search business. Although the market-share in terms of search may not change overnight, this is a good effort.

3. Yahoo on Mobile: This release brings Yahoo’s services to the mobile in a big way. Google may have conquered the mobile app space because of the proliferation of Android. The mobile device functionality of Axis will be one of the most innovative things Yahoo has come up in the mobile space in some time.

4. Cross-Platform: The most important aspect of any software/service is its cross platform availability. For a service to truly scale and see massive adoption, it is obvious that it needs to support multiple platforms. Axis works on the desktop and iOS devices. Currently, there is no word on Android, Blackberry and Linux support. The desktop support that Axis provides is not strictly accurate. There is no desktop app as such. It is a plugin which you can tie-up with your browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari and IE. The plugin opens up the Axis browser when you are surfing on the browser of your choice. Thankfully, it has been done really well, so it does not interrupt your browsing session in addition to augmenting your browsing experience. You can see more of this functionality in the video that we have posted below.

5. Cross Device Syncing: This feature lets you continue your reading, browsing and research from any of the supported devices. All you have to do is hit the ‘Continue on other devices’ button and you are ready to pick up where you left from on your previous device.

6. No Ads: As of now, there are no ads on the service. Yahoo is probably trying to gain more adoption from users before they try to monetize it.

Here’s the full demo video that Yahoo has provided:

There are some issues though. The Next Web reports that Yahoo hasn’t published any terms/conditions for this product and this is strange since the service requires some very serious user permissions. Secondly, a researcher has found that Axis’ Chrome extension is vulnerable to attack and Yahoo has pulled that extension down for now.

Besides these concerns, we think that this offering is a substantial leap ahead for Yahoo which has not been doing well particularly because of the problems in leadership that it has been facing recently. We hope that Axis gains significant traction and thus provide more options for people who want to access the Internet.

Check it out here: axis.yahoo.com

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Can Gamification Of Concepts Revolutionize The Education Process?

Aatif Sumar — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:05:42 +0000

The World Wide Web is a potent tool, with endless use case scenarios. It lead to emails, which killed traditional post. It lead to online gaming, which killed the video game arcade. It changed the way we bank, shop, and travel. In a country like India, Information Technology and the Mobile Web have affected us the most. Now a large percentage of Indians are connected to the Internet through at least one medium. However, one sector has still been shielded from the dynamic effects of the web: The Sector!

Decade old syllabi, unmotivated teachers and lack of upgradation has meant today’s children learn in school in just the same way people were learning 20 years ago. However, this could all change. There exist some trailblazers who are trying to change the way our kids learn and the way they apply it in day to day life, through a process known as Gamification. Gamification is the use of game design techniques, game thinking and game mechanics to enhance non-game contexts.

Today’s students are used to playing games like Angry Birds, where they are graded on how well they complete each level. The more levels they complete and the better, the higher their score. Further, this score can be compared with the rest of their friends. Innovators have attempted to harness this inherent love for games in children, and tried to make them learn something more out of it. One such company is ClassToppers.

With over 10,000 users already, their Social Mission is:

To make learning and studying fun for students and give them more confidence in school.

To save teachers time and make their jobs easier so they can focus on helping their students.

Says Co-founder Jatin Patel,”The game-based software operates on the concept that each learner is different. The software throws up questions in three different ways. Only if the students get it right, can he/she proceed to the next level. There are 35 different analytical tools which track a student’s progress“.

Another name which we cannot miss is the famous Khan Academy. Its a free collection of over 3000 ‘micro-lectures’ has played a large role in bringing Education to anyone, anywhere.

Such innovations in Education can be said to truly make ground-breaking change when our Government acknowledges them and tries to implement them. If Kapil Sibal’s Akash Tablet vision truly takes place, maybe a System can be put into place which is tailor made for Indian school children.

What do you think? Is India ready for such change? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Sify & Vidyo To Introduce Video Conferencing For Small Businesses

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:56:42 +0000

Indian Internet & Communications Tools (ICT) provider Sify & US based Video conferencing company Vidyo Inc have partnered to launch Video Conferencing as a Service in India.

Titled Sify Videomeet, the service is primarily aimed at small businesses & emerging enterprises.

What’s so special? A while ago Tulip Telecom had tied up with Polycom to bring Hi-Def Video conferencing in India. However, the service was aimed at medium & large enterprises. They attempted to leverage existing infrastructure of these companies. Sify, on the the other hand intends to offer a complete & simple package making the total cost of equipment ownership almost nil.

The Video Conferencing as a Service will offer high-definition (HD), multi-point video collaboration beyond conventional conference rooms, without dedicated networks and on multiple devices. In simpler words, companies can initiate a video conference using just the infrastructure provided by Sify & Vidyo. Sify already has a cloud-based solution that can be easily tailored to meet the high-bandwidth demand of the Hi-Def Video. Using cloud-based technologies, Vidyo’s services work over broadband internet, LTE, and 4G networks. Owing to such flexibility Sify can easily offer its Video-conferencing over multiple devices like mobile phones, tablets, desktops, laptops and room systems. With phones & tablets getting powerful, the company can envisage a wide adoption rate.

The Videomeet package will enable emerging businesses and enterprises to avail video conferencing at less than Rs. 3 per minute. Customers can also opt to pay a fixed rental for getting unlimited video conferencing access or simply go for the ‘Pay-Per-Use’ option. Many companies are gearing up to cater to small companies. A while ago PayPal had announced its plans to focus on SMEs. Earlier, Blackberry manufacturer RIM decided to offer enterprise level setups to small companies. Even Google has stepped up to lend its helping hand.

With so many cloud services popping up, will the Indian SMEs and SMBs benefit greatly? Share your views with us.

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Wipro Launches Free Corporate iPhone App

Denzil — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:10:50 +0000

iPhone apps are really picking up in this country. Wipro Technologies has just launched their free corporate iPhone app for anyone to download and use. Wipro Technologies is the Global IT, Consulting and outsourcing arm of Wipro Ltd.

The app is available in the Apple iTunes store for download. IT professionals (both Wipro and Non-wipro employees) can use this app to access Wipro Corporate News, its white papers, blogs and articles by senior management, press releases, new and events across all its global centres. Wipro Technologies is present in around 54 countries!

Suchira Iyer, Chief Marketing Officer, IT Business of Wipro Ltd. says the company understands the people’s demands for information.

“Wipro Buzz will not only keep our customers up to date with Wipro’s thought leadership but will also help better integration of our increasingly mobile sales and marketing teams. Today, users demand access to information on the go to do their business better and take quicker informed decisions. Wipro understands this need.”

The app sports social media platform integration and users can share interesting news and posts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. One strange and seemingly random feature is the built-in route mapping tool and digital pedometer which will help runners keep track of their statistics. Wipro says that they are strongly associated with sports since they sponsor a number of marathons globally. The app caters to a pretty niche crowd. Only serious IT and Tech industry people will download and use it. Nonetheless, the most interesting part is the growing number of iPhone and Android apps that are rolling out of Indian companies. Think of this app like an official website, but only on the phone. That is how all companies will look at it now. The corporate mobile website is probably going to die soon.

What do you think?

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Monster Launches It’s iOS App; Makes Job Search Easier

Denzil — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:29:23 +0000

Monster India is one of India’s leading online career and recruitment services. The company announced the launch of its iOS app today. The app is tailored for all professionals and job-seekers who want to explore new career opportunities on the go. The app brings Monster’s full functionality to the iOS platform.

Some of the key features of this app are:

On the move access: Professionals and job-seekers can now create and use their Monster accounts right from their iPhone and iPad.

Search and apply on the move: The app gives professionals the ability check out new opportunities and apply instantly on the go from anywhere.

Career Services: Take advantage of Monster’s tips on acing job interviews and on success at the workplace.

Change Location: You can now use the app the change your location on Monster’s website and use it in different countries.

Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com(India/ Middle East/ South East Asia) said the launch of iOS app was keeping in line with increasing sales if the iPhone among tech-savvy professionals in India.

“We are excited to introduce our latest addition, Monster iPhone and iPad applications to our suite of Monster Mobile Solutions. Monster Mobile Solutions is robust offering that caters to jobseekers who are constantly on the move. Owing to the pervasive nature of mobile, the Indian smartphone industry is witnessing high-intensity growth, and is expected to comprise 12%-14% of the mobile handset sales in 2012. And given the growing popularity of iPhone and iPads amongst gadget-savvy youth, the Monster app will provide jobseekers with a dynamic, efficient and convenient option to keep a track of jobs at their convenience. Coupled with Monster’s inherent understanding of user’s requirements and innovation amidst of its initiatives, we aim to extensively tap latest technologies including mobile to better connect with users.”

The introduction of the iPhone app now makes Monster a truly cross-platform service. They already have Blackberry, Android and Windows apps and this addition will definitely help them cover all its user segments.

The app can be downloaded for both the iPhone and the iPad.

Check out the app and let us know what you think of it.

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3G Tariff War Officially On As Vodafone, IDEA and Reliance follow Airtel, Aircel. [With Tariff Plans]

Aatif Sumar — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:07:36 +0000

3G Networks coming to India was a huge step forward in the Telecom business. The auctions had shattered all records and thousand of crores were paid for licenses to provide 3G in various parts of India. Since no operator had pan-India connectivity, operators got into Roaming Agreements with each other to help out their customers. Unfortunately, the Government did not like this and banned them from doing so. Since their launch over a year ago, most providers have been charging prohibitively high 3G tariffs, in an attempt to recover their huge capital investment of buying the spectrum. In fact, we had even pegged that as the reason 3G failed to achieve any critical momentum in India. Now, this is all set to change.

State run MTNL and BSNL always had the most affordable 3G Data rates, but other factors kept people away from switching over. Telecom operator Aircel started the war last month being the first private operator to reduce 3G rates. After that, market leader Airtel reduced their 3G rates a week ago.

Now, Vodafone (second in the country in number of customers) has slashed their 3G Rates. IDEA Cellular too has followed suit and slashed its 3G Rates. We also have word that Reliance also just reduced the pricing on their 3G Plans too.

The revised plans of these operators can be found below. Tariff’s courtesy TelecomTalk.info

Aircel

Airtel

IDEA Cellular

Vodafone

Reliance

The fact that most large players have reacted to the price revisions is a good sign for the average customer. So far, 3G charges have been between 5-10 times more expensive than the same 2G EDGE data plans. Further, 3G coverage has been spotty and battery intensive. This has caused a lot of people to give it a miss and stick to 2G, even though their devices can easily support high speed data transfer.

The introduction of more affordable 3G Plans will go a long way in making consumers switch over to 3G. A lot of mobile web services will be able to explore new avenues if more and more consumers switch to 3G. Audio and Video Streaming services too will boom soon as result of this.

We think its only a matter of time before the rest of the operators react and reduce their rates too. This puts 3G within reach of tens of millions of more subscribers. The next few months will be exciting and we hope 3G finally takes off. As the saying goes: better late than never!

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Microsoft Wants To Incubate Indian Startups Who Want To Use Its Azure Platform

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:30:53 +0000

Microsoft will soon open a parallel incubator program in India. The first one was in Israel.

This is how the Israeli Incubator looks, courtesy: TheNextWeb

Why? Microsoft’s cloud computing program Azure, needs startups that are focused on working with cloud computing. Hence Microsoft is willing to offer office space, mentorship, and $60,000 in credits to use Microsoft’s Azure platform.

Attempts to set a firm foot in the cloud computing space were amply evident when Microsoft bagged its biggest Indian project from AICTE. Soon, even schools from Mumbai & Delhi were found to avail the services & that too at no extra cost! This commitment seems to have been extended in order to compete with the growing clout of Google & imminent threat from Amazon too!

While Amazon has started to offer its super-computing for people who are willing to pay, Microsoft seems to have taken the higher ground in offering nurturing environment for fledgling startups. However, it will only extend an helping hand as long as the upcoming firms support Microsoft’s cloud computing endeavors. Microsoft, in its official statement has said that companies selected will have “Access to the best workspace, finest infrastructure, top mentors and all the tools needed to create the most successful startups.” Microsoft is also willing to help teams from Europe and ‘from across Southeast Asia.’

Apparently quite a few companies have realized the vast potential that India has to offer. Our readers might recall, offline-online company Walmart & even online e-commerce company eBay had recently chosen Indians to work on their projects.

Microsoft knew when it launched Azure in India that getting newer companies hooked onto the services was vital to ensure its success. Hence it makes perfect sense to open an incubator program here.

If any of our readers have an enterprising idea, one can submit an application here.

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Dhingana Receives A Warm Welcome From Users; Golden Age For Legal Music Websites?

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:30:08 +0000

Indian music streaming website Dhingana.com has surpassed 10 Million users.

Source: yourstory.in

After a successful launch as an app on Facebook, music portal Dhingana now routinely gets about 10.5 Monthly Active Visitors. Unlike other companies that get users registered, but do not seem to be active, this number of users are actually listening & interacting on the site. With over 2,00,000 new users per month, the Dhingana app alone is able to garner a fan following 4.5 Million users.

Snehal Shinde, CEO and Co-founder of Dhingana is elated.

“We are excited to announce our usage statistics which show that we are the largest player in the Indian music streaming industry today and among the largest across the world”

What’s so special? After our Indian Govt. came down heavily on the websites that pirated music, many contemplated going legal. However, sites like Dhingana could have surely benefited from this as it never pirated music & stayed true to its core values of offering quality Indian music to listeners world-wide.

Interestingly, the Facebook app too is getting a great response, with average listener spending almost 15 minutes daily. With regional content including Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Dhingana has apparently set the bar high for its competitors.

What next? Judging by the growth pattern, the company could start introducing advertisements like many are doing. Or it could even beef up advertisements on its mobile apps. However, recent studies have proven this is not an effective strategy. Whatever the motive of the company, it surely shows that quality content is surely appreciated & supported by audiences worldwide. With more sophisticated devices & powerful hardware supported by faster internet, music streaming has nowhere to go but up.

Do our readers stream songs from the internet? How’s the experience?

Update: Check out this infographic shown below,

Source: TheNextWeb

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Google Brings Business Photos To India; Boon For Small Businesses?

Denzil — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00:15 +0000

Google began its Business Photos pilot in select cities around the world in 2010. The pilot involved photographers taking 360 degree panoramic photos of business interiors so that they could put it up on the web. Businesses could profit from it because it represents the next level of connect a potential consumer faces when deciding which option to choose. Now Google has announced that they have extended this initiative to India.

The 360 degree photos are taken by Google appointed photographers with the business owner’s permission and are then posted on Google Places along with a tag. Tourists, newbies and the general consumer may want to check out new places to dine, shop or visit and this 360 ‘virtual walkthrough’ can play a very important part in getting interested consumers to the business premises. An increasing number of people are placing their faith in online and crowdsourced recommendation services like Zomato and Burrp. The most a potential consumer searching online could want is a virtual walkthrough to get convinced about their choices.

Rahul Kulkarni, Senior Product Manager at Google India gave more details about the rollout on their official blog.

“We are now excited to bring this pilot program to India, starting with Hyderabad and rolling out to several other cities. The photographs are shot by Google appointed photographers who work directly with the business owner to arrange a time to do the photo shoot. The images will show prospective customers the interiors, decor, merchandise — and all of this will be done at no cost to the business owner. The panoramic photos will appear alongside other still photos on a business’ Place Page and can help potential customers get a better sense of what an establishment has to offer and if they’d like to visit it in person.”

So if your business is considering taking up this initiative , you can fill out this form here. Google says that right now they are focussing on specific types of business establishments like restaurants, cafes, spas, salons, gyms, retail and showrooms but they have invited every business to fill out the form if they are keen about this project. We think that this is a really good thing for Indian businesses to get more visibility for no cost as Google does not charge businesses for this service.

Do you have a small business? This will definitely help you out. Fill up the form and let Google know.

What are your thoughts about Google’s Business Photos? Share them with us.

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Mobiles Help In Finding Best Deals, says eBay

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:10:13 +0000

More than 50% of shoppers on e-commerce site eBay regularly check for prices online, before they make purchases elsewhere.

With the rapid growth of internet enabled smartphones, e-commerce is witnessing dizzying heights. The online commerce is surely benefiting due to such powerful portable devices that enable shoppers to instantly check prices & even make a purchase online.

The eBay India Mobile Commerce Survey revealed that of the 57% shoppers who use their phones to buy, over 30% claimed to have found a better deal online. Understanding this trend companies have already shifted focus to develop apps to make shopping on the phone easier. Additionally, over 64% of shoppers have upgraded their Internet speeds to 3G thereby making access even faster. eBay’s finding corroborates well with the earlier study that put Indians ahead of even USA when it comes to using cellphones to access internet. eBay’s statistics reveal a very healthy adoption rate of over 90% about people who who are using internet on their smartphones & of those over 70% accessed online shopping websites.

With such radical shift eBay hopes to make a modest US$ 8 Million, but this too is estimated at 60% Year on Year (YoY) growth.

Though this seems like an improvement, the online portals are loosing business due to this phenomenon. The survey revealed that over 87% of the people compared offline & online prices before making a purchase. A while ago Walmart had faced the same problem. However, as the company has both an online & an offline store it simply hired developers to make it easy for shoppers to interact with the products in their stores & book the same online. Since Tata Croma has recently entered the online sphere, will we see similar tactics here too?

With offerings like Airtel’s m-wallet & even Banks coming up with innovative & secure payment transactions how many of our readers have started buying via mobile phones?

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ValueFirst Acquires Way2Sms.com and 160by2.com; Becomes Largest Digital Media Company In India

Denzil — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:57:46 +0000

The news that Digital Media company ValueFirst has acquired popular Indian free SMS services Way2Sms.com and 160by2.com shows that consolidation has firmly set into the P2P SMS business in India. The SMS business in India is being threatened due to the rise of Instant messaging over data connections. This is because data connections are cheaper than SMS charges and the delivery of IMs is much faster and accurate than their SMS counterparts. There is also the matter of TRAI regulations that SMS companies have to deal with.

ValueFirst has announced that it acquired both the services in an all cash deal. This acquisition makes ValueFirst the largest digital media company in the country with a footprint over all the existing platforms like Internet, Voice, SMS and Email, according to their press release. The amount paid in the acquisition has not been revealed but ValueFirst stresses that this is one of the largest acquisitions in the Indian Internet industry. It is interesting to note that 160by2.com was acquired by Way2Online, the Hyderabad company behind Way2Sms.com just 4 months ago.

Here are some important figures which have come out of this acquisition:

ValueFirst now has:

50 million profiled registered users

40,000 registrations daily

250 crores annually

Speaking about this move, Mr. Vishwadeep Bajaj, MD and group chairman, ValueFirst Group said, “In the context of explosive growth in the digital advertising in the country which embraces both mobile & internet channels, the acquisition of Way2Sms is our inorganic route to grow the internet inventory. We have been traditionally very strong on the mobile media and this acquisition now leapfrogs ValueFirst as a lone provider of multi-modal digital interaction capability across mobile & Internet on a scale, which no other digital media company enjoys in the country.”

Raju Vanapala, CEO, Way2Sms Group spoke about the acquisition saying, “Over the last year we partnered with ValueFirst on a range of initiatives. Our relationship over a period of time has grown and I am very happy to know that way2sms.com will continue to grow under ValueFirst. The team at ValueFirst has a deep understanding of both the Internet and mobile mediums and I am personally proud that with this strategic sale I have been instrumental in creating the largest digital media company in the country”

We think ValueFirst is being highly optimistic about SMS actually doing well in the country in the coming years. As we see it, SMS will largely be abandoned in favor of IM and social. It is happening already, a personal example being me switching to Facebook Messenger for all my messaging needs. Others use Whatsapp and Nimbuzz. Small town India is discovering IM and Mobile Internet now but it will slowly eclipse the other kinds of Internet access and people will use IM apps more leaving SMS in the lurch. Unless ValueFirst is looking at transitioning all its newfound users post the acquisition to a probable IM product in the future, the big bet on SMS companies might not be all that great.

What are your views on this acquisition?

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New Social Network ‘My Last Wish’ Wants You To Share Your Bucket List

Aatif Sumar — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:53:05 +0000

There are a lot of Social Networks out there on the internet. From the mainstream ones like Facebook and Twitter, to the new starts like Google+ and to specialized ones categorized by religion like JewDate. With the hundreds of millions of internet users out there, most networks manage to find at least a niche audience. Today we have heard of one such network that aim to connect users based on not their age or interest or location, but rather on what they want to do before dying.

My Last Wish is a social network that, like Instagram, can be accessed from the user’s smartphone. In this case, it has just an iOS app out. The app has become pretty popular on the App Store due to curious users trying it out, causing My Last Wish to come in the limelight.

Says Kirtan Thaker, co-founder of the group behind My Last Wish, “I believed in the possibility that there can be two persons in this world with same hopes, dreams and wishes. I was confident that if we create a app where this possibility can be turned into reality, people will love this concept and they will get a chance to make friends who are unknown but having just one thing in common which is the last wish.”

The network has a tongue-in-cheek way of using standard features we have got used to through Facebook. Users post their last wishes on a ‘Wish Wall’. The purpose is to find people who have a Bucket List or set of wishes similar to you, and connect with them. If you appreciate someone’s wish, you can click tap on the palm icon and ‘Like’ their wish. You can also ‘give a five’ to a person to show them support. These are obvious modifications of Facebook’s Wall, Like and Poke features.

Source: Mashable

Users can update their profile and add their personal email address or phone number, and see information shared by other. Since it is integrated with a phone app, tapping a user’s information automatically adds it to your address book. Push Notification too are supported, so you can know in real time if someone interacts with you. The company behind the app, White Lotus said that they plan to add a location-based feature by which you can see users on a map. While it is currently iOS only, they have plans to release an Android version too if the network achieves enough momentum.

Two things are interesting about My Last Wish. Firstly, their decision to go with a dedicated mobile app instead of a website. Possibly encourage by the hit success of Instagram, which only has smartphone apps, they too skipped a conventional website. We could be seeing a rising trend of services that are skipping the PC. Could this be a sign of the ‘Post PC Generation’ famously touted by Steve Jobs?

Secondly, conventional social networks help you to connect with people you already know. Here, the only criterion for connecting with someone is their innermost desire of what they want to do before leaving this world. It is a very personal question and can give a lot of insight as to what kind of person you are. If used in the way it is intended, this could lead to some interesting connections, or at least conversations. It remains to be seen how comfortable users are talking about it with complete strangers though.

What do you think? Will you give My Last Wish a try or is it just another passing fad? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Small Companies Face Bigger Threats From Hackers

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:19:42 +0000

The rapid penetration of high speed Internet has surely helped India explore opportunities well beyond the traditional routes. However, this growth has not been supported by security know-how. Hence smaller & medium companies (SMB) are increasingly falling prey to online malicious activities.

Source: aboutbradsugars.com

According to leading online security firm Symantec, Indian companies either do not posses adequate knowledge for self-protection or build only minimal security cover.

How do the attacks work? Hackers routinely employ the much preferred, Social media route to spread the viruses. When an unsuspecting employee clicks on a infected link, a malware download is triggered. If the companies’ defenses are not strong or updated, this infection then find its way to other computers on the network.

Interestingly, hackers prefer poorly defended data stack of government and large private sector organizations. Once the malware wriggles in, it usually escalates its privileges or rights to seek the data that is financially profitable. The security firm has also warned that mobiles too are the new route to exploit & usurp data. With mobile devices routinely being used to carry out office related work, no wonder companies had been worried for long.

The statistics reveal an alarming growth in targeted attacks. Just last year there were 82 attacks reported per day, up from 77 a year back. However, security firms have upped their game & had managed to block more than 5.5 billion attempts. Maybe that’s the reason new virus development actually dropped by 20%. What this means is hackers are now using the same techniques multiple times instead of developing new ones.

Interestingly, smaller towns like Surat, Cochin, etc. have witnessed a rapid rise in such attacks. Wonder when will Gurgaon, who is witnessing rapid technological growth, fall prey to such attacks.

What steps have our readers taken to safeguard their data from possible attacks?

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Leap Makes The Near Future Look Just Like Minority Report!

Denzil — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:52:54 +0000

There exists a paradox that we can’t really put our heads around. Does futuristic technology get invented because thinkers/movies/books envision it first or does it get made because there is a logical connection in all this. Maybe we will never know! You must have watched Minority Report and drooled at all the amazing ways in which those guys in the future can control their computers from a distance by gestures. It is popping up all over the place and we last saw such a thing in the Avengers.

We knew this was possible when Microsoft launched Kinect 2 years ago. It was enthusiastically adopted by all the gamers who wanted in on this kind of revolutionary input model. Now, a startup called Leap Motion has announced their low cost interaction tool which will most definitely disrupt the current crop of motion sensing input devices and bring it out for the general public.

Leap:

Their product is called ‘Leap’ and it is surprisingly small and elegant. The Leap is a little bigger than a standard USB pen-drive and connects with a laptop or a desktop. It creates a space of 8 cubic feet where you can manipulate and gesture and this is picked up by the sensor which in turn interprets the signals to deliver the exact response for the gesture on the virtual space. The input can be via your fingers, hands or pencils. Leap Motion claims that the device is startlingly accurate and can take inputs from a sharpened pencil tip which is 1/100 of a millimeter. This signifies an accuracy level at which you can create pixel perfect drawings virtually.

This is the video that has everyone talking:

Leap Motion says that its device can find wider application amongst many fields.

Artists and creative types can use The Leap to emulate a stylus or easily create 3D images.

Anyone can use The Leap to interact with Windows 7/8 or Mac OS X by clicking, grabbing, scrolling and using familiar gestures like pinch to zoom in 3D space.

Users pointing a pen at the signature line of a document to sign it in space.

Engineers can interact more easily with 3D modeling software.

Gamers can play more easily and many will modify with Leap in mind.

Surgeons can control 3D medical data with their hands without taking off their gloves.

We agree! The possibilities are endless. The most exciting part is the fact that the device is on pre-order for $70 (3,863 INR) only! There are limited devices currently, so you might want to hit this link quick and pray that all of them have not sold out yet.

The first shipments will go out this winter after the product is completely ready and tested. In the meanwhile developers are invited to apply for a SDK. If you want to read about Leap and Leap Motion in detail, you might want to check out their About section.

Simple and Disruptive enough to change the world. Don’t you agree?

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e-Classifieds Site Quickr Gets $ 32 Million From Warburg Pincus & Others

Alap Naik Desai — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:14:27 +0000

Online e-classifieds company Quikr India Pvt Ltd has secured US$ 32 Million in its fifth round of funding.

Source: expressIndia.com

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus led the funding while existing investors Matrix Partners India, Norwest Venture Partners and eBay Inc also participated. The company plans to utilize the funds to diversify onto the mobile platform & acquire new customers through intensified marketing activities. This investment coincidentally marks the first for Warburg after a hiatus of nearly a decade.

Quickr has so far managed to get US$ 50 Million (Rs. 260 Crores). The company claims to have more than 17 Million unique visitors per month from 83 cities . Quickr offers a simplified platform to sell or buy just about anything online. Spread over 165 broad categories, one can buy/sell electronics, automobiles & even real estate here. Observing this drive to boost online e-commerce, multiple companies like Matrix & Omidyar, then Norwest & later Nokia Growth Partners put in US$ 4.13 Million, US$ 6 Million & US$ 8 Million respectively.

The online classified markets is not a niche one. In fact, Quickr faces competition from multiple companies like ReleaseMyAd, ibibo, MJunction etc. However, with the emergence of newer platforms like mobiles & tablets, the survivors will be decided on their ability to adapt & grow. We just saw how mobiles were driving e-commerce. Hence, it seems obvious that Quickr is developing classifieds platform for the mobile ecosystem.

With India’s online e-commerce market just breaching the US$ 10 Billion mark, there is ample opportunity for companies to exploit this new avenue. Last year private equity funds put in a total of US$ 10.58 Billion across 501 deals.

Do you use Quickr? How’s the experience?

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