Can DIALOG thrive?

Tata Teleservices doesn’t need any new reference; it is a part of the Tata Group of companies and has brought to the fore DIALOG. You may get curious to know more. Well, DIALOG happens to be an exclusive product and has the intrinsic ability to convert one’s humdrum TV into a full-blown Internet device. Isn’t this great and wonderful? Surely it is!

It’s time to get more specific. The DIALOG kit, on the word of the company, consists of a set top box that links to the TV set directly and enables it with browser and photo viewing abilities. This set top box, in addition, consists of USB ports (four, in point of fact) and thanks to this the user can plug in his pen drives and perceive videos and listen to movies right on TV screen. What’s more, the USB port can be used to connect a Tata Photon Plus EVDO modem, in so doing bring Internet access to your TV.

Make a note of this as well. The DIALOG will be available in two options, while one of them is with Photon Whiz at Rs. 6,699, other one is available at Rs.7,699 with Photon Plus. Nevertheless, at the moment the service is limited only to the cities of Chennai and the Kolkata but there shall be a gradual expansion across India in the upcoming months. It seems that, the existing service is in the Test Run period and this would continue for the next three months.

What are the views of experts? As per the majority of them, the Tata DIALOG could develop into the easiest way to go online given that computer penetration remains low throughout India. But there is another fact too. If the sorry condition of electricity, TV penetration in the rural India and also the high prices of the set top box and the usage are taken into account, the scene doesn’t seem to be bright. Can DIALOG be successful then? We’re, indeed, cynical.

Maruti Suzuki suffers a snag, vows to recall 100,000 cars forecasting worse

Maruti Suzuki, subsidiary of Japan's globally celebrated Suzuki Motor Corp., and also leading carmaker of India, suffered a major ignominy when it had to acknowledge publicly that it is on the verge of recalling 100,000 cars in India and abroad on account of potential fuel leakage problems. There is almost no doubt that this is the first time when such a giant automobile maker is going through such a bad phase. As per the latest reports, close to 50,000 of the popular A Star hatchbacks have been recalled since November, from India and from export markets including Europe, Australia and North Africa. This has also been corroborated by company spokesman Puneep Dhawan.

It is worthwhile to mention that Maruti Suzuki makes about one of every two cars sold in India and with the A Star, it is transforming India into a small car production hub for export. However, there are other aspects as well. The recall comes in the shadow of Toyota Motor Corp.'s worldwide recall of 8.5 million vehicles in order to fix acceleration and braking problems in more than a few models. But none of them is in India. Keep in mind that A-Star is branded as the Alto in Europe, where it is also retailed as the Pixo by Nissan. It is known as the Celerio in non-European markets.

Now the question lies regarding the origin of this crisis. In accordance with the company, automobiles manufactured between November 2008 and August 2009 consist of a flawed fuel pump gasket and O-ring, which can leak as soon as the fuel tank is topped. On the word of Mr. Puneep Dhawan, company spokesman, the hitch was found out during an internal check and there is a relief too, no customers have complained up to now.

The news had an instant impact on the company's shares on the Bombay Stock Exchange and it did suffer a jolt.

Why is Indian education system on the wane?

“Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all previous centuries.” ---- J. Robert Oppenheimer ('Father of the Atomic Bomb'1904-1967)

“What we shall find in Modern Physics is an exemplification, an encouragement and a refinement of old Hindu wisdom." Julius R. Oppenheimer -- (1904-1967),

“Indian philosophers’ subtleties make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys.” ---- T.S. Eliot

The quotations of these two noble laureates have been used at the outset to prove the India that was once upon a time. India, at that time, was not only known for acumen, efficiency but also for innovation (that got depicted at times through science, philosophy and also literature). On the contrary, the present India stands for steady degradation, where the education system emphasizes text- book based knowledge more. What is most striking, Indian technological sector, especially the engineering colleges do also abide by the same principle. Indian engineering colleges still evaluate students' skills based on their ability to repeat the text- book knowledge in the exams, rather than on their aptitude to think 'out-of-box.' Even though this is a painful realization, it is cruel and true.

But never assume this as any mere speculation. Even premier Indian educationalists have started to acknowledge the same and one of them is certainly Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Head of Electrical Engineering Department at IIT Chennai. As per him, "Education system is one cog in the wheel, which affects students to a certain level" and all these proves his bitter experiences in a few words.

Nevertheless, Dr. Jhunjhunwala is not alone, he is joined by none other than Professor K Gopinath, Computer Science & Automation (CSA), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. In accordance with Professor Gopinath, India's education system shoots down the spirit of creation or simply innovation among students by not enabling them to exemplify their skills at university level.

Who is most blameworthy then? Is it the Indian education system or the Indian society in general? What do you think?

Is Google trying to avert crisis through enhancing Internet speed?

Is Google too in a fix? Well, this scribe is not sure of any such eventuality but seeing the hurriedness of Google Inc. or its vigor to increase speed of Internet connections in the realm of U.S., this question comes to the brain only. So let’s put the question straightly. Is everything fine for Google? If we look at its revenues, there can’t be any reason to get skeptical but there is also an aphorism – It’s only the wearer knows where the shoes pinches. Has Google worn such a shoe? Or are the coming days getting tough for Google? Perhaps the second question is more relevant.

Maybe you have gone through this issue already. If not, let me say again. The globally acclaimed search giant is prepared to take a provisional step toward fixing one of its longest-held gripes: the speed of Internet connections in the U.S. Whatever may be the formal announcement, it seems Google Inc. is leaving no stone unturned to do the same.

The issue that was in air for some months got strengthened when in the blog post on Feb. 10, Google product managers Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly presented the company's plan to render as many as 500,000 people in a small number of venues with fiber-optic Internet connections capable of one gigabit per second (Gbps). This is in excess of 100 times faster than the typical U.S. broadband connection speed these days. The project is not only too buoyant but exceedingly expensive also and if we rely on analysts, costs could run north of $1 billion to install and maintain the new network.

How do you find the same? You may concur that Google Inc. can do anything but there must be some specific reason behind such a desperate approach. Isn’t it?

Read this recent annunciation of Google Inc. "We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra-high speeds, whether it's creating new bandwidth-intensive 'killer apps' and services, or other uses we can't yet imagine." Do you find any agony or an aggression? Offence is surely the best defence; without doubt Google is playing the same strategy.

RIM brings forth modernized Internet browser, to exist and expand

Research In Motion Ltd refuses to bow down to any and in order to be ahead of all raging contenders, it has brought to the fore a modernized version of Internet browser for its devices. Well, the first and foremost intention is always the same; it is to attract non-business customers to a larger extent.

Speaking on this accomplishment, Mike Lazaridis, Co-Chief Executive Officer and inventor of the BlackBerry (RIM is maker of the BlackBerry phone) stated with vigor, the new offer can expand the market opportunity for the BlackBerry platform to a greater extent. Lazaridis played the important role in displaying the new WebKit browser at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

How do you define this initiative then? Is Research In Motion too desperate to attain the height of success? Well, even though nothing is confirmed yet, it seems so. It is to be noted that in the month of October Research In Motion (RIM) became instrumental in launching renovated variant of the Storm -- a larger-screen BlackBerry for easier browsing. The main idea was to retort to assorted reviews of the first edition and competition from Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Motorola Inc.’s Droid. Well, some experts have already made it clear that RIM needs to ameliorate its browsers in order to allure clientele in a market spilling over with contending devices.

It ought to be mentioned that RIM’s competitors have brought better browsers to the market thus far and in order to exist in the rapidly changing market and also to attain success it is high time for RIM to do something.

Research In Motion happens to be a prominent designer, manufacturer and vendor of innovative wireless solutions in the realm of international market of mobile communications. RIM, by means of developing integrated hardware, software and services that strengthen the saga of multiple wireless network standards, brings forth a solid foundation for consistent and coherent approach to time-sensitive information like email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications.

Samsung firm to proffer reasonable smartphones to arrest new consumers

Even though coming days, as stated by copious numbers of studies, are going to be tough for the global business scenario, Samsung, globally acclaimed multinational conglomerate, seems to be confident and the company, thanks to the changing reality, shall focus on smartphones more than ever before. It has also been found that the same is going to be the crux of Samsung's mobile strategy in 2010 and the company will leave no stone unturned to distinguish itself through proffering more reasonable options. You may be wondering of the source. All these have come out from Hankil Yoon’s chin-wagging with press and media at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Keep in mind that Hankil Yoon is Vice President – Samsung (Product Planning).

What makes the Samsung bigwig talk in this way? On the word of Yoon, a new section of clientele in quest of light and easy-featured phones has come to the fore. It’s not easy to convince them even though diversification of OS offerings can do the magic. What did Yoon confirm more? As stated by Hankil Yoon, Samsung did not finish up launching any Android phones at MWC this year, but the platform has the ability to have rapid footing in 2010. Windows 7 and the Linux-based LiMo are also "on the horizon."

However experts are giving emphasis to Bada to a great extent and as per a large number of them, it can become Samsung’s most formidable weapon in the coming days. What is Bada then? Bada is basically a Samsung-only platform that is based on Samsung's feature-phone OS and is adding many APIs for third party developers to generate well-off applications.

It is worthwhile to mention that Samsung, only on Sunday, brought to the fore its first Bada-based phone, the Wave S8500. Wave S8500 has been found as a slim, touchscreen phone and consists of a Samsung-made 1-GHz processor, a "Super AMOLED" screen and 720p high-def video capabilities.

Proper education helps people to thwart heart diseases

How can heart diseases be thwarted? There are, if truth be told, lots of ways across the globe but if you are in quest of success stories only, you shall have to focus on Wilkes-Barre General Hospital situated in the US state of Pennsylvania. Now the question is why should we? Well, the one and only answer is that they have got the success. How? If we take into consideration views of Dr. Mark Bernardi, DO, Medical Director of The Heart and Vascular Institute at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, the prognosis from the doctors is well and effective and with the passing of each year, the rate of success in increasing by leaps and bounds.

It should be remembered that among the populace in the vicinity of hospital or medical institution the rate of heart dieses were high. The concerned doctors or medical practitioners from Wilkes-Barre General Hospital started educating the people of the perilous causes of heart disease and how to avert the same. In their own words, the public is getting better at making the choices for a heart-healthy lifestyle and for recognizing the risks of heart disease and the symptoms of heart attacks. As stated by Dr. Bernardi, all these endeavors have led to fewer heart attacks each year and what is more striking, the number of survivors have increased even among patients having heart attacks. Isn’t this quite great? There is no doubt in this.

Dr. Bernardi has no qualms in stating public awareness continues to get better to a large extent. Take for instance the views of Alfred S. Casale, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Geisinger Health System, NE, and Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pearsall Heart Hospital, Geisinger Wyoming Valley. As per him, the consciousness has been such even if the concerned prey fails to recognize the attack, one his loved ones become successful to identify the same pernicious development.

Nevertheless, the rate of smoking in the vicinity is still high and this bitter truth continues to perturb the doctors. This, they have stated, is an alarming trend although some successes in stopping smoking in younger persons, in particular females, have been found.

What can we conclude then? Proper education and consciousness helps people to get rid of heart diseases. Do you have any other view? Perhaps not!