Holidays Are Here!!!

Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays 

Bushoe Buzz

What can happen by throwing a pair of shoes ?

Apart from all the reports, conversations,debates look below who quickly cashed in by the shoe episode

• 'Sock and Awe'.com , a online game site based on the incident was bought by British-based internet media company for 5,215 pounds ($7,818), through e-bay.com
• You Tube gets 8,145,000 views in two days with from different versions of the video, uploaded @ 209 videos per hour.
• Istanbul-based shoemaker Ramazan Baydan has received orders totaling 370,000 pair since Dec 14 and has employed 100 people extra to meet this demand.
• Afghan televisions has put up special "shoe" episodes in their comedy shoes.

Baylis Revolution- Greenest MP3 player

Yes it looks like a brick & No its does not fit into your pocket. Yes it  includes music, video, and photo playback, , but no it does not support DRM protected music or video.Priced at $179 (4GB) it is costlier than an ipod (8GB-$149).So why in the world would anyone buy this??

Did I mention that it has a hand crank and can generate its own energy?  Aptly named the Revolution, this wind-up mp3 player from Baylis  is the greenest gadget of recent times. The crank is used to windup to charge the internal  battery or can be used to charge other devices also.One minute of cranking will give you 45 minutes of music playback.At full charge it gives a astounding 48 hours of playback. Not just that it is also packed with features like music & video playback, a photo viewer, an FM radio, a voice recorder, a line input recorder, a text reader, expandable memory, and get this...a flashlight. (CNET full review)

When the market is full of me too mp3's,here is a player which cuts above the rest with a specific focus on adventure travellers.The Baylis Revolution is not for everyone,its for those who live on the road,globetrotters who explore the world in all its rawness. Talk about product differentiation for a niche segment....

Welcome back to Taj & Trident

"We can be hurt but we will never fall," Ratan Tata, chairman of the Taj owner Tata Group, told reporters shortly before his hotel was to start checking in new guests.(AP)

Less than a month later after terror attacks,the Taj & Trident opened today.Heavy security is present complete with armed personnel, barricades,scanners etc.

"There is no fear. We see the courage of the people and the staff," said Kritika Srinivasan, 28, a regular guest at the hotel who went inside to congratulate the staff. "We have to show them (the attackers) that they can't break our courage and solidarity."

That seems to be the united opinion among the elite community as the top businessman,VIP's are keen to get a reservation for its opening day and also continue  their early commitments.

From Hindu : Both Taj and Oberoi have set up funds to help those affected by the attacks – Taj Public Service Welfare Trust and Oberoi Care Fund.

Those wishing to contribute to the Taj fund can do so at: The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust, Mandlik House, 2nd Floor, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 001, Tel: +91-22-66395515, Fax: +91-22-22027442, e-mail: tpswtrust@tajhotels.com

Contributions to the Oberoi fund in the form of cheque or demand draft will be accepted till March 31, 2009. More information is available on www.oberoigroup/oberoicarefund. For questions and further information, you may contact on +91 011 2389 0555 or write to the hotel at support@oberoigroup.com.

Principles Of Web 2.0 Marketing

Professors, SALVATORE PARISE , PATRICIA J. GUINAN and  BRUCE D. WEINBERG have given  new insights of marketing in the WEB 2.0 era. After interviewing more than 30 executives and managers in both large and small organizations that are at the forefront of experimenting with Web 2.0 tools, they have  identified a set of emerging principles for web marketing .

• Don't just talk at consumers -- work with them  throughout the marketing process.

• Give consumers a reason to participate.

• Listen to -- and join -- the conversation outside your site.

• Resist the temptation to sell, sell, sell.

• Don't control, let it go.

• Find a 'marketing technopologist.'

• Embrace experimentation.         

                                              Read Full article here

Paul brings Pride

    Lord SwAraj Paul sitting on traditional woolsack while presiding over the House of Lords in London on Thursday.

If  someone went back to the past and told our freedom fighters,that one day a Indian will preside the House Of Lords, I am sure there would be no takers.  Last Thursday is one of the historic moments when Lord Swaraj Paul did that. Incidentally,there was a 150 minute debate on Mumbai terror attacks and Little Master's Century.

RE-Branding -(Recession Branding)

When Reccession Jolts Brands.................

IPOD- Instils Innovation in Taxes Too

TIMESONLINE reports "The New York governor is asking for a   so-called “iPod tax” on downloaded music as one of 137 revenue-raising proposals to close the largest budget deficit in the state’s history. The proposed “iPod tax,” would tax the sale of downloaded music and other “digitally delivered entertainment services” by 4 percent, adding four cents to the cost of a 99-cent song for users whose iPod is registered to a New York address.

Haircuts, beer, cinema tickets, cigars, taxi rides, massages, and sugary soft drinks would also be targeted under the austerity budget aimed at closing the $15.4 billion shortfall caused by a collapse of tax revenues from Wall Street. Among them is an unprecedented 18% “obesity tax” on sugary soft drinks. The tax would cover fruit drinks with less than 70% fruit juice, as well as “-ades, punches and certain fruit nectars.” Diet soft drinks would be exempt. With one in four New York teenagers considered obese, the “obesity tax” aims to cut consumption of sugary drinks by five percent while raising $404 million in the next fiscal year. Also hit by new taxes under the package would be “personal services” such as massages, pedicures and health-club memberships."

I certainly agree that  IPOD is considered as one of most innovative product of recent times.I mean if it can inspire the government to introduce  "innovative taxes".... what else to say?

Google Rolls Windows For Chrome

I having exams so I wont be blogging regularly,meanwhile U can check out my archives for something interesting... :)

Parvathy Cries Foul or Did she?

Media reports say that Parvathy Omanakuttan told India Vision channel "I have performed better than others in the personality and question-answer round. This is not just that. All those who watched it yesterday felt like that. I feel the jury's decision was unfair".

Speaking to NDTVMovies.com on phone from Johannesburg, the first runner up of Miss World 2008 said, "I never questioned jury's decision. The contest was fair, and free from all biases. They were just and reasonable to each and every contestant. I have been totally misquoted on that point. I never said to anybody that I was not rightly judged. I have a lot of respect for judges in the contest."

Celebrities are often misquoted or caught off guard for saying seemingly simple statements but may lead to a major PR disaster.

It is also said the beauty with brains is eyeing bollywood and other movie offers.My advice get a PR manager if she wants to get a place in the  industry.

THE EARTH STANDS STILL AFTER 57 YEARS

Keanu Reeves is back with a sci-fi movie but not the one we would all expect. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, it is a story about  a alien messenger who comes with a warning that the humans will be killed for saving planet earth.

Look below the trailers of the old & new below

The Day the Earth Stood Still-1951

Although it looks funny now,the original was considered a neat movie as the timing was perfect .  The  director Scott Derrickson & writer by David Scarpa said they have reimagined the story.The cold war theme had been replaced by  environmental issues and spiced with a heavy dose of  CGI for "groundbreaking" visual effects.

The Day the Earth Stood Still-2008

The movie has already drawn flak from movie reviewers for relying heavily on visual and charm of  "Klaatu" Keanu killing the substance of the original.Rotten Tomatoes consensus says "Heavy on special effects, but without a coherent story at its base, The Day the Earth Stood Still is subpar re-imagining of the 1951 science-fiction classic"

So If  you like movies with lots of graphics , little story and Keanu Reeves, go ahead while it is "Still in Theatres"

A.R.Rahman May get Gold for "Slumdog"

A.R. Rahman has won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score for his music in British director Danny Boyle's  underdog tale "Slumdog Millionaire".

The  movie  one of the main favourites for the Oscars has got  a total of 4 Golden Globe nominations. Others include, Best Picture-Drama, Best Director for Boyle and Best Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.

My Heartiest Congratulations to our Rahman, who continues to take Indian music to the world's stage.Remember Bombay Dreams?

 

3G IS Here !!! ...Finally

Get Your Iphones and N90's ready because 3G is here.Because the 3ok + price you paid for the hi-fi phones are now ready to put for some real use.

Our Hon'ble Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the country's first 3G network by receiving an inaugural video call and viewing live television on a 3G-enabled mobile handset.

So what exactly is 3G? 3G is the third generation of tele standards and technology for mobile networking. Simply put we can say GPRS is similar to the Dial Up Internet  connection,3G is broadband connection for the mobile,i.e. you can avail speeds like 2Mbps in your mobile itself. The point is High Speed data transfer,which will enable live video streaming,uploading and downloading photos directly from the mobile.Fortunately most of the new high end phones are all 3G enabled so users can use take full advantage of their phones by experiencing seamless network connectivity.

Unfortunately MTNL and BSNL are only offering 3g services as of now ,that too only in the Delhi circle.It will take some time before other players jump in and all areas are covered.So we have to wait a little time more.

Disparity the biggest Challenge-Sam Pitroda

Excerpts from Mr.Sam Pitroda's recent interview:-

"Look what we have gone through in this nuclear deal the amount of hassle the amount of jhagda-lafda. India needs  energy. This is not about nuclear deal to me. To me it is about lighting the lives of poorest of the poor in India. It is about giving lamp to a child in village who doesn’t have lamp to read. Happens to be nuclear. So I think when you look at these big pieces you have privatisation, you have energy but you also need whole series of things on basic needs: water, sanitation, agriculture, food, housing, the big piece on infrastructure-roads to airports to trains. There is just too much  work in India. There is work cut out for 50 years. It is not about creating more billionaires. It is not about more Bangalore and software companies, more Infosys and TCS’s and Wipros. It is about people at the bottom of the pyramid. If you really want to build a nation you got to take that 400 million with you. You can’t leave them. And you can’t count on the trickling down effect only. So I think disparity is a big challenge. And whatever big plan we have that plan must take into consideration basic human needs."

Sam Pitroda, is considered as the  father of Indian telecom and currently heads India’s National Knowledge Commission,which covers the five focus areas of the Knowledge paradigm.

 

Sell Bread When There Is Traffic Jam

I was listening to Radio Indigo today and the RJ was asking what do people (especially in cars) want when  they are stuck in traffic.Traffic in Bangalore is one of the worst ones in the country(even ex-pats agree).Many listeners were calling in and giving suggestions like pollution masks, magazines, DVD's etc.

One of the interesting suggestions was given by some girl named Ashwati.She told everyone will want to eat something during times in which they are stuck in traffic.Biscuits,chocolates or salted snacks or some munchies like that.She even mentioned even though it is obvious,nobody is doing it.

When I thought about it I found it really practical. The idea is that morning many skip breakfast, in evenings they would be tired  and would be rushing to eat something.But when they are stuck in traffic they cannot get out of their vehicles to go into some shop to buy the munchies.  

That's a great news for fast food vendors out there to add more sales.Think about it,people who have small shops on busy junctions can  have a tray lined with branded snacks which will be easily picked by consumers. The kiosk vendors like steamed corn or Frankie rolls freshly prepared stuffs neatly packed could be sold very easily.

"Every adversity is a opportunity for those with a positive attitude"

Wishing Everyone A Happy Eid ul Zuha

Happy 40th Birthday Mr.Mouse :-)

On December 9, 1968, at a computer conference in San Francisco, scientist Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute demonstrated a small rectangular wooden device, with a single button which could control a computer. The tool had been developed by Dr. Engelbart, and his team as an “X-Y position indicator for a display system” to quote from his patent application. 

And thus the Mouse was born.Though it was not named so people who used it referred it as the mouse as it had a tail similar to the animal.Invented in 1968,the mouse became popular only in 1984,when  Apple launched Macintosh and became an essential input device after keyboard.Unlike its living counterpart,the mouse has evolved into a more powerful,sleek,attractive and more importantly a useful accessory.

But techies say that the increasing touch sensitive technologies are making mouse increasingly redundant and emerging touchless technologies like G-Speak will banish the mouse altogether.

Gpseak-touchless tech demo

Ironically,Logitech today announced it has shipped its billionth mouse.Logitech,the mouse pioneer  will have to watch out for today's touch devices and tomorrow's     touchless technologies.May be one day we might say goodbye Mr.Mouse,but for now its  "Happy Birthday Mr.Mouse :-)"

Facebook suffering from Koobface

Attention All Facebook Users!!! you might be victim of Koobface.

If you get any post similar to this ignore it better yet, delete it.If you Click on the link  you will be prompted to update the flash player which will actually install the virus.The koobface virus in addition to spreading such messages from your account will also record vital information which you type in like credit card information or login id's & password.

Experts say that it is a new version of W32 worm which is very similar to email viruses which spread during the early days of internet. So it could be easily flushed out of the system by just updating the anti-virus program and scanning the whole system once.It is said koobface attacks only social networking sites.As for now only facebook and Myspace have been affected. 

Facebook has officially confirmed the spread of koobface and has provided instructions to affected users.

PC to become Super PC

NVIDIA ,the leader in visual computing devices  ,has unveiled the First ever Personal Super Computer.NVIDIA's has leveraged its high performance processor GPU to bring in High Performance Computing (HPC) solutions. 

Until Super computers which are usually room size ,million dollar,complex computing systems. But the The GPU-based Tesla™ Personal Supercomputer, is priced between£4,000 and £8,000 and look much like an ordinary PC.

“We’ve all heard ‘desktop supercomputer’ claims in the past, but this time it’s for real,” said Burton Smith, Microsoft Technical Fellow.  Heterogeneous computing, where GPUs work in tandem with CPUs, is what makes such a breakthrough possible.”

Though it is priced 1/100th of the price of a normal supercomputer,it is still high for a normal PC user.So initially NVIDIA will be looking at universities and to the scientific and research community.

David Kirk, chief scientist at NVIDIA, the American company which has designed the new technology, said: "Pretty much anything that you do on your PC that takes a lot of time can be accelerated with this.These supercomputers can improve the time it takes to process information by 1,000 times.If you imagine it takes a week to get a result [from running an experiment], you can only do it 52 times a year. If it takes you minutes, you can do it constantly, and learn just as much in a day."

The PC maker Dell, however, said that it would soon be mass producing them for the general consumer market. Eric Greffier, a Dell senior executive, said: "Before mobile phones were reserved for the few, now we can't live without them. It will be the same with these supercomputers. They are the building block for the computing of the future."

I don't know about research , but imagine all the games that could be played with so much power.Looks SUPER COOL to me :)

Honda Exits F1 due to Financial Crisis

Honda Motor has withdrawn from Formula One racing, as a part of its cost cutting activities  after the Japanese carmaker slashed its earnings forecast, fired assembly workers and reduced production.This move will help Honda in cutting at least $ 216 million in costs .The racing Team is up for sale and also it  would  no longer supply engines to other teams.

Honda Chief Executive Takeo Fukui told a news conference a return to the sport could take time, and that there were no plans to continue as an engine supplier. "This difficult decision was taken recently and was made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry," Fukui told reporters."Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economics around the globe continue to mount."

Almost all leading Auto Cos are facing trouble with the US Big 3 facing bankruptcy.Read full story here

Slumdog Millionaire In OSCAR Buzz

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire"  based on the book Q and A by Vikas Swarup, was seen as just another 'rags to riches story'' even by Warner Bros who were the producers.But its not atleast that's what the critics say.The film whose release was in doubt has heated the Oscar buzz,thanks to Fox Searchlight Pictures which released the movie after buying it from Warner Bros which was planning to release to straight to DVD .

So what's the story? The film opens with a question in KBC style"Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees," it reads. "How did he do it? A) He cheated. B) He's lucky. C) He's a genius. D) It is written."Its about  the journey of a poor Indian 18 year tea supplier(Dev Patel) in the slums of Mumbai, who ends up winning one crore rupees in game show "Kaun Banega Karorpati" and gets under suspicion of the police(Irfan Khan).Throughout the film Malik narrates many incidents in his life which helped him answer all the questions of the game show.

Although it seems a normal movie story,it is Boyle's dynamic script which has made it to Oscar material.The movie handles multiple story lines which pushes audience to keep pace with the film.Boyle has also succeeded in throwing light on some major issues like poverty,the crime underworld of Bombay,effects of rapid modernization of India....And the best part is ,it has all the Bollywood elements presented in Hollywood style.

TRAILER OF SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

N97 ,The Real Iphone Killer

After the several attempts to kill the Iphone by major rivals,Iphone still topped the lists as the most favoured smartphone. But when everyone thought the dust has settled,here comes the new N97 

Samsung Omnia,HTC Diamond,Sony Xperia..etc , although they were considered good,they weren't good enough. Nokia N96 and Google G1 emerged as promising threats to the Iphone (In India,it was almost suicide.see why) .They were iphone replicas or equivalents in terms of features and designs,but there was not much of a radical difference..except the G1's  Android.

But the N97 is packed with new features  taking mobile computing to the next level leveraging the web applications.One of the most unique features of N97 is Social Location.

  Sensing your 'So-Lo' -The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of 'social location'. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their 'status' and share their 'social location' as well as related pictures or videos.

In a press release ,Jonas Geust, Vice President, heading Nokia Nseries,said "From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence.Together with the Ovi services announced today, the Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet"

N97-DEMO

Sad news is,not all markets will see the N97 now.Initially it will be launched only in European markets,  it will be a long time before US consumers get their hands on this new mobile computer. In India? ..It will come ...well eventually.

BMW-AS YOU LIKE IT

BMW lovers will soon have their chance to customize their own cars. The German Car maker known for its innovation is bringing in a new feature called the  "Product Navigator"  based on Microsoft Surface.

Users can place samples of accessories  and colour choices using their own hands. They can instantly can see their dream car in action through simulated video clippings and multidimensional pictures.

BMW's" Product Navigator" using MS Surface

This is another example how technology can transform the way businesses operate. This is what Microsoft stands apart from companies like Apple.MS technologies help companies to improve their performance and unleash their full potential.MS works with companies across industries in order to develop new technologies that will help businesses ..remember Ford SYNC?

WORLD AIDS DAY

To celebrate the 2007 and 2008 World AIDS Day theme of leadership, the World AIDS Campaign launched the Stop AIDS Leadership Pledge in November 2007. In collaboration with national, regional, global and constituent partners, this initiative asks people from all over the world to pledge their leadership to help stop AIDS. These pledges collected online, by mail and at events, will be used to create exhibitions, banners and other visibility actions during major events in 2008 and 2009. With a goal of at least 100,000 signees, these pledges serve as a persuasive tool for leveraging greater political leadership on universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support and act as a visual example for key national and international decision-makers to follow.

Take the Lead. People from all over the world have signed on

their leadership to stop AIDS.

To Make a pledge click this button

 

Indian Retail yet to Arrive

Black Friday has officially kick started the holiday shopping season in the U.S.

ShopperTrak RCT, a retail industry research firm, said total Black Friday sales rose 3% this year, to about $10.6 billion nationwide,the smallest gain for a “Black Friday” in three years. But retailers say it could have been worse and they hope the positive trend will continue through the season. ShopperTrak has estimated that 9.9 percent fewer shoppers will descend on stores this holiday season, producing a sales gain of 0.1 percent

Compare this with Indian retail scenario

When a single Black Friday sales account for more than $450 billion ,Industry experts believe modern retail could be worth as much as $100 billion out of a total $600 billion Indian consumer market only by 2011.Kishore Biyani told CNN.com."Our sales during Diwali (the festival of lights in October) were quite good, up 18 percent year on year." 

But the 18% will be still very less when looked in actual sales figures. So when will India have its Black Friday?Big Bazaar CEO Rajan Malhotra told CNN.com, "I think it is up to modern retail to create occasions of consumption in a market like ours," noting that the chain's "Once in a Lifetime" promotion last month took sales to record levels.

Retail expert Ireena Vittal of consultancy McKinsey says 180 million of India's 205 million households are still intimidated by modern retail, ensuring that traditional retail formats will continue to grow.

I think Indian retail has still a long way to go before we have "Great Indian shopping Day" comparable to the US Black Friday.

Everyday Heroes

After 51 hours ,the battle still continues...As for now 148 are dead including 16 police personnel.Reports say that they are three more terrorists holed up in TAJ.Totally 10 places had been attacked during the ordeal.

Meanwhile rescued guests at TAJ have lauded the efforts of the hotel staff for their bravery and courage and their commitment towards their guests.The staff at TAJ have emerged as heroes as they shielded, hid or evacuated their wealthy guests from militants at the Taj without considering their own safety.

Mangeshikar, a 52-year-old gynaecologist, told Reuters. "The man in front of my wife shielded us. He was a maintenance section staff. He took the bullets."

Hotel workers in one case ushered guests into a conference room and then locked the doors to protect them from the militants. The guests were later rescued by the fire brigade.

Kanda Noriyaki, a chef at the hotel's Japanese restaurant, led guests trembling and screaming with fear to safety."Just imagine, they even served us food the first few hours," said a hotel guest, who did not wish to be named. "Only when the kitchens became out of bounds did they express regret for not being able to serve us food."

One person recounted how Taj staff stopped panicky guests from rushing into the lobby where militants could have shot them."They were brilliant," Bhisham Mansukhani told the Mail Today. "If they hadn't kept their cool, many more lives would have been lost."

Many evacuees from the hotel hailed the bravery of the staff."The hotel staff has been very, very brave," Mangeshikar said. "Hats off to them."

At  this time we cannot forget that many chief officers of ATS,NSG Commandos and encounter specialists have shed their lives during this battle. Hats off to their Courage & Bravery.

MUMBAI MAYHEM

Mumbai or Bombay which is the gateway for Brand India has been hit again and hit hard.Its not just a random blast this time,its an direct attack ,a siege .Its not just another terror attack which will be forgotten next week and It should not be.

Reports say that there were 5 bomb blasts ,and also armed gunmen have taken atleast 50 hostages in TAJ& OBEROI ,Trident hotels.Half of the hostages are said to be foreigners.Cops,including several chief officers have been killed.As of now 60 people have been feared killed and 200 injured.Click here for latest reports

The mumbaikars were considered the most resilient people,but the fact was that they had to get used to the terrorist attacks which happens atleast every month in form or another as if it is a natural phenomenon, because they have no place else to survive in this great democratic country.

Its time to stop mourning and start acting,

India are you listening???

New Bond Vs New Coke

Prof Ray says "The 'Quantum of Solace' Bond is one that's turned Rambo, and that's a no-no."
As a bond fan, I too said no no when Bond became like Rambo & Bourne.However QOS has got the opening amongst all Bond movies and still raking up the box office to become the most commercially successful Bond film ever made.

Unlike the new coke,the new Bond has become a hit in the market by breaking all box office records by previous Bond movies. Does that mean they have got the balance of retention & alterations correctly? May be or may be not, but for me the next one will not be a Bond movie but a decent action movie. (See My review of QOS)
Which made me think what if the new coke was actually successful but a considerable population missed the classic version?

Of course ,they can sell two versions of coke at same time but when it comes to choosing only one of them which what will you choose? Will you choose to serve the existing market where your brand has a strong positioning or jump on to the new segment where you have to alter the brand image? I think it will be the sales figures which will have a final word. So its highly probable that atleast the next couple of Bond movies will be packed with nothing but action.

Apocalypse coming in 2012

Mayan legend has it that  on 21.12.2012 , the B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Maya calendar gets completed and it is said that it will cause a major change in the world,more like a apocalypse due to tremendous natural disasters.

Now that's a great story to make a Hollywood blockbuster .Atleast Roland Emmerich thinks so. His last movie 10,000 B.C. was not very successful.But Roland says his next film "2012" will sure make up for it.This time he sticks to his formula of a apocalyptic disaster story with a huge budget which promises mind blowing visual effects.

The blockbuster director who gave hits like Independence Day,Godzilla,had earlier said he won't be doing any more disaster movies. His recent movies "The Day After Tomorrow" was also blockbuster based on effects of global warming . But Roland says "…This whole movie I'm doing next was inspired by just the phenomenon of the internet when you type in Google, '2012', you get 240 million hits. That's a lot. And it's just, so many people write about it, believe it, that our world comes to an end in 2012. I said wow. I kind of said before I will never do a disaster movie again. I said, for this idea I have to do it again."

                                                      Trailer of 2012

Hopefully we get to see the movie before the world ends...

Nilekani's India Dreams

Infosys Technologies Co-Chairman, Mr Nandan M. Nilekani is bringing out the India he has imagined in his mind in his first book, Imagining India: Ideas for the New Century.

“It’s a definitive book on India,” says Penguin Books’ India managing editor Udayan Mitra on Nilekani’s debut offering. “It’s the kind of book that has an international appeal. Nilekani has been in the forefront of IT revolution in India and is one of the most recognized faces globally”.

Indeed, everyone who have read Thomas Friedman's "World Is Flat " will know Mr.Nilekani.After all it was his words which propelled the book's theme.

Imagining India is divided into four parts: The first dwells on topics, including globalization, India’s demographic advantage, the changing role of the entrepreneur and technology. The second is about the infrastructural challenges and the third looks at issues such as conflicting political ideologies, labour reform and higher education. The last section deals with democracy and technology, health, pensions and entitlements, the environment and energy.

It will be launched on 24 November in New Delhi,  followed by other Indian cities, Bangalore including Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The book will also be released in the US and elsewhere in 2009.

Iphone-not so "happening" in India

When Apple set 100,000 as its sales target for the iphone in India for the period till Dec 2009,they thought they are being humble because of the fact that in India around 120 million handsets are sold every year of which 4 to 5% are smartphones.

But now they realise that it will be very hard to reach this modest target.Livemint.com reports that only 11000 iphones have been sold so far out of the 50,000 of the initial shipment.

So what went wrong? Is it the price? not really...because Nokia's iphone killers are doing well although they are priced same or even more(30k+range) than the iphone in India.Its too early to quote numbers of the N96 but sales is brisk according to sellers.

Two main P's that Apple got wrong are Promotion & Place-that is they did not communicate properly to the Indian consumer why they have to pay three times more than the US price.Also only the service providers  promoted and not Apple despite its retail presence. And Airtel and Vodafone thought since its The Iphone it will sell by itself and only a low level of promotion was done(only some printads ands billboards that iphone is available)    

Then Place i.e. distribution, when retail is growing in India,Iphones are sold only through the service provider outlets and not through other mainstream retailers.Meanwhile the availability of Nokia phones is much much greater in the Indian Marketplace.

If sales of iphones is to be pushed it should be done immediately by collaborating with other organised retailers  because the time is running out and before you know it consumers would have forgotten the iphone.

Who's watching Who

Although we knew before,now we have proof. Hubble has snapped up pictures of a planet orbiting around a star outside our solar system.For the first time there is an opportunity to study the nature of an other solar system other than ours.This may help us to understand and arrive at generic patterns across several solar systems.

The planet, Fomalhaut b, maintains an orbit around the star Fomalhaut and has three times the mass of Jupiter. "Our Hubble observations were incredibly demanding. Fomalhaut b is 1 billion times fainter than the star. We began this program in 2001, and our persistence finally paid off," said Hubble astronomer Paul Kalas, of the University of California at Berkeley.

So we can see it will take an awful lot of time to study and to compare & contrast with our system.I think we need lot more  Hubbles if we hope to do so.

LCD-LG's Conspired Dealing

LG Display Co Ltd, Sharp Corp, and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd have pleaded guilty in a price fixing conspiracy of Liquid Crystal Displays between the period from September 2001 to June 2006

ZDNET reports "The price-fixing conspiracies affected millions of American consumers who use computers, cell phones, and numerous other household electronics every day," Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's antitrust division, said in a statement. 

Electronic majors like Apple, Dell & Motorola are the most affected companies due to this price fixing conspiracy.While Chunghwa is paying US$65 million and Sharp a fine of US$120 million,LG Display has agreed to pay a US$400 million fine, which is the second-highest antitrust fine ever imposed.

Observers say that during 2000 Korean & Taiwan companies were producing excess LCD glass which forced sellers to sell US$5-10 below the cost . So the companies agreed to a price fixing collusion which resulted in the increase of prices.

Whatever the reasons may be now LG, Sharp ,etc might lose many of its valuable customers like Apple ,Dell etc unless they do a intensive damage control.