Social Networks on the Rise in India

The year 2007 has seen the launch of several new social networking Web sites targeting the youth in this country.

Two such newbies: iShare, launched by Rediff in July, and the very recent BigAdda, launched by Reliance ADAG.

Both portals qualify as social content sharing platforms, allowing users share videos, music, pictures, and more. They combine elements of various sites including Orkut, Youtube, Flickr, and Limewire, to name a few.

Yet, they aspire to be more than just platforms for people to catch up with pals or find dates online. An increasing number of people are actually looking towards these sites as more than just meeting ground.

One such aspect, video sharing, is gaining currency the world over. For instance, aspiring music artists get to showcase their work by uploading their videos. Others in turn, get to know of the existence of diverse and varied talent.

Portraying their Web site as one such multi-faceted destination, Manish Agarwal, vice president of marketing, Rediff, said, "Rediff iShare, unlike most of the social networking sites, does not depend on "boy meet girl" or "missing friend"; rather, it connects users sharing the same passion. After finding the content they like, users can connect with users who've uploaded that content or viewed that content to share some kind of connect."

Rediff iShare claims it has managed to hook nearly 1 million users in just a month and a half. BigAdda meanwhile, is looking at hooking close to 10 million users by 2010.

Both iShare and BigAdda claim to exist for an Indian audience. However, that does not take away from the competition they face from international players like Google and Yahoo!.

What Nikhil Soman, chief technology officer of Bigadda, had to say about this is: "As an Indian Youth Network with Indian sensibilities, allowing identity creation, self expression, and community building through text, photo, video, and other multi-media platforms and devices, we focus on the available Indian population, which itself is a global market."

Meanwhile, Google's YouTube, which is undoubtedly the most widely used video sharing Web site in the world, allows users not just to upload and share videos but also to download them onto their PCs. This feature is lacking in our home-grown social networking sites, for oft cited copyright reasons.

All said, online social networking is becoming increasingly popular across the globe and across India, and is increasingly driving time spent on the Internet.

Rediff's Manish Agarwal believes that the entry of new players in the market will only help further accelerate growth of Internet in India.

Reportedly, the Internet user base in the country is poised to grow to 100 million from a current base of 40 million, and the percentage of users adopting social networks is also expected to rise from the current 13 percent to nearly 25 percent.

New Nokia Handsets in Q4 2007

Alongside of it's Internet foray, Nokia has reportedly unveiled 4 new mobile devices that are optimized for entertainment, music, and games.

The N81 multimedia computer has dedicated music and gaming keys that light up when activated, a 3.5-mm headphone connector, and 3G and WLAN connectivity.

Besides, N81 is configured to find, buy, manage, and play music and games purchased from the newly-launched Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service respectively.

At Euro 360 and Euro 430, the N81 and the N81 8GB are both expected to begin shipping in Q4 this year.

The N95 8GB has all the key features of its predecessor; including a 5 mega pixels camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA, and a 2-way slide, and offers up to 8GB built-in memory.

It will start shipping in the fourth quarter for Euros 560 (before subsidies/taxes).

About 9.9mm thick and weighing less than 71 grams, the 5310 XpressMusic phone offers up to 18 hours of music playback and up to 3,000 songs on an optional 4GB microSD card. The phone features dedicated music keys, a 2 mega pixels camera, and a bright 2-inch QVGA screen with up to 16 million colors.

The 5310 XpressMusic too will ship in Q4 for Euros 225 (before taxes and subsidies).

The other new XpressMusic handset, the 5610 XpressMusic, features a Music Slider key for accessing music with the flick of the thumb.

The phone has a black high gloss finish and aluminium side panels, and features a 2.2-inch 16-million color display, and a 3.2 mega pixels camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash. It offers up to 22 hours of music playback, and memory for up to 3,000 songs on an optional 4GB microSD card.

Like the other new phones, the 5610 XpressMusic too will ship in Q4 2007 for Euros 300 (before taxes and subsidies).

Both new XpressMusic handsets are compatible with the Nokia Music Store.

Nokia Opens Doors to the Internet

In a paradigm shift, Nokia today introduced 'Ovi', its new Internet services brand name.

'Ovi' means 'door' in Finnish, and promises to enable consumers easily access their existing social networks, communities, and content.

As part of 'Ovi', Nokia has announced the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage, and Nokia Maps. As such, 'Ovi' at http://www.ovi.com will act as the gateway to all of these Internet services.

It will be an open door to Web communities, enabling people access their content, communities, and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device, or from a PC.

The first version of Ovi.com is slated to go live in English during Q4 2007, with additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.

Part of 'Ovi', the Nokia Music Store at http://music.nokia.com will offer millions of tracks from major artists, and independent labels, as well as local artists, available only through Nokia.

The store can be accessed via a desktop computer, or directly from a compatible Nokia device such as the Nokia N81 or Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer.

Consumers will be able to browse for new music, buy what they want, or add a song to their wish-list to download later. They will also be able to transfer purchased songs to their mobile devices. With the built-in music player, they will be able to create playlists on the go and manage their music collection.

The store will open across key European markets this fall, with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months.

In Europe, individual tracks will cost 1 euro and albums will be upwards of 10 euros, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming of 10 euros.

Also part of 'Ovi', N-Gage will offer an easy way to find, try, and buy great quality games directly from compatible Nokia devices.

By selecting the N-Gage application on compatible Nokia devices, users will be able to preview available games, connect with friends, read reviews, or download free demos.

Games can be bought either with a credit card, or by charging to the user's monthly phone bill. Electronic Arts, Gameloft, etc, are making some of their big brands available through N-Gage.

The application is expected to be available for download at http://www.n-gage.com in November 2007.

Meanwhile, Nokia Maps, as the name suggests, will offer maps, city guides, and more -- directly to compatible mobile devices.

Commenting on Nokia's shift from mobile to Internet services, Olli Pekka Kallasvuo, president and chief executive officer of Nokia, said that the industry is converging towards an Internet-driven experience, and that 'Ovi' represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet with mobility.

Google Gphone in Two Weeks' Time???

While India might well figure last on Apple Computer's priority list vis-a-vis the iPhone, not so Google...

If reports are indeed true, the search giant is just two weeks away from the worldwide launch of its much hyped Google Phone or Gphone.

And, it is believed to be in talks with Indian service providers, the likes of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for an exclusive launch on any one of their respective networks.

Sources close to the project reportedly revealed that a simultaneous launch across the US and Europe is expected, and that announcements would be sent to media firms in India and other parts of the world.

The only obstacle in Google's path is US regulatory approval, which is also expected soon, the sources added. Towards this global telephonic foray, the search major will take a hit to it's bottom line to the tune of an estimated $7-8 billion.

And while not confirmed, Google is also believed to be in talks with Indian providers for offering data and content and platforms including Instant Messaging (IM) and search functions.

Responding to these reports, a Google spokesperson said that they don't comment on market rumor or speculation. But that the company is committed to providing users with access to the world's information, and that mobile becomes more important to these efforts every day.

The spokesperson said they are collaborating with partners worldwide to bring Google search and applications to mobile users everywhere. However that as of now, they have nothing to announce...

Google Earth Reaches for the Stars!

You don't have to be a la Sunita Williams to hang around in space...

Google has reportedly released a beta version of Google Earth that includes a Google Sky feature allowing users get up close and personal with more than 100 million galaxies and 200 million stars.

Google Sky, like Google Earth, comprises photographs of the universe pieced together to create a seamless database that users can navigate through.

To use Google Sky, users need first download the latest version of Google Earth software. They can then go to the View drop down menu, and select 'Switch to Sky' to get started on their 'heavenly' journey.

Google claims Google Sky offers a planetarium-like experience on the PC, allowing voyeurs zoom in and out from inside an inverted sphere.

And like Google Earth, they can zoom in to see points of interest -- be it constellations, including Taurus, Scorpio or Sagittarius, or the black hole NGC 5128, et al.

Besides, clicking on anything of interest throws up pop-ups -- complete with photographs and information on that subject. The pop-up content comes mainly from third parties including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Digital Sky Survey Consortium, etc.

According to Google, for users to get the most out of Google Sky, they need to use Google Sky Layers (content created for Google Sky) that includes Backyard Astronomy, The Planets, The Moon, and Constellations, to name a few.

i-mate Unveils the JAMA PDA

i-mate has reportedly launched the JAMA Windows Mobile 5.0 PDA phone, which the company says is akin to a personal computer in one's pocket.

The JAMA is about 15.6-mm thin, and sports a 2.4-inch 65K color TFT 240 x 320 display, and a 2MP effect camera among other features.

Significantly, the pocket PC is equipped with Windows Mobile 5.0 offering users a complete Microsoft Windows experience comprising MSN Mobile, Instant Messenger, Media Player 10 Mobile, and Internet Explorer.

Besides, JAMA has the usual Microsoft Office Mobile applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Mobile.

Other features of the phone include: dual-band (900/1800MHz) GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth v1.2 for connectivity, up to 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM and a microSD memory expansion slot for storage, and a 300MHz Samsung processor.

Apart from i-mate's usual bundled applications, the JAMA features i-mate Profile Controller for easy profile and ringtone management, i-mate Media Control Panel for one-click access to songs and videos from the homescreen, and i-mate Configurator for locating and setting data connection settings to access the Internet.

The JAMA is available, priced at Rs 15,990.

Going Gray Market for Digicams!

Last month i offered you a sneak peek into the gray market for mobile phones. This time we take you through the not-so-white market for another ubiquitous product, digital cameras.

Think digicams, and you'll probably end up thinking brands like Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Samsung.

Of which Sony and Nikon are popular, not so Canon -- mainly because of high prices, gray market sources said.

Meanwhile, Sony is popular because of good quality lenses and easy availability of spare parts, service being a non issue.

Talking gray market, customers cannot expect a full-fledged warranty. But yes, they can get a 10-days warranty from some shopkeepers if they are lucky.

And unlike the market for mobile phones, with digicams, there's a uniform credit limit of about 2 percent.

A quick survey revealed the top three digicams to be Sony Cybershot DSC W55, Sony Cybershot DSC W80, and Nikon Coolpix P5000.

The Sony Cybershot DSC W55 features a 7.2 mega pixel, 3x Optical Zoom, Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, a 2.5-inch display, and costs Rs 8,800 (MRP Rs 12,500).

The Sony Cybershot DSC W80 has almost the same features as the Cybershot DSC W55. The difference being it comes with 31 MB internal memory vis-a-vis W55's internal memory of 56MB. The W80 sells for Rs 9,800 (MRP 14,500).

Whereas, the Nikon Coolpix P5000 has a 10 mega pixel, and a 3.5x Optical Zoom, and costs Rs 13,500 (MRP 22,000).

Customers not interested in cameras with lenses that zoom in or out could go in for the Sony Cybershot DSC T20, which has an 8.1 mega pixels, 3x SteadyShot Optical Zoom, and a 2.5-inch LCD. The T20 sells for Rs 11,000 (MRP Rs 19,500).

The Sony Cybershot T20 and Nikon Coolpix P5000 are the preferred digicams on the higher side, while on the lower end, the Sony Cybershot W55 and Sony Cybershot W80 are quite liked.

Just Dial Search Engine for Mobile

Just Dial Services has launched what it claims is the fastest local search engine on mobile, at http://wap.justdial.com. Earlier on, the company had launched a Web site at www.justdial.com.

The new service is meant for those who need to access information on-the-fly. The technology, the company claims, helps pages load in a matter of 5 to 10 seconds -- even in low bandwidth conditions and on low-end GPRS-enabled handsets.

The open search application allows users define their search by company/name or product/service giving results tailored to user needs.

For instance, a consumer looking to find restaurants in Dadar can choose by price range or cuisine with a maximum of 3 levels of search available.

Navigation is easy and click through driven with no drop down menus. Users also retain the option to make calls directly from displayed numbers.

Besides, the application is Geo Code ready so if a Geo Code is fed in, it can detect and throw up results pertaining to that Geo Code area.

Quizzed about the usefulness of the site, a source said that while the data is scarce, the concept is good as it seems to be based on the lead-generation model. Save for a couple of design flaws such as content overlapping, the source added. It could be a good tool for customer interaction management, another source mentioned.

Meanwhile, http://wap.justdial.com joins the likes of other WAP-enabled sites such as http://wap.google.com/ and http://wap.xe.com/. In fact, most search engine sites and many email sites (hotmail, yahoo!, rediff, indiatimes, etc) have separate WAP sites for mobile.

And, most colored handsets from most brands are WAP-enabled. This includes: the Nokia 2600, Nokia Nseries, Nokia Eseries, MotoMing, Samsung D500, Sony Ericsson T630, Sagem My700x, to name a few.

Nokia Steps in to Help Customers!

Since we reported Nokia's battery recall and what customers can do as remedy, there have been dozens of posts asking us to check if certain batteries are faulty, or whether we can have them replaced.

This article is intended to put all those concerns to rest...

While we've said that customers with mobile phones with faulty batteries can go to the nearest Nokia Care center and have them replaced, there are still doubts as to how to establish whether the battery in one's phone is faulty or not?

As per Nokia's product advisory issued earlier this week, the recall applies to batteries used in the following models: Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50, and Nokia E60.

Accessories such as the Nokia Wireless GPS Module LD-1W and the Wireless GPS Module LD-3W also come under the purview of the recall.

An even simpler way to figure out is to switch off one's mobile device, and check for 'BL-5C' printed on the front of the battery.

If 'BL-5C' does appear, check the back of the battery. The top will have a Nokia mark, while the bottom will have a 26-character battery identification number.

Enter that number in the field provided at the bottom of the page on: Nokia Product Advisory. Hit submit, and wait to be advised whether your battery needs a replacement or not.

If a replacement is indeed required, you can apply online and get a replacement couriered within 48 hours. The other option is to visit the nearest Nokia Care center and have the battery replaced on the spot.

As per the latest reports however, Nokia India has set-up a helpline at 080-30303838 as also an SMS facility to help customers identify defective BL-5C batteries and replace them if required.

Customers can either call 080-30303838 and give the 26-character battery identification number or SMS "BT26-character battery identification number>" to 5555 to know whether the batteries in their Nokia phones are defective or not.

Else, they can log on to www.nokia.co.in and enter the 26-character battery identification number as we've simplified above.

And for all those harrowed customers who've reportedly been frantically doing the rounds of Nokia showrooms asking about the battery recall, Devinder Kishore, director of Nokia India, assures that customers need not go to a Nokia authorised shop as they can either log on to the Nokia Web site, or SMS Nokia at 5555.

Kishore says if customers' batteries are found faulty, they will be replaced within 10 days -- with replacements delivered at customers' doorsteps.

Meanwhile, none of the 100-odd complaints of overheating have been from India, Kishore confirms.

Sony VAIO NBs in a Riot of Colors!

Sony India recently launched uber cool notebooks in a riot of colors that according to the company, bring street sass to the NB market.

The NBs are available in five colors: Blazing Red with Black interior, Indigo Blue, Pure White, Beauty Pink, and Aroma Black.

The VAIO CR series, as it is called, offers special styling features such as Lustrous Coating, framed with a smooth rounded silver; Luminous Trim; and Illumination LED lighting to make the NBs stand out from the crowd.

Masaru Tamagawa, managing director of Sony India, said, "The CR VAIO takes personal style beyond the boundaries of clothing and accessories, adding a technology element into the mix, enabling users to make a personal statement of what they want to be."

The series allows users carry a world of multimedia and entertainment on the go. The embedded AV mode button helps users get straight to their stored music, or play DVDs with the single click of a button.

The new NBs come with colorful 14.1 (35.8 cms), 1280 x 800 Clear Bright LCD Lite, and are ideal for DVD playback and entertainment.

The NBs come with a high resolution built-in Web cam and audio feature. They are backed by Intel Core Duo processor technology, and come pre-installed with Genuine Windows Vista OS. Besides, they feature a suite of multimedia tools for easy backup of data, photos, music, and videos.

The new series is available in the following models:
the Black VGN-CR14GH/B priced at Rs 64,990
the Black VGN-CR12GH/B priced at Rs 54,990 and
the VGN-CR11GH (P/L/W/R) in Beauty Pink, Indigo Blue, Pure White, and Blazing Red priced at Rs 54,990.

Nokia Unveils the 'Prism Collection'

To cater to its style-conscious customers, Nokia has unveiled the 'Prism Collection', comprising the 7900 Prism and the 7500 Prism handsets.

The name 'Prism Collection' derives from the use of revolutionary colors, materials, and graphics. The new handsets show off an exclusive diamond-cut design, with sharp-angled lines, geometric patterns, and graphic light-refracting colors.

The 7900 Prism has a sleek, liquorice-black front, and comes with an anodized aluminum backcover that is coin-stamped and laser-etched in the signature diamond-cut design.

The 7900 features an Organic LED main display with support for up to 16 million colors, and sports light-focused screensaver graphics.

It has what is called a 'living wallpaper' that cleverly changes through the day according to time and battery and signal strength.

Besides, the handset comes with a gallery selection of 49 illumination colors. The colors, once chosen, emit from the graphic key-mat and the LED display. Lights are also emanated from the top of the phone to signal missed calls and messages.

Other features of the 7900 Prism include: Dual band 3G technology, Quad band GSM capability, 2MP Camera, and 1GB internal memory.

Meanwhile, the other Prism phone, the 7500 Prism is more or less like the 7900. It's polished black exterior is merged with bright, interchangeable color accents.

Other features of the 7500 Prism include: 2MP Camera, and ability to play music for 9 hours and hold up to 1,500 songs on an optional 2 GB microSD card, among others.

Both new phones are expected to be available in this quarter of the year for around EUR 400 (Rs 22,300) for the Nokia 7900 Prism, and EUR 210 (Rs 11,700) for the Nokia 7500 Prism. The prices are exclusive of taxes and subsidies.

Blizzard Announces WoW Next

Blizzard Entertainment has announced the second expansion of its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), 'World of Warcraft', commonly called WoW.

The expansion named "WoW: Wrath of the Lich King" has some of the most infamous characters and settings from the 'World of Warcraft' universe.

Besides, it opens up a whole new continent named 'Northrend', packed with new zones, quests, dungeons, monsters, and battles with the undead armies of the 'Lich King'.

The expansion promises gamers the ability to take the battle to an altogether new level with new player-vs-player game mechanics and spanking new battlefields to wage wars on.

'Lich King' debuts WoW's first hero class wherein players can create a high-level death knight character -- but only after meeting a string of challenges.

Players can also change the look of the characters, and express themselves with different hairstyles and dance animations.

Meanwhile, there is no word on the release of the expansion.

For those not in the know, 'World of Warcraft' is a subscription-based MMORPG set against the backdrop of Azeroth. Players get to create avatars in Azeroth. The franchise is available in 7 languages. WoW's first official expansion pack, 'The Burning Crusade' was released in January this year.

All New iMacs from Apple

Apple Computer has reportedly unveiled it's all new iMac line, featuring 20- and 24-inch wide-screen displays encased in elegant aluminium and glass enclosures.

The new iMacs feature Intel Core 2 Duo processors, new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboards, built-in iSight video cameras for video conferencing, and iLife' 08, among others.

According to Apple, the 20- and 24-inch glossy wide-screen displays provide crisper and sharper images, ideal for watching photos and movies.

Intel's Core 2 Duo processors run up to 2.8 GHz with 4MB of shared L2 cache, and up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory.

The new aluminium Apple keyboard is just 0.33-inches thin at it's front edge. The optional Apple Wireless Keyboard, together with the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse, offers a cable-free desktop.

Apple's new iMacs feature ATI's Gen-Next graphics, with ATI's Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory, and it's Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory. They offer up to 1TB of internal storage to accomodate a user's growing library of digital photos, movies, and music.

The new iMac line includes built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking; Gigabit Ethernet; total five USB 2.0 ports (including two on the new Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 port.

Significantly, each new iMac comes with iLife '08, which according to Apple, is the most significant update to iLife, featuring a new version of iPhoto, and a completely reinvented iMovie -- both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing.

Besides, the iMacs come with Mac OS X version 10.4.10 Tiger, including Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row, and Photo Booth.

Apple's new iMacs are immediately available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple retail stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 20-inch 2.0 GHz iMac is available for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (Rs 48,499 approx). The 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (Rs 60,634 approx), and the 24-inch 2.4 GHz iMac for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (Rs 72,769 approx).

The new Apple Wireless Keyboard will ship by the end of August, and will be available as a build-to-order option with the new iMac through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), for a suggested retail price of $30 (Rs 1,210 approx) to $50 (Rs 2,017 approx) when purchased along with the wireless Mighty Mouse.

Social Networking Gaining Currency

According to reports, a study conducted by market research firm comScore reveals that social networking has really taken off globally -- over the past one year.

MySpace proved to be the mother of social networking Web sites with nearly 114 million unique visitors (globally) in the month of June, which is the highest amongst all, though percentage increase was just 72 compared to last year.
Facebook came in at second place with 52.2 million unique visitors; Hi5 at third place with 28.2 million unique visitors; and Orkut and Friendster both at fourth place, each attracting over 24 million unique visitors.

Unlike MySpace, Tagged experienced the highest jump percentage-wise, namely, 774 percent; followed by Facebook with 270 percent; Bebo 172 percent; Orkut 78 percent; Friendster 65 percent; and Hi5 56 percent.

Especially in the Indian market, Orkut grew by 35 percent in the past one year, and got 7.2 million unique visitors in the month of June; followed by MySpace, which grew by 33 percent, and attracted 399,000 unique visitors in June. Facebook came in at third place vis-a-vis the Indian market.

Makers of Doom Unveil "Rage"

Here comes another game from the makers of the PC classic, 'Doom'.

id Software's highly anticipated title, "Rage" was unveiled by John Carmack, the company's co-founder and technical director, along with video footage, at the ongoing QuakeCon 2007 in Dallas.
"Rage" has a bit of a classic theme, with players fighting an oppressive government in a post-apocalyptic world. The players become the outsiders, trying to turn the tide in favor of the good.

"Rage" focuses on the racing element, taking players on a roller-coaster ride as they build-up funds, take-on enemies in traditional first person shooter (FPS) settings, and navigate vast tracks using all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and others.

Carmack said "Rage" is built on the company's new Tech5 game engine, which makes it look better, as also better adaptable to different gaming systems.

"Rage" is presently developed for PCs running Windows and Mac, as well as for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles. No release date has been announced yet.

Airtel Offers Voice SMS

Airtel has selected Bubble Motion to deploy 'Voice SMS' over fixed line, which means Airtel customers will be able to send 'Voice SMS' messages to any mobile.

And soon they will also be able to send messages to other Airtel fixed line customers.
To use the service, customers need to dial * followed by the mobile number they wish to send the 'Voice SMS' to. The recipient receives an SMS alert on his/her mobile phone, telling him/her about having a new Bubble message. By dialing *0* from their mobiles, recipients can retrieve the 'Voice SMS'.

'Voice SMS' has gained traction because of it's ability to include more emotional content than other forms of messaging such as IM, SMS, and email.

Sunil Coushik, president and co-founder of Bubble Motion, said, "Airtel's service innovations have successfully captured the imagination of India's wired and wireless customers. By deploying the best Voice SMS solution on the market, Airtel is staying one step ahead of its competition."

350,000 Cybershots Recalled by Sony

Sony Corp has announced recalling nearly 350,000 Cyber-shot digital cameras because of a defect that can cause the bottom metal plating to peel off and cut or scratch the user's hands.

The company posted an advisory on it's Web site saying it has recently discovered the problem with some DSC-T5 Cyber-shot digital still cameras that causes the metal coating on the bottom to peel and warp resulting in cuts or scratches to the user's skin.
Sony will replace the defective part, and pay shipping for free for customers with cameras affected by the problem. Incidentally, the problem plagues cameras with serial numbers from 3500001 to 3574100, said Sony.

Reportedly, the recall is applicable to around 284,000 Cyber-shot cameras that were sold in the US, and about 66,000 that were sold in Japan.

After Canon, Sony is considered the world's second largest digital camera maker.

Desktop from Disney, Lenovo

Lenovo, along with Disney Consumer Products, has launched a Lenovo 3000 H limited edition Power Rangers Mystic Force-themed desktop, targeted at children.

The desktop features a vibrant red skin with the valiant superheroes of the Mystic Force Series. It forms a colorful sleek casing around the curves and contours of the PC symmetrically, offering a bubble- and wrinkle- free finish.
Rahul Agarwal, vice president of marketing, Lenovo India, said, "Today, PC purchasing decisions in the family are largely driven by the demands and needs of youngsters. Besides being tech savvy, children today look for style and individuality. The Lenovo 3000 H limited edition Power Rangers desktop has been designed and developed, keeping all these requirements in mind, making it the ideal computer for youngsters."

Roshni Bakshi, director of disney consumer products (India), said, "Disney is combining cutting-edge technology with fantastic storytelling to create unique entertainment experiences that continue to delight consumers worldwide."

The 3000 H limited edition Power Ranger desktop features a standard 17-inch LCD monitor, and is powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E 4400 2.00Ghz. The desktop comes with 1GB RAM, a 250 GB HDD, 16XDVD +RW drive, in-built modem, Power Ranger branded speakers, and an optical mouse. It is pre-loaded with Microsoft Vista Home Basic edition, and bundles a special anti-bacterial keyboard from Lenovo.

Lenovo's latest desktop will be rolled-out in phases. In the first phase, it will be made available in 6 cities including Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta, Bangalore, Chandigarh, and Delhi, beginning August 6th, 2007. The desktop is priced upwards of Rs 40,100, and will be available through Lenovo authorized storefronts.

Wait Got Longer for GTA IV Fans

Take-Two Interactive Software has reportedly pushed the release of it's much awaited sequel, Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), to next year, citing further development as reason for the delay.

Previously, the game was slated for an October 2007 release. With the delay, the game will now be launched sometime in April 2008.
Offering a rationale for the delay, the company said they need more time to develop the game.

GTA IV has been under development for simultaneous release on both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

The delay spells disappointment for both companies, who were up until now, expecting GTA IV to be a driving factor in pushing up sales of their Gen-Next consoles.

Meanwhile, Microsoft had reportedly earlier on penned a $50 million deal with Take-Two for exclusive episodes of GTA IV as well as additional game levels and missions to be made available on it's Xbox 360.

Add to that the sagging sales of PS3 as compared to those of Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, and you have a losing match for Sony... almost..

iPhone Gets First Firmware Update

Reportedly, the first firmware update for Apple Computer's iPhone has been released -- two days before Apple Computer's self-imposed deadline for doing so...

Now available for download, update version 1.0.1, addresses security issues with iPhone's Safari Web browser. The most important being the hijacking of the iPhone, which could happen when a user visits a malicious Web site using the Safari browser, with the hacker grabbing complete access to the iPhone and it's data.

Update version 1.0.1 also fixes two more flaws in the Safari Web browser; namely in WebCore and WebKit. WebCore is a part of the WebKit application framework that handles HTML rendering in Mac OS.

Apple's newest update is delivered through it's iTunes software, and does not appear on the regular software update panel, or on the company's support download site.

Apple says iTunes will automatically check it's update servers every week, and download relevant updates. So the next time when users connect the iPhone to a PC, an alert would appear asking them to install the update.

Alternately, users can get the update manually by checking on the "Check for Updates" button under the iTunes Help menu.

'DishTV on Computer' Introduced

DishTV has reportedly introduced 'DishTV on computer', which is a special set top box which when connected to a desktop PC, helps consumers easily alternate between a computer and Live TV.

'DishTV on computer' extends the DishTV experience to the computer, offering consumers a dual advantage, as also an array of 171 channels to choose from, along with value added services, active features, gaming, etc.

Besides, installing a 'DishTV on computer' is similar to installing a regular DishTV, wherein the set top box is installed on the roof/terrace/balcony facing a particular direction, and the VGA box or special, computer-compatible set top box is connected to the PC.

Commenting on the launch, Jawahar Goel, managing director of DishTV, said that 'DishTV on computer' will provide customers with a digital TV viewing experience while working on a computer -- at just the click of a button.

According to DishTV, 'DishTV on computer' is ideal for consumers who possess a TV and a computer, or those who want to swap between computer and TV viewing, or computer geeks who do not have a TV, etc.

The company intends launching the product in a phased manner, currently being made available in select cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.

The VGA box is available through hi-end consumer durable outlets that already sell DishTV. As also through computer and peripherals outlets via a special tie-up with TVSE. It is priced at Rs 4,150, inclusive of equipment, installation, and taxes.

Spice Unveils Dual Mode Phone

Spice Mobile has newly launched a dual-mode handset wherein both GSM- and CDMA- based mobile connections can be activated. The dual-mode phone is meant for Tier II and Tier III cities, the company said.

During the launch, Kunal Ahooja, chief executive officer of Spice Mobile, said the new phone is targeted at all those who have two cell numbers but want the convenience of carrying just one phone. Ahooja said an estimated 8 percent of the total number of mobile phone subscribers already own two numbers.

Ahooja also hinted at the possibility of the company launching a 'people's phone' to cost less than Rs 1,000. He said Spice would likely start manufacturing these low-cost handsets in 2008.

Meanwhile the dual-mode phone has been launched in two variants: the D-88, which supports both GSM and CDMA active connections at the same time; and the D-80, which supports two GSM active connections, and is useful for travellers operating in the local area.

The D-80 carries a price tag of Rs 9,849 while the D-88 is yet to hit the market.

Sony Ericsson Unveils the P1i

Sony Ericsson has unveiled its newest pocket-sized smart phone, the P1i.

Based on Symbian OS (v9.1), the P1i has a 2.6-inch touch screen and a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera.

The P1i smart phone packs a number of interesting features such as: 3-way text input including a QWERTY keypad plus handwriting recognition; and WiFi, VoIP, and GPS support with external GPS receiver, Bluetooth, and BlackBerry support.

The hi-speed UMTS and WiFi ensure high-speed Web browsing and download, the company said; while the pre-loaded Exchange ActiveSync and BlackBerry Connect allows push email for managing messages.

The smart phone also integrates a digital music player, a preset stereo FM radio, and expandable memory slot with 1GB card bundled. It has an internal phone memory of 160MB. With Mobile TV - H.264 playback, mobile TV can be streamed to the mobile screen.

Along with business tool applications, the P1i also bundles a voucher worth US $175, which can be used to buy applications from www.p1-choice.com.

The Sony Ericsson P1i smart phone comes with a price tag of Rs 24,000.