At the technology show Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a familiar figure takes the stage to make a presentation. It's Stephen Elop, once head of Nokia, famous for telling Nokians they were standing on a burning platform and they had two choice – burn or dive into the unknown. But today, Elop is back with Microsoft, from where he came to Nokia in the first place. As vice president of Microsoft Devices and Services, he is still presenting some new Lumia smartphones. It almost seems like old times, except that now it is hardly about the devices. It’s really about the services. "We should stop obsessing over the mobility of devices," said Elop. "We should focus on the mobility of experiences." That was the starting point to what may have been the introduction of two budget devices, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 SL, but was really about the upcoming Windows 10 and how Microsoft would make the shift to being present on many platforms besides its own – and then push services from there to customers. "Windows is our home but we are extending our presence to different platforms. Our products will deliver experiences across different platforms but bring them back to Windows", said Elop. Microsoft is promising a "One Microsoft" with an experience that has strong commonalities throughout. What you do on one system, goes up to the cloud and is available to the other, no matter whether you’re using a PC, an iPad or a Lumia phone or any other phone. With this in mind, Microsoft has actually been releasing apps for its competitors' products, such as a far more workable Office for iOS and Outlook for iOS and Android that some feel beats the native email experience. On demo was a selection of features from Mi rosoft Office that show how much easier it is going to be to use its several thousand features. More context awareness and semantic understanding will help quickly get to what you ask to do – in natural language. Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Siri and Google’s voice search, is ever-present and will also respond to conversational commands and queries, a re-designed Skype will make it more easy to use. They even showcased a foldable keyboard that would work with any device, including phones, of course. Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has begun to take steps in a post-PC era that are different from the company's moves a year ago. Of course, mobility is a space every big company is trying to dominate and the jury is out on who the biggest players will be in the next couple of years.
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Taking forward the success of Canvas Fire series, which has already sold over a million units, Micromax on Monday (02 March) launched its latest smartphone in the range, the Canvas Fire 4. Powered with dual front firing speakers and Cirrus Logic Wolfsan Stereo DAC (WM8918) digital analogue converter, the smartphone promises the best in class experience for music aficionados and delivers clear, room-filling, deep sound.The smartphone is exquisitely crafted in a metallic finish and offers a slim and compact design that is 8.8 mm thin. Running on Android’s latest Lollipop 5.0, the Canvas Fire 4 is power packed with a 1.3GHz Quad core processor, promising faster execution of tasks. One can enjoy watching videos on its 4.5-inch FWVGA screen resolution which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield ensuring fast response, superior graphic performance, scratch resistant and durable display. The smartphone sports an LED notification light on the back panel and comes with multiple built-in applications.Bharti Airtel Extends Partnership With EricssonBharti Airtel, India's leading telecom services provider, has signed a two-year extension of its existing multi-vendor, multi-technology managed services deal with Ericsson. Under the terms of the new agreement, Ericsson will manage 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, Intelligent Network, LAN/WAN and Wi-Fi technologies in 15 circles. This agreement solidifies Ericsson's partnership with Bharti Airtel, while helping to increase business innovation and customer satisfaction.Chris Houghton, Head of Region, Ericsson India, said: "We are committed to helping Bharti Airtel enhance customer experience and maximize operational efficiencies. We believe that our expertise in the managed services domain will enable Airtel subscribers to enjoy reliable services and an enhanced digital experience across all generations of mobile technologies."Ericsson will provide the full suite of managed services via a centralized, state-of-the-art Global Network Operation Center, as well as field services via a distributed network of service centers. PMO Mobile App On MyGovMyGov, the citizen engagement platform of the Government of India announced the launch of a nation wide contest to build a mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). This contest will be held across the country, at different institutions & colleges and will invite participation from people throughout India. Google will partner MyGov in this contest to build the PMO Mobile App. The contest will launch tomorrow at 5:00 pm on MyGov.in.Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India is well appreciated. He has advocated the use of technology for bringing a positive change in people’s lives and to use technology to encourage innovation, aspiration & enhance connectivity. Speaking at an NASSCOM event yesterday Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, that he was planning to invite ideas from the public for developing a mobile app for his office. He added that the government would work with Google for selecting the best ideas to develop the app and it’s features.Commenting on the initiative, Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google India & South-East Asia, “We announced about five months ago that we will contribute on the Digital India initiative and the app development contest is a step in that direction. We are very excited to be a part of the Prime Minister’s vision and would urge every Indian to come forward and participate in the app development contest and become a cohesive part of governance and decision making in the country.”Dell Announces New Features For Its Mobile WorkstationDell India, India’s leading end to end technology solutions provider on Monday (02 March) announced new features for the upgrade to the Dell Precision M3800, one of the world’s thinnest and lightest 15-inch true mobile workstations. The Precision M3800 is a device of choice for intensive graphics work; enabling video editors, graphic designers, engineers and other high-end users to create like never before with unmatched portability, breakthrough power and reliable performance. Having listened carefully to customers over the years about their feedback on using the Precision, Dell has delivered by incorporating new features into its flagship mobile workstation - adding a 4K Ultra HD touch display option and introducing Thunderbolt 2 technology, among other updates designed for Performance seekers in India. Commenting on the launch, Indrajit Belgundi, Director & General Manager, End User Computing, Dell India said, “Dell powers some of the industry’s most recognized film animators, editors, visual effects artists etc. We understand the pressure faced in such domains with respect to accuracy and timeliness of their creative output. The new, upgraded Precision M3800 has been built with these requirements in mind, offering a device which can complement the creative work executed by these professionals by using the perfect blend of form and function. Whether it is editing videos while on location, presenting CAD ideas to customers, or doing 3D modeling, animation and rendering on the road, the Dell Precision M3800 is the ideal powerhouse for creatively challenging tasks.”New Image Browsing SoftwareNikon India, the 100 per cent subsidiary of Nikon Corporation Tokyo, leader in imaging technology is pleased to announceThe ViewNX-i, a new image-browsing software designed to enable easy management of still images and movies recorded with a Nikon digital camera, has been announced by Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd for a free download beginning March 17.ViewNX-i is the successor application to the ViewNX 2 image-browsing and editing software Nikon has offered to date. Inheriting the user-friendly interface of ViewNX 2, the new software offers simpler operation as an application specialized for image browsing, with features such as tabs that make it easy to switch between workspaces, and the addition of an Output Toolbar that intuitively displays convenient functions.Spice Mobiles Releases Android Lollipop 5.1 UpdateSpice Mobiles on Monday (02 March) announced the official release of the latest version of Android Lollipop 5.1 for its Dream Uno Android One handsets in India. With this announcement, Spice Mobiles has become the first company in India to roll out the latest version of Android Lollipop for its customers, keeping in mind its vision of offering the latest technology. The Android Lollipop 5.1 update is the latest version of Android operating system and offers a significantly improved smartphone experience with an enhanced visual appeal, user interface and general improvements in system stability. Commenting on the update, Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility Ltd, said “In line with our brand promise “Always the latest”, we are delighted to be the first player to release the Android Lollipop 5.1 update, exclusively for our Spice Dream Uno users in India. Android Lollipop 5.1 is the latest version of Lollipop and consists of lots of improvements over Lollipop 5.0, such as an improved battery and RAM management and smarter notifications, thereby offering our customers an enhanced user experience. In the future as well, we look forward to be the first to offer our consumers the latest technology with our devices.”TCS Launches VaaSTata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, on Monday announced the launch of Business Process Innovation and Simulation & Visualization as a Service (VaaS) in a strategic partnership with iRise, the global leader in enterprise visualization and simulation software. TCS’ new offerings will enable customers to realize business solutions faster by accelerating time to value. The partnership will help enterprises achieve business agility through integration of rapid simulation and visualization capability into established TCS Software Development processes. TCS’ VaaS offerings on iRise 10 software will enable customers to more precisely collaborate globally on application design, user scenarios, and specifications that drive development of business requirements, while covering all critical stages of customers’ business initiatives. Recently launched, iRise 10 brings iRise’s groundbreaking collaborative prototyping and requirements features to the browser, allowing enterprises to scale creation, distribution and collaboration of visualizations in more powerful and impactful ways.Nokia To Make Its Presence Felt At MWC 2015Nokia on Monday outlined its strategy for seizing the opportunities of a programmable world, and rounded off its launch line-up for Mobile World Congress (MWC) by unveiling the innovative predictive marketing solution, which lets operators tap growing amounts of data to offer smarter services, boost revenues and improve customer loyalty. At a media and analyst briefing on the eve of MWC, Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri outlined the bold, transformational steps Nokia has taken since the sale of substantially all of its Devices & Services business and rebirth as a company focused on a world of connected people and things. "We see technology evolving to a point where almost all people and billions and billions of devices - 50 billion or more by 2025 - are connected, where software holds all those connections together, where analytics bring meaning, and where automation brings simplicity and efficiency," Suri said.F-Secure Extending Privacy Protection Efforts F-Secure is expanding their fight for digital freedom to new fronts by releasing a new version of its Freedome privacy protection application. The new version, called Freedome for Mac, was preannounced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 1. The new Freedome offering will bring the popular VPN to computers running Apple’s OS X software this summer. The Internet provides people with a wealth of content and services right at their fingertips. However, recent trends in digital surveillance are preventing people from enjoying this wealth. According to a recent study by the GfK research firm, 88% of those polled were concerned about the privacy of their personal data, and 48% reported avoiding the use of certain digital services because of these concerns. “People are being forced to give up more and more of their personal data in order to access many of the services offered online”, says Samu Konttinen, Executive Vice President, Consumer Security at F-Secure. “People might be more aware of this today than they have been in the past, but they’re still concerned because they’re constantly required to sacrifice control over their privacy if they want to enjoy their online experience.”
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Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei on Sunday launched its first smartwatch, a round-faced device that works with Android phones, joining a crowded market weeks before the introduction of the highly anticipated Apple Watch. At an event tied to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the firm unveiled its Huawei watch line in classic, business and sporty versions, while at the same time across town, Korea's LG Electronics launched a similar round-faced model. Both are following the lead of Motorola, which has drawn favourable reviews for its more fashion-conscious alternative to the dozens of bulky, square smartwatches that characterised the first generation of these devices. Wearables shipments are expected to jump 158 percent this year to 75 million, analysts at CCS Insight estimate. By 2018, almost 350 million wearable devices will be worn worldwide. The Huawei Watch is 42 mm in diameter, slightly larger than Motorola's futuristic rival, the Moto 360. Pairing the device with a smartphone running Android, users can receive text-message notifications, emails, calendar reminders or incoming phone alerts. It is not, as some analysts had hoped for, a watch which can operate independently from a smartphone, using its own SIM card. Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said whether a smartwatch or wearable device can operate independently from a phone is irrelevant: "Smartwatches will complement, not replace smartphones" for at least the next two to three years. Huawei also launched the second generation of a fitness tracking band, dubbed TalkBand B2, which allows the users to remove a wireless, Bluetooth earpiece to talk on their mobile phone. (Reuters)
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Samsung Electronics has had one of the most difficult years in its history since it went into the mobile business. Its profits from the mobile business have plummeted a staggering 64 per cent year on year. Yet, a confident-looking J.K. Shin, head of the mobile division, announced the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung’s new flagships for 2015. Assisted by a couple of colleagues, he showcased the two power packed smartphones that the company hopes will reverse the slide seen over 2014. The presentation itself, at the annual Unpacked event held just before the Mobile World Congress kicked off at Barcelona, thankfully didn’t go over the top with theatrics as has happened previously. Instead, it sought to dazzle on the strength of the new products. There was still very much an Apple preoccupation and an aggressive insistence that Samsung designed with a purpose, but it was all to the point – these phones are the most powerful in the world today. Don’t Complain About DesignIn the past, people have detested Samsung’s use of plastic, faux leather and other design tricks that fell short of making the phone truly desirable in looks. Recently, they began shedding the plastic and bringing in metal, such as on the Galaxy Alpha and the Note 4. But with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, they’ve actually used Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides of the phone. Thought to be very tough and durable, the casing also looks premium now. The S6 Edge particularly looks amazing because both sides have a spill-over screen similar to that seen on the Note Edge. The phones come in various “shimmering” colours and have been described as “sophisticated” by those who have their hands on the devices. There are many cases and accessories already designed for the S6 phones, including a special one that covers the entire screen in front but shows notifications etc. The ghost of the iPhone is, however, still present in Samsung’s new smartphones. Double-Edged DynamoThe edged screens flowing over the sides of the second S6 do have a purpose. They improve the grip, according to Samsung, they make for a much more immersive viewing experience, and they can be customized for context. A feature showed how the edges would be made to glow a specified colour when a favourite contact was calling. Anyone who had the phone face down or covered would still be able to tell from a distance who was calling from the colour leaking out of the sides. The design includes many other clever touches and features such as being able to touch the heart rate sensor to trigger off a set message to a contact who was calling, when it wasn’t possible to take the call. Favourite contacts are also on the lock screen for quicker than ever access. Samsung apparently had to use 800 degrees Celcius to heat the glass and curve it for the S6 Edge, and the company is proud of its world-first – a truly curved screen with functions assigned to the curves. Maxing Out On HardwareScreens have always been Samsung’s forte and the S6s have 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED displays with a staggering pixel density of 577ppi. As vivid as ever, the screens are sharper than the human eye can really differentiate. There’s better daylight visibility now. To power it is Samsung’s own 64-bit octacore Exynos 7420 processor with 3GB of RAM. There are a few changes to things that Samsung users have come to expect though. The 2550 mAh battery is no longer removeable and Samsung says this is because they’re now confident that it won’t need to be removed. There’s fast and wireless charging support. A mere 10 minutes of charging can give 4 hours of talking, if one needs it. There’s also no slot for a micro-SD card. But 32, 64 and 128GB storage variants will be available. It is uncertain whether this will be the case in India. F1.9 Lenses On Both SidesBoth front and rear cameras have f1.9 lenses and are 16 and 5 megapixels. There’s optical image stabilization and live HDR, which is another world first. The cameras are said to work very well in low light and have modes for both casual and professional photographers. They’ve also made the camera faster, with object tracking auto focus and have assigned the phone’s home button to trigger the camera even from a locked screen when pressed twice quickly. Many Software TweaksUsers have often complained about Samsung’s heavy interface but they claim to have removed all lag and stutter, streamlined performance, and even colour coded apps on top of Android Lollipop. Only on long-term usage will one really be able to assess whether the toning down and lightening of Touchwiz has really made a difference to the experience of using the Galaxy flagships. Meanwhile Samsung is touting the security features of the S6 phones and making a specific mention of them being easy for use in the enterprise where IT managers can easily configure to suit their systems. Security is also said to be tightly built in. "All you have to do is turn it on," said Samsung executives. A Payment System Like Apple’sSamsung’s answer to Apple’s “Apple Pay” is of course, Samsung Pay. This mobile wallet feature will work with NFC, magnetic strip and fingerprints to enable paying for products and services with supporting vendors. The process of using is said to be easy and secure. Another year, another flagship – two, actually. But Samsung no longer has that one rival, Apple, to deal with. A host of Chinese companies, including the rapidly growing Xiaomi, are to be contended with if Samsung is to retain any of its dominance in the smartphone market.
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The Mobile World Congress, where all the action on new smartphones and wearables happens, did not even truly kick off in Barcelona when new gadgets started arriving. Much loved for its beautiful metal design, the HTC One M8 is now succeeded by the even prettier One M9. There isn't a departure in basic design - and that's probably a good thing - but the metal is even more premium and duo-tone in silver and gold, looking classy and smooth. The HTC One was the original anti-Samsung phone, designed to contrast with the then up and coming Samsung, with its hot-selling Galaxy S smartphone series, all in plastic, all practically the same tired design. Now, even though Samsung's design has moved on and is shedding the plastic, it's not difficult to see HTC fans being misty-eyed at the new satin-finish M9 beauty. All specifications have been bumped up on the M9, of course. There's the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage plus micro-SD slot, even better sound than before, and the annoying power button on the top of the phone has moved to the side, where people more readily expect it to be. The main camera is now a 20 megapixel shooter with more feature-rich software to it, and the selfie camera is the controversial 4 "ultrapixel" which is not so great at enlarging but very nice at low-light pictures. The combination could just work out well for this flagship phone. The battery is a 2,840mAh, which seems a little less than it should be, really. On the software front, HTC's own interface has moved on to the next version, Sense 7, and that sits on top of the brand new Android Lollipop OS. There are lots of additions such as apps that are used more or that relate to certain times of the day showing up front. Other suggestions also come up via BlinkFeed, it's magazine app, and elsewhere. The device is also very customizable. Those trying out the smartphone at Barcelona report a smooth and flawless performance from the M9. There's no word yet on when the HTC M9 will be in India and what it will cost, but from previous patterns, the gap with its availability elsewhere shouldn't be too big.
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Fly Mobiles, a leading mobile device manufacturing company, has launched its new range of mobile handsets in India in exclusive collaboration with Snapdeal, India’s largest online marketplace. The UK based mobile phone brand unveiled three models in the category of smartphones viz. Qik+, Qik and Snap in its first press meet held recently in collaboration with the Indian e-commerce giant. Each of the phones is a perfect amalgamation of smart features and modern technology. These devices will be available to Indian customers only on Snapdeal.Fly Mobiles has been operating in the mobile phone segment for the past 10 years and has dominated the markets of UK, Russia, Ukraine, Southern Europe the CIS and India with its top quality mobile devices. In 2012-13, Fly took a giant leap forward when the company successfully hit the smartphone market and soon climbed to the top-3 mobile phone brands in Russia and top-2 in terms of Android smartphones sold. Fly has long delighted consumers by offering a wide range of unique devices across all categories: classic phones, smart phones and tablets. It has created a niche for itself with its range of phones equipped with powerful dual and quad core processors, latest versions of Android, dual SIM support, top grade displays and fancy design.Rahul Goel, President, Fly Mobiles commented, “We have been in the industry for a decade now and are excited about our new range of Octa-core phones. Fly India will focus on bringing exceptional smartphones from its global portfolio. We believe that the India has huge potential in this category and are confident of satiating the needs of the smartphone generation.” Honda Unveils New TVC Campaign Honda Motorcycle And Scooter India Pvt Ltd has kicked off the latest TVCcampaign for its Honda CB Unicorn 160. In line with the proposition of Honda CB Unicorn 160, the campaign too projects ‘an all-rounder personality’. It goes beyond hard hitting style- quotient to embrace riders for what they are, a stylish commuter made to rejuvenate their city-riding experience. The television campaign has been created by Dentsu Marcom and is on air across channels. The objective of this novel campaign is to further reinforce presence and increase market share in 150cc-180cc segment by leveraging the legacy of brand Unicorn in a new stylish avatar.‘Most Trusted Brand’ In TechnologyDell, the world’s fastest-growing large integrated IT Company stands at Number 8, in a ranking published by The Brand Trust Report, India Study of 2015 that compares ‘trust’ held in brands by consumers. This affirmation and reflection by Dell’s existing and prospective consumer base comes as a significant milestone for Dell in India. Dell is the 8th Most Trusted Brand in India and has emerged as the Most Trusted Brand in the Technology category, complementing the growth the company has charted in the past few quarters.Speaking on the results of the study, P. Krishnakumar, Executive Director & General Manager, Consumer and Small Businesses, Dell India remarked, “Giving consumers the “Power to do More” and enabling them to leverage the potential of technology in their everyday lives, is at the core of the consistent innovation which takes place at Dell. I believe that this is a sentiment that has resonated with consumers across the country. This further fuels our objective of delivering great user experiences - a thumb rule in building enduring relationships and trust with our customers. Being deemed the most trusted technology brand by our own consumers is indeed, a momentous and more so, a highly encouraging start to 2015.”Sumtotal Named Leader By IDCSumTotal Systems, LLC, a Skillsoft company and a leading provider of next-generation HR solutions, has been recognized by IDC, a premier global provider of market intelligence, in a new series of IDC MarketScape reports on the integrated talent management market. Recognized for its end-to-end solutions, innovations, reporting and analytics, SumTotal was named a Leader in the report on Learning Management and a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape reports for Performance, Compensation and Recruiting and overall Talent Management. “SumTotal distinguished itself early as one of the few vendors whose solutions span all of human capital management, including core HR, and the spectrum of talent management functions, including performance, succession, and learning,” Lisa Rowan, research vice president, HR, Talent, and Learning, IDC states in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Integrated Talent Management report. “SumTotal’s strengths include the breadth of solutions to encompass core HR, the depth of the various talent modules, and an R&D focus on innovations likeelixHR.”Zoomcar Partners With Tata MotorsZoomcar, India’s first 100 per cent self drive car rental service company, has announced today that they have partnered with TATA Motors to add 50 brand new Nano’s to their growing fleet of cars. The newly designed and stylish Nano will strengthen Zoomcar’s vision of providing its customers with convenience, mobility and independence. On the occasion, Greg Moran, Co-founder, Zoomcar along with Nakul Gupta from TATA Motors jointly flagged off the cars from Concorde Motors at Dairy Circle in Bangalore on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, Greg said, “It gives us great pleasure to partner with a prestigious brand like TATA Motors. We chose Nano primarily because it is a tremendous city car that is incredibly manoeuvrable in Indian traffic conditions. We also expect demand with these cars owing to the convenience of easy parking as a result of its design.”
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ASUS on Wednesday (11 February) announced its latest Zenfone C - ZC451CG with India as one of the first wave countries for the launch. The device is built on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system with ASUS Exclusive Zen UI, which makes it a super-efficient device. The brand new phone from the Zenfone series has a 4.5 inch display and a 5MP camera with PixelMaster technology and a high-capacity 2100mAh removable battery for nearly 30 hours of 3G talk time and over 10 days of standby. It is endowed with a dual sim and dual standby with high performance Intel Atom CPU. Peter Chang, Regional Head, South Asia & Country Manager, System Business Group, ASUS India affirms, “Redefining the smartphone experience for consumers at affordable price points is the new Zenfone C. It incorporates the strategic features of the range like a sublime interface and seamless functionality that has already captured a sizeable portion of the tech-savvy market. Combining finely crafted design with ace performance; this is a pocket friendly device that makes for an incredible customer experience.” Capital Float Targets Nationwide ExpansionCapital Float, India’s first technology platform for SME lending, on Wednesday announced that it has raised $13 Million in Series A financing to support the company’s rapid growth. The round was led by SAIF Partners and Sequoia Capital, with participation from existing investor Aspada. Founded in 2013, Capital Float has created a proprietary technology platform to evaluate the financial health of SMEs and efficiently deliver working capital to a segment that is underserved by traditional banks. To date, the Capital Float platform has delivered nearly Rs. 40 Crore in loans to SMEs across 10 plus cities in India. The company achieved record results in 2014 and saw a 10x increase in online applications, particularly in the e-commerce market where it has partnered with leading marketplaces such as Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon, PayTM and Myntra to finance small merchants selling online. We started Capital Float with the belief that technology and data would be the key drivers in cracking SME financing in India,” said co-founders Gaurav Hinduja and Sashank Rishyasringa. “Over the past year, we’ve focused on building the platform to deliver what our customers want above all else – flexible and ultra-convenient access to finance that can scale with their business." Snapdeal Launches JBL GoSnapdeal, India’s largest online marketplace, on Wednesday announced the exclusive launch of ‘JBL Go’ in partnership with Sahil International. JBL Go is a wireless ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker with mic including echo & noise cancellation and aux-in connection features. Priced at Rs. 1999, the speaker is equipped with 600 mAh rechargeable battery which provides users with non-stop entertainment for over 5 hours once fully charged. The JBL brand has always been at the forefront of innovation, introducing award winning products that deliver great sound and dynamic design. Continuing its tradition of providing customers a superior and elevated audio experience, JBL Go speaker promises to deliver powerful & high impact sound. It takes the entertainment quotient higher with its effective audio output at an affordable price range. Tony Navin, Senior Vice President, Electronics and Home, Snapdeal.com said, “The portable bluetooth speaker market is booming in India and JBL has taken the lead in gaining significant mindshare in this space. Snapdeal has become the preferred destination for bluetooth speakers with the widest range of products at best prices. Being the largest marketplace with instant access to over 40 million users across the country, it gives brands an opportunity to launch products with instant reach to all our users. JBL Go on Snapdeal will be accessible to consumers across 5000 towns and cities. The product in itself will be a trendsetter in the market and we are excited about this launch.” Figure 1 Launched In IndiaFigure 1 announced on Wednesday that its popular, free photo-sharing platform for healthcare professionals is now available in India, the first Asian market for the company. The app, which is used by more than 150 000 people, enables healthcare professionals and students across the globe to connect, discuss, and share de-identified content. Figure 1’s images are viewed more than 1.5 million times per day. Already popular in the US, UK and Europe, the company expects to gain quick traction among India’s 2.3 million healthcare professionals. Figure 1 launched in May 2013 and has attracted users from over 48 countries. “We are very excited to have launched in India,” said Joshua Landy, a Critical Care Medicine Specialist who developed the concept while seeing patients in an Intensive Care Unit in Toronto, Canada. “Medicine is a visual field and there’s so much to be learned from medical images. Figure 1 is a privacy-conscious way for Indian healthcare professionals to view, share, and talk about a wide variety of medical findings.” Mobile Solution For Cabin CrewSingapore Airlines (SIA) and TCS have introduced TCS CrewCollab Solution, a tablet-based mobile application for cabin crew to deliver more personalised customer service and to automate and streamline in-flight processes for cabin crew. The application has been jointly developed through a collaboration project by SIA and TCS, which leverages on SIA’s service excellence and TCS’ strength in digital technology development. SIA is the launch customer for TCS CrewCollab Solution and its cabin crew are now using it on board. Crew can view information which traditionally has been in paper format, such as customer service lists, flight information and crew lists, digitally via tablets during flights. “We are very pleased to collaborate with our long-standing partner Tata Consultancy Services to develop TCS CrewCollab Solution. The application is vital to how we will continue to improve our operations and enhance our customer servicing on board. We look forward to developing the application further in partnership with TCS, to enable our crew to offer a more personalised customer experience and meet our customers’ evolving travel needs,” said Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Cabin Crew, Marvin Tan.
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Lapcare, one of India’s leading brands in smartphone, tablet and laptop accessories and peripherals, on Monday (09 February), announced the launch of its unique, unbreakable headband headphones under the ‘YO!’ lifestyle series : the LMH207. Powering up your everyday gym routine or tough outdoor treks, the all new trendy headphone comes with an unbreakable headband, providing the ultimate sturdiness. The adjustable headband offers a comfortable grip which is perfect for long hour usage. Take them along, anywhere, literally! Featuring noise cancellation function, the LMH 207 lets you listen to your favorite music or chat, without any ambient noise interference. Offering a crisp and excellent sound clarity, the headphone sports a mic, allowing you to answer calls, while enjoying your music. A connector for PC, comes in handy, while you are at the desk, working. All fitness freaks and adventure buffs, now, have a reason to smile! Commenting on the launch, Sandeep Popli, COO, Lapcare said, “At Lapcare we proactively observe customer behavior trends and quickly come up with the right products. Today’s youth are a lot more fitness conscious and travel for leisure very frequently. This active lifestyle requires products which are sturdy and durable. Lapcare’s new offering – the LHM 207 headphone, is a great fit with its twin features of, an unbreakable and adjustable headband, providing sturdiness and a comfortable grip at the same time. We strongly believe the product will appeal to our customers.” JK Tyre Q3 Profit Up By 56 Per centJK Tyre & Industries Ltd. reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 92 crores for the 3rd quarter ended 31 December, 2014, an increase of over 56 per cent over the corresponding Qtr. The Company achieved a consolidated turnover of Rs. 2001 crore. On a standalone basis, JK Tyre reported a turnover of Rs 1686 Crores with Net Profit at Rs 70 Crores, an impressive increase of 107 per cent over the corresponding period. Commenting on the results, Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director said, “the Company has significantly improved its performance for Q3. Our emphasis on Truck and Bus Radials continues to help us achieve higher growth and maintain its leadership position in Truck/Bus Radials. Continuous efforts to develop new products to cater to the changing customer needs, and widening of sales network has helped deeper market penetration”. Dassault Systemes Expands Its Strategy Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, on Monday announced that it is expanding its consulting and systems integration alliances and repositioning its services activities to help clients transform their business on global basis. This responds to client demands for enhanced and accelerated value creation through privileged access to Dassault Systèmes’ integrated ecosystem of business and technology consulting. In today’s age of experience, technology and market forces are disrupting industry practices, driving digital transformations throughout the entire enterprise. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is paving the way for new business experiences that extend far beyond engineering practices to unleash new value creation mechanisms for its adopters. Paladion Expands Its Global Security OperationsPaladion Networks, the global specialist in Information Risk Management and Middle East’s leading managed security services player with marquee customers across banking, oil & gas, telecom and retail, announced that its new Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) analyses over 7 billion security events every day to stop cyber criminals and malicious insiders in their tracks. The company recently expanded GSOC coverage to the Middle East. Hundreds of global corporations rely on Paladion to protect their IT operations and brands from cyber risk. Paladion has been steadily conquering the managed SOC business in India and the Middle East and has made major inroads into the North American and South East Asian markets. At the core of Paladion’s success, is its GSOC network, which houses top notch security professionals that enable predictive security intelligence and proactive remediation of threats. Rajat Mohanty, CEO, Paladion Networks affirmed, “The expansion of global centers encapsulates the experiences and innovations that we have amassed in the last eight years of running SOCs, and it will bring intelligence driven SOC services with significant back end scale across centers. The GSOC network will help us expand and help new customers worldwide, while providing enhanced protection for existing ones.” Telit Introduces CDMA ModulesTelit Wireless Solutions, a global enabler of the Internet of the Things (IoT), on Monday announced the launch of a new cellular module, adding to the rich xE910 family. The CE910-SL was designed specifically for applications in areas where CDMA450 coverage exists as a commercial mobile network operation or where it can be licensed to be developed as a private network by utilities, emergency response organizations, and other similar government and private groups.The CE910-SL provides excellent in-building performance making it ideal for smart utilility meters frequently installed deep inside residential or commercial dwellings. The CE910-SL is a single-band 450MHz CDMA 1xRTT wireless module. Its compact LGA form factor is pin-to-pin compatible with the xE910 family, allowing for easy integration of different 2G to 3G wireless technologies into the same design. The CE910-SL enables reliable and secure CDMA cellular connectivity in up to 153.6kbps full-duplex data rates.It is the ideal platform for low data throughput applications on the 450MHz, block C band recently released in a number of markets. Applications such as smart metering, telemetry, ATMs, POS terminals, and security are the product’s top markets. Additional features such as UART/USB interfaces and integrated TCP/IP and UDP/IP stacks provide extended functionality, adding value to the customer application without adding cost. “The CE910-SL extends the reach of Telit xE910 form factor family, enabling integrators and developers to leverage extensive industry familiarity with xE910 modules and quickly designapplications to take advantage of this exciting new market opportunity created by the opening of CDMA450 in Europe and other regions", said Felix Marchal, Chief Product Officer atTelit.“This module will certainly help accelerate the roll out and commercial launch of these networks by reducing the time to market of smart meters and other devices in development, to operate under them.” TATA Housing Announces National Home Buying WeekFollowing the success of National Home Buying Day in 2014, Tata Housing Development Company today announced the second edition of its flagship online property National Home Buying Week (NHBW). The company also opened bookings for 2 new projects code named “Infinium” in Mumbai and “117, BT Road” in Kolkata on the side lines of National Home Buying Week (NHBW). The event scheduled between Wednesday, February 11, 2015 and Tuesday, February 18, 2015 will empower consumers to buy their dream home by paying a booking amount of Rs. 30,000 on www.tatanhbw.com across 25 projects in 8 cities at a special interest rate of 7.99 per cent for 5 years. Based on the in-depth analysis of customers and building on the success of the first National Home Buying Day launched in 2014, this year the event will be scaled up to 25 projects in 1 week from 5 projects in 4 days last year. In 2014, the National Home Buying Day was oversubscribed 4 times with over 800 applications for the allotted 200 units across 5 projects. Till date, the company has sold over 1000 apartments online translating in over a million sq.ft. Commenting on the launch of National Home Buying Week (NHBW), Brotin Banerjee, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Housing Developing Company said, “The decision of buying a home was seen to be an iterative process involving a lot of time and travel. We at Tata Housing saw a tremendous opportunity in the online space for creating a home buying experience that is exciting, convenient, transparent and above all safe; and with innovation in our DNA, we pioneered this trend which has increasingly found acceptance amongst customers not just in India but across the globe.”
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