Bertrand Picard and his team is all set to fly an airplane of solar impulse. The initial version of the solar plane spans 61 metres, but weighs about 1500 Kilogram (Kg). It will undergo trials providing evidence that it can fly at night.
Picard wanted to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies. "I love this type of vision where you set the goal and then you try to find a way to reach it, because this is challenging," he told BBC News.
This solar powered is called the HB-SIA is a part of a 70 million pound project, which will fly using 12,000 solar cells, rechargeable lithium batteries and four electric motors. The aeroplane integrates composite materials to keep it extremely light. Picard has decided to make five long trips sharing flying duties with the Project Partner, Andre Borschberg.
"The real success for Solar Impulse would be to have enough millions of people following the project and being enthusiastic about it," said Picard.
Agencies
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Recession hit Adobe, shuts US operations down for one-week
Adobe Inc, the world’s biggest maker of graphic-design software, shut down North American operations this week, part of a plan to cut operating costs as the recession crimps sales.
Adobe told employees in March it would impose one-week closures in the second, third and fourth quarters, and asked staff to take paid vacation time, the company said today.
“These are in addition to the normal holiday shutdown” between Christmas and New Year’s Day, San Jose, California-based Adobe said in an e-mail.
The company has frozen salaries, trimmed bonuses and variable compensation plans, and curbed travel expenses, Chief Executive Officer Mark Garrett said in an April interview. In December, the company fired about 8 percent of the workforce to help rein in costs during the economic slump.
Second-quarter sales fell 21 percent as customers held off upgrading to the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, which account for about 60 percent of revenue. Sales in Europe trailed expectations, the company said on a June 16 conference call.
Adobe advanced 62 cents to $28.62 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have gained 34 percent this year.
Worldwide spending on information-technology products will shrink 9 percent this year as the economy contracts, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Agencies
Adobe told employees in March it would impose one-week closures in the second, third and fourth quarters, and asked staff to take paid vacation time, the company said today.
“These are in addition to the normal holiday shutdown” between Christmas and New Year’s Day, San Jose, California-based Adobe said in an e-mail.
The company has frozen salaries, trimmed bonuses and variable compensation plans, and curbed travel expenses, Chief Executive Officer Mark Garrett said in an April interview. In December, the company fired about 8 percent of the workforce to help rein in costs during the economic slump.
Second-quarter sales fell 21 percent as customers held off upgrading to the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, which account for about 60 percent of revenue. Sales in Europe trailed expectations, the company said on a June 16 conference call.
Adobe advanced 62 cents to $28.62 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have gained 34 percent this year.
Worldwide spending on information-technology products will shrink 9 percent this year as the economy contracts, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Agencies
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Will broadband, mobile be key drivers to economic growth?
Access to affordable high-speed Internet and mobile phone service are key to economic growth and job creation in developing countries, the World Bank said in a report.
The report, Information and Communications for Development 2009, found that for every 10 percentage-point increase in high-speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points.
"Internet users in developing countries increased tenfold from 2000 to 2007, and there are now over four billion mobile phone subscribers in developing countries," said Mohsen Khalil, World Bank group director for global information and communication technologies.
"These technologies offer tremendous opportunities," Khalil said. "Governments can work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers."
The report identified the mobile platform as the "single most powerful way to reach and deliver public and private services to hundreds of millions of people in remote and rural areas across the developing world."
Broadband provides the basis for local information technology (IT) services industries which create youth employment, increase productivity and exports, and promote social inclusion, it said.
"Currently though, few people in developing economies have access to broadband networks," the report said. "In 2007, an average of less than five percent of the population of low-income economies was connected to broadband networks
, and that was mostly in urban centers."
"Access to broadband completes the information foundation for a modern economy and should be a priority in national development plans," said Katherine Sierra, World Bank vice president for sustainable development.
"Governments can play a key role in expanding broadband access by policies and incentives that encourage competition and private investment," she said.
The World Bank supports information and communications technology projects in more than 100 countries with a portfolio of more than three billion dollars.
Agencies
The report, Information and Communications for Development 2009, found that for every 10 percentage-point increase in high-speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points.
"Internet users in developing countries increased tenfold from 2000 to 2007, and there are now over four billion mobile phone subscribers in developing countries," said Mohsen Khalil, World Bank group director for global information and communication technologies.
"These technologies offer tremendous opportunities," Khalil said. "Governments can work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers."
The report identified the mobile platform as the "single most powerful way to reach and deliver public and private services to hundreds of millions of people in remote and rural areas across the developing world."
Broadband provides the basis for local information technology (IT) services industries which create youth employment, increase productivity and exports, and promote social inclusion, it said.
"Currently though, few people in developing economies have access to broadband networks," the report said. "In 2007, an average of less than five percent of the population of low-income economies was connected to broadband networks
, and that was mostly in urban centers."
"Access to broadband completes the information foundation for a modern economy and should be a priority in national development plans," said Katherine Sierra, World Bank vice president for sustainable development.
"Governments can play a key role in expanding broadband access by policies and incentives that encourage competition and private investment," she said.
The World Bank supports information and communications technology projects in more than 100 countries with a portfolio of more than three billion dollars.
Agencies
Monday, June 29, 2009
Has Microsoft hired Morgan Stanley to sell Razorfish?
Microsoft has hired Morgan Stanley to sell Razorfish, its digital agency, and French marketing company Publicis Groupe SA is thought to be a possible bidder, according to a media report.
Microsoft acquired the agency, formerly called Avenue A Razorfish, as part of its $6 billion takeover of aQuantive in 2007.
The report cited an analyst valuing Razorfish at $600 million to $700 million, based on sales of about $400 million last year and profit margins for similar businesses of 12 to 13 percent.
Publicis and Morgan Stanley were not immediately available for comment.
Microsoft declined comment.
Razorfish is one of the largest interactive advertising and marketing agencies, boasting a client list that includes McDonald's Corp, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Carnival Cruise Lines.
Microsoft and VivaKi, the digital arm of Publicis, last week unveiled a broad cooperation deal to develop new content, improve marketing performance and better target digital advertising audiences.
Agencies
Microsoft acquired the agency, formerly called Avenue A Razorfish, as part of its $6 billion takeover of aQuantive in 2007.
The report cited an analyst valuing Razorfish at $600 million to $700 million, based on sales of about $400 million last year and profit margins for similar businesses of 12 to 13 percent.
Publicis and Morgan Stanley were not immediately available for comment.
Microsoft declined comment.
Razorfish is one of the largest interactive advertising and marketing agencies, boasting a client list that includes McDonald's Corp, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Carnival Cruise Lines.
Microsoft and VivaKi, the digital arm of Publicis, last week unveiled a broad cooperation deal to develop new content, improve marketing performance and better target digital advertising audiences.
Agencies
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Now get your Mobile Web report from Opera
Opera’s popular mobile browser Opera Mini claims to enhance the mobile internet experience. The software organization has now broadcasted its State of the Mobile Web report that further ascends the browser. This report presents some fascinating data that offers a detailed description about the evolution of Web browsing on mobile phones.
Opera conducted a study of vital factors that influence the mobile Web globally and publishes it as the State of the Mobile Web, monthly. The report provides information about the most regularly visited sites. Moreover it also includes key data metrics from Opera Mini and a picture of a particular development selected by the analysis team for that month.
The company had introduced the Opera Mini and Opera Mobile which are premium software for mobile Web browsing on both feature phones and smartphones. Opera Mini offers faster Web services on the handset. Moreover even the page is viewed just as it appears on the desktop browser. The Opera Zoom feature articulates the contents so as to enhance the readability and interaction. Additionally, it also incorporates Opera Link that facilitates users to synchronize their bookmarks for free. It also offers a Speed Dial option and personal bar between all the Web browsers.
The report reveals that 25.4 million Opera Mini users have browsed over 9.6 billion pages, as per the records in the month of May, 2009. Further it claims that since April, 2009, page-views have risen by 11.0% and increased by a remarkable 227% from May, 2008. It also illustrates that users generated almost 160 million MB of data for global operators in May, 2009.
The content analysis is based on an assessment of the top 100 sites ranked based on page views in every country. The designation of sites to particular kind was devised by local content professionals by following Opera’s guidelines to exemplify each site.
Additionally, demographic data was also gathered from voluntary user surveys. The data was then provided to a random subset of Opera Mini users through their handsets, in English, Russian, Chinese, German and Polish. Survey responses were accumulated between February to June, 2008.
Agencies
Opera conducted a study of vital factors that influence the mobile Web globally and publishes it as the State of the Mobile Web, monthly. The report provides information about the most regularly visited sites. Moreover it also includes key data metrics from Opera Mini and a picture of a particular development selected by the analysis team for that month.
The company had introduced the Opera Mini and Opera Mobile which are premium software for mobile Web browsing on both feature phones and smartphones. Opera Mini offers faster Web services on the handset. Moreover even the page is viewed just as it appears on the desktop browser. The Opera Zoom feature articulates the contents so as to enhance the readability and interaction. Additionally, it also incorporates Opera Link that facilitates users to synchronize their bookmarks for free. It also offers a Speed Dial option and personal bar between all the Web browsers.
The report reveals that 25.4 million Opera Mini users have browsed over 9.6 billion pages, as per the records in the month of May, 2009. Further it claims that since April, 2009, page-views have risen by 11.0% and increased by a remarkable 227% from May, 2008. It also illustrates that users generated almost 160 million MB of data for global operators in May, 2009.
The content analysis is based on an assessment of the top 100 sites ranked based on page views in every country. The designation of sites to particular kind was devised by local content professionals by following Opera’s guidelines to exemplify each site.
Additionally, demographic data was also gathered from voluntary user surveys. The data was then provided to a random subset of Opera Mini users through their handsets, in English, Russian, Chinese, German and Polish. Survey responses were accumulated between February to June, 2008.
Agencies
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Will the IT industry miss Nanadan Nilekani?
Infosys Technologies' Co-Chairman Nandan Nilekani was today appointed as Chairman of an Authority with Cabinet minister's rank to steer the ambitious scheme for creating a multi-purpose unique identification database of citizens.
54-year-old Nilekani, the co-founder of the leading IT firm along with N R Narayana Murthy 28 years ago, will head the Unique Identification Database Authority of India (UIDAI) under the aegis of the Planning Commission.
He will have the rank and status of the Cabinet minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
The scheme is aimed at providing a unique identity to the targeted population of the flagship schemes to ensure that the benefits reach them, she said.
A visionary and a thinker, Nilekani, who gets an annual compensation of over USD 1.75 lakh and whose net worth is USD 1.3 billion, resigned his membership of Infosys Board of Directors following his appointment.
His colleagues in Infosys top management Mohandas Pai and Kris Gopalakrishnan said his exit from would be a loss to the organisation but a gain to the country.
Announcing his appointment, the PMO said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Nilekani to chair an authority that will create a unique identification database of the country's citizens.
Nilekani, born in Sirsi in Uttara Kannada in northern Karnataka, did his early education in Bangalore and Dharwad before moving to Mumbai to study Electrical Engineering in IIT, Bombay.
The PMO said The functioning of the authority and activities to be performed by the UIA would serve multiple objectives.
The authority shall have the responsibility to lay down plans and policies to implement the unique identification scheme in the country.
It shall own and operate the unique identification number database and be responsible for its updation and maintenance on an ongoing basis.
Sonia said the Authority shall have responsibility to lay down plans and policies to implement the Unique Identification Scheme (UID), shall own and operate the Unique Identification number database and be responsible for its updation and maintenance on an ongoing basis," Soni said.
The Authority will identify the targeted groups for various flagship programmes, she added.
The flagship schemes of the UPA include the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, National Rural Health Mission and Bharat Nirman.
The unique identification number would ensure that any lacuna in these schemes is removed so that the benefits do not reach those they are not meant for.
The Government had earmarked Rs 100 crore in the interim Budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament on February 16 to kickstart its ambitious Unique Identification Project.
The government has been working on improving arrangements to ensure that development deliverables reach the intended beneficiaries, Mukherjee had said.
People may not be screaming his name out in offices, but he has his own fan following and enjoys rock star-like fame. Nandan M Nilekani has clearly emerged as the most famous of those who created India's widely idolised IT company - Infosys.
N R Narayana Murthy has probably had more media coverage but as the key people behind Infosys prepare to hand over control to the next generation of business leaders, it is Nilekani who looks all set to enjoy a great solo career.
Nilekani, 54, is already credited with repainting India's image globally and will now head an authority that will create a unique electronic database of the country's citizens - a project that many see as key to plugging loopholes in implementation of welfare schemes.
As chairperson of the country's Unique Identification Authority, Nilekani would enjoy the rank of Cabinet Minister.
The electrical engineer from IIT, Bombay, who is the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Infosys Technologies Limited, was named among Time magazine's world's 100 most influential people of 2009 - an honour he secured in 2006 too.
From March 2002 to June 22, 2007, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director and has previously held the posts of President and Chief Operating Officer of the company that he founded, along with Murthy and others, in 1981.
Economictimes & Agencies
54-year-old Nilekani, the co-founder of the leading IT firm along with N R Narayana Murthy 28 years ago, will head the Unique Identification Database Authority of India (UIDAI) under the aegis of the Planning Commission.
He will have the rank and status of the Cabinet minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
The scheme is aimed at providing a unique identity to the targeted population of the flagship schemes to ensure that the benefits reach them, she said.
A visionary and a thinker, Nilekani, who gets an annual compensation of over USD 1.75 lakh and whose net worth is USD 1.3 billion, resigned his membership of Infosys Board of Directors following his appointment.
His colleagues in Infosys top management Mohandas Pai and Kris Gopalakrishnan said his exit from would be a loss to the organisation but a gain to the country.
Announcing his appointment, the PMO said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Nilekani to chair an authority that will create a unique identification database of the country's citizens.
Nilekani, born in Sirsi in Uttara Kannada in northern Karnataka, did his early education in Bangalore and Dharwad before moving to Mumbai to study Electrical Engineering in IIT, Bombay.
The PMO said The functioning of the authority and activities to be performed by the UIA would serve multiple objectives.
The authority shall have the responsibility to lay down plans and policies to implement the unique identification scheme in the country.
It shall own and operate the unique identification number database and be responsible for its updation and maintenance on an ongoing basis.
Sonia said the Authority shall have responsibility to lay down plans and policies to implement the Unique Identification Scheme (UID), shall own and operate the Unique Identification number database and be responsible for its updation and maintenance on an ongoing basis," Soni said.
The Authority will identify the targeted groups for various flagship programmes, she added.
The flagship schemes of the UPA include the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, National Rural Health Mission and Bharat Nirman.
The unique identification number would ensure that any lacuna in these schemes is removed so that the benefits do not reach those they are not meant for.
The Government had earmarked Rs 100 crore in the interim Budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament on February 16 to kickstart its ambitious Unique Identification Project.
The government has been working on improving arrangements to ensure that development deliverables reach the intended beneficiaries, Mukherjee had said.
People may not be screaming his name out in offices, but he has his own fan following and enjoys rock star-like fame. Nandan M Nilekani has clearly emerged as the most famous of those who created India's widely idolised IT company - Infosys.
N R Narayana Murthy has probably had more media coverage but as the key people behind Infosys prepare to hand over control to the next generation of business leaders, it is Nilekani who looks all set to enjoy a great solo career.
Nilekani, 54, is already credited with repainting India's image globally and will now head an authority that will create a unique electronic database of the country's citizens - a project that many see as key to plugging loopholes in implementation of welfare schemes.
As chairperson of the country's Unique Identification Authority, Nilekani would enjoy the rank of Cabinet Minister.
The electrical engineer from IIT, Bombay, who is the Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Infosys Technologies Limited, was named among Time magazine's world's 100 most influential people of 2009 - an honour he secured in 2006 too.
From March 2002 to June 22, 2007, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director and has previously held the posts of President and Chief Operating Officer of the company that he founded, along with Murthy and others, in 1981.
Economictimes & Agencies
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Can a flying car be a reality?
Is a flying car on its way?
An American company Terrafugia Transition, based near Boston, is set to unveil the dual-purpose car-cum-plane vehicle called 'The Flying Car' as early as 2011. The two-seater vehicle can let you fly if you wish to avoid the congested city traffic.
If you want to drive on the road, just touch the road. The vehicle will fold up its wings in 30 seconds and transform itself into a car.
"The Flying Car" can travel up to 725 kilometres in the air at a speed of more than 115 kilometres per hour.
Fuelled by gasoline, it has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight.
With its wings folded, it can be parked in your ordinary car garage.
Its initial cost is expected to be around $200,000 (nearly Rs.1 crore), says the company which has already orders for 60 vehicles.
The CEO of the company told Canadian TV (CTV) network here that they have successfully test-flown "The Flying Car" as many as 28 times.
The tests have shown that the vehicle can drive, fly and switch from being a plane to a car in just 30 seconds.
"It (testing) has been very successful," Carl Dietrich, co-founder and CEO of Terrafugia, told the television network.
He said: " We have got a very good handling vehicle and our test pilot said that the flights were just remarkably unremarkable - it just flies like a really nice, little airplane."
He said this miracle vehicle will ease problems for pilots who currently face problems like weather which sometimes doesn't allow them to take off or land.
"This vehicle allows a pilot any time, if the weather changes, to divert to the nearest airport, fold up their wings and drive safely under the weather."
Company vice president Richard Gersh told media: "The Transition (the name for "The Flying Car") is not designed to replace the automobile. However, it will solve transportation issues for a variety of circumstances."
Asked whether the vehicle will be mass produced one day, he said: "That is certainly a possibility, but a number of years away."
He said the vehicle will be able travel on ordinary roads.
"Our depositors represent a wide-cross section in terms of age, interests, and intended use of the vehicle. We have deposits from both experienced pilots and non-pilots who intend to earn their Sport Pilot certificate," said the vice president of Terrafugia.
Set up in 2006, Terrafugia is run by trained aeronautical engineers and MBAs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Agencies
An American company Terrafugia Transition, based near Boston, is set to unveil the dual-purpose car-cum-plane vehicle called 'The Flying Car' as early as 2011. The two-seater vehicle can let you fly if you wish to avoid the congested city traffic.
If you want to drive on the road, just touch the road. The vehicle will fold up its wings in 30 seconds and transform itself into a car.
"The Flying Car" can travel up to 725 kilometres in the air at a speed of more than 115 kilometres per hour.
Fuelled by gasoline, it has front wheel drive on the road and a propeller for flight.
With its wings folded, it can be parked in your ordinary car garage.
Its initial cost is expected to be around $200,000 (nearly Rs.1 crore), says the company which has already orders for 60 vehicles.
The CEO of the company told Canadian TV (CTV) network here that they have successfully test-flown "The Flying Car" as many as 28 times.
The tests have shown that the vehicle can drive, fly and switch from being a plane to a car in just 30 seconds.
"It (testing) has been very successful," Carl Dietrich, co-founder and CEO of Terrafugia, told the television network.
He said: " We have got a very good handling vehicle and our test pilot said that the flights were just remarkably unremarkable - it just flies like a really nice, little airplane."
He said this miracle vehicle will ease problems for pilots who currently face problems like weather which sometimes doesn't allow them to take off or land.
"This vehicle allows a pilot any time, if the weather changes, to divert to the nearest airport, fold up their wings and drive safely under the weather."
Company vice president Richard Gersh told media: "The Transition (the name for "The Flying Car") is not designed to replace the automobile. However, it will solve transportation issues for a variety of circumstances."
Asked whether the vehicle will be mass produced one day, he said: "That is certainly a possibility, but a number of years away."
He said the vehicle will be able travel on ordinary roads.
"Our depositors represent a wide-cross section in terms of age, interests, and intended use of the vehicle. We have deposits from both experienced pilots and non-pilots who intend to earn their Sport Pilot certificate," said the vice president of Terrafugia.
Set up in 2006, Terrafugia is run by trained aeronautical engineers and MBAs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Agencies
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