Category: Applications

MUMBAI: Vu, a luxury technology brand which researches, develops and manufactures high-end computers, LCD displays and digital homes has forayed into the Indian market. The company has set base in Mumbai by the promoters of Zenith Computers Ltd.

Based in California, Vu has opened its flagship store in Mumbai at the CR2 Mall, Nariman Point. The store carries Vu branded systems and displays and has the world‘s first ‘Gadget bar‘ that sells the latest in luxury technology within a unique retail experience.

Vu Technologies CEO Devita Saraf said, “We believe that the world of technology can be very exciting and purchasing high-end technology should be retail therapy for the guys. Our products are the outcome of our NPD (New product development) lab – cutting-edge innovation, sleek product design and unparallel customer service. Its an experience unlike any other that you have been previously exposed to – Vu will be a very uncommon offer.”

On the other hand, Vu‘s Digital Home will be a combination of computers, communication and consumer electronics that has been created with a simple user interface and design. This will be priced at Rs 100,000.

Vu also retails LCD displays from 7″ to 47″, skype products, Bluetooth-based products and a range of Apple products. Vu will bring the latest in luxury technologies from across the world to the store, and plans to open 30 stores across India by the December 2007.

BANGALORE: Spice Telecom (Spice) has launched its Kannada Wap portal Kannada Kasturi.com. Times Internet (TIL) supplies content to the portal.

On offer is a collection of polytones, pruetones, singtones, MP3 Tones, videos, animations, wallpapers, videotones and theme downloads in Kannada. Value added services including WAP. IVR, SMS, USSD and MyTunes (CRBT) will also be offered on KK.

Spice CEO Navin Kaul is optimistic about doubling the existing subscriber base of 500,000 in Karnataka in the next 10 months. Spice is present in two circles – Punjab and Karnataka – with an overall subscriber base of 2 million, states an official release. Kaul also revealed Spice‘ Karnataka plan to increase the presence from the current 80 towns and cities to another 150.

On a national scale, Spice proposes to bid for all the circles. Spice has now moved ahead of Tata Indicom in Karnataka, up from the last place to number five with the addition of around 150,000 subscribers over the last 5 to 6 months, claimed Kaul during a discussion with this reporter on the sidelines of the press conference.

TIL Mobile Entertainment business head Neeraj Sharma claims that TIL owns rights to over 50000 picture (wall papers) and sound titles from India and around 10000 from across the world, a major portion of which is English. Times of India Director Sanjiv Sethi claims that TIL owns rights to a major portion – almost one third of the almost 2000-3000 titles of Kannada content.

Plans are afoot to create awareness of KK. Spice Karnataka spends around Rs 180-200 million towards its media campaign. National TV ads have been a recent addition in the Spice campaign. A few moths ago spice roped in Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra as its brand ambassador. JWT looks after the creative business.

MUMBAI: Samsung India is aiming to achieve a 70 per cent growth in its digital media business this year. The digital media business, which is a new thrust area within the company‘s audio video portfolio, includes products like digital still cameras, digital camcorders, digital audio players (MP3 players) and DVD players.

“We plan to grow our digital media business by launching wow, aspirational products like the NV Series as well as by creating new product segments like the 6-in-1 multifunction camcorders within the digital camcorder segment,” said Samsung India deputy managing director R. Zutshi.

(L to R) Samsung India general manager audio – video business Rajiv Kenue; director sales Pradeep Tognatta; model Kamal Siddhu; deputy managing director R Zutshi at NV -Series digital camera launch

The Samsung ‘NV‘ series in digital still cameras launched today comprises NV10: the world‘s first 10 mega pixel digital still camera (DSC); NV7: slim camera with 7x zoom; and NV3: world‘s first camera with MP3 and stereo speaker in-built functionality.

In addition to the NV Series, Samsung has also launched three more products in the DSC category — Digimax i6: the world‘s first camera with portable media player feature in a digicam; Digimax L-85: the world‘s first HDMI camera and Digimax L60: a six mega pixel camera with MPEG4 VGA recording (30fps movie clip).

With the introduction of the new DSC range, Samsung has 11 DSC models priced in the range between Rs 8,990 and Rs 49,990.

“Our strategy to grow our DSC business is to help the existing analogue consumers to upgrade to Digital Still Cameras on the strength of our aspirational products and attractive pricing. We will also be enhancing our channel presence for this category by tapping both the existing CE Channel as well as strengthening our presence in the photographic channel,” said Samsung India director sales Pradeep Tognatta.

Samsung is targeting a 400 per cent volume growth in its DSC business this year.

Samsung India also announced its foray into the fast growing DVD camcorder category by launching its VP-DC 163i and VP-DC 565wi DVD camcorders with optical zoom.

MS-11, the ultra compact memory player from Samsung represents a new segment within the existing digital camcorder category with its 6-in-1 functionality – webcam, storage, camcorder, digital still camera, MP3 player and voice recording functions.

Samsung India has priced its VP-D363i Digital camcorder model at an introductory price of Rs 17,990. With the introduction of the new digital camcorder range, Samsung has eight digital camcorder models priced in the range between Rs 17,990 to Rs 39,990. Samsung is targeting a 200 per cent growth in its camcorder business this year.

The company is also strengthening its Plasma lineup by launching its Q7 series of Plasma TVs in 106 cm (42″) and 127 cm (50″) screen size segments. These HD ready Plasma TVs are differentiated on account of their FilterBright technology for sharper, deeper and brighter display in any lighting condition; Smooth Motion Driver for clear and smooth image even in fast moving scenes and their 13-bit processing capability for an amazing display of 549 billion colours.

With the launch of these new Plasma models, Samsung now has a lineup of four Plasma models in 42″ (2 models), 50″, and 63″ screen sizes, priced in the range between Rs 99,000 – Rs 700,000.

Samsung India is expecting to grow its audio video business (AV) by 50 per cent in the July – December 2006 period based on its range enhancement in key AV product categories like flat panel TVs and digital media products, enhanced channel presence and awareness creation through Samsung Dream Home Roadshows.

Zutshi added, “Our considerably enhanced sales infrastructure coupled with our new product launches should help us successfully optimize our festival sales in the second half of this year.”

MUMBAI: Vertu, luxury mobile phone manufacturers unveiled their new collection of hand crafted handsets ‘Constellation‘ in Mumbai today. To cater to a niche clientele, this range offers seven handsets as part of its collection and targets globe trotters.

Crafted by creative director Frank Nuovo, the inspiration for this collection has be derived from an aircraft and thus, the details on the phone resemble the wing form, propellers and air inlets. The Constellation collection ranges from stainless steel to gold finishes with an array of colourful leather backs and the distinguishing feature of a ceramic keypad that is said to be scratch resistant. Depending on the model the price could differ from two to nine lakhs.

“The fluid surface developments are inspired by classic aircraft – in particular, the classic cross section of the leading edge of wings combined with the high polished metal and small fasteners along many edges. Symbolically, the microphone port design is a subtle tribute to the powerful force that made our first aircraft fly – a classic propeller fan. Vertu Constellation has a sleek and confident low profile. Leather is a dominant material to increase the tactile delight in the hand. I wanted the elegant sophistication and dramatic appeal of Vertu Signature with a slight softening and a small degree of visual simplification of form and line”, said Frank Nuovo.

Showcased by Vertu Global marketing director Chris Harris, the collection is being distributed solely by Matrix Distribution Pvt. Ltd. Currently available in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, the later half of this year will see outlets in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. It will be available at select high end jewellry and watch outlets like Popley La Classique at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, The Helvetica at Spencer‘s Plaza in Chennai, Rodeo Drive in Bangalore, the Johnson Watch Company and the Regent Watch and Jewellry Co. Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi.

The collection will be showcased in fashion and lifestyle magazines and the buzz created around this brand should provide incentive enough for high flyers to make their style statement with this new accessory.

When queried about the demand for such a high end phone in the Indian market, Matrix Distributors Pvt Ltd Tusshar Alvani said, “The brand value of Vertu is huge internationally and in India too we have far exceeded our expectations. This is a luxury phone that gives a sense of accomplishment and reward to its owner.”

Taking luxury travel to another dimension ‘Constellation‘ is the third addition to the Vertu stable. Prior to this, Vertu launched its Signature and Ascent collections based on the themes of luxury watches and Formula 1, respectively. The Signature collection used precious metals and the upper end model a platinum solitaire diamond handset was priced at 22 lakhs, while the Ascent F1 race track series gives the aggressive look and feel associated with the sport.

“The design of Vertu Constellation began with the precise understanding of our achievements with both the Vertu Signature and the Vertu Ascent models. The Vertu Constellation design was conceived in order to complement both of these Vertu originals and reinforce the style and design quality of the Vertu Brand,” stated Nuovo.

Vertu Constellation was designed to assist the demanding traveller encompassing a quad-band engine with connection in over 180 countries around the globe; real-time flight tracking that enables Vertu Constellation to provide flight information, in the lounge or en-route to the airport. The real-time currency converter provides correct currency information when required, and the world clock tells the time at home as well as away, in up to three locations simultaneously. To complete the navigation facility Vertu Constellation has world weather facilities that let one know exactly what to expect when you get to your destination.

Vertu Concierge complements the Vertu Constellation and allows one button access to lifestyle services 24 hours a day from virtually anywhere in the world. Vertu Concierge can help from recommending local restaurants and making theatre bookings, or simply sending a gift to someone around the globe.

Available at 300 authorised retailers across 40 countries worldwide, the brand has also made its mark in India with Sabyasachi, Shobha De, Leander Paes and Atul Kasbekar posing as its brand ambassadors. The Ascent F1 model was gifted to SRK by Karan Johar, in addition, other owners of Vertu phones include Katrina Kaif and Jaya Bachchan, while the Beckham couple along with pop diva Madonna also own Vertu phones.

MUMBAI: JumpTV Inc., the global broadcaster of ethnic television over the internet, has signed exclusive internet-broadcast distribution agreements with four Indian television channels specialising in news, current events, politics and entertainment.

Hindi news channel India TV along with Malayalam television channels Kairali TV, People TV and Amrita TV have ‘jumped‘ into the bandwagon now. Each channel will be priced at US$9.95 per month when launched commercially and at a later date will likely make up components of an Indian and/or South Asian bundle.

These new contracts that have been signed subsequent to the company‘s 30 June 2006 quarter end disclosure. JumpTV now has 209 channels under license, informs an official release.

President and chief executive officer of JumpTV International Kaleil Isaza Tuzman stated, “With more than 15 million people of Indian origin living outside of the sub-continent — more than half of whom live in countries with high-broadband penetration such as the UK, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE — we believe there is a massive global market for these channels.”

JumpTV‘s Asia-Pacific director Vinod Kumar adds, “We are pleased to add such valuable partners as India TV News, Kairali TV, People TV and Amrita TV to JumpTV‘s growing channel lineup. These channels add a new and diverse level of Indian programming to our strong roster of content which includes Sony Entertainment Television Asia, Punjab Today and Balle Balle, among others.”

Early this June, JumpTV had entered into an exclusive agreement to begin offering Sony Entertainment Television Asia (SET Asia) in North America via internet.

NEW DELHI: Cable TV consumers are in for a pleasant surprise as cable operators will now be put under stringent monitoring relating to quality of service.

India‘s broadcast regulator today issued detailed regulations prescribing standards of quality of service to be observed by the cable operators and multi system operators in CAS notified areas of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said the regulations would come into effect from 1 October, 2006.

The regulations have been drawn keeping in view the facts that the industry would be subject to prescription of quality of service standards for the first time and, therefore, would need time to adjust on various quality of service aspects.

The issues addressed in the regulations broadly cover the following areas:

(i) Connection, disconnection, transfer and shifting of cable services
(ii) Complaint handling and redressal in respect of cable services
(iii) Billing Procedure and billing related complaints
(iv) Set-top box related issues and complaints
(v) Positioning of channels / taking the channel off air

A snapshot of the major features of these regulations categorized under the above-mentioned broad areas are indicated below:

Application for connection/disconnection/transfer/shifting
* Application for pay channel or request for basic service tier to be responded within five working days.
* Cable Service connection/reconnection to be provided within 2 working days on completion of all formalities by the subscribers.

Complaint handling and redressal
*Multi System Operator/Cable Operator to maintain customer service center/help desk center for 24 hours, 7 days a week including facility for automatic recording of complaints.
*All complaints received in the day to be attended/responded within eight hours.

Billing related issues
* Billing to be done normally on monthly basis and entries to be itemized.
*Subscribers required to ensure prompt payment of bills. Deterrents to discourage delayed payments
*Redressal of complaints on billing within 7 days from the date of notice.

Set Top Box (STB) related issues
* MSO/Cable Operator to repair or replace within 24 hours of receipt of complaint of malfunctioning of set top box and refund of security deposit within seven days of return of set top box.
*Rebate for delay in activation/reactivation of set top box beyond two working days @ Rs 15 per day for the first 5 days and @ Rs 10 per day for the subsequent period

Positioning of channels/Taking the channel off air
*No channel to be taken off the air, except for circumstances beyond the control of the operator, without prior notice of three weeks.

The High Court of Delhi on 20 July 2006 had directed implementation of CAS in the three metros of Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi by 31 December 2006.

One of the areas identified in the implementation of CAS was prescription of quality of service standards by Trai, which has been now done after consultations with the industry stakeholders.

A full text of the regulation along with the explanatory memorandum is available on Trai‘s website, www.trai.gov.in.

MUMBAI: Consumer trends on the web were discussed at Brand-comm‘s web seminar BrandWidth Online 2006.

The seminar was addressed by Titan Industries managing director Bhaskar Bhat, McCann Erickson president Santosh Desai and Brand-comm CEO Ramanujam Sridhar.

The seminar drove home the thought that consumer insight is the greatest tool, after all for marketers who want to keep pace in the changing market scenario.

Some interesting questions to the panelists were on the movement behind the traditional Indian woman rising above her passivity, on consumer insights providing the way-forward for marketers and the role of technology in the consumer decision process. The panelists discussed the ‘More-Mania‘ and the key drivers of consumer behavior in India.

The seminar had 78 participants who logged in from different parts of the country.

MUMBAI: Mobile content developer Nazara Technologies has launched two games based on cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

They have been developed for Qualcomm’s Brew solution. Dhoni Tappebaaz and Dhoni Dhamaka, are designed to bring the excitement of cricket to mobile phones. Nazara Technologies will also launch Mahendra Singh Dhoni wallpapers and screensavers.

In Dhoni Tappebaaz, the user will have to skillfully keep the ball off the ground by striking it with his bat. Users will have the option of downloading different levels of the game and adding unique features. Dhoni Tappebaaz also will have a community-based feature that will enable users to compete with each other and participate in contests.

Dhoni Dhamaka has been designed with Dhoni’s hard-hitting batting style in mind. In this game, players will have to score the maximum number of runs, hitting as many sixes and fours as possible.

Nazara Technologies CEO Nitish Mittersain says, “The Brew solution has given us immense flexibility and empowered us with superior technology to develop multiple-feature games with rich graphics.

“Dhoni Tappebaaz and Dhoni Dhamaka have been developed keeping in mind Dhoni’s mass appeal in India. We are certain that users will find the content compelling and the game play addictive.”

Qualcomm India director of product technologies Vishal Gupta says, “Qualcomm is committed to creating a healthy wireless ecosystem with the Brew solution by offering all members of the mobile marketplace opportunities for growth, while helping them address market-specific needs and allowing them to create targeted solutions and services.

“With Dhoni Tappebaaz and Dhoni Dhamaka, Nazara Technologies has created two BREW games perfectly suited for cricket enthusiasts in India.”

The Brew solution drives the discovery and delivery of data services. Brew subscribers benefit from several offerings, which include: uiOne™ for rich, integrated and dynamic user experiences with fast access to high revenue services on wireless devices; deliveryOne for differentiated and tightly integrated, operator-managed support and delivery of advanced wireless data content and services; and marketOne™ for a quick-to-market, hosted, scalable content delivery service that includes media titles, flexible management and monetization, content provider settlement and business intelligence services. Qualcomm says that it offers this set of Brew offerings to meet the needs of companies delivering mobile products and services around the world.

Nazara Technologies is a mobile content developer targetting global mobile consumer markets. The company works with leading brands such as Archie Comics, Miramax Studios and Sachin Tendulkar among many others and develops rich mobile media content based on these properties. Nazara has also set up India’s largest dedicated 3D mobile game studio that is releasing three new 3D games using the Brew solution every month.

MUMBAI: National Geographic Digital Motion, the stock footage service of National Geographic Digital Media, has chosen Thought Equity as the online distribution partner to complement its existing licensing business. Digital Motion is the digital archive and licensing service for all National Geographic film and video. The partnership unites an international motion image collections with the most technically advanced licensing company in the world.

Thought Equity works in the area of commercial licensing and management of motion imagery,

National Geographic Digital Motion says that it has made significant investments to enhance its existing online licensing operations and prepare the library for access through a variety of distribution channels.

National Geographic Digital Motion VP worldwide sales Jocelyn Shearer says, “We wanted an additional online presence, and have found a licensing partner well-versed in every aspect of motion imagery licensing and management to help us reach our goals. Thought Equity has demonstrated its ability to serve the technological and time-sensitive needs of current and future producers and editors.

“We chose Thought Equity as our exclusive online distribution partner because they offer the best user experience in the industry. They have the scale to put more of our library online faster than any other company and are the clear leader in all areas of technology, including search, real-time content delivery, creative content packaging and marketing in new media”.

Thoughtequity.com says that it has become a preferred destination for international agencies, studios and corporations that produce messages and programming for traditional and new media such as digital displays, podcasts, social networks, mobile phones and other portable devices.

Thought Equity CEO Kevin Schaff said, “Every day we develop new technology to make it easier for professionals in the creative and entertainment industries to access the nearly $1 billion in production value that is available for licensing at thoughtequity.com. The addition of the National Geographic Collection to our library supports our commitment to offer not only exceptional motion imagery with high production value, but also the most topically diverse and internationally relevant imagery. Our base of worldwide customers is expanding rapidly, and the addition of the National Geographic Collection allows them to be more efficient by finding more of what they need from one site.”

With the addition of the National Geographic Collection to thoughtequity.com, entertainment, creative and corporate production companies worldwide will have real-time access to National Geographic‘s motion imagery capturing international culture, science and nature. The collection features footage from National Geographic programmes and films.

These include National Geographic television and film productions, the Explorer series and other exclusive productions for the National Geographic Channel. These productions have won more than 1,000 industry awards, including an Academy Award and 126 Emmy Awards.