Category: Software

This contest puts across a challenge for the digital content creators to develop a rich multimedia stop-motion animation starring five toy characters – Sancho, Farm Girl, Ranger, Jogger and Green from Monsterism Island – designed by the freelance illustrator and cult toy designer, Pete Fowler.

All entries will be judged by Fowler, stated an official release.

All the interested animator needs to do is craft the most entertaining animation submissions at the HP Toyrama website and four lucky winners stand a chance win an Autodesk Maya software and an opportunity to tour the DreamWorks facility at Los Angeles, USA.The lucky animators also get a chance to display their work on an online Gallery.

The HP Toyrama contest has two main categories – the open segment and the professional segment. While the open segments is especially for animation lovers, amateurs and students in the field; the professional segment, as the name suggests is for the more trained lot.

Interested digital animators can log on to www.hptoyrama.com and create animated movies keeping in mind the scenarios and backgrounds provided on the website. Completed animated movies can be uploaded for submission on the website.

HP India personal system group commercial products director Nitin Chaudhary stated, “HP workstations technology has been inspiring animators globally for high-quality animated entertainment by providing them with increased capabilities to design and develop digital content. HP Toyrama contest is a first-of-its-kind initiative in partnership with Dreamworks which aims at providing creative professionals the opportunity to bring their imagination to life with workstation computing technology,”

The HP xw9400 Business Workstation includes an AMD Opteron processor, dual-core, dual-processor horsepower for advanced graphics abilities. In addition, the workstation also features an easy-to-maintain tool-less access design and a highly expandable dual-socket chassis.

The HP Toyrama contest is open to digital content creators in select India and other select Asia Pacific nations till 9 November 2007.

The company also announced the launch of new models in the Flat Colour TV segment equipped with its True Digital Experience (TDX plus) technology.

Available in 29″, 21″ and 15″ the TDX plus range has nine models in the Flat televisions range and three models in the curved television range all priced between Rs 4890 to Rs 1999.

The DSM High Definition system enables sharper, crystal clear viewing experience.

“People today are looking out for a fusion of style, technology and innovation in the products that they buy. The pioneering features like high definition multimedia interface and increased sharpness of the picture once again, reflect Haier‘s commitment to the customer and the growing LCD market in India,” said Haier Appliances (India) P. Ltd VP Ranjan.

The new offering is armed with other features like: W-LAN, USB, and direct print. The LCD models have a USB port which can also be connected to a printer to enable the customer to take out hi-definition pictures from the USB or any other storage device at the mere click of a button on the remote. The W-LAN lets the customer synchronize the ultra modern digital gadgets hookup to the LCD TV and gives the customer a true Wi-Fi experience.

“This harmonius software-hardware conformity greatly enhances the audio-video quality and gives you the ultimately realistic television experience. We are aiming for a 10 per cent market share in the LCD market in India this year. “, states Mr. Rajan

Starting from 4 October, Star Gold will be available on StarHub digital cable channel 42.

According to an official statement, the channel will become the first and only dedicated Bollywood movie channel in Singapore.

The launch also bolsters Star‘s current Indian channel offering of Star Plus and Star Vijay on StarHub Digital Cable.

At launch, Star Gold will showcase a number of Bollywood hits, including Babul, Bhagam Bhaag, Shootout At Lokhandwala, Awaarapan, Naqaab, Apne, Chain Kuli Ki Main Kuli, Red and Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi.

Star Gold will join the existing range of channels from Star which are Star Chinese Channel, Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies, Star Plus, Star World, Vijay, Xing Kong, Channel [V] International, Channel [V] Mainland China, Channel [V] Taiwan, Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix InfoNews Channel, Sky News, Fox News, Foxcrime, FX, National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, National Geographic Wild and Nat Geo Adventure. Star Sports and ESPN are also available on StarHub Digital Cable.

The announcement was done by Disney-ABC International Television SVP sales Jim Brehm and Channel 4 Finland SVP Pirjo Airaksinen.

According to an official statement, this is the first time the Walt Disney Company has introduced multiple network series to an international market so soon after broadcast in the US.

With this agreement, Channel 4 Finland‘s IPTV service will launch an area of its site called Hot from the US which will allow fans to enjoy the latest seasons of hit US series Ugly Betty,Grey‘s Anatomy, Lost and Desperate Housewives from four days after the US broadcast.

This is due to launch from the end of September, in line with the US fall season launch, and episodes will cost 3 euros each, states an official release.

Brehm commented, “We are pleased to be able to bring much anticipated new seasons of our hit series to Finland just days after the US broadcast. This is an exciting opportunity for fans to legally access some of the most-anticipated shows on international TV, and demonstrates our commitment to work with digital media partners to bring our content to viewers in faster, flexible ways, when and where they want it.”

Ugly Betty, the Emmy Award winning comedy, will be going into its second season and the Golden Globe winning series Grey‘s Anatomy, Lost and Desperate Housewives will all be entering their fourth season. The availability of episodes will follow the US broadcast hiatus pattern.

Airaksinen said, “We are happy and excited to have this service up and running as the first time Disney has offered multiple series to an international market so soon after broadcast in the US. Channel Four Finland is enthusiastic to learn how Finnish consumers will accept the new service and at the same time we are eager to fight piracy.”

Born from MTV‘s commitment to inform and engage young people on issues that affect them most, the Think Community aims to be the definitive online resource and rally point for young change makers. Launched in beta today, Think.MTV.com is a place where everyone from sunny day volunteers to die hard activists can “Get Educated, Get Connected, Get Heard, Get Active and Get Rewarded”.

The seminal ThinkMTV study “Just Cause” revealed that young people care deeply about activism: 80 per cent say that taking action to help their community and others is important and the right thing to do; yet only 19 per cent describe themselves as “very involved.”

Respondents were very concerned about the challenges that face their generation – from personal issues like sexual health, discrimination, and education, to global concerns such as the environment, terrorism, poverty, and immigration – but many weren‘t sure where to turn or how to get involved.

Think.MTV.com will help mobilize these young people with new tools of engagement (mobile phones, online forums, broadband video, digital cameras), thereby narrowing the “activation gap” and making it much easier to become informed and take action.

MTV president Christina Norman says, “The Think Community was built to catalyse a sea change in youth activism and make rock stars out of those young people working to better themselves, their communities and the world. We are honoured to partner with forward-thinking foundations, non-profits, celebrities and America‘s youth on this powerful new platform for positive social change.”

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation president of US programmes Allan Golston says, “In a nation where most young people either dropout or graduate from high school unprepared for college and work, it‘s critical we offer youth the opportunities, tools and resources to succeed and achieve their goals.

“MTV is an important partner in our drive to ensure that every young person is prepared for college, career and life, and the new Think Community will galvanize this effort – offering all young people opportunities to connect to an inspiring and engaging world beyond their own school or community,” he said.

Think.MTV.com is an online community where the biggest names in pop culture, as well as top non-profits and civic organizations, can join forces with young people to address pressing social issues. Those who already are using or will use the site to stimulate youth activism include the UN, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Malaria No More as well as Bono, Reggie Bush, Pete Wentz, Shakira, Nick Cannon, Rosario Dawson, John Legend, Steve Nash, Jeff Sachs and many more.

Members who use the site to do good will be rewarded with opportunities such as hanging out with the aforementioned stars, access to exclusive MTV events, exposure on MTV and other national media outlets, plus grants, scholarships and more. Think.MTV.com enables all young people to among other things access MTV News. This is a mix of videos, blogs, socially conscious video games, podcasts, news reports and pictures helps the uninformed quickly come up-to-speed on complex issues and the hyper-literate stay up-to-date on breaking news.

Members can align in “Think Tanks” by interests, skills, geography and more to advance the issues they care about most – from global to local.

The Think site is also a platform for all young people to make their voices heard, serving as a powerful megaphone for a generation that grew up self-publishing. Unlike any other online community, content posted on the site will have the chance to bubble up to MTV‘s other online and mobile platforms, even MTV, which reaches more than 90 million subscribers in the US.

Beginning later this fall, every video, photo or conversation a user contributes will also earn Action Badges, which can be redeemed for prizes, national exposure and more.

The call for entries is open from the 25 September until 16 October.

Elaborating on bringing back this initiative, MTVN digital India, Vh1 VP and GM Keertan Adyanthaya said, “Scorpions with their worldwide Super Hit – Humanity, Vh1‘s vlogging audience and Nokia‘s human technology is bound to deliver the goods all over again.”

People can listen to the latest single by the Scorpions Humanity posted online on www.nokia.co.in, and use camera phones/video recording devices which they think are best at and shoot a video footage.

Sharing the details of Nokia‘s initiative, Nokia India director marketing Devinder Kishore said, “We are happy to associate with VH1 on this initiative and giving our consumers an opportunity to unleash their creativity and make their own music video.”

The lucky winner will have his/her video created into a final one by the VH1 creative team to be exclusively premiered on Vh1 in November, stated an official statement.

Launched in February 2007, ‘Shot By You‘ initiative kicked off in February which invited entries to create a music video through user generated content for the Indian rock band Pentagram‘s song Its Ok Its All good.

Entries can be sent through SMS ‘SHOTBYU‘ to 56882, or via e mails to vh1shotbyu@gmail.com. The tapes/CDs of the footage can also be sent to the Vh1 office in Mumbai at 36-B, Dr. R. K. Shirodkar Marg, Parel (E), Mumbai – 400012.

In a letter sent to Dasmunsi last week, IMG had said: “We would like to point out that the said suggestion of Trai is fraught with danger as media is a sensitive sector and DTH, Cable TV, IPTV, FM radio being the media content carriers, are a part and parcel of media establishments.

“Accordingly treating them as indistinguishable and integral part of media, well deliberated and carefully thought out restrictions have been stipulated in this sector by the government, keeping in view the overall policy and interest of the country,” it said.

IMG has said that television content whether news and current affairs or general entertainment have a direct and long lasting impact in minds of the people especially on the younger generation, which is why the electronic media is heavily regulated in most countries in the interest of the nation‘s security and other allied matters.

The IMG has reminded the minister of the 1955 Cabinet Committee headed resolution prohibiting the entry of foreign media in the newspaper industry.

“The same equally applies to Electronic Media and the content delivery platforms associated with it viz. DTH, cable service and IPTV,” the IMG letter says.

It feels strongly that the underlining rationale for restricting FDI in media sector both at content creation level and carriage level is to prevent the foreigners from gaining management control of the media entities.

“The media sector is a very, very sensitive sector and therefore it has been recognised that a differential treatment is needed as is done in various other countries as well. It may be pointed out that the many advanced countries continue to maintain a differential policy on ownership of media sectors / assets and services such as DTH, cable, etc.

The IMG letter says that though the US permits 100 per cent FDI in telecom sector, it still has strict control the in media sector, including the need for – citizenship of USA as a precondition for obtaining common carrier licence.

“Similarly, in UK, Canada, France, South Korea and Japan also restrictions on Foreign Direct Investment are in place so as to safeguard the interest of their domestic media entities.”

“In view of the above, Indian Media. Group (1MG) strongly opposes the recommendation of Trai in this regard and urge upon the government to straightaway reject the same, being totally inconsistent with the established media policy of the country.

This is because, according to the Group, any such move has the potential of undermining the independence, sovereignty and security of the county.

com will offer exclusive live webcast for some shows of the Lakmé Fashion Week starting from 13 October.

This agreement will result in considerable enhancement of Flag‘s VPN access across areas where it is not present currently. Vanco will also benefit by access to Flag‘s global service capability across India and the Middle East.

Speaking on the initiative, Flag president Punit Garg said, “Vanco provides significant enhancement to our already extensive cable network, fulfilling the reach that our customers are looking for. This agreement provides Flag and its customers access to a further 81 countries allowing us to extend our network to over 100 countries across the globe.”

MPLS (Multi -Protocol Label Switching) gives network operators a great deal of flexibility to divert and route traffic around link failures, congestion, and bottlenecks that further enhances the levels of service standards currently offered by Flag especially connecting developing markets like India and the Middle East to the developed markets.

Explaining the strategic value of the tie-up Vanco chief executive Allen Timpany said, “There is a great deal of synergy in our businesses. Vanco is fast becoming the definitive partner for Asset Based Carriers (ABC) like Flag Telecom, who are looking to extend their physical networks and offer their customers global solutions. Likewise, our customers will benefit from Flag‘s strong coverage, especially into India and the Middle East, which are among the fastest growing markets in the world.”

The operators will offer near-live video clips, highlights, match reviews and previews of each and every Barclays Premier League match during the term. Subscribers of Hong Kong CSL, Hutchison Telecommunications and PCCW will be able to access the content through subscription and pay per view models.

Nimbus Sport CEO Digvijay Singh said, “We are delighted to partner with Hutchison Telecommunications, HK CSL and PCCW to share the world‘s most popular football property with millions of fans. Our partners are the leading mobile telecommunications operators in Hong Kong and Nimbus is certain that together we will be able to provide compelling and exciting content to all subscribers”.

Hong Kong CSL director of business development Dr. Tony Seeto said, “Mobile subscribers in Hong Kong have reached the unbelievable number of 9.3 million, with a penetration of 135 per cent. We are delighted to provide Barclays Premier League content and reach a wider audience for the League through this deal with Nimbus.”

The rights awarded to Nimbus Sport span countries across the globe – including India, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other countries in Asia; UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa; Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Belgium in Europe; and reaching as far as Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.