ITV

Tag: TV

  • Yaari.com brings mobile social networking to India

    Yaari.com brings mobile social networking to India

    MUMBAI: Yaari.com, a social networking site for Indian youth, has released Yaari Mobile, India’s platform for mobile social networking.

    Co-founder and CEO Prerna Gupta said, “The benefit of integrating a social networking site with mobile phones is that it keeps users connected to their network of friends from anywhere, which is especially relevant in India where people do not always have continuous Internet access.”

    The product release includes two primary features: Ywords and Ychat. Ywords allows users to browse the network and interact with other individuals on the site using simple Sms functionality. For example, if a Yaari member sends an Sms command ‘Y profile prerna gupta’ to Yaari, she will receive Prerna’s profile information in the form of an Sms on her phone. She could then go on to browse Prerna’s friends in the same manner, and also send them ‘pinches’, a unique way of interacting with other Yaars.

    The other feature, Ychat, uses Sms to enable group chatting on the go. Users log in to Yaari.com in order to create their Ychat groups and invite their friends to join. Once the group is in place, members can join group discussions via their mobiles and can broadcast messages to every person in the group with a single Sms. They can also reply to messages sent by other members, both from their mobiles and online.

    Yaari.com also plans to introduce non-Sms based mobile features, such as photo and video upload, in the near future, added the release.

    “There are 25 million active Internet users in India. While this figure is large and growing rapidly, it is just the tip of the iceberg. With over 100 million mobile phone users, more than half of which are youth, India is ripe for a mobile social network,” added Prerna.

  • Fox to kick off sixth season of ‘American Idol’ in January

    Fox to kick off sixth season of ‘American Idol’ in January

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has announced that the sixth season of its music based reality show American Idol returns for its sixth season in a special two-night, four-hour season premiere on 16 January 2007.

    In India the show will air on Star World.
    The search for the next superstar began last summer, as the show travelled to several cities in the US. Over 100,000 people turned up at the auditions for the sixth season.

    The show’s host Ryan Seacrest is back, and judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson return to lend their professional expertise, personal comments and sometimes tough criticism to a new crop of aspiring singers. Some will get the judges approval and others will hear the cold, hard truth!

    Guest judges Olivia Newton John, Carol Bayer Sager and Jewel also joined the road trip this season. Viewers will find out what these celebrity judges had to say about the talent around the country and who gets the gold ticket to Hollywood.
    Last year’s season culminated in the crowning of Taylor Hicks as the fifth American Idol. Hicks joined previous winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood as holders of the coveted title. In total, American Idol artists have sold 10 million singles and 23 million albums since the show first aired in 2002. Now the stage is set to turn a sixth singer’s dream into reality.

  • Star World visits Europe’s spookiest destinations

    Star World visits Europe’s spookiest destinations

    MUMBAI: From Friday 10 November Star World will air a show Most Haunted every Friday night at 10 pm.

    The series will take viewers inside haunted locations around Europe.
    A ghost-hunting team as well as top experts from the paranormal field join host Yvette Fielding. Attempting different methods and experiments to try and communicate with the dead, the team is determined to prove the existence of life after death.

    The channel adds that the paranormal series that has captivated viewers across the world, In Most Haunted the production team spends 24 hours in the UK most haunted locations, from castles to manor houses to underground stations, braving morbid atmospheres in chilling venues in an attempt to uncover the truth of ghostly sightings, poltergeists and ethereal voices.

    With a range of scientific tracking equipment and night vision cameras, they capture the most extraordinary paranormal activity ever to be seen on camera. On hand to assist are mediums, psychics and parapsychologists who evaluate the investigations in an attempt to answer the question on everyone lips: do ghosts exist?

  • Financial site CNNMoney.com launches online video platform

    Financial site CNNMoney.com launches online video platform

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CNN and publication Fortune have announced that its business and finance web site CNNMoney.com has launched a new online video platform.

    This will offer users a unique library of streaming video content covering the world of business and finance. The initiative will utilize the high quality video production of CNN, which will co-produce each segment. As part of the launch, a prominent video module with eight featured and newsworthy video segments will be posted on the site’s home page at all times.

    The segments produced for the site will derive from key stories from each of the four magazines housed on the site – Fortune, Fortune Small Business, Money and Business 2.0 – as well as stories by the dedicated editorial staff of CNNMoney.com. In addition, business news from CNN’s broadcast networks will be available directly through the newly-launched CNNMoney.com video player.

    The Time business and finance network president digital publishing Vivek Shah says, “Video is a vital component of the Web experience. The access and insight of our magazines combined with CNN’s video production capabilities will translate into a Web video experience unlike any in our category.”

    The site features nearly 50 video segments which build off of some of the ’ frmagazinesanchise issues including Fortune’s Fastest Growing Companies, Money’s Best Places To Live, Business 2.0’s The Next Disruptors and Fortune Small Business’ Best Bosses 2006. Video coverage also includes some of the magazines’ events and conferences.

  • Horlicks Wiz Kids ’06 grand finale to kick off on 11 November

    Horlicks Wiz Kids ’06 grand finale to kick off on 11 November

    MUMBAI: The grand finale of the Horlicks Wiz Kids 2006 is set to kick off on 11 November in Bangalore, to form the Horlicks Wiz Team. This will follow from the National Finals to be held on 8 November.

    The Wiz Team consisting of four students will be awarded an opportunity to visit Philippines on an educational-cultural exchange.

    In its third year, the Horlicks Wiz Team ’06 will be selected by a panel of judges at the grand finale. In Phillipines, the winners will interact with students of ‘Community of Learners’ and ‘Center for Positive Futures’ institute. They will visit the urban poor community and garbage dumpsite in Payatas, Quezon City and participate in cultural programmes with other students. The trip will also include sight-seeing to learn about the culture and historical places of Phillipines.

    Preceeding the grand finale, during the National Finals students will go through a host of activities that are designed to assess them on their social and mental ability and overall personality. At Pegasus – an outbound learning institute and at the Ancient School of Wisdom, the students will undergo training activities, talent rounds, project presentations, psychometric tests and many other fun, learnig and recreationnal activities, informs an official release.

    Horlicks Wiz Kids 2006 at the city level is said to have reached out to four million students, with a participation of 170,000 students from 1141 school across India.

  • ‘Kansai’ wins 2006 ABU CASBAA Unicef child rights award

    ‘Kansai’ wins 2006 ABU CASBAA Unicef child rights award

    MUMBAI: Kansai telecasting corporation of Japan has been named as the winner of the ABU CASBAA Unicef child rights award 2006 for its documentary entitled Conquering the Darkness – The fight against memories of abuse.

    The child rights award , is given each year in recognition of the best television programming on a child rights issue produced in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The documentary follows Aya, a 33-year-old mother, who suffered abuse as a child and subsequently abused her own children. It is the tale of a parent’s personal struggle to end the cycle of child abuse in the family.

    “We are often quick to point the finger at parents who abuse their children, but patterns of abuse so often begin in childhood, creating a chain that can continue over generations, ” said documentray producer Shinichi Sugimoto.

    This year, the child rights award received a total of 40 entries from countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Japan, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Singapore.

    Broadcasting union secretary-general Asia-Pacific David Astley said, “The child rights award is a significant platform that allows broadcasters in the Asia- Pacific to demonstrate their ability to produce quality programming on children’s issues. The ABU wants to encourage broadcasters to continue to invest in such programmes in the future.”

    CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “The continued participation of regional broadcasters in the child rights award is welcome and clearly underlines their resolve towards producing educational and entertaining programmes for and about children.”

    The panel of jurors included, Amar Keshar Simha, an independent producer from Pakistan; producer China central television (CCTV) Wang Yan; Mongolian radio and television director of Children’s Programme Ariunjargal Luvsantseren; Infocus Asia executive producer Francis Smith; Australia Network chief executive Ian Carroll and Discovery Networks Asia vice president programming James Gibbons.

    The top ten finalists in 2006 are:

    Winner

    – Conquering the Darkness – The Fight Against Memories of Abuse (Japan)

    Finalists

    – Dark Street Kids (Malaysia)- This documentary chronicles the hardship, as well as the stigma and discrimination of children who are born and live in dark alleys or brothels of Malaysia.

    – Korean Children – I am All Alone (Korea)- This documentary is about Minho is an 11-year-old boy neglected by his parents. His only friend is a TV set. A stark portrayal of how a child is deeply affected by the problems and negligence of his parents.

    – Tuesday Report: Pocket Money (Hong Kong) – This programme documents the life of three children who live in cramped flats and have to sell scrap paper and scrap metal for their pocket money.

    – Young People on Wheels (Bhutan) – The documentary follows a group of unemployed youths who are creating awareness of a campaign on HIV and AIDS in Bhutan.

    – The Orphans, Childless and Predators (Singapore) – The documentary looks at on how orphaned children coped with the devastating experienceof Tsunami. It also features a child trafficker who agreed to tell his side of story and tries to justify his actions.

    – Get Real Child Sex Tourism – Sold for Sex (Singapore) – The programme investigates the plight of child sex workers on the Indonesian Island of Batam.

    – Emergency – Junior Boxer (Philippines) – Residents of general santos city are very fond of boxing even children undergo intensive training to become professional boxers during which many sustain grave injuries that sometimes even result in death.

    – We Shall Overcome (Bangladesh) – This documentary chronicles the life of an eight-year-old girl who is deaf and mute and believes she can succeed in her dream to become a fine arts teacher.

    – School of the Highlands (Philippines) – The importance placed on education by indigenous communities in the Philippines is recounted in this documentary which looks at the challenges families face in schooling their children and promoting their rights.

  • Qualcomm to host ‘Brew 2006’ India

    Qualcomm to host ‘Brew 2006’ India

    MUMBAI: Qualcomm Incorporated a developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and mobile data solutions, has announced that it will host the second annual Brew Developers Conference – India.

    The conference will be held in Mumbai at The ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton on 29 November.

    The theme for this year’s conference ‘Brew Your Way’, is about discovering the limitless possibilities of the Brew solution. Targeted toward the wireless community in India, Brew 2006 – India will focus on bringing together distinguished members of the industry, both from within the country and around the world, asserts an official release.

    Qualcomm India and SAARC president Kanwalinder Singh said, “Last year, Brew 2005 – India was a huge success and was attended by more than 250 industry professionals, including leading operators and developers. Encouraged by the tremendous response to last year’s event, Qualcomm is excited to once again host the conference for India’s growing wireless community.”

    “Following a year of notable milestones, deployments and successes for the worldwide Brew community, this conference promises to reflect India’s distinct perspective on the progress of data services, as well as potential new trends within the industry,” Qualcomm India senior director sales and business development Vishal Gupta added.

    Brew subscribers would benefit from several offerings, which include: uiOne for rich, integrated and dynamic user experiences with fast access to high revenue services on wireless devices; deliveryOnefor differentiated and tightly integrated, operator-managed support and delivery of advanced wireless data content and services; and marketOnefor 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 offers this comprehensive set of Brew offerings to meet the needs of companies delivering mobile products and services around the world, adds the release.

  • The History Channel special ‘Ape to Man’ wins top nod from National Academies

    The History Channel special ‘Ape to Man’ wins top nod from National Academies

    MUMBAI:Ape to Man, the two-hour special that premiered on the History Channel in August 2005 is set to receive the top prize from the National Academies in the category of TV/Radio.

    The History Channel is one of the cable television networks featuring original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life across multiple platforms.

    The National Academies award recognises excellence in reporting and communicating science, engineering and medicine to the general public. The winners will be honoured during a ceremony on 9 Nov at the Academies’ Arnold and Mabel Beckman center in Irvine, Calif. , asserts an official release.

    The production team for Ape to Man is a recipient for works published or broadcast in 2005, among a field of 252 print, radio, and broadcast entries. They are: director Nic Young, producer Anna Thomson and executive producer Bill Locke.

    The award is given for The History Channel and Lion Television’s Ape to Man, an accurate overview of human evolution made accessible to broad audiences.

    Previously Ape to Man won the Emmy award for outstanding achievement in a craft: writing (writer: Nic Young). Ape to Man executive producer for The History Channel is Marc Etkind, adds the release.

  • Conexant’s satellite set-top box solution wins ‘leading product award’

    Conexant’s satellite set-top box solution wins ‘leading product award’

    MUMBAI: Conexant Systems Inc., a supplier of semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, has announced that its CX2430X family of MPEG decoders for free-to-air satellite set-top boxes (STBs) has received the leading product award in the consumer electronics category in the EDN China innovation award 2006 competition.

    The system-on-chip (SoC) decoders were developed in Conexant’s Shanghai design center, which is focused on developing STB chips for worldwide applications.

    The award was presented to Conexant at a ceremony in Shenzhen. The 131 entries in the competition were judged by a panel of specialists that included representatives from academic and research institutions, universities, and Chinese original equipment manufacturers.

    Conexant’s broadband media processing business, executive vice president and general manager Lewis Brewster said, “We are honoured that our CX2430X MPEG decoders were chosen for this important award by a group of esteemed industry experts. We remain focused on delivering innovative solutions that will help Chinese manufacturers design and develop products for domestic and international markets.”

    The CX2430X family can be used for applications ranging from basic STB functionality to advanced STB applications. The devices include an integrated high-speed data port that easily interfaces to a variety of broadband front-ends, allowing the decoders to serve as a common back-end platform for satellite, terrestrial, and cable platforms, asserts an official release.

    In addition, the decoders can be used with our satellite tuners to form a complete front- and back-end system solution. This flexibility, along with the robust feature set, provides manufacturers with economies of scale as they can leverage a single device across multiple product offerings.

  • Napster mobile launches ‘Over-The-Air’ music service in Japan

    Napster mobile launches ‘Over-The-Air’ music service in Japan

    MUMBAI: Napster , the digital music pioneer, has announced the launch of Napster Mobile on iMode, NTT DoCoMo’s mobile internet platform currently used by over 40 million of its over 52 million mobile subscribers across Japan.

    DoCoMo customers can use Napster Mobile to access full-length songs and ringtones that can be delivered Over-The-Air (OTA), directly to their mobile handsets including the N902iX, the SH903i, the F903i, the D903i and other soon to be released models in the 903i series for immediate listening and downloading, asserts an official release.

    Napster Mobile subscribers in Japan pay a monthly access fee of approximately $3 per month, and can acquire individual songs and ringtones for mobile delivery and download using a credit-based system. Subscribers receive 300 credits per month to procure individual songs and ringtones, and they can purchase additional credits at any time.

    Using a compatible DoCoMo handset gives Napster Japan’s Napster To Go portable subscription customers the power to transfer their favorite music from their PC directly to their mobile phone.

    Napster chairman and CEO Chris Gorog said, “With analysts projecting that mobile music will become a multi-billion dollar business in Japan over the next few years, we are very pleased and excited by Napster Japan’s deep partnership with DoCoMo, Japan’s number one wireless carrier. DoCoMo’s aggressive promotion of our offerings in Japan both the PC subscription service and the over-the-air mobile service will enable Napster to deliver on our commitment to helping music fans everywhere enjoy the best digital music experience possible.”

    iMode customers can subscribe to Napster Mobile for unlimited access to Napster Mobile’s music programming features, including personalized recommendations, featured artists and new releases, exclusive music and chart information, and to browse Napster Mobile’s vast catalog of full-length songs and ringtones, adds the release.