Satyam Info's wireless broadband internet launch
by Tuesday : (31/03/03)
KOCHI
: Satyam Infoway (Sify), India's second largest
ISP, is gearing up for the launch of its wireless
broadband internet here by April 1. The service
will also be launched in Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruvalla
and Kozhikode. Another feature is that Sify is
offering an adaptive broadband. Whenever a particular
customer needs more bandwidth, the additional
bandwidth can be allocated on the fly. The charges
for availing wireless home broadband will be Rs
1,000 per month. There will be an initial investment
of Rs 5,000. The commercial rates will go up according
to downloads. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
New Indian
Express dated 31/03/03)
32 Reliance Webstores from next month :
(29/03/03)
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
: As a significant follow-up of the Global Investor
Meet, the Reliance Infocomm has decided to set
up 32 webstores across the State, of which four
will be in Thiruvananthapuram. The launching of
Reliance Webstores was one of the major announcements
by Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani at GIM. According
to sources, the much-hyped webstores of Reliance
Infocomm, an off-shoot of the Indian corporate
major Reliance Group, will begin to function in
the State next month. The stores in Thiruvananthapuram
will be at East Fort, Vazhuthacaud, Kesavadasapuram
and Sreekaryam. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
The New Indian
Express 29/03/03)
Landmark deal on herbal drug :
(26/03/03)
Johannesburg:
Southern Africa's indigenous San people signed
a landmark deal with a South African laboratory
on Tuesday, securing financial rights to a diet
drug developed from a plant they have used for
generations to suppress hunger while on long desert
treks. Under the deal, the San people would receive
eight per cent of payments the Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research receives while the drug,
now licensed for testing and eventual sale by
the U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, undergoes
trials. Once the drug is commercially available,
the San would be paid six per cent of all royalties
awarded to the South African laboratory, which
holds the patent for the medication derived from
the San's traditional knowledge of the "hoodia"
plant. Read
more >>
(Courtesy The
Hindu dated 26/03/03 and AP)
Four mobile operators form alliance :
(27/03/03)
MUMBAI
- In a strategic move to leverage synergies, leading
cellular operators in the country BPL Mobile,
Escotel, RPG Cellular and Spice Telecom —
today announced the MobileFirst alliance. This
alliance would usher in the next generation of
telecom services. MobileFirst has an executive
management committee that includes key representatives
of member companies with an independent secretariat
with working groups for different focus areas.
With a backbone of over 10,000 km, MobileFirst
encompasses contiguous cellular circles with BPL
Mobile in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala, Escotel spanning Haryana, Kerala, U.P.
West, U.P. East, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh,
RPG Cellular in Chennai and Spice Telecom in Punjab
and Karnataka, providing a pan Indian footprint.
Read
more >>
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 27/03/03)
10 Kerala towns to have Railway online
booking : (28/03/03)
Kozhikode:
Online reservation of Railway tickets, having
proved a huge success with a 33 per cent monthly
increase, will now be extended to 35 destinations
in the country by the middle of April. Adding
upto the list of 16 centres in the country so
far, the system was launched in 10 towns in Kerala
with Palghat, Kozhikode and Kannur being hooked
on Thursday. The system was launched here by V
Sriram, the Group General Manager of (South) of
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC), which is developing and implementing
e-commerce for the Railways. Sriram said on-line
reservation, launched in August 2002, has been
a huge success with more than 250,000 tickets
sold so far at a daily average of about 2000 tickets.
About 60 per cent of total business was contributed
by the four southern states and in view of the
advanced literacy rate and better personal computer
density, 10 towns in Kerala were hooked to the
facility.
(Courtesy
Malayala
Manorama dated 28/03/03)
Bigesh's movie update : (25/03/03)
As
you all know, our batchmate Bigesh is playing
a minor role in the movie 'Campus'. The first
schedule of the movie is finished and soon the
movie will be hitting the big screen. Bigesh is
playing the part of a buddy of the film's hero.
(Courtesy
KKM)
Scientists
look for 'God gene' : (22/03/03)
LONDON
- A h und for the 'God gene' that underpins our
ability to believe is underway by the scientists.
And, despite his views on religion, even Francis
Crick, who along with James Watson discovered
the double-helix pattern of the DNA in 1953, argues
that belief must have a biological explanation
because it is most universal in humans. The idea
of genes linked with beliefs does not look far-fetched,
given the influence of genetics on the developing
brain. For eg. Prof. Thomas Bouchard of the University
of Minnesotta, Minneapolis, has conducted a study
of twins who had been reared apart that there
was "a modest degree of genetic influence"
in two measures of religiousness. There are many
suggestionss as to why the 'God gene', or a constellation
of genes linked with belief might thrive. Recent
advances in 'neurotechnology' have prompted scientists
to propose they can induce the kind of holy visions
of prophets. Michael Persinger of the Laurentian
University, Canada, has devised a special helmet
that uses electromagnetic fields to induce electrical
changes in the brain's temporal lobes, which are
linked to religious belief. The experiment is
based on a recent finding that some sufferers
from temporal lobe epilepsy seem to experience
devout hallucinations that bear a striking resemblance
to the mystical experiences of holy figures.
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 22/03/03 and Telegraph Group Limited, London
2003)
NDTV to launch Hindi, English channels : (22/03/03)
NEW
DELHI - With its contract with Star ending this
month, NDTV is all set to chart its own course
from April with a round-the-clock channel each
in Hindi and English. The two channels are due
to go on air in the first week of April. While
the English channel will be called NDTV 24x7,
the Hindi channel will be known as NDTV India.
Both channels will carry local weather and traffic
reports as done in the U.S. with the help of "Iredeto"
software. For the distribution of the two channels
in India, NDTV has tied up with The One Alliance
— a Sony Entertainment and Discovery joint
venture. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 22/03/03)
Turmeric combats alcohol-related liver disease
: (21/03/03)
A
vital ingredient of curry prevents alcohol-related
liver disease, a study of rats has found. Curcumin,
the substance that gives the spice turmeric its
distinctive yellow colour, stopped the changes
caused by excessive alcohol consumption that lead
to liver damage. The research adds to the repertoire
of benefits already shown by curcumin, which include
anti-oxidant properties and anti-cancer activity.
However, the research does not mean that people
eating curries can safely drink more alcohol,
warns Kalle Jokelainen, one of the team of Finnish
and American researchers. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
NewScientist.com)
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
The
variant of Atypical pneumonia spreading around
the world has generated a lot of interest. The
WHO has declared it as a global health threat.
Get informed about the disease called Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome or SARS
New Telephone Directory : (17/03/03)
The
long wait for the telephone subscribers and citizens
in the capital for a telephone directory is over.
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has come
out with a new telephone directory for the Thiruvananthapuram
Secondary Switching Area (SSA) after a nearly
four-year hiatus. It is for the first time that
the BSNL is venturing into the business of publishing
a telephone directory on its own for the subscriber
base in the capital and 26 exchanges in neighbouring
municipalities and panchayats. The efforts to
do a spruce up act are perceptible in the overall
appearance of the directory as well as the thrust
on adding several user-friendly features to the
new version. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 17/03/03)
Russian PM gives up smoking : (16/03/03)
The
Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, has kicked
his smoking habit after taking a subtle hint from
his health-conscious boss, Vladimir Putin, his spokeswoman
was quoted as saying. Mr. Putin, whose mastery of
judo and downhill skiing are frequently featured
on television, has sent the country on a health
kick, demanding that flabby Russians take up some
sport and drink and smoke less to improve their
health. Itar-Tass news agency said Mr. Kasyanov
was pushed to quit when Mr. Putin handed him a pair
of skis as a birthday gift with the loaded remark
that the Prime Minister "liked to boost his
health". Mr Putin's Presidency has seen edicts
banning smoking appear in many government buildings,
sparing only the odd stairwell for smokers. Manuy
businesses have followed suit, and shivering exicutives
and office workers are a common sight as they puff
away on cold winter days. The Prime Minister is
a hongover from more decadent days, an appointee
of the former firebrand President, Boris Yeltsin,
a heavy drinker, who left office at the end of 1999.
Mr. Kasyanov's spokeswoman, Tatyanan Razbas, told
the news agency about a bout of flu and the Orthodox
Lenten fast had also inspired Mr. Kasyanov to kick
the habit. "The main thing now is to hold out
for as long as possible."
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 16/03/03, Reuters)
Superman 'breathes' again : (15/03/03)
Actor
Christopher Reeve, famous for his film roles of
Superman, is breathing on his own again after doctors
implanted electrodes in his diaphragm, hospital
official said. Paralysed since breaking his neck
in a 1995 accident, he has since then pioneered
treatment for victims of similar injuries and is
only the third person toundergo the experimental
surgery. The operation, which was performed on February
28, allows a control box to send signals to the
electrodes 12 times a minute causing the diaphragm
to move in a breathing motion. The actor currently
is able to breathe more than two hours without a
respirator, compared to 10 minutes before surgery.
Over time the electrodes should allow him to do
away with the respirator entirely.
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 15/03/03)
School for Benson, Bency : (15/03/03)
The
special school sanctioned by the State Government
for the HIV positive siblings, Bency and Besnon,
from Kaithakuzhy, near here, started functioning
from today. Classes for them are being conducted
by Madhusoodhanan Pillai, who trains teachers for
the Sarva Sikshan Abhiyan. Mr. Pillai's first classes
on the first day comprised of alphabet writing and
nursery rhymes. Both Benson and Bency seemed to
enjoy the school and felt more 'at home' than at
Kaithakuzhy Govt. L. P. School where they were ostracised.
After summer vacation, a permanent teacher would
be posted for them.
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 15/03/03)
U. S. clears novel AIDS drug Fuzeon : (15/03/03)
U.
S. health officials on Thursday approved an eagerly
awaited AIDS drug acalled Fuzeon that is the first
in a new class of medicines that fight the deadly
HIV virus. The drug, developed by Roche Holding
AG and Trimeris Inc., will provide a new option
for AIDS patient running out of alternatives. Fuzeon
works by stopping the HIV virus, that causes AIDS,
from entering immune cells. Older medicines attack
the virus inside cells. Fuzeon, an injected drug,
also known as T-20, was approved for use with other
anti-HIV drugs to treat advanced HIV infections
in adults and childern aged 6 and older. The accelerated
approval of this new drug should provide new hope
for those sufferning from advanced HIV infection,
Health and human Services Secretary said in a statement.
The Swiss drug maker has announced Fuzeon will cost
about $ 20, 000 per year in Europe and the pirce
will be similar in the U. S.
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 15/03/03)
Microsoft
Unveils Office 2003 Beta 2 : (11/03/03)
Prerelease suite gives first look at note-taking,
XML apps. Microsoft
is growing its Office. With the release this week
of Beta 2 of the next version of the popular productivity
suite, Microsoft unveils first cuts of two new members
of the Office family: OneNote, for electronic note-taking;
and InfoPath, to create XML documents. Microsoft
has not yet revealed the composition or pricing
of any Office 2003 Suite (the company is calling
its collection of applications and services the
Office "System"). However, Office 2003
is still on track for a midyear release, says Simon
Marks, product manager for Microsoft Office. The
company expects to distribute about 500,000 copies
of Beta 2, and is offering it publicly through its
TechNet site and an Office preview site, Marks says.
Office 2003 requires either Windows XP or Windows
2000 with Service Pack 3. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
PCWorld.com)
Now
They're After You: Music Cops Target Users : (11/03/03)
Recording industry expands focus and guns for file
traders. Millions of people download copyrighted
songs and even movies from the Internet with little
fear of being caught. That's about to change. "[The
music industry is] starting to move down the food
chain," says Lawrence Hertz, a partner at New
York law firm Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein and Wood,
and a specialist in online law. He predicts that
music publishers and other content owners will soon
use 1998's Digital Millennium Copyright Act much
more aggressively--prosecuting not only companies
like Napster but also individuals who download copyrighted
content--and that they will start with the biggest
users of peer-to-peer networks. Read
more >>
(Courtesy
PCWorld.com)
New
Internet speed record set : (09/03/03)
Researchers
in the U.S. and the Netherlands have established
a new record for sending data across the Internet,
transferring 6.7 gigabytes (6.7 billion `words')
of information across 10,978 kilometres (6,800 miles)
in 58 seconds. They achieved average data rates
of 923 megabits per second — over 16,000 times
faster than the top speeds most of us in India and
elsewhere are accustomed to getting with dial-up
telephone connections and a 56 kilobits-per-second
modem. The data packet was sent from the Stanford
Linear Accelerator Centre, a national laboratory
of the U.S. Department of Energy operated by the
California-based Stanford University, to the Dutch
National Institute for Nuclear and High Energy Physics
in Amsterdam. The journey, one-third of the distance
around the earth, was performed over fibre optic
cabling that formed part of an informal new high
speed Net known as "Internet2", operated
by an international consortium of 200 universities
as the precursor to a next-generation Internet.
Read
more >>
(Courtesy
The Hindu
dated 09/03/03)
Suryan FM hit the airwaves : (07/03/03)
Sun
Network is launching India's first private Tamil
FM stations -- Suryan FM -- with an aim to bringing
a ''new listening experience'' through its stations
at Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli. While the
Coimbatore and Tirunelveli stations will go on air
from on Friday, the Chennai station will start from
mid-April, Sun Network said in a release on Thursday.
The round-the-clock entertainment-oriented programmes
will be substantially localised in content to retain
the regional flavour, while the Frequency Modulation
broadcasting will be through high-power state-of-the-art
transmitters. Suryan FM will have a reach of over
a 120-km radius, thereby reaching most of the neighbouring
districts. The Coimbatore station will cover Coimbatore,
Nilgris, Erode and Salem in Tamil Nadu besides Palakkad,
Wayanad and Thrissur in Kerala. The reach of the
Tirunelveli station will include the districts of
Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tuticorin and Virudunagar
in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam
districts of Kerala. Read
Full Story (Courtesy
Manorma
Online)
FTV
okay , but MTV in trouble : (07/03/03)
India's
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting
Ravi Shankar Prasad has said he is not against the
beaming of Fashion TV but would act against MTV
for disrespecting Mahatma Gandhi. While saying he
did not favour moral policing, the minister added:
"We will act in case it (TV content) hurts
Indian people's sentiments or ban it if there is
danger to Indian culture." He warned music
channel MTV would not be spared. "We have decided
to take action against MTV soon. Read
Full Story (Courtesy
New Indian
Express Online)
We
hate SET Max and Mandira : (06/03/03)
Here
I'll try to provide a few articles on the internet
that have voiced opinions much similar to mine.
The bottom line is that Mandira is nothing more
than a 'sexy Indian lady' for attracting non-cricketing
audience. She must be sent back to where she belongs,
in sit-coms!
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