Remember Bobby Mc Ferrin: The Power of Pentatonic Scale

Remember Bobby McFerrin, of the Famous, Don't worry Be Happy Song. All of us thought he has disappeared, but his sudden appearance at the World Science Festival 2009, showing how Science and the Pentatonic Scale can be used to teach music to anyone, is a wonderful presentation, this Presentation should also get featured on Presentation Zen in some days, but for now, here is the wonderful video, Trust me the second part is awsome.

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Asus Takes the Lead - Offers Replacement on Brunt Motherboard

Asus, just announced replacement on Burnt Motherboards. In a country where people don't buy UPS's because they don't really see the sense of buying them, and think that the burnt motherboards were a fault because of a manufacturing defect, well Asus will soon be able to cash in on this market.

Keeping in mind the voltage fluctuation problem faced in India, Asus - a global leading manufacturer of IT products had very recently introduced the P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard with Anti-surge technology. This motherboard was especially designed for Indian consumers. Now going one step further, Asus has decided to offer Burnt warranty on the P5KPL-AM / PS (Anti-surge) motherboard.


Talking about this new warranty policy, Vinay Shetty Country Head Component Products, Asus (India) said, Offering burnt warranty on the P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard is another way of giving our customers total piece of mind when buying an Asus product. The P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard was conceived by our R&D team especially keeping the Indian environment in mind and under this new warranty policy, the company will replace the motherboard thats burnt due to power fluctuation. With this little step of providing a real solution to the loss a user could have had due to the power fluctuation problem we want make a strong impression in the mind of our partners in business and to the users at large that we are a brand that cares for our customers and work towards a real solution

Only motherboards with Model P5KPL-AM/PS will be covered under this scheme

Source: Asus India Website

DLF to Go Wifi

From today's Times of India, DLF Cybercity will now be Wifi. Pune and Mysore, DLF will be the first township to deploy Wifi Across the settlements for it's residents and corporates. What amazes me, is that two international companies have been chosen to do this, with every second company in India, now working on WiFi deployments, this comes as a surprising news. Also, where is the frequency available, Gurgaon, is already congested in the 2.4GHz band, I don't know how DLF plans to do this, but let's look forward to it.

GS

HP Accessory Offer - Only for India (G-Spot Exclusive)

Accessories are one thing, where a lot of people don't go back to the Brand that manufactured your PC and or your Laptop, you tend to find cheaper alternatives. Now keeping in mind, that accessories are usually rebranded by companies like HP / IBM / Lenovo, and not manufactured by them, this seems to be an obvious choice.

The Current mail from HP today, makes the whole business a little interesting, the first accessory at full price (yes, 100% more than the market), and the second one only for $1 = Rs. 45, so you actually buy two accessories, for about 10% more expensive than you would from the market, and get assurance too.

The offer is only till 7/31, and includes Notebook Docking Stations, Mice, Power Adapter, Monitor Stands, Adjustable Notebook stands, Bags, Dicota Lock, Thumb Drive, Wireless Presenters, Web cameras, and yes, Wired Mice.

GS

IDC Report, One out of Every 50 Indian owns a PC

IDC report, published by DQ Week, the weekly news paper on all things IT from cybermedia, states that there is a PC for every person in 50 indian's, i.e a growth of 20 percent year on year, on total unit shipments. The whole news is availbale for reading, if you click on the picture above.

Good news.

G

Good Bye Express Money & Some News

If most of you who read my articles in the Express money have been wondering where I am and what is up with my Articles, also no updates on my blog, well, Express Money will not be carrying Tech2. The Marketing team at Indian Express was not very gung ho about the Tech2 column, and now I am being shifted to the Sunday Express, hopefully the first article comes out this week on the 10th of June, so let's look forward to that. Thanks to every one who has been a well wisher and an avid fan reading all my articles, as someone said

I think there is lot lot to learn from you everytime i read your article or your mail i really feel very inspired

Well I will be back soon, in the meanwhile I have been tied down badly at the work front, with one of the major Internet providers in the country playing dirty games with my company, and hence have not been able to blog for quite some time.

On 1st June of this year, I launched my Angel Investment company called "Fat Guy Ventures", I have already invested in a brilliant new project, and will keep you updated on it through the blog.

Also, I have now started writing for Outlook Business Magazine, and one of my articles is already out, will have it linked here in a day or so in PDF Format, as Outlook Business still does not have a website.

Some good offers have come my way from other leading national dailies, and the Radio show has been going well, but it's time to get back to blogging.

G

Thailand’s Shin Satellite to start offering Internet services in India

Satellite Internet makes a lot of sense, though India is wiring up, and Broadband is becoming a reality for most of us across the Country, but still there are areas where broadband connectivity is not possible, the only alternative has been Satellite based Internet. Indian Players have included Bharti, Hughes, Shyam and an International Player based out of Singapore called Speedcast has wrapped up and ran off, the problem is, that all these links need an uplink from a regular ISDN / static IP line for the link to work, now if you had ISDN, why would you want to setup a Satellite link.

A great feasibility is to use your DTH Reciever coupled with a GSM Modem for the uplink to do an Internet Downlink, but I think the day before DD / Tata or Zee offer this is long away.

This news inHT Mint Live, brings a hope of relief for all those living in far of places and looking at hooking onto the Internet on high speed.

GS

Entry Level HP Laser Printer Shortage in the Market

I am not sure if you would believe this, but this is right out of the horses mouth. I checked out each Sub Distributor in Nehru Place Market, The Largest Computer market in South Asia, and you can't find any HP entry Level Laser printer (USB or Network) in the market. Some Model revision, and there are no stocks.. Unbelievable that the largest selling Indian Laser Printer brand is out of stocks, for atleast 2 weeks.

GS

Ubuntu Studio is here

I have been both a big user, and a big fan of the Ubunut Linux and the whole concept is appealing to me. While going through a series of regular blogs / howto websites that I visit, I noticed that Ubuntu's variant for Artists (Graphic / Sound / Video), is out, so now if you are a startup and don't have the money to spend on all the software that is charged for on the Windows platform, and want to keep away from piracy, check out Ubuntu Studio.

If you need help in configuring it, for your environment, check out the article at HowtoForge.

GS

WikiMania - Early Registration Open for Event in August

Wiki Mania, if you love the wiki pedia, you will love the wikimania. The 3rd Annual Wikimedia conference will be held in Taipei this year between August 3 to 5, and the event is now open for Early registration. If you are there, let me know.., I may just bump into you in Taipei.

GS

GOSSIP - Sequoia Capital MD is MingleBox Founder‘s Husband!

Minglebox, is an upcoming Social Networking site from India.

Direct Post from Aloo Techie, read on.. it's interesting.. Also check out the link sequoia, incest, & india

GS

My 2007 Prediction is True - Lexar Jump Drive Adds Capacity Meter

Back in January 2007, I had an article on 7 Gadgets for 2007, and spoke about the Info SD Card, a lot of people told me that this was Crap and never going to work, the reason I thought it was going to work was because to check how much capacity you have free in a Thumbdrive / Memory card, you actually need to plug it into the device, well Lexar, finally announced a Thumbdrive with a Capacity Meter.

GS

Via Engadget

Uruguay youngsters receive batch of OLPC XOs

Via Engadget,

The relatively small Uruguayan town was thrown into a mild frenzy as a batch of shiny green and white OLPC XOs showed up.

GS

Linked IN Watch Out, Yahoo is Here

Yahoo, yes the biggie in the Internet space, has started a huge advertising campaign for it's Yahoo Groups. People who have been a Yahoo user, would have seen the groups have been there for a long time, so what is the new proposition, well the above ad speaks everything, though it is not a Social networking site, but being a part of a group, can make you listen as well as give you a chance to talk to individuals, and connect with them.

GS

Esys - Launches Retail Initiative - CafeGadgets.In

Esys, One of the emerging IT Distributors in the country (Others, Redington, Ingram Micro, Rashi, Neoteric, Cyberstar), has been in and out of controversies, and has also managed to create a dent in the market. Currently being pitched as one of the best Distributors for Sun, Microsoft, and Samsung, Esys recently launched it's retail online initiative called Cafe Gadgets.

Though from the look of it, someone has used a CMS to make the site, as most of the pages are in HTML, but very interesting options, pricing is not that affective, but keep a look out, you never know, when you maybe able to steal a deal from here.

GS

Tata Sky - Claims 7 Channels Launched, Launches only 4

2 Days Back, on Tata Sky, you had that same silly yellow postal envelope popup, to tell you "TATA SKY LAUNCHES 7TH CHANNEL WITHIN A MONTH", now I wonder what do they mean by 7th.. Check the details and it talks about only 3, BBC Entertainment, BBC Ceebees, and India TV, though the release of AIR Jallandhar Radio Station (Because they discontinued ETC Punjabi) & Akash Bangla, was never flashed, but this makes a total of 5, and not 7. Does someone at Tata need to learn counting again, or is the 5 a new 7 ?

Ohter Interesting Reads this week: Govt - TDSAT differ on DTH Pricing
List of New Channels allow to downlink to India

GS

Pearl, 8800 and now the Curve - It's Finally Here

I am no big fan of the Pearl or the 8800 but all I can say after looking at the Curve is WOW. Yes, It's brilliant, RIM, finally adds the features we all wanted

1. The Phone can now work as a Modem, so no need for an additional Data Card
2. Expandable Memory
3. 2.0 MP Camera with Flash
4. Media Player
5. Blackberry Maps

WOW

Price: Unknown
Availability in India: Not Yet
Wishlist: Yes (7290, it's time for you to go)

TRAI and ISP's to share Revenue

A bit late on my blog, but a serious news, TRAI and ISP's will now share 6% of the Revenue, (Did I read that right, 6% of the Revenue, and not Profits) WOW, and we talk about making this country internet Enabled, with forcing higher fee's and this Revenue Share structure, I think the ISP community of small rural ISP's, and small town ISP's will finish, I agree that there is a lot of Grey / Illegal Voip Connectivity happening in the name of ISP's, but sadly, raising the fee, and introducing a rev share is not the way to do it.. somone listen to me.

As reported in Hindustan Time on Thursday 10th May 2007.

G

PC Mag Set to Launch in India

PC Magazine India, yes, it's a reality, wait for June 2007, and PC Magazine India shall hit the market shelves pretty soon, Arindham Chaudary's Planman Media, is bring out the magazine and has already started huntin for Advertisments for the first issue.

I have always Admired Arindham as a visionary, and his work with Planman, and the magazines he has brought out, has made me put him on the spot.

GS

Tata Sky Users, should you buy a Dish TV

A few days, back, when Tata took off some of the Zee stable channels, and Tata' service still not stabalising, a lot of people have come upto me and asked me a question, should we switch, or maybe get this box too. I thought the whole concept of going DTH / CAS was to bring your cable bill down, in my case it has taken it up, since the same content is not avialable (well 80% is same) but the balance 20% (Dish has the zee channels, has MGM, B4U Music, Total TV, India TV and Tata Sky has BBC Entertainment....and nothing), my bill is now going up to 300 for Tata, and 300 for Zee, so a total of 600, and when MTNL IPTV does finnaly launch or I mean is available where I Live, I will be down a 1000 bucks, for the same thing that I was getting for 200 a month.

Anyway, a good news for all you Tata Sky customers, TDSAT has announced that it is working on resolving the Pricing formula for DTH users, and also Issued a notice to Tata Sky, to start beaming down India TV and Total TV. Thanks ET, and good work people filing PIL's..

GS