Reliance Communication ready for International forays

The patch-up by Ambani brothers by scrapping their non-compete agreement has paved the way for Anil group’s flagship firm, Reliance Communications Ltd (RComm), to explore a combination of foreign tie-ups for expansion.

While company officials were not available for comments, analysts maintain that with the right of first refusal (RoFR) also going away with the non-compete agreement, RComm and South Africa’s MTN could once again look at a merger possibility, making the Anil Ambani firm part of the South African telco, something rival Bharti had refused to do in 2008.

“The canvas is now wide open for RComm since it was this right of first refusal clause which restrained the company from getting into a potential transaction,” said Prashant Singhal of E&Y. However, a deal with MTN could entail huge cash outflows for RComm this time since valuations of telecom companies in India have taken a hit in the last two years, he pointed out.

Samsung to Launch first smartphone running on its properiatory OS

Samsung Electronics plans to launch the first smartphone based on its own operating system in coming weeks, as it seeks to catch up with bigger rivals in the booming high-end market, an executive said.

"You need a proprietary system to drive growth in the smartphone market and bada will do the job, as it is designed to support all segments from low to high end," Lee Ho-soo, head of Samsung's smartphone operating system, said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

Bada, which means ocean in Korean, is at the heart of Samsung's drive to emulate success by the likes of Apple and RIM in the fast-growing smartphone market, develop new revenue sources from its own Samsung App store, and create synergies with other businesses such as its TV business, which is the world's biggest.

LiMo expects new Models based on its mobile platform

Wireless Linux group LiMo expects three major operators to offer handsets using its platform this year, to compete with news rivals Google and Apple, its executive director said. So far only Vodafone has launched a model in Europe, using its Linux-based operating system, while 60 handsets were launched using the platform, mostly in Japan and South-Korea.

"The first one was Vodafone and three other carriers will follow this year," Morgan Gillis, Executive Director at LiMo foundation, said at the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

He said three companies from the group of France Telecom, Telefonica, Verizon or SK Telecom would introduce new models using the alternative operating system by the end of this year.

Fly mobile tags Booom MC105 for Rs.3649 in India

Fly mobile has launched a low-budget phone Booom MC105 in the Indian market.

The Bluetooth and GPRS enabled handset packs a 3.5 mm audio jack, FM radio with recording, 5 different FM alarms, dedicated volume control keys and an audio player that displays album cover, background and lyrics. Specified channel effect allow susers to save upto 15 FM channels.

The phone has USB-chargeable 1200 mAH battery which promises upto 8 hours of talktime. As for the memory capacity, the phone has a 2GB memory card that comes pre-loaded with bollywood content and 4GB expandable external memory. It also has an inbuilt modem for web surfing.

Featuring a VGA camera, the phone packs image viewer and offers support for 3GP/AVI video player and video recorder.

Other key features include mobile tracker, password protection, call black listing, SMS filter, pre-specified SMS sending,one touch access to different features through navigation keys, phonebook memory with upto 1000 contacts and LED torch.

According to Prem Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, “We are targeting it towards the music aficionados in tier I and tier II cities at an age bracket of 18-35 who. It’s like carrying your own music system along and having a boom time wherever and whenever."

The phone is priced at Rs 3649.

US govt slams BP over oil leak issue.

The US government simultaneously slammed BP on Monday and admitted it had no choice but to stick with the British energy giant's desperate bid to plug the gushing Gulf of Mexico oil leak.

BP's chief executive Tony Hayward meanwhile admitted he was "gutted" that oil was now starting to clog fragile Louisiana wetlands, as heartrending footage emerged of helpless sea birds slimed by thick, pernicious crude.

As the political fallout from the disaster mounted, BP engineers laid plans for their latest bid to stifle the leak, using a method known as a "top kill" which would see heavy drilling fluids, then cement, injected into the well.

ZEN mobile S10 priced Rs.4999 in Indian market

 Zen Mobile has refreshed its low-end portfolio with the launch of first multimedia slider phone S10.

Equipped with a 2GB memory card, the dual SIM handset comes in metallic body. The phone's memory can be expanded upto 4GB.

Featuring a 2.2-inch TFT screen, Fly S10 packs MP4/MP3 playback system. It has a 2 megapixel camera with flash and FM.

The phone is priced at Rs 4,999.

SC of India stays Death sentence for American centre attacker

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday stayed the death sentence awarded to underworld don Aftab Ahmed Ansari for the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata in 2002.

A vacation bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and C K Prasad asked the West Bengal government to respond within four months to a petition filed by Ansari challenging his conviction and death sentence in the case.

The Calcutta High Court in February this year upheld the death sentence given by a lower court to Md. Jamiluddin Nasir and the main accused, Aftab Ansari.

Six policemen were killed and 14 injured in the attack, masterminded by Ansari, stated to be a Dubai-based don.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the death sentence of Jamiluddin Nasir, who was convicted for the 2002 American Centre bomb blast in Kolkata.

TN SSLC results to be announced tomorrow

TamilNadu state SSLC results are to be announced tomorrow. Extensive measures have been taken by the Directorate to publish the results.

Directorate has announced the results will be published by 9 A.M.

Students can check their marks in the following websites

• tnresults.nic.in/sslc/sslc.htm
• www.pallikalvi.in/
• http://result.dinakaran.com
• results.oneindia.in/ 
• results.tamilnadueducation.net/
   

Pune blast suspect arrested by Maharastra ATS

Abdul Samad Bhatkal, younger brother of Pune’s German Bakery blast prime suspect and Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Yaseen Bhatkal, was picked up by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday morning, ostensibly for his alleged involvement in a little-known case of preparing for a supari killing.

Despite the official reason for his arrest,senior police officials told TOI that the 25-yearold native of Karnataka was suspected of having planted the bomb at Pune’s German Bakery on February 13.

Bhatkal’s arrest came 102 days after the devastating blast, which killed 17 persons. He was held soon after he landed on Monday at Mangalore’s Bajpe airport, the same airport that saw the devastating mishap on Saturday morning; he was returning from Dubai.

Delhi-Guwahati Rajdhani Exp derails, no injuries reported

The New Delhi-Guwahati Rajdhani Express derailed in Bihar Tuesday but no one was hurt. A major accident was averted thanks to the train driver, who pulled the emergency brake, officials said.

Fourteen wagons of the Rajdhani Express derailed between Nawgachia and Kharik railway station under Katihar-Barauni rail section in Bhagalpur district, about 200 km from here.

'The driver of the train used the emergency brake after he heard the sound of a blast,' Divisional Railway Manager R.K. Agrawal said.

College student turned to a cooli in TamilNadu as bks refuses Edu loan

Praveena scored 72% in HSc in the yr 2007. In counselling she chose BDS in reputed Medical college in Kancheepuram. During admission the College administration have told her father about the Fee structure.

Her father, a Cooli, thought of applying education loan, approached Indian Bk in Panruti. The officials forwarded the application to Lakshmi Vilas Bk, where the officials demand security worth 10 lacs. As he can't afford , the application was rejected by the officials.

Praveena was debarred from the college for not  paying Fees. Her father have sent appeals to TN Chief minister , Prime Minister & the concerned officials. The respective offices have sent a reply saying that steps have been taken to ensure loan sanction process. Despite their reply nothing changed. The dream of a student has blown away. Now she is Working with her family.


Finance ministry directive says that Education loan should be granted without demanding Guarantee documents . But that directive is only in use for politician in every stage to publicise themselves. The future of the young students is in peril.


Published in Dinamalar(Kalvimalar) dated 25-05-2010.