Microsoft partners with NIIT & IISc to develope Cloud solutions

Software giant Microsoft (MS) today said IT firms NIIT, Cognizant and CDC Software, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) will build solutions and train manpower based on its cloud computing platform, Windows Azure.

Cloud computing refers Internet-based computing, where applications and software are accessed over the Internet, which results in reduced IT costs.

Microsoft has partnered with IT training firm NIIT, which will train over one lakh students on Windows Azure over the next three years. IT firm Cognizant, on the other hand, will develop solutions based on Azure to help its clients implement, migrate and manage their applications on the cloud.

Apple - world's Biggest tech company

The computer giants Microsoft and Apple have been arch rivals for years. But now Apple has finally streaked past its competitor to claim the crown as the world's biggest technology company.

It's a massive coup for the firm. The huge success of their iPods, iPhones and now their iPads means Apple's now worth one hundred and fifty two billion pounds, around two billion more than its rival.

Micro'max' title sponsors of Indian cricketing seasons this Year

Micromax, an Indian telecom company, has taken up the title sponsorship for the entire Indian cricketing season from May 2010.

Micromax made its debut in sports marketing at a time when Sachin Tendulkar made history by scoring an ODI double century.

Dual SIM handsets catching rising consumer attention

Micromax has taken the title sponsorship rights for the India, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka ODI Tri-Series– 2010, India , Zimbabwe T20 Series, Asia Cup 2010, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand ODI Tri-Series– 2010, and India , Sri Lanka Test Series starting from May till July 2010.

S Tel to invest Rs.700 Crores

S Tel, a joint venture between Siva Group of Chennai and Bahrain Telecom (Batelco), on Wednesday announced an investment of Rs 700 crore for the acquisition of 3G spectrum and roll out of services.

The company will be paying Rs 338 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT) for 3G spectrum in three circles — Bihar, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh — and the remaining fund would be invested to roll out 3G network, Shamil Das, CEO, S Tel said

Bharti raises funds for Zain Africa acquisition

India's Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it has begun the process of raising funds for the $10.7 billion deal to acquire the African assets of Kuwait's Zain that will make it the world's fifth largest mobile telecom firm.

"Further to our announcement dated March 30, 2010 regarding the proposed acquisition of Zain Africa BV, Bharti Airtel Ltd is pleased to report that it has initiated the funds drawdown for the completion of the said transaction," the company said in a statement.

Zain's acquisition is the largest overseas acquisition of assets in Africa by an Indian company, even though it does not cover the assets of Zain in Sudan and Morocco.

Tata Motors Net Profit raises this Fiscal

India's top vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors Thursday said its net profit rose to Rs.2,240.08 crore for the financial year ended March 2010 as compared to Rs.1,001.26 crore in the previous fiscal.

The company's total income increased to Rs.37,446.5 crore in 2009-10 as against Rs.26,555.7 crore in 2008-09.

It posted a net profit of Rs.2,571.06 crore for the year ended March 2010 whereas it had a net loss of Rs.2,505.25 crore a year ago.

Its total income stood at Rs.94,312.37 crore in 2009-10 as against Rs.71,679.91 crore in 2008-09.

In June 2008, the company acquired Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business from Ford Motor Company. The financial results for the year ended March 2009 include the results of the operations of JLR for the period June 2008-March 2009 and due to this results for 2009-10 are not comparable with the previous year.

Strontium launches fashionable USB flash drives

Singapore-based PC memory maker Strontium has launched three new series of highly fashionable USB flash drives: the Key, Spin and Hulk. These USB 2.0 drives are available in storage capacities ranging from 2GB to 128GB.


The USB Flash drives in question are described below.

Key Series USB Flash drive:

Key series is a stylish, fingertip sized USB with colorful designs that will catch everybody's attention. It is available in 2GB and 4GB capacities and in black and white color.

Samsung launches 'Star Nano 3G' in India @ Rs.7,320

Users who have been rifling through every corner to lay hold of a stylish mobile device with an affordable price tag may simply top off their search. Samsung has just slid the wraps of an all-new full touch 3G-enabled mobile phone in India, the Star Nano 3G (S3370). The compact device features a curvilinear design with advanced connectivity and seamless social communication.

Designed aesthetically with a compact and curvilinear design, a large 2.6-inch screen and with a 4 page menu, the Star Nano 3G ensures to offer a great resolution with a sense of satisfaction. Emerging as a complete entertainment package, the handset comes equipped with advanced connectivity with 384kbps DL/UL (3G ready), Pop up SNS and fast multimedia downloads.

Facebook's New & simple Privacy settings

After facing criticism for introducing the 'Instant Personalization' feature that altered Facebook users' privacy settings, Facebook started tightening up the security on its site and has announced new, simpler Privacy Setting features.  Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in a blog post on the official Facebook blog, noted that the new changes will make privacy controls a lot simpler. These changes would be introduced in the coming weeks.

Facebook had tightened security after facing heat from users and critiques. Zuckerberg, in the blog post, states that the new privacy settings focus on three things: single control for user's content, more powerful control of user's basic information and easy control for turning off applications. Firstly, users would get a simpler control pane wherein they'd be able to choose who can view the content posted.

India to Afforest 20 Million Hectares by 10 next Yrs

India plans 20 million hectares of afforestation and ecosystem restoration over the next ten years under a draft climate plan released by the government this week.

The Green India Mission is one component of the national climate change action plan and, subject to consultation and final approval, would see around 6 million hectares of cleared land afforested. The remaining target area would see degraded forests, scrub and grasslands, mangroves, wetlands, degraded agricultural land and urban forest lands subject to restoration activity along with the establishment of wildlife corridors. Separate green mission targets would be outlined for each land-use restoration type.