Archive for August, 2011
Anna Hazare and His Fight Against Corruption
The Problem: Corruption
The Man
The Fight
The Support
The Media
The Result
Social Media Club Chennai Chapter
Chennai chapter of Social Media Club is back!. The first session is happening on AUG 27 and here are the details.
ABC of Social Media
This event is intended for those who have dipped their toe in the water of social media but who have done so without a strategy and without a great deal of specific direction. The ABC’s of Social Media will take you through easy-to-follow fundamentals of social media that will help ensure your success with social media in your business. Follow the basics, we have Mr. K. Srinivasan, CEO of the well respected Prime Point Public Relations company talking about how Social Media can play a pivotal role in a corporates public relations policy and some critical mistakes businesses must avoid when diving in to Social Media.
Venue
Agenda
11.00 AM – Welcome Address by SMC Chennai Team
11.15 AM: Introduction of Speakers
11.20 AM: Ms. Suganthi’s session on ABC’s of Social Media
11:50 AM: Question & Answers
12.00 PM: Mr.K. Srinivasan’s session on Social Media PR
12.30 AM: Questions & Answers
01:00 PM: Networking with Speakers
Speaker Profiles:
Speaker #1: Mr. K. Srinivasan
Mr. K. Srinivasan is a very renowned person in the PR sector. He is the President and CEO of a Public Relations Foundation called Prime Point. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of a Monthly Corporate Ezine, Presense.
Mr.K.Srinivasan has served Indian Bank and Corporation Bank for more than 25 years in different capacities and set up a Public Relations Department in Corporation Bank at Delhi during 1988. He was associated closely with the building up of brand image of Corporation Bank till 1998.
Mr. K.Srinivasan has conceptualized Image Audit, a tool to study the ‘hidden perception’ of internal and external stakeholders. He is one of the specialists on Social Media and Corporate Podcasts.
Mr. Srinivasan is the President (Elect) of Cyber Society of India and will be assuming the office from 4th Sep.
Speaker #2: Ms Suganthi
Ms Suganthi is the Chief Marketer at DigtialSpread Communications. After putting in ten years of work at Zoho in various areas like Product Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, Project Co-ordination, she recently turned entrepreneur with DigitalSpread Communications, an internet marketing company that specializes in brand building.
She is an MBA in Marketing & Systems and is from Computer Science Engineering background. Is very passionate about cloud computing, movies & history.
Royal Challenge Corporate Clash-A-Thon
I came across an interesting event named Royal Challenge Corporate Clash-A-Thon, India’s only televised inter-corporate team building competition. This year’s edition is happening at Sri Lanka. Over 50 teams are expected to battle it out for this year’s title.
Royal Challenge clash-a-thon
Now competition is a blend of physical and mental activities that include cracking codes, adapting to the terrain, following the right trail, running, cycling, rowing, sprinting, reading maps, solving complex problems and usage of light engineering techniques and skill to crack the challenge.
The event is open to all organizations / corporates in India right across business and industry domains: banking, IT, finance, advertising, telecom, armed forces, construction, manufacturing, marketing, journalism, engineering, software and social service.
The Fifth Edition
The fifth edition of Royal Challenge Corporate clash-a-thon will be held from September 1st to September 3rd, 2011 in Bentota, Srilanka.
APP4INDIA: Great Ideas Great Apps
top 10 apps selected through TechSparks™ 2011 App4India. Here’s a quick look at each of the 10 App4India finalists:. The contest was open for a month and 100 apps from all across Indiaparticipated -
1000Lookz
1000Lookz is a virtual beauty makeover app created by VDime Innovative Works LLC, designed to help women check out the best shades on their skin tone on their own photos without spending a dime. The app, a brainchild of IIT Madras alumni Vasan Sowriraj, allows the user to upload her photo or choose a model which matches with the user’s skin tone and features. The user can then add features like foundation, blush, gloss, eye-shadow, eye-liners and lipstick from leading brand names like Pur Minerals and Flawless You Forever (FYF) to virtually go to different make-ups and makeovers using real time facial image processing, facial features identification & skin tone detection technology.
Hindi Consonants
Hindi Consonants app is an educational game to help kids familiarize themselves with Hindi consonants and their sounds. The app is created by Apptility Software as part of their Fliplog learning series. Kids can listen to the sound of the alphabet along with familiar words with the same beginning sound. The app features multi coloured doodling to practice writing the consonants
India TV Guide
India TV Guide is a mobile app developed by Bangalore-based Jini Labs, which provides the user with Indian TV listings on the mobile. India TV Guide covers TV listings for over 150 channels telecast inIndia. Along with listings, the app allows the user to set reminders and alerts for shows, create a list of favourite channels making it easy to access listings in one place and search for programmes and channels
Indian Railway Lite
Indian Railway Lite is an app created by RSG Software Services Pvt Ltd which helps travellers find their way around the Indian Railway system. The app lets you find trains by entering your origin and destination, search by train name, train number and also station search. The app also allows the user to find out train connections between stations, find trains running through a particular station and access the Indian Railways website services. The search results display complete route info, including changeover stations making it easy for the traveller to make an informed decision.
inStocks BSE/NSE Stock Markets Live
inStocks is an Indian stock market application developed by Snapwork which helps users keep up with changes in the Indian economy. inStocks BSE/NSE Stock markets provides live market commentary along with the latest stock market news, NSE F&O, Equity Futures and options, BSE / NSE Intraday charts and Indian company stock quotes. Users can keep track of their stock portfolio with stocks watch list
Math Tables Karaoke
Math Tables Karaoke is a math learning game developed by Rega Interactive. The app is a game to help reinforce the learning of multiplication tables in a more interactive way. The app has 3 levels of difficulty for children of different levels. The app has the three options – Learn, Karaoke and Quiz. The learn mode provides selection of tables from 1-10. Once selected, a row by row table gets clearly narrated along with a display so that the player can learn and practice narrating along
MyCityWay
MyCityWayIndiais a real-time, user driven, geo-aware urban reference app for mobile devices. Users can find local restaurants, hospitals, events, parking locations, utility services, Wi-Fi locations, book movie tickets and much more using the MyCityWay app. As an all-inclusive mobile app, MyCityWayIndiaalso offers users the ability to interact with business locations or services and read or write consumer reviews. The app is currently available for 5 Major Indian cities Mumbai, Chennai,New Delhi, Bengaluru andHyderabad.
Mystery Land of Aksharit
“MysteryLandof Aksharit” is a word game for Indian languages. Through this app, a child or language beginner can learn to recognize Aksharas and Matras and build a vocabulary of common words. “MysteryLandof Aksharit” is a fantasy game where various items have been taken captive by an Evil genie and the child has to free them by solving puzzles with the help of ‘Akku’ – the friendly rat. Along the way, the child collects ‘tokens’ and adds various colourful items to his beautiful ‘collection’. Difficulty increases with every level with levels consisting of words covered by fog spread by the Evil Cat.
Tuk Tuk 2
Tuk Tuk 2 is a dynamic GPS based auto-fare calculator application developed by MindHelix Technologies. This application helps in bringing fairness to Indian Auto rickshaw industry. It enables the user to be in more control of his travel, check where exactly he is being driven to, checking the fare and the distance he/she is travelling. The app also uses technology to provide real-time updates using GPS, path calculation to trace the journey route and automatic selection of locations. Tuk Tuk 2 ensures that horrid auto journeys and auto fare exploitation become a thing of the past.
Krishna 3D
Krishna3D is an app build by Shoonya which takes the user through a virtual experience in thetempleofLord Krishna. The 3D experience brings the user inside the temple with a rendition of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the background. The app allows the user to perform a pooja to the great Lord, get enchanted by the Lord’s Aarti, sound the temple bell and take a walk around the temple complex to complete the darshan. WithKrishna3D, the completetempledarshanis brought to the mobile.
MyCityWay was the winner of the TechSparks App4India contest, sponsored by Intel. The winning app MyCityWay was announced at the TechSparks Grand Finale, held inBangaloreon 19th August. The contest got close to 100 entries, all of which were apps that were tailor-made for the audiences inIndia. Many of these apps have already had their share of success on various app stores.
Speaking at TechSparks Grand Finale, Narendra Bhandari, Director APAC, Software and Services Group at Intel said, “It is exciting to see innovations and new usage models emerging from Indian entrepreneurs for Indian consumers. This should go a long way in helping technology enrich lives of existing users while creating compelling reasons for new users to adopt technology. Today, through our app store -IntelAppUpCenter, we are providing these entrepreneurs a distribution platform to reach their consumers with minimal efforts ”. MyCityWay, a real-time, user driven, geo-aware urban reference app for mobile devices, received a cash prize of Rs.50,000 and a software development platform based on the Intel® Atom™ Processor. Intel also provided software development platforms to all the 10 finalists of the App4India contest.
3 Ways To Get That Book Out of Your Head and Into Readers’ Lives
Dr Liz, The Book Doula
One of the most compelling reasons for writing a book is because you have something valuable to share that no one can benefit from if it stays hidden in your head.
If writing a book has been on your “to do” list for way too long, you don’t need any more platitudes, strategies or “how tos”…you need to take action.
Here are three things you can do today to make “author” your new reality much sooner than if you continue doing nothing:
1. DREAM. Yep, in my book (pardon the pun) this is an “action.” Forget the advice about writing about what you know. Ignore the “experts” craze that enforces you to write books about what you’ve already done or are doing right now. Write instead about what you’re most excited to learn. Commit to writing the book for where you want to take your life, not about where you are now. Check out the video on my home page and an upcoming guest blog post on BookBuzzr for more on this.2.
2. INVESTIGATE. Pick out six books from your personal library, a real library, or your local bookstore. This won’t work on Amazon!! You need to get a real sense of the look and feel of these books:-
a) Compare the spaces between lines of type (known as leading) as well as the amount of white space generally on each page. What looks good to you; what’s crammed?
b) Analyze those titles that really grab you. What do they have in common? (Stay tuned on my website for an upcoming tutorial on the three elements of “killer” book titles).
c) Notice the cover art – not just the respective sizes of title, subtitle and author’s name, but the colors and fonts used.
d) Check the list of contents. How has the author organized their material? How easy have they made it for you to find the “gems?”
Now buy a notebook and turn that into a template for your next book. Create a cover using magazine clippings…experiment! The more real you can make your book in its physical sense the more motivated you will be to see it published.
3. ACT “AS IF”. One of the biggest impediments many writers have is not feeling like a writer. Most of the time writer’s block has little to do with not knowing or feeling excited about your material, and everything to do with second-guessing yourself: Is what you’re going to write good enough? What if no one likes your book? What if… and on and on.
Get out of your head and into someone else’s life. Which writer do you most admire – preferably someone prolific (and sane!)? Read their biography. Discover their habits and make a commitment to try a few of them on for size (with the exception of excessive drinking and pot smoking in some cases J). The more you determine to feel like a writer – an author – the better frame of mind you will be in when you come to sit down and write.
So – what are you going to do today, so I can read your book in one of my tomorrows?
Bio:
Dr Liz Alexander, aka The Book Doula is the author nine commercially published books that have sold close to 500,000 copies worldwide, one POD, and two ebooks. Her latest title is Birth Your Book: Find, Nurture, and Sustain the Motivation to Write, available as a Kindle download, via her website, and on Smashwords.com. She works with aspiring nonfiction authors who are looking to write a book to boost their business or career, helping them craft works that are compelling and contagious.
She is also available for workshops, group events, and speaking engagements.
TechSparks 2011 Grand Finale
The Grand Finale of Techsparks 2011 at IIM Bangalore was grand indeed. The auditorium was packed with tech enthusiasts.
The Keynote
The event was kick-started with the keynote address by one of the country’s leading venture capitalists, Shailendra Singh, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital India. Themed “Scaling Your Startup to Success”. Shailendra spoke about the defining factors of high-performing startups and the factors that differentiate these startups from the rest. Here are the key points from his speech.
Ambition is primary, Have Deep domain, Conviction is key, Relentless focus on product and Deliver Happiness.
The Panel Discussion
The panel discussion at the Grand Finale of TechSparks 2011 was, as expected, the most engaging and spirited part of the day. Narendra Bhandari, Director of Intel Software and Services Group – Developer Relations (A-PAC) was the moderator, and the panelists were Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital India; Mekin Maheshwari, President, Engineering, Flipkart.com; Vimal Abraham, Strategy and Marketing, ISV and Developer Relations, IBM India; Jayaram Pillai, Managing Director, National Instruments (India, Russia, and Arabia), and Rishi Dhand, Product Manager, Google.
Take aways from the panel discussion
Shailendra: 1. Market should be very big. 2. The opportunity should delight people. 3. Market should be accessible.
Vimal: Do market research and identify a niche market.
Mekin: Understanding your market through market intelligence is very important. Your ambition should be very high and what is relevant to the customer should be put in the market first – shampoos or mobile phones?
Rishi: Google’s idea of market is different. We don’t bet on numbers instead we focus on user experience. An awesome user experience first brings in torrent of customers and then we build revenue around the customer.
Jayaram: It is the problem that the entrepreneur is seeing and solving.
five TechSparks were picked up from among the 20 finalist pitches made at the event. The 20 pitches were selected from among more than 400 registrations garnered by YourStory.in for TechSparks in about 3 months. The exercise of choosing star startups in the product technology category was initiated by YourStory.in last year through TechSparks. In two years, TechSparks has grown to be regarded as the best startup platform for startup product tech companies.
Tech30 Report, first of its kind benchmarking of product tech startups in the pre-growth stage, was also released during the Grand Finale of TechSparks. This report includes the Top 30 high-impact technology products, out of which 20 were chosen to pitch before an impressive jury consisting of Narendra Bhandari (Director, Intel Software and Services Group, Developer Relations, Asia-Pacific), Shailendra Singh (MD, Sequoia Capital India), Shane Owenby (Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Amazon Web Services), Mekin Maheshwari (President-Engineering, Flipkart.com), Rishi Dhand (Product Manager, Google), Jayaram Pillai (CEO, National Instruments) and Vikas Jain, co-founder, Micromax Mobile.
The MicroMax Story
One more highlight of Techsparks was Vikas Jain’s, co-founder of Micromax speech. Micromax launched its first mobile phone whose key selling point was a battery that lasted 30 days. In a country that suffers from chronic power deficiency, this was an invaluable proposition, said Vikas Jain.
Techsparks 2011 was indeed the meeting of great people with great ideas. Look here to read in detail about the event
TechSparks 2011 Grand Finale At Bangalore Through Tweets
Inspiring Stories of Entrepreneurship At TechSparks 2011
“I am married to and married through Bharat Matrimony,”
Murugavel Janakiraman, Founder and CEO,Bharat Matrimony
He was the first one to go to high school in his family. Starting with his education in which he was forced to take up statistics in undergrad rather than his preferred chemistry as his marks were low, he took up the advice to join MCA as was good in logical thinking. As a normal middle class family employee in software, he traveled to Singapore and the US for his job assignments.
Site for Tamil Community
His life took a turn in the US. He was experimenting with application-based forums on the Internet for the Tamil community in the US such as calendars to read various auspicious timings, later added matrimony to his service. The traffic to matrimony was highest and there was an instance adoption by the visitors to that page. The recession then led to his lay-off from job and he came to India to start his own business
A modest beginning
It all started at a 300 sq. ft. facility at T. Nagar and was lucky to hire a University of Madras gold medallist as his first employee. The rest is history. Now Bharat Matrimony has over 10 million members.
“Don’t be rigid about your idea.”
“Keep experimenting till you find your business and as a startup sell your vision to your prospective employee.” Says Murugavel. He encouraged entrepreneurs to adapt to customer demands. At every instance, diversification is possible in the core category. When recession hit in 2008, it proved to be a boon as investors wanted his company to cut costs. They reduced expenses by Rs. 2 crores in 4 to 5 months.
Bharat Matrimony took various initiatives to scale by introducing Community matrimony such as Christian matrimony and even a 40+ matrimony (caste no bar after 40!).There is evenPakistanmatrimony andSri Lankamatrimony now. And with deeper insights, they are moving to gifts for friends on their wedding and gifts for anniversaries.
He went on to say that entrepreneurs should remain humble and should not be carried away by their success. Entrepreneurs need energy to overcome daily challenges in business and so being wedded to a higher purpose through your business is fulfilling.
“The nation needs good citizens and for that you need good parents. To become good parents, you should marry and for marriage there is Bharat Matrimony,”
Grand Finale of TechSparks 2011 will happen at IIM Bangalore on 19th Aug 2011
Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 A Great Mix of Work and Entertainment
Man’s biggest challenge have always been to achieve a prefect balance between work and personal life. Various gadgets have been developed to entertain, educate and work smart. Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 is one where you can find answers for all these needs
Allow me to explain, here are some of the features I like in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 750
So all together Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 gives a better experience in work and leisure, am just waiting to grab one!
Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 Launch Live Webcast
This March Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 10.1 & Galaxy Tab 8.9, world’s thinnest mobile tablets. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers a superb experience with its thinnest and lightest design, smartly packed with a variety of latest features. The Wi-Fi model weighs just 565g and is just 8.6mm thin. It is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor, runs on Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), has a 10.1 widescreen (1280 x 800) WXGA TFT LCD display, 1GB RAM, 3 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2 MP front camera, 7000mAh battery, supports Full HD (1080p) video playback, and much more.
Now the wait is over as far as India is concerned! Samsung Mobile India has just announced that The Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 is finally coming to India. Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 is the same as 10.1″ version, and keep guessing what 750 stands for! Samsung will launch the Galaxy Tab 750 on 10th August in India, and the launch event will be telecasted live!
If you’re interested in the new Tab 750, catch the launch webcast of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 750, LIVE on your computer, here at sandeepvarma.com.
Date and Timing: August 10th from 12:00pm – 2:00pm (IST), Wednesday
So don’t miss the Live Webcast, It’s time to Tab
