Archive for October, 2011
Western Union reveals the world’s most networked person
This is the age of Social networking sites and any idea who is the most networked person on Earth?
A 26-year old Portuguese charity worker has today been named as the world’s most networked person. Hugo Pereira from Lisbon, Portugal, has topped the Network Challenge, a global search for the most globally connected individual on Facebook.
The Network Challenge was launched by Western Union in July this year to mark its 160th Anniversary and celebrate its status as one of the world’s most globally connected companies, with more than 470,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories*.
The global search was fuelled by a new interactive, online Application called Your World. It visualises Facebook users’ global connections and awards a score for how globally connected they are. Users can compare their ranking against their Facebook Friends; others in their country and others in the world.
With 4,932 friends in 124 different locations across the globe, and a Network Score of 476133, Portuguese national, Hugo Pereira, beat more than 250,000 Your World users worldwide to claim the title of the world’s most globally connected person. By comparison, the average person in India has a Network Score of 1124 with 102 friends in 11 different locations.
Mr. Pereira attributes his feat to years of networking in his role as global president of charity AIESEC, the world’s largest youth-led organisation, which has 60,000 active members in more than 1,800 universities in 110 countries and territories.
To celebrate Mr Pereira’s status, Western Union will invite him to use his impressive global network as a force for good next month. He will be given the opportunity to invite his Facebook Friends to participate in Western Union’s launch of a major new initiative.
Commenting on his win, Mr Pereira said: “I’m astounded to be named the world’s most networked person. The reach of my social network is testament to the work of AIESEC, which is all about creating positive global connections. “We aim to help societies understand each other by providing students with
the opportunity to collaborate in global teams and live and work abroad. He continued: “I’m excited to be able to work with Western Union next month to use my global network to support good causes. I’m moving on from AIESEC to work for a healthcare charity in India called ICHHA, so hope to be able to make even more global connections in the meantime.”
Western Union President and CEO, Hikmet Ersek, said: “As someone who already uses his global network for good, Mr Pereira is very deserving of his new title. As a globally connected brand it certainly seems fitting that Western Union teams up with the world’s most globally networked person to lend our support to good causes, together.”
Western Union will announce the full details of its new initiative when it unveils its global brand campaign on November 1st 2011.
Acer India Cheer for Ferrari contest!
Acer, ranked No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks sales, has partnership with the Maranello Team by sponsoring the Scuderia Ferrari.
Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. Since 2003 the computer technologies company has been a technical sponsor of the Scuderia and later Acer became a full on-car sponsor too. Acer constantly devotes both time and energy to the world of sport, in which the pursuit of perfection is the result of teamwork, complete dedication, flexibility and determination.
Acer’s collaboration with the Italian team has been mutually beneficial for both groups, with Ferrari gaining much technical assistance as well as Acer developing new technologies alongside them. Acer has also produced a line of high performance laptop computers with a Ferrari themed appearance. Acer also launched the special edition Liquid with a modified Ferrari themed UI. The phone is a Ferrari branded product with Ferrari wallpapers, videos and tones.
Airtel Indian Grand Prix.
Come Oct 30 and India would hold its first Grand Prix circuit at the newly built World class racing track named Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida / Gautam Buddha Nagar in U.P. The track is built by Jaypee Sports International.
Cheer for Ferrari contest
As part of their support to Ferrari team, Acer has come up with an interesting contest, “Cheer For Ferrari”. The contest is run at Acer India’s Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/acerindia . Participants can send interesting cheer messages to Ferrari team and could win exciting gifts from Acer.
One could participate the Cheer for Ferrari contest by logging into Facebook and visit Acer India page and hit the contest tab. You can also get info regarding Acer India on their Corporate blog http://www.acerindia.co.in
What Is Your Cloud Story
A YourStory initiative in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Are you a startup leveraging the Cloud?
- Do you think Cloud is enabling you to differentiate your business from your competition?
- Is the Cloud enabling your business to offer better value to your customers?
If yes, we are interested to hear more about your startup. Tell us about your Cloud story to get featured in India’s favorite online platform for entrepreneurs, YourStory.in. That’s not all, you will get a chance to meet Dr. Werner Vogels, Chief Technology Officer, Amazon in person this November in India.
Don’t forget the power of story telling, share your cloud experience in simple words and see how you influence your eco-system.
Tell us your story in three steps
- Tell us about your venture?
- How are you using cloud?
- What makes cloud a better business solution for you vis a vis other platforms?
Prize
Top 5 Startups will get a chance to present to Dr.Werner Vogels, CTO, Amazon at a glitterati function (attended by CTOs, Startups and VCs) to be held in Bangalore on 19th November 2011, also you get a chance to have an exclusive breakfast session with Dr. Werner Vogels.
Sounds Exciting, we are waiting to hear your story.
United States is India’s Best Friend in Cyberspace
The United States has been revealed as India’s best friend in cyberspace, according to a unique new league table released by Western Union, one of the world’s most globally connected brands. The league table has been created using data from Western Union’s Your World Facebook Application, which visualises each user’s Facebook connections around the globe and gives them a score for how globally connected they are. Your World has enjoyed more than 250,000 hits worldwide since its launch in July this year, as individual users compete in the Western Union® Network Challenge: a hunt for the world’s most globally networked person on Facebook. On the 18th of October Western Union will announce the winner – and reveal an opportunity for them to use their global network as a force for good.
With so much aggregate data being generated by Your World, Western Union has been able to build a bird’s eye view of how different countries connect to one another on Facebook. The data reveals India’s top ten best friends in cyberspace: those countries where Facebook users in India have the most Facebook connections. The results show how social media is shrinking the world we live in – with some of the India’s closest friends in cyberspace based thousands of miles away in the real world:
United States
United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates
Australia
Canada
Singapore
Saudi Arabia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
Western Union launched the Your World Application and associated Western Union Network Challenge in July this year to mark its 160th Anniversary and celebrate its unique status as one of the world’s most globally connected brands. With approximately 470,000 locations in 200 countries and territories turning over 19 transactions per second, Western Union has a greater physical presence than any other company globally – and ten times more locations than famous global restaurant chain, McDonald’s. Western Union President and CEO, Hikmet Ersek, said: “We’re delighted that so many consumers have been enjoying Your World. It not only gives them a fun way to see their global network, but as a business provides us with a fascinating bird’s eye view of how countries around the world connect to one another. Western Union has been privileged to connect people across the globe for more than 160 years, so this kind of insight is invaluable.” He added: “On the 18th of October we will be announcing the winner of the Western Union Network Challenge – the Your World user who has the most global connections. We will be inviting him or her to partner with us to use their network as a force for good. So I would urge anyone who has not yet tried out the Application to give it a go.”
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. The Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services are offered through a combined network of approximately 470,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories (network data as of June 30, 2011). In 2010, The Western Union Company completed 214 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $76 billion of principal between consumers, and 405 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
Formula One Grand Prix is here in India
Formula One racing is forever on the move and in 2011 ventures east yet again for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, the Airtel Grand Prix . In light of recent F1 successes in Korea and Singapore, the latest entrant is New Delhi, the capital of India. The inaugural Formula One Grand Prix race will happen on October 30 at the newly built track named Buddh International circuit.
A brand new circuit has been built to the south of the city in the suburb of Noida. The track, designed by renowned circuit architect Hermann Tilke, stretches to 5.137-kilometres and is expected to seat up to 150,000 spectators. Two sizeable straights and an interesting mix of corners should guarantee a track full of challenges for drivers and engineers alike.
In an interesting move, organisers also consulted several of the Formula One teams before construction began in earnest. The track design was run in various factory simulators and as a result several amendments were made in an effort to boost overtaking for the drivers – and excitement for the fans.
Four million cubic tons of earth was moved to give the track plenty of undulation, and it rises 14 metres between Turns One and Three alone. Inspiration has also been drawn from rival venues’ best features, with Turkey’s infamous Turn Eight inspiring a double-apex corner, slightly banked, which forms part of a ‘mini-arena’ which alone will accommodate 13,000 spectators.
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Buddh International Circuit
The track that will host the inaugural Indian Grand Prix later this year has been officially named the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), organisers have announced. The 5.14-kilometre, Herman Tilke-designed venue will host its first F1 race on October 30.
The name has been chosen with reference to the area where the track is situated – Gautam Budh Nagar district, near Greater Noida, around 40 kilometres from New Delhi. The stylized ‘B’ of the circuit’s logo stands for ‘Buddh’ and for ‘Bharat’.
SpiritzandMore Metallica campaign: Vroom
SpiritzandMore.com, India’s number one lifestyle portal has come up with an interesting game related to F1 on SpiritzandMore Facebook page. The campaign name is “Vroom” and the game is about race. One needs to finish the race is record time and contestant stands the chance to win grand stand tickets to the Indian Grand Prix with Five star accommodation and air ticket, plain Grand stand tickets and lots of Force India, Whyte and Mackay Merchandise. One can play The Vroom game here
Acer’s latest Innovation: Aspire S3 Ultrabook
Acer’s latest innovation, Aspire S3, the first Ultrabook in India was launched in New Delhi amidst much fanfare. Ultrabook combines the performance and capabilities of laptops with thin and light form factors of tablets.
Mr. A.S Mukund, Managing Director, Acer India, during the Aspire S3 launch said that “In line with our corporate mission we have time and again designed devices to break barriers between people and technology.”
Mr. S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India mentioned that with the coming of Aspire S3 computer users could maximize their time and effort with two new innovations: Acer Green Instant On, which delivers ultra fast responsiveness, energy efficiency and enhanced power management; and Acer Instant Connect, which provides access to the Internet in just 2.5 seconds.
Mr. Sivakumar, Managing Director-Sales and Marketing Group, Intel South Asia said that Personal computing is undergoing a significant transformation and Intel is leading that transformation with the introduction of Ultrabook devices that provide the most complete and satisfying experience in one device. CEO and MD of Infiniti Retail, Mr. Ajith Joshi said that today consumer behavior in retail has changed and Acer has always been on top of this.
Inspired by nature
The Aspire S3 captures the spirit of the smallest bird species, the Hummingbird. Just like a Hummingbird, Aspire S3 is among the thinnest and lightest but incredibly fast, powerful and impressive. Aspire S3 has a sleek aluminum body design, weighs just 1.4kg and is 1.3cm thin. In its basic model, Aspire S3 packs a second-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 240GB. Consumers will have the choice to select a Core i5 or i7 and higher-capacity hard disk.
Innovation
Mr. S Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India was quoted in a press release as saying, “With the launch of the Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook, we have charted a new line of course to the mobile computing world by effortlessly combining the essential features of both a notebook and a tablet. The Aspire S3 Ultrabook will provide newer computing experience to users and we believe this is a major milestone in the history of Acer’s product development roadmap.”
The Acer S3 features two new innovations: Acer Green Instant On, which reportedly delivers improved responsiveness, energy efficiency and enhanced power management; and Acer Instant Connect, which is said to provide access to the Internet in just 2.5 seconds. The Ultrabook reportedly offers 7 hours of battery life, and 50 days of standby time.
R. Sivakumar, Managing Director-Sales and Marketing Group, Intel South Asia, was quoted in a press release as saying, “Personal computing is undergoing a significant transformation and Intel is leading that transformation with the introduction of Ultrabook devices that provide the most complete and satisfying experience in one device. Ultrabooks are designed to give people the power to both create and share content, all in a thin, light, and elegant device that offers an immersive and responsive experience. Ultrabooks are also designed to deliver no-compromise mobility, built-in security and a range of affordable prices.”
Acer Ultrabooks are meant to combine the performance and capabilities of today’s laptops with tablet-like features in a thin and light form factor. The Acer Aspire S3 will be available from October onwards.
The company set a $300 million fund for the development of the device, hoping that Ultrabooks would help it take on tablets, most of which use ARM processors, and Apple’s MacBook Air.
Aspire S3 has a sleek aluminum unibody design. It weighs just 1.4kg and is 1.3cm thin. In its basic model, Aspire S3 packs a second-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 240GB. But consumers will have the choice to select a Core i5 or i7 and higher-capacity hard disk. Apart from the lack of an optical drive, Aspire S3 is mostly similar to 13-inch traditional laptops in terms of hardware, screen and connectivity ports. The price of Aspire S3 will start from Rs 49,990.
Chennai Ultimate Frisbee Tournament 2011
Come October and what possibly can working professionals, students, and a coconut vendor have in common? Ultimate Frisbee! They are all gearing up for India’s biggest ultimate frisbee tournament, Chennai Heat is back to delight its fans in the city again this year on October 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th.
Ultimate is a fast-paced sport that demands great skill, just to clear the air, it’s not just throwing and catching a plastic disc. It combines the best aspects of football, basketball and American football to make for a highly intense and competitive game. Ultimate Frisbee is played on a rectangular field with two end zones, one at either end, teams score a goal by passing the disc amongst themselves and receiving a catch in the opposite end zone. However, players may not run with the disc.
Women players form a vital part of the teams and the tournament. Lakshmi Priyaa, who plays on Chennai’s premiere team Chakraa says,
“The women in a team are key differentiators. We often make the difference between victory and heartbreak in a close match”. At the same time, it nurtures the “Spirit of the Game” through practices like self-refereed matches, coed teams and non-contact play.
Ultimate as a sport places the responsibility for fair play directly on the players. The “Spirit of the Game” philosophy instills Ultimate with a unique spirit of sportsmanship that encourages a tradition of mutual respect and unity among all players. Simply put, treat the opponents in the same way you want to be treated!
This year’s Chennai Heat will have more than 250 men and women from all walks of life battling it out for the title of India’s Beach Ultimate champions.
Teams from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Auroville, Alleppey, Kodaikanal, and Chennai will take part in the tournament. The sport has proven to be the perfect ice-breaker for expats in India. Wolfgang Maehr from the Stray Dogs in Sweaters team in Delhi says “Ultimate is a great way for expats to get plugged into the social scene in India. The Delhi team has a number of non-Indian players who have found familiarity and friends in India through Ultimate”. This is not just applicable to expats, the ultimate community is a great place to meet and discover people from all walks of life.
Chennai Heat 2011 Details:
Venue: Elliots Beach, Besant Nagar
Dates: 7th, 8h and 9th October 2011
Timing: 6.00 to 9.00 am and 4.00 to 9.00 pm
Number of Teams participating: 15 (All India)
No. of players: 250+
Signature Premier World of 8 International Fashion Tour in Bangalore
Signature Premier World of 8 International Fashion Tour showcased the best and most creative elements of International fashion capital London in Bangalore with great enthusiasm.
London was recreated in Bangalore through its ambience, flamboyant cuts and designs with renowned International and Indian designers blending their designs creatively to provide an exclusive bold and beautiful fashion experience.
View my detailed coverage of tour in SpiritzandMore.com
Acer: The Game Changer of Innovation is coming soon!
Whenever a new innovation in personal computing hits the market, techies throughout the world start speculating about the various features one could expect. They wonder if it will be better than the previous products of the company. They start speculating if it could combine the power of one with the gorgeous look of another. They usually anticipate the world out of the new product.
For long the PC market has been waiting for a revolution to come and blow it off its feet. Many have tried to create this revolution before but that’s where it stopped – at trying to create a revolution.
One of the common complaints across the PC industry is the long wait to start and resume, time taken to connect to the Internet, short battery life and inconvenient form factor. What if you could switch on your laptop in an instant and connect to the Internet in just a couple of seconds? Does it Sounds too good to be true? Well, not really.
October 4th 2011 is when Acer puts an end to just trying and actually delivering what the world needs – an innovation par excellence.
This innovation is going to be thinnest in India and Acer, following its age old tradition of being the first to launch ground-breaking products, will again be the first to bring this product to the highly competitive Indian market.
Forget the days of carrying your heavy notebooks around. With a weight of just 1.4 Kg and a speed 4 times faster than the usual, this notebook will make your life easier than ever.
Check for more details on AcerIndia blog
Connect to Acer India Facebook page and Twitter
