Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Indian Mobile TV Market on the Rise
"India's mobile television market will be worth $360 million by the end of this year," says a report by Springboard Research, a Singapore-based IT market research firm.
Courtesy mobile TV, users can view regular television programs on mobile phones and other mobile devices. It marries two dominant consumption trends of entertainment and mobile telephony in the country.
According to the Springboard report, as many as 84 percent of users are waiting for an affordable mobile TV service in the country. News, sports, music videos, and game shows have emerged as preferred choices for this service.
According to Ravi Shekhar Pandey, manager (Syndicated Research) of Springboard Research, "The market is ripe for the launch of mobile TV services, and we believe that India will have around 12 million mobile TV subscribers within the first year of launch of service."
Pandey added that a majority of mobile users in the country are interested in trying out mobile TV, and would invest in new handsets for using the service. That this willingness is definitely a positive sign for those considering offering mobile TV in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile services market.
Going a step further, the report recommends that those companies planning to roll out the service should consider offering on-demand, pay-per-view option that will not be attached to a monthly subscription offer.
Presently, Doordarshan is the only player in this field. However, the report states that in recent months, the market has witnessed increased activities from various stakeholders, including technology providers, network equipment vendors, and mobile service providers like Nokia, Samsung, Spice Telecom, and Qualcomm.
Courtesy mobile TV, users can view regular television programs on mobile phones and other mobile devices. It marries two dominant consumption trends of entertainment and mobile telephony in the country.
According to the Springboard report, as many as 84 percent of users are waiting for an affordable mobile TV service in the country. News, sports, music videos, and game shows have emerged as preferred choices for this service.
According to Ravi Shekhar Pandey, manager (Syndicated Research) of Springboard Research, "The market is ripe for the launch of mobile TV services, and we believe that India will have around 12 million mobile TV subscribers within the first year of launch of service."
Pandey added that a majority of mobile users in the country are interested in trying out mobile TV, and would invest in new handsets for using the service. That this willingness is definitely a positive sign for those considering offering mobile TV in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile services market.
Going a step further, the report recommends that those companies planning to roll out the service should consider offering on-demand, pay-per-view option that will not be attached to a monthly subscription offer.
Presently, Doordarshan is the only player in this field. However, the report states that in recent months, the market has witnessed increased activities from various stakeholders, including technology providers, network equipment vendors, and mobile service providers like Nokia, Samsung, Spice Telecom, and Qualcomm.
Acer Launches the Aspire 5315
Acer has now announced the launch of its latest entry-level consumer notebook (NB) -- Acer Aspire 5315 in the country.
The new Aspire 5315 runs on the Linux operating system (OS) and is powered by the latest Intel Celeron M550, supporting Intel Wireless WiFi Link network solution. It comes equipped with 120GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, DVD super multi 8x double layer, and inbuilt CrystalEye Web cam for video conferencing.
The notebook has a 15.4-inches WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD display, and comes equipped with a battery life of up to 2 hours, while ePowerManagement allows users to choose power management settings to extend the battery time.
Acer SignalUp and GridVista technologies have been incorporated into this notebook for reliable wireless connectivity as well as optimized feature driven display management, the company said.
The Aspire 5315 also features Acer's CrystalBrite technology and 3D Sonic Sound System promising a home theatre style, visual and audio experience. It also offers latest technology like 10/100 LAN and easy-to-use system utilities like easy-launch buttons for WLAN, email, Internet, and user-programming.
The Aspire 5315 notebook will be available in major cities across India for a price of Rs 22,219.
The new Aspire 5315 runs on the Linux operating system (OS) and is powered by the latest Intel Celeron M550, supporting Intel Wireless WiFi Link network solution. It comes equipped with 120GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, DVD super multi 8x double layer, and inbuilt CrystalEye Web cam for video conferencing.
The notebook has a 15.4-inches WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD display, and comes equipped with a battery life of up to 2 hours, while ePowerManagement allows users to choose power management settings to extend the battery time.
Acer SignalUp and GridVista technologies have been incorporated into this notebook for reliable wireless connectivity as well as optimized feature driven display management, the company said.
The Aspire 5315 also features Acer's CrystalBrite technology and 3D Sonic Sound System promising a home theatre style, visual and audio experience. It also offers latest technology like 10/100 LAN and easy-to-use system utilities like easy-launch buttons for WLAN, email, Internet, and user-programming.
The Aspire 5315 notebook will be available in major cities across India for a price of Rs 22,219.
9/11 tragedy inspired firefighter's tribute
Mike McClernon's tattoo is dedicated to remembering a day that Americans will never forget. The 45-year-old Beaver Dams truck driver who hauls the U.S. mail, is a volunteer firefighter with the Hornby Volunteer Fire Department and also is a past chief of the Beaver Dams Volunteer Fire Department.
The Brooklyn native designed his own tattoo to memorialize the firefighters who died in the 9/11 tragedy. The tattoo was done at a Corning tattoo parlor. It has a red Maltese cross, with the Twin Towers surrounding it. One of the towers says "FDNY 343" and the other says, "Remember." It also includes the words "Fire" and "Rescue." Around the outside of the tattoo is the inscription "Red Badge Of Courage."
He got the tattoo right after 9/11. "I felt it was the right thing to do," he said.
McClernon said he visited his grandmother frequently in Brooklyn while he was growing up, and witnessed the Twin Towers construction. When they were destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks, it "really struck a nerve" with him, he said.
As a volunteer firefighter, McClernon said, he relates to the ultimate sacrifice of the firefighters and police officers that responded so bravely and efficiently to this disaster. He said he wanted his tattoo to pay tribute to all of the brave men and women who lost their lives trying to save others.
The Brooklyn native designed his own tattoo to memorialize the firefighters who died in the 9/11 tragedy. The tattoo was done at a Corning tattoo parlor. It has a red Maltese cross, with the Twin Towers surrounding it. One of the towers says "FDNY 343" and the other says, "Remember." It also includes the words "Fire" and "Rescue." Around the outside of the tattoo is the inscription "Red Badge Of Courage."
He got the tattoo right after 9/11. "I felt it was the right thing to do," he said.
McClernon said he visited his grandmother frequently in Brooklyn while he was growing up, and witnessed the Twin Towers construction. When they were destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks, it "really struck a nerve" with him, he said.
As a volunteer firefighter, McClernon said, he relates to the ultimate sacrifice of the firefighters and police officers that responded so bravely and efficiently to this disaster. He said he wanted his tattoo to pay tribute to all of the brave men and women who lost their lives trying to save others.
Family 'tattoos' together to remember son
For the Cole family of Big Flats, their tattoos serve as a loving tribute to their son, Kevin Cole, who died Oct. 5, 2002, at the age of 12.
Daughter Bethany was the first to memorialize Kevin when she got a tattoo of a red dragon on her shoulder on her birthday from The Mod Squad in Corning. Mark Haley was the tattoo artist. Dragons were one of Kevin's favorite things.
Barbara Cole, Kevin's mother, said she had been opposed to tattoos, but warmed to the idea after Bethany got one. Barbara followed with a tattoo of a sunset with flames on her lower back, a design that included the last original signature of Kevin. She said Keith Russell, formerly of Corning, was the artist.
Next up was Kevin's father, Lee, who got a portrait of Kevin on his upper right arm, a tattoo that captured first place in a Harding Harley-Davidson tattoo contest in Corning. That tattoo, and the ones that followed, were all done by tattoo artist Mike Oureque of Great Island Tattoo studio in Yarmouth, Mass.
Barbara said they choose Oureque, who she said is an award-winning artist, because of his expertise with portraits.
After her first tattoo, Barbara said she got four more: one of her son's baby footprint on her shoulder; a cross with Kevin's name and date of life on her upper right arm; a third on her other shoulder that has butterflies representing all three of her children in the shades of their birthstones, and the fourth, a portrait of Kevin, on her upper left arm, a tattoo just like her husband's.
Lee Cole has even memorialized a family pet. He has a tattoo on his upper left arm of Kevin's dog, named K.C. in honor of Kevin, who died in July 2005.
Daughter Bethany was the first to memorialize Kevin when she got a tattoo of a red dragon on her shoulder on her birthday from The Mod Squad in Corning. Mark Haley was the tattoo artist. Dragons were one of Kevin's favorite things.
Barbara Cole, Kevin's mother, said she had been opposed to tattoos, but warmed to the idea after Bethany got one. Barbara followed with a tattoo of a sunset with flames on her lower back, a design that included the last original signature of Kevin. She said Keith Russell, formerly of Corning, was the artist.
Next up was Kevin's father, Lee, who got a portrait of Kevin on his upper right arm, a tattoo that captured first place in a Harding Harley-Davidson tattoo contest in Corning. That tattoo, and the ones that followed, were all done by tattoo artist Mike Oureque of Great Island Tattoo studio in Yarmouth, Mass.
Barbara said they choose Oureque, who she said is an award-winning artist, because of his expertise with portraits.
After her first tattoo, Barbara said she got four more: one of her son's baby footprint on her shoulder; a cross with Kevin's name and date of life on her upper right arm; a third on her other shoulder that has butterflies representing all three of her children in the shades of their birthstones, and the fourth, a portrait of Kevin, on her upper left arm, a tattoo just like her husband's.
Lee Cole has even memorialized a family pet. He has a tattoo on his upper left arm of Kevin's dog, named K.C. in honor of Kevin, who died in July 2005.
Tattoo on forehead has brought unwelcome reaction
When people see Camilla Nhamercedes' tattoo, they usually ask about it.
It's a deep blue crescent moon on the forehead of the 49-year-old Millerton woman that is high enough that her bangs usually cover it.
She said she got it four years ago at Bring Your Skin in Elmira, and considers the design very personal.
"It represents my connection to God, and the location also represents my connection to my Wiccan learnings. ...When people see it, they ask questions and make assumptions which are usually far off the mark," she said.
Along with the attention, Camilla said her tattoo brought another thing: discrimination.
She said that it's difficult to get through the entire job interview process without her tattoo becoming a hindrance. She says that most interviewers she's encountered are quite traditional, and don't ask about her tattoo, but she can tell that they are taken aback by it.
She said that her teachers at her adult education program even insisted that she find makeup to completely cover her tattoo so she could prepare for the work force. Camilla recalls one time where she completed an interview fairly successfully, only to have the interviewer notice her tattoo as she was shaking his hand. He stared at her and then drew his hand back as if it had been burned, she said.
Camilla said she has never judged people based on their physical appearance, so she finds the treatment she has received hard to understand. She added that the manner in which potential employers have reacted to her tattoo has been frustrating.
"They just kind of look at me weird and then I hear later from word-of-mouth that that was the reason they didn't hire me," she said
It's a deep blue crescent moon on the forehead of the 49-year-old Millerton woman that is high enough that her bangs usually cover it.
She said she got it four years ago at Bring Your Skin in Elmira, and considers the design very personal.
"It represents my connection to God, and the location also represents my connection to my Wiccan learnings. ...When people see it, they ask questions and make assumptions which are usually far off the mark," she said.
Along with the attention, Camilla said her tattoo brought another thing: discrimination.
She said that it's difficult to get through the entire job interview process without her tattoo becoming a hindrance. She says that most interviewers she's encountered are quite traditional, and don't ask about her tattoo, but she can tell that they are taken aback by it.
She said that her teachers at her adult education program even insisted that she find makeup to completely cover her tattoo so she could prepare for the work force. Camilla recalls one time where she completed an interview fairly successfully, only to have the interviewer notice her tattoo as she was shaking his hand. He stared at her and then drew his hand back as if it had been burned, she said.
Camilla said she has never judged people based on their physical appearance, so she finds the treatment she has received hard to understand. She added that the manner in which potential employers have reacted to her tattoo has been frustrating.
"They just kind of look at me weird and then I hear later from word-of-mouth that that was the reason they didn't hire me," she said
Four brothers get a special present for dad
When Bill Coates of Lawrenceville turned 74 in 2005, his four sons decided to get matching tattoos as a birthday present to honor him. There was a sense of urgency too: they had just learned their father's medical treatments had failed to stop his cancer so they wanted him to see the tattoos before his health declined.
Steve, Scott, Joe and Michael Coates chose a design that was special to their father and would give them something to remember him by. Each got a tattoo of the official 82nd Airborne Division insignia on their upper left arm. The tattoos feature the division's wings and parachute design and the phrase "In honor of Dad" was added.
Bill was a proud member of the Airborne when he served in Japan during the Korean War, son Michael, 27, of Tioga, Pa. said. Bill liked to tell his sons stories about his jumps, how he earned his wings and other adventures he encountered, said Michael.
The four brothers got their tattoos at Carl Hesse's World Famous Route 6 Tattoos in Blossburg, Pa. Two of the brothers, Steve and Scott, followed in their father's footsteps and served in the military. Michael said he was the only one with a previous tattoo.
They gathered at their father's home on his birthday, and snuck into the kitchen to remove their long-sleeve shirts. Michael said they then walked back into the front room where their father was, and gathered around him to show him the tattoos.
"I don't really ever remember my dad being speechless before, but he was this time. He just kind of looked around at us and shook his head in disbelief. It was a total shock and surprise. I have to believe it was the best present we had ever given him," Michael said.
Their father passed away just a month after that birthday gathering. However, the Coates brothers can still remember their dad and that special day whenever they glance at their arms.
"It's nice to be able to look at my shoulder and remember that day and still see the look on his face," Michael sai
Steve, Scott, Joe and Michael Coates chose a design that was special to their father and would give them something to remember him by. Each got a tattoo of the official 82nd Airborne Division insignia on their upper left arm. The tattoos feature the division's wings and parachute design and the phrase "In honor of Dad" was added.
Bill was a proud member of the Airborne when he served in Japan during the Korean War, son Michael, 27, of Tioga, Pa. said. Bill liked to tell his sons stories about his jumps, how he earned his wings and other adventures he encountered, said Michael.
The four brothers got their tattoos at Carl Hesse's World Famous Route 6 Tattoos in Blossburg, Pa. Two of the brothers, Steve and Scott, followed in their father's footsteps and served in the military. Michael said he was the only one with a previous tattoo.
They gathered at their father's home on his birthday, and snuck into the kitchen to remove their long-sleeve shirts. Michael said they then walked back into the front room where their father was, and gathered around him to show him the tattoos.
"I don't really ever remember my dad being speechless before, but he was this time. He just kind of looked around at us and shook his head in disbelief. It was a total shock and surprise. I have to believe it was the best present we had ever given him," Michael said.
Their father passed away just a month after that birthday gathering. However, the Coates brothers can still remember their dad and that special day whenever they glance at their arms.
"It's nice to be able to look at my shoulder and remember that day and still see the look on his face," Michael sai
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