Get A BSNL Fancy Mobile Number For Yourself |

If you always wanted to have a VIP looking-Fancy Mobile Number, then you will surely find this post interesting because India’s government sector telecom company BSNL has launched an online service which allows you to choose a fancy number for yourself at no extra cost! (Yes, its free).

Here is a simple procedure to get a number of your choice:

1. Go to the BSNL’s Page here.
2. Select your State and 1 number from the list of available numbers.
3. The customer can select any One GSM mobile number of his choice from the available numbers.
4. On basis of selection of choice number (Max. No 1) the customer will get an SMS with a PIN of 7 Digits which will be valid for next 72 hours.
5. Now you can go to your nearest BSNL Service Center and quote the Number and PIN to buy the number by submitting the requisite Documents and completing the formalities of release of new connection.

The service is absolutely free. You just pay for the usual SIM charges. Even if you don’t like BSNL’s network, you can get
your number and then opt in for MNP(Mobile Number Portability). This is a cool little feature that other operators might wake up to soon.

 Ankit is founder of TechDip. A student of Software Engineering. He is a passionate writer who loves writing about anything and everything related to Technology. Ankit aims to be at the top in every field he is involved in.Catch him on Twitter @techpil or Google+

Motorola Xoom 2- Detailed Review | Hungry N Foolish - Startups, Entrepreneurs, Business Ideas

Though the original Motorola Xoom stood out as the first big tablet push with backing from Google, it didn’t turn out quite to be pinnacle of Android tablets.

It was soon surpassed by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 as a straight-up iPad 2 competitor, Still, there’s no doubt the Xoom was a good device in its own right, so Motorola’s been tweaking and trimming, and has now released the Xoom 2.

Though there have been some internal changes, it’s the outside where the difference is most notable. Despite the thickness and weight similarities between the Xoom 2 and the iPad 2, they end up feeling quite different in the hand because of their different shapes. The Xoom 2 has a 16:10 widescreen display, while the iPad is 4:3.

This means that, in portrait, the Xoom 2 actually feels slightly more comfortable to hold in one hand, because it isn’t as wide. Conversely, the iPad 2 is slightly more comfortable in landscape, because the Xoom 2 stretches further.

Technical Specifications – 

• Android 3.2 Operating system.
• Thickness – 8.8mm.
• Weight- 599 grm.
• Processor – 1.2 GHz.
• Display – 1280 x 800 pixels in a 10.1-inch screen also it’s an IPS panel.
• RAM – 1GB
• Storage – 16GB

Surprisingly, this can’t be increased with a microSD card, despite there being a flap on the side of the Xoom 2 that you would think would cover a microSD card slot. Instead, it covers… some plastic.

Motorola seems to think that its included MotoCast software will cover the need for more media storage, enabling you to access the media on your computer from your device, anywhere. Well, nearly anywhere – there’s no 3G in the Xoom 2, though there is a GPS chip.

The two big software additions to Android 3.2 reinforce this idea of a handy portable screen: the Floating Notes app and MotoCast.

The Floating Notes app sits permanently in the bottom bar, where notifications come up. You can tap it at any time to bring up the options to create a new Floating Note, view your notes in a window where you can sort them by date create, title, and so on, or you can open the built-in Evernote app.

MotoCast is the other big software feature for the Xoom 2. It’s a media streaming app, essentially, but a custom one designed to make the process as easy as possible.

You install the MotoCast software on your computer, decide which folders to allow it to see, and then open the app on your Xoom to connect to those folders and stream music, videos and movies.

The reason for having a dedicated server app, and not just using DLNA streaming over a local network, is that it provides a simple way to get remote access to your media wherever you are – in another room in the house, or hundreds of miles away.

Moto is so convinced that this is the way forward, as that maybe its part of the reason why there’s no SD card slot, and only 16GB of storage. Like Windows Phone Connector, it’ll automatically convert videos if they’re in a format the Xoom 2 can’t play natively (though Motorola’s software is better than Microsoft’s, because it doesn’t insist on also converting the stuff that was fine to begin with).

One of the Xoom 2′s other party tricks, and yet more evidence of Motorola’s designs on the living room, is the built-in infrared receiver and bundled Dijit app. Essentially, the Xoom 2 can become a universal remote control for your TV setup. We had no problems getting it to work with our kit just by searching the database for the right models, though it has to be said that the on-screen remotes are a little light on features compared to the real thing.

Don’t assume that it’s all play and no work when it comes to the Xoom 2, though. There’s a Citrix app included, for you enterprisey types, and Quickoffice HD is also bundled, with cloud integration for Google Docs, Dropbox, Box, SugarSync and more.

There’s a rear-facing camera on the Xoom 2 that can take five-megapixel snaps and record video at 720p, while the front-facing camera has a 1.3-megapixel sensor. The camera on the Xoom 2 is decent enough, capturing accurate colours and crisp lines, and letting in a good amount of light even in low light. The detail can be a little soft, but overall they’re good snaps. Similarly, the 720p HD video is passable, if not spectacular. It’s not up to par with better dedicated cameras, or the best phones, but you can make out what’s happening easily, though fast motion can become quite blurred.

Everything’s easy to access on the device, with music in the Music app and photos and videos in the Gallery app. The Music is a bit slow in landscape when you’ve got a decent collection, but is faster to flick through in portrait. 1080p video plays back smoothly, except not over the HDMI port – everything mirrors smoothly when you connect to an HDTV

The Motorola Xoom 2 is an interesting change from the original Motorola Xoom. Being thinner and lighter – more like an iPad 2 – but with extra processing power and some media-focused features are all good things, but cutting back on things like a microSD card slot makes it feel like two steps forward and one step back

Pros –

1. The Xoom 2 has a nice design, and we definitely like how thin and light it is. And though the screen isn’t quite as bright as we’d like, it’s got vibrant colours and excellent viewing angles.
2. Performance is good on the Xoom 2, for the most part, and Android 3.2 works fairly smoothly. We were also quite happy with the battery life, even if it possible to eat up quicker than you’d think with some intensive web browsing.
3. Some of the media features are great ideas – the Dijit app may have some basic controls, but it’s easy as you like to set up, and worked perfectly for us, and MotoCast could grow to be a very useful service.

Cons –

1. The way the Xoom 2 rattles when the loudspeaker is high and the bit of give in the back are both unfortunate, as is the fact that screen is a horrendous fingerprint/grease magnet.
2. The keyboard is a weak spot, and the slow response to changing the orientation serves to make the operating system feel as though it needs a little more polish on this device.
3. And we said, the MotoCast could grow to be a useful service, but at the moment it’s fundamentally flawed. It requires your computer to be on all the time, your internet connection to have vast upload speeds if you’re using it remotely.
4. And the lack of microSD card is perplexing given the flakiness of the MotoCast service, and the lack of any larger storage option. Yes, 16GB will be enough for many people, but those who need more storage capacity than that simply won’t be able to buy the Xoom 2. Still Confused??  Have a look at this great video which will let you know the device better-

Final Verdict –

Taken in isolation, the Xoom 2 isn’t a bad tablet by any means. It’s thin and light, it runs fairly smoothly and has decent battery life. But it’s really hampered by the lack of storage options, and that inflexibility is its downfall when you consider the price of nearly Rs. 33000.

It doesn’t quite match the best Android tablets or the iPad for quality, and many good Android tablets have it beaten for price. The Xoom 2 is an improvement over the original Xoom, but not over the competition.

DoT Orders Telecom Operators to Stop 3G Roaming Immediately |

In the recent past, the 3G technology has been a bit controversial in India and I think the Telecom Operators must really be thinking that Does it really worth it?
Service Providers including the biggies like Vodafone, Idea and Airtel have entered into mutual-roaming agreements within themselves. And, someone complained about the entire scenario to the TRAI, who issued a notice to all of them to stop doing the same.

The operators in return reported that all this which they were doing was well totally in their rights, with second largest operator Vodafone threatening TRAI to give back their 3G license and Airtel reporting that this would be a policy breach.

The Secretary of DoT (Department of Telecom) Mr. R Chandrasekhar said:

The decision has been taken that this (3G roaming pacts) is in violation of terms and conditions of the licence, DoT will be issuing notices asking them (mobile operators) to stop their service with immediate effect. But on penalty, no decision has been taken yet.

If we consider this as the final decision, it would mean that single provider can give their customers a service of Nation Wide 3G and ofcourse it will be a big inconvenience for almost all. The only telecom-providers who are in a state of  giving all their users a nationwide 3G now, are government owned MTNL and BSNL.

A lot of telecom industry leaders like Sunil Mittal (Bharti Airtel) and Kumar Mangalarm Birla(Idea Cellular) have already voiced their strong opposition to this. The World-wide head of Vodafone Telecom, Vittorio Colao had a personal meeting with PM Manmohan Singh in November to implement a stable Telecom Policy.

Rickshawale - Revolutionizing Transport in India |

Mumbaikars be happy. No longer do you have to risk your lives on the road, stopping an autorickshaw and asking if they would take you to your destination. All thanks to rickshawale.com, with the help of which you will get an autorickshaw waiting at your doorstep, to take you to your destination. And no more haggling of fares too. Rickshawale displays the exact fare on their website, so that you do not get cheated.

 

Following are excerpts from an interview with Hemant Jain, the brain behind Rickshawale.com

HnF : Is Rickshawale your first venture?

Hemant : Yes this is our first venture

HnF : What kind of backing did Rickshawale get?

Hemant : Initially the response from drivers was very poor, almost for 20 days we could not induct any driver as our member but subsequently as we increased our road shows and meeting the response improved and we started getting very good backing both from the drivers and the customers

HnF : What was the inspiration to start Rickshwale?

Hemant : In April 2010, i had a fracture on my leg and i had to use crutches to walk, at that time when i need to travel i had to send someone to bring an auto-rickshaw to my door step and then travel, at that time the thought occurred to me ” that why does an auto rickshaw not do a pick up from home like the Radio Cab”, the whole idea started from this thought and evolved into rickshawale.com

HnF : How is the turnout from Rickshawale?

Hemant : The turnout from rickshaw drivers is excellent and daily we are adding new members to the scheme

HnF : What kind of financing did Rickshawale have?

Hemant : The funding has been done from our own funds

HnF : How is it possible to coordinate between the network of auto drivers?

Hemant : The driver community is driven by groups, we have been able to convince the group leaders and they have been the main force for coordinating between the network of drivers

HnF : What are the marketing strategies adopted by Rickshawale?

Hemant : We presently have not done any marketing, our presence in Mumbai is known through the media and social network site. Our biggest marketing has been word of mouth by satisfied customers. Recently, LOOP Mobile has become our branding partners and through their network we have started our marketing.

HnF : What expansion plans does Rickshawale have in mind?

Hemant : We shall be definitely taking this model Pan-India, we have received many inquires from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and are in discussion but all this will only get going once we stablise Mumbai city operations.

Studies Systems Science at IIT Jodhpur. Entrepreneur at heart, believes that Sociopreneurship with the use of technology to revive traditional industries as the way out for India’s socio-economic problems. He is involved in a startup focussing on the same lines. An avid blogger, he realizes the potency of the medium to reach mass audiences. Catch him on twitter at @mohdrehan

autorickshaw, Bangalore, cab, Chennai, doorstep, drivers, fares, hemant, Hyderabad, jain, LOOP, mobile, Mumbai, Pune, radio, rickshaw, rickshawale, rickshawale.com, taxi

Mobile Marketing (Games and Apps), Advertising and India's Role in theMobile Industry [Analysis] |

Mobile Gaming in India is on a high like never before. A recent report said, In the Top 10 countries accounting for 83 per cent of the total downloads, India contributed 52 per cent.  The count is expected to rise further. Gaming is no more just aimed as a source of fun and leisure for the user – marketing through mobile gaming is the latest trend that has picked up steadily in the recent past.

A number of underlying factors contribute to this growth –

• The evolving mobile technology environment: Better and faster wireless networks: We had 2G and now we have 3G. Even 4G is coming in India by the next year.
• More advanced and easy-to-use handsets are enhancing the user experience.
• Features such as touchscreens, 3D capabilities and online interactivity allow content developers to improve games

The year 2008 kick-started the advent of advertisers in the mobile gaming world and the trend has been on the rise ever since. According to a recent report by Gartner, mobile ad revenue in the world is forecasted to reach $3.3 billion in 2011, more than doubling the $1.6 billion generated in 2010.

The reason for this is obvious; the penetration of cell phones has taken all of us by storm. In India it is higher when compared to personal computers; hence more people are likely to get their first gaming experience on a cell phone. Moreover, a large proportion of youth is keen to try out new games.

• Cellular service providers such as Vodafone and Reliance had capitalized on the popularity of mobile gaming in order to attract more subscribers by offering games for download through their websites.
• Companies like Reebok exploited the mobile gaming advertising arena with its game Zigtech, developed to promote the company’s ZigTech brand of trainers. The game was localised to suit the Indian market with features like a TV commercial showing the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) and wallpapers with Reebok brand ambassadors from India.
• On similar lines, MRM Worldwide, the global digital advertising company has recently launched a first of its kind, interactive mobile technology based game for their client Lufthansa German Airlines. The game uses the player’s phone and giant LED screens to create a real life experience of taxiing the world’s largest commercial aircraft into its hangar. Players simply have to dial in from their mobile phones to turn their keypad into a control panel that then manoeuvres the Lufthansa A380.

The above games, all launched by global organisations are aimed at marketing their brands to the consumer. They help support the company’s overall marketing campaign is a clever way, and are especially a hit if the game turns out to be simple and fun to play.

India with its strong IT sector should also have a strong role to play in the mobile apps and games industry. It has great potential to become an attractive destination for outsourcing of game development activities. It can capitalize on its strong reputation for outsourcing of IT/ITES services in this regard. But India will have to compete with South Korea and Taiwan whose talent pool is greater than that of India with regard to game development. Privacy, copyright issues and lack of skilled developers would be major roadblocks.

P.S. – Can we not do better than just outsourcing? I think we can. We can be world leaders in mobile development. On seeing the quality and usefulness of Indian apps like Taazza, SMSGyan, and SMS Blocker, I feel we are headed in the right way.

 Student of Information and Technology at IIIT-Allahabad. A programmer by chance and a blogger by heart. Staunch Roger Federer fan and loves reading novels. Wishes to make it BIG in life which acording to him is too short to do everything that he wants to. Read his personal musings on jack & spades Follow his tweets on @nishant0garg

Gartner, Lufthansa German Airlines, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, MRM Worldwide, Reebok, Reliance, SMS Blocker, SMSGyan, South Korea, Taazza, Taiwan, Vodafone, ZigTech

Kaamyaabi – Redefining Recruitment |

Today Indian Education system is precisely the world’s only education system which provide such a high output of job ready freshers, but due to lack of proper recruitment system or we could say a platform where companies can meet and interact with candidates the organizations tends to hire professionals locally at their ease due to which potentially better candidates are missed out most of the times.

Well, a new startup Kaamyaabi is on the radar now which aims to stuff this gap between a job seeker and a recruiter. Its redefining the way recruitment of fresh college graduates is done in India. While sourcing and intake of skilled freshers has been challenging, filtering and enhancing the talent has been even harder for entry level recruitment. Unlike other monotonous recruitment firms Kaamyaabi emphasize on quality rather than quantity and to achieve the same they offer a Job Admission Test (JAT) which is a unique test to help employers judge the employment suitability of the candidate.

A candidate enrolling for JAT is assessed on Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation and Personality type assessment. This methodology is simple and effective as it brings the candidate and prospective recruiter on a same platform. A candidate can be judged on the basis of JAT scores and can be placed by recruiters according to job suitability. This concept is quiet fresh and companies are showing trust on it, a recent survey shows that 18% of the shortlisted candidates were been placed in industry which is a record conversion rate.

Time is changing and so as the need to differentiate our system to make it more efficient and fruitful. In all Kaamyaabi is providing students an equal opportunity and access to a huge number of companies spread across various domains and with more challenging job-profiles which they might never have been able to get access to. Given the competitive nature of market, efforts like this to redefine the defined will always be appreciated in future.

Studies computer sciences at The University of Delhi. Extremely net savvy, loves to write and a real techie by heart, He aspires to pursue his career in computer sciences and software engineering industry

TRAI Orders Call, SMS, Data Usage Details to be Given to Prepaid Users|

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been, off late working very hard towards improving the affairs of telecom services in the country. So, while last week was about a new set of stringent rules being put forth to discipline the ways of telecom, by the way of Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2012; this week’s about bringing transparency in the services offered to the prepaid mobile service users in the country, according to an official post on the TRAI website.

Now, according to a directive issued by TRAI to all mobile phone operators, it will be mandatory for them to provide accurate updates regarding all the calls made and data downloads – each time voice and data services are consumed by a user. All the details, reportedly will be sent to the users via an SMS or via a USSD based flash message. These messages will include details like – the duration of calls or data usage (2G/3G), the charges deducted and the remaining prepaid account balance. This move will allow prepaid users to have an account of all the charges that have been levied on them.

Among other changes that have been added, the TRAI has decided to make identifying vouchers an easy task for the consumers, and hence have decided to take up color coding. There will now be a color band code with colors like red, green and yellow placed on the reverse of the voucher to differentiate between a Plan Voucher, Top Up Voucher and Special Tariff Vouchers.

 An IT student from CEM,Kolaghat. A Blogger, little bit of Web Developer, and a future Software Engineer. Love to spend time on social networking sites. Inspired by a single person who rules the tech world for many years with a single english letter ‘ i ‘.