I&B Ministry joins Facebook to create awareness about digitalisation

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has now decided to use the power of social media to address the issues related to the digitalisation. The ministry has created a Facebook account, through which it also aims to have more direct communication with the key stakeholders. The Facebook account is likely to help the ministry create more awareness among public about its policies and taking up a wide range of public concerns.

The ministry's Facebook account also features answers to some of the frequently asked queries and also provides users direct links to other organisations associated with digitisation. The government officials hope that the ministry will now efficiently deal with stakeholders such as multi-system operators and cable operators as well as provide a source of information for individuals.

It's learnt that the ministry plans to complete the digitisation of Cable sector by December 31, 2014. In the first phase of the plan, the ministry will digitise services in the four metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by June 30 this year. Check out the I&B Ministry's Facebook page here.

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AOC announces its entry into the Indian television market

AOC has announced it will be entering the TV business in India. The Taiwanese brand is part of TPV Technology Limited, which has been manufacturing LED and LCD displays for global distribution across Asia, Americas and Europe since 1999.

The company says it is looking to provide consumers the same level of satisfaction as it has with its computer displays in the past, with the “same promise of durability, performance and elegant design.”

AOC aims to become a household name and recognized brand for LCD and LED TVs in India, and to start with, will focus on B and C class cities. According to AOC, the Indian market is still migrating from CRT televisions to LCDs, and the company hopes to capture consumer’s attention by capitalizing on C and D class retailers with its attractive pricing. AOC will also partner with large format retailers and retail chain stores in A & B class cities.

Targetting the channel segment, AOC currently boasts of a 500-dealer network for TV sales in India, and plans to drastically expand its distribution network to over 2000 dealers by May 2012. The company says it intends to invest approximately Rs. 30 crore in the Indian TV market in 2012.

AOC TVs will come 3 years warranty, and will be backed by the more than 200 local service centres, and in-house call centre for 365-day service. You can check out the list of available AOC TV models in India, here. Prices start at roughly Rs. 15,500, for 22-inch models.

Ms. Seema T. Bhatnagar, Director, AOC TV India and SAARC, spoke on the company's aims in the country:

    "AOC TVs are designed for consumers' needs and lifestyles. We are introducing new models of AOC TVs endowed with superb technology. I am confident that our entry into this new product segment will enliven the industry and stimulate growth. The launch of AOC TVs will enable consumers to benefit from AOC premium standards and also demonstrate our commitment to enhancing our consumer's experiences. With this in mind, we expect to be one of the top brands in the local premium market in the years to come".
 

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Aakash II tablet to launch in April: Sibal

Union minister Kapil Sibal has said that an upgraded version of the Aakash tablet will be launched at the same price of the original Aakash tablet in April this year. Sibal said this while responding to a question in Lok Sabha during question hour today. The minister also revealed that DataWind, the company spearheading the Aakash I project, will be supplying one lakh high speed tablets with a longer battery life and improved screen.

Speaking about the new features, the minister add that the improved Aakash tablet will feature a 700MHz Cortex A8 processor, 3,200 mAh battery with three-hour usage time and a capacitative touchscreen, which were missing in the original Aakash tablet. The minister further said that the first phase of the project mainly focussed on students in higher technical educational institutions so that the government received technical feedback on the performance of the tablet.

On demands to provide the Aakash tablet to school students, Sibal said the same would be done after National Mission of Education through ICT for Schools received funds. The minister further said that the Aakash tablet project would prosper after the government builds production capacities and policies for distribution of the device with a special focus on students from marginalised sections of society.

The Aakash tablet is one of the most ambitious projects of the Indian government. The low-cost device is aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country. The Indian government, however, had a bitter experience with DataWind, as the company failed to provide a tablet that stood up to IIT's test criteria. The government has already faced heavy criticism over the Aakash fiasco.

DataWind has already launched a commercial version of the Aakash tablet as UbiSlate 7 and its upgraded version UbiSlate 7+. Check out our detailed coverage on the Aakash tablet here.

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Toshiba launches its PS20 Power TV televisions, starting Rs. 32,990

Toshiba has launched a brand new LED TV range in India, under its Power TV lineup, called the Toshiba PS20. Featuring a narrow 17mm bezel, the PS20 Power TV series is powered by the company’s powerful Regza display engine.

The Toshiba PS20 Power TV is available in three sizes – 32-inch, 40-inch and 46-inch – priced between Rs. 32,990 and Rs. 64,990. They feature 3 years warranty, and Toshiba is quick to point out its newly expanded service network, with centres in 195 cities across the country, as well as a dedicated 24x7 call centre.

According to the Japanese electronics giant, the Toshiba PS20 Power TV series is capable of playing back up to 28 video formats. The Regza display engine uses what Toshiba calls the “Power Meta Brain” to deliver crisp, high resolution images with vibrant colours - with a 10-bit video processor capable of reproducing over 1 billion colours.

The Toshiba PS20 LED TVs also boasts of the “Auto Clean” feature, which automatically reduces the noise during the transmission of the images. They also have the “Auto Signal Booster” and “AutoView” features, which improves signal sensitivity and auto-adjusts backlight brightness to the room, respectively.

Commenting on the launch of the new Toshiba PS20 LED Power TV series, Mr. Tengguo Wu, Director - DS Division, Toshiba India Private Ltd. said:

    “By incorporating amazing picture quality with superior performance and connectivity, well complimented by the magnificent design, Toshiba is delivering a marvelous TV today to India.”

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'More phones than toilets' - Census 2011 sheds light on changing India

India has seen a phenomenal growth in the field of communications in last one decade. From the era of landline telephones, we have now entered the world of smartphones. The country seems more wired than ever before. The first set of final data from Census 2011 also confirms the remarkable growth the in the field of communications. About 63.2 per cent households in India now own a telephone connection, up from 9 per cent 10 years ago. But in spite of all the talk of development and “phenomenal growth”, Census further reveals a contradictory story of the country. The census says more than half of Indian households (some 53.1 per cent) do not have access to something as basic as a toilet.

 These and many other interesting facts of changing lifestyle have come out in Census 2011. The data on housing, household amenities and assets show that there has been a complete transition in the country as millions have now access to high end technology and consumer goods but at the same time a massive number of people lack access to the most basic facilities.

Computers are still considered as luxury item with 20 per cent households in urban areas and 5 per cent in rural areas own one. Interestingly, almost 9 per cent of households that own computers, 6 per cent don't have Internet connection.

Another interesting fact that Census reveals is the changing character of the media. It says the number of people watching TVs has gone up by 16 per cent, but a 15 per cent dip in the number of people using radios and transistors for information. A total of 47.2 per cent of households own a television; only 19.9 per cent have either radio or transistors.

Census findings show India's uneven growth in different sectors. Evidently the government has succeeded in developing IT and communication sectors, but failed to push social development in rural and semi-urban areas at that pace. Do you think efforts should be made to achieve comprehensive growth? Let us know in the comments section below:

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HTC starts rolling out Android 4.0 ICS upgrade for 16 of its smartphones

HTC has confirmed rolling out the much-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade to its smartphones including HTC Sensation and Sensation XE. In a blog, the company said that it has already begun releasing Android 4.0 ICS upgrade for as many as 16 HTC  devices. HTC said that the upgrade will be made available over-the-air. Users will receive a notification regarding the upgrade through which they can download and install the updates on their devices. HTC, however, suggests users should use Wi-Fi to download these update to avoid data charges.

The HTC devices that will be getting the ICS update and are available in the Indian market are HTC Sensation, Sensation XE, Sensation XL, Desire S, Desire HD, Evo 3D, Incredible S, and Rhyme. The devices getting the update but are not launched in India are roid Incredible 2 by HTC, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC EVO Design 4G, HTC Sensation 4G, HTC Raider, HTC Rezound, HTC Thunderbolt, and HTC Vivid.

“As for timing, we’re in the early stages of rolling out Android 4.0 for the HTC Sensation and HTC Sensation XE and upgrades will be more widely available in the next few weeks. The update for the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Sensation XL will follow. Please note, once we start pushing out updates it will take time for all carriers in each country to get the update,” said the HTC blog.

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Toshiba launches Portege Z830 Ultrabook in India for Rs. 96,290

Toshiba has entered the Ultrabook market in India with the launch of the Toshiba Portege Z830. Toshiba claims that the Portege Z830 is the lightest Ultrabook available in the market, weighing a mere 1.2 kgs. The device was launched in the U.S. way back in September 2011.

The Toshiba Portege Z830 boasts of an ultra slim design. The device measures a mere 0.63-inches thin and has a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1366x768. Under the hood, the device is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 128GB SSD, one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, a HDMI port and a display connector. Toshiba also claims that the backlit keyboard is spill resistant.

The Portege Z830 runs on Windows 7 and will cost consumers Rs. 96,290. That’s more expensive than the top of the line 13-inch MacBook Air. You could get an entry level 13-inch MacBook Air with 128GB SSD, 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, Two USB 2.0 ports Thunderbolt port and an SD card slot for Rs. 73,900.

If you are in the market to pick up an Ultrabook, here’s a look at some Ultrabooks you can pick up today in India.

If you are skeptical and want to see what Ultrabooks are expected to launch in the near future, here’s a look at 7 Ultrabook to look out for in 2012.

If you are wondering whether you should pick up a laptop or an Ultrabook here’s a quick guide on Laptops vs Ultrabooks.

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