BANGALORE:
A Bangalore-based jewellery firm presented a gold-plated silver World Cup trophyreplica to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday.
The replica is made of 4.5kg of silver with 60 gm of gold plating.
Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar is here to play in the Indian Premier League ( IPL) match againstRoyal Challengers Bangalore.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / PTI / Apr 12th, 2011
BANGALORE:
The spell bee competition was cakewalk for Bangalore’s students. With a whopping 76 out of 80 in the preliminary written test and 15 of 16 in the final rapid-fire, the topper, along with other finalists, gave a jaw-dropping performance at theHDFC Life Spell Bee 2011, powered by The Times ofIndia in association with Everon Education Ltd and Flipkart.com. It was held at Dr B R Ambedkar Bhavan on Sunday.
Lavanya Krishna, a class eight student at Presidency School, R T Nagar, won the city finals that was attended by 400 students from 60 schools. She will now head to Mumbai for the grand finale.
The organizers didn’t hide their admiration for the participants. “The standard that we see here far exceeds the ones I’ve witnessed in many other cities where we have conducted spell bees. In the written test, which was taken by 400 students, we had to make the cut-off 66 as against the minimum score of 50. The level of competition was the best here. The only drawback we see is in the pronunciation of letter `h’ among students,” they said.
In the four final rounds, students were asked to spell words based on the picture they saw and the words the conductor called out. They had to correct misspelt words that appeared in poems. This ranged from Wordsworth’s `Daffodils’ to Elizabeth Browning’s `How do I love thee’. In the rapid-fire round, 16 words were called out in a minute’s time to be spelt. Pugnacious, malevolence, intelligentsia __ there was no stopping these children.
An avid reader, Lavanya, has taken part in spell bee competitions held in the past two years. This year, she participated despite having chemistry exams at her heels. “The only secret is my reading habit. During dinner time, I have small drills with father. I am not too good with those French words,” she said. It’s not just words that fascinate her, there’s cooking too. “She bought a recipe book with a voucher she had. When I want a day off she pitches in,” said her mother Vidya Krishna.
The winner of the grand finale will be sent by The Times of India to the USAto experience theScripps National Spelling Bee.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / TNN / Mar 28th, 2011
Dawson’s ongoing photo exhibition at the Renaissance Gallerie is the culmination of his feelings and emotions for the bar. “I first went to the bar almost 10 years ago when I was still in college,” says the nostalgic photographer. At the moment, 16 of the 19 black and white pictures adorn the walls of the gallery. “I began taking pictures when I got to know that the bar was finally closing shop. Some of the pictures were taken almost two years ago,” reveals Dawson.
Initially Dawson’s photography of the bar had a personal agenda. “These pictures were meant only for me,” he emphasises. But the urge to share it with fellow fans of Dewar was too strong, and the idea of exhibiting ‘Dewar’s — a eulogy’ was conceived.
“The images are progressive in nature — from a ‘pulled back’ shot of the pillars to the close-up of chairs and windows,” says Dawson.
Talking about the experiences that he and his friends had in the bar, he says, “The place had a potpourri of people. The rates were divided into two — bar counter rate and table rate. Table rate was obviously cheaper.”
He also says, “We used to have so much of fun just watching all these people. It has to be experienced.” Narendra Jain, another Dewar loyalist shares theA same feeling. He says, “It is probably the kind of place that every teenager dreams of owning. It didn’t feel like a bar. Probably the only place you’d see autodrivers and women (wearing skirts) drinking in the same vicinity. Not to forget ‘Bhaskar’ (the waiter), who knew everyone’s orders by heart. It was an amazing place.”
Dawson’s exhibition will be on till March 25 at Renaissance Gallerie, Cunningham Road.
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Zoya Philip / Express News Service / Mar 23rd, 2011
BANGALORE:
Finland-based mobile software firm Qvantel Oy, which has Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and TeliaSonera among its clients, is setting up a centre of excellence in Bangalore to provide software product engineering services to global mobile handset manufacturers and operators, a company official said.
“As part of our growth strategy, we are expanding our operations in India with a centre of excellence here by September to provide software applications and engineering services to global telecom vendors and chip-set makers,” Qvantel’s Indian subsidiary vice-president Rajesh Sengamedu told IANS.
The subsidiary has a software development centre in Hyderabad where about 50 engineers outsource services and support systems to the company’s tier-1 customers in Europe.
“The Bangalore centre, with an upfront investment of Rs.3-4 crore (Rs.30-40 million), will have about 30 engineers initially to execute some of the projects for our Scandinavian telecom handset and chipset customers with the advantage of an offshore environment,” Sengamedu said.
The euro 10 million (Rs.550 million) Helsinki firm offers products, solutions and services to tier-1 handset manufacturers, leading cellular operators and network vendors across Europe and Asia.
Elisa, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, TeliaSonera, ST-Ericsson, Yoigo, Aina group and TDC are some of its leading enterprise customers.
“The presence of our Nordic customers with their research and development (R&D) centres is another factor to expand our India operations to Bangalore, which offers opportunities to provide our domain expertise to other major handset manufacturers and chipset vendors,” Sengamedu noted.
With mobile handsets evolving into multi-applications devices, companies like Qvantel provide embedded software codes for rich features before products are shipped to customers by the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).
“Mobiles are no more a mere voice or data devices but a virtual platform for a host of applications and a range of services customers are aspiring to meet their growing needs at ease,” Sengamedu pointed out.
Even before the entry of the third generation (3G) service through private operators, around one-third of over 600 million subscribers in India use their handsets for a variety of functions ranging from calendar, chat, email, games, productivity, social networking, maps and browsing.
“These functions require a host software applications and support that are outsourced from third-party vendors like us by OEMs, which rollout different models to meet the needs of different customers,” Sengamedu said.
ST Ericssion, Infineon, Broadcom, MediaTek and Renesas are some of the leading hardware players, which provide platforms for software firms such as Android, RIM, iPhone, Symbian OS, Java, Flash Lite and Brew to build the applications in partnership with middle-level enterprises like Qvantel.
The seamless integration and extension of the net to the mobile platform has created multiple opportunities for software services on client-server model.
“Market studies estimate the current value of mobile handset related software outsourcing opportunity is $2-3 billion worldwide. In addition, large Indian OEMs and chipset vendors outsource software R&D services worth $300 million currently,” Sengamedu observed.
The Bangalore centre will also target OEMs, chipset vendors and design centres outside Europe to scale its operations over the next two years to 200 engineers and generate export revenue of about Rs.30 crore (Rs.300 million) by 2012 from Rs.2 crore (Rs.20 million) this calendar year (2010).
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Fakir Balaji / Express News Services / July 10th, 2010
BANGALORE:
The Karnataka government is setting up a dedicated Aerospace Park near the Bangalore international airport at Devanahalli on the city’s outskirts to attract global majors and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), an official said Thursday.
“Of the proposed 1,000-acre Aerospace Park, about 800 acres of land has been acquired by the state government to facilitate global aerospace majors and several SMEs set up manufacturing and ancillary units for domestic and export markets,” state’s Industrial Development Commissioner Raj Kumar Khatri told reporters here.
The state government will earmark about 250 acres in the park to create a special economic zone (SEZ) with incentives and facilities offered by the central government for 100 percent dedicated export units.
“Being the country’s aerospace hub, we are showcasing Bangalore as an ideal destination for investing in this sunrise sector. The presence of various state-run defence research and development organisations, scientific and educational institutions and defence behemoths such as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) provides an ecosystem to promote the aerospace industry in a big way,” Khatri said.
As India’s tech hub with a huge talent pool, Bangalore already boasts of being home to global aerospace majors such as Boeing, Airbus, Snecma, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell and BAE Systems.
Coinciding with the eighth Aero India 2011 trade fair in the city from Feb 9-13, the state government has scheduled a series of meetings with global firms and business delegations to discuss investments in wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and expansion of their existing operations in the Indian sub-continent.
“Business delegations from Germany, France, Russia, the US and other countries will explore investment opportunities in the Aerospace Park in their meetings with the state chief minister (B.S. Yeddyurappa) and top officials during the upcoming air show,” Khatri said.
A 35-member American delegation, led by Indo-US Business Council president Ron Somers and representatives from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Raytheon will call on the chief minister Feb 8 to discuss investment proposals.
Similarly, Rolls-Royce India president Anil Shrikhande and Honeywell Technology Lab’s Krishna Mikkilineni will call on the state’s Industry Minister Murgesh Nirani and officials Feb 9, followed by a delegation from North Carolina in the US, headed by its Commerce Department Secretary J. Keith Crisco Feb 10.
“We are looking forward to sign a few agreements with global and Indian firms for investments in the aerospace sector and setting up their operations in the upcoming park,” Khatri added.
Lockheed Martin India Ltd director Jagmohan Singh, UK-based Wolver Hampton city council head Joy Patel and a delegation from the French aerospace industries association (Gifas) will also be calling on the chief minister to discuss their interests in the Aerospace Park.
source: IANS / http://www.expressbuzz.com / Express News Services / Feb 03rd, 2011
LONDON/BANGALORE:
Researchers, including one of Bangalore origin, found that a new form of insulin that needs to be taken three times a week is as effective as the once-a-day medication. Clinical trials, held in India, Canada, South Africa and the US, showed that the new longer-acting form of insulin, called Degludec, works effectively in controlling blood sugar among patients with Type 2 diabetes.
One in three patients with type-2 diabetes, whose body does not produce enough insulin, currently has to get insulin at least once a day to keep the blood sugar under check.
Researchers, led by Dr Yogish Kudva who and Dr Ananda Basu from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in the US, said that patients might stick to their medical regime if it was less onerous. Dr Kudva, an alumni of the St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, informed Express over e-mail that the trials were held from January to August 2008. The paper had two other authors from India — Prof P V Rao of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences University, Hyderabad, and Prof N Thomas of the Christian Medical College, Vellore, according to Dr Kudva.
Asked when the drug could possibly be available in India, Dr Kudva said it would depend on the regulatory agency review of ongoing trial data.
For their trials, the researchers recruited 245 people with Type 2 diabetes, who had not previously been prescribed insulin.
Two-thirds were told to use Degludec once a day or three times a week. The remainder had daily jabs of insulin glargine — a widely used medication. Findings showed similar control of blood sugar levels across all three groups, the researchers reported in the British medical journal ‘The Lancet’.
But those given daily jabs of Degludec had fewer attacks of hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar, they said.
Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk hopes to apply for licensing approval to market the drug in 2013. (With PTI inputs)
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Express News Services / Mar 11th, 2011
BANGALORE:
The first commercial biodiesel unit owned by Eco Green Fuels Pvt Ltd was launched here on Sunday. Inaugurating the plant, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and BJP national president Nitin Gadkari appreciated the initiative.
Further, Gadkari said, “Starting Monday we are organising a twoday conference on bioenergy. After the conference we will have a better idea about the situation of biofuel in the state and can come up with other propositions. Our country has been importing about 90 per cent of crude oil from other countries, so biodiesel would be a good substitute for diesel.”
Julesh Bantia, director, Eco Green Fuels Pvt Ltd, said, “As of now the unit has a capacity to produce about 5,000 litres of biodiesel per day. The machine is indigenously built inhouse by our technicians and R D team. Depending on the requirement, we are planning to increase the manufacturing capacity
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Express News Service / Feb 21st, 2011
According to a survey conducted by Aspiring Minds Research Cell, an employability measurement and recruitment firm, the city topples even the national capital Delhi. Southern cities, Hyderabad and Chennai get third and fifth spots respectively.
The scale of the survey includes 19,000 engineering student samples across India.
Himanshu Aggarwal, founder and director, Aspiring Minds, said, “In India, Bangalore is the engineers’ Mecca. It offers growth, options and a community of like-minded people. Bangalore has undoubtedly the largest base in terms of IT companies, opportunities and an existing engineering population.” Well, that is just one part of the story. Biotechnology (BT) is another sector which attracts a huge mass of prospective employees from all over the country. Biotech pioneer Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw said, “In this field, Bangalore has the largest number of opportunities for engineering students. As there are a large number of BT firms, the ecosystem is very good. There are a lot of young engineers and scientists who come up with innovative ideas and set up organisations which makes a lot of difference in evoking interest among young graduates,” she explained.
Techie Chandi Prasad of Orissa now settled in Bangalore said, “Compared to Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, Bangalore has more opportunities.” Bangalore has a range of jobs and there is a demand for good people, said Mohandas Pai, Director, HR, Infosys Technologies.
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Chokkapan S / Express News Service / Mar 03rd, 2011
BANGALORE:
“A hundred thousand years ago Bangalore was a village. It has been in existence since 900AD. In the 13th century in the Tamil inscriptions at the Someshwara temple, the city is mentioned as ‘Vengaluru’. After Kempegowda the chieftain of Yelahanka Nadu a feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire founded this city, he named it as Bengalooru and made it the capital.” said professor Devara Kondaiah Reddy.
He was speaking at the lecture, ‘Future Vision of Kempegowda on Growth of Bangalore city,’ organised by the Institution of Engineers, Karnataka State Centre in association with The Institution of Valuers, Bangalore branch. The lecture covered the story of Bangalore’s development as a trade centre and also threw light on the many invasions the city saw, due to its location and resources.
“From the 15th century Bangalore became a trade centre attracting many people from the surrounding areas. People from Hikari and Mysore came to Bangalore to do their business. Kempegowda then built many tanks in the city some which even exist today, so that these people could live here and use water for everyday purposes. Also he built four towers to mark the boundaries of the city. Further he constructed many roads like the one from Shivagange to connect the city. Vijayanagar dynasty was prosperous because they emphasised on trading,” professor Reddy further added.
The city developed each time new invaders conquered it. After Kempegowda there were many invasions. “At the time of Tipu he invited many people for trading purposes as well. He built an army training centre and also dealt with the trading of silk in a big way. He further developed the city. He encouraged people to engage in business and network through different cities,” said Reddy.
Bangalore as a city that we know today still remains a trading hub. One of the primary reasons for that is the city retains a majority of its historic significance and speaks volumes about the its rulers.
“Bangalore is not like any other city in the country. A look around the city will give you a glimpse of its iconic past. When the British invaded and defeated Tipu, they built the Cantonment area which still exits. The British wanted to further modernise the city and connect it through railways,” Reddy explained. He maintains that Bangalore which is now called Bengaluru attracted the many invaders because Kempegowda found the city’s potential and enhanced it further.
“The primary reason that prompted people to come to Bangalore was the amenities built and explored by Kempegowda. It was during his time that the city came into existence,” he said.
source:http://www.expressbuzz.com / Express News Service / May 14th, 2011
Sharing their operational model, company officials said Google’s cars and Trikes, a specially designed three-wheel pedicab with a camera system mounted on top, will begin driving and taking street-level photographs of public locations around the city.
The images will be made available in the coming months in Street View on Google Maps. The company did not the reveal the exact day of the feature’s launch.
Stating that the maps technology was already available in 27 other countries, they said this allows users to virtually explore and navigate a neighbourhood through panoramic street-level images. They added that the product would be available on Google Maps for mobiles. Company officials said they would start gathering images from select locations in the area over the next few weeks.
Speaking about their new venture, product head of the company, Vinay Goel said they had decided to start driving in Bangalore because it is the IT capital of India and feel that IT-savvy users will be able to leverage the benefits of the product to the fullest. He said Street View was also useful for urban development planners, law enforcement agencies, house hunters and travellers.
Addressing concerns of security and privacy, he said the product will respect privacy and has developed highly sophisticated technology that blurs faces and number plates of vehicles.
Goel said the product was designed to comply with local laws, including those of security and privacy
source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Express News Service / May 27th, 2011