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Bollywood comes to Blu-ray via Om Shanti Om
We know, Bollywood already has a high-definition format of choice, but given that HD VMD isn't apt to catch on anytime soon, we'd say choosing Blu-ray as a backup is a fairly intelligent move. According to numerous reports and a product page on Amazon, Om Shanti Om will be making the leap to BD next week (January 22nd), and while absolutely nothing is known about special features, audio tracks, etc., it can be pre-ordered as we speak for just under $17. 'Course, it remains to be seen if the whole of Bollywood bolts in Blu's direction -- or if a substantial amount of viewers here in America even notice.[Via Blu-ray, thanks Bhargav N.]
Tata Motors' $2,500 NANO automobile gets official
While many around the globe have their eyes fixated on the events going down in Las Vegas this week, the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, India is managing to steal at least a hint of the limelight. Announced today, Tata Motors' $2,500 "1-Lakh" car will actually see production in India later this year, and it has affectionately been dubbed the NANO. For those not keen on such a title, it can also be recognized as "The People's Car," but it seems "The Person's Car" may have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, this little bundle of automotive joy will feature an all-aluminum, two-cylinder engine that can deliver around 54 US miles per gallon, and while stripped down would be a gross understatement, it does promise to "exceed current regulatory (read: safety) requirements." Hit the read link for Tata's official release along with a plethora of photos.[Image courtesy of Manan Vatsyayana/Raveendran for Getty]
Indian computer hardware sales driven with MMOs as "killer app"
According to a report on the burgeoning Indian gaming market (which to date registers sales of only $48 million), massively multiplayer online games are one of the major forces driving both the growth of the greater gaming industry and the sales of modern personal computers. Many are hoping that the Indian gaming market is going to undergo a similar boom as the one that has propelled China and Korea into competition with more traditional markets like the US, Europe, and Japan, with the report speculating an almost ten times growth in sales over the next decade.At present, the biggest bottleneck to success of the current generation of MMOs is the fact that most Indian homes currently lack broadband internet access. Game makers are hoping that a promised boom in broadband connectivity in the sub-continent, coupled with the proliferation of dedicated gaming cafes, will lead to a boom in the development of MMOs. At present, casual games are still the most played, as they are accessible to players with slow internet connections. It'll be interesting to see how the Indian gaming market develops over the coming decade, and whether it will be able to affect the direction of MMOs as the other asian markets have. The report is definitely worth looking at if you're interested in the business of games and globalization.
Australia / India Twenty20 match to be aired in 1080i
In what's believed to be an Australian first, the Twenty20 matchup between Australia and India is slated to be aired in 1080i. The event, which will occur on February 1, 2008 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, will be shot and broadcast in high-definition on Australia's Nine Network. The announcement is coming in the midst of competition between Seven, Nine and Ten to ramp up HD offerings, as Ten is already planning to broadcast every single 2008 AFL (Australian Football League) contest in HD while Seven aims to show the Beijing Olympics in 1080i. Meanwhile, we Americans will be gearing up for Super Bowl XLII.
Tata Motors' $2,500 1-Lakh car gets detailed
Remember that uber-cheap, almost entirely plastic car that India's Tata Motors was working up? Turns out, the still codenamed 1-Lakh automobile is expected to launch in mid-2008 and get around 15 miles-per-liter, which should give the Maruti 800 some serious competition in the budget car arena. According to R. A. Mashelkar, a nonexecutive director on Tata Motors' board, it should provide ample room in "both the front and rear" for a six-foot individual, and he also noted that a "new kind of welding" would be used instead of bolts in a variety of locations on the motorcar. Still, there's just something about the idea of riding in a brand new $2,500 vehicle that doesn't sit well with us -- probably something to do with the dearth of safety features, but who knows.
aloft to open two fanciful Indian hotels in 2010, HDTVs included
We've seen a number of US hotel developments including those four delightful letters (that would be HDTV, for the uninitiated), but now a pair of options in India should enable those traveling to Chennai and Bangalore to enjoy such high-resolution niceties. aloft hotels has recently announced plans to partner up with Urbanedge Hotels Private Limited to open up a hotel in the two aforementioned areas, both of which will supposedly open in 2010. aloft Chennai is slated to feature 140 guest rooms while aloft Bangalore will include 170, and both locations will tout WiFi and the ability to connect cellphones, DAPs and other gadgetry to an unspecified "large flat-panel HDTV." Sounds like a visit is in order in just a few years, no?[Image courtesy of Hotel-Online]
Marshall Media and VSNL bringing HD VOD to India
In quite an interesting development, California's own Marshall Media has teamed up with a leading telecommunications company in Asia in order to deliver HD "American infotainment" to broadband customers in India. More specifically, Marshall Media will dish out content such as its own "Road to the American Dream" alongside other programs that cover informative topics (i.e. healthcare seminars) and comedies. Notably, the high-definition media will be delivered using a "video-on-demand digital streaming system," and at least initially, it will require Windows Media Player for playback. Marshall Media is also toying with the idea of providing "live HD broadcasting for various types of events, with the help of VSNL's INMARSAT satellite communications services" in the future, but for now, we're still left without a clue as to when the service will actually launch and how much coin it'll demand.
SOE blueprints India studio
EverQuest developer Sony Online Entertainment is seeking a summer home in India. Speaking at a conference in Mumbai, India (via Next-Gen), SOE VP of international operations Dave Christensen said that they are seeking local partners to help find creative talent and "chip in" towards founding a studio. "We need to have Indian content for our games and we are looking for local partners," said Christensen. SOE announced in August plans to develop an MMO based on Ramayan 3392 A.D., itself based upon an Indian epic. While an Indian-based studio sounds like a perfect fit for the MMO, no announcements were made regarding what projects the India study will be working on.SOE has already claimed land, with flags in tow, in Taiwan, Austin, Texas and Seattle Washington.[Via Massively]
SOE heading to India
A story at Next Generation hints at new international expansion plans for Sony Online Entertainment. All year they've been planning moves into new markets, with not only 'usual suspects' China and Korea under consideration but locales like Vietnam and the Philippines in the mix as well. This week they've announced one of their first steps along those lines: a new studio in India. The studio will open early next year and, among other projects, will support Sony's planned release of the Ramayan 3392 A.D MMOG. "We need to have Indian content for our games and we are looking for local partners," said Dave Christensen, VP of business development and international operations at SOE, speaking during a gaming conference in Mumbai, India. "We will contribute our technology to the joint venture," he added.
BenQ intros MP511+ DLP projector in Indian market
BenQ's MP511+ isn't the swankiest of PJs, but it should do just fine in the average boardroom, classroom or living area. The DLP projector sports an SVGA (800 x 600) native resolution, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 2,100 ANSI lumens, BrilliantColor technology, VGA / component / S-Video / composite inputs and the ability to "adjust red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow independently for hue, saturation and value." Additionally, this unit boasts a wall color correction feature that enables you to satisfactorily view content sans a white wall, and it shouldn't whir above 32dB while in operation. Considering the ho hum list of amenities, the Rs 31,499 price tag seems about right (if not a touch high), and apparently, you can snatch this up in the States for around $619 if it tickles your fancy.[Via AboutProjectors, image courtesy of BenQ]
India's Tata announces plans for hydrogen car
India -- already an established presence in the alternative fuels space -- has announced that it will be joining the US, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands in rolling out a hydrogen-powered car next year. The country's space agency (ISRO) has teamed up with Tata Motors -- makers of the recently-revealed plastic car -- to develop a fuel cell vehicle whose only emissions will be water vapor, critical for a developing country whose pollution woes are only getting worse. According to ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, while the hydro-car is scheduled for 2008 completion, mass production has yet to be determined.[Thanks, Raghu]
India's Prasar Bharati plans for HDTV in 2010
The digital broadcasting changeover continues worldwide, this time it's India's national broadcaster, Prasar Bharati planning to introduce HDTV by 2010, and go all-digital by 2015. The target event is the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, while other nations focus on readying themselves for the Olympics or World Cup. The report indicates the country's information & broadcasting ministry is already behind in phase one of its digitization plans, but hopefully they'll have things ready in the next 1050 days.
40GB PS3 coming to India by December
With India home to the world's second-largest population, it only makes sense for Sony to devote some attention to the country. According to Atindriya Bose, India's PlayStation country manager, Sony is doing just that as it's set to launch the 40GB PS3 in December. "We are currently selling the 60GB PS3, the 40GB PS3 has been launched in many of the European markets, it's just a logistics issue that we might have around one, one and a half month delay," he said. "By the time we hit December, you will have the 40GB PS3 in the [Indian] market at a price point that matches the European market."While the 40GB looks destined to hit India by the close of the year, Sony is also looking into adding PS3 starter packs, as well, Bose said. Either way you look at it, it's clear that Sony plans to dominate the world with the 40GB PS3 one country at a time.
IBM's BlueGene/L: world's fastest supercomputer, 3 years running
The TOP500 supercomputing list was just announced and IBM's BlueGene/L system has kept its crown. In fact, IBM's and the Department of Energy's co-developed monster at Lawrence Livermore has occupied the number 1 position since 2004. Of course, an upgrade was required boost the Linpack benchmark to 478.2 TFlop/s from the 280.6TFlop/s the machine was clocking just 6 months ago. The top 10 swath is dominated by the US, Sweden, and Germany with India breaking into the list for the first time at the number 4 position with its HP Cluster Platform 3000 BL460c system measuring 102.8TFlop/s. [Via Impress]
Xbox and Windows Live hit India November 5th
[Insert V for Vendetta joke here.] Indian gamers have a reason to celebrate next month, as Live for both Xbox 360 and Games for Windows will launch there on November 5th. A 12-month subscription will run 2200 rupees ($55 USD) and a 1600 MS Point card will cost 1070 rupees. That's roughly $27 USD, so Indians will be paying slightly more than Americans for their virtual currency. Xbox Live Marketplace content for India will be considered part of Asia, so any content available on the Asian XBLM (including XBLA games and movies), will be available to India. The Indian Video Marketplace will have Indian films available for download as well. Finally, India's Marketplace will be host to educational content for grades 1-12. What exactly that entails, we don't know, but we're sure it makes for good marketing.[Via Joystiq]Read: Xbox Live, Games for Windows launches Nov. 5Read: Microsoft India launches Xbox live
India caves to OLPC, gets 22 units to try out
A lot can change in a year -- tastes, moods, the value of one's currency... -- and apparently, India's stance on One Laptop Per Child has shifted so dramatically from last July that 22 of the low-cost machines have actually arrived for testing. Reportedly, officials didn't give up after being practically rejected by India's education minister, and now 22 lucky youngsters in a one-room school in Maharashtra are getting the chance to participate in a pilot program. Carla Gomez-Monroy, the education consultant who launched the test, stated that OLPC "has learned that working with local partners will be crucial in India, where dozens of languages are spoken." Of course, the far smaller minimum order quantity probably helped matters too, and while there's no commitment from India to buy heaps of XOs anytime soon, Gomez-Monroy suggested that distribution could broaden "as soon as June" of next year.[Image courtesy of Flickr]
Xbox Live India launches Nov. 5
The country of India obtains access to Xbox Live beginning November 5. A 12-month subscription to the service will cost 2200 rupees ($55 USD). 1600 MS Points (which is fake currency to begin with), normally $20 in the States, will cost 1070 rupees ($27). Indian XBLA will supposedly be tied into Asia, so if a game is available there, it should be available on the marketplace.Apparently a key difference between India's Xbox Live and others is the "educational content." According to those at the event held at the Shangri-la Hotel in New Delhi, Microsoft announced India will be the first country with learning aids for grades 1-12. We have no idea at this point what that means, but if they being offering XBLA Number Munchers or Oregon Trail in the States, that's an automatic 400 to 800 MS Points spent right there. And, of course, Bollywood productions will be available through the Xbox Marketplace.Read: Xbox Live, Games for Windows launches Nov. 5Read: Microsoft India launches Xbox live
Meet iRobo, the Bangladeshi scrapbot
An enterprising graduate student from Bangladesh could be possibly pulling the rug out from under the robotics community with a pet-project he's been working on. According to reports, Feroz Ahmed Siddique of the International Islamic University in Chittagong says he's created a bot that -- when complete -- will pick up objects, mop floors, and perform other simple tasks. The robot, un-creatively named "IRobo" supposedly responds to voice commands, has spatial intelligence, and was made from scrap parts found at electronic and auto shops. "On completion, this robot will comply with different verbal commands for tasks like shifting objects, cleaning floors and standing guard," Siddique says, adding, "I hope people will be able to buy it for less than $1,000." Apparently, the student of engineering has been working on the robot for two years, and is already in talks with an Australian software company about production. Sure, it seems to just be a giant RC car, but soon we may all be getting our floors mopped by the IRobo... hopefully they'll get him a new helmet first. Check the video after the break to see your new robotic friend in action.
Novatium's $113 netPC offered to internet-deprived MTNL customers
While it's not quite free, folks in India that are having a hard time securing a PC (let alone an internet connection) will soon have another alternative. Reportedly, Novatium's stripped-down ₨4,500 ($113) netPC, which will be "connected to a centralized server in the locality by MTNL," will act like a dumb terminal in users' homes. Consequently, applications will all be stored outside of the actual PC, but customers will be allowed 2GB of remote storage and access to the internet, the latter of which will require "a small monthly fee." To promote the offering, the firms are touting the system as one that is immune to traditional viruses and provides a low total cost of ownership, and buyers can even choose whether they'd like to work on Windows or Linux. Sorry, Mac lovers.[Thanks, Jagannath A.]
Karnataka, India banning cellphones for kids under 16?
We can't even imagine what would happen here in the US of A if our government suddenly stopped everyone under the age of 16 from chatting it up on a mobile, but it looks like we just may find out how it goes down overseas when Karnataka, India does just that. Reportedly, its government is going to "ban cellphone use by children less than 16 years on the basis of advice of medical experts," and while specifics weren't divulged, apparently someone up high believes that "prolonged use of [handsets] by teenagers does affect their health" in an adverse way. Additionally, mobile dealers will no longer be allowed to sell handsets to youngsters under 16, and while a hard date for the ban hasn't been announced just yet, notification should be "issued soon." [Via OnlyGizmos, image courtesy of BBC]
