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India leapfrogs USA to become Nokia's second largest market
No real shock here, but according to Nokia, India has just overtaken America as the handset maker's number two market. 'Course, China is still hanging tight to the top spot for now, but Nokia execs are expecting "demand to remain strong as India's user base surges." Interestingly, President Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo reportedly suggested that he didn't expect the demand in India to be limited to "low-cost phones," hinting that mid-range to high-end handsets may take off there after all. Oh, and Nokia had previously expected India to become its second largest market by volume "by 2010, if not sooner" -- so it looks like things are moving well ahead of schedule, eh?
India's Tata Motors developing uber-cheap plastic automobile
Although Tata Motors has recently been talked about for its air-powered City Cat, the next big small thing to roll off of its assembly lines may only be fit for the fearless. The reason, interestingly enough, is not that the automaker is aiming to release a comparatively small four-door car for under $3,000, but that "much of it will be [made of] plastic." Reportedly, the company "has yet to release [an official] name for the car or even a sketch of what it might look like," and moreover, the "low manufacturing costs in developing countries" were pinned as a primary cause for the incredible affordability. And you thought driving around in a $30,000 sedan made entirely in China would be frightening.[Via Fark, image courtesy of TIME]
Advergaming hits Indian movie industry
ZDNet is reporting on Bollywood3D, a new company set up to release promotional games for India's famously prolific film industry. Unlike movie-based games in the States, which count on a box office bump from the film's premiere, Bollywood3D games will come out ahead of the movie to create early buzz, including built-in contests for merchandise and premiere tickets.Bollywood's famous musicals won't be adapted to start -- early games will instead let you take control of big Bollywood action stars like Emran Hashmi and Salman Kahn. With budgets of $100,000 and and a development cycle of two months, the games aren't likely to be AAA blockbusters in their own right. But as a marketing promotion aimed at India's millions of computer owners, it might just work. Hey, if they can sell two million Burger King games, anything is possible.
Male-centric MavTV readies HD feed for 2008
Despite the fact that Mojo is already vying for male eyes, the independently operated MavTV is hoping that a 100-percent HD flavor of its programming will steal a few of those pupils in 2008. The network is planning on dishing its HD feed to some 55 US markets, as well as select areas in Australia, New Zealand, and India, and will offer up a mixture of "original sports, gaming programming, and general content related to the male demographic." Unfortunately, we've no timeframe to go by aside from Q1 of next year, but you won't find us complaining about yet another purely high-definition channel coming along to take on the competition.
Cellphone moos, Indian leopards fooled
Got leopards? Officials in western India have discovered a novel approach to capturing wayward individuals without having to resort to live bait or potentially dangerous pit traps. The angle is pretty clever, pile some critter sounds on a mobile -- cows and goats are favorites -- plug it into some speakers in a cage and let it rip. This technique has apparently worked a handful of times so far, with the captured cats then safely delivered to a new home in the woods. We're hoping nobody gets silly and test drives Emotive's push ringer on some unsuspecting sap while on safari.
Indian air-powered City Cat car prepares for production run
The first commercial car to be powered by compressed air could be about to hit the production lines, as Indian automaker Tata Motors prepares to build ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre's design. We're not certain if it's the same air car that we hit just under three years ago, but if it is, it's about time! The City Cat runs on nothing but compressed air -- which can be refueled at "air stations," and overnight using a built-in compressor -- with a not too shabby top speed of 68MPH and a range of 125 miles. The Air Car designers are working on a hybrid version that can compress air while it's operating, potentially making cross-India journeys possible: Toyota Prius, eat your hybrid heart out. As EcoGeek points out, the game ain't up just yet for completely emissions free travel since the problem of the source of the electricity (usually acquired from fossil fuels) has yet to be solved. Plus, the fugly design really doesn't do it any favours: why does "green" have to mean "gah?"[Via Digg]
Forget the OLPC XO: India working on $10 laptop
While Nick Negroponte and the crew over at OLPC struggle to offer the XO for its original target of $100 (it now costs around $175, before factoring in support costs), India's Ministry of Human Resource Development is planning to completely leapfrog three-digit price tags with a machine that is already spec'ed at $47 and may cost only ten bucks when manufactured in bulk. With two potential designs having already been submitted by a researcher and engineering student (neither of which is pictured above) and a critical meeting scheduled for later this month, the "TDL" project seems to be well underway, and officials hope to have a product out the door within two years. India's plans for uber-cheap hardware come almost a year after the country rejected the XO as "pedagogically suspect," and several months after yet another competitor in this space -- Intel's Classmate -- was loosed on Brazil. And so the race to charge absolutely nothing for computers continues unabated, foretelling a day in the not-too-distant future when we'll be churning through PCs like daily-wear contacts. [Via Slashdot]
India could get free 2Mbps broadband internet by 2009
Entire cities getting free WiFi used to be quite the sensation, but now the real hotness is in connecting up an entire nation. According to IndiaTimes, the government is proposing that all citizens of India receive complimentary 2Mbps internet by 2009, and the service would be provided by the state-owned BSNL and MTNL. Officials backing the plan are hoping that giving all residents access to high-speed internet would "boost economic activity" as the citywide free WiFi implementations apparently have in America. The nation's department of telecom will purportedly be laying "an extensive optic cable network across the country, permitting the resale of bandwidth, setting up web hosting facilities within the country, and asking all internet service providers to connect to the National Internet Exchange of India." Unsurprisingly, this issue has created very polarized camps, as consumers cheer on the idea, current telecom providers are shaking at the mere thought of all future telephone calls being converted into free VoIP dialogue.[Via Slashdot]
PS3 launches in India, Xbox 360 in UAE
The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have found two more territories to duke it out in as each console launches in regions where the other has already been stocking store shelves.In India, the PlayStation 3 launches today for 39,990 INR (US $981). The Xbox 360 launched in India September 26 with a 23,990 INR (US $515) price tag for the premium system, although the Times of India states the current price for the 360 in India is 27,990 INR (US $686). Nintendo has not yet officially launched the Wii in India.SCEE sales and marketing director Tim Stokes told TOI he expects the Indian gaming market to grow a massive 850% in three years, from $50 million currently to $425 million in 2010. Sony initially shipped 1,200 units. According to the article, only one model -- the 60 GB SKU -- will be available.In the United Arab Emirates, the Xbox 360 is launching for 1,799 UAE dirhams (US $490). The PlayStation 3 launched in the region March 23 with PAL territories for 2,499 UAE dirhams (US $680). Games for the Xbox 360, according to Gulf News, will cost between 139 and 279 dirhams (US $37 and $76, respectively).Read -- Sony brings PlayStation 3 at Rs 39,990Read -- Microsoft's Xbox [360] officially launched in UAE
Drive-by internet buses bring internet to cheap skate rural types
Sure, we're all about sneakernet, but this is the first time we've seen "busnet" employed to such effect. In rural India, internet infrastructure is too expensive to make it out to remote villagers, so the United Villages project is bringing the internet to them on four wheels. Apparently, Indian interests in the internets are relatively limited at present: "They want to know the cricket scores, they want to see the new Aishwarya Rai photos, and they want to hear a sample of the latest Bollywood tunes." That's according to Amir Hassan, founder of UV. So the bus loads itself up with such data, and drives out into the country, spreading the info via WiFi. If someone does want a more unique tidbit of info, they can order it for a few extra rupees, and receive it the next time the bus heads their way. There's even a form of e-commerce -- the bus carries an electronic catalog, and orders are delivered by the bus the next time it's out. Sound's pretty hip-cool, but we suppose we'll stick with our WiFi / EV-DO / HSDPA / telepathic internet connection we've got going for the time being.[Via Slashdot]
Indian mythology inspires new game
Canadian-based studio Syncere Arts is working on an action-adventure game based on the Mahabharata, an epic tale in Indian mythology. Mahabharata: The Dawn of Kaliyuga aims to let players feel as powerful as the ancient gods while still providing a good challenge. You play the role of warrior prince Arjuna (try not to think the Prince of Persia) whose destiny is, obviously, to save the world. The game will let players choose between various schools of combat, and nearly 100 weapons and Vedic powers. Syncere hopes to publish Mahabharata in April 2008 and plans to release both PC and Xbox 360 versions.Greek and Norse mythologies have long been sources for video game material in the west, so it's great to see Syncere stirring some fresh Indian-inspired content into the pot. The non-violent first person Hindu shooter project was another promising effort in the same vein, though unfortunately it never came to fruition. With gaming gaining popularity in India, this certainly won't be the last we'll see of Arjuna.[Via Good News]
The state of the Xbox 360 in India
Last month, it was reported that the Xbox 360 was doing very well in India, despite the fact that an Xbox 360 costs more than many Indians make in a month. GameGuru.in, an Indian gaming site, decided to dig a little deeper. Game Guru surveyed a total of 123 Xbox 360 dealers in India to uncover as much information as they could. Having contacted Microsoft, Game Guru was told only that Microsoft does not reveal regional sales numbers; they like to keep their numbers global. From their sample, a total of 839 Xbox 360s had been sold, with the majority of those systems being the Premium version (keep in mind, this was a limited survey and not all dealers were willing to reveal their sales numbers). Unsurprisingly, the console sold better in more affluent regions of India.Overall, anecdotal evidence suggests that Indians prefer the PS2. Not exactly shocking, considering the PS2 is substantially cheaper. Also worth noting, pirated PS2 games are readily available in India, whereas pirated 360 titles are not. While it seems that Indians are generally impressed with the 360 when they see it displayed, it seems that the machine is just too expensive for the average Indian.Do we have any Indian readers that would care to comment?
Ring of Death: An Xbox 360 story -- Part 1
A tragedy befell a colleague yesterday. For the second time during his tenure of owning an Xbox 360, he experienced the red Ring of Death. This isn't some new system he picked up at the store inexplicably dying on him, this was a system he received directly from Microsoft after his original console kicked the bucket a month after launch.Now, this blogger has his own personal problems with the Xbox 360's loading tray. The Microsoft Xbox 360 defense force said I must have messed with my loading tray to make it not work properly, because obviously when you own a $400 piece of equipment you try to break it and experience all the joy of warranty red tape. Well, as much as this blogger might try to keep his system out of harm's way, it in no way compares to my colleague -- he is über-tech-master-extreme. With a projection HDTV in his incredible loft, everything is neat and proper in a perfect place. Unless he has some form of technological Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome, he certainly didn't mess with his system.So, last night he called up India (what, you didn't know Xbox support is in India?), and now he waits to receive the box from support which should arrive in 4 to 5 days, to send his Xbox 360, once again, to Texas for repair. We'll be tracking the progress of his system. Last time it took a few weeks to get the console back, let's see how long it takes this time. It'd be more comforting to know these tales of Xbox 360 malfunctions were the stuff of message boards and YouTube videos, instead of people with one or two degrees of separation from each other having problems.
360 doing well in India
According to GameDaily, the Xbox 360 is doing very well in India, where it was launched in September (booth babes and all). An analyst from Amritt Ventures states that the console is "ubiquitous in stores across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore." We'll note (as did Joystiq) that a console's presence in stores doesn't necessarily mean it's selling well (just ask Sony). Also, many will recall that the 360 is so expensive in India that many people require a financing plan just to get one. Still, India's gaming market is expanding fast, and it's obvious that MS is keen to get a piece of the action. While we're certainly interested in how our favorite console fares in other countries, we have to admit the real reason we ran this story was to post the Indian 360 commercial again. We might be overstating the matter, but it's possibly the best commercial ever made for any product evar. Enjoy.[Via Joystiq]
Biometric ATMs coming to rural India
Considering all the ATM hacking that's been going on of late, it's not all that surprising to see those "uber-secure" fingerprint readers hitting mini-banks in Japan and Columbia, and now a pilot program is getting set to install 15 biometric ATMs at "village kiosks in five districts across southern India." The fingerprint-reading machines are expected to serve around 100,000 workers, primarily farmers and other laborers, who will finally be able to withdraw funds directly from a machine rather than suffering through the corrupt hand-me-down process that often steals money away from already poor workers. AGS Infotech, who is supplying the first batch of systems for the trial, is interested in seeing if the system actually works out, as many villagers have trouble interacting with any type of computing interface, and because many villages have their own dialects, making a UI that can communicate to everyone is difficult. Of course, there are individuals who suggest that these systems will only incite crime, as thieves look to new methods (read: hacking a thumb or two) to extract funds, but proponents of the system say that this is no different than armed criminals forcing someone to give up their PIN number at gunpoint. Nevertheless, the trial is slated to start soon, and there's quite a few outsiders watching intently to gauge its eventual success or failure, as analysts predict that "over 100,000 ATMs" could be necessary to handle India's booming economy in the next few years.
Motorola to roll out cellphone-charging bicycle in "emerging markets"
Here's one we weren't exactly counting on seeing. Motorola's cheif executive Ed Zander rolled into a packed room here at CES on a bright yellow bicycle, topped off by having Queen's "Bicycle Race" cranked in the background. Yes, oddly enough, Motorola is coming out with a self-branded bike for "emerging markets," which translates into countries where energy sources are scarce. While the company has seen declines here in America due to a very saturated handset market, nearly 5 million folks per month are going mobile in China, thus the need to penetrate those potentially lucrative third world areas. The vehicle will sport a cellphone charging system to provide a way to energize those handsets so intently desired all around the globe. As expected, a cradle on the handlebars would house the mobile, while the motion of the pedals would generate electricity to recharge its battery pack. While this might not sound convenient or even worthwhile in a place like America, "more than 500 million Chinese people rely on bicycles as their primary mode of transportation," which could also mean that half a billion folks in China will soon be cruising the streets while doubling as an AC adapter.[Via Textually]
Indian political party trades TVs for votes; free HDTV campaign in 2008?
Although bribery isn't exactly smiled upon here in the States, we've got a hunch that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party in India is on to something. In news likely to cause turmoil (or not) among culturally-planted Americans, the DMK promised a bevy of new electronics to folks who cast their vote for them, and apparently, it worked. After falling from power in 2001, the party has stormed back into prominence by offering poor citizens niceties (such as stoves and TVs) which most could never afford on their own. By wording the goodies as "social welfare" benefits, the sets they hand out supposedly aid the voters in receiving news critical to their life, health, and work, which in turn benefits society the DMK as a whole. While America hasn't had the best luck so far with all these e-voting implementations, and considering a good few don't even cast a passing glance at anything political, we'd bet a "Free HDTV" campaign would result in surefire admission into the Oval Office.[Via Fark]
Chess cheater's Bluetooth scheme sniffed out
It's no surprise to hear of someone using mobile / wireless technology to their advantage, and in the latest case of cleverness slapped down by the law, a scandalous Indian chess player was banned for a solid decade in order to "send a message" about how serious they took his act. Umakant Sharma had reportedly logged rating points at an alarming pace in the last 18 months of play, and even qualified for the national championship. But alas, racking up such insane numbers was bound to attract an investigation, and it was discovered that Sharma had been communicating to outside accomplices via a mobile handset and a miniscule Bluetooth earpiece stitched inside a cloth cap, which allowed an external computer to direct his each and every move. While we fully understand the wrongness of such a ploy, we can't deny the humor in envisioning seasoned chess players becoming enraged at their sudden misfortunes, but we'd highly recommend ditching the headgear (and any devious thoughts) before entering a tournament yourself.
Indian bank finances 360 purchases
The ICICI bank of India is offering an interesting finance plan to its customers. Customers looking for an Xbox 360 Core system in India will be able to secure one from the bank for a rupee payment roughly equivalent of $20, followed by six monthly installments of about $73. While a finance plan for a 360 seems absurd by US standards, it is practically a necessity in India, where the average annual salary is below $500 (a core costs around $518 in India). As our source article puts it, for the average Indian citizen, an Xbox 360 purchase is nearly as taxing as westerners would find buying a house. The article also points out the irony that those most likely to afford an Xbox 360 in India will be those that work for U.S. companies with Indian operations -- companies like Microsoft. Typically, these U.S. firms pay much higher than the national average wage.Are you crazy enough about the 360 that you'd take out a loan to get one?[Via Digg]
Difference between Xbox 360 & PS2 not obvious to Indian reviewer
A bleak console review has trickled out of India, where Xbox 360 made its debut just over a month ago. "[After] spending hours with [Xbox 360], the big difference between this machine and those in the market today, particularly, Sony's PlayStation 2, were not obvious," writes Raghuveer Malik of Rediff.In India, HD displays have yet to penetrate the consumer market and Xbox Live is still a pipe dream. Remove what must be considered Xbox 360's two strongest selling points (HD gaming and Xbox Live) and really, what is the difference between Microsoft's console and PS2?Now consider the unattractive price tag, relatively few software options, and lack of "support" from the pirating community; it's obvious why "[hardly] anyone was trying out the lonely, shop-soiled demo piece." India's games market is predicted to explode in the coming years, but Microsoft appears unable to gain any ground over the well-established PlayStation brand.[Via The Xbox Domain]
