Infosys intranet named among world’s 10 best intranets

Sparsh, the Infosys Technologies intranet, has been selected as one of “The Year’s 10 Best Intranets” by the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g), a user experience research firm that advises companies on human-centered product and service design.

Infosys is the first Indian company to be selected for the Group’s Intranet Design Annual Award.

“We are honored to receive world-wide acclaim for our intranet.

The award shows Infosys’ commitment to employee communication by leveraging technology. Sparsh has provided the much-needed impetus to create a small company culture in a fast-growing environment,” says Kris Gopalakrishnan, President, Joint Managing Director and COO, Infosys Technologies Ltd.

More details at :

http://www.networkmagazineindia.com/200703/newsanalysis11.shtml

G.M. to lay off 3,550 workers

General Motors said in Detroit that it would slash production of big trucks and sport utility vehicles by nearly 140,000 units this year, a move that would eliminate assembly shifts at four plants and cause about 3,550 workers to be laid off.

More details at - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/business/29auto.html?ref=business
News Clip By NICK BUNKLEY

Kerkorian Buys Stake in Ford

Kirk Kerkorian, shown at a boxing match in Las Vegas last year, could gain a 5.6 percent stake in Ford and a potentially powerful voice in the future of the automaker.

In a surprise announcement, the 90-year-old billionaire’s investment firm, the Tracinda Corporation, said Monday that it was placing a big bet on the fortunes of the Ford Motor Company, acquiring 100 million shares of Ford stock and planning to buy another 20 million shares.

More details at :
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/business/29ford.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin
News Clip By BILL VLASIC

Wendy's chain bought for $2.3bn

Burger chain Wendy's is to be bought by Triarc, the parent firm of Arby's restaurants for $2.34bn (£1.18bn).

The news came after Wendy's saw a 72% fall in first quarter profits to $4.14m from $14.7m a year earlier. Wendy's said the deal would help to cut costs.

Wendy's and fellow fast-food chain Arby's will remain as separate brands.



News-clip courtesy : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7365500.stm

Media and the present situation

There’s too much mental telepathy at work these days.

Imagine how much easier it would be if everyone simply stated what they wanted. Rather than making grand assumptions about other people’s motives, we might actually start getting our needs met.

Lies seem to be the in thing. It has no origin, and has lost its actual source and flavor. Nowadays, a lie is so obvious, something to be made mockery of. It sucks.

Hey, I didn't say that........

Say what ?

Well then it may have been somebody else’s soliloquy, but I feel your anger. This is the usual form of conversation these days

It's become very difficult to function with images nowadays, i.e., on a virtual reality basis.

Although it has becoming a bit stabilized, nonetheless, cries of MTV coming in now and then. Blank as it may seem, there is an enormous amount of loose data going to waste, but where seems to be the general question.

When the image game is over, who is responsible for the mess ?

The feeder or the doer ?

It appears that it is both. Now how is this possible ?

The “image feeder” does in most cases, with a malicious intention (naturally there are exceptions), but the doer being innocent, jumps upon thinking it is an opportunity not to be wasted and commits the action.

But then again, the main idea is that someone is performing, without which the system won’t function.

We are the generation that made investment banking a exciting and sexy profession.

We are the generation that said, "Just do it".

Then there are some of us who fall in the category of knowing the situation but not functioning.

As mentioned earlier, things don't just come, ideas must flow spontaneously, for which obviously there must be a source or reservoir of information.

We all know that a vision (“nowadays media introduced images”) without a task is but a dream. In other words, a thought without action is useless, and an action with no sense of thought is even more useless. It has no meaning. So we have little choice but to perform, whatever the action may be.

There is however, an interesting scenario here.

Despite the fact that most ideas are created from media induced sources, there are instances that this manipulated information could prove exceedingly useful. But then again, allowing yourself to be passively manipulated and not getting involved is risky. Because once caught in that cycle, it's rather difficult to find a way out.

To put it in a different perspective, we can either make ourselves miserable or strong and the amount of work involved is almost the same.

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand these imaged based junk inflows of various sources that practically nobody understands.

What we are seeing here is the ultimate of waste, the paradigm, and maximum symbol that could define human mental waste, as there is absolutely no productivity.

A fantastic exchange of ideas that destroys itself immediately and cannot be utilized anymore. It is even more sad as some of those ideas can be passed on to someone.

Financially, it appears that mutual funds are making a comeback. Bankruptcies are yet to raise its head. Appears embezzlements are out of fashion. Fudging the books is slowly poking its head up, and laundering is still a baby. But, where have the good old Cambodians gone. Perhaps we ought to come up with a grant so as to support this ailing industry.

If something is not done, there would not be countries to buy depleted weapons, which as a result there would be an increase in taxes again. Well, if this continues, it appears politicians eventually have to fund themselves, apart from an occasional handout.

Nonetheless, there is capital being wasted away, but if we focus, the reverse is sure to happen. Mainly because when we have a capital base of practically nothing and a solid debt base, I cannot theoretically visualize anything but gain

The stink has also started permeating to the common man, but somebody has to answer for the enormous amount of capital invested for every nonsensical action or a “war expense”, besides providing a very justifying tax plan to substantiate the expenses. What happens should it come to be known it was investment worth wasting.

No it's not worth discussing it.......... realization is what matters.

The answer primarily lies in the media.

Unfortunately majority of the decisions are made based on television reports, something unthinkable.

After the glitter fades, beneath the leather and lace, we're just scared, trying to learn how to love, amid the gaudy after images of popping flashbulbs of the paparazzi. And when darkness falls, and we crouch naked and are alone in our slack, aging bodies, snuffling with fear, and snarling at the grinning phantasms of our toilet-flushed dreams, with a fistful of pills to keep us company.

Well anyway TV stations have boosted their ratings, young things have started prancing around enjoying their newfound status, as there is somebody to pay for it.

The biggest and scariest trend is that there is more and more stimulation in our culture.

It is lights, camera, action-everybody, all the time.

It's going to be good for the drug companies; at least, they're going to be the ones trying to calm us back down. I know people who have come up with creative ways to disguise the banners that scroll along the bottoms of their television sets. People put yellow sticky notes on the top of revolving logos on their TV screens.

There's just too much stimulation everywhere.

Whatever happens, I hope that the media is not subjected to more censorship.

What is essential here, is that newcomers are explained the basic objectives of media and media communication, or else more and more live events have to be recorded.

Otherwise, we would have to learn to interpret articles such as these, so as to rectify and make sense of it.

All we are saying is, let's wait and watch… [give peace a chance.. sounded better]

It is our subconscious within which can have answers to most of these problems, and how essential it is to preserve that subconscious. To put it in a different perspective, we can either make ourselves miserable or strong and either way the amount of work involved is almost the same.

Because, by some inexplicable (and unjust) force of dumb chance or intergalactic intelligence, this generation has landed in its 20s at an especially opportune moment in human history.

Reckon Mr. Greenspan was right in requesting the kids and students to make mistakes, so as to reduce the level of perfection and so that we mortals can perform.

One must note that our greatest fear should not be of being inadequate but it is the fact that we know that we could be and we are powerful beyond measure.

If we at least try and stop now, then perhaps there is some kind of hope.

I think we are not far from it either............

Five Hollywood studios join to start video-on-demand service

News Clip LOS ANGELES:

Viacom Inc. and five Hollywood studios are joining forces to create a television channel and video-on-demand service.

The companies said Sunday that the new venture will combine movies and television series from Paramount, Paramount Vantage, MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate, starting in fall 2009.

It will also have access during the pay-per-view television window to recent movie releases from the studios, including 'Iron Man','Star Trek', and 'Love Guru' 'Movies from the studios' archive libraries and new TV series created by the studios also will be featured.

Viacom will provide marketing and other operational support through its MTV Networks division.

Pyramid Saimira to invest Rs. 400 crore this fiscal

Bollywood Trade News Network

Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Group, the world's fastest growing entertainment conglomerate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the China Society Music Research Board, which is under the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China. The Jiangsu Pyramid Longzhe Group has been formed as a follow up of this MoU. As per the details of the Joint Venture, the Jiangsu Pyramid Longzhe Group will operate theatres, distribute films and engage in other entertainment, arts and cultural activities in China. The new entity plans to launch one screen per day in Mainland China and further generate non-box office revenues also.

Speaking about the MoU and the newly formed venture, Mr. P S Saminathan, Managing Director, Pyramid Saimira Group, said, "It is a proud moment for the Pyramid Saimira Group to become the first Indian entertainment company to foray into China. This is a landmark deal for us, given that the entertainment sector in China is highly regulated. We see great potential for the entertainment sector in China as there is a significant increase in the disposable incomes of the entire population, as well as the willingness of new generation to avail multi faceted entertainment product & services."

Further speaking about the newly formed venture, Mr. Saminathan added, "We are looking to invest close to Rs. 400 crore in the Jiangsu Pyramid Longzhe Group in the first year of operation itself which will be deployed in exhibition / distribution / television content / music and production infrastructure seeding. Through this venture, we will create a huge theatre chain network / food courts / gaming parlours and offer other entertainment services. We will bring international content to China and will also showcase and market local Chinese content across the world. This entry will strengthen the growing exhibition & content business of our group and will, in a very short time, make us the largest exhibitor in the world. "

Mr. Venkatakrishnan, COO, Jiangsu Pyramid Longzhe Group, said "We are extremely happy to partner with the China Society Music Research Board to bring in international entertainment content into China. We already have an established track record in operating multiplexes and stand-alone theatres in India, USA, Singapore and Malaysia. We are confident that we will now be able to leverage and extrapolate our expertise in the larger market of China."

Commenting about the cultural cooperation agreement Mr Luo Shi Zheng Assitant- Secretary General Assistant, The Association of Social Music Research in China (ASMRC) said "China is actively pursuing strong cultural ties and would like to strengthen Sino - India people to people cultural exchange & cooperation. Ultimately cultural communication will play a significant role in helping china and India to work together. We are extremely happy to partner with Pyramid Saimira Group in this endeavour."

Expressing her happiness about the formation of the new venture with Pyramid Saimira, Ms. Li, Chairperson, Longzhe Group, said "Relations between China and India have undergone a sea change in the last few years. Pyramid Saimira is one of the fastest growing companies in the world today and we are extremely happy to partner with them to grow and nurture the entertainment sector in China."

My Technorati Profile

Technorati Profile

Recently started to use the services of technocrati as one of my friends suggested me to have a Technorati Profile.

Technorati Profile as its a good website for bloggers. It gives all information on blogging and lets you to publish content and get famous amongst millions of other technocrati users. So watch my Technorati Profile and help me be famous too.

Thanks

Al Gore Caught Warming Globe To Increase Box Office Profits

This is quite an old one but a good one......

With due apologies Al

Dozens of eyewitness reports indicated that former vice president Al Gore deliberately attempted to raise the earth's temperature in order to boost box office receipts for An Inconvenient Truth, his documentary film about global warming that was released in May.

DESPERATE MEASURES




Former vice president Al Gore takes a flamethrower to the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica to boost weekend ticket sales for An Inconvenient Truth.

"We have accounts from concerned citizens that Mr. Gore purchased a Cadillac Escalade SUV several months before [his film] opened in theaters," said Kimberly Blume, spokeswoman for the California-based environmental group Friends Of The Earth. "Not only did Mr. Gore use his new gas-guzzler to make short trips to the grocery store, he also left the vehicle running 24 hours a day in the driveway of his Tennessee home with the air-conditioning on full-blast."

In the weeks following the film's release, witnesses reported additional sightings of Gore engaging in activities such as discharging can after can of 1980s-era, CFC-laden aerosol into the air, and single-handedly clear-cutting over 6,000 acres of Amazon rain forest.

Gore is also rumored to have set a four-acre tire fire outside Akron, OH, and ordered his Secret Service detail to shoot on sight anyone who attempts to put it out.

"It's sad to see a man we thought was a passionate defender of the environment despoiling it for his own monetary gain," Blume said.

Blume said that she and many environmentalists had momentarily expressed relief in late November when Gore appeared to cease his months-long practice of dismantling old refrigerators in order to release ozone-destroying freon into the atmosphere. Blume soon learned, however, that Gore had resumed the activity in Antarctica, where the earth's ozone layer is most fragile.

Environmental groups have called for the federal government to step in and put a stop to Gore's actions, but officials say they do not have the power to stop him.

"There is no legal recourse anyone can take against the former vice president," Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said. "Mr. Gore is well within the emissions standards set by the current administration."

By year's end, Gore failed to slow his assault on the planet's delicately balanced climate systems. Satellite surveillance revealed what many believe to be a snowshoed Gore jumping up and down on an ice shelf in Greenland, chainsawing glaciers in the Alaskan wild, and urinating in the Gulf Stream waters off the coast of Newfoundland.

News Clip From Onion.Com [December 18, 2006 | Issue 42•51 ]

Craigslist - From Little Idea Into Big Money

The website devouring the classified industry could hit $100 million in revenue in 2009 with a couple of minor changes, with the old-line newspaper industry helplessly watching from the sidelines.

Craigslist looks like what it is, a site launched years ago as a personal project that never forgot its users.

Though the powers that be at Craigslist, founder and customer service rep Craig Newmark and CEO Jim Buckmaster, aren't commenting on the story from industry analysts Classified Intelligence (CI), they are pulling in an appreciable amount of money on the famously minimalist site. They could do even better.

CI said in its report on Craigslist that the implementation of its $25 job listing fee in three more locations could boost the company's revenue into nine-digit territory. Through assessment of Craigslist postings in January and March, CI pegs 2008 revenue for Craigslist at $81 million.

Take the job recruiting fee of $25 Craigslist charges in a handful of major metropolitan areas. Kick it up to $75 across the board (that's the price in San Francisco), and revenue for 2009 should climb to $150 million for a company based in a Victorian-style house that looks like it saw much better days a half-century ago.

The customer service credo of Craigslist, and its modest appointments both in headquarters and in site design, stand in stark contrast to the glassy offices of the newspapers that bore the brunt of the no frills, no fee approach to classifieds that are a hallmark of the site. Craigslist looks like what it is, a site launched years ago as a personal project that never forgot its users.

Some feel like Craigslist should do more, namely the bombastic VP and general manager of eBay's classifieds competitor, Kijiji, Jacob Aqraou. He doesn't care for the dated look of Craigslist, or the English-only listings that have only branched out into other languages in recent months.

As CI noted, the sniping comes across as odd, since eBay happens to own a 25 percent stake in Craigslist. The competition is real, however, with Kijiji, Freecycle, and the Village Voice's Backpage all trying to present themselves as a better classifieds option.

Although some may dispute Craigslist's real impact on newspaper classified revenue, one publishing professional cited by CI called Craigslist a catalyst that forced newspapers to reconsider their business models.

There isn't one cause for newspaper fortunes to be in decline. Craigslist is a popular target, especially since CI said in 2004 that San Francisco newspapers lost as much as $65 million in recruitment ad revenue alone due to the site.

Craigslist simply found a niche where demand existed, and they make as much money as they care to earn. One can imagine how much they would make if they tossed an AdSense ad unit into their templates. But to Newmark and company, such a prospect looks unfathomable.


News Clip Courtesy : David Utter
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business and can be reached at dutter @ webpronews dot com

Bottomline :
Craig Newmark's story is inspiring. He took a little email project and turned it into a multi-million dollar headache for the newspaper industry. Even after all the success, craigslist remains humble, simple, and end-user focused.

Residual Damage

Straight to the point!

Spanish police detain 76 in major Internet fraud probe

Police in Spain have detained 76 people across the country as part of what they described Sunday as their biggest-ever probe into Internet fraud.

The suspects defrauded their victims of over three million euros (four million US dollars), police said in a statement.

Part of the suspects allegedly offered big-ticket items like television sets or cars for sale online and then disappeared with the money without ever delivering the goods. Other suspects are believed to have illegally obtained the codes of online bank accounts and then carried out money transfers in their favour.

The majority of those who were detained, 47, were Spaniards. Five Ukrainian nationals, five Guineans, four Romanians, two Russians and two Moroccans were among the remaining detained suspects.

Police said Internet fraud was rising rapidly due to the weak penalties applied and the little equipment that is needed to carry it out and they urged great caution with online transactions and purchases.

News Clip - 1st April, 2008.