Web18's latest venture, in.com launched a first-of-its-kind service called 'FUTURE MAIL' - an innovative add on feature on its efficient email service. In an attempt to offer that extra edge to stay ahead of others and appear proactive, Future Mail ensures that you shine – whether professionally or personally! Instances of forgotten birthdays, anniversaries or any crucial dates will soon be a thing of the past. Timing being everything, in.com users can schedule important mails to be sent anytime in the future whether it be in 5 minutes or even 5 years!

This innovative application is sure to provide users with a unique emailing experience. With adequate storage space, one can store up years of 'Happy Birthday' or 'Anniversary' emails. Future Mail will boost user popularity amongst relatives, friends and business associates alike by assisting you in sending proactive reminders about events, sales or the like



All that's required is a IN.com id, with which one receives 10 GB of storage for emails, files & photos, which can be shared with one's IN.com network.The Future Mail option is displayed prominently on the left hand corner of the inbox. Once the button is hit, one can compose the vital mail and schedule it for the perfect date and time on which it's to be sent. Hereon, leave it up to Future Mail to take complete control of your well timed communication.

Commenting on the initiative, Rishi Khiani, COO, Web18, says, "At IN.com we try to provide our users the best web experience and Future Mail is another step towards this. The Web18 group, believes that India has the potential to offer the finest in web technology, conceptualized right here on our shores. With applications such as these, we aim to continue to make our mark on the global scenario. And with Future Mail, IN.com users can stay ahead in their individual communities at work and play".

According to ComScore Report September 2008, In.com has been ranked No.2 among Indian Portals. Alexa as of October 31st, 2008, ranks In.com 5th amongst the top India based sites. Registrations have crossed the 2 million mark as of 31st Oct. In.com's tremendous success has propelled Web18 among the top Indian Internet groups and positioned Network 18 (Web18) group as No.2 by ComScore, September, 2008.

Continue Reading>>

A day after Finance Minister’s Price Cut prescription, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. announced the launch of their new car, Maruti Suzuki Alto A-Star. Built on a brand new platform, the A-star is an excellent city car with best in class turning radius, power, flat torque (minimum gearshifts) and performance.

The A-star was launched in New Delhi today by R.C. Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The A-star has been designed keeping in mind aspirations of the urban economy-conscious customers, who seek best-in-class fuel efficiency, lower emission, and high quality and high performance alongwith style. It also takes the engine technology in India to the next level. A-star is the most relevant car that addresses the needs of today's customers be it India or any other part of the world, says company in a press release.



Positioned in the premium A2 segment and targeted towards urban young professionals, the stylish, sporty and youthful A-star delivers a fantastic driving experience with futuristic looks.

A Brand New Engine and Transmission
Powered by the new, state-of-the-art, light weight, 998 cc K10B petrol engine, A-star is the best in class fuel-efficient car with a mileage of 19.59 kilometers per litre, as tested by ARAI, Pune, country's premier automotive research agency.
The new-generation three-cylinder, light-weight aluminum K10B engine is a major initiative undertaken by the company towards offering latest technology to its customers. Maruti Suzuki engineers have put together a host of innovative technologies to enhance performance, minimise friction and provide high acceleration. The engine offers power of 67ps @ 6200 rpm and torque of 90nm @ 3500 rpm.

Driving Comfort
With a turning radius of 4.5 meters and a ground clearance of 170 mm, the A-star is suitable for all Indian conditions, including congested areas and potholed roads. The A-star boasts of a unique all-round gas damped suspension, making rides much more comfortable, and also reducing wear and tear resulting in a low maintenance cost.
The A-star has a front suspension frame for excellent handling. Front and rear suspensions have been fine-tuned for enhanced riding comfort with perfect handling on Indian road conditions. Ultra high-grade steel used in coil springs provides high rigidity and agility for passenger comfort.

Safety
Some important safety features on the A-star include:
- Crushable structure energy dispersing frame and a high rigidity body combined with lightness
- Airbags and ABS

The A-star's body reflects the Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) concept in the form of crushable structures that absorb impact energy and then disperse impact energy away from occupants in the event of a collision.

Aesthetics: A class apart
One of the most striking features that capture attention is the highly contoured rear bumper, which brings in the cool quotient to the premium A2 segment car.
A-star car is available in three variants: LXi, VXi and the top-end fully loaded ZXi. An array of nine vibrant colours.

Price:
Ex-Showroom, New Delhi.
A-star Lxi Rs. 3,46,775
A-star Vxi Rs. 3,74,775
A-star Zxi Rs. 4,11,775

Continue Reading>>

I was reading the latest issue of Fortune and found an interesting article about how RIM (Research in Motion) is fighting back the likes of Apple and Google.
The fortune report says that, ‘The challenge comes at a crucial time for RIM. Its stock is down more than 64% from a 52-week high of $148 a share, similar to the performance of rivals Nokia and Apple. And while fiscal 2008 revenues and profits doubled, to $6 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively, growth is slowing slightly. In the most recent quarter, ended in August, revenues increased 88% compared with a year earlier, and profits jumped 72%.’



With this on one hand and global economy slumping on other hand, RIM launched three new models viz. Pearl flip, Bold and Storm. (Read full article here)
The report also had a graphic (which I slightly changed, click on above image to enlarge) showing the Top 4 PDAs. The Fortune rates Nokia E71 the Best Pick among Blackberry Bold, HTC Google Android G1 and Apple iPhone.
I have Nokia E71. Which one do you have? Please share your experiences.

Watch this space for more information about Google Android G1’s launch in India.

Continue Reading>>

India gets its first Personal Video Recording (PVR) by virtue of Tata Sky +, a new offering by leading DTH provider Tata Sky, a joint venture between Tata Group (80% stake) and STAR TV (20% stake). The company got the best of PVR technology from Sky (popularly known as Sky + in the West and termed as the mother of all PVRs).

The launch was appropriate for the time as India witnessed two major DTH launches, Big TV by R-ADAG and Airtel Digital TV by Bharti-Airtel. Tata Sky is using their new Brand Ambassador, Aamir Khan to endorse the new product and hoping to add at least 6 million new customers (and retain the existing base of 2 million customers) by 2012.

You might have seen the TV commercial of Tata Sky +, which speaks well about the features of Tata Sky + that includes:

1.Pause Live TV
2.Rewind Live TV
3.Record TV shows for upto 45 hrs (160 GB of storage) and play it when you want

Read this to know more about Sky +



Tata Sky + Cost:

For New Customers:

Rs 8,999 for the hardware (Digicomp) +
Rs 1,000 installation & activation charges +
Rs 50 per month Tata Sky + usage fees + (Lifetime waiver for limited period)
Cost of the channel package (Starting from Rs. 99 onwards)

For Existing Customers:

Existing subscribers will have to subscribe to any of the annual packs (Annual Base pack, Annual super saver pack or Mega pack – good retention strategy!). These packs will cost you anywhere from Rs. 2600 to Rs. 5000 + any additional pack charges (e.g. Sports Gold or Lifestyle).
Rs. 4,999 for Digicomp (if subscribed to Mega pack) or Rs. 5,999 (if subscribed to any other annual pack) +
Rs 50 per month Tata Sky + usage fees + (Lifetime waiver for limited period)
No installation charges for existing subscribers. Please remember, you need to return your old digicomp and remote to the company. There is a need to additional wiring too.
Eligibility: You should have purchased and activated Tata Sky on or before 31 August 2008
Tata Sky is available to residents of following cities:
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai or Pune

Continue Reading>>