Google Inc is developing its own mobile phone, according to industry insiders and analysts, while a Google official in Spain last week acknowledged the company is "investigating" such a project.
Google isn't commenting directly on leaks from Europe and the United States which describe a low-cost, Internet-connected phone with a color, wide-screen design. Newspaper and blog reports in recent months have Google shopping its phone design to potential mobile phone manufacturing partners in Asia.
"Mobile is an important area for Google," Google spokeswoman Erin Fors said on Friday. "We remain focused on creating applications and establishing and growing partnerships with industry leaders to develop innovative services for users worldwide. However, we have nothing further to announce."
Gadget enthusiasts who only two months ago were obsessed with the potential revolutionary impact on the phone industry of Apple Inc's iPhone device -- due out in June and at prices starting at USD 500 -- have shifted their attention to whether Google is developing an even lower-cost phone.
"We obviously need another mythical mobile to drool over and speculate about -- and the natural candidate is, of course, the so-called Google phone," geek hardware site Engadget wrote earlier this month http://tinyurl.com/3b7bow.
To be sure, feverish speculation about Google products has been wrong before. Google was widely reported to be building its own line of personal computers a little over a year ago. What in fact materialized was a set of free software programs designed to make any existing Windows PCs easier to use.
But Richard Windsor, a phone analyst with brokerage Nomura in London, told clients late last week that unspecified Google representatives at a major European conference in Germany had confirmed the company is working on its own phone device.
"Google has come out of the closet at the CeBIT trade fair admitting that it is working on a mobile phone of its own," Windsor said in a note entitled "Google Phone: From myth to reality."
"This is not going to be a high-end device but a mass market device aimed at bringing Google to users who don't have a PC," he said.
Over the past year, Google has branched out beyond computers to bring Web search, e-mail, mapping and other Web services to millions of new and existing phone browsers worldwide. Rivals Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. also are racing to run Web services on mobile phones.
Simeon Simeonov, a Boston-based venture capitalist with Polaris Venture Partners, said in a March 4 blog post http://tinyurl.com/2z23o7 that an "inside source close to the company" had informed him that Google was developing a "Blackberry-like, slick device."
The device Simeonov describes could handle voice over Internet phone-calling. He said it is being developed within a 100-person mobile phone group at Google that includes Andy Rubin, the creator of Sidekick, a popular phone/Internet device that he developed at a prior company he founded, Danger Inc.
Lending further clues, Isabel Aguilera, head of Google's Iberian operations, was quoted last week in Spanish news site Noticias.com as acknowledging the existence of a part-time project by some Google engineers to develop a mobile phone.
In her interview at http://tinyurl.com/2feypv/, translated from Spanish, the Google executive said her company "has been investigating" developing a mobile phone that works both as an Internet access device and as a way to extend Internet use to emerging markets customers.
In January, Engadget circulated a photo purporting to be a prototype Internet phone with a wide, color screen designed by Google and built by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
This unconfirmed report replaced an earlier theory published by The Observer in December that Google was working with Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) on a mobile phone.
A source at a rival Internet company who has talked to the same mobile phone manufacturers said on Friday that "Google is going to build their own phone, whether it is with HTC or Samsung or some other ODM (original device manufacturer)."
Windsor, the London-based Nomura analyst who tracks mobile phone handset makers like Nokia of Finland, argues that a Google Phone "will meet with limited success and lose money" because it lacks the necessary phone industry relationships to reach the massive scale needed to compete.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
Google Phone's in the works, say reports
March 20, 2007, 9:57 amBetter, cheaper care: Renal patients from Africa come calling
March 20, 2007, 9:55 am
Immanuel Gitan, a Kenyan national is suffering from Male Lupus, a complication that does not allow any kidney in the body to survive. He has been operated upon thrice but to survive, he requires drugs for his whole life. What’s worse, he ran out of money while being treated at the Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre (IKDRC) at city’s Civil Hospital. He is asking the hospital to provide him free drug for his lifetime. With Chronic Renal Failure problem, he had to stay back at the hospital for nine months.
Peter Mikia, another Kenyan national currently undergoing treatment at IKDRC is a freelance journalist by profession. He opted Civil Hospital for kidney transplantation because of the affordable price but having spent close to Rs 6 lakh in last three months, he is worried now as he is yet to go through the operation.
Immanuel and Peter are examples of patients from African countries, especially Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, who are thronging Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital in large numbers, finding it a relatively cheaper option over hospitals in Johannesberg. Last year alone, 29 such patients got treated here as against a total 231 patients who had their kidney transplanted here. While their number is increasing, the hospital authorities are facing the challenge of managing these foreign patients.
As their countries lack proper drugs and experts, a proper follow-up becomes impossible once they get back. This leads to the disease to continue despite their having undergone extensive treatment at the hospital. Also, many come here with larger complications than just kidney failure. Hospital authorities say that diseases like malnutrition and lever failure are common. Also, being black, their immune system is different from that of a white or Indian, making their cases different, the authorities say.
“Kidney Institute has been drawing patients from African countries in large numbers, thanks to cheaper and quality care we provide them. But curing them is a challenging task. Even if they are operated upon successfully, they do not manage to have a decent follow-up of their disease back home, which takes them back to their earlier situation. Many added health problems that they come with pose as extra challenge before us,’’ says H L Trivedi, reputed renal expert and director of the institute.
Recently, a patient from Nigeria, who had his son’s kidney transplanted on him, came back to the Institute as his transplanted kidney failed again due to unavailability of the right drug in his country. “Many are not able to tolerate drugs that we prescribe, many even get psychological complications. So, apart from transplantation, we also have to make an extra effort at their mental management,’’ Trivedi says. “A large number of patients who approach us from these countries are HIV positive. But we do not allow them, as we cannot handle such cases,’’ he adds.
COurtesy : Expressindia.com
Peter Mikia, another Kenyan national currently undergoing treatment at IKDRC is a freelance journalist by profession. He opted Civil Hospital for kidney transplantation because of the affordable price but having spent close to Rs 6 lakh in last three months, he is worried now as he is yet to go through the operation.
Immanuel and Peter are examples of patients from African countries, especially Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, who are thronging Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital in large numbers, finding it a relatively cheaper option over hospitals in Johannesberg. Last year alone, 29 such patients got treated here as against a total 231 patients who had their kidney transplanted here. While their number is increasing, the hospital authorities are facing the challenge of managing these foreign patients.
As their countries lack proper drugs and experts, a proper follow-up becomes impossible once they get back. This leads to the disease to continue despite their having undergone extensive treatment at the hospital. Also, many come here with larger complications than just kidney failure. Hospital authorities say that diseases like malnutrition and lever failure are common. Also, being black, their immune system is different from that of a white or Indian, making their cases different, the authorities say.
“Kidney Institute has been drawing patients from African countries in large numbers, thanks to cheaper and quality care we provide them. But curing them is a challenging task. Even if they are operated upon successfully, they do not manage to have a decent follow-up of their disease back home, which takes them back to their earlier situation. Many added health problems that they come with pose as extra challenge before us,’’ says H L Trivedi, reputed renal expert and director of the institute.
Recently, a patient from Nigeria, who had his son’s kidney transplanted on him, came back to the Institute as his transplanted kidney failed again due to unavailability of the right drug in his country. “Many are not able to tolerate drugs that we prescribe, many even get psychological complications. So, apart from transplantation, we also have to make an extra effort at their mental management,’’ Trivedi says. “A large number of patients who approach us from these countries are HIV positive. But we do not allow them, as we cannot handle such cases,’’ he adds.
COurtesy : Expressindia.com
Now, babus can steal a dekko at ACRs
March 20, 2007, 9:47 am
In a verdict that would help bring transparency in the appraisal of government officers, the State Information Commission (SIC) has ruled in favour of bureaucrats being allowed to view their Annual Confidential Reports and find out how they have been rated against benchmark grades. Till now, officials were only allowed to view the document if there was an adverse comment against them and not if they secured grades below the benchmark levels. A difference that the SIC verdict has now blurred.
The landmark judgement — which was delivered by State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) R N Das in a clubbed petition from three officers—- will also make it difficult for political leadership to tinker with ACRs and deny promotions/deputations based on them.
Relying on instructions given at the end of the CR forms for IAS/IPS officers, Das concluded that ACRs form the basis and are vital inputs for performance assessment and promotions. Hence, the “confidential reports” are for the express purpose of “performance appraisal” and thus, a “joint-exercise” between the officer reported upon and the reporting officer, he ruled.
The issue put forth by the petitioners was whether ACRs may be shown to officers when they doubt that their grading is lower than the benchmark grades. While officers who have been given adverse remarks are allowed to see reports, such is not the case with officers who continuously secure grades below benchmark levels. In his judgement, Das held that this lack of knowledge robs the officers of the opportunity of improving their performance.
What has elated the officers’ corps in Gandhinagar is the paragraph that explains the significance of showing ACRs. It states: “If an officer is reported as outstanding or very good by the reporting authority, but the reviewing or accepting authorities with no direct supervision over the work of the officer reported upon, downgrade the report resulting in withholding of the promotion, then in such cases not disclosing the ACRs would amount to injustice to the officer.”
In another part, the judgement underlines that service records (including CRs) are maintained in public duties and therefore disclosure of the CRs to the officers reported upon would be in public interest. As the CRs are used by the governments for the purposes of promotions, gradation, deputation of public servants (all meant to serve public interest), their disclosure too falls in larger public interest.
Quoting from a CAT verdict (Prasanta Gupta and others…), Das held that a steep downgrade is to be construed as an adverse remark making it a suitable case for communicating it to the officer. Das further quoted an SC judgment (also quoted by CAT in another case) that downgrades that are not communicated cannot be considered against the applicant and the same would need to be ignored. Holding a mirror before the GAD, the verdict quoted its circular dated March 6, 2004, which says that any upgrade or downgrade by reviewing or accepting authority, without giving a reason would not be acceptable.
The final hearing was held on March 13. While the Public Information Officers (PIOs) of GAD and Home Department quoted Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) verdicts, the petitioners relied on a Supreme Court verdict and the Tripura Information Commission.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
The landmark judgement — which was delivered by State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) R N Das in a clubbed petition from three officers—- will also make it difficult for political leadership to tinker with ACRs and deny promotions/deputations based on them.
Relying on instructions given at the end of the CR forms for IAS/IPS officers, Das concluded that ACRs form the basis and are vital inputs for performance assessment and promotions. Hence, the “confidential reports” are for the express purpose of “performance appraisal” and thus, a “joint-exercise” between the officer reported upon and the reporting officer, he ruled.
The issue put forth by the petitioners was whether ACRs may be shown to officers when they doubt that their grading is lower than the benchmark grades. While officers who have been given adverse remarks are allowed to see reports, such is not the case with officers who continuously secure grades below benchmark levels. In his judgement, Das held that this lack of knowledge robs the officers of the opportunity of improving their performance.
What has elated the officers’ corps in Gandhinagar is the paragraph that explains the significance of showing ACRs. It states: “If an officer is reported as outstanding or very good by the reporting authority, but the reviewing or accepting authorities with no direct supervision over the work of the officer reported upon, downgrade the report resulting in withholding of the promotion, then in such cases not disclosing the ACRs would amount to injustice to the officer.”
In another part, the judgement underlines that service records (including CRs) are maintained in public duties and therefore disclosure of the CRs to the officers reported upon would be in public interest. As the CRs are used by the governments for the purposes of promotions, gradation, deputation of public servants (all meant to serve public interest), their disclosure too falls in larger public interest.
Quoting from a CAT verdict (Prasanta Gupta and others…), Das held that a steep downgrade is to be construed as an adverse remark making it a suitable case for communicating it to the officer. Das further quoted an SC judgment (also quoted by CAT in another case) that downgrades that are not communicated cannot be considered against the applicant and the same would need to be ignored. Holding a mirror before the GAD, the verdict quoted its circular dated March 6, 2004, which says that any upgrade or downgrade by reviewing or accepting authority, without giving a reason would not be acceptable.
The final hearing was held on March 13. While the Public Information Officers (PIOs) of GAD and Home Department quoted Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) verdicts, the petitioners relied on a Supreme Court verdict and the Tripura Information Commission.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
Page :
1