Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba launch gadget recycling program

Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba - the three of the biggest names in consumer electronics have launched a joint nationwide recycling program in the U.S. that allows consumers to return end-of-life gadgets at no cost for recycling.

Sharp, Toshiba and Panasonic began offering the program last week through their joint company, Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management Co. (MRM). They are offering the program at 280 collection points in the US.

According to President of MRM, David Thompson, “the joint venture company has plans to envisage 400 collection points open by the end of 2009, rising to 800 by the end of 2011”.

Consumers can drop-off televisions, VCRs, computers, laptops, MP3 players, cell phones and other consumer electronics products produced by the three partners for no cost and most centers also accept products from other manufacturers, although there may be a cost for some products. That typically depends on if the state has a recycling law and if a manufacturer has contracted with MRM to handle its products.

Unlimited music from Nokia to Australia and Singapore

World's top mobile phone maker, Nokia, plans to roll out its unlimited music service in Australia and Singapore. The mobile maker is also eyeing further expansion in Europe and the United States.

According to Tero Ojanpera, the head of entertainment and communities at Nokia, "the next two countries which we are going to roll out in the next 10 weeks are going to be in Asia, in Australia and Singapore. We'll be launching there in the first quarter of 2009, in February and March."

Like any organization trying to sell music, Nokia needs to secure rights agreements with both the recorded music side of the business and the publishing side.

Nokia's tagline "Comes With Music" service offers unlimited music from the four major music labels and many independents. The music can be kept even after the yearly contract has expired.

The individual tracks can be downloaded to the phone and a single computer and are free, though the cost of the music is reflected in the price of the phone itself.

Watch Youtube Videos on Your Television

Now you can watch YouTube videos on your television screen. YouTube has partnered with Sony and Nintendo to bring YouTube videos for Television through PlayStation 3 and Wii respectively.

YouTube has configured a new website for television and it is currently available only through Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3. The Web site is available globally in 22 localized sites and in more than 12 languages.

According to a promo, “YouTube for Television offers a dynamic, lean-back, 10-foot television viewing experience for Internet connected consoles”. YouTube has also simplified the experience by enlarging text and streamlining navigation to function better on the Wii and PlayStation 3's built-in Web browsers.

RIM alliances with Redington India for BlackBerry Distribution

The Canadian leader in wireless communications, RIM (Research In Motion) has partnered with Redington India to set up national retail distribution channels.

The motto of the alliance will be to strengthen market position as well as to increase the availability of RIM’s flagship product BlackBerry across India.

The current BlackBerry smartphones and service plans will be available via retail and modern trade outlets in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, NCR and Pune.

The alliance has even further plans to increase the retail supply of BlackBerry smartphones, which will increase the availability of the BlackBerry Pearl series, BlackBerry Curve series and BlackBerry Bold smartphones across India.

Witnessing the End of an Internet Era

Steve Jobs departure for health reasons comes some seven months after his rival Bill Gates retired from Microsoft.

The two culture-changing men were seen as leaders of rival camps:- personal computer lovers versus the cult of Macintosh computers.

The dueling technologies had faces at which people aimed praise of scorn. Gates was the PC. Jobs is the Macintosh.

According to historian Peter Friess, who is the president of The Tech Museum of Innovation in the Silicon Valley, “Jobs and Gates, both born in 1955, grew up during the socially rebellious 1960s and bear its mark”.

Gates and Jobs both dropped out of college to pursue dreams of building computers for people. While the first PCs and "Macs" were sold by Gates and Jobs before there was a Web to surf, the men led their respective companies to glory in the Internet Age.

In a rare joint appearance, Jobs and Gates reminisced on stage at an All Things Digital conference in California two years ago. The men joked that their rivalry was misunderstood.

Early this week, Jerry Yang, the very public face of Internet pioneer Yahoo Inc., was replaced as chief executive by Carol Bartz.

What could be the meaning of the retirement or departure of these technology icons? Are we witnessing the end of an Internet era??

Three more members to Satyam board

The government has appointed three more members to fraud hit Satyam board. The three new members are Tarun Das, S. Balakrishnan and T. N. Manoharan.

Tarun Das has been chief mentor of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), S. Balakrishnan is from Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and T. N. Manoharan is the the former president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

The government had last week appointed Deepak Parekh (HDFC chief), Kiran Karnik, former head of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and C. Achuthan, former presiding officer of Securities and Appellate Tribunal.

According to Deepak Parekh, the expanded six member board will meet on January 17.

Sony Ericsson launches PlayNow Kiosk - new mobile entertainment service

Sony Ericsson has launched a new service for mobile entertainment. Using this service handphone users in the Asia Pacific region can download the latest movies, TV series, games and music from its retail stores.

The new service called PlayNow Kiosk is limited to Sony Ericsson handphone users and is part of the firm's efforts to differentiate itself amid tougher competition due to the global economic crisis.

According to Sony Ericsson, “during the first phase of the launch, the service will be available at more than 80 Sony Ericsson stores in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia”.

The stores will feature a station where customers can plug in their phones, browse and download the latest movies within just three to four minutes for a fee.

Popular television series, games, ringtones and music, including more than 1,800 albums and 23,000 individual tracks, are available.

PlayNow Kiosk is expected to "create an opportunity for impulse buys and instant gratification" as the service is available in strategic places such as train stations.

KPMG and Deloitte - new auditors for Satyam Computer Services

The government appointed board for Satyam Computer Services has taken first step for survival of the company and has named new auditors.

KPMG and Deloitte were appointed as the new auditors. The new audit firms replace PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The Reserve Bank of India has sought details of banks' exposures to Satyam and other firms run by the founding family, including Maytas property companies.

Satyam's market value has dived to less than $450 million from more than $7 billion six months ago.

According to company affairs minister PC Gupta, "different possibilities" were being examined.

Carol Bartz appointed CEO of Yahoo Inc

Carol Bartz has been appointed CEO of Yahoo Inc. As CEO, Carol replaces Jerry Yang, who is one of the co-founder of Yahoo.

Yahoo's decision to bring in an outsider apparently irked its president, Susan Decker, who also was a candidate for the CEO job. Both Decker and Bartz are on Intel Corp.'s board of directors.
Bartz's track record indicates she will move quickly to build upon Yahoo's strengths while doing her best to shed the weaknesses.

Bartz spent nearly 17 years at Autodesk, which specializes in making design software for architects and engineers. She was the San Rafael-based company's CEO from 1992 until 2006, when she stepped aside to become executive chairman - a job that paid her a $500,000 salary.

While Bartz was CEO at Autodesk, the company's annual revenue increased from nearly $300 million to $1.5 billion.

Bartz had established her management chops in nine years at Sun Microsystems Inc., where she eventually became the No. 2 executive behind the server maker's then-CEO, Scott McNealy. She also has worked at Digital Equipment Corp. and 3M.

Yahoo also is far larger than Autodesk, with annual revenue of more than $7 billion and roughly 13,000 employees, nearly twice the size of Autodesk's work force.

Bartz also will have to coexist with Yang, who will play the role of "Chief, Yahoo" while remaining on the company's board. Those two also share a boardroom together as directors at Internet gear maker Cisco Systems Inc.

Bartz is known for a no-nonsense approach. Before graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1971 with a degree in computer science, Bartz was a cheerleader, homecoming queen and a cocktail waitress - a job that helped pay her college tuition.

China witnesses 298 million internet users

China has witnessed a fast-growing population of Internet users. The Internet users in China has risen to 298 million after passing the United States last year to become the world's largest.

According to China Internet Network Information Center, the latest figure is a 41.9 percent increase over the same period as compared to that of last year.

China's Internet penetration rate is still low, with just 22.6 percent of its population online, which leaves more room for rapid growth.

China's Internet use is growing at explosive rates despite government efforts to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic. Regulators are in the middle of a crackdown on sites accused of carrying sexually explicit material.

However, the financial size of China's online market still trails that of United States, South Korea and few other countries.

According to research firm Nielsen Online, the United States had an estimated 223.1 million Internet users in June.

China is preparing to launch third generation mobile phone service, which supports wireless Web surfing- that is expected to set off a new surge in Internet use.

Wipro - Satyam - Megasoft - blacklisted by World Bank

The World Bank has said that it plans to publish in the future the names of all companies it bans from doing work with the poverty-fighting institution, and has immediately listed three Indian companies.

The Bank said the move aligns its disclosure practices for companies involved in wrongdoing that work on development projects financed by the World Bank and those that provide goods and services directly to the institution.

This change was made in order to maintain fairness and transparency. Until now, the World Bank has only published the names of debarred companies involved in Bank-financed projects, but has not listed blacklisted firms that receive direct contracts from the institution under its corporate procurement program.

There are currently three companies that have been debarred along with their affiliates under the Bank Group's corporate procurement program.

The bank has debarred Satyam Computer Services, India's fourth-largest software company, for eight years in September 2008, and Wipro Technologies, India's No. 3 software company, for four years in June 2007 both for "improper benefits to bank staff".

In addition, it has also barred India's Megasoft Consultants for four years in December 2007 for "participating in a joint venture with Bank staff while conducting business with the Bank".

All three companies were involved in different contracts and their debarments are not related. The World Bank has long been under pressure to step up its fight again fraud and corruption within the institution and in projects it finances in developing countries.

Satyam's chairman and founder Ramalinga Raju resigned last week after revealing years of accounting fraud in India's biggest corporate fraud. Raju admitted last week that about $1 billion, or 94 percent of the cash on the company's books was fictitious.

Deepak Parekh - Kiran Karnik - C Achuthan – First Three Board Members of Satyam Computers

Indian authorities have installed three prominent business leaders to run scandal-hit software giant Satyam Computers.

The government appointees replaced the company's own interim board of directors who took charge after Satyam founder and chairman B. Ramalinga Raju admitted that his company's accounts and assets had been falsified.

According to company affairs minister P.C. Gupta, “the new board would provide necessary vision and accountable leadership in this hour of crisis to restore credibility, customer confidence and employee morale”.

Gupta described Satyam as "a company of national and international fame" as he announced the first three new board members.

"It has many professionals on its roll who are amongst the best and the brightest in the world. It is therefore important to ensure continuity of the company”, he said.

Satyam, which has clients in 65 countries and 53,000 staff, has been on the investment list for several top Indian and global mutual funds but its future existence now looks bleak.

The Indian government has said the financial mismanagement at Satyam had "resulted in serious damage to the reputation of Indian corporate sector and the regulatory mechanism in the eyes of the world."

The new board members include Deepak Parekh, head of one of India's largest private banks, and Kiran Karnik, former chief of the National Association of Software and Service Companies. The third member of the new board is C. Achuthan, eminent lawyer and former boss of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, India's market regulator that is probing the billion-dollar scandal.

In his resignation letter Raju had written that heading the company as the deception grew was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.