BIGADDA.com now available on Mobile

BigAdda.com, the youth network introduces ‘Mobile Adda’, a first of its kind ‘anywhere-anytime’ mobile version of BigAdda.com. Internationally, this is the first time that a social networking site will be available on mobiles in a holistic manner.

MobileAdda Product Features:

• Sign up/sign in
• Scribbles: Receive, read, reply and send (Text/Audio/photo scribbles)
• Emoticons and Shout outs
• Friend Requests: Accept, Decline and Send
• Search : name, age, Work place, school/ colleges, ProfileID
• Invite: By phone numbers, email, phonebook gobbler
• Backup and retrieve phonebook
• Online status: Know when friends are online
• Photos: Click and send, View
• Privacy: Choose to receive scribbles only from friends

'MobileAdda' includes key features of social networking like searching for friends, inviting them from your phonebook, communicating with friends through innovative options like text, voice and photo scribbles. This On- The-Move application promises to keep its users ahead at all times with auto-updates, alert and notifications and helpful tips. It also enables users to use the phonebook to send invitations to his/her closest network, since a Phone Book on individual devices is the closest replica of ones social & professional contacts. The built in phone book backup utility stores your phone book on our servers and if in case a user changes a device, the same can be retrieved.

It will now be possible to send out a personalized invite to friends in your phonebook and get started with all of them online from their respective phones within an hour. GPRS connections are now available without the need to particularly subscribe for it.

Mobile interface will be one of the vital components of BigAdda’s business plan. It will be instrumental in providing a new medium for people to connect with each other and will help brands to target the youth. ‘MobileAdda will provide over 300 million mobile users’ access to BigAdda. The platform is available as an integrated offering across SMS, WAP and as an installable application for over 500 different mobile phone models. To date, this is the widest release of any mobile application globally.

The client application is currently available on over 500 devices. The download process automatically detects the user’s handset model and delivers a version created specially for that device family. There are over 50 device families that our download process detects and, to enhance reach and availability of this application BigAdda will continue the process of making new versions for new devices as they enter the marketplace.

Annexure I

How can you access MobileAdda

SMS: BIGADDA to 55454

• Scribble: Receive Alerts and Reply: BigAdda users who have signed up for Mobile will receive scribbles on their phone when they are offline. Only scribbles from friends will be forwarded to the mobile phone.

• New Friend Requests: Receive and Approve friend requests. When the user receives friend requests it will be forwarded to his phone when he is offline.

• Weekly updates

WAP: wap.bigadda.com The WAP site will serve as mobile formatted version of the website for mobile users with GPRS connectivity.

1. Registration
2. Search (users, user information, photos)
3. Friends : Add Friend, invite by phone numbers, rate, Remove, block
4. Scribbles (Send, Read and Reply), view scribbles of other users
5. Shout outs (send and receive)
6. Profiles (View and update)
7. Photos (View and comment)

Client: to download sms ADDA to 55454 or go to wap.bigadda.com/download - A mobile client is a downloadable application that is installed on the Mobile handset. As against generic WAP offerings this has unique capabilities like:

• Enable users to use the phonebook to send invitations to his/her closest network, since a Phone Book on individual devices is the closest replica of ones social & professional contacts.

• Function as a phone book back up utility – We have seen a lot of users fretting over lost contacts, when they lose a device. The built in phone book backup utility stores your phone book on our servers and if in case a user changes a device, the same can be retrieved.

• The client application is currently available on over 500 devices. The download process automatically detects the user’s handset model and delivers a version created specially for that device family. There are over 50 device families that our download process detects and, to enhance reach and availability of this application we will continue the process of making new versions for new devices as they enter the marketplace.

Annexure II

• A lot of sites like Indyarocks, IBIBO etc offer a basic SMS service that allows users to receive only alerts for some activities on their accounts; What was missing was a comprehensive and ubiquitous offering comprising all forms of access [SMS, WAP & Java Client] across all key features.

• On the BigAdda mobile service platform, besides receiving notification; users also are able to fetch profiles, messages, add friends, invite by mobile number and a lot of other capability that will be added on soon.

• Facebook and Orkut have WAP sites that service the global markets and lack customisation to our local needs, besides not being formatted for the India centric devices.

• Facebook additionally offers a client application for the BlackBerry family fo devices that has very limited users in India.

• Facebook offers SMS based services, however Indian mobile numbers are not serviced by Facebook.

• None of the other services offer anything similar to the phonebook based invite capability offered by the BigAdda Client application.

• The installable client application and its support for 500 devices and growing will be critical to growth in the Indian market place dominated by 300+ million mobile users as against a much more limited internet user base. Addressing this potential is the new success factor in the Social Networking category in India.

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Apple iPhone finally launched in India !!!

After much hoopla and band-wang, Apple iPhone is finally released in India. Apple iPhone was introduced last night in Sahara Mall, Gurgaon, New Delhi, India. However, given its promotion and advertising all over India, the response at the launch was faint. Not so much craze was observed for the iPhone on its release. Though the launch program was big enough, there was less crowd present with some news channels for the coverage.It was launched across India by telecom majors Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.

A girl named Swati, a college student, was the first one to pick up the iPhone at Gurgaon's Sahara Mall. Swati was waiting at the Sahara Mall from 7 pm. The phone was handed over to her by Sanjay Kapoor, president of Bharti Airtel Mobile Services.

Rudra Khurana (14), a student of Modern School, was one of the buyers of the iPhone 3G. He went for the expensive version at Rs. 36,000. "I'm excited because I have got an Apple iPhone. I am not bothered about the price. Good things come at a price." said the excited Khurana.

More than 30,000 iPhone's (2G) are already running on the Airtel network alone. India till now has been the third largest unofficial market for iPhone after Russia and China.

Ironically, China, where the phone is manufactured, still does not feature in Apple's roadmap for retailing the iPhone.

Source: TechArena
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MacSpeech Dictate, Speech Recognition Software for Apple available in India

Welcome to MacSpeech Dictate, the premier speech recognition solution for the Macintosh. With MacSpeech Dictate you're free to focus on what you have to say ... just think it, speak it, and create it.

ICONS, after serving over a couple of thousand users with Windows based World's No.1 Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. Now they are proud to launch MacSpeech Dictate powered with Dragon Engine for Apple users. Written from the ground up for the Mac, MacSpeech Dictate’s accuracy and capabilities make it as fun, productive, and intuitive to use as the Mac itself. Now, Talk to your Mac. Upto 99% accurate with any Indian local accent.The Future of Speech Recognition On Your Intel-based Mac Has Arrived

ICONS, after serving over a couple of thousand users with Windows based World's No.1 Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. Now they are proud to launch MacSpeech Dictate powered with Dragon Engine for Apple users. Written from the ground up for the Mac, MacSpeech Dictate’s accuracy and capabilities make it as fun, productive, and intuitive to use as the Mac itself. Now, Talk to your Mac. Upto 99% accurate with any Indian local accent.

MacSpeech Dictate is for Intel-based Macs only.

Features:

Amazing Accuracy - MacSpeech Dictate will astonish you with its accuracy. You simply talk and leave the recognition to MacSpeech Dictate.

Minimal Training Required - MacSpeech Dictate provides astounding accuracy and productivity. With just five minutes or less of training, you'll be using MacSpeech Dictate's superior capabilities.

Essential Command Capabilities - Instead of using your mouse to select menu commands or your keyboard to type shortcuts, just speak a command. MacSpeech Dictate executes it for you. What could be easier?

Uses the Legendary Dragon Speech Recognition Engine by Nuance - At the core of MacSpeech Dictate is the world-renowned Dragon speech recognition engine by Nuance. It’s the brains and brawn behind MacSpeech Dictate’s phenomenal accuracy capabilities.

Works With The Apps You Already Have - Word, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, and more. And MacSpeech Dictate works great with Apple’s applications as well, including iChat, Mail, iPhoto, Keynote, and more.

Comes With Everything You Need, Including Headphones - There are no hidden costs. MacSpeech Dictate includes everything you need to be instantly productive as soon as start using it, including a high quality headphone/microphone unit.

Built Especially For The Mac - Mac users expect only the best from the applications they use on their Macs. MacSpeech Dictate was built from the ground up to ensure the ultimate experience for Mac users.

System Requirements:

• Intel-based Mac.
• Mac OS X 10.4.11 or greater ("Tiger").
• Mac OS X 10.5.1 or greater ("Leopard").
• Internet connection required for product registration.
• A MacSpeech-certified USB noise-canceling microphone.

For more information about the ICONS/MacSpeech and all other Readers, email About macspeech@icons.net.in or visit www.macspeech.co.in

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Outstanding features of TimesJobs.com

TimesJobs.com is India’s No.1 recruitment portal in India, with the largest number of active job seekers and a database of over 8.5 million candidates. In addition, the massive database of over two hundred thousand better paying jobs available from over 20,000 recruiters, including blue-chip companies from India and abroad, ensures that the search always yields results.

As I had already posted about TimesJobs.com acquiring the database of Cyber Media Careers Limited for providing highly-skilled IT & technology candidates with the best career opportunities, I will like to mention here some Outstanding features of TimesJobs that makes it one of the most innovative and promising online recruitment portal :-

• Drop Down menus

Drop Down menus on mouse over, from the Top Bar for Searching Jobs, My TimesJobs.com, Job Fairs & Career Services, reducing the number of clicks job-seekers has to make to take them to their destination.

• Click to Log In

Click to Log In on the top right corner of the screen, causes a login box to appear on the screen removing the need to open a new page for it.

• Visibility of the most used features of a jobsite

The search and register functions on the home page, have been given high prominence.

• Browse Jobs

Hidden just below the Search & Register function is a whole range of options, waiting to be discovered - ranging across the most popular industries, to browsing by function, level and location, all accessible by expanding the banner with the “+” sign.

• The Fine Tune Search

This feature allows a jobseeker to fine-tune their search across a host of options, from the left hand column, which clearly defines all the sub categories, one after another, empowering job-seekers to filter and fine tune their search. The options for fine tuning job searches range across Specialisation, Work experience, Industry, Date of posting and even Salary & Part time jobs. The beauty of this feature is that the options are clearly described with the number of vacancies mentioned in brackets alongside the results.

• TimesJobs.com Voice Resumes

TimesJobs.com also has the world’s first voice resume service to its credit. The service is exclusively targeted at the Business Process Outsourcing Industry in its first phase. Available as a seamless service on www.TimesJobs.com, potential, and existing BPO employees can now “speak and record” their resumes, including answering a few typical questions and read a randomly system-chosen paragraph as part of their online resume. The entire technology of this voice suite exclusively resides on www.TimesJobs.com portal.

• Sector specific Resumes

In order for the candidate to be a contender for positions across industries of various companies, the portal has a unique functionality that is imperative in today’s multi-tasking environment- it allows a job seeker to post multiple resumes. Candidates also have the advantage of submitting three separate and industry-specific resumes.

• Value Added Services

Resumes are the critical factors that ensure candidates get interview calls. ‘Magic Resume’ was launched to provide candidates with resumes that most competently reflect their qualifications and experience, drawing upon the proficiency of qualified HR experts for this process. As an extension of its core philosophy of connecting aspirants to the job opportunity, TimesJobs.com commenced the ‘Resume Zapper’ service, which gives the candidate’s resume direct access to over 1200 of the best placement consultants in India and abroad.

• TimesJobs Mobile

In order to offer candidates another effective contact point, TimesJobs.com, launched “TimesJobs Mobile” a mobile interface that allows the candidate to search, view, and apply for jobs simply by SMSing “Jobs” to 58888.

• XpressHire

In the pursuit to provide the best and the most efficient recruitment solutions to its clients, timesjobs.com launched xpresshire. A service that enables recruiters to send SMS to targeted or even multiple candidates at a single click and receive their responses and applications. Recruiters Can SMS & Receive Applications from Job-Seekers Through timesjobs.Com.

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TimesJobs.com acquires Cyber Media Careers Limited's Database

TimesJobs.com, India's fastest growing and most innovative online recruitment portal, is in the best position to provide the highly-skilled IT & technology candidates of Cyber Media Careers Limited with the best career opportunities available today.

TimesJobs.com is India’s fastest growing and most innovative online recruitment portal, born with a mission to reach out to all Indians in the country and abroad is in the best position to provide the highly-skilled IT & technology candidates of Cyber Media Careers Limited with the best career opportunities available today.

Speaking of this acquisition, Mr. R. Sundar, CEO, Times Business Solutions Limited said, “This deal signifies emergence of a very strong relationship between two highly reputed and leading media houses. The complete integration of Cyber Media Careers Limited’s resume database of over 4.5 Lakh (450,000+) candidates with TimesJobs.com, shall provide these highly specialised & technologically skilled candidates with better career opportunities from more than 25,000 of TimesJobs.com clients, that include blue-chip companies from India and abroad.”

In 2004, the Cyber Media created a joint venture with Dice Inc., to launch www.CyberMediaDice.com. Recently, Cyber Media Careers Limited decided to vacate the online recruitment space completely, and transferred its entire resume database to one of India’s Leading Recruitment portal – www.TimesJobs.com, owned by Times Business Solutions Ltd.

Pradeep Gupta, Chairman, Cyber Media Group, added, “Basically, Cyber Media Careers Limited was a joint venture between Cyber Media and Dice.com, a US based jobs portal. A few months ago, Dice.com decided to exit India, so we bought the stake owned by it. But now we have decided to exit from the online jobs market as it has never been our core business, however, we decided to keep serving our registered users, so we have shifted our database to TimesJobs.com.”

TimesJobs.com, a leading portal in India and the Gulf, has been at the forefront of providing cutting edge features and functionalities to recruiters and jobseekers, with innovations, such as the World’s first voice resume service, Fine tune search facilities, TimesJobs Mobile, XpressHire and the New Empower Solutions.

TimesJobs.com’s focus to ensure candidate skills are showcased and matched suitably with the HR requirements of employers from diverse industries, in a timesaving and cost-efficient manner is core to its growth to leadership. TimesJobs.com’s concentrated approach has made it the cynosure of recruiters and aspirants alike.

The technologists’ profiles from Cyber Media Careers Limited that have been integrated with TimesJobs.com, range across highly seasoned CXOs to mid-level IT professionals and B.Techs with over 5 years of work experience.

These candidates can now conduct all their activities from updating their profiles to applying to over Two Hundred Thousand better paying jobs on the www.TimesJobs.com website, with their new username and password, which is being sent to them via email.

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