August 10, 2006
Curry King puts word of his recipes out by text
RECIPES by the Edinburgh-based chef known as the Curry King can now be ordered by text message in his native Bangladesh.
Leading city restaurateur Tommy Miah, owner of The Raj in Leith, is a celebrity chef with his own television show in Bangladesh.
Mr Miah's recipes for Bangladeshi, Thai, Indian and Chinese meals can now be requested via text message from any Banglalink mobile phone.
The 47-year-old curry tycoon, who arrived in Britain at the age of ten unable to speak a word of English, is launching his own brand of spices in Britain.
The range is set to go on sale to restaurants and caterers across the UK later this year.
Mr Miah also owns the Indian-themed Original Raj Hotel in Murrayfield and The Heritage Restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Amongst his achievements are the delivery of a curry lunch-box to 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister John Major's 50th birthday, and producing the world's largest curry - big enough to feed 10,000.
Mr Miah has written several charity cookbooks and started a worldwide curry contest - International Indian Chef of the Year.
Posted by admin at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)
Visiting UN Mission perceives Strengths, Concerns, on Elections
Dhaka:A mission from the Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs visited Bangladesh from 18-27 June in order to assess the pre-election environment and evaluate how the United Nations may best contribute to elections in the country.
Members of the mission met with the Bangladesh Election Commission and its Secretariat, national and local government officials, political parties, civil society groups, media representatives and others. The mission was grateful for the warm welcome it received at all its meetings.
The mission observed that Bangladesh has had a well-established practice of elections, through which the people have been able to choose and change their governments relatively freely. The election system includes unique safeguards and protections and the electoral administration has repeatedly shown the capability to organize the vote effectively. All these factors can form the foundation for a sound democratic process.
At the same time, the mission was deeply troubled by the high level of political violence in Bangladesh. Constructive dialogue among the key political parties could help lessen tensions and build public confidence in all aspects of the election.
The mission recommended that several basic elements of a democratic election process should be seriously addressed in the weeks ahead:
• Ensuring public confidence in the Bangladesh Election Commission and all other constitutional and governmental authorities responsible for the elections;
• Creating a level playing field in which all candidates and parties can carry out their activities on a fair, equal and secure basis;
• Ensuring that the voter list is accurate and inclusive, in line with the principle of universal suffrage;
• Enabling civil society organizations and media to conduct election-related activities freely, safely and without interference.
The United Nations stands ready to continue to provide targeted assistance in support of Bangladesh’s democratic tradition, and to contribute to an election process that is peaceful, credible and accepted by the people of Bangladesh.
Posted by admin at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)
August 09, 2006
Bridging the digital divide – the World Bank donates computers to non profit organizations
The World Bank Dhaka Office handed over a hundred refurbished and well-functioning personal computers and laptops to three non-profit organizations. During the ceremony, World Bank Country Director stressed the linkages between development and technology and remarked, “Technology has an important role to play in poverty reduction. Technology keeps you informed and links you to the rest of the world.”
Although this is a small step in bridging the digital divide, the World Bank hopes that the underprivileged children will get a better opportunity in enhancing their computer skills with the help of these computers.
The World Bank donated the computers to three non-profit educational organizations:
Underprivileged Children’s Education Program (UCEP): a national program working to enhance skills of underprivileged children and youth;
Ganderia Kisholoy Kochi Kachar Mela: a local chapter of Kochi Kachar Mela which promotes cultural activities along with education to underprivileged children.
Corpus Christi High School, Madhupur, Tangail: an organization which targets and provides education to children of the Garo ethnic community.
The computers will be used for enhancing IT skills among the youth in order to make them competitive in the labour market of Bangladesh. Senior officials and students from the organizations were present at the ceremony. On being asked how the computer would change their lives, Md. Belal of UCEP commented, “I feel more confident now that I will not fall behind my other colleagues when I start working for an organization.” Ms. Chiram, Head Teacher from Corpus Christi High School said that the donated computers will improve access of Garo children to modern technology and information and enhance their networking skills.
The power of the internet was seen first hand when the children opened individual e-mail accounts with assistance from World Bank staff. The children wasted no time in exchanging e-mail among themselves and World Bank staff and created a ‘network’ of their own.
The program was unique as it brought together technical computer specialists and deprived children who have had limited access to technology.
Posted by admin at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
July 30, 2006
Warid Telecom Selects Motorola to Deploy Extensive GSM Network in Bangladesh
Bangladesh a step closer to seamless mobility as Warid Telecom International LLC commits to providing cost-effective voice and data services across the country by end-2006
Motorola, Inc.(NYSE:MOT) announced that it has been chosen by Warid Telecom International LLC, a full service telecom provider for Bangladesh, to deploy a new 2.5G GSM network in the country. Expected to be commercially deployed by the end of 2006, the network will provide region-wide coverage in the Northeastern region. Eventually Warid Telecom's entire network will support voice and data services for up to five million new customers in Bangladesh.
Warid Telecom is fully committed to establishing itself as a leading provider of wireless services in Bangladesh. Bashir A. Tahir, CEO for Warid Telecom International LLC said, “Mobile communications is an empowering tool to transform individuals and businesses. We are pleased to be playing a part in the growing telecommunications sector in Bangladesh, and we are fully committed to building a world class mobile communications infrastructure in the country to deliver affordable voice and data services to all major cities and towns in 2006.”
"Although we are a late entrant, Warid Telecom has an aggressive roll out plan that will see us reach the entire Bangladesh population within one year. We will also ensure that we offer our Bangladeshi brethren a wide range of differentiating services that will add value to their lives, as well as redefine customer service in the country," adds Muneer Farooqui, Chief Executive Officer Bangladesh Operations, Warid Telecom International LLC.
Warid Telecom will be deploying Motorola Reach GSM solutions to provide an 1800 MHz mobile network to deliver voice and data services. This new network will form the foundation for Warid Telecom's expansion in the country, and will be upgradeable to EDGE and eventually 3G to deliver media-rich data services. Motorola will also be supplying and implementing its wi4 Canopy® wireless broadband system to connect Warid's headquarter with its distributors nation-wide in Bangladesh. The wi4 Canopy, part of Motorola MOTOwi4TM wireless broadband solutions, provides a scalable, reliable platform that supports high speed broadband applications.
Jay Andersen, vice president, sales and operations for Motorola Networks & Enterprise, Asia said, “The telecommunications market in Bangladesh certainly presents many opportunities for growth. Morgan Stanley revealed in a report1 that mobile penetration in Bangladesh can reach 25-30 percent within the next five years. With our expertise in designing cost-effective networks in emerging markets, we are confident that this relationship with Warid Telecom will create the building blocks to drive seamless mobility for consumers in Bangladesh.”
Warid Telecom is a fast growing telecommunications provider that has already established a strong reputation in neighboring Pakistan. Delivering comprehensive communications services to over 100 major cities in Pakistan, Warid Telecom has managed to win over 4 million subscribers within first year of its launch in that competitive market.
Wateen Telecom, part of Warid Telecom International LLC, has recently announced plans with Motorola to deploy a nationwide wireless broadband voice and data network in Pakistan using Motorola's wi4 WiMAX solutions. The solutions and integration services from Motorola are the first step for Wateen to make Broadband Pakistan a reality.
In this current deal with Warid Telecom, a portion of the purchase price will be financed by Motorola.
Posted by admin at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)
Stepping up communications for disaster mitigation and relief ITU and Thuraya forge partnership for portable satellite terminals
The International Telecommunication Union and Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company have concluded an agreement to provide portable satellite terminals to assist countries in disaster mitigation and relief.
Thuraya, the United Arab Emirates satellite-based company, is contributing handheld satellite terminals along with solar chargers; ITU will pay for airtime at discounted rates offered by Thuraya and cover the transportation costs of telecommunications equipment to and from disaster-hit areas. ITU will also provide its expertise in technical and operational training for government officials involved in rescue missions.
In the light of a spate of natural disasters and calamities in recent times, the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-06) meeting in Doha in March 2006 called upon ITU to develop ICT-based solutions in emergency telecommunications directed at improving early-warning communication, disaster preparedness and mitigation. This is a critical area of concern especially for countries with fragile economies and special needs, such as least developed countries and small island developing states.
"The tsunami that wreaked havoc in south East Asia, the Kashmir earthquake, the Suriname floods, and the Indonesia earthquake have demonstrated the power of emergency telecommunications in saving lives and coordinating efforts during rescue operations such as the setting up of telemedicine links," said ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi.
Access to information is of paramount importance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster for relief agencies to coordinate search-and-rescue, medical intervention and rehabilitation efforts. There is an urgent need to establish effective and comprehensive communication links between the affected area, national disaster response facilities, and with the larger international community. Ironically, terrestrial communication links are almost always disabled and disrupted during the first hours of a major disaster. The Thuraya terminals, which support voice and data applications and remote location determination services via GPS, will help provide that vital link via satellite. When regular cellular networks are available, the GSM-enabled Thuraya handsets can switch to the terrestrial network for greater affordability.
"One of the pillars leading to the success of our work in this area rests on multi-stakeholder partnerships," said Cosmas Zavazava, ITU Focal Point for Emergency Telecommunications. "It is in this respect that we welcome the contribution by Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company, a Member of ITU's Development Sector."
Thuraya CEO Yousuf Al Sayed agreed that the responsiveness of relief efforts can be made more effective through such partnerships. "As a leading multi-regional mobile satellite operator, Thuraya is committed to contributing towards world needs during rescue and emergency operations, and we are pleased to partner and work closely with ITU and concerned UN agencies to provide urgent communications support in disaster-hit areas," Mr Al Sayed said. "The responsiveness of relief efforts can be made much more efficient through such partnerships." ITU will provide the Thuraya satellite handheld terminals to rescue teams, government authorities and humanitarian agencies to establish vital communication links for relief and rehabilitation efforts. The communication link will also help victims locate their families and seek personal assistance.
Posted by admin at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)
International steps taken to build global Information Society
Implementation of the outcomes of the recently concluded World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) gathered momentum with the launch of the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS). High level representatives of twenty-two UN agencies met on Friday, 14 July 2006 at ITU Headquarters in Geneva under the chairmanship of ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi to facilitate the process.
UNGIS will serve as an interagency coordinating mechanism within the UN system to implement the outcomes of WSIS. The Group will enable synergies aimed at resolving substantive and policy issues, avoiding redundancies and enhancing effectiveness of the system while raising public awareness about the goals and objectives of the global Information Society. UNGIS will also work to highlight the importance of ICTs in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
To maximize its efficiency, the Group agreed on a work plan in which it would concentrate its collective efforts each year on one or two cross-cutting themes and on a few selected countries.
In the coming period, UNGIS will focus on bringing the efforts of the UN system to bear on expanding access to communications, for instance through multimedia community centres, teleshops, etc. Drawing on the respective competencies of the different members of the Group, UNGIS will also focus on applications related to e-health and e-tourism. At the same time, the Group will examine the e-readiness strategies and policies of one or two countries, to be proposed by UNDP, to develop a comprehensive toolkit for bringing the benefits of the Information society to developing countries.During the first year, UNGIS will be chaired by ITU, with UNESCO, UNDP and WHO acting as vice-chairs.
UNGIS has been established by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, at the request of the Summit and in consultation with members of the UN system Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB).
WSIS has contributed towards a better understanding of the key issues and challenges of the Information Society. Throughout the process, critical issues such as infrastructure, capacity building, the regulatory environment and financing have been discussed and refined. Pioneering work on financing ICTs for development and on internet governance has resulted in the most comprehensive international documents ever endorsed on the topics at the international level.
The Summit set critical targets for global connectivity and ICT for development to be reached by 2015 and established 11 action lines to achieve the objectives of the Information Society. The outcome outlines a detailed blueprint involving governments, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations and other international organizations for implementation and follow-up at the national, regional and international levels.
Posted by admin at 01:16 PM | Comments (0)
First Liberian returnees graduate from ITU/ UNHCR ICT Training Centre
The first batch of twenty-nine students graduated after two months of intensive training in computer skills at an information and communication technology (ICT) training centre in Monrovia, Liberia. The training centre was established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the lead United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, which pooled pooled resources with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Other partners in this project include two Liberian-based non-governmental organizations — the Liberia Opportunity Industrialization Centre (LOIC) and the Foundation for African Development Aid (ADA) who renovated the premises and installed a wireless internet connection and payphone along with Cellcom Telecommunications Inc., a mobile operator in Liberia.
Training in ICT helps build computer skills of young people and will especially assist young refugees returning home. "Every day was a big challenge for us. It was not easy. But now I feel very satisfied and I plan to continue my studies," Jerome Williams, a returnee from Nigeria, said. "We wish to extend our thanks to UNHCR, LOIC and ITU for giving us the opportunity to improve our skills. We hope that this programme can be extended to all Liberian returnees across the country, expanding it to other Liberian cities as well," Williams added on behalf of the class.
The Training Centre serves as a model to be replicated in other parts of the country. The centre is considered by Liberian authorities as "timely and in line with the Government’s policy to return Liberia’s young population to constructive learning". Vocational and technical training are essential to jump-start capacity building and find new means of livelihood in a population whose education was delayed due to many years of instability.
The centre, equipped by ITU to train 60 students every two months, imparts training in core computer and entrepreneurial skills as well as offers training in computer maintenance.
The ICT Training Centre offers training free of charge to returnees, but charges a nominal fee for other community members wishing to be trained. Small fees are also charged for using the Internet Café facilities provided by the Centre, which provides ICT-related services such as E-mail and internet, word processing, photocopying, desk-top publishing and document binding services. This fee is necessary to provide revenue to meet some of the running costs for the centre to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
ITU Regional Representative for Africa Brahima Sanou expressed confidence that the Training Centre would contribute towards building capacity and help in the rehabilitation and re-integration of returnees from post-conflict situations. He pointed out that the World Summit on the Information Society called for special attention to be given to countries recovering from conflict and to vulnerable groups of people. "Fostering the development of information and knowledge will facilitate the country to be integrated into the global economy and bring back hope to young people whose future has been clouded by the scourge of war," said Sanou.
UNHCR Country Representative Mengesha Kebede commended the collaboration with ITU and reiterated that the ICT Training Centre would contribute towards enhancing employment opportunities for urban returnees. He called on other agencies to assist in this endeavour and noted that over 20 per cent of Liberian refugees will be returning to urban centres, especially to the capital city of Monrovia, and called for collaborative response and effective, targeted programmes aimed at enhancing their livelihood.
This collaboration between ITU and UNHCR is the first effort towards extending access to ICT services and training to returnees in Liberia. Funding permitting, similar centres will be established in other parts of the country as well as in other African states emerging from post-conflict situations, including Burundi, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Posted by admin at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)
Talpa radio in Europe selects PROFLINE B.V. ― international datacasting’s European division - for network expansions
International Datacasting Corporation [TSX: IDC] today announced that PROFline B.V., their wholly owned subsidiary and base of operations in Europe, was selected by Talpa Radio, a leading Dutch broadcaster, to supply equipment to expand and upgrade the network infrastructure for two of their European radio stations — Radio 538 in the Netherlands and Radio 4FM in Belgium. Under this contract, PROFline will provide professional grade DVB satellite receivers which feature the latest in High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (MPEG 4 HE AAC) technology.
“We are very pleased that Talpa Radio has selected us to provide their next-generation network infrastructure,” said Ron Clifton, President and CEO of IDC. ”They are known in the industry for their quality broadcast coverage. This is an important reference for us as we roll-out our new MPEG 4 HE AAC product line and it helps us with our objective of becoming the leading provider of professional radio broadcasting systems throughout Europe”
Alexander Josiassen, Technical Director of Talpa Radio said, “We selected PROFline as our partner for the implementation of our first MPEG 4 HE AAC radio networks in the Netherlands and Belgium due to their reputation for quality and performance. We have 3 years of experience with the PROFline MPEG2 predecessor product in our Danish radio station, Radio100FM, and have been very pleased with their workmanship and support.”
“MPEG 4 HE AAC is quickly becoming the industry standard for professional radio content distribution due to its high quality of audio delivery at reduced bandwidth” said Berry Eskes, PROFLine’s Director of Marketing and Sales. “We are pleased to have our new products available at the right time and be at the forefront of the conversion to AAC that is now starting to happen in the radio broadcast market”
Posted by admin at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)
Globecomm Systems Awarded Multi-Year Agreement with a Major Media Production
Globecomm Systems Inc.(NASDAQ: GCOM-News), a global provider of end-to-end satellite-based communications solutions, today announced that the Company has been awarded a five-year agreement with a major media production and distribution company in the United States (the media company) valued at $22 million. The agreement includes options, which if exercised brings the total contract value to $32 million.
Pursuant to the agreement, Globecomm will provide origination, monitoring and uplinking services for the media company's channel portfolio. Globecomm will also design and construct a state-of-the-art network operations center and dedicated uplink facility (the facility) at its world headquarters in Hauppauge, NY, which will be utilized to broadcast the media company's content to authorized sites throughout the United States. The Company anticipates completion of the facility in its fiscal third quarter ending
March 31, 2007 and anticipates recognizing revenues under the agreement soon thereafter.
Throughout the past five years, Globecomm has invested a significant amount of capital expanding its service line offerings beyond Internet Protocol based voice and data services, to include broadcast video and positioning the Company for the IPTV revolution. Globecomm's video capabilities have expanded to include the turnaround and monitoring of 24 video channels on a
global basis and the design and installation of one of the industry's first satellite-based IPTV facilities.
David Hershberg, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Globecomm Systems Inc., said: "Globecomm's vision, investment and commitment to the multi-faceted video broadcast and IPTV space has resulted in this very prestigious multi-year contract award and we are thrilled to have been selected. Globecomm's world headquarters has rapidly evolved into a major point-of-presence for next generation voice, data, video and multi-media network services. The Company possesses some of the world's most experienced IPTV broadcast engineers who have designed and installed major uplink facilities around the globe, with the most recent major accomplishment being the design and integration of the new SES Americom IP Prime Broadcast
Center. These factors played a significant role in the decision to award the Company this contract."
Mr. Hershberg continued, "Over the past twelve months, Globecomm has
announced a broad range of prestigious long-term satellite-based contracts ranging from the Company's involvement in the Federal Aviation Administration's Telecommunications Infrastructure program through our subcontract from Harris Corporation, to our selection by Raytheon supporting the National Weather Service's Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, the recently announced NATO Force Tracking System and now this majoraward. The progress the Company has made on these fronts, including this new broad-based agreement, has positioned Globecomm as a premium provider of voice, data and video services globally. These awards demonstrate the diversity of skill sets of our engineering staff and should provide a backdrop of stabilized growth for the foreseeable future."
Posted by admin at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Intel approved to setup plant in Vietnam
The Vietnamese government recently approved Intel Corp.'s plan to proceed with chip-assembly plant in Ho Chi Minh City according to a report by Wall Street Journal.
The country which attracted $5 billion in 2005 in FDI (foreign direct investments) is seeing more large multinationals moving in to take advantage of its emerging economy.
The plant will be Intel's sixth in Asia and will be used for the final step of chip-making where chips are taken out of wafer and packaged for distribution to PC makers. More complicated and less labor intensive work of etching chips onto wafers at factories in the U.S.
The Vietnamese government approved a request by Intel to spend up to $605 million in the country for setting up the plant.
Posted by admin at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)
