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October 31, 2005
Vodafone re-enters Indian Market
World's largest mobile phone company, UK's Vodafone bought 10% stake in India's Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd., for $1.5 billion. India is the world's fastest growing mobile phone market.
This would be Vodafone's second foray into India market after it sold stake on a previous venture in 2003.
Bharti Tele-Ventures, which is India's largest mobile operator, is 31% owned by Singapore Telecom.
India's mobile companies attract approximately 2.5 million new subscribers monthly. The current base of 65 million subscribers is expected to double in the next few years driven by strong growth in India's middle class population.
Posted by admin at 04:03 AM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
As instant messengers offer voice communication is there need for paid VoIP?
As Internet portals and search engines offer voice calls for free, viability of VoIP services such as Vonage or numerous calling card based phones services is being questioned.
This year's launch of Google talk and improved voice services from MSN allow free PC-to-PC voice communication. MSN and Yahoo are even offering integration with re-chargeable calling card providers such as Net2Phone. Yahoo has started offering Yahoo rechargeable phone card that can used to call PC-to-phone.
Yahoo plans to offer phone-to-PC service soon according to a recent article in Wall Street Journal.
By providing lower rates for international calls particularly from US or Europe to Asia calling cards have gained popularity particularly among Asian consumers.
However as instant messengers integrate voice calling and PC penetration increases in developing countries, phone card companies that currently offer affordable international calling will face extreme pressure in maintaining viability.
Posted by admin at 05:48 AM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2005
African countries introducing fingerprint identification in cash machines
Tired of dealing with Cash Machine thieves, African banks are introducing fingerprint-based identification and dumping age old card/pin in ATM machines.
In South Africa banks are already conducting tests into biometric identification technology, where fingerprint verification sensors are used on ATMs and plan to provide the service within the next six to seven months. Customers place their fingers on the ATM machine sensor and the screen tells users whether they have been recognised, and whether they may withdraw cash.
Pierre Steyn, CEO of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre, the unit set up by the banks to deal with crime, said: "We have been looking at strategies to deal with crime at ATMs for a long time. We believe that it (fingerprint identification) would give ATM criminals difficulty" according to a report by The Independent.
Posted by admin at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
Vodafone takes stake in India's Bharti Televentures
K.C. Krishnadas
EE Times
BANGALORE, India — Vodafone has taken a 10 percent stake in India's Bharti Tele-ventures Ltd., the holding company whose Airtel GSM-based services is one of the the largest GSM service provider in India.
The Vodafone Group Plc. paid about $1.50 billion for the equity, the single largest foreign investment ever in Indian corporate history.
"We are delighted that Vodafone has made a call on the Indian telecom sector and today, when Bharti stands on the threshold of being an Asian telecom powerhouse, it has tied up with Vodafone to take the company to the next level," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group managing director, Bharti Televentures Ltd.
"This transaction is consistent with Vodafone's strategy of developing our global footprint in growth markets, where we can create value for shareholders," said Arun Sarin, CEO, Vodafone Group Plc. Bharti Tele-Ventures has over 14 million customers for its mobile services and also provides wireline and broadband services over DSL across India. Singapore Telecommunications, known as SingTel, holds a 30-percent equity stake in Bharti Televentures.
Posted by admin at 05:38 AM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2005
Makers of Star Wars open animation studio in Singapore
Lucasfilm Ltd., the company behind hit animation movies such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, today officially opened the doors of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, a digital animation studio designed to produce movies and television for global audiences.
The Singapore studio, which is approximately 40,000 square feet (3,715 square meters) is in the Changi area of Singapore. More than 35 employees from 19 countries around the world have already been hired and hiring will continue into 2006.
"When we announced the formation of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore last August, we said we'd open our doors this fall, and we're right on schedule," said George Lucas. "Our first series -- a TV adventure titled 'Clone Wars', based on the time between 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith' -- is already in active development and we hope to see it on the air in 2007."
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore will work hand-in-hand with the team at Lucasfilm Animation, based at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. Gail Currey, Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm Animation also announced the hiring of key creative executives in the U.S.
Posted by admin at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Nokia zeros in on emerging markets with affordable phones
Nokia launched four new CDMA handsets on Wednesday, including two aimed specifically at fast-growing emerging markets where its sales has been rising rapidly.
CDMA, or Code Division Multiple Access, is the world's second most common phone technology after GSM, or Global System for Mobile Communications, and is common in Latin America, the United States and parts of Asia.
The cheaper 1255 and 2355 phones aimed at emerging markets have features not usually available on lower-cost phones, Nokia said in a statement released in Brazil.
The 1255 has a two-way hands-free speakerphone and voice recorder and allows up to four hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time.
The folding-type 2355 phone has a color screen, FM radio and a flashlight. Both are expected to go onto the shelves in the first quarter of next year.
Posted by admin at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)
Honda & Fuelmaker attempts to boost gas powered car sales by turning homes into "Gas" stations
Dispite sky rocketing prices of petroleum, alternative energy powered vehicles such as FuelCell cars are yet to become mainstream because of high vehicle price.
Further complicating the issue of course is the chicken and egg debate. There has to be enough alternative fuel cars to justify investment in re-fueling infrastructure. But without filling stations you cannot have that many alternative cars on the road.
With the Civic GX, the natural gas powered vehicle from Honda, the company believes that it can provide a much more practical solution to delivering environmentally friendly energy efficient cars. Partnering with Canada's Fuelmaker Corporation, Honda is giving away appliances that effectively turns homes that have gas into filling stations for their car to a limited group of California buyers of Civic GX.
FuelMaker developed Phill, a home-based refueling appliance that can be mounted to a garage wall either indoors or outdoors, allows natural gas powered vehicles to be refueled overnight directly from a homeowner's existing natural gas supply line. Phill provides Civic GX drivers enough fuel for approximately 100 miles of driving on an eight hour refueling cycle.
Posted by admin at 02:47 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2005
Small businesses in China to purchase 5 million PCs
Recent report by AMI-Partners, a research firm, small businesses in China will purchase around 5 million PCs in the next 12 months. But PC makers should not be too excited as Chinese businesses are price sensitive when purchasing PCs often preferring local brands such as Lenovo to big name companies such as Dell or HP.
There are more than 8 million small businesses in China the research report states, about 60% will be buying OCs creating a huge potential market. Back in February Nokia chief stated that China could be the largest mobile phone market in three years. Whether PC market in China will grow in such rapid pace is not clear but current sales trends surely show promise.
Chinese businesses are showing strong demand for laptop PCs. Thomas Wang, an analyst with Analysys, back in August said the Chinese laptop market "will maintain an overall growth rate of more than 20 percent in 2005."
Analysis is forecasting more than 3.372 million laptops will be sold in China this year, up from 2.375 million units in 2004. The firm is projecting 9.6 million laptops will be sold in China during 2009.
After purchase of IBM's PC business last year Chinese Lenovo became world's third largest PC maker. Growth in PC sales in its home market clearly is providing a competitive advantage for the company.
Posted by admin at 06:11 AM | Comments (0)
US Airline attempting outsourcing flight attendents?
US carrier Northwest, the world's fourth largest airline, is considering among other things staffing international flights with attendants from third-party vendors.
Northwest, which filed for bankruptcy-court protection last month, wants to become a "virtual airline" by outsourcing staff, technology and business functions as much as possible.
Unlike other full service large carriers in the US, Northwest has been suffering from increasing labor costs due to experienced and unionized resources. In the case of flight attendants the most senior members get to fly international routes.
According to a report by Wall Street Journal, the airline is asking for flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and all of its flights between Amsterdam and India be staffed by regional flight attendants. Northwest already employs 700 Asian attendants from bases in Japan, China, South Korea, the Philippines and other countries.
Northwest perhaps is learning the hard way that when it comes to flight attendants old certainly is not gold!
Posted by admin at 02:49 AM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
Developing nations dumping ground for worthless computers
A report by Basel Action Network, a Seattle based environmental organiztion, claims that much of the used computer equipment sent from the United States to developing nations for use in homes, schools, universities and businesses is often unusable or unrepairable, creating enormous environmental problems.
According to the report US corporations are avoidable recycling costs and making people believe that their used equipment is being placed for noble causes.
In various locations of Africa dumping of computer equipment caused uncontrolled release of components, including cancer-causing chemicals and substances that disrupt human hormonal and immune systems. A typical computer and monitor contain several pounds of lead, plus toxics like arsenic, mercury, copper and cadmium according to the report.
Posted by admin at 06:26 AM | Comments (0)
Ford to become first US automaker to offer hybrids in China
Ford is planning to design its own hybrid technology automobile and become the first US automaker to sell such cars in China.
Hyrbid cars that combine an electric motor with regular gasoline engine run extremely efficiently especially in crowded cities. Hybrid versions of Honda's popular Civic delivers 50 miles to the gallon during regular city driving.
In an recent interview, Mary Ann Wright, head of Ford's hybrid program stated that the market for such products will grow because people want better fuel economy and cleaner emission.
Ford has partnered with Sanyo and Delphi to build batteries for hybrid cars. Sanyo will be providing only individual battery cells built to Ford's specifications. Delphi would then put together those cells to assemble battery modules.
Additionally Ford is considering expansion of its partnership with Chinese Changan Automotive Group to build hybrid cars in China.
China's central planners are throwing everything at the problems of fuel and pollution from hybrids cars to propane taxis. All these initiatives while building conventional cars and infrastructure at a furious pace. China is already taking bold steps toward an alt-fuel future.
China is today is one of the largest markets for alternative fuel vehicles, with 200,000 in service. In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing officials plan to convert their entire bus fleet of nearly 120,000 vehicles to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).
Posted by admin at 02:44 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2005
Developing nations lead challenge to US dominance on Internet
The Internet today is managed by a nonprofit private organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, set up by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1998. Even though ICANN has an international advisory body, the U.S. retains veto power over all its decisions.
Several countries, led by developing nations including China, Brazil, India and Cuba, are challenging US's dominance on the Internet. Their argument evolves around the premise that Internet is a global tool, no one country should have absolute control over it. These countries are arguing that decisions should fall under the jurisdiction of an international body, such as the United Nations.
So far US has shown no interest in giving up control over the Internet.
Posted by admin at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)
IBM to disclose details on new XBOX Chip
ARMONK, N.Y. -- International Business Machines Corp. is disclosing new technical details about the chip it designed for Microsoft Corp.'s second-generation Xbox game system, which is being manufactured by IBM and Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
The chip, a customized version of IBM's Power line, includes the circuitry of three microprocessors and a special "vector" processing unit that handles 128 bits of data at a time, compared with 64 bits for other parts of the chip, IBM officials said. The chip, which operates at 3.2 gigahertz, also has unusually fast "bus" for transferring data with other components in the game console, they said.
IBM is making the disclosures at a chip conference today in Silicon Valley. The company is also announcing that IBM and Chartered have both begun making the chip at high volumes, as part of a plan to begin selling the new console on Nov. 22.
Posted by admin at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)
Internet access in hotel rooms becoming standard globally
Readers of top US travel magazine Travel + Leisure have voted The Peninsula Bangkok the “World’s Best Business Hotel”.
The Peninsula Bangkok provides a full range of business amenities and meeting facilities to enable guests to get down to the business at hand. Complimentary high speed internet access is one such amenity.
North American hotels were quicker to offer broadband services, and represent approximately two-thirds of total properties connected worldwide. Now the rest of the world's hospitality properties are moving to offer broadband. Some of the best hotels such as the Peninsula of Bangkok located in Asia now are offering such Internet access for no additional charge.
According to the "2004 Lodging Survey" from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), Internet connectivity has rapidly become a carte blanche amenity in guest rooms across the US. The percentage of hotels offering high-speed Internet connectivity in guest rooms jumped from 23% in 2001 to 50% in 2004. In higher-priced rooms the percentage is even higher.
Posted by admin at 06:33 AM | Comments (0)
Indian BPO firms not sweat shops claims Nasscom
V.V. Giri National Institute of Labour that works under the Indian labour ministry - had carried out a study of BPO facilities in the country and compared the work environment with 19th century prisons or Roman slave ships.
The institute's study says that workers at Indian business process outsourcing centres are monitored round-the-clock with specially designed software, computer networks and closed circuit cameras.
"The Indian outsourcing firms have among the highest employee satisfaction rates across any industry in India," the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said on Tuesday, reacting to the study.
Posted by admin at 02:08 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
Microsoft Research to help close digital divide in developing countries
Microsoft Research, the reasearch arm of Microsoft Corp., announced Friday two initiatives designed to encourage computer research and technological capability expansion in developing countries.
According to a recent report by ZDNet, Microsoft Research unveiled its $1.2 million Digital Inclusion RFP (request for proposal), a worldwide research opportunity that aims to address technological challenges hindering global progress in health, education and social conditions, according to a news release.
Microsoft Research also announced its Inspire Program, which is designed to establish collaboration between academics in the European community and in developing countries, by supporting researchers and lecturers.
The Digital Inclusion opportunity is directed at research to aid health, education and socioeconomic conditions worldwide using technology. Microsoft is specifically pushing for research that utilizes mobile devices and phones, as well as networking to help developing countries.
Proposals for Digital Inclusion will be accepted starting November 7 until January 13, 2006. Funding recipients will be notified by February 10, 2006.
Posted by admin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
Intel launches internet over powerlines in India
BANGALORE (PTI): With most of the technical problems in delivering internet connectivity over the electric power lines addressed, Intel Corporation is planning to start the user trials of the technology in India in next few months.
"Most of the technical issues that were coming in the way of delivering internet over power lines have been largely addressed. We will link up with our India team in the next eight weeks to begin the trials of the technology," Intel Corporation Vice President and General Manager (Digital Home Group) Donald J MacDonald said at the Intel Developer Forum here.
He said till date the trials of the Home Plug Technology have been confined to the US and it would expand to other geographies including India.
If the technology proves itself in Indian environment, it would go a long way in addressing the goal of taking connectivity to remotest of areas in the country.
Apart from Intel, other partners in the Home Plug Powerline Alliance are Cisco, Comsat, General Electric, Sony and Sharp.
Posted by admin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2005
Yamaha unveils hybrid and electric two-wheelers for Asia
Japan's Yamaha Motor has wheeled out its motorcycles of the future ranging from a hybrid scooter to an electric bike with in-wheel motors and adjustable body.
The Deinonychus two-wheel drive electric vehicle is equipped with motors built into the wheels and has "'stretch' functions in the vertical and horizontal directions for the aluminum frame body.
It is possible to adjust not only the riding position but also the silhouette of the chassis to fit the rider's body size, riding environment, road surface conditions and personal preferences.
The Gen-Ryu, a gas-electric prototype scooter, has a 600-cc engine displacement and is billed as performing and handling like a 1,000-cc class machine thanks to its large diameter wheels and long wheelbase, Yamaha said.
The futuristic-looking scooter is also equipped with rider-friendly functions such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance warning, voice navigation and rear view monitoring system using a CCD camera and liquid crystal display.
The FC-me fuel-cell motorbike uses a liquid methanol-water solution, which eliminates the need for a converter and pressurized fuel tank and thus makes it possible to create a lightweight system for a small vehicle, the firm said. The model weighs 69 kilograms (152 pounds).
The official said it would take some time before electric motorbikes take to the roads of Asia as companies need to clear the hurdles of lowering costs and enlarging battery capacity.
Posted by admin at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
US Targets 2009 For All Digital TV Network
A US Senate panel approved a plan to move toward all-digital television in 2009. Such a move would require converter boxes for millions of television sets.
Digital technology provides a more efficient way to deliver television than with analogue transmissions. It enables the same services to be delivered in less space with greater clarity. Freeing up valuable spectrum both for over the air and cable transmission.
Sound and pictures are converted into a digital format and compressed, using as few bits as possible to convey the information on a digital signal. This technique enables several television channels to be carried in the space used by the current analogue signals to carry one channel. Digital signals can be received by standard aerials, satellite dishes or via cable but have to be decoded and turned back into sound and pictures by using a separate set-top box, or a decoder built into your television (an integrated digital TV set/ iDTV).
In the US transition would free up valuable radio spectrum, some of which would be used to expand two-way radio communications for emergency responders. The rest would be auctioned to telecommunications companies, raising an estimated $10 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Currently UK leads the world in terms of Digital TV with more than 50% of the consumer base using it to access content
Developing countries are far behind in moving to digital television. However, China and Korea are moving towards digital TV. China plans to digitalise its cable TV in four stages, according to the country’s State Radio and TV Administration. It will spread to ground digital TV by 2008 and stop analog TV broadcasts by 2015 when digital TV would cover the entire country.
Posted by admin at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)
Emerging Markets Fuel Nokia Sales
Worlds largest mobile phone maker Nokia last Thursday lifted its forecast for global phone sales for this year to 780 million handsets from previously targets of 760 million driven mainly by increased demand in emerging countries.
Jorma Ollila, chief executive, said advances in the large Asian markets, including China, had helped Nokia’s performance. Nokia was expected to gain market share in the crucial fourth quarter.
Posted by admin at 05:22 AM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2005
India raising foreign investment cap on telecom
India's federal cabinet announced plans to raise the foreign investment cap in the country's telecommunications sector, to 74% from 49% allowing for the first time non-domestic companies take majority stake.
As per the revised rules resident Indians would manage the operating company but 74% foreign investment can be made directly or indirectly in the operating company or through a holding company. The remaining 26% stake would be owned by resident Indian citizens or an Indian company.
India currently is one of the fastest expanding mobile phone markets experience 35% annual growth according to a recent report by Financial Times of UK.
According local telecom operators who have been lobbying for the raising of FDI cap initial investment in the sector will help further expand teledensity in the rural market.
Posted by admin at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2005
Hybrid car market in Korea heating up
Soon after Toyota's announcement, Japan's Honda Motor has joined the bandwagon to offer hybrid cars in Korea. Because of inadequate or total lack of subsidies in Asia, automakers are targeting high end models where price between regular and hybrid models are incremental.
Honda Motor Corp. plans to begin sales of its Accord gasoline-electric hybrid cars in Korea in mid-2006, and if plan works out, Honda will be the first to introduce a hybrid car in the Korean market.
Honda's primary competitor in the hybrid segment, Toyota Motors Corp., had also expressed its hope earlier to launch its Lexus hybrid RX-400h as early as next August.
However, hybrid versions of high-end vehicles by both companies are not expected to sell at significant volumes potentially having small impact on environment and aggregate fuel consumption.
Because of subsidies in the US, hybrid versions of low-end models have been very popular.
Posted by admin at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
Japan's mobile giant takes on electronic auction
NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's biggest mobile-phone company, will acquire 40% of Rakuten's Internet-auction business for $37 million further expanding its e-commerce offerings.
The deal would allow DoCoMo to diversify its sources of revenue. In Japan, consumers commonly use cell phones to access the Internet. The new unit will give DoCoMo’s customers another service to play with by allowing them to take part in Internet auctions on cell phones.
DoCoMo has been an e-commerce global leader in using mobile phones to download video clips and music, accessing information on various services such as train schedules, restaurants and weather reports.
Posted by admin at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)
Indonesian government moves to protect phone users
According to a report by the Jakarta Post, Indonesian government is taking steps to protect mobile and fixed line users from what it calls "unfair billing."
Mobile users have complained that they were being charged for receiving SMS messages that they did not ask for. Recently, a group of consumers of telecommunications firm PT Telkom complained they had been charged Rp 2,000 for a service they never received.
Billing complaints over telecommunications services are common as the industry grows. The new regulation to be issued will deal with customers who have been billed for unasked for services.
Among the features to be regulated are voice mail box, call forwarding, call waiting, three party calling, abbreviated dialing, detail billing and ringtone services.
Operators will be required to familiarize consumers on their service charges for a period of at least one month, during which they must cease the applicable services.
The features can again be made available after the Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI) is informed of the service contracts made with the customers.
There were 40 million cellular subscribers as of September 2005 in Indonesia.
Posted by admin at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2005
US networking giant Cisco to invest $1.1 billion in India
Data networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. of US will spend $1.1 billion in India over the next three years in the company's largest investment outside the United States, its chief executive said Wednesday according to a report by Associated Press.
Cisco, based in San Jose, California, started its India operations in 1995 and plans to triple its work force from the current 1,400 by 2008. The company has its global research and development center in the southern city of Bangalore and offices in seven other Indian cities.
$750 million of the $1.1 billion will be spent on research and development activities, including training, development and staffing. The rest would be spent on providing leasing and other financial solutions to the company's customers, investing in Indian startup companies and customer support operations.
The company will help the Indian government establish "Common Services Centers" in 100 villages. The centers' aim is to provide residents of rural areas with online access to government services.
Cisco will also invest $10 million in a telecom network project in the southern city of Madras run by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., a state-owned corporation, said Communications and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
Cisco's revenue has grown by 50 percent in India in the past two years. The company sees 30% annual growth in the next three years. According to a statement by Cisco's CEO John Chambers, India may become it's largest market in Asia in the near future.
Posted by admin at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)
Asia-Pacific VoIP market grows 28% in Q2
The IP telephony equipment market for Asia/Pacific leads the growth in the telephony equipment market, reaching over USD 150 million in Q2. IDC's latest Asia/Pacific Quarterly Enterprise Telephony Equipment Tracker reveals that the IP Telephony market has grown 28 percent in Q2 compared to Q1 in terms of revenues, while the traditional market remains stagnant.
This clearly shows that the Asia/Pacific telephony market is heading in the direction observed in the worldwide marketplace. Countries like Australia, India, New Zealand, and Philippines are already showing signs of migration to IP communications products with increasing revenues coming from Pure IP PBXs, Hybrid IP PBX IP lines and IP Phones and a notable decrease in spend on traditional telephony equipment. Australia and New Zealand are at the forefront of the migration to IP in the region with revenues in the IP telephony market accounting for more than 50 percent of the total telephony market.
Posted by admin at 04:11 AM | Comments (0)
Winds change China
GUANGZHOU, China: Wind turbines could generate enough electricity to power the southern city of Guanzhou, a Greenpeace report claimed yesterday.
By 2020, winds breezing through Guangdong province could be producing 35,000 gigawatt hours of electricity 17 per cent of the province's total 2003 power consumption, and enough to match the provincial capital's yearly power demands.
The significant potential for developing wind energy in the province also comes from factors such as its rapid economic growth and favourable fund-raising environment, said Li Junfeng, secretary-general of the China Renewable Energy Industries Association.
Accounting for about one-tenth of China's economic volume, Guangdong posted 12.6 per cent economic growth in the first half of this year.
Government figures predict power consumption in Guangdong will grow by 15 per cent this year.
The province has been facing electricity shortages, with supply not expected to meet demand until 2007.
If Guangdong produces 20-gigawatts of wind-generated electricity annually by 2020, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 29 million tons each year, the report says.
Posted by admin at 03:30 AM | Comments (0)
Six Indian companies land in BusinessWeek top 50
Six Indian companies landed in the BusinessWeek list of Asia's Top 50 best firms. These are ONGC, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Tata Motors, Larsen & Toubro and Infosys Technologies.
Posted by admin at 03:21 AM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
Checking your airline's safety record (BEFORE FLYING)
European nations have started black listing airlines that have questionably maintenance or safety records. Today the web provides some useful tools to check if an airline meets international safety standards.
The International Air Transport Association has a highly regarded program called "Operational Safety Audit" that evaluates airlines. While it certainly is no guarantee against a crash, the site provides a good resource for travelers to help evaluate airlines. The list is available at www.iata.org/iosa/registry.
Instead of focusing on airlines, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration offers a list of countries that it believes have inadequate oversight over their airlines, at least according to standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO. This list is available at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa/?CFID=3197897&CFTOKEN=98061215
Countries that don't meet ICAO standards and do have airlines flying to the Unites States are subject to heightened FAA scrutiny. These include Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Nauru, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Serbia and Montenegro, Turks & Caicos, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Posted by admin at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Hyunadai considering engine manufacturing in India
Hyundai Motor Co., Korea's largest automaker is considering producing diesel engines in India for locally assembled cars, cutting costs and making them more affordable in Asia's fourth-biggest automobile market.
Hyundai, with $500 million of investments earmarked until 2008 for raising its share of India's vehicle market to 25 percent by 2010, is studying a plan to make diesel engines, said S.S. Yang, the carmaker's managing director for India.
Hyundai may fit diesel engines on Santro and Getz compact cars in India. Vehicles that burn diesel, which is up to 25 percent cheaper than gasoline in India, are increasingly popular.
Hyundai already is exporting cars from its Indian assembly plant to Western Europe replacing cars currently built in and shipped from Korea. Hyundai Motor India, a fully owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co has a large and modern assembly plant near Chennai (Madras).
Posted by admin at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
Fuel cells, lighter PCs on the horizon
Computer giants and laptop makers are researching new ways to make the inner workings of computers more power efficient. The most important innovations in the coming years would revolve around prolonging battery life and reducing the weight of laptops, said Mr Noel Hon Chia Chun, chairman, NEC Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, speaking exclusively to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launch of the first biometric computers in India on Friday.
http://www.asianage.com/?INA=2:175:175:187055
The Asian Age India | Kishore Butani
Mumbai: Portable battery and power technologies will be the major driving forces in the IT and electronics industry.
Computer giants and laptop makers are researching new ways to make the inner workings of computers more power efficient. The most important innovations in the coming years would revolve around prolonging battery life and reducing the weight of laptops, said Mr Noel Hon Chia Chun, chairman, NEC Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, speaking exclusively to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launch of the first biometric computers in India on Friday.
NEC, the $50 billion IT, network and electron devices solutions provider, announced its entry into India, with its wide range of commercial notebook computers and desktops.
A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process produces electricity. A conventional battery has all of its chemicals stored inside, and it converts those chemicals into electricity, however, a battery eventually "goes dead" and you have to throw it away or recharge it. With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead, as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell.
"Fuel cells, bionanotechnology and micromachines, are the future areas of technology that most companies are researching. NEC spends five per cent of its revenues on R&D alone. We have just introduced a prototype of the fuel cell powered laptop in Japan. We are also looking at breakthroughs in carbon nanotubes, since they will could be used as composites to increase the strength of materials and also help in the drug delivery process for the pharma industry," added Mr Chun.
According to industry experts, early fuel cells are already in the market, but have to overcome energy capacity issues. They predict that fuel cells will rake in $1.6 billion in revenues and hold a market share of 15 per cent by 2010.
Posted by admin at 08:36 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Cell phones changing Africans
NAIROBI (AP), Kenya - Amina Harun, a 45-year-old farmer, used to traipse around for hours looking for a working pay phone on which to call the markets and find the best prices for her fruit. Then cell phones changed her life.
"We can easily link up with customers, brokers and the market," she says, sitting between two piles of watermelons at Wakulima Market in Kenya's capital.
Cell phone use changes life in Africa
RODRIQUE NGOWI
Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya - Amina Harun, a 45-year-old farmer, used to traipse around for hours looking for a working pay phone on which to call the markets and find the best prices for her fruit. Then cell phones changed her life.
"We can easily link up with customers, brokers and the market," she says, sitting between two piles of watermelons at Wakulima Market in Kenya's capital.
Harun is one of a rapidly swelling army of wired-up Africans - an estimated 100 million of the continent's 906 million people. Another is Omar Abdulla Saidi, phoning in from his sailboat on the Zanzibar coast looking for the port that will give him the biggest profit on his freshly caught red snapper, tuna and shellfish.
Then there are South Africans and Kenyans slinging cell phones round the necks of elephants to track them through bush and jungle. And there's Beatrice Enyonam, a cosmetics vendor in Togo, keeping in touch with her husband by cell phone when he's traveling in the West African interior.
As cell-phone relay towers sprout on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti plain, providers are racing to keep up with their exploding market.
The numbers are staggering.
Cell phones made up 74.6 percent of all African phone subscriptions last year, says the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union. Cell phone subscriptions jumped 67 percent south of the Sahara in 2004, compared with 10 percent in cell-phone-saturated Western Europe, according to Mo Ibrahim, the Sudanese who chairs Celtel, a leading African provider.
An industry that barely existed 10 years ago is now worth $25 billion, he says. Prepaid air minutes are the preferred means of usage and have created their own $2 billion-a-year industry of small-time vendors, the Celtel chief says. Air minutes have even become a form of currency, transactable from phone to phone by text message, he says.
This is particularly useful in Africa, where transferring small amounts of money through banks is costly.
"We are developing unique ways to use the phone, which has not been done anywhere else," says South African Michael Joseph, chief executive officer of Safaricom, one of two service providers in Kenya. For an impoverished continent, low-cost phones make "a perfect fit."
And cash-strapped governments which have had to give up their monopoly on land lines are looking to reap huge revenues from license fees, customs duties and taxes on calls.
"We all misread the market," Joseph said.
The mistake, providers say, was to make plans based on GDP figures, which ignore the strong informal economy, and to assume that because land line use was low, little demand for phones existed.
The real reason for weak demand was that land lines were expensive, subscribers had to wait for months to get hooked up, and the lines often went down because of poor maintenance, floods and theft of copper cables.
Cell phones slice through all those obstacles and provide African solutions to African problems.
Wildlife researchers in Kenya and South Africa have put no-frills cell phones in weatherproof cases on a collar that goes around an elephant's neck. The phone sends a message every hour, revealing the animal's whereabouts.
It cuts the cost of tracking wildlife by up to 60 percent, said Professor Wouter van Hoven of the University of Pretoria's Center for Wildlife Management.
"You don't have to walk around the bush searching for the animals," he says. "I have sat around in Europe and was able to monitor animals in the mountains using a cell phone that had access to the Internet."
Saidi, the Zanzibar fisherman, can now check beforehand whether prices justify him sailing his catch to the Tanzanian mainland, while Wilson Kuria Macharia, head of the traders' association at the Nairobi market, says he no longer has to spend two to four weeks at a time roaming across Kenya and Tanzania in search of fresh produce.
"A few mobile phone calls take care of what used to be the most grueling part of the business," said Macharia, 61.
Cell phones also make traders more competitive, meaning better prices for farmers, he said.
People who don't own a cell phone can use public telephone centers linked to cellular networks, creating badly needed jobs.
Across the continent, in Nigeria, privately run cell phone services arrived in 2001 and started out charging $150 just to sign up. Nowadays four companies vie for customers by offering free sign-ups and introductory air minutes.
The number of subscribers in the nation of more than 130 million has jumped from about 700,000 to over 10 million, and hawkers make a living selling air time cards to motorists trapped in traffic.
On the downside, however, bus passengers on cross-country journeys have to turn off their cell phones because criminals are known to use them to coordinate highway robberies.
Inevitably, cell phones have become status symbols. "If you do not have one, your friends will laugh at you and say that you are outmoded," says Akpene Rose, a 23-year-old hairdressing student in Togo, a tiny West African country where every sixth person is estimated to have a cell phone.
And just as inevitably, there are those who wish they had never been invented.
Ayi Aime, a 60-year-old Togolese, says both her school-age daughters have cell phones. "I do not know how they got them. I do not mind," she says. "But the persistent noisemaking, constant ringing, has become a nuisance."
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Africa makes progress on VoIP
African countries are gradually opening up to legalizing VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) services.
Last month, Telkom Kenya Ltd. launched a VOIP service that allows telephone users to make cheaper international calls, after the country's Communications Commission released policy guidelines for the provision of VOIP services. Earlier this year, South Africa allowed value-added network services and or enhanced-service licences to carry voice on their networks. Mauritius has also legalized the provision of VOIP services.
African regulators have who have been reluctant to legalize VOIP in a bid to protect the revenue base of the incumbent fixed-line, and in some cases, mobile telcos are now facing significant marketshare due to grey market of VoIP based telco services.
This year, nearly 50% of all African inbound have been lost to VoIP and 57% of all outbound traffic in being routed via VoIP according to market research firm Insight.
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October 16, 2005
HP expands basic research & development in China
HP Labs, Hewlett-Packard's basic research arm is expanding to China later this year with a focus on computer security and services, according the Labs' executive reports ZDNet.
The plant will complement six other HP Lab sites worldwide in Palo Alto, Calif.; Cambridge, Mass.; Bristol, England; Haifa, Israel; Tokyo, Japan; and Bangalore, India.
Western companies are shifting basic research work to Asia in a bid to lower cost, attract local talent and move R&D closer to growth markets. Recently, HP has announced plans to establish 1,000 retail outlets in 100 major cities in China to better compete with local favorite Lenovo and Dell.
HP Labs employs about 600 people conducting fundamental research worldwide. Researchers in Bangalore are experimenting with a portable photo printer and a solar cell for people whose towns don't have electricity but who need photos for passports or other identification purposes.
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October 15, 2005
India takes steps to boost teledensity
In the seas off the Cochin coast of southern India, motorized fishing boats is often interrupted by the ringing of mobile phones from various fish markets looking to buy their catch reported International Herald Tribune earlier this month.
Currently growing at 35% India may be the fastest growing mobile phone market in the world. A recent report by UK's Financial Times states that Indian government is taking steps beef up adoption of mobile phones in its mostly rural areas.
According to the FT report India is considering using its Universal Services Obligation Fund, to which all telecoms operators in India currently contribute, to set up 20,000 new base stations across the country.
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October 14, 2005
China sets targets for solar power generation
The Chinese government, which has issued a Renewable Energy Law and signed the Kyoto Protocol limiting carbon dioxide emissions, has promised that renewable energy will make up 10% of the country's total installed capacity of power generation by 2020.
The solar energy sector has generated two major industries, that is, the solar energy heat utilization industry and the solar energy photovoltaic industry. The solar energy heat utilization industry mainly produces solar water heaters. China's annual production of solar water heaters has reached 10 million sets, saving the equivalent of 10 million tons of coal annually. Chinese sales of solar water heaters are 10 times more than that of Europe, and China now ranks first in the world in terms of solar water heater production and ownership.
The more important part of China's solar movement comes from the photovoltaic industry, which has been one of the fastest-growing industries in the country since the 1980s. The development of China's photovoltaic market in 2004 has surpassed any leaps in the history of industry, growing at an annual rate of 60.4%, and reaching 12 gigawatts (GW) of total production capacity.
China is promoting application of solar energy on a large scale, mainly in western areas that cannot be connected to national power grids, such as Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. The solar energy industry has entered a phase of rapid growth and profitability since 2003.
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Despite record IPod sales Asian consumers unwilling to pay for music
While global IPod portable digital player sales have crossed 2 million a month, Asian consumers show little eagerness to pay for downloaded music.
Through its iTunes application, which combines a PC jukebox with paid music downloading service, Apple sells songs for about a dollar. These songs are eventually downloaded to iPod portable music players. Last July Apple crossed the half billion downloaded song mark with each song costing 99 cents (US).
According to a recent report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), digital music sales worldwide rose enough in the first half of 2005 to offset the decline in physical music sales. Research by Synovate however shows that 70% of consumers in Asia download music without paying.
Portable digital music player sales are booming in Asia, especially products that are not tied to paid music downloading services such as the iPod doing very well. Portable MP3 players are used by over one-third of consumers in Hong Kong, and 28% of consumers in China and South Korea.
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October 13, 2005
Free VoIP phone calls without a headset
Skype Technologies which allow users make free PC-to-PC calls over the Internet and charges for PC-to-regular phones is offering a new solution that would make free Internet based phone calls even easier.
Skype and Linksys have teamed up to offer a $130 USB cordless handset that enables Skype users to make free VoIP calls. The cordless unit unlike conventional phones utilizes USB interface of PCs to make free Internet calls.
From a users standpoint it's no different from using conventional phones as long as high speed Internet is available.
The new solution called the Internet Telephony Kit, would free Skype users from being fettered to their computers by headsets, which most VoIP users currently use. The CIT200 handset includes a handset, a charger and a USB base station that plugs into a computer’s USB port.
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Nokia, China Putian To Set Up 3G Joint Venture In China
STOCKHOLM -- Finland's Nokia Oyj (NOK) Thursday said it has signed an agreement with China Putian Co. Ltd. to set up a joint venture in China to focus on research and development, manufacturing and sales of 3G network solutions for TD-SCDMA and WCDMA technologies.
Through this joint venture Nokia and China Putian, an equipment manufacturer and service provider, will provide 3G products and solutions to their customers.
The total investment in the joint venture is CNY900 million, or about EUR90 million.
China Putian and Nokia will have 51% and 49% shares respectively in the joint venture.
Products of the joint venture will be marketed under the Potevio brand held by China Putian. The joint venture will launch TD-SCDMA and WCDMA systems in 2006.
Nokia will continue to sell WCDMA systems under its own brand both globally and in China.
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Cheap Indian IT outsources sees dramatic sales growth
As more western companies look to cut costs India's two largest information technology outsourcing companies -- Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) and Infosys Technologies Ltd. -- continued showed to show strong sales growth.
Tata Consultancy, India's largest outsourcing company in terms of sales, said net profit almost doubled to $155 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to the same quarter during the past year.
Infosys the other super low cost outsources, showed profit increases of 36% to 6.06 billion rupees during the quarter ended Sept. 30 against the year-earlier period.
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October 12, 2005
Malaysia a hub for aircraft repair
Malaysia has become a regional centre for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft engines. GE Engine Services Malaysia, a joint venture with Malaysia Airlines, had in less than a decade, acquired clients from over 30 airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, with some signing up for 15-year contracts.
It is the largest MRO shop of its kind in Asia. Malaysia has areas that are very attractive to investors according to GE's CEO Jeff Immelt. He said part of the reason for Malaysia’s attractiveness was the relatively high number of skilled, English speakers.
"The country’s emphasis on skills development and a supportive investment climate is also key to Malaysia’s attractiveness as a foreign investment destination," Immelt added.
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October 11, 2005
Europeans move closer to mass CNG vehicle market
One of Europe's leading gas company, Gaz de France and automaker Peugeot Citroen are to launch a compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicle in Europe. Lunch of Citreon C3 car by two large players in the energy and automobile sectors is expected to boost market for CNG in Europe.
With about 420,000 vehicles on the road today, Italy is Europe's largest CNG vehicle market. However, even in Europe's largest market CNG vehicle constitute only 1.2% of the total number of vehicles.
CNG has a number of cost and environmental advantages over conventional fuels. Environmentally it produces less carbon emissions than gasoline, produces very few evaporative emissions and does not have the potential for contamination if the fuel is spilt or leaks.
From a cost perspective CNG costs less than 50% compared to conventional gasoline powered vehicles even after considering conversion costs.
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India enters product design market
Indian engineering firms are gradually taking on product design work starting from machine tools to complex power generators for various western firms.
According to a recent article in Businessweek, engineers at Tata Consulting Services (TCS) labs in India are working on various aspect of car design for an array of foreign clients. In Bangalore, for example, engineers are modifying the designs of a drive train for a passenger car to be built by a Western auto maker.
Indian engineers are utilizing complex 3D design software to tackle complex outsourced design jobs. Currently 60% of the design automation work is for the western automobile industry. However jobs from other sectors are flowing in as well.
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Solar Energy Cells Made of Everyday Plastic
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science hope to meet the growing demand with a new and more affordable way to harness the sun's rays: using solar cell panels made out of everyday plastics.
In research published today in Nature Materials magazine, UCLA engineering professor Yang Yang, postdoctoral researcher Gang Li and graduate student Vishal Shrotriya showcase their work on an innovative new plastic (or polymer) solar cell they hope eventually can be produced at a mere 10 percent to 20 percent of the current cost of traditional cells, making the technology more widely available.
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science hope to meet the growing demand with a new and more affordable way to harness the sun's rays: using solar cell panels made out of everyday plastics.
In research published today in Nature Materials magazine, UCLA engineering professor Yang Yang, postdoctoral researcher Gang Li and graduate student Vishal Shrotriya showcase their work on an innovative new plastic (or polymer) solar cell they hope eventually can be produced at a mere 10 percent to 20 percent of the current cost of traditional cells, making the technology more widely available.
The price for quality traditional solar modules typically is around three to four times more expensive than fossil fuel. While prices have dropped since the early 1980s, the solar module itself still represents nearly half of the total installed cost of a traditional solar energy system.
Currently, nearly 90 percent of solar cells in the world are made from a refined, highly purified form of silicon — the same material used in manufacturing integrated circuits and computer chips. High demand from the computer industry has sharply reduced the availability of quality silicon, resulting in prohibitively high costs that rule out solar energy as an option for the average consumer.
Made of a single layer of plastic sandwiched between two conductive electrodes, UCLA's solar cell is easy to mass-produce and costs much less to make — roughly one-third of the cost of traditional silicon solar cell technology. The polymers used in its construction are commercially available in such large quantities that Yang hopes cost-conscious consumers worldwide will quickly adopt the technology.
Independent tests on the UCLA solar cell already have received high marks. The nation's only authoritative certification organization for solar technology, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colo., has helped the UCLA team ensure the accuracy of their efficiency numbers. The efficiency of the cell is the percentage of energy the solar cell gathers from the total amount of energy, or sunshine, that actually hits it.
According to Yang, the 4.4 percent efficiency achieved by UCLA is the highest number yet published for plastic solar cells.
"As in any research, achieving precise efficiency benchmarks is a critical step," Yang said. "Particularly in this kind of research, where reported efficiency numbers can vary so widely, we're grateful to the NREL for assisting us in confirming the accuracy of our work."
Given the strides the team already has made with the technology, Yang calculates he will be able to double the efficiency percentage in a very short period of time. The target for polymer solar cell performance is ultimately about 15 percent to 20 percent efficiency, with a 15–20 year lifespan. Large-sized silicon modules with the same lifespan typically have a 14 percent to 18 percent efficiency rating.
The plastic solar cell is still a few years away from being available to consumers, but the UCLA team is working diligently to get it to market.
"We hope that ultimately solar energy can be extensively used in the commercial sector as well as the private sector. Imagine solar cells installed in cars to absorb solar energy to replace the traditional use of diesel and gas. People will vie to park their cars on the top level of parking garages so their cars can be charged under sunlight. Using the same principle, cell phones can also be charged by solar energy," Yang said. "There are such a wide variety of applications."
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October 10, 2005
Malaysia awards mobile virtual network provider licence
ASIA Telecommunications Sdn Bhd has been awarded the first Network Service Provider (1) licence in Malaysia to operate as a mobile virtual network provider (MVNO).
The license – issued by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission – enables it to lease mobile services and ”airtime” from established cellular carriers without the need of owning a spectrum license or maitaning infrastructure, the company said in a press statement.
“The concept of an MVNO will alter cellular product offerings for Malaysian cellphone users,” said P. Danesh, Asia Telecom's chief operating officer.
Danesh said that by being an MVNO, the company would be able to issue its own SIM (subscriber identity module) cards, and operate its own mobile switching centre using a pricing plan that is fully independent from that of its host network.
The company said it would begin offering location-based services, enterprise connectivity, mobile TV, and mass media and video gateways in 2006.
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October 07, 2005
China developing own High Definition DVD format
For the second time in two years, China has announced plans to develop its very own next-generation High Definition DVD standard to avoid paying licensing fees to foreign companies.
China's move would surely complicate the battle between HD DVD and the competing Blu-ray Disc formats over which will become the dominant new DVD standard.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the new standard will be based on but incompatible with HD DVD, which is being promoted by Toshiba Corp. and Universal Studios, as well as Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., the leading suppliers of chips and software for most of the world's personal computers.
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October 06, 2005
Malaysia's solar ambitions
Under the program Suria 1000, the Malaysian government will be offering selected residents the rare opportunity of generating their own solar power for homes through competitive bidding at greatly subsidized prices.
Suria 1000 is part of Energy, Water and Communications Ministry's RM100mil Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) project to develop the local solar energy market. The Malaysia Energy Centre is implementing the project on behalf of the ministry.
Partially funded by the United Nations Development Programme the initiative would include training, expertise development and promote awareness among Malaysians pertaining alternative energy.
Malaysia promotes solar townships
by Tan Cheng Li
Solar cells are notoriously costly. But this will soon change with the launch of a project aimed at making them affordable for Malaysians. Solar energy advocate Ahmad Hadri Haris is hopeful that Malaysian property developers will warm up to the idea of developing solar townships, much like Solarsiedlung in Germany and Nieuwland in the Netherlands.
“PVs can be included in new housing developments as a new marketing ploy. Such projects can gain developers a niche market as well as add value to the property,” says the technical adviser to the Malaysia Energy Centre.
He believes the cost of photovoltaic (PV) systems would not be felt since it would have been added to the total property price.
But while the private sector mulls over the idea of solar townships, the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry is moving ahead to incite interest in the renewable energy.
Next year, it will launch a programme, Suria 1000, which gives the public the rare opportunity of generating their own solar power. Based on similar projects in Europe and Japan, the project will offer building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems at discounted prices to make the technology accessible and affordable for the public.
Five-year project
People have to bid for the systems, however, because they are limited in numbers. Bidding will start at 25 per cent of the capital price, which is about RM25,000 (about £4,000) for a 1 kilowatt (kW) system. A 2kW or 3kW system is typically needed for an average household. The starting bid will be raised annually, to encourage public participation early on in the project. For the first of the four-year project, BIPV systems with a total capacity of 1,000kW will be offered.
Suria 1000 is part of the ministry’s five-year RM100mil Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) project to develop the local solar energy market. The Malaysia Energy Centre is implementing the project on behalf of the ministry.
“The key objective is to reduce the long-term cost of BIPV technology. This cost reduction will lead to sustainable and widespread use of BIPV, which will ultimately avoid greenhouse gas emissions,” says Ahmad Hadri.
The project will promote BIPV technology – which covers PV that can be incorporated into building structures such as the roofs, façades, walls, windows and shades – instead of the traditional mounted solar PV.
Partially funded by the United Nations Development Programme/ Global Environment Facility, the MBIPV will include training workshops to build up awareness of solar energy, promote a local PV industry and build up expertise in BIPV technology. Laws and policies that encourage BIPV development will also be addressed.
Showcase sites
Several facilities – one is the new Malaysia Energy Centre building – will incorporate BIPV technology to serve as showcase sites.
By 2010, a minimum of 1.5 megawatt (MW) of solar energy would have been added to the grid. Presently, PV installations in rural areas have a capacity of 2.5MW, while urban installations have 500kW connected to the grid.
Households participating in Suria 1000 will use the solar energy directly, and any excess will be fed into the electricity grid and sold to Tenaga Nasional Berhad – a system known as “net metering.” This differs from Germany’s “feed-in” approach, where all the solar power is fed to the grid.
Ahmad Hadri says the feed-in system could not be implemented here because of low tariffs. In Germany, energy producers are paid tariffs that are higher than the normal electricity price.
However, he believes the feed-in system should eventually be introduced here as it has boosted the PV sector in many countries. These countries also have various fiscal incentives to boost the solar market, some of which can be adapted to suit local conditions.
In Spain, building developers who include PV in their buildings can offset up to 95 per cent of the construction tax while for consumers, 10 per cent of the investment cost of PV systems is tax deductible.
When Japan started its 70,000 Roofs programme in 1994, it subsidised 50 per cent of the cost of PV systems.
The subsidies stopped in 1997 with the introduction of feed-in tariffs but low interest rate on loans for PV products have made private investment affordable.
Source: INS/Malaysian Star
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October 05, 2005
China prepares for super efficient nuclear energy
Chinese scientists are planning super-efficient nuclear reactors that can maximize uranium burn-up and minimize waste in the generation of electricity.
If the first experimental reactor, set to be in operation by 2010, is successfl, the technology could help relieve China's uranium supply problems as the country accelerates nuclear power plant construction.
The new reactors are expected to burn 60-70 per cent of their uranium fuel - a conventional reactor consumes only 0.7 per cent of the uranium it is fed.
Current reactors are only able to harness the power of 0.7 per cent of the radioactive isotopes found in natural uranium.
In the so called "fast reactor", the process is optimized so that more of the previously untapped isotopes can be used to generate electricity, burning-up fuel at least 60 times more efficiently than in a normal reactor.
The prototype reactor, with a capacity of 600,000 kilowatts, will be constructed and put into operation by 2020. As China's economy keeps developing rapidly, demand for power also keeps increasing. To meet its growing energy demands, China has mapped out a national plan to increase nuclear generating capacity to 36,000 megawatts by 2020, up from 8,700 megawatts today. The proportion of national power output supplied by nuclear energy is expected to rise from 2.3 per cent now to 4 per cent.
From China Sun
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October 04, 2005
Asia-Pacific Airlines to Fail IT Test
Asia-Pacific airlines are realising the hard way that a freeze on technology spending has left them behind the curve when it comes to technology upgrades.
The International Air Transport Association has set 2007 as the international deadline to abolish paper ticketing, but research shows many will flunk the test.
Analysts are blaming airlines' reluctance to spend on IT as well low acceptance of technology by passengers are contributing to a dramatic decline in technology adoption by Asian airlines.
A survey carried out by Airline industry network provider SITA, shows 40 per cent of Asia-Pacific carriers do not expect to retire their legacy infrastructure for at least the next five years. By that time most European and North American carriers will have switched to IP-based systems.
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October 01, 2005
Wireless Internet Access Taking Off In India
Wireless internet hotspots known as "Wi-fi hotspots", are spreading in India.
According to research firm Frost & Sullivan estimates, there were 300 public 'hotspots' in India at the end of 2004, of which 80 percent were in Bangalore. According to some analysts this is set to cross the 1500 mark by the end of this year.
The standard 2.4 GHz frequency band has been de-licensed by the Indian government and almost all the major service providers are jumping on to the bandwagon. "Basically, it gives me immense freedom when I am in transit," says Abhisheka Kumar, a Mumbai-based banking professional, checking his mails and sipping his favourite ice tea at a famous cafe chain's outlet that is Wi-Fi enabled, in New Delhi's Connaught Place. I have everything here, says Kumar, pointing to his laptop.
Wi-Fi is helping the service industries like hospitality, airlines & airports to give additional value added services to its customers. Special care is being taken to give a laptop-friendly environment for the wireless customers including comfortable seats, tables to accommodate the laptops and other services at 'hotspots' across the country.
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