Failed strategy

Hydrogen-Powered Cars

Hydrogen cars got a boost with the $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in 2003, leading to a flurry of research. The appeal of hydrogen lies in its only emission being water vapor. While hydrogen still relies on natural gas for production, there are possible alternatives, such as coaxing it from bacteria and sunlight. But forget theory for a minute. The Honda FCX Clarity is one of the few real-world hydrogen cars and only 18 states have any hydrogen refueling stations, with California the only state to have in excess of 10. Meanwhile, hybrid cars have been hitting the road for 14 years, with the Toyota Prius pulling ahead with over two million vehicles sold since its introduction in 1997. First-mover advantage isn't the only reason for the hybrid's domination over hydrogen, though. The 2010 Obama administration budget request bet against the technology, favoring and funding hybrids and attempting to cut the amount going to the Department of Energy's hydrogen fuel-cell program. While Congress restored the majority of the funding, the proposed 2012 budget is looking once again to slash financial support for the program.

Microsoft Zune(to compete with ipod)

The Microsoft Zune proved the maxim that looks are everything. Coming across more like an iPod prototype than a sleek, fully realized product, the Zune 30 arrived in 2006 in black, white, and brown. Its Microsoft software was widely praised, but with two notable missteps: it wasn't Mac-compatible and couldn't sync with iTunes (something even Palm managed). Consumers were already five years and several models in to the iPod and their iTunes libraries. A more attractive package could certainly have helped, and Microsoft did gussy up the Zune in its subsequent incarnations but to no avail. The last Zune was produced in April 2010. Microsoft says that it's the final standalone unit, with the technology being merged into Windows Phone 7 devices.


MeeGo

MeeGo's name foretold its own exit. The Nokia and Intel-developed mobile OS was killed by Stephen Elop, the company's president and CEO, just as the first and only phone to use it was announced. Elop dropped MeeGo to make way for Windows Phone 7-based devices. Yet the Nokia N9, the first and now only phone on the platform, garnered rave reviews for features such as NFC, an 8-megapixel camera, and a swipe gesture to replace the home key. But that wasn't enough for a stay of execution. MeeGo's downfall had nothing to do with it but rather it's because it came too late for the company. Nokia is struggling to regain its former prominence, and partnering with Microsoft on a dozen-plus forthcoming phones is the path it has chosen to take. Intel thinks MeeGo is down and not out and plans to try to revive it in the tablet space.

USB 3.0

The latest USB standard—with its SuperSpeed bus that has a fourth transfer mode at 5 Gbps—arrived at the beginning of 2010 with a certified consumer product rollout. However, that rollout has been limited, partly because Intel has been dragging its feet on supporting the standard. The answer why arrived with a thunderclap, or a Thunderbolt, rather. Intel brought its own Thunderbolt technology to market with Apple. Thunderbolt has twice the transfer speed, supports daisy-chaining, and benefits from Intel and Apple's backing. The writing seems to be on the wall with this one.

Bluetooth 4.0

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) said on Wednesday that version 4.0 of the wireless specification may be incorporated into devices by the end of the year. The new spec will bring Bluetooth to a whole new set of gadgets including watches, pedometers, and all other low-power devices that run on coin-cell batteries.
This is a huge step considering that Bluetooth only resided in devices that used triple-A or larger capacity batteries. Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, said that 4.0 combines both the high-speed data transfer capabilities provided by Bluetooth 3.0 with the new ability to transmit small bursts of data over short ranges.

Chocolate printer

A chocolate teapot is finally a reality after scientists invented technology that allows people to design their own 3D objects which can be reproduced in chocolate.
Researchers hope an online retail business will host a website for users to upload their designs for 3D printing and delivery.
The project is being led by the University of Exeter in collaboration with Brunel University and software developer Delcam.


Using new digital technology the printer allows people to create their own designs on a computer and reproduce them physically in three dimensional form in chocolate.
3D printing is a technology where a three dimensional object is created by building up successive layers of material. The technology is already used in industry to produce plastic and metal products, but this is the first time the principles have been applied to chocolate.
The research has presented many challenges. Chocolate is not an easy material to work with because it requires accurate heating and cooling cycles.

These variables then have to be integrated with the correct flow rates for the 3D printing process. Researchers overcame these difficulties with the development of new temperature and heating control systems.

Research leader Dr Liang Hao said: 'What makes this technology special is that users will be able to design and make their own products.

'From reproducing the shape of a child's favourite toy to a friend's face, the possibilities are endless.'

'It could be developed to help consumers custom-design many products from different materials, but we've started with chocolate as it is readily available, low cost and non-hazardous.


'There is also no wastage as any spoilage can be eaten.'

Dr Hao added: 'Eventually we may see many mass-produced products replaced by unique designs created by the customer.'

EPSRC chief executive Professor Dave Delpy said: 'This is an imaginative application of two developing technologies and a good example of how creative research can be applied to create new manufacturing and retail ideas.

'By combining developments in engineering with the commercial potential of the digital economy we can see a glimpse into the future of new markets - creating new jobs and, in this case, sweet business opportunities.'

Designer counterfeit is good

 
Designer handbag companies like Louis Vuitton and Prada have been battling against those who make counterfeit copies of their designs for decades.
But a new study suggests they should give up the fight.
A Northwestern University economist has found that sales of designer bags actually rise when sales of fake versions are also increasing.
Yi Qian disputes the theory that every fake handbag that is bought means one less handbag sold by luxury designers.
He argues that counterfeits can act as free advertisement for the real thing, boosting popularity and creating what MIT marketing professor Renee Richardson Gosline has described as a 'gateway' product.
Gosline's theory is that women who buy cheap versions, that quickly fall apart, begin to yearn for the real thing.
She found that within a couple of years, more than half of the middle-class women women she spoke to - many of who would never have considered buying an £800 bag before - actually swapped their counterfeits for authentic items.
In the early 1990s, quality-control problems among food, medicine, and oil-tank producers in China - where most fake bags are manufactured - made headlines around the world. These big stories led to the Chinese authorities cutting back their policing of fake luxury products in favour of sorting out the urgent problems with food and medicine that were making people ill.
 
With policing curtailed, counterfeiting took off in 1995—Qian estimates there was a nearly 100 per cent increase in the production of fakes in just two years.
Sales of mid-range bags fell over the same period but, counterintuitively, their luxury equivalents actually saw an increase in sales as people sought higher quality items.
The link between buying a fake handbag and craving an outrageously-priced real one should be worrying enough for women to avoid purchasing counterfeits altogether.
But there is another, much stronger, argument against  buying cheap versions - they are often made by children in horrible sweatshops.
So if you can't afford LV, it is always best to stick to the High Street.

list of ceos in india / top ceo in india

Top CEOs in India

Ratan Tata

 
Chairman, Tata Sons

Tata graduated from Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, did his Bachelor of Science degree in

architecture from Cornell University in 1962. Then he went to the US to do Advanced Management Program

by Harvard Business School in 1975. This Management course at HBS is designed for someone already in

the field who wants to better their prospects.

Ratan Tata is also the chairman of Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata

Tea, The Indian Hotels Company, Tata Chemicals and Tata Teleservices. During his tenure, the group's

revenues have grown nearly 13-fold.

Mukesh Ambani

Chairman and MD, Reliance Industries

Mukesh Ambani studied in The Scindia School, Gwalior. He is a chemical engineer from the Institute of

Chemical Technology, University of Mumbai. Mukesh pursued his MBA at Stanford University, USA. With a

personal wealth valued at $29 billion by Forbes Magazine, Mukesh Ambani is world's fourth richest and

Asia's wealthiest person.

 
Rahul Bajaj

Bajaj Auto

After attending St. Stephen's College Delhi for his BA Economics, and the Government Law College Bombay

for LLB, Rahul Bajaj went to the US to do his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1964. Being awarded

the Padma Bhushan in 2001, Bajaj was listed twentieth on the Forbes India's Richest in 2010.

Anil Ambani

 

Chairman, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group

Anil Ambani completed his Bachelor of Science from Mumbai University. He went to the US to do an MBA

from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. It is the same university that later honoured Dhirubhai

Ambani with the Dean's Medal for setting an outstanding example of leadership. Anil Ambani is the fourth

richest man in India, according to Forbes.

Anand Mahindra

Vice Chairman and MD, Mahindra & Mahindra

Anand Mahindra graduated from Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts and completed his MBA from

Harvard Business School, Boston. He is Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra.

After Anand's entry, Mahindra & Mahindra started the Kotak Mahindra Bank and Tech Mahindra. The IT

section acquired Satyam Computer Services Ltd and renamed it Mahindra Satyam following the 2007

scandal.

 
Adi Godrej

Godrej Group

Adi Godrej did his bachelor's degree and master's degree in management from Massachusetts Institute of

Technology before joining the family business. One of Indian's richest men, with a net worth of $3.3 billion,

Adi Godrej is credited with modernising his family's business.

KV Kamath

Non-Executive Chairman, ICICI Bank

Kamath was ICICI Bank's Managing Director and CEO from May 1996 to his retirement in April 2009. After

completing Higher Secondary and Pre-University from St Aloysius School, Kamath joined the Karnataka

Regional Engineering College for Mechanical Engineering. Then, in 1969, he joined the Indian Institute of

Management, Ahmedabad for his Masters in Business Administration.

biggest solar panel factory

GE is taking aim at the world's biggest solar company in a bid to expand into a fast-growing renewable energy market.
General Electric Co. announced Thursday that it would spend $600 million to build the nation's biggest solar panel factory. It would build the same type of so-called thin film solar panels manufactured by First Solar Inc., the biggest producer of solar panels in the world.
GE also announced Thursday that testing by a government laboratory showed that its panels set an efficiency record for this type of thin film panel, made from the elements cadmium and tellurium.
"It's demonstrated to be the cost leader in the marketplace and we think we can push costs lower, and faster," said Vic Abate, vice president for GE's renewable energy business.
The company did not say where the factory would be built. Abate said it would eventually employ 400 people and be producing panels by 2013. The plant would have the capacity to build 400 megawatts worth of panels per year, enough to power about 80,000 homes.
By comparison, First Solar will have 2,300 MW of capacity by the end of this year.
Still, analysts say GE's size, manufacturing experience, and ability to invest heavily in technology and to finance projects is sure to eventually pressure First Solar and other solar makers.
"There's no way to not look at this as a severe competitive threat," said Aaron Chew, an analyst at Hapoalim Securities in New York.
Several large Korean companies — Samsung, Hyundai Heavy Industries, LG Display, and LG Electronics — have also indicated they plan to invest in solar.
"The big boys are entering the space and it doesn't bode well for the smaller players," Chew said.
First Solar shares dropped $2.35 to $148.25. GE shares slipped 30 cents to $20.24.
GE, based in Fairfield, is the biggest maker of wind turbines in the U.S. and among the biggest in the world, but it has been slow to venture into solar. It first bought a minority stake in PrimeStar Solar, which developed the technology GE now plans to manufacture, in 2007. It recently acquired all of PrimeStar, which is based in Colorado.
Solar power is far more expensive than wind power, and contributes far less power to the nation's grid.
But the growth in wind power was cut in half in 2010. Low electricity prices make wind look comparably more expensive. There's a lack of transmission lines from remote, windy locations. And state and federal policymakers are reluctant to impose or increase renewable energy mandates.
Solar continues to grow quickly, a result of rapidly falling panel prices and state incentives. Also, solar panels produce power during the heat of the day, when power prices are high. Wind typically blows strongest at night, and has to compete with lower wholesale power rates.
Over the next five years, Abate estimates, the world will spend $20 billion to install 75,000 megawatts of solar panels.
Abate, who also runs GE's wind business, expects wind to continue to provide the bulk of the world's renewable power. He said GE had been studying solar, and waiting for the best technology to emerge.
GE has now made its choice: so-called cad-tel thin film panels.
Most solar panels are made from crystalline silicon, similar to the material that is used to make the brains of computers and electronics. These cells are more efficient at turning the sun's rays into electricity, but they are more expensive to manufacture.

The promise of thin film cells is that they can be manufactured so cheaply that even if the cell itself is less efficient than a crystalline silicon cell, a solar power system based on thin films would produce cheaper solar power.
Only First Solar, though, has learned to make thin films efficient enough and cheap enough to win a big segment of the solar market. It is the only top solar panel maker that uses thin film.
GE now buys and re-sells another type of thin film panel, based on different chemistry, from Solar Frontier, a subsidiary of the Japanese energy giant and Royal Dutch Shell affiliate Showa Shell Sekiyu.
Abate said the cells from the new cad-tel plant will produce among the world's cheapest solar power.
"For solar to have a big breakthrough, there has to be a breakthrough in cost and affordability," Abate said. "That's a technical problem and it's something we are excited about."

Koenigsegg will be in India soon

Swedish supercar maker, Koenigsegg will be in India soon. The company that came into being in the 1990s and managed to survive despite the presence of old-time big corporates in the business has now set its sights on India.

The car, that will come to India is the Agera. Unveiled last year in Europe, the Agera will come to India through Interglobe Enterprises. If the name sounds familiar, these are the guys behind Indigo Airlines. With eyes set on the Indian luxury automotive market, they have tied up with a number of Automotive brands including Koenigsegg.

Interestingly, the Agera was voted as Hypercar of the Year by our Brit counterparts in the annual TopGear Awards 2010 Issue last December. We'll keep you posted on the more Koenigsegg Agera details including its price (hint: it's not cheap), and some very interesting bikes, as soon as possible.The Koenigsegg Agera has been officially priced at Rs. 12.5 crores.

Ashok Leyland in joint venture with Nissan

 
Hinduja group flagship Ashok Leyland in joint venture with Nissan rolled out its first light commercial vehicle (LCV) – Dost – at half the envisaged investments in the project, even as both partners are mulling over the possibility of expanding the scope for the JV to make vans.

Ashok Leyland and Nissan had signed three JV agreements, one each for manufacturing, technology and power train essentially covering designing and developing a range of LCVs for India and abroad. The cumulative investments for all three ventures was projected at Rs 2300 crore including the setting up of a greenfield manufacturing unit in Oragadam, near Chennai.

The first LCV –– a 55hp, three cylinder turbo charged common rail direct engine mounted 'Dost' was unveiled on Tuesday. "We will launch the vehicle in a few months from now," Sumantran said.

Agency reports quoted Andy Palmer, senior vice president at Nissan as saying that both partners were exploring the possibility of extending the JV to manufacture multi-purpose vehicles like vans. "One year should be a reasonable period (to launch multi-purpose vehicles )," he said.

Apple's worker suicides

Citing worker suicides and injuries at Apple's supplier plants over the last two years, a Canadian-led international study has urged corporates to learn from it and change their wrong approach to managing their supply chains.

Apple is under pressure after reports of suicides and health hazards to workers at its supply plants in China. Suicides by workers at Foxconn Technologies, one of Apple's biggest suppliers in China, have rattled the biggest technology brand in the world.

Last month, the New York Time reported that over 130 workers at an Apple supply factory in Suzhou suffered severe health problems after poisoning by a chemical called n-hexane.

In its study, the Network for Business Sustainability, an independent research group based at the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, says that ensuring safe working conditions should be the top responsibility of companies that buy from suppliers in other countries.

Though these companies talk about their commitment to safe working conditions in their supply chains, they are going about it the wrong way, says the study.

"Many companies today talk about developing 'sustainable' supply chains, but they're actually talking about managing risk and preventing public relations crises," says study co-author Stephen Brammer of the Warwick Business School (Britain).

"Those companies end up implementing costly and ineffective punitive actions against suppliers after labour issues or supply disruptions have already occurred. "In the end, nobody wins."

Leading companies are just treating their supply chains 'as opportunities for competitive advantage,' says the study.

"If supplier employees are experiencing high levels of injury, your company should send staff to do on-site training. If some suppliers are less productive than others, don't just drop them. Hold supplier conferences where the laggards can learn from the leaders and everyone can share best practices," says Brammer.

amul to expand milk territory

In a strategic move aimed at grabbing a larger share of the growing demand for milk in the country, Amul's parent Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has, for the first time, gone beyond its Gujarat boundary and procured milk from other states as well.

Over the last six months, GCMMF, which is the largest distributor of milk in the country, has procured 7-8% of its milk from states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan. "We would like to bring farmers from other states into our fold. Earlier, we used to cater to the demand of the entire country from Gujarat alone. Now we feel the need to procure milk from other state cooperatives too. Demand is growing rapidly and we want to tap into this growth," R S Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF told TOI.


Out of the total average of 93 lakh litre of milk procured daily, GCMMF sells 34 lakh litre outside Gujarat. Earlier, most of it was procured from Gujarat through its 30-lakh producer network. GCMMF pays around Rs 400 per kg to farmers for milk. Considering the heat from competition and newer regional players entering the field, Amul feels it would be in the best interest of the cooperative to tap into farmers from other states through the cooperative structure. As a result, it also gains from reduced transportation costs.


Sodhi said the cooperative is witnessing a 20% growth in liquid milk annually. The growing demand, despite the fact that milk prices had gone up a couple of times during the last one year, is because of improved household incomes. "There is growing prosperity even in smaller towns. This is why we have decided to expand into 3,000 more towns to increase the reach of non-milk products like milk powder, butter, cheese, ice cream and butter milk over the next 6-7 months. When there is rise in income of a household, the first category which they spend more on is foods," said Sodhi.

The cooperative has set a target of hiring 200 super stockists in those 3,000 towns to expand its reach. By expanding its rural reach, GCMMF expects to clock a 20% growth in non-milk categories which have an annual turnover of Rs 5,500 crore. GCMMF is targeting a turnover of about Rs 10,000 crore in the current financial year.

EBay the online auction site / ebay buying

EBay has agreed to pay $2.4 billion for GSI Commerce, an online retail and marketing company, in a move that could help the online auction site compete with Amazon.

The purchase of GSI "will significantly strengthen our ability to connect buyers and sellers worldwide," John Donahoe, EBay's president and chief executive, said in a statement. "Combined with EBay Marketplaces and PayPal, we believe GSI will enhance our position as the leading strategic global commerce partner of choice for retailers and brands of all sizes."

GSI works with more than 180 retailers and brands to underpin their online retail operations, the company said.

"Technology is changing how consumers shop, and retailers and brands are changing how they compete," Donahoe said. "With EBay, PayPal, GSI and our global platform capabilities, we are focused on delivering new ways for retailers and brands of all sizes -- from sole proprietors to large merchants -- to drive innovation, engage customers and help people shop anytime, anywhere and on any device."


The current leading online retail site is Amazon, which sells products through Amazon.com and mobile apps on smartphones and tablets. Most recently, Amazon has gotten into the business of selling apps for Google's Android operating system through its Amazon Appstore.

GSI's customers include brands such as Adidas, Calvin Klein, Hewlett-Packard, Mattel and sports leagues such as Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Assn. and the NFL. The Pennsylvania company receives and manages online orders, processes payments, maintains retail websites and handles some customer care services.

Under the deal, EBay would sell off GSI's licensed sports merchandise business and 70% of its ShopRunner and Rue La La businesses. ShopRunner is a members-only shopping website; Rue La La is an invitation-only website that offers daily discounts.

"EBay believes these businesses are not core to its long-term growth strategy," the company said of ShopRunner and Rue La La. "These assets will be sold to a newly formed holding company, which will be led by GSI founder and CEO Michael Rubin."

Rubin started GSI about 10 years ago and was recently featured on the CBS TV show "Undercover Boss."

EBay said it expects the deal, which is to be financed with a combination of cash and debt, to close by the end of the third quarter. Federal regulators and GSI shareholders have yet to approve the deal.

Infosys in Africa

Infosys Technologies is planting the seeds for a long-term IT services play in the African continent.

The company's CFO V Balakrishnan told that the company is now looking at a broader play in the continent as they see greater potential demand for IT services there.

Currently the company's offerings in Africa are limited to the banking solutions product Finacle. Finacle solutions address the core banking, ebanking , Islamic banking, treasury, wealth management and customer relationship management (CRM) requirements of retail, corporate and universal banks.

The company is now laying the groundwork to expand its offerings to include Infosys's various offshore IT services that it offers in larger markets. This includes application services, infrastructure management, package implementation and architecture services.

"This would not entail substantial investments in Africa. We would look to set up a marketing office in the region in the near future," Balakrishnan said. Infosys currently doesn't have any development centre in Africa. The company's closest office to Africa is its business continuity centre off the African coast in Mauritius.

Infosys operates across Africa through a distribution network of business alliance partners. These partners are based in South Africa, Nigeria , Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania , Egypt and Ethiopia. The company has less than 100 people working in Africa.

B Ramaswamy, MD of mid-sized IT firm Sonata Software, said that though Africa is not a major market today, there are certain pockets in the country where economic growth is leading to higher levels of technology adoption . South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya in particular have large banks, telcos and manufacturing sectors where the potential to make inroads is substantial , he added. Sonata, which opened its Dubai subsidiary in 2009, plans to service the African markets in future through this centre.

According to a recent report by global sourcing advisory firm Technology Partners International (TPI), South Africa is facing a shortage of IT skills. The report adds that Microsoft is in the midst of a seven-year , $67 million investment that is credited with creating 22,000 IT jobs in the country. The government projects that 95,000 new IT jobs will be created and filled between 2009 and 2013.

Siddharth Pai, MD of TPI India, said that it makes sense for Infosys to extend its offerings as it already has a presence in Africa and understands the region. Opportunities for cross selling arise along with Finacle. BPO services like transaction processing, which are in high demand, could be offered.

The other top-tier Indian IT vendors like TCS, Wipro and HCL are also attempting to make inroads to the African market. TCS, which offers its TCS BaNCS suite of banking products in Africa, has two subsidiaries based in Morocco and South Africa. A Dow Jones Newswires report in February said that Wipro Infotech was close to signing deals with two African telecom companies.

K. R. Sridhar next abdhul kalam

K. R. Sridhar born . 1960  is the founder and CEO of Bloom Energy. Sridhar earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology at Tiruchirappalli, India in 1982.He moved to the United States in the 1980s and got a M.S. in nuclear engineering and a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sridhar was the director of the Space Technologies Laboratory at the University of Arizona, which was asked by NASA to come up with ways to make life sustainable on Mars. The team then made a device to use solar power and Mars water to power a reactor cell that made oxygen to breathe and hydrogen to power vehicles. Sridhar led a project that built a Mars oxygen production cell using a yttria-stabilized zirconia solid-electrolyte ionic conductor to electrolyse carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon monoxide. The oxygen production unit was to fly as part of the MIP ("Mars ISPP Precursor") experiment package.

On 24 February 2010, Bloom Energy launched a new energy-efficient and environmentally friendly fuel cell known as the Bloom Box. Natural gas (or any other fuel) and oxygen are run through a stack of cells, producing electricity. The energy was clean and inexpensive, but development and production of this fuel cell required a large initial investment ($100 million). Sridhar was able to obtain funding for the project from investors such as John Doerr (who was an early investor in companies such as Amazon and Google as well).

Sridhar predicts that a $3000 box could be in every home within the next five to ten years. Companies such as Adobe Systems, Ebay, Google, FedEx, and Wal-Mart have already purchased larger sized boxes.

Dr. Sridhar has served on many technical committees, panels and Advisory Boards.  He has over fifty publications, and has performed pioneering work in the areas of Space Technology, Microsensors and Devices, Multiphase Flow, and Solid Oxide Electrolysis and Systems, the last of which is the basis of the technology being used at Bloom Energy.

The Bloom Electrons service allows customers to lock in their electricity rates for 10 years,delivering fixed predictable costs and significant savings versus the grid. Bloom manages and maintains the systems on the customers' sites and the customers pay only for the electricity consumed. This allows immediate cost savings with no initial investment, making onsite clean, reliable, affordable energy more accessible.

"Bloom Electrons is about providing universal access to clean, reliable, affordable energy. Empowering our customers to buy energy on their terms is another significant step on our journey to change the way energy is generated and consumed in the world," said KR Sridhar, principal co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy. "We are thrilled to welcome new customers and take special pride in our repeat  customers."

"Bloom Energy enables Caltech to more effectively carry out its core mission of research and education by providing cleaner, more economical and predictable power which ultimately helps us achieve our strategic infrastructure and sustainability goals"

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Bloom Energy to structure Bloom Electrons, a unique service to secure baseload electricity. Bloom Energy has developed a technology that can transform the energy landscape and we look forward to supporting Bloom throughout its growth,"

To date, the Bloom Energy fleet has provided customers over 40 million kilowatt-hours and eliminated approximately 45 million pounds of CO2 emissions. Today's announcement of Bloom Electrons and the 200 new systems that will initially be deployed, represent the next step on the path to deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy to everyone in the world.

His plan is to generate energy locally through the use of solid-oxide fuel cells - a concept that people have been fiddling around with since the 19th century but that is now becoming practical with advances in the ceramics needed to build them. In addition, his vital role in developing a device for NASA to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen on Mars spearheaded the expedition to develop technologies to sustain life there.

With strategic alliances with venture capitalists KPCB, which has among many other notables, people of the stature of Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore- a man widely regarded as an authority on green energy and US Statesman Colin Powell, here is a person the world watches on with bated breath.

new brand identity for hero group.

Fresh from the split with Honda Motors, the Hero Group is looking to reinvent itself with a new brand identity and has kicked off a rebranding exercise. London-based Wolff Olins, part of the Omnicom group, is working on the new brand identity, including the brand architecture, brand name, brand logo and brand positioning.

The country's leading two-wheeler company wants a new brand name after the two joint venture partners of the Hero Honda Motors (HHML)-the Hero Group of India and Honda Motor Co of Japan-signed an agreement recently. The Hero Group has just concluded a buyout of Honda's stake in the company.

"Our country is undergoing phenomenal socio-economic change and is emerging as one of the epicenters of global business. The new buzzwords at Hero Honda are Creation, Renewal and Re-energizing," said Pawan Munjal, MD-CEO of Hero Honda. "The world today is looking at India not just for its sustained GDP growth or the spending power of its strong middle-class, but also for its intellectual capital, enterprise and entrepreneurship. Brand India keeps getting stronger."

The new brand image of the Munjals' flagship could represent the "Indianess" of the company. "This rebranding has come at a crucial time, given the disengagement with Honda. The route that brands normally take would be to take any mnemonic that resonates with their identity and build on that. Like the colour red with Airtel," said Ramanujam Sridhar, CEO of BrandComm. "Hero could build on the Indianess of their brand and their knowledge of Indian conditions for their new identity."

Others believe that the Hero could don the 'desi' tag strongly in its new avatar. "While Indianess should be celebrated, a desi branding imagery is a bullet that not too many are willing to bite into just yet," Harish Bijoor, branding expert said.

"Hero Honda without Honda is a kind of a vacuum point since entire generations have grown up on Hero Honda. But the split is reasonably cathartic and this is an opportunity for Hero to reinvent and resonate with the zing and buzz of the youth. For them a motorcycle is not just a vehicle, but a symbol of empowerment."

Tata Pixel concept

It's not coming to the States--at least not for several years--but the Tata Pixel concept shown at last week's Geneva Motor Show is worth paying attention to.

It shows how a more upscale four-seat urban car could be built on the underpinnings of the tiny Tata Nano, the world's cheapest new car.

One clever feature: The 10-foot-long Pixel's scissor doors open up, rather than out, so they stay within the car's footprint without impinging on passing traffic, cyclists, or pedestrians.

But there's another feature that's even cooler: 'Spin on the spot' parking, which lets the Pixel park in little more than its own length.

The feature comes courtesy of a unique Zero Turn toroidal infinitely-variable transmission, designed by Torotrak, that splits the torque from the Pixel's rear-mounted engine to let one rear wheel rotate in one direction while the other goes in the opposite direction.

With front wheels that can angle sharply to almost 90 degrees (since there's no engine between them), the little Pixel has a turning radius of just 8.5 feet (2.6 meters). Which makes snap U-turns a breeze, and lets the Pixel parallel-park in little more than its own length.

As the video below shows, that would make city driving a whole lot more convenient.

The first part of the video simulation, by the way, shows the Pixel using a smart phone as its instrument display. Many vehicle functions are controlled via virtual buttons in the Pixel app, from door opening to car starting.

The woman in the video has to stare intently at her phone (to make sure she hits the right button, we hope?), but the parking demo occurs from 1:20 to 1:50 in the clip.

Nokia Logo

Elements of Nokia Logo

Nokia logo features a perfect portrait of two people almost joining hands with each other. The illustration provides a polite pillar to the Nokia logo and has expertly conveyed the company's mission along with the slogan.
Shape of Nokia Logo:
The Nokia logo is a brilliant image which explains the company expertise in a subtle way. Nokia logo is designed in a simple yet elegant shape with a well-defined slogan. The simplicity of the Nokia logo expresses the bold and unique characteristics of the company and its exceptional products.
Color of Nokia Logo:
A dull blue tint is used for Nokia logo to demonstrate the pre-eminent corporate image of the Nokia Co. Blue shade defines the firm durability and credibility of the company at its most. Hence, the use of the particular shade has enhanced the company's attributes.
Font of Nokia Logo:
The use of bold typeface has been adopted for Nokia logo. However, the font itself is very plain and summarizes the easy going character of the firm. The slogan of Nokia logo is engraved in the same typeface though in a smaller font size. Both the representations project a highly professional spirit which is worthwhile for the corporation.

Bank of India between the rupee and the Chinese RMB

Bank of India has become the first Indian bank to offer trade settlement facility between the rupee and the Chinese RMB from Hong Kong. This follows intense persuasion by the China Banking Regulatory Commission, which is trying to gain acceptance of the RMB as an international currency.

"We are the first Indian bank to offer real-time settlement facility in RMB to Indian exporters and importers. It will be save a lot of time because settlement in US dollars usually takes three working days," Arun Kumar Arora, BoI's chief executive in Hong Kong, said during a recent visit to meeting regulators in Beijing.

Indian buyers are at present making payments in US dollars, and they often have to convert rupee into the US currency for the purpose. The US dollars will no more be the intermediary currency as the BOI is offering direct settlement between the rupee and the Chinese money.

Chinese exporters want their money in the local currency, which is regarded as more stable compared to the US dollar. They are also in a position to have their way because Indian buyers do not have an alternative source of low-cost goods, sources said.

The process has been facilitated by a recent memorandum of understanding signed between the Reserve Bank of India and the CBRC to enhance banking relationship between the two giant neighbors.

BoI has opened a RMB with the Bank of China, which will provide real time settlement with buyers and sellers across all provinces of China. The move is part of a campaign by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, which has persuaded 100 foreign banks to enter into arrangements with Chinese banks for trade settlement in RMB.

"We will sell RMB against the US dollar, and companies can buy as much as they want provided they have the right papers. For individuals, the limit of 20,000 RMB a day," Arora said. He expects settlements for an amount ranging between 200 million and 300 million in the first year.

Hong Kong is the only offshore market for the Chinese currency. The past year saw $400 billion of Chinese yuan being traded in Hong Kong against other currencies.

BoI is also awaiting permission from Chinese regulators to establish a branch in Beijing, where it has been running a representative office for the past four years. It has recently signed an MoU with the CBRC on converting the representative office into a branch. The bank has been running a branch in the boom city of Shenzhen for the past four years. The Shenzhen branch will also be involved in providing additional support for the trade settlement business.

Mahindra Aerospace Private Ltd

The Mahindra group is looking to scale up its aerospace business to capture a slice of the $12-billion offset business in the Indian defence market. Group company Mahindra Aerospace Private Ltd (MAPL) is looking to rope in a strategic investor (it already has Kotak PE) and is pumping in Rs 284 crore in a new facility in Karnataka for components, assemblies and aerostructures both for its own and other large aircraft. The idea, said a top company official, is to create competence for components on one hand and build compact, rugged, affordable aircraft - 'Scorpio of the aero industry' - on the other.

"We are talking to potential strategic investors including OEMs and tier I suppliers. We are looking at a relationship that will help us access both customers and technology - not just for the offsets business but for aerospace competency beyond that too ...," Hemant Luthra, president, Systech, M&M, told TOI. A tie-up is a "distinct possibility" in the quarter. The top tier 1 suppliers globally are players like Alenia, part of the Italian group Finmeccanica, Premium Aerotec, Aernnova Spain, Aerolia, and Spirit Aerosystems but Luthra refused to speculate on the name of the potential strategic partner. The $7.1 billion Mahindra group is building a 20-acre component plant at Narsapura in Karnataka.

The company has acquired equipment from the Boeing Aerostructures plant in Melbourne Australia for the Narsapura plant. "We bought the assets of Boeing's metallic aero structure plant and it is being shipped as we speak. Acquisition of assets of Boeing Aerostructures Australia further enhanced by additional capabilities being built will ensure that the India plant has both sheet metal cutting and several distinct unique capabilities in terms of stretch forming and post machining processing capabilities matched by few others and should give us a distinct advantage to meet tier I plus OEM needs, including our own as we build out our own NM5 and GA aircraft," Luthra said.

Kotak Mahindra owns one-third stake in MAPL which has two arms - components, assemblies and aircraft. The former is built around the acquisition of Aerostaff and the latter around Gippsland - both Australian companies that MAPL acquired last year. The new strategic investor is rumoured to be looking at an equity stake in the components and assemblies arm. There are also plans to list the aerospace business but not in the near future.

The Narsapura facility has been expanded five times since the acquisition of the Boeing plant. Initially, M&M was supposed to pump in $10 million for a five-acre plant. Now the investment has been pushed up to about $75 million in a 20-acre plant, said Luthra. Together with M&M's Australian aerospace acquisitions - Gippsland Aeronautics Pty Ltd and Aerostaff Australia Pty Ltd - M&M is investing around $100 million in the aviation business.

Scaling up the Narsapura plant will be crucial for Mahindra Aerospace since it will allow the company to move up the aero component, assemblies and aerostructures value chain. "At present, the metallic aero structures (the components that go into wings and fuselage) are made either in the US, Europe or Australia, countries where labour costs are uncompetitive," said Luthra. "Thanks to acquisition of assets from Boeing plant, and given the pressure of offsets we will able to do both manufacturing and more important processing of components, assemblies and aero structures."

The government's offset policies mandate 30-50% sourcing of local components for all defence equipment deals. M&M's Narsapura plant will help the company become a tier II supplier for global tier I vendors. "Strategically this tier II arrangement is important for us because it offers a nice steady cash flow from offset requirements and will also feed us when we scale up and turn OEM ourselves to build small, rugged, 8-seater planes of our own," said Luthra. Mahindra Aerospace recently showcased the GA8-TC-320 Airvan which has been designed and built by its Australian subsidiary Gipps Aero at the ongoing Aero-India show in Bangalore.

Mahindra and Renault had last year dissolved

It's going to be curtains down for French carmaker Renault at Mahindra dealerships as the two companies chart out independent plans after their divorce last year. As Renault prepares for its solo run in the Indian market, Mahindra also gears up to sell the Logan with a new name, sans the Renault tag and its diamond-shaped logo.

Mahindra and Renault had last year dissolved their JV - Mahindra Renault Pvt Ltd (MRPL) - after poor response to the no-frills Logan that had failed to enthuse the market and saw the two partners blame each other for the dismal performance. Mahindra bought out Renault's 49% equity in MRPL, gaining full control over the company.

"The transition will happen very soon," Mahindra's automotive sector president Pawan Goenka.
 He said the Renault tag will be removed from Mahindra dealerships that were selling the Logan and had 'Renault' brand name inscribed on the outside. "There were around 150 dealerships that were having this joint branding (Mahindra and Renault). The Renault brand will now come down."

Importantly, the company is now working out an all-new effort for the Logan, the first and only product born out of the failed JV. "We are not entitled to continue with the Logan brand, as well as the name and diamond brand sign of Renault. Thus, we will be having a new branding for the car, and this will also happen very soon," Goenka said.

Mahindra had been in-charge of the sales and distribution of the car from the beginning while the product know-how came from Renault's side.

Logan will now be Mahindra's first and solo product in the passenger car segment. The company has a two-pronged strategy for the car - developing a new re-styled version on the one hand, while also developing a new lower-price version of the model. Mahindra will reduce the length and other specifications of the car for the cheaper variant to fit it into the small car definition and to attract lower excise duty. Renault is also padding up for its new run. The company has decided to set up its own independent sales and distribution network. It plans to have 70 outlets by 2013.

Also, it will launch its first two products soon - the Koleos SUV and the Fluence sedan - both of which would come to India through the completely-knocked down route and be assembled at the company's factory near Chennai.

The company will quickly follow up with three more products next year, that would include a small car. "We have a plan to sell 70,000 cars annually by 2014," a senior company official said.

Adobe. Most innovations

Photoshop, Flash and PDF readers are household names in India. These were created for a different age though, and California-based Adobe Systems, the developer of these products, is now transforming them to work on mobile devices, the devices that consumers are moving towards. Apple tried to keep Flash off the iPad and iPhone, saying it's irrelevant for those devices, but today Flash-based apps are available on its App Store. The person leading the Adobe initiative is Shantanu Narayen, the company's president & CEO, who grew up in Hyderabad and later moved to the US. Narayen is currently on a visit to India to meet with employees and customers.

Since 1995, Fortune has ranked Adobe as an outstanding place to work. Adobe was rated the fifth-best U.S. company to work for in 2003, sixth in 2004, 31st in 2007, 40th in 2008, and eleventh in 2009.

In May 2008, Adobe Systems India was ranked 19th of great places to work in India. In October 2008, Adobe Systems Canada Inc. was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine.

Adobe Labs  is a source for news and pre-release versions of emerging products and technologies from Adobe. Most innovations, such as Flash 10, Flex 3, and ActionScript 3.0 have all been discussed and/or trialled on the site.

One area Adobe is focusing on (as of February 2009) is the deployment of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). To this end, they released Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), a cross-platform runtime environment which can be used to build, using Adobe Flash, rich Internet applications that can be deployed as desktop applications. It surpassed 100 million installations worldwide in February 2009.Flash is installed silently when Acrobat Reader is installed.

Two additional components designed for large-scale implementation have been proposed by Adobe for future releases of Flash: first, the option to require an ad to be played in full before the main video piece is played; and second, the integration of digital rights management (DRM) capabilities. This way Adobe can give companies the option to link an advertisement with content and make sure that both are played and remain unchanged.
Flash Player for smart phones is available to handset manufacturers at the end of 2009.

Nestlé world's largest food

A month ago, there was news about research that suggests you could imagine eating to eat less. This month brings another news story about how scientists are trying to break our tendency to be relentless eating machines.

Nestlé--who, along being a name synonymous with chocolate, is one of the world's largest food firms--is developing new products that will make you feel fuller faster and keep you satiated longer so that you don't eat so damn much.

A month ago, there was news about research that suggests you could imagine eating to eat less. This month brings another news story about how scientists are trying to break our tendency to be relentless eating machines.
Its researchers' idea involves altering foods to trick our "gut brain." For example, one thing they're looking into are oils that get digested slower in the gut. According to the Wall Street Journal, "They first measured how long it took the artificial gut to digest olive oil at the natural rate. Then they added a compound called monoglyceride, which formed a protective coat around the oil molecules, making it harder for the gut's juices to break through and digest the oil."
Since it sticks around longer, researchers think your body will be tricked into thinking it doesn't need that next doughnut or bag of chips.
The rationale is this: "The body is in a state of continual hunger--its default position. But several factors work to curtail the hunger instinct, such as the presence of food in the digestive tract or the flow of nutrients in the blood. When these satiety factors dissipate, the body again demands food."
I'm no food scientist, but I remember Olestra, the brand of oil that basically shoots through your system without contributing to your fat intake, but whose side effects added the unfortunate phrase "anal leakage" to our vernacular. As they move forward, Nestlé should heed this as a cautionary tale.