DigiVive's nexGTv to stream Pepsi IPL 2013 on mobile phones

DigiVive’s mobile TV service nexGTv has won the official mobile streaming rights for the Pepsi IPL 2013. The company has also tied up with Times Internet for the broadcast. With a total of 76 matches, the IPL will begin April 03 and go on till May 26.

nexGTv users will be able to catch all the action on the go as well as the match repeats and highlights from video-on-Demand section. Pepsi IPL channel will be clubbed into existing subscription packs of nexGTv, hence users can watch it by subscribing to these packs.

The service can be availed by sending a SMS mytv to 58888, or from any of the app stores and from the nexGTv website www.nexgtv.com

Digivive claims its nexGTv mobile TV service has already been activated by more than 9 million users and on an average there are 25,000 downloads everyday. The company reveals the company registered a massive traffic and traction after bagging rights to stream live T20 World Cup on nexGTv.

“Cricket is not just a sport in India but the real source of entertainment with lot of emotions involved. This is ‘the real content’ desired by users. We have witnessed immense success during last cricketing actions that were streamed live on nexGTv. Streaming all the 76 matches of IPL is yet another step towards our commitment of delivering best possible service and content on our mobile TV platform,” says G.D. Singh, director, DigiVive.

Speaking on the partnership, Satyan Gajwani, CEO, Times Internet, said "Sports, and cricket in particular, is a strong area of focus for us. Partnering with nexGTV is a step forward for us in bringing IPL 2013 to cricket fans across mobile devices, allowing them to catch the IPL action anytime, anywhere. The last few years have been promising and we hope for higher engagement with mobile cricket’s fans this year".

Source : DigiVive's nexGTv to stream Pepsi IPL 2013 on mobile phones

Aakash 3 might arrive in mid-2013 : Datawind

There is barely a week left for Datawind to supply 1 lakh units of the Aakash 2 tablet, but the company has already come out and stated that the next iteration of the Aakash lineup will be launched sometime around mid-2013. Datawind's official website states that the Aakash 3 is expected to be launched in mid-2013. In fact, the Canada-based vendor expects the specifications of the new tablet to be finalised by the end of this month by the National Mission for Education through Information Communication Technology (NMEICT).

Datawind's recommendations for the specifications of the Aakash 3 include an embedded cellular modem that will enable it to accommodate a regular SIM card and offer Internet connectivity. The company went on to reveal that its new tablet, the UbiSlate 7C+, was based on the recommended specifications for the Aakash 3.

As per Datawind, the recommended specifications include a Cortex A8 CPU clocked at 1GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB storage, a multi-touch capacitive screen, a front-facing VGA camera, Wi-Fi and GPRS.

Deepak B Phatak, committee member and a professor in IIT Bombay's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was quoted in the media as saying the Aakash 3 would come with "a faster processor, support both Linux and Android operating systems and have advanced memory." He also said the global tender for the tablet would be floated in February, and as many as 50 lakh units would be rolled out in the next phase.

He was quoted as saying, "Our aim is to imbibe the usage of tablets in the education system and create an ecosystem for this. We have distributed Aakash tablets to 250 colleges across the country and asked them to come up with newer ways to use the device."

Phatak, together with Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Madras, will be leading the design of the new tablet, accompanied by hundreds of students and partners. The third iteration of the "poor man's tablet" is expected to have a larger distribution and servicing system to enable users to get their tablets repaired locally. Phatak suggested two models for the upcoming tablet: one for schools and the one for colleges. He added that the option for school students could be made available for Rs 2,236, while the one for college students would be priced a little higher.

However, it looks like Datawind will miss its supply deadline for the second time in a row. The company is expected to supply 1 lakh units of the Aakash 2 by March 31, 2013, but it recently updated the tablet's delivery status to IIT Bombay, following reports hinting at a delay in supplies.

According to the company, as of last week 17,100 devices have been delivered to IIT Bombay and paid for, and as many as 29,400 units of the Aakash 2 are in transit to IIT Bombay through their logistics company and should be delivered in the next few days. Another 23,500 devices have been manufactured and are with sub-contract manufacturers, pending shipment once the company clears the payment for the 29,400 units.

Datawind claims the delay was caused by the verification process the Customs had to conduct on the Exemption Certificates for certain components issued by IIT Bombay.

As for the remaining 30,000 units, Datawind has confirmed that the motherboards, touchscreens and all other components have been manufactured and the final assembly is being completed. It expects to meet the 1-lakh-unit target within the next couple of weeks, and says efforts are being made to deliver as many as possible by March 31, 2013.

Source : Aakash 3 might arrive in mid-2013 : Datawind

Samsung Galaxy S4 is available at Rs 59,990

It has been less than a week since the Samsung Galaxy S4 was officially unveiled to the world and the phone is only set to hit stores at the end of April. However, those itching to get their hands on one as soon as it’s released will be happy to know that the Samsung flagship is now up for pre-order at an online retailer.

The website lists the phone on sale for a discounted Rs 59,990, which is a good Rs 5,000 less than what is supposedly the official price of the Galaxy S4. Now, that’s putting it in iPhone territory! The listing says that the phone will start shipping in 45 days, which lines up with the end of April target that Samsung has set for the launch.

At such an early stage, it is hard to know what the actual price of the phone is, but we think that the phone will definitely launch for less than that touted price, especially considering the leaked pricing in Europe. Amazon.de has the Galaxy S4 on pre-order for €649 (approximately Rs 45,000), with a 50 euro discount. Even taking into account the usual levies and excise duties that will be attached to the price on the India-bound handset, the price of Rs 59,990 seems stratospheric. We expect the phone to be priced under Rs 50,000 to better compete with the likes of the Sony Xperia Z and the soon-to-be-launched HTC One.

The listing shows that Galaxy S4 is powered by the new Exynos 5 Octa processor, which uses two quad-core CPUs in conjunction to maintain the balance of high performance and power-efficiency. The listing also says that the internal storage of the device is 16GB. There are two other models of the S4 with 32 and 64GB of storage, but neither is put up for sale on the website.

Here’s a look at the key specifications of the Galaxy S4:

• 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
• HSPA+, LTE, GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR and A2DP
• GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
• NFC
• MicroUSB 2.0  with MHL, USB On-the-go, USB Host
• 13 megapixel primary camera with LED flash, Simultaneous HD video and still image stabilisation, 1080p video recording.
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 1080p video recording @ 30fps
• 16/32/64GB internal storage with microSD card for further expansion up to 64 GB

There is no doubt that the Galaxy S4 is a top-of-the-line handset, but even with the above specifications, the new Exynos CPU and a slew of software features, a price of Rs 59,990 is not justified. However, Samsung has a steady fan following, not unlike the fanbase Apple enjoys. So there could be a case made for such a high price. Take a look at our poll and let us know whether you think the high price for Samsung’s latest and greatest is worth it.

Source : Samsung Galaxy S4 is available now at Rs 59,990