Ebay owned company Skype has Lauched its most anticipated product Skype Phone - an Internet voice mobile phone to make free calls. The phone is being manufactured by Chinese company Amoi and partnered with Hutchison's 3 unit. One can use it like an ordinary mobile Phone and can also make free calls although to Skype-to-Skype calls only and send instant messages as well. Skype-phone user has to top-up (recharge what we call in India) after every 30 days. Hutchisson's '3' unit operates mobile phone networks in Austria, Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and the U.K., although Hutch, the market of whom is now acquired by Vodafone in India, the launch of Skype-Phone in India cant be figure out as when would Skype see India as one of the market of their latest released product. The recent scrutiny faced by Skype in India over free Internet PC-o-PC call service might have something to do with India not being considered as one of their Skype-phone market along with norms and policies for same in India, which still in infancy stage for such products and services. The launch of Skype-Phone is seen as a launch closer to Google's much more anticipated GPhone, which every now ...

Gaming industry seems to grooming in a more positive way, so positive that it now want you too get rid of stress hormones and bring about changes in yourself by seeing things in more positive way. A new video game designed by McGill University researchers has been launched that help to train people to change their perception of social threats and boost their self-confidence, moreover it is said that it reduce the production of the stress-related hormone cortisol. Mindhabit is gaming website that help people to cut down their stress and pump their self confidence and the game MinHabit Trainer is game that inhibit principle of research conducted by Dr. Baldwin’s at McGill University. The game 'MindHabits Trainer' applies three principles of social intelligence, as used in Dr. Baldwin’s research: activation, inhibition and association. The game and website again is result of what is called social networking meme going more than a hype these days, this gaming website that titled as - "Great games from serious science" is just another mashup of social networking + Online Gaming + Psychometric tactics. As per the website - "Research shows people who feel better about themselves and are better connected to others are healthier. In fact, experiencing ...

Although the news has struck early of this month and wandering how i missed this, but I would be covering this anyway, here it is - the famous 'Vogue' magazine has made it debut in India and subcontinent as well, the global publishing gaint Conde Nast aims to compete with other English giant who are already in Indian subcontinent. The magazine of style and culture aims to set as one stop center of style, culture, fashion news & trends, people and parties and lifestyle. VOGUE India has the unique distinction of being the only foreign lifestyle magazine in India to be run completely by its parent company. The website has stunning and glossy looks like those of its magazine, covering different topics related to fashion, style, beauty tips and parties along with forum. The website for obvious reason is great in visual part and pictures. The inaugural issue of Vogue India featured Bollywood stars Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta, local supermodels MoniKangana Dutta and Laxmi Menon, and Australian supermodel Gemma Ward on the cover, shot by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

Yahoo! 360, a blogging service from Yahoo! is anticipating for major transition to more integrated service that would interact and bind with other services from Yahoo!. The transition as expected will took place in early 2008. Although the users can still use features until transition will finally take place in 2008. The team of Yahoo! 360 service made a post that apparently assures its community user to make this blogging service more of blogging capabilities and features and also to preserve existing bloggers' blog content, photos and friends list through out the transition and right tools required for smooth transition.The transition cum evolution is being seen major step towards expanding it recently launched social networking service Yahoo! Mash, the evolution could relates to yahoo mash but more than this it seems like Yahoo is focussed to integrate unversal Yahoo! profile through all of the Yahoo! Network be it Flickr, del.icio.us or MyBlogLog service acquired by yahoo in recent times.The evolution of Yahoo! 360 will bring much more improved blogging capabilities and user concentric features obviously enriched with web 2.0 elements. 

A social videos search engine, which is first in Indian internet space, SneakCast has been launched lately in September 2007 after testing it as private project. The site simply puts you to results of videos indexed/ aggregated from number of video sites such as myspace, metacafe and even Yahoo! videos. By registering one can save videos, review it and get personal space for saved videos which is named as 'Search Vault' wherein one can invite friends only by email at this point of time. The relevancy of results are just fine but video content quality in results are rather uninteresting or just relevant to few words if searched for phrases or more than one word (like I did for 'web 2.0', 'India internet', 'web2.0 India'). May be because the search engine is in its early stage and seems to be working on ranking algorithm and the aggregating system as apparent. The looks are simpler as it could get, nicely formatted indeed but the choice of results that are being shown need to be work out. Although the site is well versed to be next ULinx ( titled - "video search & socialize"), IndianPad, TubeDesi, IndyaRocks.com or so if it allow users to ...

Stumbled upon a YouTube video, the subject is quite old but the medium is new, video is trying to tell that Education system desperately require a change, likewise everything is changing than why not education, school/ college learning structure and pattern.? The video is edited by Michael Wesch and 200 students of Kansas State University, also the content has got the creative commons licence. Wesch is active in the development of new teaching techniques and is involved in the Peer Review of Teaching Project. As a part of his efforts, Wesch has developed a "World Simulation" for large introductory classes in cultural anthropology. This is among one of the initiative as far as my knowledge goes for Learning 2.0. Although no technique is mentioned nor visualized in video, but I thought to relate this need of changing Educational structure especially third world countries, with web 2.0 wave and internet. One of the commentator for the video said - "we (students) are the problem because we exploit other countries for our own selfish gains...we kill them or we force them into sweatshops so we can buy DVD players for $30...". Contrary to this other says - "The rest of the world is being ...

An Idea has been core part of any websites/ portals that eventually become talk of a web arena in a short span of time and making this 'Idea' as a major raw material, a new website or better say internet platform has launched by Maverick Media India, BouncedIdeas.com and theme is - To make Ideas in form of short Films. Moreover, If need arise and the Idea is selected it could also be developed further and still, the sender of idea will get the credit, the company will use Internet and mobile phone services as medium to showcase those ideas, as short films. Maverick Media India along with WSG Pictures has came up with this concept, to get the ideas and produce content in form of short films or videos and propagate through Internet and mobile world. As per the site, the selected ideas will become property of BouncedIdeas.com along with its respective short films and the sender will get the credit/ recognition and an undisclosed price money. One of a Idea which has been turned into Video is based on Topic 'Pay your Taxes' submitted by Minu Kaul. See - Video Link. Every Week the site has a new topic ...

AgencyFaqs, an Indian advertising, media and marketing site got an undisclosed amount of fundings from Seedfund, which is also an Indian venture capital funding firm to fund early stage Indian Companies. Agencyfaqs is run by Banyan Netfaqs, company behind agencyfaqs. Agencyfaqs is among India's top B2B sites and among the largest advertising, media and marketing sites in the world. Seedfund’s investors include Google, Reliance ADA and US VC funds - Sierra Ventures and Mayfield. Seedfund team members came from Infinity Ventures which had previously funded IndiaBulls and Indiagames. Seedfund is looking forward mostly for Internet, mobile or media businessesin Indian market to fund. Agencyfaqs is one of a kind site in India covering daily news and information from advertising, media, marketing and other topics that could interest excutives. The websites inculcate in itself a lot of varieties in terms of serving content, informative news and resources like contact details of Publications, Agencies, PR Agencies, Photographers, Film Production Houses, TV Channels, Useful Sites etc. as well as Interviews, Media Opinions plus news and info from other sources and its own news team as well. Probably this wide variety of internet information served by agencyfaqs has managed to pull attention of ace funding agency - Seedfund. ...

Intel Corp. has launched a bookmarking site Cool Software and not to say very similar to Digg or better say Reddit.com where user can submit site and get vote for their submissions, share them and bury (save) already submitted site. Although user can bookmark submitted websites/ pages to other bookmarking sites as well. Intel Corp. seems to be showing interest in Web 2.0 meme and social networking than its supposed to be, being hardware driven corporation. Recently Intel launched Community and Blogging platform but for the reason that Intel is using this as to get feedback from end-users and other partners using its technologies. The bookmarking site is under umbrella of Intel Software Network that apparently working on online social media services. So far Intel's web 2.0 involvement are pretty much clear by sites launched by company in a short span of time, lets have a look of them; 1. Open Port (Intel's Online Community Network) 2. http://softwareblogs.intel.com 3. IntelPedia (Intel's Company-wide Wiki) 4. Intel Discussion Forum Among which Cool Software, is a bookmarking site where member users can post present or upcoming softwares, companies, websites and vote (analogous to Digg) them and bring them on front page of site to make coolest among all. The company makes ...

At time when Indian television is flooded with talent shows at prime time, its time for internet to begin with one and here it is - IndiaKaHero.com, an online talent-support platform and a portal by NowPos Online Services, where Hindi speaking people can post their respective talents in recognized genres. There will be four kinds of contest - Songs, Jokes, Mimicry and Dance for which you can post your items/ entries and no restriction on number of entries. For those dealing with songs, jokes or mimicry competition will be in audio-only and in Hindi off course. While songs can be up to five minutes recording time, the joke and mimicry are not expected to be more than two minutes each. For Dance postings, item could be individual or group based and of maximum 5 minutes.IndiaKaHero.com is an attractive platform with the red carpet that reaches out. It fights barriers of time, inhibition, confidence, prejudice, arch lights and reaches out to pure talent. Designed particularly for a large populace that believes in itself but does not reach out.The singer, the dancer, the mimic and the humorist, all have a platform in the vicinity of their web space to post an entry, ...

Virtual Life Style Pvt. Ltd. is a company incorporated in the State of Gujarat in Sep 2007. The company launched a wedding website FirstPhera.com in private beta in September.FirstPhera.com allows wedding couples in India and globally to create a free personal wedding website and termed it as "WedSite". The WedSite provides features such as rich text edits, blogs, guestbooks, discussions, rsvp, task lists and guest lists.The wedsite is essentially a hub for wedding couples to better save and share their wedding plans and memories.The site is indeed a answer to website who self claim themselves as web 2.0 Indian matrimony website. Whereas, FirstPhera as a web 2.0 driven matrimony website (or wedsite) essentially has following characteristics; BlogsEmbed external 'Videos'Embed external 'Widgets'Discussion Control over making wedsite public or private and sharingEvent managementRich text editing while creating/publishing content i.e. user participation and control over creating and publishing their own content.Moreover it has pretty good amount of elements to store and preserve wedding memories in form of almost every internet media from photo albums, videos, events, guest list and comments from friends, guest or acquaintances as well. The site has designs options (although few) to choose from and publish personal WedSite with your ...

PC to PC telephony is one such service that every big companies are providing it for free to its customers and companies such as Skype, Yahoo, Google, MSN and Net2Phone.com are prominent ones in India with its net telephony services, all you need is PC, headphones with mic and software (online or downloadable such as Skype). Internet Service Providers Associations of India (ISPAI) are alleging that internet companies mentioned above are eating market share of Indian companies and thats too illegaly i.e. without any licensed net telephony services. ISPs also allege that voice chat through Google, MSN and Yahoo is resulting in revenue leak for the government. Internet telephony, estimated at 200 million minutes a month in which use of illegal net telephony without valid license is estimated at 10 million minutes a month. ISPAI had alleged that an ISP licence or a unified access services licence (UASL) is required to provide Internet telephony, which these companies do not possess. However, MSN and Yahoo denies such claims by putting a point that they offer free service so levying a service tax through licencing is not an issue anymore. In India, companies like Skype, Vonage, Packet 8, Go2call, Lingo, Impetus, Dialpad and Net2Phone have been offering ...