The New Nation - Internet Edition

eX2: Panasonic’s new in-flight entertainment system

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) has achieved a major milestone in surpassing one hundred eX2 IFE systems installed and flying on commercial airliners.

Having already announced in April that eFX has reached the 1000 th order milestone, this news points to a growing trend among airlines worldwide to choose Panasonic when considering high quality, reliable in-flight entertainment systems for their passengers' comfort and convenience.

"We are extremely proud of eX2's success," said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation. "Through our total dedication to in-flight entertainment innovation and extreme customer and passenger satisfaction we have seen both existing and new customers worldwide upgrading to eX2."

Panasonic eX2 provides passengers with individual seatback smart monitors, hundreds of movie and song titles, interactive games, moving map, seat-to-seat texting, and other content. The following are some of the capabilities of eX2:

Audio and Video on Demand - Watch or listen to what you want, when you want. iPod® - Watch videos or picture slideshows directly on the in-seat monitor while simultaneously charging the iPod.

USB Media Player - Bring a USB storage device and enjoy pictures, mp3s and PDF files directly on the IFE system.

SkyOffice - Create and edit Microsoft® compatible Excel, Word and PowerPoint and save it to a USB storage device.

Voyager Moving Map (powered by Airshow®) - Watch real-time flight progress with multiple map views and interactive features.

Advanced Games - 2D, 3D, single-player or multiplayer gaming with choices from multiple genres.

Hospitality - Order food and drink, pillows, blankets and more from your in-seat IFE system. Shopping - Shop onboard directly from the IFE system. It's as easy as swiping a credit card. Inflight communicator - Communicate with friends and family on the ground through SMS text messaging or email.

Seat Chat - Chat one-on-one or in a chat room with other passengers onboard the aircraft. Live Text News - News and Information to keep you in touch with what is happening around the world.

Magazine Rack - Entertain passengers with travel publications, news, variety, and more.

Connecting Gate - Review up-to-date connecting flights and baggage claim information.

Surveys - Share thoughts to help the airline improve their performance

Airline Web - Information about airline and travel partners as well as the 'best of the web' sites onboard.

In addition, it can easily integrate with in-flight mobile phones, broadband connectivity, live television, Internet-browsing and Internet-based video calls.

Panasonic develops and manages in-cabin content and services that help airlines attract passengers and differentiate their brands. Panasonic's X Series product suite of in-flight entertainment systems includes eX2, eFX, eXpress, and Digital MPES. The eX2 features a powerful network, high-speed communication tools, state-of-the-art entertainment content and award-winning peripheral devices. This system's impressive level of reliability and maintainability further enhances profitability and passenger enjoyment

which is essential to optimizing passenger entertainment. Furthermore, Panasonic eX2 saves room and is lighter in weight than previous generation systems, making the aircraft even more fuel-efficient.

With more than 900 in-flight entertainment systems ordered and delivered to airline customers worldwide, Panasonic eX2 is the world's best-selling long-haul premium entertainment option for airlines.

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment and communication systems. The company's best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrates with the cabin enabling airlines to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics serves over 200 customers worldwide and provides systems on over 3,700 aircraft. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, the company employs over 2,600 employees with operations in 80 locations worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC). Additional information on Matsushita Electric and Panasonic is available at www.panasonic.com .

DIIT reserves 50% scholarship for female students

Daffodil Institute of IT (DIIT) has announced the admission procedure of September 2008 session in BSc (Hons) in Computing & Information Systems, BSc. (Hons) in Business Administration & also in CAT & ACCA qualifications and has also declared 50% scholarship for the female students.

The students who have minimum GPA of 3.5 in HSC will get the opportunity to study under British University with 50% scholarship. The last date of application for the scholarship is 28th August, 08.

The initiative has been taken as part of its social responsibilities. The education system which has been followed at DIIT is internationally recognized where all the Examinations are held at the British Council, syllabuses are designed in UK, question papers are set & answer scripts are checked by UK Authority and finally the result, mark sheet & certificate also sent from UK Authority.

The education system which is followed by DIIT is recognized internationally and approved by QCA. Already more than 1600 students have transferred their credits to the reputed universities of world. DIIT has also achieved the "Best Partner Award" and most prestigious "Academic Excellence Award" for two times for its student's outstanding performance in the global exams. For more details please call: Dhanmondi (Main Campus)-01713493264, Banani: 01713493251, Chittagong: 01713493257.

YouTube starts testing out Mobile ads

YouTube has started testing out display ads for its mobile version, Error! Hyperlink reference not valid..

The company has been developing a mobile interface over the last year, and now says in Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. that "people watch hundreds of millions of YouTube videos every month on mobile devices," though I would guess a majority of those are on iPhone, where it is a natively-resident apptfew other handsets can support streaming of Flash video.

On the ad test, it has started running a test of display ads on select pages of the YouTube mobile site in the U.S. and Japan.

"This is our first step in testing mobile advertising for YouTube?it will give you a new way to interact with content on the go, while allowing us to learn how video viewers engage with mobile advertising.

Our test advertisers will also have an additional branding tool at their disposal and the opportunity to reach the millions of people who visit YouTube every day on their phones."

YouTube started opening up access to its mobile version early this year, when it broadened its mobile service to include most of its video library and upload capabilities to a majority of mobile devices with streaming ability and 3G access.

US to back 21st century learning

Maggie Shiels

The US Congress has given the go-ahead for a new centre to explore ways advanced computer and communications technologies can improve learning.

The National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies will focus on "bringing education into the 21st century."

Supporters said classrooms have failed to keep up with technology innovations. "America's reputation as an international leader rests in the hands of our youth," said Sen.

Chris Dodd. "It should be among our top priorities to provide our students with the tools they need to maintain and build upon this standing." The Senator was one of the original sponsors of a bill that proposed the setting up of the centre. Meanwhile Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky spearheaded the passage of the bill through the House and said its timing could not be more critical. "American businesses know that they need a well-educated workforce to face growing competition from China, India and Europe."

The Federation of American Scientists said, "The creativity that developed extraordinary new information technologies has not focused on finding ways to make learning more compelling, more personal and more productive in our nation's schools.

"People assumed that the explosion of innovation in information tools in business and service industries would automatically move into classrooms."

That, the Federation said, has simply not happened. The centre will support a 'first of its kind' comprehensive research and development programme aimed at improving all levels of learning from kindergarten to university and from government training to college.

"Education is falling further and further behind the rest of the economy and we have to rethink our basic approach to helping people learn," said Henry Kelly, the Federation's president.

The FAS said that learning scientists and educators have known for years that people learn faster if education can be personalised and if students are motivated by seeing how their knowledge can help them solve problems they care about.

Mr Kelly told the BBC that the new technologies the business world and the commercial world use everyday can help "deliver on this promise" but have so far failed to do so because the "vexing demands of educational software has not been economically viable."

"Today's generation is very comfortable with using tools like iPods and computers and gaming, but when they go into the classroom none of that is there and there is this sense of an opportunity we are just not grasping," explained Mr Kelly.

Samsung-Index Conclave 2008 held

In the event the Digital Technology Leader SAMSUNG Electronics announced several new initiatives to strengthen it IT peripherals business in the country this Year. The Company, which is the global market leader in Colour Monitor today announced the launch of three new advanced LCD Monitor series in the market as well as its foray into two new product verticals- Projectors, Thin Client. The new advanced feature rich premium LCD Monitor series- T Monitor, Myst Plus and Lime offer consumers total display solutions for their home and office requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Y Y Kim, Director Marketing of Samsung Electronics stated. "In keeping with the global market trends the Bangladesh Display market too is witnessing a dramatic shift in favor of LCD Monitors.

Samsung as the global leader in LCD Monitors is fueling this transition in Bangladesh by continuously launching LCD Monitors that lead in terms of their design performance and innovative features "With the launch of the new series of LCD Monitors & Projectors SAMSUNG, is aiming to become a total Display Solution Provider, now has an enhanced portfolio aimed at Home & SOHO customers. The Company already has a strong lineup in Large Format Displays aimed at Public Display locations and Corporate.

Lokesh Nagpal Manager Export Business Group and Anurag Kumar, Asst. Manager Export Business Group attended the event and interacted with the Samsung dealers.

Index IT Limited is the authorized distributor of Samsung IT products in Bangladesh and also the Co-host of the event. The Managing Director of Index IT Limited Ajeez Rahman Thanked all the dealers, partners, bankers, IT journalist and well wishers for all the support and Co-operation in the 15 years of journey of Index IT limited and 11 years partnership with Samsung Electronics.

The event was attended by over 800 guests who enjoyed the product presentation and the show.

Oracle to upgrade Data Value

Oracle today announced that more than 24 leading colleges and universities worldwide recently purchased, implemented or upgraded Oracle® Applications and infrastructure software to increase operational efficiency and better serve students, faculty, staff and alumni. Several institutions have upgraded and/or implemented additional applications from Oracle to streamline processes, deliver advanced self-service capabilities and help optimize system performance to better meet institutional goals.

In Pakistan, Lahore University Of Management Sciences (LUMS) recently signed an agreement with Oracle partner, Techlogix, to implement Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Capital Management. Earlier, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) had also signed with Techlogix for implementation of Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions at its affiliated universities.

"As Pakistan makes its foray into the information economy, there is a growing need for a skilled workforce that is able to meet the demands of this burgeoning economy.

The implementation of the PeopleSoft Campus Solution will help our universities streamline their processes, enhance administrative efficiency and ease the universities' interaction with existing and prospective students making education processes more productive," said Dr. Sohail Naqvi, executive director for Higher Education Commission.

"It is a new and challenging era for education. Higher education institutions face increased global competition to attract and retain students. Oracle offers software technology and applications that help world class educational institutions meet and adapt to the changing needs and demands of all their constituents-students, teachers, parents, faculty, staff, graduates and alumni, governance bodies, and the extended community of supporters and stakeholders", said Samina Rizwan, Regional Director for Oracle's South Asia Growth Economies region.

"Oracle delivers the most comprehensive, adaptable solutions to meet the needs of small institutions as well as large, multi-location school districts and university systems", she added.

Taiwan hopes to force Microsoft into selling XP forever

Matt Asay

According to The Register, the "Taiwanese Consumer Foundationtclaims [Microsoft] is effectively using its monopoly to force sales of Vista."

How? Well, as the TCF reasons, since most buyers would prefer XP, as demonstrated by their installing XP even after buying a Vista-enabled computer, forcing them to buy Vista in the first place is tantamount to an exercise of monopoly power.

The problem with such reasoning is that the same could be said of any software vendor (perhaps minus the monopoly power). Microsoft already supports its products for a very long time, and expecting customers at some point to move to the latest and greatest (and more cost effectively supported) is not a bad policy. Any vendor should be hoping the TCF loses on this one.

Microsoft, for its part, had better pray Windows 7 comes without the complaints that Vista has delivered. Two bad product releases in a row? Even Microsoft may not be able to survive that.