LG engineers book-reading phone for the blind
LG has demo’d the world’s first ebook reading mobile phone, pitching the product at the visually impaired. The LF1300 is entirely operable, using voice commands relayed through a bundled Bluetooth headset. The 16mm-thick handset’s audiobook facility takes text files – some 300 of which will be made available free of charge from LG’s website via a PC or downloadable straight to the handset – and reads them out loud using speech synthesis technology. It will only be offered to the registered visually impaired, blind or dyslexic.
Learning solutions co signs pact with Bengal
Everonn Systems India Ltd, the education and learning solutions company, has signed a 6-year agreement with the Department of School Education, West Bengal, in India to set up IT infrastructure and impart IT education in as many as 555 schools in three districts of the State. The districts are West Midnapore, East Midnapore and Purulia. The company will be responsible for putting up the infrastructure and imparting education, where a minimum of 200 students per school are expected to enrol for the IT programme. The project, besides extending computer education to students, will also create employment opportunities locally, as they would be recruiting qualified teaching staff from within the State. Implemented for students between Class 6 and Class 12, the programme has been extended to some 9 States involving a total universe of 1,600 schools across the country. Everonn has two distinct revenue streams. The first is through institutional education, wherein IT education and computer-aided content is offered alongwith infrastructure in schools and colleges. And the second one, virtual and technology-enabled learning solutions, offers urriculum and job-oriented courses to colleges and schools under the ompany’s own “Zebra Kross” brand.
Satyam signs MoU with Melbourne varsity
Satyam Computer Services Ltd announced that the Company and The University of Melbourne (MU), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will increase opportunities for both Melbourne Information and Communication Technology students and businesses. This alliance will enable up to 10 MU students to undertake a software development internship with Satyam each year. Additionally, Satyam will recruit as many as 20 software engineers from the university every year. Program participants will undergo a three-month training course in India and China. Upon completion of the rogram, the Company will place them on projects in Australia, or one of its other 55 global locations. Last year, the Company embarked on a similar initiative with the Victoria University.
IMicrosoft launches cyber education solution in Vietnam
Microsoft Vietnam launched its online Partners in Learning program including e-learning solutions and Teachers Network. The solutions, integrated in the program’s website www.mspil.net.vn, is aimed at helping develop a webbased forum for the PiL community’s learning and sharing. The Teacher Network will enable teachers to access classroom learning resources and online teacher communities.
Dell Foundation awards 2006 ‘Connected Community’ grants
The Dell Foundation has awarded “Connected Community” grants to 25 organisations in four states – Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Carolina, in United States of America where significant numbers of Dell employees live and work. The two-year, USD50,000 grants support basic technology access for Dell’s neighbors, with emphasis on helping underserved children become competitive in the digital economy. Some grants provide Internet access and computers for pre-school and after-school programs. Others include a mobile computer lab to enable children to use Internet resources for their homework, and a Web-based musical education program and chat rooms for schools to enhance learning opportunities
Sun, Jobs-Iris announce IT education initiative in Bangladesh
Sun Microsystems and the Job Opportunities and Business Support Centre for Institutional Reform and Informal Sector Bangladesh (Jobs-Iris) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focusing on Sun Academic Initiative (SAI). The programme aims to enhance Bangladeshi students’ skills and core competency in Sun Technology and their marketability. Under the agreement, Jobs-Iris Bangladesh will help increase awareness about the latest Sun technologies among the members of the academia and student-apprentices of Bangladesh and will create opportunities for them to be trained in those.
24/7 Customer programme
In its efforts to create an employable workforce for the Indian business rocess outsourcing (BPO) industry, 24/7 Customer has launched “24/7 Ascend”, a programme for college students and academic institutions. As a part of this initiative 24/7 Customer will conduct online and offline programmes for the college students in Andhra Pradesh. According to the Chief Operating Officer of 24/7 Customer, S. Nagarajan, the initial positive response received for 24/7 Varsity to create an employable workforce, encouraged to extend services with 24/7 Ascend.
