Entries from August 2008 ↓

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on10.net brings you this two-part video edition of their visit with researchers at Microsoft Research. Take a peek into advanced ideas and technologies developing in the Microsoft’s Research Labs.
A visit with Microsoft Research: A look at tomorrow’s health solutions today

Popularity: 5% [?]

Salute to India

More on Indian Independence Day Special on MSN India

Popularity: 6% [?]

How do you use Twitter

How Do You Use Twitter? from biz stone on Vimeo.

Popularity: 6% [?]

35+ Examples of Corporate Social Media in Action on Mashable

Popularity: 6% [?]

TOP 50 Europe advertising/communication/marketing blogs on Mastercom

Popularity: 6% [?]

McCains ad and Paris’s riposte

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Popularity: 6% [?]

Viral marketing techniques latest buzz in Bollywood

You had seen the announcement of Imran Khan rocking the MSN India home page. Here’s what my colleague and friend Vineet Gupta has to say about this in ET:

Films have now moved on from just plain vanilla advertisements to ones that ensure more interactivity with the audience. Microsoft Advertising rich media banner where Imran Khan comes alive to interact with the user on his desktop, walks on the website, looks around, knocks on your screen and then walks into the advertisement and even moves to the tune of the song Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi worked really well for both. A separate shoot was done only for this advertisement which had a click-through rate(CTR) of 2.8%. The average CTR of banner advertisements is 0.3%.

“Earlier content that was developed for the conventional medium was put on the internet too but today specific content is developed for the internet because of the nature of the medium and the returns justify the extra costs. Five lakh users replayed the Jaane Tu… advertisement and then there is word of mouth that goes around too,” says Vineet Gupta, marketing manager, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions.

Popularity: 6% [?]

As a citizen, what can you do to combat terrorists?

The recent blasts in Gujarat reveal that public support is of paramount importance in tackling terrorism. In what ways can you help the administration in checking the menace?

Popularity: 6% [?]

Is abortion a matter of parental choice?

Mumbai based Niketa Mehta has been asked not to abort 24 week pregnancy citing law as the reason. Should choice to procreate be a subject of judicial scrutiny?.

Popularity: 6% [?]

One Laptop per Child Lands in India

The Indian government wasn’t interested, so OLPC partners with Reliance ADA Group to bring computers to India’s primary school kids

Popularity: 6% [?]

Rural India Calling

A very nice article by Kannan K on Voice & Data on what are the broadband requirements of Rural India, what needs to be done and what’s happening.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Catch all the Olympics 2008 action

Go to MSN India’s  Olympics 2008 page and know all you wanted to know about…

Olympics Athletes

Olympics Stars

Olympics Sports

Olympics Photos Gallery

Olympics History

Popularity: 6% [?]

A tribute to Kishore Kumar on his 79th birth anniversary

Mr. Murali Gopi is a big Kishore Kumar fan and eat, lives and sleeps Bollywood - he has paid this excellent tribute to Kishore Kumar Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein!. Kishore Kumar was a true wholesome entertainer and a big Bangdu who could make you laugh and cry both.

You can pay your tribute on the message board here

Popularity: 6% [?]

This MSN India article points to a research by Seclore Technology that 80 per cent of consumers’ personal information lies in unprotected files

A year ago, Nimesh Shah, owner of a social media group, bought a car and got free insurance cover. Last month, another insurance company called him for a renewal. "They know my car’s model number, its colour and when the insurance expires. It’s as if a hidden camera is capturing my movements," he says.

According to research by Seclore Technology, 80 per cent of consumers’ personal information lies in unprotected files. Shah is the victim of a huge problem in India — lack of data security. Most of us apply for credit cards, banks loans, insurance, etc, and in the process pass on personal information to the service provider. However, this data is not always safe. It could be passed on to marketers or even be stolen by them.

My friend was telling me once that your email ID or phone numbers is worth Rs. 2/= at the first point of exchange and then it get’s into wholesale sharing network and falls down to 10-20 paise paise per contact. Which is really scary, my personal information is not just public but it’s also very cheap to get hold on to.

Things don’t stop at Email ID and Mobile numbers, do you know how much personal information can I collect if I wanted from you - without knowing you and you without knowing that how easily I am cheating you. I just need to create fake contest form and need to catch you in some mall where you are with your family, relaxed and not very bothered about privacy. I can easily collect this info from you.

- Full Nale
- Age
- Spouse’s Name & Age
- Address
- Mobile
- Household income
- Your possessions like - car, 2 wheeler, etc

Now this information is enough for any marketer to spamming you.

Personal information can be utilized for cheating and not just spamming.
This is where you should be careful and here are some tips.

- Never fill up credit card application forms or any other application or membership forms from the people who stop you on the streets. These can be representatives of a DSA or just fakers.
- Never give out the photocopies of your PAN Card, Credit Card, Passbook or any other document which such person will ask you to attach.
- If possible approach the bank or any such institution directly and submit the form with your own hands and always remember to take an acknowledgement so that you can track what’s happening with your submitted form.
- Lot of people have created fake accounts, or acquired mobile SIMs, demat accounts and many other things using these methods.

Popularity: 7% [?]