RIM slashes price for its BlackBerry Playbook for Indian consumers, range starts from Rs 13,490

NEW DELHI: RIM had announced last month that they would be writing down the value of the Playbook tablet in an attempt to drive sales, as the company would fall short of its financial targets.

In November itself, BlackBerry dropped the price of Playbook in the US and Canada as a 'Black Friday' deal to US$200 (around Rs 11,000). Now as a New Year offer, they have offered a similar deal for Indian consumers. The Playbook is now selling in India for 13,490 (16GB), 15,990 (32GB) and 24,490(64GB), but only till December 31.

Why is BlackBerry doing this? First, as the financial year comes to an end, they want to try and reach somewhere close to their financial targets by selling off playbook tablets and India can play a significant role in it. After all, according to Brand Wagon-Synovate best brands survey 2011, BlackBerry has been voted as the second-most aspirational brand in India.

On top of it, India being a price sensitive market is expected to react positively to a big price drop, that too on a premium tablet. Secondly, BlackBerry 10 OS devices will be arriving towards the end of 2012. Thus, new tablets are on the way and so the company needs to get rid of their existing stock.

The pricing makes the tablet very tempting for the consumer. The Playbook has a dual core processor, gorgeous display and fantastic multi-tasking capabilities - a huge leap from the budget tablets running on single core processors.

If you have a BlackBerry phone, pair it up and access all your phone content on the large screen. Not to forget that once OS 2.0 comes out in February, it will add an Android emulator on the device through which a number of Android apps and games will run on PlayBook.

Till then, there is a lack of apps, but for general browsing, social networking and playing games,it is a great deal.

BlackBerry PlayBook prices cut by half and more gadget news

Here's all the latest in the world of gadgets and gizmos that you may have missed this month beginning with how Research In Motion is tempting you to buy the PlayBook.
If you were itching to pick up RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook at a bargain, you have till Saturday, December 31, 2011 to enjoy the new slashed prices. Now selling for half its original pricing of Rs 27,990, the 16GB PlayBook will retail for Rs 13,490 during the limited period offer.
The 32GB and 64GB models of the PlayBook have received their share of dramatic price cuts as well, at Rs 15,990 and Rs 24,490, respectively, compared to their original Rs 32,990 and Rs 37,990 pricing.
While the BlackBerry PlayBook was not exceptionally well-received globally, no-one denied its capabilities in some spheres, including the hardware. Consumers could always load the Android operating system of their choice on the device. However, even with that incentive (albeit effort-laden) and the reduced price -- the PlayBook does not still become too appetising a bargain.
LG Prada 3.0 debuts in S Korea; to arrive in India in Jan 2012
LG's latest Android-based smartphone LG Prada 3.0 has been launched in South Korea and is expected to hit the Indian shores in January 2012. LG had recently unveiled the Prada 3.0, which has been designed by famous Italian fashion label Prada. Apart from the stylish design, the phone offers serious hardware.
The LG Prada 3.0 runs on Android Gingerbread platform. The device has a 4.3-inch IPS LCD 'NOVA' display, similar to the LG Optimus Black but slightly improved at 800 nits of brightness. The LG Prada is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 CPU and features an 8MP camera with 1080p HD video recording, a 1.3MP front-facing camera.
On connectivity front, the Prada 3.0 supports Bluetooth,GPS, and Wi-Fi a/b/g/n.
The LG Prada 3.0 has been priced around $778 (Rs 41,000), which is definitely on the higher side. It's unlikely that LG will offer the Prada 3.0 at the same price tag in price-sensitive market such as India.
Also Read: Get Ahead Gadgets and Gaming

Source: Google News

One time opportunity for FRESHERS to work as Associate Manager in Novartis Healthcare - 3 posts

A global healthcare leader, Novartis has one of the most exciting product pipelines in the industry today. A pipeline of innovative medicines brought to life by diverse, talented and performance driven people. All of which makes them one of the most rewarding employers in their field.
Post: Associate Manager - I {3 posts}

Job Description:1. Author high-quality CMC documentation for HA submission, with support and guidance, applying agreed CMC global regulatory strategies, assuring technical congruency and regulatory compliance, meeting agreed upon timelines and e-publishing requirements throughout project lifecycle.
2. Prepare CMC responses to health authority questions during development, reg-istration and product lifecycle.
3. Identify the required documentation for global submissions and negotiate thedelivery of approved technical source documents in accordance with project timelines.
4. Identify content, quality and/or timeliness issues with source documents, or any other potential authoring issues that may impact submission quality or timelines, as early as possible.
5. Keep knowledge up to date with regard to regulatory guidelines and require-ments in all global regions as well as for new technical trends.
6. Actively participate as a member of the global Reg CMC team by contributing to the regulatory strategy, identifying the critical issues and lessons learned.
7. Establish and maintain sound working relationships with partners and customers.
8. Assume activities in support of the general department such as DRAGON sup-port, annual and product renewal writing, coordination/collection/storage of source documentation needed for direct submission to HAs, other database en-try activities (specialized department functions).

Key Performance Indicators:
1. Timeliness of deliverables: No delays in approvals of clinical studies, global registration dossiers or variations due to late or inadequate documentation on matters within CMC control.
2. No last minute source document issues identified that could have been prevented by early review of source documents.
3. Ensure that CMC regulatory documentation follows Novartis guidelines and meets regulatory guidelines, as appropriate (e.g. measured by approval of CMC documentation, and no non-approvals due to CMC issues under our control).
4. Positive customer feedback.

Candidate Profile:Degree in Science (e.g. Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biology) or equivalent
Desirable:
Advanced Degree in Science (Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Biotechnology) or equivalent.
1. 0-4 years in regulatory preferred, and/or experience in drug/biopharmaceuticals
2. Working knowledge of chemistry/biotechnology, analytics or phar-maceutical technology. Knowledge of the drug development pro-cess desirable. Ability to critically evaluate data from a broad range of scientific disciplines.
3. Knowledge/experience of regulations, guidelines for NCEs and product life cycle maintenance desirable.
4. Ability to work successfully with extended, multinational project teams and coordinate activities simultaneously on multiple projects under pressure of time and workload.
5. Effective planning, organizational and interpersonal skills.
6. Reasonable approach to risk assessment.
7. Excellent written/spoken communication and negotiation skills.
8. Computer literacy.

Additional Information:
Experience: 0-4 Years
Location: Hyderabad
Education: B.Pharm, M.Pharm, B.Sc, M.Sc - Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology
Industry Type: Pharma/ Biotech/Clinical Research
Functional Area: R&D, Development & Medical
Division: Pharma
Job Type: Full Time
Employment Type: Permanent
Job ID: 91361BR, 91362BR, 91364BR
End Date: 7^th Jan, 2012

ZEENUS: 'Too late' to contain research into deadly bird fl...

ZEENUS: 'Too late' to contain research into deadly bird fl...: The US government is unlikely to succeed in suppressing details of controversial experiments that have created highly infectious forms of...

'Too late' to contain research into deadly bird flu strain, warn scientists

The US government is unlikely to succeed in suppressing details of controversial experiments that have created highly infectious forms of the bird flu virus, experts have warned. 

Two scientific journals have come under pressure not to publish findings of research on the mutant strains of H5N1 over fears that terrorists could use the information to create bioweapons.

However, scientists claim that the plea from the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) comes too late because details of the research have already been shared among flu experts.

“This horse is out of the barn,” Professor Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist and biodefence expert at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, told the journal Nature.

“At this point, it is utterly futile to be discussing restricting the publication of this information.”

He added: "The work should have been reviewed at the national or international level before being performed, and should have been restricted at a national or international level before being performed.”

Saudi Licensing Exam (SLE)

*Saudi Licensing Exam (SLE)  or ‘Saudi Medical Board Exam’ is a ‘Saudi Commission for Health Specialties’ (SCHS) exam for medical speciality or general practice licensing.
*This licensing exam is necessary for all doctors who want to practice medicine as a general practitioner or as a specialist in Saudi Arabia. The exams are different for different specialities and for general practice.

*It can either be taken inside Saudi Arabia (where you need an eligibility number from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, which is a hassle) or in several countries of the world (where no eligibility requirement applies, which is great).
*It is a 2 hour exam taken on the computer, with 70 multiple choice questions. It is considered an easy exam to pass but getting high marks needs more work. This exam counts when you apply for jobs in Saudi Arabai. An organisation called Prometric arranges this exam inside as well as outside of Saudi Arabia. Prometric is a provider of testing and assessment skills. It also hold other exams for different institutions all over the world, one other example is the online USMLE exam.
*The exam for General Practice consists of MCQs from internal medicine, ophthalmology, gynae/obstetrics, paediatrics, surgery, statistics and psychiatry.
*As the MCQs are often repeated, it is a good idea to read the old questions, many such papers are available on the internet; search google for it.
*One greatly useful book for this exam is the First Aid for the USMLE step 3. This book has short notes on medicine, gynae/obstetrics, paediatrics and psychiatry.
*Read some short notes on surgery.
*Going through Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties will also be beneficial.
*If you can find a book called “Comprehensive Review for Saudi Licence Exam” by Dr Yahya M Al-Khladi. I recently saw this book in Jarir bookstore, Riyadh. Seems like a good book with more than 800 mcqs, especially formulated from the point of view of the SLE exam.
*CLICK HERE to check out the nature and content of the General Practitioner SLE examination.
*CLICK HERE to check out the nature and content of the PHARMACY SLE examination.
*CLICK HERE to download some old SLE MCQs
Click Here for frequently asked questions about the Saudi Licensing Exam.
Click here for taking the exam inside OR outside of Saudi Arabia

Nokia Plans Launch of 40 New Models this Year

Nokia, apparently, is in the midst of planning to go aggressive with its new launches. This year, Nokia will launch 40 new models in the market, 12 of which will be in the smartphone category. This drastic move from Nokia isn’t one in a vacuum. The brand has been seeing its business dip in recent times, owing to the dominance of other players in the smartphone market in India, and abroad as well. Nokia expects to retain or rather regain its dominance in the smartphone category with the launch of its 12 models in the same. The price range of these models is yet to be disclosed, however, just the number of models that it plans to launch should allow Nokia some wriggle in the competition. 

According to a recent research report by IDC (International Data Corp.) called the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Android remains to be the hot favorite with the masses followed by Blackberry, iOS, Symbian, Windows Phone 7. Nokia, however, is in no mood to accept these figures as true. 

The IDC report itself claims to be a mere prediction of what the mobile market could look like in the coming years.


Source: tech2.in.com