MUMBAI: Sulekha.com, the most popular online community for Indians worldwide, has launched the "Sulekha Book Series", a part of the year round Blogprint initiative, which sees the creative works of Sulekha blogger‘s appear in print. The Sulekha Book Series is Sulekha.com‘s own publication series to encourage quality blogging by publishing works of their bloggers in two parts. It will feature both publications of an individual blogger and collective works of multiple blogger‘s. This is a tribute to the thousands of blogger‘s who come together on Sulekha.com everyday and share their diverse creative talents.

Speaking about the launch of this unique initiative, Mr. Satya Prabhakar, CEO, Sulekha.com, said, "After the phenomenal success that we had with our BLOGPRINT initiative, we at Sulekha.com thought of publishing our own series of books, featuring some of our most prolific writers, who have been our support system. The idea is to encourage more creative writers and provide them a platform to showcase their works. Books of this genre are a good pick for casual reading and would encourage more and more people to take up reading as a hobby, which is on the wane, at present".

The first book in the series is Subbu Chronicles - A Series of Adventures by Mumbai-based B.S. Keshav. The book chronicles the adventures of Rajeev Subramanyam, a journalist in the ‘City of Dreams‘, Mumbai. The story has various characters, who add flavor and life to the adventures of Rajeev Subramanyam. The book is light-hearted and captures the true spirit of Mumbai from the mafia to the wardrobe malfunction, each of which Subbu has a take on. The story seamlessly integrates the aspirations and dreams of the common man with the desire to aspire and achieve more.

According to Mr. B.S. Keshav, author, Subbu Chronicles, ""Sulekha.com‘s effort to encourage and acknowledge our work is highly commendable. It has always been an ideal platform for bloggers to explore and expand their ideas. This new initiative by Sulekha.com provides yet another exciting dimension to reach out to larger audience."

Chosen form a wide variety of popular blogs, these books would be available for sale on Sulekha.com and India Plaza. In the next few months, Sulekha.com will publish Coffee Books, Books dedicated to Travel, Humor, Food, Poetry and a whole lot more. With this unique initiative, Sulekha.com aims to create a trend, where blogs would be looked upon as best sellers in due course of time.

MUMBAI: The man Time Magazine hailed as a ?master entertainer?, a literary force who has continued to defy his critics and delight his fans for over 30 years, a story teller, a politician, and an orator, none other than internationally acclaimed author and playwright Lord Jeffrey Archer visits India for the first time!

Landmark presents Landmark Jeffrey Archer Tour, presented by Deutsche Bank with hospitality partner in Delhi, The Oberoi Group. Jeffrey Archer fans will be able to catch the author LIVE and exclusive at Landmark stores across Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai.

Since its launch in 1987, Landmark, India?s leading book and music store has delighted its customers by hosting the best of book, music and children?s events and this year is one amongst the many! Commenting on Lord Jeffrey Archer?s visit to India, Himanshu Chakrawarti, COO, Landmark said, ?Sir Jeffrey Archer is the most popular & largest selling author in India and we are proud to present the ?Landmark Jeffrey Archer Tour?. It is truly an honour for us that Lord Jeffrey Archer?s first visit to India for his new novel ?A Prisoner of Birth? will be launched at our stores across various cities.?

The Landmark Jeffrey Archer Tour begins May 17th and will go on to May 24th, where Lord Jeffrey Archer will be visiting New Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai for his new work of fiction ?A PRISONER OF BIRTH?. The latest of his 14 books ?A Prisoner of Birth?, another prison caper rose to No. 1 in the charts in just 3 days. It is a story about a man who is wrongly accused for the murder of his best friend and is sent to a high-security prison - Belmarsh in south-east London.

It?s not just about a store selling books. Landmark is truly about building a generation of well-informed people. The store has presented customers by hosting the best of book, music and children?s events with eminent writers like Anita Desai and Ram Guha, well known actor Aamir Khan, legendary music directors A.R Rehman and Gulzar, popular Sufi singer Kailash Kher and quite recently Ghazal maestros Bhupinder and Mitali Singh among others. Landmark has also been at the forefront at holding events that present children their favourite characters Chamki from the show Gali Gali Sim Sim and Rob from Pogo TV.

So what are you waiting for, catch your favourite author at your favourite Landmark store.

MUMBAI: There is a certain level of power in radio that comes from its ability to mould according to the order of the day & needs of listeners. Radio yet again proved it by displaying a humane and friendly face in handling Serial Blasts in Jaipur. This Tuesday, when Jaipur was gripped in the serial bomb blasts tragedy, 94.3 MY FM Jaipur became the lifeline of Jaipurites, the voice of people, their personal media of seeking relief as well as seeking a connect with their near and dear ones, some of whom were seriously affected by the ghastly incident.

As soon as the news of blasts started pouring in, 94.3 MY FM‘s Jaipur station appealed to people to remain calm & peaceful. With the incident sinking in, 94.3 MY FM started making announcements to motivate listeners for Voluntary Blood Donations. 94.3 MY FM Udaipur station was able to enlist some 120 donors for a particular blood group which was scarce in Jaipur. Their data was transmitted to Jaipur and from there to Sawai Mansingh Hospital for necessary actions. The Jaipur station was also broadcasting its listeners‘ enquiries from MY FM‘s other 16 stations about the welfare of their relatives and friends.

Sensing the city‘s mood, 94.3 MY FM Jaipur switched over to the devotional numbers to soothe frayed tempers, hurt and pain. At least twenty listeners from Jodhpur were connected to their loved ones in Jaipur making enquiry about their welfare. 94.3 MY FM mourned the victims of mindless terror act by observing 2 minute silence on air, next morning on June 14, at 9.00 am. The station is exhorting people on air to lit a candle on 16th May to mourn the departed souls.

Radio‘s capability and flexibility to be people‘s mouthpiece in the moments of crisis has been proved yet again. Earlier also, during the incessant rains in Mumbai, radio had played a key role in connecting people with each other and share their insecurities in the moments of crisis.

MUMBAI: BIG 92.7 FM, India?s No. 1 FM Station, marked the first anniversary of their Jalandhar Station. The Network which already boasts of its presence in 44 cities across India, began with its launch in September 2006 and in a short span of time, has ensured presence across the length and breadth of the country. The Jalandhar Station was the second to launch after Chandigarh in the Punjab cluster and has in the last one year grown to be an addiction amongst the people of Jalandhar who are ardent lovers of RJ?s and the shows on BIG 92.7 FM.

The celebrations saw a sizzling performance by singer Master Saleem. Jalandhar?s favorite singer Saleem has got huge recognition by his latest hit ?Dil da Mamla? (Hey Baby). His father Ustad Puran Shah Koti is a big name in Sufiana singing. Saleem performed some of his latest numbers during the celebrations at Lilly Resort. RJ Mamta, RJ Vikrant, RJ Sugandha and RJ Vikas also performed to some of their favorite numbers.

Since its launch, the Station has created a new meaning to the word ?entertainment? in the City and has been instrumental in bridging the social gap and creating awareness among the people of the City. The Station has not only provided a whole-some mix of entertainment to the local populace, but also acted as a forum to address various social concerns / issues faced by them. The Station, which lives its brand-line, Suno Sunao, Life Banao in everything that it does has undertaken activities that have really impacted listener lives positively. Hence, whether it was setting up of Peeaus (drinking water stalls) for the people of the City, organizing parties for the youth and the women of the city, honoring the disabled, celebrating festivities or the excellent programming mix of the Station, the endeavor has been to offer a wholesome entertainment mix for the people of the City.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, the Station had some great entertainment planned, which ensured great dhoom and masti across the day, whether on air or on ground:

Listeners shared their memorable experiences with BIG 92.7 FM
RJs shared some of the most interesting experiences
A colorful cake cutting ceremony at Lilly Resort

In its endeavor to strengthen its programming and further its offering, BIG 92.7 FM will be tailor making its programming to ensure it is a true reflection of the ?vibe of the city?. The Station will soon be introducing a talent hunt wherein, students from various local colleges will share interesting updates from college campuses. The Station also plans to launch a special show for the ?youth of the city?. All this and much more action packed programming can be looked forward to, only on BIG 92.7 FM, Jalandhar.

In a press meet hosted by BIG 92.7 FM to mark the 1st Anniversary of Jalandhar Station, Mr. Siddharth Bhardwaj ? Regional Director ? North - I, BIG 92.7 FM, said, ?We have been entertaining the people of Jalandhar for the past year now and are thankful to them for welcoming us with open ears! The response has been phenomenal, which has worked as a great encouragement for Team. Our offerings have always been a cut above the clutter and has ensured a positive influence on the lives of the listeners ? whether on air or on ground. The coming year will only see our offerings strengthen. We are a true reflection of the ?vibe of the city? and will continue to play the role of a platform for self expression for the people of Jalandhar. Suno Sunao, Life Banao!?

MUMBAI: In a span of 2 years, the city has witnessed a plethora of changes ? journey from Bangalore to Bengalooru, start of the Metro project and most importantly the revival of Sandalwood music. Capturing this spirit of change and the international face of Bengalooru, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM is about to hit the airwaves with a new, refreshing and addictive sound as a part of its 2nd anniversary.

Speaking on the introduction of the new sound, Rahul Balyan, Cluster Business Head, Karnataka & Kerala said, ?It?s been an enjoyable journey for us in Mirchi and we are proud to be a part of every Kannadiga?s life today. When we decided to become a station with 100% Kannada content there was some apprehension since the popular perception was that Bengalooru preferred Bollywood. However we persisted with what our research suggested and today we enjoy phenomenal leads in listenership share. In Mirchi, we closely listen to what our listeners want and we felt that Mirchi?s 2nd birthday was a good occasion to re-invent ourselves. The new sound of the station is younger, hipper and very contemporary in its appeal.?

Added Jimmy Xavier, Cluster Programming Head, Karnataka & Kerala ?Sandalwood music is seeing a revival with many influences as reflected in some of today?s hits like Jinkey Mari Na (Nanda Loves Nandita), Ba malaya ba (Accident), Kaddalu manasanna (Mussanje Maathu) etc. Recognizing this changing soundscape of Kannada music we decided to change the new sound of Mirchi with influences from hip-hop, rock and pop. We have also incorporated various changes in each of our shows that we hope will be liked by our listeners.?

Radio Mirchi had many memorable moments in the year gone by, - events like The Mirchi Taj which will soon have its place in Limca Book of records; A Cow Fashion Show that left the Bangaloreans in splits asking for more; the launch of Hi Bangalore with Pori Tapori Rachna; the introduction of early morning band ??Munjaney Raaga?, a show which highlights healthy living with thoughts from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. As a result of such innovations, Radio Mirchi is the number one radio station of Bengalooru, as reported by Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) research reports from TAM Media Research.

MUMBAI: Aricent, the communications software company, today announced its alliance with AircellR on the development of key software and processing components for the company‘s inflight Broadband Systems. Aircell, based in Itasca, IL, is a premier wireless data and voice communications provider in business aviation and now commercial aviation.

The company‘s new Broadband System will provide inflight Internet access to commercial airline passengers in 2008.

Aricent developed software components and functionality for Aircell‘s on-board central control processor. This system provides data communication between inflight Wi-Fi users and the cellular air-to-ground communications module used to deliver Aircell‘s inflight service, GogoT (www.gogoinflight.com <http://www.gogoinflight.com/> ) to passengers. In addition, Aricent has:

* Provided professional technical consulting and testing services
* Developed software to authenticate user interactions
* Integrated the networking software components and subsystems to
provide a seamless service
* Worked with Aircell‘s software and hardware providers to assure
interoperability and speed in its national network deployment

"Aircell chose Aricent for its extensive expertise in building complex communications infrastructures, and its ability to help quickly bring our service to market in the U.S.," said Anand Chari, vice president of engineering, Aircell. "Aricent has helped us to achieve our goal of providing scalable Wi-Fi communications to commercial airlines and business aircraft. With Aricent, Aircell will enable travellers to stay connected to what matters most while flying over the United States."

Using the Aircell Broadband System, all travelers will be able to connect to the Internet in a fully integrated wireless cabin over a mobile broadband air-to-ground link. The result for commercial airline passengers is a broadband in flight experience that includes Internet, VPN access, email, multimedia capabilities, and extends to video on demand, games and additional entertainment choices. The Aircell network will initially cover the continental U.S. and will be expanded to the rest of North America, including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"Connecting passengers to the Internet while flying at 500 miles per hour and 35,000 feet is extremely challenging, but taming complexity is what Aricent does best. We are proud to use our communications software expertise to speed the delivery of Aircell‘s unique air-to-ground cellular network," said Arputham Ganesan, head of data communications, Aricent. "Aircell‘s innovation in the aviation industry shows that the possibilities are endless for mobile broadband deployments, and Aricent has the experience to make it happen."