WEEKEND NEWS

PRESENTED BY- NEELAM MONGA

Next Google phone will be mobile wallet: Schmidt•A new Google mobile phone imbedded with a chip that makes it a virtual wallet so people can "tap and pay" is poised to make its debut, the Internet giant's chief said Monday. •The successor to the Internet firm's Nexus One smartphone runs on fresh "Gingerbread" software and is imbedded with a near-field communication chip for financial transactions, according to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

"I have here an unannounced product that I carry around with me," Schmidt said while pulling a touch-screen smartphone from a jacket pocket during an on-stage chat at a Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.

"You will be able to take these mobile devices that will be able to do commerce," he continued. "Essentially, bump for everything and eventually replace credit cards. In the industry it is referred to as tap-and-pay."

Emami to invest Rs 950 cr in its edible oil business

Emami Biotech set up in 2006 to manufacture bio-diesel from Jatropha, Emami Biotech, is, however, presently focusing on edible oils as it is facing some regulatory issues in bio-fuel

Emami Group has earmarked Rs 950 crore over the next two years for the purpose, even as it is looking at a national roll-out of its Healthy & Tasty oil brand

The company currently produces 1,600 tonnes per day (tpd) of edible oils such as palm, soya, mustard, blended and sunflower. It plans to expand its capacity to 3,000 tpd over the next two years

Airtel launches new brand identity in Africa; replaces ZainTelecom giant Bharti, which had

acquired Zain Telecom''s operations in Africa launched its brand "airtel" in 16 countries in the continent replacing the Zain brand.  

The ZAP mobile money service will be re-branded Airtel Money with immediate effect. As part of the new brand launch, airtel also announced the launch of a new ultra low cost handset package which effectively provides a mobile phone free of charge to all new subscribers. 

The package, launched in conjunction with Nokia, will be priced at approx NGN 3,500 (USD 23) and includes a brand new Nokia 1280 mobile phone, a free SIM card and the equivalent value in free airtel talk time and SMS text messages. In the past four months airtel has already made tariff interventions in 11 of its 16 markets in Africa for the benefit of its customers.