Google takes over Jaiku

Internet search engine giant Google made one more acquisition yesterday by adding the microblogging service Jaiku to its profile.

Jaiku is an activity stream and presence sharing service that works on the internet and via mobile phones. It allows users to send short messages about where they are and what they are doing.

Tony Hiesh, product manager of the Mountain View, California-based Google said on Google’s blog that the company believes Jaiku's technology can help them to develop new ways to use mobile devices.

"Current Jaiku users can continue to use the service normally while new users have to sign up for an invitation to the service. Google plans to use the ideas and technology behind Jaiku to make compelling and useful products,” said an official statement.

Jaiku was formed in February 2006 in Helsinki by Jyri Engeström and Petteri Koponen. The founders came up with the name Jaiku because the posts on Jaiku resemble Japanese haikus. A haiku is a short poem written about the moment that a person is living through.

Jaiku is similar to Twitter. Founded a month after Jaiku, Twitter is currently the most popular microblogging service on the web, with a customer base that includes Viacom18's MTV, who Twittered their Video Music Awards event, ZDNet, Engadget and other popular blogs and websites. Even Tech 2.0 is on Twitter!

Jaiku is compatible with Nokia S60 platform mobile devices through its Jaiku mobile client software. The software allows users to make posts on their Jaiku page. Jaiku has released its API, which allows programmers to make third-party software components.

The sum paid by Google and the terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. The company does not have any definite plans to announce at the moment.

Early last month, Google had acquired Zingku to enter the mobile phone arena.

Orkut now accesible via facebook

Facebook is fast gaining popularity as one of the safer social networking sites and adding to that popularity is the fact that now Facebook users can access their Orkut accounts with the MyOrkut application, created by Jeetu Mirchandani, an ex-IIT Mumbai student, without leaving the site.

The social networking site also allows members to add an application through which they can access their Gmail account.

Facebook allows its users to create and develop applications and has over 5,000 applications and 39 million active members.

A Facebook user has to add The MyOrkut application to his/her profile by providing the URL of his Orkut profile id. Once added, he can access Orkut within Facebook without logging on to Orkut.

Gmail can be accessed on Facebook by using an application called Fmail that has been created by two US-based students of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Courtland Allen and Aaron Rosado. The only feature missing in this application is Google Chat.

Reliance joins with One Laptop Per Child Foundation

Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has joined hands with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation under which Reliance Communication (Rcom) would provide Internet connectivity, network and logistics to the OLPC's India initiative.

"Every child has the right to education. Reliance Communication is going to facilitate that right. This is not a laptop but an educational program which will promote e-learning in the country," RADAG Chairman Anil Ambani's wife Tina Ambani told reporters.

She invited state governments, NGOs, corporates and media to be a party to the program, a pilot of which has already been started in a school in the tribal-dominated Khairat village, near Karjat in Maharashtra.

Under the program, every student will be given a water-proof and almost unbreakable laptop, priced at USD 188 (landed price in India at USD 220) which would reduce the burden of the school bag and promote e-learning in the country reducing the digital divide in the society.

"India's economy is growing at a rapid pace. We need to to impart quality education to children. The education system has to be more student-friendly. It has to be fun-filled for them," Ambani said.

"OLPC program would be application-oriented and not syllabus-oriented, as is the current practice," Ambani added