India ranks 43rd in WEF list

India has been ranked 43rd most networked country in the world, moving up nine places against last year, as per the Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010.

The report, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and business school INSEAD, ranks Sweden as numero uno networked country, followed by Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland, US and Finland. China has moved up 11 spots to the 37th position.

The Networked Readiness Index, featured in the report, examines how prepared countries are to use information and communication technologies (ICT) effectively on three dimensions.

The report covers 133 economies worldwide, assessing the impact of ICT on the development process and the competitiveness of nations.

"Sweden, Singapore and Denmark's superior capacity to leverage ICT as an enabler of sustainable, long-term economic growth is built on similar premises, relating with a long- standing focus placed by governments and private sectors alike on education, innovation and ICT access and diffusion," Irene Mia, Senior Economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the WEF and co-editor of the report said.

The success of these countries underlines the importance of a joint ICT vision and its implementation by the different stakeholders in a country to take full advantage of ICT advances in daily life and overall competitiveness strategy, she added.

This includes general business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; the readiness of key stakeholders like individuals, businesses and government to use and benefit from ICT; and the actual usage of the latest information and communication technologies available.

Soon, a robot to support old people

Staying alone may not be a nightmare any more, thanks to scientists who are developing a robot which they claim can support independent living for the elderly people.

A team, led by the University of the West of England in Bristol is working on a project aimed at creating the robot and some sensors as part of an intelligent system of caring for older people.

According to the scientists, the project produces three key systems of caring - a wearable health status monitor with smart sensors woven into undergarments; a secure tele- alarm and health reporting system; and a nutrition support system which will consist for example of reminders for when meals and drinks should be taken.

All these systems will be linked to a robotic platform, which will also facilitate communications -- helping people to keep in touch with friends or relatives, or create shopping lists using voice recognition, they say.

Lead scientist, Dr Praminda Caleb Solly, said: "We are working with some of Europe's leading robotic and wearable sensor companies in this field, to ensure that the technology being developed enhances the lives of older adults and gives them the ability to make informed lifestyle choices."

"We hope that the health monitoring and the nutrition support systems will help people to track and maintain better standard of health and activity, helping them live alone for as long as possible," said Dr Solly.

"Six user groups of older people -- three in the UK and three in the Netherlands will take part in the research. Initially we will look closely at the context in which older people live, their expectations and perceptions, to ensure the technology that is developed brings real benefits to them."

Several cycles of field testing and modification will be done to enable the technology to be closely aligned to user needs, say the scientists.

Dr Solly said: "This research could have long term benefits in supporting a growing elderly population. We need to look at these systems holistically in the context of real lives and ensure that the support they give to older people living independently matches their expectations and meets a real need."

She further added: "The ethical aspects of using robots with older people will also be considered as part of this research."

MSI Toast PC catches our eye, and that's all she wrote

Who knows what's actually housed in the device, but judging by the accompanying placard, MSI is playing the aesthetic card with this one. Designed as both a PC and a decoration for the home, it's certainly pleasing on the eye. And like the sign says, "don't try to put in toast" -- cute, but we'd rather that line had a commitment to releasing this sucker. Or a price range. Or some hint as specs. Or anything tangible, really.

Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures and details

We've been dying to know more about Microsoft's Courier tablet / e-book device ever since we first caught wind of it last September, and while our entreaties to Mr. Ballmer went unanswered, we just learned some very interesting information from an extremely trusted source. We're told Courier will function as a "digital journal," and it's designed to be seriously portable: it's under an inch thick, weighs a little over a pound, and isn't much bigger than a 5x7 photo when closed. That's a lot smaller than we expected -- this new picture really puts it into perspective -- and the internals apparently reflect that emphasis on mobility: rather than Windows 7, we're told the Courier is built on Tegra 2 and runs on the same OS as the Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series, which we're taking to mean Windows CE 6.

As we've heard, the interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We're also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there's a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft's e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading. It all sounds spectacular, but all we have for a launch date is "Q3 / Q4", and we have no idea how much it's going to cost, so we're trying to maintain a healthy skepticism until any of this gets official -- call us any time, Microsoft. One more pic showing the interface after the break.