MAM
Motorola launches contest MotoFWRD
MUMBAI: To help visualise the next generation of seamless mobility, Motorola India has launched MotoFWRD.
This competition challenges emerging innovators to depict – either through words or visuals – how tomorrow’s society will answer to the consumer demand to live life wherever, whenever and however.
Seamless mobility is a set of solutions that will provide easy, uninterrupted access to information, entertainment, communication, monitoring and control when, where and how we want regardless of the device, service, network or location. The competition targets a diverse representation of India’s best-in-class graduate and post-graduate institutions.
Motorola chairman and CEO Ed Zander says, “Through the MotoFWRD competition we are inspiring rising innovators to inspire us. The ability to dream, to imagine the possibility, is one of the greatest assets of today’s youth and this program allows the next generation of scientists, inventors and designers to show us their best.”
Whether using wearable wireless technology to listen to music or arming employees with tools for on-the-go office productivity, Motorola’s version of seamless mobility provides fluid connections between people, things and information – at home, at work, in the car or anywhere in-between. Leveraging this information, MotoFWRD entrants will re-define wireless communications for the future.
Motorola India country president Amit Sharma says, “India boasts of a fine higher education system, at par with the best in the world. Through MotoFWRD, we intend engaging with the best minds from some of the country’s leading institutions, across disciplines. We want to co-opt them in envisioning the future of seamless mobility by Motorola”.
Entries will be judged by a panel that includes O&M group president and national creative director Piyush Pandey, Nasscom president Kiran Karnik and Vyas Giannetti Creatives chairperson and chief creative officer Preeti Vyas Giannetti.
College students focusing on science, technology, engineering, design, management, fine arts, writing, film and other arts and science fields can submit visual art or written entries, including essays, white papers, short stories, short films, comic strips or digital art to express their view of seamless mobility and bring the next wave of mobile connectivity to life.
Zander adds, “Motorola has a long-standing commitment to supporting education initiatives all over the world, including the Lego League in Germany, the Sci-Fun Technology Road Show in the UK and the US Mathcountsfoundation. MotoFWRD is the latest extension of the ways our company supports the best and brightest. It further underscores our confidence in and commitment to India”.
The winner gets a Rs 400,000 cash prize and an eight week internship at Motorola CTO’s office in the US and a gift hamper of Motorola products. The runner-up gets Rs 150,000 and a gift hamper of Motorola products. The second runner-up will receive Rs 100,000 and a gift hamper of Motorola products.
Motorola CTO Padmasree Warrior says, “Today’s youth are leading the technology revolution. I look forward to learning from these young minds who bring a unique perspective to the constantly changing technology industry”.
Submissions will be accepted till 28 February 2006. All MOTOFWRD rules and requirements can be found at www.motofwrdindia.com.
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
