First suggested in 1986 by  Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka, the proper description of the method was given much later in 1995 in a paper presentation by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland and then in a book in 2001, “Agile Software Development with Scrum.” However, it is only recently that this concept has gained a lot of popularity among projects implementing Scrum.

Scrum comprises a set of methods and predefined roles, the most important roles being that of the Scrum Master who oversees and supervises the processes to see that it is not impeded and protects the Development Team from disruption; the “Product Owner”, who represents the stakeholders and the business and the “Development Team” which does the actual developmental work. All three are important in their own ways and each role requires that the person performing the role have an in-depth knowledge of the tool and its functionality.

The role of the Scrum Master is no exception. He has to supervise and ensure a smooth process flow and as such has to know all the tools of Scrum. But there are few organizations out there that offer training in the tool. Among the ones that do, a good one is Tecchie Tree which is organizing Certified ScrumMaster Training courses in Pune, Noida, Hyderabad and Mumbai in the month of May and June.

This training will provide the participants with all the information and tools necessary to effectively apply Agile Scrum Project Management principles to their project/ program. As such, the training is useful for all teams or project heads/managers who are implementing Scrum in their organization.

During the training, participants will be taught a number of things including how to maintain and use a burndown chart, manage product backlogs, plan releases and iterations (sprints), conduct sprint planning, daily scrums, sprint reviews and retrospective meetings, track and report progress and effectively apply the principles of the Agile Manifesto.

Through the training participants may earn up to 14 PDU’s (Professional Development Units) which may then be applied towards Project Management Institute (PMI) programs or other such training programs. On successful completion of the course which includes a two-year membership in the Scrum Alliance and the Scrum Master Examination, participants will become eligible to receive a ScrumMaster certification (CSM) through the Scrum Alliance.

This training will mainly benefit project managers, team leads, architects, development managers, product managers, developers, analysts and testers so if you fall within that category, don’t hesitate to REGISTER by clicking on the links below:

Certified ScrumMaster Training @ Pune on May 23 – 24, 2012

Certified ScrumMaster Training @ Noida on May 28 – 29, 2012

Certified ScrumMaster Training @ Hyderabad on June 04 – 05, 2012

Certified ScrumMaster Training @ Mumbai on July 04 – 05, 2012

Recently launched, these two tablets have even received an upgrade. Both tablets have similar specifications, the only differences being in terms of internal storage capacity and display quality. Both the tablets are now powered by a 800MHz processor instead of the previous 700 Mhz processor. They two tablets now run on the Android 2.3 platform (earlier 2.2 Froyo) and come with 256 MB RAM, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a USB port. Both tablets support WiFi, GPRS and SIM calling functions.

The difference? The Ubislate7+ sports a 7 inch resistive touch screen display and a 2 GB internal memory expandable up to 32 GB. On the other hand, the Ubislate7C tablet has a capacitive touchscreen and 4 GB of internal memory. Users can also use 3G dongles for faster internet. Rubberized finish also ensures smudge, fingerprint and slip protection.

News is that Datawind has partnered with the third party app store Getjar to provide apps on the tablet. The tablets also offer DataWind’s own UbiSurfer browser which can deliver internet access on traditional GPRS networks. Datawind has also partnered with Aircel to provide subsidized data cards for buyers with special low cost data plans. The data cards can be used for unlimited web-browsing using DataWind’s web delivery platform.

So basically users are being offered a tablet with smartphone communication, internet access, tablet computing and multimedia entertainment; but mostly importantly, they are being given all this for a low price. The Ubislate7+ is priced at INR 2,999 and the Ubislate7C at Rs 3,999. The tablet is perfect for those who want to be technologically active but are unable to afford the more expensive tablets. The tablets are available online and expected to hit the stores sometime later this month.

It has been a short journey for both the teams since their last face-off and within that time only the KKR team has had played a match against the CSK which ended in a thrilling last-ball win for the CSK. The MI however will enter the game well rested and in top-form. From the lower end of the table, the team has inched its way up to the top and is currently sitting in the second position (previously occupied by KKR). With skipper Harbhajan Singh, little master Tendulkar, ace bowler Malinga, Rayadu, Dwayne Smith and others on the job, the MI team looks like a champion, but with mixed fortunes this season, they have to be careful in their game play. A defeat at this stage of the league games could mean the difference between a seat in the play-offs and a missed chance. Both the batting and bowling departments have to be in top form tonight as they defend their position and face-off against the KKR who will be looking to exact revenge.

With their last two defeats (MI and CSK) still fresh in their minds, the KKR will be returning to the pitch tonight with a vengeance.  But whether they will be able to avenge their defeat is a big question. Skipper Ghambir has led an aggressive campaign and has been largely successful in bringing his team up to shape. He himself played brilliantly in most of the matches catapulting the KKR to second position on the points table, but the last two matches brought some rough weather for the team. Though they are quite capable of firepower, the main thing holding them back has been the inconsistency of the players. They have some great players in the form of Ghambir himself, Brett Lee, Narine and others and if they can deliver then the game will be in the bag. The KKR were not at their best in their last match against the MI but tonight is another day, another game? Will the Knights be able to deliver? More importantly, with only a few days left till the play-offs, will they be able to retain their position in the points table?

While DD has already become the first team to qualify for the play-offs after their five-wicket victory over the KXIP, tonight’s heated contest between the MI and KKR team will be to clinch the coveted position to qualify for the play-offs. So who will it be?

]]> http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/16/ipl-2012-mi-vs-kkr/feed/ 0 http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/16/the-exceptional-leader-awaken-the-leader-in-you/ http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/16/the-exceptional-leader-awaken-the-leader-in-you/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 06:14:55 +0000 Yasmita http://www.meraevents.com/blog/?p=9089 All of us have ambitions, dreams and desires but negotiating through life to achieve these can be an uphill journey.  Often the main thing that stops us from achieving our goals is our own mind that feels it “cannot do it.” Since personal growth precedes professional success, it is very important to be in complete control of your life at all times. For this you need to feel inspired; you need to make better choices in directing and focusing your thoughts and energies to making every moment productive and achieving your goals.

Those who are able to direct their actions through positive thoughts often become big achievers but there are those who sometimes resist taking a step that can help them achieve what they want. This trend can be especially harmful for those holding leadership roles or aiming to become leaders in their fields. Hence, it is important to know what you want, what is preventing you from achieving your goal and how to ultimately overcome all the obstacles and get what you want. So if you want to realize your potential then attend “The Exceptional Leader – Awaken the leader in you” workshop on the 20th of May, 2012 @ Hotel Ramanashree, Bangalore.

This workshop is for those who want to live a good life with positive results and do it without excuses and with passion and a smile on their faces. The main facilitator is Venu Somineni, known for his international best-selling motivational, “One Book for Life Success.” The chairman of MyDeals247.com, he has conducted a variety of workshops including executive coaching, inspirational seminars, corporate seminars and conferences across India, Singapore, USA and Canada.

One pre-requisite to achieving your goals is to direct your life towards the path of your ambitions, reforming it if necessary. The workshop will deal with all aspects of personal and professional achievement, be it leadership, entrepreneurship, career advancement, time management, goal setting, etc to help you do just that. You will learn to direct your thoughts, take good actions in life and unleash your full potential so that you can work towards achieving your goals. So attend the workshop to get that little push you need to achieve the best in life.

Well, Disney is about to make your dream come true. The wizards at Disney land have come up with “Touché “, a technology that can sense your touch and translate it to any object. No, they won’t suddenly come to life and whisk you away to wonderland, but your sofa will be able to able to understand if you want the TV on or off or your door will lock or unlock depending on your touch!

Much like the capacitive sensors on a smart phone, the high-tech technology being developed by Disney can anything and everything into interactive buttons. The technology can be used on anything since all it uses is a single electrical wire embedded into an object, and then a wired or wireless connection back to a controller. But there is a slight difference from the sensors on a Smartphone which detects electrical impulses from a finger touch and translates that into action. Touché can scan multiple electrical frequencies and by estimating them, it can identify specific nuances to the touch, rather than just the simple ‘on/off’ response.

Disney made an example of a door know saying that ‘Closing a door with a tight grasp could lock it, while closing it with a pinch might set a user’s away message, such as ‘back in five minutes,’on the other hand, ‘a sequence of grasps could constitute a ‘grasp password’ that would only allow an authorized user to unlock the door.’ So a sofa can now tell whether you want the TV on,’ judging ‘by your seating position and a bed can sense when you want the lights turned off. The sensor even works in water and just by placing a hand on a bucket of water, the sensor will be able to tell if you have out in one finger, a whole hand or if the hand was fisted or outstretched.

Conducted by Munehiko Sato, Ivan Poupyrev and Chris Harrison at the Disney Research in Pittsburgh, the technology can differentiate between various gestures and translates that into action. Now isn’t that magical?

Film Making

Films have been around for quite a while now and so have film makers (of course as time goes on the number of film makers have increased rapidly) but very few of them are actually born with the eye and intuition to do so and they are the ones that go on to make great films. But it is possible to hone the skill of great film making and this is often through the process of truly breaking down someone else’s work, or through seeing how certain effects and approaches are typically accomplished. And workshops are usually a great place to watch these professionals in action while getting hands on training that are sure to make you into a better film maker.

If you are a film enthusiast looking to become a talented film maker, here’s a workshop that will teach you invaluable methods that will greatly benefit your goal to become one of the greats of the film world. Presenting to you the Summer Film Making Boot Camp by SACAC (Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts Communication)!

Organized at the Sri Aurobindo Society Campus in Delhi from the 11^th of June till the 14^th of July 2012, this accelerated, but comprehensive 5 week course is designed to introduce the enthusiast who wants to explore film as a medium of expression making it perfect for anyone who is keen on exploring the world of film making before deciding to make it a career. With inputs on research, scripting, production, camera, sound recording and editing, this course will teach you the magic of telling stories through films.

Additionally, you can benefit from being in the presence of others who are at your level of film making. Sharing stories, ideas and concepts are excellent ways to move forward as a creative inventor. Your creativity will encourage better films, and it will make help make your good films into great ones. Better still, you will likely be able to meet up with prominent and important names in the business. Hearing firsthand accounts from film makers that you trust and care about can be an excellent source of inspiration and confidence that will help you make great strides in your career.

Don’t think twice, if you’re really interested in learning the secrets of a film maker, then REGISTER HERE for the Summer Film Making Boot Camp by SACAC. But you’ve got to hurry if you want to get the early bird discount which closes by the 26^th of May 2012.

Today if you are not online, you are almost considered invisible and lose out on a lot of opportunities. Not only is this a cheaper form of marketing but it also reaches out to a wider customer/client base. But, advertising, brand promotion, lead generation is all very fine but you must know how to do it efficiently and effectively so as to reach out to potential customers. Most big online shopping sites offer an affiliate marketing feature where you market the website’s products/services as an affiliate marketer. The core company then rewards the affiliate for bringing in customers to the main site through its own marketing efforts. Today, this form of marketing is becoming very popular so if you want to know more about digital marketing or affiliate marketing, then do attend the Affiliate Marketing Workshop / Training from the 26th to the 27th of May, 2012 @ Mumbai.

Organized by Affiliate GYAN, this Affiliate Marketing Workshop part of a series, the first of which was successfully conducted in Mumbai last month.  The workshop will use practical exercises and case studies to give you a thorough understanding of what digital or affiliate marketing is all about. The workshop will be conducted by industry experts and you will get the benefit of their knowledge and experience to help you. Participants will also be mentored and guided for up to three months after the workshop and can use the knowledge gained to earn extra income or work full time. In short, you can generate income and achieve your financial goals through internet marketing. So what are you waiting for, hurry and

]]> http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/affiliate-marketing-workshop-training/feed/ 0 http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/workshop-on-knowledge-management-for-competitive-advantage/ http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/workshop-on-knowledge-management-for-competitive-advantage/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 10:52:35 +0000 Alvina http://www.meraevents.com/blog/?p=9049 When working on a project, there is a lot of risk involved especially when one has no proper knowledge of the subject. Conversely, if you have a clear idea of what you are doing, you will be able to do a much better job thus enabling higher results. It also helps when working in large teams with a variety of people having where better knowledge of the subject helps you stand out from the rest thus enhancing both our professional and personal excellence.

The pros that knowledge management offers is the reason is has picked up rapidly in the market and become so important for corporates the world over. So why not improve your knowledge management and give yourself a competitive edge this year by taking the right training?

Organized by Ace Business Consultants, the Workshop on Knowledge Management for Competitive Advantage (which will be taught by Prof. Tarun Chaturvedi, a faculty in national-level workshops and MDPs in the areas of Knowledge and Information Management) will be a great place to take up this challenge. Set for the 20th of May 2012 from 9am to 6pm at Pune’s Orbett Hotel, this highly informative and interactive training program will focus on the implementation issues and knowledge management strategies in organization while providing you with a comprehensive introduction to the field of Knowledge Management and orienting you towards Knowledge Management as a change initiative.

Targeted at all managerial levels, the knowledge management workshop is open to all those who are interested in the same, though owing to the nature of discussions in the workshop, ideal participants need to have an understanding of how organizations work, and collaborate within. So what are you waiting for? It’s never too late to expand our emotional intelligence! REGISTER HERE for Ace’s workshop on knowledge management for competitive advantage and be ready to see both professional and personal excellence.

The Discover 125 ST comes with Bajaj’s patented “DTS-iTwin Spark” technology. Initially available in the 100, 125 and 150cc displacement models, the Discover 125 model has undergone a major overhaul as the Discover 125 engine is designed with four valves that delivers 13 PS of power @ 9000 rpm and 11 Nm of torque which is the highest figure for a 125cc bike.  The Monoshock Nitrox Suspension and “Anti Vibration” will provide for comfortable riding even in rough terrains. For safety, the company has fitted the bike with Petal Disc Brakes

Externally, the Bajaj manufacturers seem to have done their best to meld functionality with style. The sleek and stylish bike boasts slender ribbed alloy wheels and aluminum side sets. Sharp edged headlamps add to the overall sporty look and give this bike a rakish appearance that is unusual in commuter bikes. With this bike, the company was aiming for a commuter bike without the boring look and outdated features

In terms of bike sales, Bajaj is already ahead of its competitors with a position as market leader in numerous global markets. The company has already announced its decision to focus on bringing out more Discover brands but did not give any indication of how the Discover 125 ST will be priced. All that is known is that the bike will be priced region wise and this pricing will be declared in the second half of June when the bikes are expected to hit the showrooms.

]]> http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/bajaj-discover-125-sports-tourer-launched/feed/ 1 http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/friends-and-lovers-a-social-meditation-group/ http://www.meraevents.com/blog/2012/05/15/friends-and-lovers-a-social-meditation-group/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 09:12:46 +0000 Alvina http://www.meraevents.com/blog/?p=9038 After a hectic week of work, long distance travelling, chaos and constant running around, we all need a calm and rejuvenating period to open up, relax and feel alive so that we can get back sanely to another week in the rat race. But the question is how? Self help books or the internet are always a good option to learn the techniques and then continue the process at home, but they don’t give a practical demonstration making it difficult to follow some times, courses and workshops on the other hand offer better strategies and techniques depending on your personal requirements (which in turn helps you relax better).

Now the question comes as to which course that will be. Well, here’s one workshop that caters to deepening your self-awareness, developing love and friendliness with others, rejuvenating the body and refreshing the mind. Presenting the Friends and Lovers Social Meditation Workshop!

Set to take place on the 9^th and 10^th of June 2012 from 10am to 6pm at the Center for Performing Arts in Mumbai, the Friends and Lovers Social Meditation workshop is innovatively designed to initiate friendliness and connection between people and to help them release their stress and negativity in a light and fun-filled way thus giving you the opportunity to nurture and rejuvenate yourself in a safe, supportive environment.

A combination of social and active meditations like Love Meditation, Friendship Meditation, Sacred Earth etc, it touches the inner realms of the heart and provides you with the necessary therapy to confront and switch all your emotions and make space for love and friendship within you. All you have to do is, shift away from a few hours of everyday concerns, work demands and emotional loads and participate in this two day workshop. So what are you waiting for? REGISTER HERE and get ready to feel the transformation and see personal growth.