REPOST: Facebook hires two Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad boys for Rs 60 lakh

Two students from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, a premiere institution in the country, were hired recently by two of the biggest IT firms, Google and Facebook. Learn about their story in this article from The Times of India.

Image Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

ALLAHABAD: IT majors, including popular social networking sites Facebook and Google, refused to turn up for recruitment at country's premium technical institutes like IITs this year as per reports.

The news may sound disappointing for some but on the contrary, the silver lining is that the same firms have chosen to pick their poor cousins from National Institute of Technology (NITs), offering them handsome pay package of around Rs 1 crore per annum.

Two students of the country's premium Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-A), have bagged lucrative job offers of Rs 60 lakh per annum from Facebook, while another student has been chosen as student ambassador of top notch IT firm Google.

IIIT-A director M D Tiwari said that Ankit Gupta and Yogesh Sharma, both final year students of BTech, have been recruited by Facebook while their batchmate Divanshu Garg has been chosen as the Google student ambassador to represent Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad for the upcoming academic year.

A statement issued by Sunil Rao, country head, Outreach Programs, Google India Pvt Ltd, stated that unprecedented response and excitement was witnessed to the Google Student Ambassador programme, with over 1,750 candidates from more than 100 towns and cities across India vying for GSA title.

Tiwari said that various companies visited the campus of IIIT-Allahabad during the session of 2012-2013. Hundred per cent of BTech students have been placed by nearly dozen of companies with more than 70% of the students getting starting package of Rs 5.5 lakh per annum and the highest package ranging to Rs 60 lakh pa.

Some of the recruiters are Google, Microsoft, Walmart, Yahoo, Amazon, Facebook, Verizon and many more.

However, the one who walked away with the icing on the cake in last year's placement season was Uday Jalan, a student of BTech final at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad. He was hired by Facebook at an astronomical pay package of Rs 1.33 crore per annum.

Placement incharge Rajeev Tripathi said that the boy's sojourn with the recruitment procedure of Facebook began with a mail from Facebook in first half of October last year. The lengthy procedure extended to nine rounds of telephonic interviews after which he was selected.

Belonging to a humble family background from Kanpur, the boy got his first posting at Menlo Park, California to begin his career. With this achievement, he became the highest paid final year student recruited in the history of NIT-Allahabad.

Another student of NIT, Suratkal, was also recruited by Facebook at the same time at a pay package of around Rs 1 crore per annum.

David Bergen is the Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal. He is currently working with Blue Shield to deploy an organization-wide IT transformation, which will migrate from an outsourcer into an internal IT organization. He was formerly the global CIO of Levi Strauss & Co. Learn more about the IT industry by following this Twitter page.

REPOST: Java 8 developer preview ready for testing

Java 8 may be considered as one of the most anticipated versions of the software. The product’s release was originally set for this month, but it has been delayed until March of next year supposedly to buy time to make security fixes. However, a developer preview of the programming language has been made available; hence, customers can have a sneak peek of how the product will compare to its predecessors.

Even though a general-release development kit for Java SE (Standard Edition) 8 is not due until next year, Oracle is offering a preview build for developers to test right now.

In a blog post, Oracle's Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java Platform Group, urges developers to test out the developer preview for JDK (Java Development Kit) 8, which became available on Monday. JDK 8 is a based on Java SE 8.

"We've run all tests on all Oracle-supported platforms and haven't found any glaring issues. We've also fixed many of the bugs discovered since we reached the feature-complete mileistone back in June," wrote Reinhold. The key feature of the release is Project Lambda, which is intended to make it easier to write code for multiprocessors. "It adds lambda expressions, default methods, and method refer­ences to the Java programming language and extends the libraries to support parallelizable operations upon streamed data."


Image source: infoworld.com

Oracle had planned to release JDK 8 this month, but the company postponed availability until early next year, to focus on security improvements. Security has been a thorn in the side of Java recently, with many issues arising although Oracle has worked to take care of the problems. Oracle became the steward of Java when it acquired Java founder Sun Microsystems in 2010.

"If you've been watching JDK 8 evolve from afar, then now is an excellent time to download a build and try it out -- the sooner the better," Reinhold said. "Let us know if your existing code doesn't compile and run correctly on JDK 8, if it runs slower than before, if it crashes the JVM, or if there are any remaining design issues in the new language and API features."

Other features of JDK 8 include a new date and time API, compact profiles, and the Nashorn JavaScript engine. It also has new "anti-features," as Reinhold describes them, like removal of the permanent generation from the HotSpot virtual machine. "This is part of the JRockit and Hotspot (JVM) convergence effort. JRockit customers do not need to configure the permanent generation (since JRockit does not have a permanent generation) and are accustomed to not configuring the permanent generation," Oracle said in documentation on this feature.

IT specialist David Bergen, former Levi Strauss & Co. Senior Vice President and Global CIO, specializes in the development and implementation of IT solutions. Follow this Twitter page to know more about his expertise.

REPOST: This New Tool Basically Makes Star Trek Technology a Reality

Getting their hands on a Star Trek gadget remains to be fantasy among many people. But with the latest developments in technology, this fantasy can soon turn into reality. Read this article from Entrepreneur.com to learn more. 

It seems like every other day we read about some far-out, new technology that makes us scratch our heads and say, "What the heck?" In this series, we'll take a look at all types of crazy new gadgets, apps and other technologies -- and the entrepreneurs dreaming them up.

Mr. Spock, Dr. Bones, prepare yourselves for gadget lust. And the rest of us, too. A new gadget promises to act as a handheld scanner that can read a person's vital health signs in virtually an instant. For all of you Star Trek geeks, it's sort of like the tricorder scanner used by the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

The new tool is called Scanadu Scout. It can measure your temperature, heart rate, and other vital signs just by touching your forehead. Yes, a simple touch to your head is all it needs. The device then connects wirelessly to an app on your smartphone to provide you with analysis of the data it collected.

"Learn ways that different people, locations, activities, foods, beverages, and medicines affect your body," the California-based company says on its website. "Sick or well. Discover connections. Watch trends. Spot side effects. Catch problems early. And track them."

The idea is to provide users with basic yet important health information that can be used to better inform doctors about any conditions you may have. This potentially could be useful for people who suffer from chronic illnesses. Or for anyone else who wants to avoid a needless trip to the doctor or the emergency room if your symptoms can easily be diagnosed.

Another device, called Scanadu Scanaflo, is a urine test kit that the company says can test for levels of glucose, protein, leukocytes, nitrates, blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, specific gravity, and pH in urine. It will also test for pregnancy. All from a person's home, or wherever it is used.

Being able to access information about your own health seems like a logical next step in our always-connected, mobile-obsessed culture. But, to me, there seem to be at least a couple important flaws -- at least initially. First, I understand that this device could save time in the doctor's office since it essentially eliminates the need for anyone to take and read your vitals. But, realistically, I don't know any doctors who would trust the self-administered findings from an outside device without checking a person's vitals themselves anyway.

Second, the Scanadu Scout makes your health information portable over your smartphone, so it's easy to share with your doctor or other health-care workers. But doesn't this also pose a privacy issue? What if your phone is lost? Can someone have access to even some of your health information? Does Scanadu harvest the information it collects about you?

Unfortunately, not much is officially known still about the technology behind the Scanadu Scout. The "Tech Specs" section of the website is still listed as "Coming Soon."

But there seems to be a swell of enthusiasm for the device in the market. The Scanadu Scout recently raised $1.66 million on crowdfunding site Indiegogo from more than 8,500 funders in 110 countries, AllThingsD reported. Not bad for a little device inspired by Star Trek, eh?

David Bergen’s career milestone was when he served as Levi Strauss’ CIO and made improvements on the brand’s supply chain. Visit this Twitter page to learn more about his achievements.

REPOST: Those faded, distressed blue jeans might be harboring a dirty secret

The Bangladesh factory tragedy has placed a spotlight on labor rights violations and unsafe practices of sub-contracted clothing production in other parts of the world. This article at qz.com talks about one of Levi Strauss & Co.’s efforts to ban sandblasting, a hazardous jeans production process in China after discovering it exposes workers to the risk of lung cancer.

Demand for ripped, distressed jeans is causing real distress in the garment industry. At least five factories in southern China are still using a widely banned practice of sandblasting—linked to an incurable form of lung disease—to wear out jeans, according to a new report by a consortium of workers’ rights groups.

Sandblasting—a way of speeding up the process of wear and tear—took off among apparel makers when worn-out, pre-torn jeans became trendy in the 1990s and early 2000s. Many brands, including Armani, Levi Strauss, Benetton, Mango and Burberry, banned the use of sandblasting in 2004, after a Turkish doctor evaluating former denim plant workers for military service established a link between sandblasting and silicosis—a fatal lung disease caused by inhaling tiny bits of silica, a mineral found in sand. In 2009, Turkey—a major clothing manufacturing country—banned the practice, but activists believe garment makers have moved to other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan or China and parts of North Africa. Alternatives exist like sanding jeans by hand with sandpaper, but they tend to be more expensive. A relatively new method called “surface activation” involves washing down the jeans before they are dyed.

Today’s report, commissioned by labor rights groups Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour, the Clean Clothes Campaign, War on Want, and the IHLO, a Hong Kong-based trade union and workers’ rights group, was based on roughly 170 interviews in 2011 and 2012 with Chinese workers at six clothing plants in Guangzhou—the base for most of the country’s denim manufacturing. Workers said they manually blasted jeans with air guns loaded with abrasive sand, often worked 12-hour days and earned, on average, between 2,000 renminbi and 7,000 yuan monthly ($330 to $1,140) (pdf, p. 18) to sandblast between 500 and 600 pairs of jeans.

According to the report, some of the factories supply to major Western clothing brands. The report says that a worker from a Zhongshan Yida Apparel plant claimed in November last year that sandblasting continued, despite the firm’s earlier pledge to stop the practice. Zhongshan says it provides 4% of jeans sold in the US and supplies to Levi, according to Levi’s most recent supplier list and H&M. (Levi and H&M banned the use of sandblasting for any of their products in 2010.) Yida did not return request for comment, but a Levi spokesperson told Quartz that the company had verified that Yida stopped the practice in 2009 and disposed of its sandblasting machines in February 2012.

The company also said managers at another Levi supplier mentioned in the report had sent photos in January of last year proving that all sandblasting equipment had been removed. The report said the factory, Golden City, had told workers to hide sandblasting machines when audits or inspections took place. H&M confirmed to Quartz that it works with Yida but that it hasn’t ordered sandblasted (pdf, p. 33) clothing from any suppliers since 2010. H&M said that Yida hand scrapes denim supplied to the retailer.

Read more about David Bergen’s work with Levi Strauss & Co. as the company’s former CIO by visiting this website.

REPOST: Are you ready for a promotion?

Promotions are granted upon managers’ discretion, but many employees are under the impression that they must wait to be noticed in order to qualify for one. This SF Gate article recommends what hard-working employees can do to secure their place in line for a promotion.

Image source: SF Gate

The truth is you may indeed deserve a promotion after years of helping make your boss and employer successful. However, promotions don’t just happen incidentally. The mystique of being promoted is largely up to you in how well you connect with others and own your career development.

Being promotable does not always mean being visible in a positive way by demonstrating a good work ethic backed up with reliability. If it were, chances are you would have been promoted by now.

Deserving a promotion and receiving one are two different things. In order to be in line for a promotion there are some things you can actively do rather than wait for others to notice. One of the most obvious yet overlooked areas is in communicating with your boss on a regular basis. Don’t make the mistake of assuming your boss knows all of your strengths and contributions.

Another area that often keeps promotions at bay is not meeting enough people by staying in your comfort zone. If you need help in meeting others in your company, inquire about mentoring programs. Mentors are great sources of information and can help with introductions.
Blue Jeans Now Allowed At Beaufort County Schools

Students in one school district in Eastern Carolina will now be allowed to wear blue jeans to school.

Last night the Beaufort County School Board relaxed the student dress code for the 2013-14 school year.

Pants can now be any color and yes, blue jeans will be allowed. But those pants cannot have holes in them, nor can they sag or be too tight. The school system says belts will not be required.

The school board didn't make any changes to their policy on shirts. Collars are still required, though the shirts do not have to be tucked in.

The old dress code was adopted in 2007 and limited pants to tan khaki, solid navy blue or solid black.

Communication is even more critical if you report to a boss in a different location. Frustration in being overlooked for a promotion could be lessened if your boss knew about your career goals and interests in adding to the company’s success.  Take the initiative to meet with your boss, asking for additional responsibilities or new projects that interest you. Volunteer when possible for assignments that will help broaden your work experience.

The most important factor in being promotable is keeping up a good attitude even though you might have been passed over for a job you wanted, it’s never too late to start building a good case when the next opportunity becomes available.

Be patient; promotions will happen as the company grows. In the meantime, focus on your job and make it a priority to accomplish the tasks assigned to you. Avoid getting caught up in the noise of office gossip and being sidetracked from what you do best. Listen for opportunities while developing good working relationships with hiring decision makers.

Read more about David Bergen’s steady career progress as top-ranked executive for Fortune 500 companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. and The Gap by following this Twitter account.

Nokia Lumia 925 Hammer & Knife Test

REPOST: Levi’s® Stadium – Home of the San Francisco 49ers

In a press release, Levi Strauss & Co. announces partnership with San Francisco 49ers in an effort to engage in sports and music fans in the Bay Area and around the world.

Two Bay Area Icons – Levi Strauss & Co. and San Francisco 49ers -- present naming rights deal to Santa Clara Stadium Authority Thursday

Proposed partnership announced today at Levi’s Plaza in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO and SANTA CLARA, CA – Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) announced today that it will present the Santa Clara Stadium Authority a proposal for a 20-year, $220 million naming rights agreement for ”Levi’s® Stadium” on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

The apparel company is proposing a naming rights partnership with the Santa Clara Stadium Authority and San Francisco 49ers that would make the company an official sponsor of the 49ers, and feature premium interior and exterior branding of the new Levi’s® Stadium.

Levi Strauss & Co. CEO Chip Bergh said, “Levi’s® Stadium will connect two iconic Bay Area brands that share similar values, a rich heritage and a pioneering spirit. Joining the incredible legacy of the 49ers organization is a perfect fit for the Levi’s® brand – and a chance for us to engage with sports and music fans across the Bay Area and around the world.”

San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York said, “49ers have worn Levi's® jeans since the Gold Rush era. We are so honored to have the perfect partner for the premier outdoor sports and entertainment venue in the world. A model of innovation and sustainability, Levi's® Stadium will bring to life all that is special about the Bay Area.”

The San Francisco 49ers and Levi Strauss & Co. share deep roots in Bay Area history: in 1873, Levi Strauss & Co. created the first blue jean by adding copper rivets to denim pants for the working man of the American West. The 49ers franchise has won five Super Bowl trophies and was the first major league professional sports team to be based in San Francisco more than 60 years ago.

City of Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews said, "This partnership is a tremendous opportunity for Levi's®, the 49ers, the City of Santa Clara and the entire Bay Area. As powerful advocates for our communities, we share a vision for the new stadium constructed on the pillars of innovation, sustainability and an unparalleled entertainment experience. I am looking forward to this being brought for consideration by the Stadium Authority to approve aligning this great, global brand with our great City tomorrow evening."

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said, “It is very fitting to see two of the Bay Area’s best-known brands coming together to showcase the best our region has to offer. Every time a fan turns on their television to watch a 49ers home game from Levi’s® Stadium, the entire region will be on center stage. And, in a few short weeks, we are hopeful that we will host Super Bowl 50 or 51 and experience the enormous economic boost and lasting legacy for the entire Bay Area.”

Levi Strauss & Co. announced the proposal for Levi’s® Stadium today during its annual Community Day, in which thousands of employees around the globe give back by volunteering with local non-profit organizations in 170 projects in more than 46 countries around the world. San Francisco 49ers CEO, Jed York, today joined Levi Strauss & Co. employees at one of 31 volunteer projects in the Bay Area.

David Bergen is the former chief information officer of Levi Strauss & Co. Learn about his contribution into the company by visiting this Facebook page.