LG Android Wear to be Launched Soon

 LG G Watch running Android Wear to be launched in Q2 2014

 

Google has finally exposed its 'Android Wear' developer evaluation focused entirely on smartwatches, and LG is all set to take the benefits of the program, with a smartwatch due to be exposed in the second 1 / 4 of 2014 in a Grand Event.

The Japanese people electronic products large has exposed its applications to carry the Android working program os OS to the client's hand via its smartwatch, the LG G Notice. "LG Electronic gadgets (LG) is participating with Search engines on LG G Notice managed by Android working program os Use, which increases the Android working program os program to wearables," described the official LG news release.

The LG G Notice will focus on the users' health and allow them to follow other perform out goals, let customers to get in touch with for a cab, provide sms details, make restaurant reservations, toss movies on tv shows and more.

The LG G Notice, seen in its introduction image above, actions an LCD touchscreen show monitor that's got a easy rectangle-shaped details showing the time on the top-left position, the Search engines icon on the top-right, and trip reservation timings at the end. LG will be presenting specifications for the smartwatch later in the Launch Event.

The LG G Notice is mentioned to complement a number of Android working program os cell mobile phones coming from different manufacturers and will act on client's voice-commands when they say 'Ok Search engines.'

"The possibility to perform with Search engines on LG G Notice was the best opportunity for LG to really take out all stops in both style and technology," described Dr. Jong-seok Entertainment position, us president and CEO of LG Electronic gadgets Mobile E-mails. "With the LG G Notice, LG is continuous the goals we've set in wearables following in the actions of the first 3G Contact Notice Mobile phone during 2009 and the Prada Weblink in 2008. We're confident that a well-designed program has the potential to take the brilliant wearable industry by shock."

Google however, besides LG, is also teaming-up with other companies for its Android working program os Use, out of which some key manufacturers are Asus, HTC, LG, New new samsung and the Non-renewable Team.

Motorola is also seen making improvement in this position as they too have officially exposed their applications for a smartwatch, Motrola 360, put with Android working program os Use. Some of the chipmakers engaged in the team are Broadcom, Creativeness, Apple, Mediatek and Qualcomm.

Team for Asia Cup, ICC World T20 announced

The All-India Senior Selection Committee met at Bengaluru earlier today, to pick the Indian teams for the Asia Cup 2014, and the ICC World T20 2014.

The teams are as follows:

ASIA CUP

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey.

ICC WORLD T20

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Varun Aaron.

 

Nokia to unveil low-cost Android phone, report says

 

Nokia will unveil a low-cost smartphone running a version of Google Inc's Android operating system, despite the company's close partnership with Microsoft Corp and its competing Windows system, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The handset division of the Finnish company, which is in the final stages of being acquired by Microsoft, will show off the new phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, the report said on Monday, citing unidentified sources who were familiar with the matter.

Nokia and Microsoft declined to comment.

The new Android phone will be aimed at emerging markets and will not feature some of Google's higher-end, custom Android features.

Microsoft and its main handset partner Nokia have struggled to make an impression in the smartphone market dominated by Samsung's Android devices and Apple Inc's iPhone.

According to technology research firm, Strategy Analytics, 79 percent of smartphones shipped worldwide last year ran on Android, 15 percent were iPhones running Apple's iOS and only 4 percent ran Windows Phone software.

Irate Kanpur residents throw corporator in garbage dump

 Frustration and anger of residents of Patelnagar locality here over unhygienic conditions prevailing in the area burst out on Tuesday and they threw the local corporator in garbage dump and held him hostage for more than an hour.

The angry residents allowed him to come out of the heap of garbage only after he pledged to get the locality cleaned within a couple of days.

Residents of Patelnagar were complaining to corporator Manoj Yadav and municipal corporation officials to lift the garbage from the locality as it was accumulating and turning into a huge pile. Drains of the locality were also overflowing. But no one paid heed to their complaints, claimed Ashok Shukla, Vinod Gupta, Sudama, Vinod Sharma and several other local residents.

Shukla said that the residents had lodged several complaints with the officials of Kanpur Municipal Corporation and corporator Manoj Yadav. A few residents had themselves cleaned the drains in front of their houses and piled the garbage and slush at one place.

In the afternoon, the residents saw Yadav roaming in the area. They caught him. He was abused and thrown in the garbage heap.

Yadav later told TOI that he was sending the sweepers to the locality since last five days for cleaning and lifting the garbage. Their supervisor had also been instructed by him but they do not pay heed. Yadav claimed that it was not his fault. "I was kept hostage for more than one hour in a heap of garbage. It was humiliating. I had performed my duties honestly. Anyone could check the instructions given by me to safai nayak ( lead sweeper)," he lamented.

Though sweepers and safai nayak do not take interest, I was punished into the garbage pile by the people. I have informed the KMC officers about the incident. They have assured to take steps for removing the garbage and clean the drains in the area, Yadav claimed.

The municipal commissioner is out of station. Mayor Jagatveer Singh Drona could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

KMC spokesman Rajeev Shukla tried to wash his hands off the incident by saying that the area doesn't fall under their jurisdiction. "Patelnagar is a society area which had not been adopted by KDA or KMC. Hence, the corporation could not do any major work in that area. However, the corporation used to send staff and workers for cleaning and removing of garbage. The KMC would look into the complaints of the residents."

Much Awaited Motorola MotoG Launched in India at Rs 12,499

Motorola Moto G launched in India at Rs 12,499

 Motorola's much awaited Android smartphone Moto G has been launched in India at a price point of Rs 12,499 for the 8GB variant and Rs 13,999 for the 16GB storage variant.

The phone will be exclusively available on e-commerce website, Flipkart, on launch day. The phone has already been listed on the website, however, there's no information on shipping and availability, yet. It's worth pointing out that the version of the Moto G listed on Flipkart comes with dual-sim capability. Motorola and Flipkart are hosting an event in New Delhi where the phone will be formally unveiled.

Launched in the last months of 2013 in several markets, Moto G sports a 4.5-inch screen with a 720P resolution. It is powered by a middle-of-line quad-core processor running at 1.2GHz. The device comes with 8GB and 16GB storage options and has 1GB RAM. The primary camera can shoot images in 5MP while the secondary camera is 1.3MP. The phone runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean but will soon receive the Android 4.4 KitKat software update. It doesn't feature major UI customizations. Motorola has promised early access to Android updates on Moto G.

Moto G key specifications
4.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, 329 ppi pixel density
1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
1GB RAM
8GB/ 16GB internal storage
5MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.3MP front-facing camera
3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0,GPS
2070mAh battery
Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) upgradable to Android 4.4 (KitKat)

Meet Mexican sailor Jose Ivan, who claims to have survived 16 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean

Meet Mexican sailor Jose Ivan, who claims to have survived 16 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean

Sporting a bushy beard and clutching a can of Coke, a castaway who says he survived more than a year adrift in the Pacific Ocean arrived in the Marshall Islands capital Majuro on Monday.

A male nurse had to help the man previously identified as Jose Ivan down the gangplank of a police patrol boat after a 22-hour trip from the remote coral atoll where he washed shore last week after apparently setting sail from Mexico in late 2012.

About 1,000 curious onlookers crowded the dock for a glimpse of the long-haired fisherman, who smiled and waved briefly before he was whisked away for a medical check-up at Majuro Hospital.

The castaway told US ambassador Thomas Armbruster, who was acting as an interpreter for Marshall Islands authorities, that he was originally from El Salvador but had been living in Mexico for 15 years before his epic voyage.

"He said he is a shrimp and shark fisherman," Armbruster said on Monday in Majuro minutes after talking to him. "He looked better than one would expect."

And foreign ministry officials said he had told them during a debriefing aboard the patrol boat that his full name was Jose Salvador Albarengo.

He was found disorientated and clad only in ragged underpants last Thursday, after his 24-foot (7.3-metre) fibreglass boat floated onto a reef at Ebon Atoll, the southernmost cluster of coral islands in the Marshalls.

Unable to speak English, he communicated to his rescuers through pictures and gestures that he had survived by eating turtles, birds and fish and drinking turtle blood when there was no rain.

No details have yet emerged about why he began drifting the 12,500 kilometre (8,000 mile) expanse between southern Mexico and the Marshall Islands, or about the fate of a companion he said had died a few months ago.

Marshall Islands immigration chief Damien Jacklick said authorities were still gathering information and the foreign affairs department planned to contact overseas officials for his repatriation.

"With the help of the US ambassador, we were able to obtain information on his family members in El Salvador and the United States," he said. "We hope this information will help us track down his family."

Medics plan to give Albarengo a thorough medical check before he is interviewed by detectives.

Stories of survival in the vast Pacific are not uncommon. In 2006, three Mexicans made international headlines when they were discovered drifting, also in a small fibreglass boat near the Marshall Islands, nine months after setting out on a shark-fishing expedition.

They survived on a diet of rainwater, raw fish and seabirds, with their hopes kept alive by reading the bible.

Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall Islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats.

Mexican castaway who identified himself as Jose Ivan steps off the 'Lomor' Sea Patrol vessel in Majuro with the help of a Majuro Hospital nurse after a 22-hour boat ride from isolated Ebon Atoll on February 3, 2014.

 

Couple strips in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan

 

 

A couple in their 30s stripped in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan after they were denied entry to the President's house, police said on Monday.

The couple went to the main gate of Rashtrapati Bhavan and demanded to meet President Pranab Mukherjee. When the security personnel at the entry asked for the reason, they failed to say why. "The couple then took off their clothes," a police officer said.

The stunned security personnel hurriedly made the couple wear some clothes.

The man took off the dhoti he was made to wear and starting running down Raisina Hill in the buff, with police in hot pursuit.

He was overtaken by a police jeep and forcibly put inside.

The couple has been taken to the Parliament Street police station.  

Salim Khan(Salman's Khan's father's) View on Narendra Modi

Salim Khan's View on Narendra Modi

 

Recently, India's most well-known film script-writer Salim Khan (actor Salmaan Khan's father) has said to a senior journalist in an interview: "Does anyone remember who the chief minister of Maharashtra was during the Mumbai riots which were no less deadly than the Gujarat riots of 2002?

Does anyone recall the name of the chief minister of UP during Malliana and Meerut riots or that of the Bihar CM when the Bhagalpur or Jamshedpur riots under Congress regimes took place?

Do we hear names of earlier chief ministers of Gujarat under whose charge, hundreds of riots took place in post-Independence India?

Does anyone remember who was in-charge of Delhi's security when
the 1984 massacre of Sikhs took place in the capital of India?

How come Narendra Modi has been singled out as the Devil Incarnate as if he personally carried out all the killings during the
riots of 2002?"

No speck of doubt about what Salim Khan has said.

When one says Gujarat's agriculture growth is 10-11% since whole last decade
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says he made the Asia's biggest solar plant,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says Gujarat is the only state in the whole of India to provide 24*7 and 365 days electricity to almost all of its 18,000
villages,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says - World Bank's statement of 2011 said, Gujarat roads are equivalent to international standards,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says Gujarat is the first State in country to have "high speed wireless Broadband service in its all 18,000 villages,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says Forbes Magazine rated Ahmadabad as the fastest
growing city in India and 3rd in the world,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says Gujarat Tourism is growing faster than ever before,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says according to central govt's Labour Bureau's report, Gujarat has the lowest unemployment rate in country,
The other says 2002 Riots!

When Narendra Modi is being chosen as the best current Indian leader in
almost all surveys & polls again and again
The other says 2002 Riots!

When one says 2003-2013 are the only 10 straight years in Gujarat history which are totally riot-free,
The other STILL says 2002 Riots!

But when we remind them about riots which occurred during Congress and in Communist Party rule :

1947
Bengal....5,000 to 10,000 dead ...CONGRESS RULE.

1967
Ranchi....200 DEAD..........CONGRESS RULE.

1969
Ahmedabad...512 DEAD........CONGRESS RULE.

1970
Bhiwandi....80 DEAD.............CONGRESS RULE.

1979
Jamshedpur..125 DEAD......CPIM RULE (COMMUNIST PARTY)

1980
Moradabad...2,000 DEAD...CONGRESS RULE.

1983
Nellie Assam.....5,000 DEAD...CONGRESS RULE.

1984
anti-Sikh Delhi...2,733 DEAD...CONGRESS RULE

1984
Bhiwandi....146 DEAD....CONGRESS RULE

1985
Gujarat.....300 DEAD..CONGRESS RULE

1986
Ahmedabad......59 DEAD.....CONGRESS RULE

1987
Meerut....81 DEAD...CONGRESS RULE

1989
Bhagalpur......1,070 DEAD......CONGRESS RULE

1990
Hyderabad......300 PLUS DEAD....CONGRESS RULE

1992
Mumbai....900 TO 2000 DEAD....CONGRESS RULE

1992
Aligarh....176 DEAD.....CONGRESS RULE

1992
Surat.......175 DEAD.....CONGRESS RULE

they become totally deaf ..................because they have no answer.

Congress is a government of hypocrites.

The youth of India says:............

We are not interested in 2002, We are interested in 2022

  

Dazzling Russian volcano eruption seen from the space

 

The spectacular, eye-popping beauty of an erupting volcano is not to be missed if it is captured from space.

Crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) got a rare image of the Sarychev volcano as it erupted June 12, 2009.

One of the most active volcanoes in the world, Sarychev Peak is located in the northern part of the Kuril Islands of Russia in northern Pacific.

Large explosive eruptions occurred June 11-19, 2009, sending huge ash clouds up to 14 km in the sky, forcing many flights with routes across the northern Pacific to either be cancelled or diverted.

The ISS happened to be passing over the Sarychev volcano just as it was beginning to erupt.

The volcano, one of the most active in the Kuril Islands chain, erupted in 1989, 1986, 1976 and 1946.

In the image, the plume appears to be brown ash capped with a head of white steam, a result of air rising quickly in a strong updraft, before cooling and condensing.

"The plume was so immense that it cast a large shadow on the island," said a press release from Nasa Earth Observatory located in Greenbelt, Maryland, US.

On the ground, denser, gray ash, known as pyroclastic flows, can be seen.

Story Behind Arvind Kejriwal's Car

Meet The Man Who Owns Arvind Kejriwal’s Car!

Unless you are a petrolhead and a hardcore auto enthusiast, a Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is the last car you would be talking about with passion and interest. Known for its absolute middle-classiness and unglamorous looks, the Wagon R has nothing much to tout – apart from its affordability and fuel efficiency – a prime factor on the basis of which most car purchases in India are made.

Of late however, a 2005 model, second-hand, Delhi registered Blue Wagon R has been  the cynosure of the media eye. The vehicle, as you might have guessed by now is the one in which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal commutes to and from work, goes for protest meets – and occasionally even sleeps in.

Arvind Kejriwal doesn’t own the Wagon R
No – he doesn’t. A recent report by Hindi News Channel Aaj Tak has revealed that the Wagon R being used by the Delhi CM was actually donated by an individual named Kundan Sharma in January 2013 – to the then newly formed Aam Aadmi Party. Kundan, who was a part of the India Against Corruption movement used to support the movement from his base in London where he was working. He volunteered to help the IAC’s social media wing and went on to support the decision of the IAC movement to form a political party. In 2012,the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party was in need of voluntary donations to sustain itself – which is when Kundan thought of this idea to donate his Wagon R which was lying unused in India, to the AAP.

Kundan Sharma: The owner of the Delhi Chief Minister’s Official Car!

Image: Aaj Tak

 

The car was registered in his Wife’s name Sharadha. After some thinking, the decision to donate the car to AAP was finalized. He sent an email to both Arvind Kejriwal and Dilip Pandey informing them about his intentions. After some deliberations, the deal was finalized.

On the morning of January 1, 2013, a driver was sent to Kundan’s home in Dwaraka from where the car was picked up and taken to the AAP Headquarters. AAP had prior to this agreed to bear complete responsibility of the car. A letter was also drafted whereby the owner of the car confirmed that they do not have anything to do with the car henceforth.

 

 The Letter of Consent.
Image: Aaj Tak

The car now belonged to the AAP.

Even until this point, Kundan had no idea that the car would be used by Kejriwal himself. Soon the donated car was forgotten. A year later, when Kejriwal started campaigning for the Delhi elections, Kundan’s daughter identified the Wagon R as their own when it was being shown on a News channel! That was when Kundan realized that his donation was actually being used by none other than Kejriwal himself!

Kundan would later come back to India just prior to the elections, voted and has joined the Royal Bank of Scotland. He continues to be a volunteer for the AAP and is yet to meet Kejriwal in person!

Interesting story, eh?

 

Is Salman Khan secretly dating Iulia Vantur?

Not so long ago, the Jai Ho actor was linked to the Romanian beauty Iulia Vantur. However, reports about them parting ways followed soon. But looks like there is more to this prem kahaani than what meets the eye

Iulia Vantur will make her Bollywood debut with Atul Agnihotri’s next O Teri. The babe hasn’t landed a role in the Pulkit Sharma starrer but will be seen grooving to special number in the film. And we all know this wouldn’t have been possible without a certain Salman Khan, hai na? But what’s strange is that though Sallu miyaan and his alleged ex-girlfriend called it quits in August last year, the two have stayed in touch. In fact, Ms Vantur often visited SK’s place even after the two had broken up. That’s not all. In November, when Khan went to Romania to shoot a song for his film Jai Ho, we apparently heard that he met Iulia. Thanks to Dabangg Khan, now the foreign import is gearing to enter filmdom. The way things are going it certainly doesn’t seem Salman-Iulia relationship has ended, no?
Since Iulia is part of Agnihotri’s film, the pretty lady will be in town for a long time, we assume. This means Sallu and Iulia could spend more time with each other. Maybe that’s’ reason why the Romanian model bagged the dance number instead of Elli Avram. Well, we are just guessing but it all makes sense, no?

 

Pink, blue, green - Mumbai's Monorail is quite colourful

Pink, blue, green - Mumbai's Monorail is quite colourful

 

 

Ekta Kapoor finally gets the rights to make a biopic on cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin!

The Balaji head honcho has bought the rights to make a biopic on one of the best captains of the Indian cricket

That Ekta Kapoor is planning to make a film based on the life of cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin is a stale fact. But things were stuck because Balaji head honcho was reportedly, not getting the rights to make the biopic.However, now we hear that Ekta has finally got the rights to make the film on Azhar’s life. That’s not all! The two also met on Monday (January 27) to finalise the film, which will be directed by Kunal Deshmukh.
Now we are really looking forward to this biopic. After all, Azhar has had quite an eventful life, na? A life ban on playing cricket, a divorce with his wife Naureen, a second marriage with Salman Khan’s ex-flame Sangeeta Bijlani followed by a separation 14 years later and the tragic demise of his 19-year-old son in a bike accident. Now we hope that Ekta is able to do justice to this cricket legend. After all, he is one of the few people in the world of cricket, who’s worshipped by many.
There are many biopics which are being made currently, including a biopic on Mary Kom, which has Priyanka Chopra portraying the character of the woman wrestler. Then there is a film based on the life of Sarabjit Singh. But we must say, Ekta Kapoor’s biopic on Mohammed Azharuddin tops our watch list. Hai na BollywoodLifers?

Jairam Ramesh and Priyanka prompted Rahul Gandhi from behind the camera during the recording of interview

 

 

 The knives are out in the Congress after Rahul Gandhi’s poor show in his first full-length TV interview, which not only disappointed the party rank and file but also gave a handle to detractors to deride the Gandhi family.
The debacle of an interview is now being blamed on inappropriate briefing given to the Gandhi scion on crucial issues.
For starters, the Congress’ media department has washed its hands off the interview. It says it did not organise the one-on-one with the loudest mouth on television. Instead, it has put the blame on Rahul’s inner circle and public relations agencies Genesis Burson-Marsteller and IPAN (Hill and Knowlton) for the dismal performance.
The two public relations agencies were hired to bolster the public image of Rahul Gandhi, who besides being the Congress vice-president, also heads the party’s 2014 election campaign. What has angered Congressmen the most is what they call “inappropriate briefing” given to Rahul before he was sent to the “inquisition”.
Congress leaders told dna that Rahul could not take the TV anchor head on, on questions related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Attributing this to inappropriate briefing before the interview, one of the leaders said: “He (Rahul) should have been briefed on 1984; told that 442 people who were involved in the anti-Sikh riots have been convicted by various courts over the years; that prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi have apologised for the loss of lives.”
An influential section within the Congress feels that Rahul’s attempts to project himself as an outsider battling the establishment will have repercussions for the party, which has ruled the country for more than 50 years. They say the attempt to show Rahul as a man with a mission, fighting for the “real issues”, was defeated by his oft-repeated assertions on some issues while avoiding questions on crucial issues. The interview has given Rahul the dubious distinction of being a “dodger” unable to face real issues.
The interview was conducted on Saturday in Jawahar Bhawan, the seat of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra watched the recording and also prompted Rahul from behind the camera, according to sources.
Congress managers on record, however, say they are happy at the wide publicity the interview has given to Rahul, who has now emerged as a man of determination with clear-cut ideas, not stepping aside from questions fired at him, no matter how tough.
But inputs received from various states over the past two days tell a different story. Ordinary workers and lower-rung leaders are disappointed and they believe Rahul should change and connect with the masses.
While agreeing with Rahul’s idea of changing the system, a senior leader said this can be done only after acquiring power. “You need the mandate to bring about a change. Rahul should have been toiling in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh like how Indira Gandhi used to do,” he said. The leader felt the only reason for the weakening of the Congress is that leaders have stopped going to the people.
A party general secretary said while Rahul explained that the Gujarat riots were fundamentally different from the anti-Sikh riots he should have used facts and figures to buttress his claim. Rahul should have trained his guns on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
What Rahul missed to say in the interview has now been left to party spokespersons to carry forward. Ever since the interview, Abhishek Singhvi and RS Surjewala have been at pains to explain that Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have apologised for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and that the Supreme Court had to transfer trials in the 2002 Gujarat riots out of Gujarat en masse.
Singhvi said even Rahul’s worst critics would have to concede that he has shown honesty of purpose, commitment, passion and humility, and that he had just begun his journey.

Nation's first monorail to roll out in Mumbai on Feb 1

 The country's first monorail service will commence operations next month on the 8.9km Wadala-Chembur section in the central-eastern suburbs of the metropolis after a delay of over two years.

The monorail service will be inaugurated on February 1 by Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan here and the commercial operations will begin from the next day, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) chief UPS Madan told reporters here on Thursday.

The Rs 3,000 crore mono rail project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase comprises the 8.9km long Wadala-Chembur section, which will be thrown open to the public on Saturday while in the second phase the services will be extended to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk in South Mumbai.

The Authority has fixed fares between Rs 5-11 for the first phase of operations, he said adding that MMRDA will operate six trains in the first phase, and another 10 will be added in the second.

To begin with, the services will operate with four coaches having a combined carrying capacity of 2,300 passengers at every 15 minutes, Madan said.

"We aim to provide a service at every four minutes going forward," he said.

The monorail project has been executed by a consortium of engineering major Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) and Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering and owned and operated by MMRDA.

The monorail is expected to reduce the travel time between Wadala and Chembur by almost half, from 40 minutes at present to nearly 21 minutes.

MMRDA has already spent Rs 1,900 crore of the Rs 3,000 crore allocated for the project, Madan said adding, "the civil work on the second phase of the project has been completed."

IPL Auction 2014

Johnson, Haddin valued at top base price for IPL auction

 

Freshly-crowned Ashes heroes Mitchell Johnson, Brad Haddin and Steven Smith are part of a group of 31 players that has attracted the highest base price of Rs 20 million (US$ 320,000 approx.) for the IPL player auction to be to be held in Bangalore on February 12 and 13. They are part of the 232-strong auction list of capped players from ten countries, which was finalised by the IPL last week and distributed to the eight franchises.

There are 46 Indians on the list including prominent players like Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ojha and Yusuf Pathan, all of whom have been listed at the top base price of Rs 20 million. Irfan Pathan, the allrounder, is not in the top bracket but has been valued at Rs 15 million.

One notable absentee is fast bowler Varun Aaron, who is back with the national team after a lengthy injury lay-off. It was initially thought that he had skipped the IPL, but it has emerged that he is still getting his paperwork in place.*

Among the overseas players, some of the notable names missing are the Sri Lanka pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal, Australia's Michael Clarke and Mitchell Marsh, England's Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, and West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach.

With Sri Lanka touring Ireland and England this summer players like Sangakkara - who also has a young family - are likely to have decided to cool their heels before the UK trip. However Sangakkara's team-mates Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews have decided to enter the auction even if they are bound to miss the business end of the IPL.

Among the first-timers, New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson tops the list and could likely be one of the most sought-after players. Anderson hit the fastest ODI century, in 36 balls, against West Indies. The 23-year-old, who is now the fastest to register both a century and a five-for in an ODI career, has a base price of Rs 10 million. Anderson has been the best allrounder in the ongoing one-day series against India, which New Zealand have won. 

Alex Hales, currently the No. 1-ranked batsman in Twenty20 internationals, is also searching for a top-bracket deal after that became a clause in the agreement he made with his county Nottinghamshire to be allowed into the auction. Both Hales and Samit Patel will only be allowed to participate should they secure the most lucrative contracts available

The biggest England name in the list is Kevin Pietersen who is a free agent again after Delhi Daredevils opted not to retain any players. Although England's central contracts have clauses to allow players a period at the IPL - a period that has been extended under the new deals - Pietersen's IPL participation could well by a thorny issue again if there has been a breakdown in the relationship between him and England's team director Andy Flower as has been suggested.

As expected, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes have not put their names forward for this year's tournament even though both would have gathered significant interest. After the 5-0 Ashes whitewash there is a desire in English cricket for the rejuvenation of the Test side to be made a priority and both Broad and Stokes, who impressed in the Ashes, will be central to that. However, Ian Bell, who does not play T20 for England, has put his name forward.

Perhaps a little more surprising is the absence of Jos Buttler, England's explosive limited-overs wicketkeeper, who has a strong reputation in Twenty20. However, not joining the IPL means he will have an extended run of four-day County Championship cricket at the start of the English season to push his claims to be England's Test keeper - a role that is now far more fluid following Matt Prior's omission during the Ashes.

Once again Pakistan players will be not part of the auction although two Pakistan-born players - Azhar Mahmood (England) and Fawad Ahmad (Australia) - have been listed.

Australian chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, at 43, will be the oldest capped player in the auction and is listed at reserve price of Rs 15 million. Hogg was part of Rajasthan Royals till IPL 2013, though he played just the one match last season. The other 40-plus capped player is former Sri Lanka offspinner Muttiah Muralitharn (Rs 10 million), who was with Royal Challengers Bangalore last season.

Ryan ten Doeschate, who was with Kolkata Knight Riders till last year, is the solitary player form the Associates (Netherlands) and has a base price of Rs 10 million.

According to the new IPL player regulations, it has been decided that all players will be paid in Indian rupees from this year. Overseas players will be paid in the currency of their choice at the prevailing exchange rate on either the actual date of payment or contract due date, whichever is beneficial to the player.

 

Kapil Sharma CCL Controversy

Kapil Sharma walks out of CCL, leaves organisers fuming

 

 

Stand up comic Kapil Sharma, who was supposed to co-host the inaugural day of CCL 4 with Mandira Bedi in the city on Saturday, walked out of his hosting duties at the nth hour, apparently due to not getting a vanity van! 

"He was to reach the stadium at noon to rehearse with Mandira. But he reached a good two hours late (2 pm), leaving no time for the rehearsal," reveals an event organiser. Besides reaching the venue late, Kapil's team began to ask for multiple things from the organisers. "They started demanding last minute changes to the script. He was adamant on being given a vanity van." 

We offered him an AC room, but he refused, as the commentary box was on the other side and we were told he cannot walk all the way!" reveals the official. When his demands were not met, Kapil and his team walked out of the event within half an hour of reaching there.
Worried that this might jeopardise his relationship with Salman and Sohail Khan (co-owner Mumbai Heroes), Kapil's team tried calling the latter. "But Sohail categorically told them to keep him out of it," says the official, adding, "They have been desperately trying to make amends, but we will not have them back."
However, a close friend of Kapil, who had accompanied him to the match, justified his decision citing 'creative and logistical issues'. She reasoned, "We reached at 1 pm as we had got stuck in traffic. After we reached, no provisions were made. Kapil sat on the floor for an hour and a half. There were no chairs, no water. His back started to hurt. Besides, he needs space to rehearse. A room was offered to us when we almost left. We didn't leave because of the vanity van. The organisers wanted him to sit in the commentary box. But Kapil is not a cricket expert. We had our script ready, but no one from the CCL creative team spoke to us!"
Speaking about the remuneration, Kapil's friend says, "In the contract, Kapil has been signed for four matches and paid `13 lakh in advance for one. We also texted Vishnu sir (founder, managing director, CCL) about the confusion. We have no hard feelings and are hoping to go for the Dubai match."

 

'Not sure of our fast-bowling choices' - Dhoni

MS Dhoni has called for vast improvement from his fast bowlers after their inability to exert any pressure on New Zealand, with 278 on the board, led to a 0-3 series defeat with a game to go. India's failure to contain the opposition has been a major factor in their run of six successive overseas ODIs without a win, and Dhoni said he had no clarity at the moment on which fast bowlers he could take with him to the 2015 World Cup.

"When it comes to the bowling department, we are still in the same phase wherein we are still looking at who our permanent bowlers are," Dhoni said. "We know the spinners and they look good and we know they are the ones who will carry on until the World Cup provided there are no injuries. Fast bowling, we are still not sure who our choices are and what individuals we are looking forward to.

"Back at home we talk about pace and bounce. We get bowlers who can bowl quick but they end up giving more runs without even bowling at the slog. So we have to find a fair balance.

"We need a fair amount of improvement especially in our bowling department. If the batsman is playing good shots, you accept it but it is important that we bowl according to what the plan is and not go off it. To some extent it was quite a disappointing bowling performance from the fast bowlers. But the positive is the spinners bowled really well."

Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin slowed New Zealand considerably after the first ten overs, giving away just 30 runs in the next ten. But on either side of that period, boundaries flowed off the fast bowlers, nullifying the pressure the spinners had been able to create. Dhoni said the quicks had been unable to stick to what had been planned.

"It was a wicket where you would like the bowlers to hit the back of length mark close to the off-stump area but right from the start we gave away too many boundaries," Dhoni said. "We gave too much width to the batsmen and the balls were quite short, which meant they could freely score off them. So we didn't start off well. Not only that, after the 10th over when we initiated the spinners to come and bowl, they bowled quite well and then when we again asked the fast bowlers to come back and bowl, they gave away the runs freely, which means we weren't able to hang on to the pressure created by the spinners." 

Jadeja and Ashwin troubled Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor with turn and bounce during that initial ten-over period. A wicket at that point could have meant a different game, but Dhoni took both spinners off after five overs each. He did not have faith in his fast bowlers after seeing their opening spells and decided to hold back his spinners for the latter stage of the chase, by when he expected the asking-rate would have climbed.

"I saw the first ten overs how the fast bowlers bowled. I wasn't sure they would be able to keep the pressure on. So I personally thought that it was important to keep the spinners, especially Jadeja, and use them later to some extent when they [New Zealand] had to go for the big shots. But the way the fast bowlers bowled in the middle overs, it meant that they never really had to play those big shots. That was a crucial phase where, with the open field, we should not have given away too many runs. But we were giving a boundary every over and we were not able to build any pressure."

Dhoni said he was happy with the talent pool of fast bowlers within the side but stressed that the bowlers needed to learn how to improvise according to the situation. 

"When it comes to the talent part, we definitely have bowlers who can bowl well," Dhoni said. "But at the same time they will have to start using their brains more and improvise themselves what needs to be done. This is one area where we lack when it comes to the fast-bowling department. But if you just see the talent aspect definitely we have got bowlers who can do well.

"Shami is someone who has been quite consistent apart from this series. Bhuvi has been off this series but he has been good overall. If you look at the whole pool of bowlers, we can keep working on them, but at the end of the day they need to push themselves because with rule changes it is going to be quite tough. But it hasn't been rule changes in this series, it has been bad bowling. We have to keep it tight, but we have a pool of bowlers when it comes to talent." 

Source: Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo