Wednesday, February 24, 2010
MATCH SCHEDULES FOR IPL 2010
Saturday, August 2, 2008
KUSELAN REVIEW
There is an old saying in tinsel town: Never try to remake a classic. Rajinikanth's Kuselan is a mixed bag, but director P Vasu has been able to evoke the essence of the original Katha Parayumbol from Malayalam to a certain extent.
The film tries desperately to glorify Rajinikanth's larger than life superstardom and create a halo around him as a do-gooder and a saint in real life. It loses its focus and moves away from the gist of the original, which was a simple story about human emotions, based on friendship between an ordinary barber and a superstar. It had none of the dramatic and mostly exaggerated stuff we're used to seeing,
Still, if you are looking for a clean family movie with some comedy, gloss and sentiments, Kuselan makes interesting viewing. Some of the scenes in the film are really amusing. The scene where Vadivel surreptitiously sneaks into a film set to meet the superstar and, after some funny mishaps, comes face-to-face with him is brilliantly worked out. The disbelief on Vadivel's face, his body language and the perfect comic timing of Rajinikanth, is a rocker of a scene.
The way the Sunder Rajan character pins down the elusive Rajinikanth and provokes him by needling him with questions on his personal life, Himalayan sojourns, politics and style has been worked out well by the director.
The sharp and scathing replies of Rajini are a revelation as he answers all your long-standing queries with a lot of wit and tact. It looked like an edition of "Everything you always wanted to know about Rajinikanth, but were too afraid to ask!"
The film tries to work on a new theme Mata Pita Guru Nanban and to eulogise friendship above everything else. The story, written by Sreenivasan, is inspired by the mythological story of friendship between Kuselan and Lord Krishna.
Vasu has added commercial elements, like a glamorous Nayanthara playing herself for the songs with the superstar. She has no dialogues in the film and is there just for the glamour quotient and songs!
Vadivel and an army of comedians like Santhanam, Livingston, M S Bhaskar, Brahmanandam and Chinni Jayanth are there to keep the laughter pot boiling. Prabhu, plays the role of an irrelevant security guard to the superstar. Meena and her three kids would appeal to women audiences. It is clear that Vasu was trying to make the film palatable to mass audiences.
The songs of G.V Prakash are quite hummable, but picturisation of the much hyped Cinema Cinema is disappointing. Aravind Krishna's camera is serviceable though it plays voyeur on Nayanthara. She looks cute in the Chaaral song, but the song sticks out like a sore thumb -- The director has inserted the song, which has absolutely no relevance to the story or situation.
Rajinikanth towers above all others, especially in the climax scene where there is a lot of melodrama and the human emotions are well etched out. Pasupathy has a pained expression throughout. Meena just repeats her performance in the Malayalam version. Vadivel has his moments in the film, though at times his scenes with Sona are a bit crass and below-the-belt.
Kuselan is quite an enjoyable watch and is different from previous Rajinikanth films. The star appears for roughly 36 minutes on the screen, which may not satisfy his die-hard fans. The film has to be seen from a different perspective and its touching climax will leave a lump in your throat.
You're going to hear different reactions to this Rajinikanth movie. Many are going to love it, while for some others, it will inevitably fall short of expectations.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera !!
Let the Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera be your first line of defense. Strength through obscurity! The 7 megapixels are completely insufficient to show a vampire on film, and the auto focus and image stabilization work to keep the shot in frame at all times. This helps the vampire hunter by making it obvious what he or she can’t see, which in turn should make it obvious who the real vampire is. There’s also a USB connection, so moving the video back to your Vampire Hunter’s Laptop (running Vindows VP or Mac OS V) should be as easy as that chick who changed her name to Darkchylde Rosepetal after her parents split up. Which reminds me, the Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera has a built in Tripod socket.
3x optical zoom, 15x digital zoom, and a wrist strap designed to keep your Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera close as you run from the wolves, bats, gnarled assistants and evil mist. Man, nothing is worse than evil mist. It gets all in your lungs and you get a cold and you’re coughing out vampire for a week. Which the doctors never believe. Stupid World Health Organization coverup. I just wanted some penicillin.
The Kodak Easyshare C763 7.1MP Digital Camera comes with battery, battery charger, and power adapter as well. So don’t live in fear! Order a steak with extra garlic and grab the camera. The next knock on the window… could be your last!
Choose between Silver or Copper at check out
Warranty: 1 Year Kodak
Features:
- 7 megapixels, Captures a resolution up to 3072×2304 and prints out 11×14 photos
- Auto focus for easy to take photos, point and shoot
- Image stabilizer, counteracts small vibrations and movement for sharper photos
- Tripod Socket
- USB connection to your computer
- 3x optical zoom, 15x digital
Specifications:
CCD: | 1/2.5 in. CCD, 4:3 aspect ratio |
Output Image Size: | |
Display: | 6.35 cm (2.5 in) color hybrid LCD, 154 K pixels |
Lens: | 3X optical zoom lens f/2.8–f/4.9 35 mm–105 mm (35 mm equivalent) |
Lens Barrier: | Automatic built-in |
Digital Zoom: | 5.0X continuous with 0.2X increments Nor supported for video capture |
Focus System: | TTL-AF, selectable: Multi-zone AF, Center-zone AF. Working range: |
Exposure Metering: | TTL-AE; Center-weighted |
Exposure Compensation: | +/-2.0 EV with 0.5 EV step |
Exposure Bracketing: | Yes |
Long Time Exposure: | Yes |
Shutter Speed: | Mechanical shutter with CCD electrical Auto: 4–1/1400 sec. |
ISO Speed: | Auto: 80–200 Selectable: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 (800 available only for smallest picture size setting) |
Electronic Flash: | Guide no. 5.6 Auto flash with pre-flash Working range at ISO 200: 0.5–2.3 m (1.6–7.5 ft) @ Wide;0.8–1.4 m (2.6–4.6 ft) @ Tele |
Flash Modes: | Auto, Fill, Red-eye, Off |
Capture Modes: | Auto, Digital Image Stabilization, Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Close-up, SCN (Scene Modes), Video |
Burst: | Maximum 3 pictures; 1.9 pictures per second |
Video Capture: | VGA (640 x 480) @ 15 fps QVGA (320 x 240) @ 30 fps |
Image File Format: | Still: EXIF 2.21 (JPEG compression); file organization: DCF Video: QuickTime (CODEC MotionJPEG) |
Image Storage: | SD/MMC Card Not compatible with SD cards over 2GB |
Internal Storage Capacity: | 32 MB internal memory/26 MB available for image storage (1 MB equals one million bytes) |
Quickview: | Yes |
Video Output: | NTSC or PAL selectable |
Power: | Kodak Li-Ion rechargeable digital camera battery KLIC-7005; Kodak 5V AC adapter |
Communication With Computer: | USB 2.0 full speed via USB cable model U-8, EasyShare camera dock, or printer dock |
PictBridge Support: | Yes |
Self Timer: | 2 seconds, 10 seconds, or 2-shot |
White Balance: | Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent |
Auto Power Off: | Selectable 1, 3, 5, 10 minutes |
Color Modes: | Color, Black & White, Sepia |
Date Stamp: | None, YYYY/MM/DD, MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY |
Tripod Mount: | 1/4 inch |
Operating Temperature: | 32-104°F (0–40°C) |
Size: | 90 mm (3.5 in.) x 60 mm (2.4 in.) x 23 mm (0.9 in.) @ power off |
Weight: | 130 g (4.6 oz.) without battery or card |
In the box:
- Kodak C763 Camera
- USB Cable
- Wrist Strap
- Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery
- Battery Charger
- Power Adapter
- Kodak EasyShare Dock Faceplate
- Kodak EasyShare Software for Mac and Windows
- Users Guide
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Maruti Suzuki to replace Esteem with Swift Dezire
MARUTI SUZUKI TO REPLACE ESTEEM WITH DEZIRE
For staunch three-box lovers, Maruti Suzuki is coming up with the new Dezire, the replacement for its long-serving Esteem. With the curtains down on the Esteem after a 14-year long drive, the new offering, Dezire, will have a host of contemporary new features which were otherwise missing in the Esteem and not available in any of the current lot of mid-sized cars.
Dezire, Maruti Suzuki’s new sedan on the Swift platform, will be manufactured only in India for the global market and will be available in both fuel options. It will sport a 1.3 litre petrol and the 1.3 litre DDiS multijet diesel engine, currently available in the Swift hatchback.
The company is taking the SX4 and the Zen Estilo route with Dezire, topping up the car with some luxury features. Besides the twin front ABS and Auto Temp Control, the new sedan is expected to don a new integrated DIN Stereo and new set of alloy wheels in the top line variant.
The company is also working on a few changes in the grille, foglamp and the tail lights to make the Dezire look different from the hugely successful Swift hatchback. It will come in mutli-variant models like the Swift.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Tendulkar inspires amazing series win
Tendulkar inspires amazing series win
Straight up
Straight boundaries come easy to Sachin Tendulkar, with drives that look so simple and neat. But it was surprising to see him go for the slog. Stuart Clark pitched it short outside off, the ball was about 132kph, but Tendulkar, instead of pulling it square, swatted it straight over the umpire's head.
Bhajji cools down
After the tirade of hostilities he's faced on this tour, Harbhajan Singh's had enough. While Tendulkar made the Australians sweat in the Brisbane heat, Harbhajan cooled himself down by sitting on an ice box. That must have surely helped him walk sedately to the crease amid the boos at the Gabba, home to Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.
Tackling Tendulkar
Australians love bodily contact, and among their favorite sports are Australian rules football and rugby. Michael Clarke might be slim but he made use of his rugby skills to pin down the unstoppable Tendulkar. Gambhir pushed the ball towards mid-on and Clarke tried to stop it in his followthrough. One hurdle: Tendulkar was standing to his left . Clarke ended ramming straight into Tendulkar, who was turning back, and pinned him to the ground. Good 'n you mate, the Aussies might have said; however, it didn't stop Tendulkar from making runs.
What might have been
Ricky Ponting ordered his men into an onfield huddle before the match to outline his plans for the do-or-die encounter. The inspiration might have passed on to his players, but it wasn't grabbed by the captain when Tendulkar fired a square drive on 7. Ponting had placed himself at a catching position in front of point and the ball sped to his right at a comfortable height, but it was going too quickly and didn't stick. An amazing catch would have lifted the team; Ponting's men had to look elsewhere for the spark.
Paying the price
Irfan Pathan was turning out to be ineffective against the Queenslanders Hayden and Symonds, who were steadily repairing the early damage done by Praveen Kumar. As Australia neared the 100-run mark, Pathan offered room and Hayden drove it hard towards cover. The batsmen ran for a tight single. Suresh Raina at short cover tried to intercept but it was Yuvraj who picked the ball at mid-off; he had a aim at the stumps but missed, and the throw beat Dhoni and headed to the boundary.
Praveen succeeds by keeping it simple
praveen Kumar's simple approach played a key role in India's victory
After going wicketless in his first game of the CB Series, against Sri Lanka in Adelaide, Praveen Kumar said he couldn't get much swing because he didn't get the new ball. In the first final, against Australia in Sydney on Sunday, Mahendra Singh Dhoni threw him the new ball and Praveen responded by picking up the wickets of Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. At the Gabba on Tuesday, Praveen went two better - to those two wickets he added Michael Clarke and began the process of Australia's defeat. Later, he dismissed Brett Lee to break a dangerous partnership.
India had gone into the match without Ishant Sharma but any doubts over the potency of their attack were dispelled by Praveen's understated brilliance. Bowling with vigour and accuracy, and controlling the swing, he worked on the Australian batsmen relentlessly. The rewards came soon enough: Gilchrist edged the outswinger, Ponting mistimed his favourite pull shot, so did Michael Clarke.
There's nothing imposing about Praveen's physique - he stands just under six feet - nor anything intimidatory in his run-up. In fact, his smooth delivery stride ends with a neat side-on action that allows him to keep a good line. His strength is his prodigious swing - thanks to a strong wrist and his ability to use the conditions. Aware that he lacked the pace to beat the bat, Praveen utilised the Gabba's low bounce to keep the batsmen tied down; the ball hurried on to the bat, giving them no time to go for their shots.
Credit must go to Dhoni, who once again displayed the knack of using his bowlers according to the situation and the conditions. What also helped was Sreesanth keeping things tight at the other end. But ultimately the kudos belonged to Praveen, who bowled three spells, each making a difference. The first, 6-1-25-3, left Australia hobbling and on the back foot; the second, 2-1-6-0, pulled down the run-rate when Michael Hussey and James Hopes were scripting a fightback. The third and final one, 2-0-15-1, ended the last real flicker of resistance and brought India within reach of victory.
To think Praveen was playing his fifth game showed how much this tour has been a valuable learning experience for him, as it has been for most of the youngsters. At the start of the tour Dhoni said he would like to play each of his squad but with almost every game a crunch encounter he fell back on his first-choice XI. Praveen was called for in India's sixth game and retained his place since.
Much of his success came from keeping things simple. Against Sri Lanka in Hobart last week, Praveen - coming in first change - bowled to his strengths, getting the ball to swing at 130kph and making the batsmen play. The lack of pace is tempting for the batsman; there's nothing wrong with that as long as one respects the good balls. That fact was lost on Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva. On Sunday, he opened the bowling and showed no nerves while embarrassing the likes of Gilchrist and Ponting.
None of this has come easy for Praveen, who has had to transform himself from just another domestic bully into an international player of impact. He plays his domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh where, in the absence of a good coach, he has relied on the likes of Mohammad Kaif, his state captain.
Earlier this year, Manoj Prabhakar, the former Indian swing bowler, called Praveen a "magician" after his heroic effort in the Ranji Trophy final, when he picked up eight wickets in Delhi's first innings. Prabhakar's only suggestion was for Praveen to add genuine pace to his swing. Praveen was once a 125kph bowler, today he is in the 130-135 kph bracket and that has already made a marked difference
TENDULKAR NO 1ODI BATSMAN IN ICC CRICKET RANKINGS
SACHIN'S GLORIOUS SHOT
TENDULKAR NO 1ODI BATSMAN IN ICC CRICKET RANKINGS
Sachin Tendulkar has replaced Ricky Ponting as the top-ranked ODI batsman as per the latest ICC player rankings. His elevation comes on the back of successive match-winning knocks of 117 not out and 91 in the finals of the CB Series against Australia.
Tendulkar, with 777 rating points, is seven points ahead of Ponting, who had a poor run in the CB Series, scoring 191 runs from 10 matches at 19.10. Graeme Smith the South Africa captain, is at third place. Meanwhile, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has climbed to 10th place, three points below the ninth-placed Herschelle Gibbs.
India's title-triumph has put them on fourth place in the ICC ODI Championship - New Zealand were ahead when the rankings were calculated beyond the decimal point, while Australia, with a rating of 127, are still the best one-day side, ahead of South Africa on decimal points.
South Africa can overtake Australia if they sweep their upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, but they will remain in second spot if Bangladesh manages a single win.
Top 10 ODI batsmen
Rank Name Rating
1 Sachin Tendulkar 777
2 Ricky Ponting 770
3 Graeme Smith 753
4 Mohammad Yousuf 752
5 Matthew Hayden 740
6 Adam Gilchrist 738
7 Michael Hussey 736
8 Kevin Pietersen 735
9 Herschelle Gibbs 731
10 Mahendra Singh Dhoni 728