World's lightest smartphone to hit India via Micromax

The world's lightest smartphone , weighing just 60 grams, is all set to hit the Indian market to make the most of the ongoing festive season.


Israeli entrepreneur Dov Moran's company Modu, which launched tiny smartphone Modu T last week, has announced striking a partnership with India's third largest distribution company Micromax for the venture, business portal Calcalist reported.


The value of the deal between the two companies has not been disclosed yet because it is dependent on phone sales, the report said.


Micromax will sell the cellular phone as part of a package that includes two "jackets", which are add-on sets for the Modu, at Rs 12,500 ($282).


The Modu T is a 3.5 generation smartphone with a 2.2 inch touch screen and has Qualcomm's Brew operating system and an array of Java-based applications, including Snaptu, Facebook, Flickr and media player TuneWiki.


Weighing at only 60 grams and measuring 7.5 cms, it is considered the lightest smartphone in the world.
Keywords:Modu,Micromax

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Working his way back into the fold

Yuvraj's 58 at Vizag was a significant contribution

The last fortnight in Indian cricket has been a tale of fearless youth wielding the bat with aplomb while the masters continued to sparkle.

Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara at Bangalore, and now, Virat Kohli at Visakhapatnam have surely gladdened the hearts of the fans and the connoisseurs, as have stalwarts V.V.S. Laxman who stood firm at Mohali and Sachin Tendulkar who gave the cheering Bangaloreans sore throats.

Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh has been busy rebuilding his career.

Fitness issues and vagaries of form have plagued Yuvraj over the last year.

After an indifferent run in the tri-series at Dhaka and the alleged pub-brawl incident during the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies in May, Yuvraj seemed to lose his way. The selectors dropped him from the Asia Cup squad.

Though he was subsequently sent to Sri Lanka for a tri-series, an imposing knock remained elusive. After Suresh Raina bagged Yuvraj's Test berth with a century at Colombo, the southpaw's despair seemed complete.

The Indian team think-tank, however, has enormous belief in Yuvraj's potential — M.S. Dhoni recently said: “He is a kind of player who can change gears at any point of the game and take control.

At the same time, he has played over 250 ODIs, which means he has got a lot of experience behind him. Apart from that, his bowling is very important for us because if we decide to play with four bowlers, we will use the other part-timer as the fifth bowler. He has got both dimensions of the game and that will help us.”

Big part of the plans

Yuvraj remains a key player in India's plans as the World Cup looms, and his success in the coming days will gift a sigh of relief to his team-mates. His 58 at Visakhapatnam — though dwarfed to a certain extent by Virat Kohli's in-the-trenches ton and Raina's blitz — was a significant contribution in a tall chase that ended with India gaining a 1-0 lead against Australia in the current ODI series.

When Yuvraj walked into bat at Visakhapatnam with India struggling at 35 for two while chasing 290, nerves jangled at the venue. He soon eased his front foot and whipped John Hastings over his favourite mid-wicket region and a sense of calm enveloped the ground as he and Kohli chiselled out a crucial 137-run third-wicket partnership that proved to be a match-winning stand.

Yuvraj is often trapped in the image of being a player who can single-handedly destroy attacks — a description built on innumerable big-hits and that classic six sixes off Stuart Broad. That perception, while valid, glosses over Yuvraj's partnership-building ability. In the past, Yuvraj and Rahul Dravid have scored 2,663 runs together in ODIs. He has also teamed up well with Dhoni and the dashing duo have notched up 2,365 runs that have often heralded Indian victories.

The game's longer version may have gotten away from him but the hunger to shine in whites is still there as he made it obvious with a double hundred while recently leading Rest of India to an Irani Trophy triumph against Mumbai.

India needs Yuvraj to shine in all his facets — as a powerful batsman, a weaver of productive batting alliances, a handy left-arm spinner and an agile fielder despite a dodgy knee.

Keywords: India-Australia ODI series, Yuvraj Singh, World Cup

Rooney signs new deal with United

Wayne Rooney performed a shock u-turn on Friday by signing a new five-year contract with Manchester United, just days after appearing to be on his way out of Old Trafford.


Rooney had rocked United on Wednesday by revealing that he wanted to leave the Premier League club because it no longer had enough ambition to compete for major honours.


However United reopened talks with Rooney's agent and announced on Friday that the player had made an astonishing u-turn and opted to commit his long-term future to the club.


A statement on the club's website said: “Wayne Rooney has agreed a new five-year contract to stay at Manchester United until at least June 2015.


“The agreement follows intensive discussions between the Club and the player's representatives and means that by the end of his contract Wayne will have been a Manchester United player for 11 years.”


Convincing manager


Rooney, who was reportedly demanding wages of around 150,000 pounds (235,664 dollars) a week after tax in the original contract negotiations, insisted he agreed the new deal because Sir Alex Ferguson had convinced him that United remains committed to succeeding on the pitch.


“I am delighted to sign another deal at United,” he said. “In the last couple of days, I have talked to the manager and the owners and they have convinced me this is where I belong.”


“I said on Wednesday the manager is a genius and it is his belief and support that have convinced me to stay.”


“I'm signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history — which is the reason I joined the club in the first place.”


United manager Ferguson had already revealed earlier in the week that contract talks with Rooney had broken down in August and it seemed certain the former Everton star would be sold.


Ferguson's comments about Rooney's failure to show respect for United seemed to signal a breakdown in their relationship, especially as it came after a war of words between the two over the United manager's decision to rest his star for three matches due to an ankle injury.


But Ferguson said on Friday he was delighted with Rooney's decision: “It's been a difficult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United.”


“I said to the boy that the door is always open and I'm delighted Wayne has agreed to stay.”


“Sometimes, when you're in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand.


“I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.”


Angry protests


Rooney had been increasingly linked with a move to arch local rival Manchester City, prompting an angry reaction from fans.


One group protested at his house on Thursday and had to be moved on by police.


Rooney's decision to stay is sure to be greeted with relief by most United fans, but several of the club's players, including Patrice Evra, had already expressed frustration at the situation.


His form in recent months had been well below-par as well and it remains to be seen if he will be welcomed back in the dressing room.


However, Ferguson is confident Rooney can go on to become one of United's all-time greats.


“I'm pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United's great players,” he said.


Rooney has no doubts he can regain the trust of United's supporters and he added: “I'm sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they've read and seen. But my position was from concern over the future.


“The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again.”


Injured


However, the England international won't be back in a United shirt for a while as he recovers after being stretchered out of training on Tuesday following a tackle by Paul Scholes.


United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Rooney will be out of action until the middle of next month. “Wayne will be out for three weeks,” he said

Keywords:Rooney,Manchester United

Australia seek redemption under rain threat

The Big Picture
"My god I have never seen rain like this before," John Hastings, the Australia allrounder, tweeted on Saturday afternoon. "Chances are slim." He was right. It poured for five hours on Friday evening and rained again on Saturday morning. The forecast threatens more bad weather; if the game is washed out it would be the first time since the 1979-80 tour that Australia will leave India without having won a single game, including any tour matches. There was also a short tour in 1996 (one Test and one warm-up game) where Australia drew the tour game and lost the Test.


If the rains stay away and the drainage facility at the stadium, reportedly substandard, surprises to give us a game, Callum Ferguson will replace Michael Hussey. Ferguson hasn't played a single Test match but they say he will be the captain in the future. Do such wild expectations terrify a young talent? "That would be the highest honour as a cricketer you could possibly get," Ferguson said. "I just desperately want to get my baggy green first and see where we go from there." Before that Test debut, though, he will strive to shine in one-dayers. He had impressed in the 25 ODIs he played before his career was halted by an injury sustained in the 2009 Champions Trophy final. He has to do it all over again now, returning after knee reconstruction surgery.


Will Australia be tempted to give David Warner a game? Shaun Marsh was a bit scratchy in the last ODI and his technique was different from the serene version that was on show during the IPL in India. Back then, Marsh chose to remain as still as possible and play beside the line of the delivery, but he was seen shuffling all over in the previous match. Warner gives Australia an aggressive option at the top for barring Cameron White, who too can be a slow starter, the batting line-up is filled with batsmen whose strike-rates hover around the 75 mark. Time will tell whether the plan is to play Marsh along with the powerful Shane Watson during the World Cup. Visakhapatnam marked the promising debut of the 20-year old left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc. With his high-arm action he managed to extract some bounce on a life-less pitch and beat the bat of Yuvraj Singh a few times.


The match also eased a couple of India's concerns. Virat Kohli has now definitely moved ahead of Rohit Sharma in the pecking order, while R Ashwin put up a promising display with the ball. Kohli will hope he can get a couple more big knocks before Gautam Gambhir returns from injury. Ashwin impressed with his control and repertoire against two good players of spin - Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey. He will, however, want to improve on his poor fielding if he wants to firmly shut the door on his competitor Ravindra Jadeja.


Form guide
(most recent first)
India WLWLW
Australia LWWLL
Watch out for...
Tim Paine struggled to adapt to the slowness of the Visakhapatnam track. He tried to force the pace but went too hard at the ball. In the Tests, though, he showed signs of being a batsman who waits for the ball to come on against the seamers, and doesn't try to hide his bat behind the pads while playing spin. If he can return to that mode, Paine is likely to do well in the third ODI.
You could sense that Yuvraj Singh was desperate to finish the game at Visakhapatnam. He revived the innings with a calm approach and looked to be in complete control. He didn't let the pressure of the high asking rate to get to him and continued to steady the chase in Kohli's company. His end, though, revealed the inner turmoil. He scored six runs off his last 18 deliveries and was run-less for his final six. The pressure proved claustrophobic: when Shikhar Dhawan refused a risky single, Yuvraj slogged at the next delivery and was bowled. This fascinating inner battle between the adrenaline-fuelled Yuvraj and the calm senior version has been a constant feature over the years. Which one will dominate in Goa?


Team news


Vinay Kumar leaked runs in the end after a steady start - he went for 31 runs in his first seven overs but bled 41 in his final two - and India will consider replacing him with Munaf Patel who was economical in the Sri Lanka tri-series.
India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Saurabh Tiwary, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Vinay Kumar / Munaf Patel, 11 Ashish Nehra.


Ferguson is certain to play, while Warner will hope to replace Marsh in the Australia side.


Australia (probable): 1 Shaun Marsh / David Warner, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Callum Ferguson, 5 Cameron White, 6 Steven Smith, 7 James Hopes, 8 John Hastings, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Mitchell Starc.


Pitch and conditions
The rains have affected the pitch preparations. Australia's coach Tim Nielsen believes it would play slow. "I'm not sure it has seen a lot of sunshine," Nielsen said. They can roll a bit more tomorrow, if the sun comes out. The wicket may be a bit slow but it could be a good batting wicket."


Stats and trivia
Shaun Marsh made his name in India during the IPL but hasn't had a great time against India. His career batting average is 37.33 but it slips to 28.80 from five games against India. It's not all gloom, though, as his only ODI ton came against them.
Yuvraj Singh has picked up 84 ODI wickets at an average of 40.73 and an economy rate of 5.05 in his career. He has struggled against Australia, though. He has taken only six wickets at an average of 92.66.
Yuvraj's batting record against Australia is not the best either. He averages just 28.28 from 34 games as compared to his career average of 36.83. His captain MS Dhoni averages 40.58 (career average is 50.28) from 24 games against them, while his strike rate drops from 88.34 to 74.11.
Quotes
"I have never seen rain like this in India.. It does not look good for our game on Sunday."
Michael Clarke has an eye on the skies
Keywords:India,Australia,Cricket

Google plans to launch online music service in India

Google Inc plans to launch an online music service in India that would enable users to search for legal music streams and downloads, the Wall Street Journal said.


Google would soon add a music feature in its search service, which will allow users in India to search for songs. The top search results would be from Google's partners, according to the Journal.


The U.S. web search giant will partner with three digital music providers, who hold rights to hundreds of thousands of Indian tracks -- ranging from Bollywood hits to Indian classical music -- the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Keywords:Google India,Music

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Virat Victory in Vizag

The feet that moved fluently suddenly refused to do his bidding. Yet Virat Kohli tapped into hidden reserves of strength to brave past pain and pressure and helped India continue its winning streak against Australia.

Kohli's scintillating 118 (121b, 11x4, 1x6) coupled with Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina's adept supporting roles, set up India's five-wicket victory over Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Wednesday. After rains washed out the first game at Kochi, India now has an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series that will conclude at Margao on Sunday.

Good recovery

Chasing Australia's 289 for three in 50 overs, India needed a steady start but debutant Shikhar Dhawan froze against Clint McKay, who later scalped Murali Vijay. At 35 for two, Kohli and Yuvraj lent hope to the Indian dressing room where captain M.S. Dhoni paced nervously. The duo shared 137 runs for the third wicket off 152 balls and that laid the foundation for a productive pursuit.

Man-of-the-Match Kohli's early impetus was gleaned from a pull off debutant seamer Mitchell Starc and Yuvraj (58) strode into his element while flicking another debutant John Hastings over mid-wicket. The southpaw's confidence rubbed onto Kohli, who soon pulled and drove with élan and the two fashioned a partnership that was the right mix of industriousness and flair.

Yuvraj leant into his drive off debutant Starc and when Nathan Hauritz stepped in, the southpaw slog-swept the off-spinner. Kohli, meanwhile, moved back and forth at the crease, judging length to a nicety as his shots sped on the carpet. Kohli, who in the past had the propensity to fritter away starts, played his percentages well and watched Yuvraj lose his timber to McKay's slower delivery.

The 21-year old surged ahead despite cramps in his legs that forced him, at 81, to requisition a runner in Dhawan. The moment Kohli noticed that Raina (71 n.o.) was busy carving up James Hopes all over the park, the centurion opted to play second fiddle.

He came into his own again after notching up his third ODI hundred with a brace off Hastings and while the adrenaline throbbed, he clattered McKay past cover, down fine-leg and over mid-wicket. Kohli eventually perished with a tired shot but he had done his job and Raina lent the final touch with verve. India finished with 292 for five in 48.5 overs.

Leading from the front

Earlier, Australian skipper Michael Clarke put a fortnight of poor form firmly behind him after his unbeaten 111 (139b, 7x4, 1x6) helped his team post a challenging total. Clarke found allies in Michael Hussey (69) and Cameron White (89 n.o., 49b, 6x4, 6x6) and the trio helped Australia tide past the twin-blow of losing openers Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine after Dhoni opted to field.

Australia failed to breathe easy in the beginning as Ashish Nehra's first spell of 4-1-3-2 prised out Marsh and Paine. Clarke and Hussey then etched a third-wicket partnership that yielded 144 runs off 172 balls. Clarke remained alert to the single while Hussey punctured the inner ring before succumbing to economical off-spinner R. Ashwin.

White then walked in and spread mayhem through an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 129 runs off 81 deliveries with his skipper. White carted Nehra for four and inflicted agony on the seamers, especially Vinay Kumar.

Clarke too acquired an aggressive sheen and raced to his fifth ODI hundred, striking clean fours off Vinay. The skipper then watched White dent Praveen Kumar with two sixes and wade into the innings' final over bowled by Vinay with three sixes and a four. The damage proved minimal for the Indians on a night when Kohli prospered.

Keywords: India-Australia ODI series

High-speed 4G network by Nokia

Telecommunications equipment major Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) demonstrated for the first time its Time Division Duplex version of LTE (TD-LTE) technology in India on Tuesday in Bangalore. The technology, running on broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, for which licences were issued recently, will herald the fourth generation (4G) of technology in the wireless communications space, said top officials of the company.

The inaugural video call at the demonstration, which was conducted at NSN's R&D facility here, was initiated by Gurdeep Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Aircel. The demonstration was conducted on the 2.3 GHz spectrum band, which has been reserved for BWA services.

Urs Pennanen, Head, India Region, NSN, said the network's capability of handling throughputs of up to 110 mbps augured well for the rapid deployment of high-speed wireless broadband in the country. “The key to rapid deployment is in operators providing much higher speed data transmission without increasing prices too much,” Mr. Pennanen said.

“The capability of the 4G networks go beyond those of 3G, ensure better user experience and better spectral efficiency, all of which are important because users need to handle more data,” Mr. Pennanen said. He said the TD-LTE technology had been deployed by 17 operators across the world and several more are in the process of going on that platform. He said NSN's acquisition of Motorola's Wimax assets would result in NSN being in a position to “offer even more solutions to operators.”

Juha Lappalainen, Head, Mobile Broadband Sales, NSN, said while 2G was mainly geared to handle voice traffic, 3G technology smartphone users could handle data and voice using several applications. “The 4G technology”, he said, “is meant to ensure high-speed transmission of large amounts of data.” He said the 2.3 GHz band is “likely to be deployed globally,” he added. “Both CDMA and GSM-based systems are likely to converge towards TD-LTE,” Mr. Lappalainen said.

Keywords: Nokia Siemens Networks, broadband wireless access

A different kind of worm

Stuxnet virus makes industrial processes go haywire, and it is feared that some government or organisation may have created it

A computer virus of a different kind has been making waves in recent months. Stuxnet is different in that it does not launch a malicious attack that targets standalone computer systems used by individuals. Nor does it target enterprise-wide systems. Instead, it exploits multiple vulnerabilities in Windows-based computers that provide an interface to industrial control systems (ICS) that run industrial processes.

This results in industrial processes going haywire, which can be potentially devastating. Significantly, the worm targeted only a particular kind of programmable logic controllers (PLC) developed by Siemens.

These small embedded industrial control systems run various automated processes in a range of industries – from large scale power plants and refineries to small and medium-sized auto component manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.

The interface to these PLCs is usually through computers — often Windows-based systems. And, Stuxnet is essentially looking for a particular target — the Siemens SIMATIC WinCC/Step 7 controller software.

Stuxnet was discovered in June 2010 by a security firm based in Belarus. The attacks soon acquired a mystique usually associated with international spy thrillers. Its sophisticated design — and unusual method of targeting — led to speculation that a government (or governments acting in unison) had designed and propagated it. Specifically, the fact that one of the first targets was the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran strengthened apprehensions based on this line of reasoning.

Main targets

Symantec's latest security report on the worm, released earlier this month, observed: “Approximately 60 per cent of infected hosts are in Iran.” According to the report Indonesia ranks second, accounting for about 15 per cent of the infections. Significantly, India accounts for about 10 per cent of the 40,000 “unique external IP addresses, from over 155 countries,” that Symantec observed.

Speaking to The Hindu, Sanjay Katkar, Chief Technology Officer at Pune-based Quick Heal Technologies, said the worm has “exploited at least four zero-day vulnerabilities in the system.”

A zero-day attack is a computer threat that arises before the developer (or others) could even identify a potential threat or a security hole in the software.

Sophisticated worm

The sophisticated worm typically uses the ubiquitous USB drive to gain entry into the victim's system, says Mr. Katkar. Unlike most other viruses, which require the hapless user to invoke the virus by executing an action (such as opening an attachment or visiting a website),

Stuxnet requires no such initiation to gain entry and start working. The worm also installs drivers, using legitimate digital certificates obtained from two Taiwanese companies, Realtek Semiconductor Corporation and Jmicron Technology Corporation.

Speculation on the Net focused on the Stuxnet virus as being responsible for the failure of India's INSAT-4B satellite in July, which affected the operations of several Direct to Home (DTH) TV broadcasts.

Mr. Katkar said the Stuxnet threat has been particularly difficult to address because most security labs in India do not have access to the environment in which the virus grows. Although the threat has abated significantly in the last few weeks, particularly after Microsoft plugged the holes by releasing a security patch, there have been some indications that the virus may have mutated. Although Siemens, a leading PLC supplier, has upgraded its software, two new variants of the virus emerged in July and September, Mr. Katkar said.

Strong backing

“The complexity of the virus”, Mr. Katkar said, “makes me believe that the virus originated with strong organisational backing.” “It would have required well-motivated research and development and a team, which is not normally seen in hackers of security systems,” he remarked. “It has certainly not been unleashed by an individual,” he asserted.

Quick Heal, which has offered solutions to the problem in India, reported about 16,000 infections per day in September.

Mr. Katkar said the number has been “declining by the day since then.” The company has provided solutions to address the virus threat in small and medium units that manufacture telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and auto components and several other industries.

“The Stuxnet threat may have abated, but it is still spreading, although at a slower rate,” Mr. Katkar remarked.

Keywords: Stuxnet virus, computer systems,

Apple boss Steve Jobs declares victory over BlackBerry

With Apple posting record profits amid zooming sales of iPhones and iPads, CEO Steve Jobs declared victory over main rival and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM).


"We have now passed RIM, and I don't see them catching up with us in the foreseeable feature," Jobs told the Canadian media in a conference call after Apple's astounding results Monday.


"We are out to win this one," Job said.


The BlackBerry smart phone has been the leader in the North American market for many years now. But iPhones and Google Android devices have almost toppled the BlackBerry from the perch.


Apple posted a huge 70 percent jump in profits in fourth quarter results, reporting net revenue of $4.31 billion as against $2.53 billion during the same period last year.


Record sales of iPads and Mac computers zoomed Apple's total earnings to $20.34-billion, up from $12.2 billion a year ago.


With its sales of 14.1 million iPhones in the quarter, Jobs said Apple has "handily" beaten RIM, which sold 12.1 million BlackBerry smart phones during the period.


Blaming RIM for putting off developers by employing multiple operating systems, Jobs told the Globe and Mail: "They (RIM) must move beyond their area of strength and comfort into the unfamiliar territory of trying to become a software platform company. I think it is going to be a challenge for them."


The Apple boss also took the opportunity to have a swipe at BlackBerry maker's much-smaller PlayBook tablet to be unveiled later this year.


Dismissing PlayBook's seven-inch screens as too small, he told the paper that consumers will need to use "sand paper" to grind their fingers down to the appropriate size.


"The 10-inch screen size is the minimum required to have great tablet apps. We don't think you can make a great tablet with a seven-inch screen. We think it's too small to express the software that people want to put on these things," Jobs said.


He also didn't spare the other major rival Google, calling its Android operating system "fragmented”.
Keywords:Apple,Steve Jobs

Behind Screen Khaleja

F ive years ago, Yugandhar Tammareddy was a creative artist than an entrepreneur. Now, he is strengthening the business arm of his venture, Pixelloid, besides keeping an eye on creative frontiers. Thirty one-year-old Yugandhar is among the seven Indian entrepreneurs to win the Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) award by the British Council. “My wife came across an announcement for the contest and registered my name and sent the details,” says an ecstatic Yugandhar, as his staff is absorbed in visual effects for Mahesh Babu's Khaleja and Ram Charan Teja's Orange. Yugandhar won the YCE award in the Screen category for floating Pixelloid, which recently completed five years.

( Yugandhar Tammareddy)

After working on visual effects and animation for 40 Telugu films and a few Hollywood projects, Yugandhar wants to diversify. He and his team are developing content for television and feature films. “In the next five years, we hope to make a Hollywood film,” he says with a smile. He grew up on a diet of international cinema and wants to explore new genres. Lofty dreams? May not seem so when you hear his own story of turning entrepreneur by chance.

“My friends and I were artists working for different companies. I started as a trainee animator and editor at Padmalaya Studios after studying BFA at SV College. I then moved to Rhythm and Hues in Mumbai and in less than six months realised I wasn't getting enough creative work. I returned to Padmalaya and worked on a few projects before starting Pixelloid,” he says.

As a freelancer, he worked on Nijam. Pixelloid was then born with an initial capital of Rs. 25 lakh, partly pooled in by him and his friends partly sourced through loans. With time, his team proved that Telugu film-makers needn't make a beeline to studios in Chennai to get cutting edge visual effects. The feather in the cap was the Nandi Award for the company's work in Sainikudu. “A Chennai firm did a lot of work for the film and we got to do a small portion. Yet, the quality of the work stood out,” he says.

Visual effects in Telugu films have evolved from jarring to aesthetic and even help producers cut cost. “For Nenu Meeku Telusa, the two-seater Mercedes car crash was done with special effects. A real Merc crash would cost nearly a crore,” points out Yugandhar. For the same film, his team changed five background sets for a song, saving the production team the cost of setting up elaborate sets. “For Brindavanam, we are changing the background of many portions to make it appear that the film was shot in a hill station. The shooting was done in Hyderabad,” he shares.

Vizag all set for the cricketing feast

Deep blue skies, the sun out in all its glory and the sound of the ball thudding into the bat. Both the Indian and Australian teams could not have asked for more after spending last weekend at wet and windy Kochi. The conditions here seem ideal for a good contest with the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ADA-VDCA Stadium all set to host the second ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday.

History's clues will gladden Indian hearts. India has won both matches it has played at this new ground. For M.S. Dhoni, the venue is a significant signpost in his glittering career.

The Indian captain, then a rookie, had carved a blistering 148 against Pakistan in a winning cause on April 5, 2005. He then returned again as a key member among Rahul Dravid's men who defeated Sri Lanka in 2007.

Dhoni is back again at a place of pleasant memories and this time around, he is the man at the helm. It has been a remarkable career growth but Dhoni would rather not dabble into nostalgia.

“That time was different, this is a different tournament and in every tournament you have to start from scratch. I have happy memories from here but to be on top, you have to be well prepared for everything that comes your way.

All about the present

“It's not about the past, it's not about the future. It's all about the present and about what you are doing. All of us are focused on the three-match series, which now has become a two-match series,” the Indian skipper said.

Ahead of the match, the Indian team trained at the practice area close to the ground that is fringed by the Eastern Ghats. Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan were the first batting duo to step in and it was a pointer to the opening combine that the think-tank prefers due to the absence of the rested trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

Dhawan, who is all set to make his debut, has an ideal opportunity to impress the selectors and it remains to be seen whether Saurabh Tiwary or R. Ashwin will also get a look-in.

Yuvraj Singh, who scored a double ton while leading Rest of India to a title triumph against Mumbai in the Irani Trophy, had a long stint at the nets and seemed at ease. The southpaw, who is often a force-multiplier within the Indian ranks, has had a rough patch in recent times.

Yuvraj scored a mere 194 runs in his last 10 ODIs and has also lost his Test spot to Suresh Raina. The match here and at Margao, should hopefully offer glimpses into his power and panache at the crease.

On to the Ashes

The Australians meanwhile seem to have jumped ahead into the Ashes, at least in their minds. At the pre-match press conference, skipper Michael Clarke mumbled about England before correcting himself and referred to the Indian team.

Clarke's men need to fire in unison to salvage some pride after the Test series debacle stirred up a captaincy debate among former Australian cricketers and evoked a chuckle from Ian Botham.

Doug Bollinger, the lynchpin of the attack, had a bowl at the nets in two spells here on Tuesday but the final call on his selection has not yet been taken. In the event of Bollinger failing to recover from his abdominal strain, then fellow left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc might make his debut.

Both teams are wary of the dew-factor but are primed to shine under lights that will be switched on for the first time in an international game at this venue.

The teams: India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel and R. Vinay Kumar.

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Cameron White (vice-captain), David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Callum Ferguson, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Tim Paine, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger, Steve Smith, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Starc and John Hastings.

Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Shavir Tarapore; Third umpire: Sudhir Asnani; Match referee: Chris Broad.

Hours of play: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m., 6.40 p.m. till end of play.

Keywords: India-Australia ODI series

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