Hottest sub-5K cell phones

Been thinking of changing your cell phone for long? However, you don't want to shell out that extra few thousand! Yet looking for a model that packs all the features you need without drilling a hole in your pocket? Don't worry, there are choices galore!

And what's better, the sub-Rs 5,000 category today has a number of good options that can appeal an executive and a student alike.

Most top telecom vendors have launched sub-5k phones that boast high-end features with low price tags. These are not restricted to LG and Samsung and Motorola alone, but even Nokia and Sony Ericsson, all of whom have built a portfolio of budget phones.

We bring you some of the latest, best models from the lot. Read on ...


Nokia 2600 and 1209

Finnish cell phone maker, Nokia, recently launched two entry-level mobile phones, Nokia 2600 and Nokia 1209, in the Indian market.

Nokia 2600 classic allows users to customise their phone with colourful, fully changeable Xpress-on covers and MP3 ring tones.

It comes with an integrated FM radio and a VGA camera. Also, the handset supports MMS and Nokia Xpress audio messaging for recording and editing messages.

Nokia 2600 Classic is available for Rs 3539 approx.

Nokia 1209 comes with cost-tracking application, prepaid tracker, one-piece key-mat, power-saver mode and multiple phonebook that allows users to store nearly 200 numbers.

Also, the phone offers additional cost management features. Nokia 1209 is available for Rs 1789 approx.


Samsung Guru200

Korean giant, Samsung launched its latest handset, Guru200 in the Indian market.

The phone offers FM recording and comes with MP3 ring tones and a mobile tracker.

The dual-band phone is equipped with stereo FM radio, speaker phone, Java games (Cricket and Sudoku), emergency SMS, and nine-hours of talktime.

With this handset, users can not only record songs from FM radio (max up to 5 minutes) but also save them as alarm or ring tones. Also, the phone comes pre-loaded with bollywood ring tones, Indian calendar that displays local holidays, Hinglish database and call time limit to allow users to set a talktime limit per month.

The phone is available for Rs 2,999.


LG KP110

LG rolled out a dual-band GSM mobile phone, LG Bullet KP110.

Among the key features, the phone packs 1.5-inch 65K colours display, 128 x 128 pixels resolution display, MP3 player, integrated FM Radio with recording facility, memory expansion card slot and option for Hindi language in SMS and system menu.

With 64MB of internal shared memory, the phone offers microSD Memory Card Slot for expanded memory with maximum of 2GB storage capacity.

Featuring a MP3 media player, the phone supports AMR and MP3 audio formats.

The candy bar phone allows up to 500 phonebook entries and is available for Rs 2,999 approx.


MotoYuva W270

Motorola has rolled out its entry-level mobile phone, MotoYuva W270 which offers an in-built MP3 player with dedicated MP3 and FM keys.

These keys can be used to adjust the volume for music, change FM channels and MP3 music tracks. The phone comes with stereo FM radio with RDS support that allows to view FM station, artist’s name and name of the song.

At 94gms, the phone is equipped with Hinglish predictive text software, wallpapers and screensavers, along with games like Sudoku and Tetris.

The phone features a 2GB expandable memory and an enhanced battery that provides up to 550 minutes and 450 hours of standby time.

Also, the phone is equipped with CrystalTalk technology that helps reduce ambient noise. MotoYuva W270 comes with GPRS Class 10, and a T-Flash Card support up to 2GB.

The phone has 256MB microSD card, USB cable and stereo headset and retails for Rs 3,583 approx.


Intex IN3333

Intex technologies recently launched a music phone IN3333 in the Indian market.

The phone supports 1.3 megapixel camera along with a video recording. The camera can also be used as a Webcam if connected to a PC via USB.

The handset also supports GPRS and Bluetooth. Other features include four games and twin language support to allow menu display and messaging both in Hindi and English.

The phone comes with an FM radio, music player, sound recorder and dedicated music keys. The company claims that the phone can store up to 1,000 contacts and 300 messages.

The candy bar designed phone comes with 260K colours and a 2-inch TFT screen. The phone retails for Rs 5000.


Spice S-525

Spice Mobiles refreshed its line of music phones with the entry of Spice S-525 handset.

With FM radio, the phone comes with 65-K colour screen, FM recording facility, mobile tracker, scheduled On/Off, Sing-tones, 500 phone-book records and speaker phone.

The phone is priced at Rs 2099.


Xentis

Kolkata-based Xenitis Group has launched a slew of mobile phones within the range of Rs 500 to Rs 2000. The mobile handsets are targeted at entry-level users. The phones will be available in the market by the end of this year.

Founded in 2002, the Xenitis Group expands in areas including infotech, automobiles, telecom and education.

Xenitis Telecommunication plans to invest in a mobile handset manufacturing facility in West Bengal that will manufacture the cheapest mobile handsets in the country. Also, the company plans to come up with a phone featuring dual SIM Card in the next phase.

Courtesy: Indiatimes News Network

Buying a laptop? Look beyond specs

Planning to buy a laptop? However, don't know how to start hunting for the ideal notebook. One that meets your requirements and fits in best into your work regimen.

Remember, while specs are what manufacturers tout -- dual core processor, large screen, size, and lightweight -- there's more you need to consider while zeroing on the laptop of your choice.

These features though may not look obvious, will go a long way in making your purchase enduring.

Display: Gloss or matte?

When you buy a notebook computer, pay special attention to whether the LCD display is "glossy" or "matte". Increasingly, manufacturers are offering glossy screens. While these are great for watching movies on your laptop, they're not optimal for doing traditional office work.

The reason is that the glossy screens are highly reflective. In typical office environments, glossy screens can be hard on both your eyes and your concentration, as you'll have to work harder to ignore the ambient lighting and background objects that are reflected in your screen.

Bottom line is that if you're buying a notebook primarily to get work done and not to watch movies or play games, avoid glossy screens. Also, glossy screens are more susceptible to scratches than matte screens. So if your laptop is likely to go through some rough and tumble daily, this is another reason to go for a matte

Built-in wireless

Most notebooks in the market today come with built-in wireless network connectivity. The trouble is that many still include yesterday's technology.

The wireless transmission standard is about to get a big boost in speed with the official unveiling of the 802.11n standard, which provides Internet and networking connectivity speeds that are about 10 times faster than the wireless standards currently in use.

That's a significant speed boost, and it's one you want in your notebook computer, especially because changing the type of wireless connectivity that you have in a notebook is difficult or impossible once you buy the machine.

Avoid notebooks that offer only the built-in 802.11b or 802.11g wireless cards. Even if the version of 802.11n offered in a notebook sold today is dubbed "draft" or "pre-release", it'll likely still be far faster than the 802.11g standard -- and you'll probably be able to upgrade it later, once the standard is finally ratified.

Rugged exterior

How well a notebook computer is built will likely determine whether you still own it three years from now or whether it gets sold off for parts.

The unfortunate fact is that as competition has forced manufacturers to offer notebooks at rock-bottom prices, quality of exterior construction has suffered.

If you'll be doing a lot of travelling or will be buying a notebook for a youngster, think about buying notebooks that were made to take some abuse. The Dell Latitude series, the Acer TravelMate, or the Lenovo ThinkPad are all highly regarded in terms of durability.

Too hot to hold?

Combine a powerful processor, fast hard drive, and hefty battery, and what do you get? Heat -- and lots of it. There's a good reason why the moniker "laptop" has all but disappeared: Some notebook computers are really not suitable for resting on your lap because they get too hot on the underside to hold comfortably.

But some notebook computers are still designed for those who wish to work from their lap. That's why it's important to find out just how hot a laptop gets on the underside. Either contact the manufacturer and ask specifically about this or visit a store in which the notebook is running, and feel the underside.

Hate noise? Go for SSD

Noise is less of a problem with notebooks than it once was, but it can still be a factor -- especially if you're easily bothered by noise while working.

Noise in notebooks generally comes from two sources: the hard drive and the cooling fan. If you want to eliminate the source of hard drive altogether, consider a new notebook with a solid-state drive.

In-built UPS power

Batteries act like your laptops in-built UPS. They are the lifeline of your machine. So, it is important that you check up how many hours your battery will run. Some batteries last long, but some don’t. There are three main types of batteries:

Li+: Most people get Lithium-ion (Li+) batteries. These are generally good, safe and secure.

NiMH: If you want something cheap, a nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery will do.

NiCad: This probably won't be an option, but if a dealer does try to sell you a nickel cadmium (NiCad) battery, run away. They require constant recharging.

Upgradeability

In these days of technology obsolence it is very important to find out the upgrade options available. Also, one should keep in mind that laptops can be upgraded up to some extent only. While it is possible to upgrade main memory, and removable drives, the upgrades can cost twice as much as a desktop.

It is even cheaper and environment-friendly to upgrade your laptop rather than to discard it. So, before buying try and explore upgrade options available.

Add-ons

Though this may not be that important, still there is no harm in checking the best deal available. Do a recee of the various combo plans being offered by various vendors.

Like presently Compaq is offering WiFi music player free with its notebooks.

Also, check which dealer is offering accessories like free bag, headsets, wireless mouse or some discount coupons.

Courtesy: Indiatimes News Network & Agencies

Talking cars save each other from theft

LONDON: Stealing a car will not be a cake-walk for car thieves anymore, for now a new type of car alarms would enable the vehicles themselves to look after each other’s safety - just like a herd of animals under any potential threat from predators.

In this novel security system, cars will be talking to their neighbours constantly via hidden wireless transmitters, and if in case a thief tries to sweep it off, the cars would raise the alarm in a matter of seconds.

The system called SVATS (Sensor-network-based Vehicle Anti-theft System) has been designed by Hui Song from Frostburg State University, Maryland, US, in collaboration with colleagues at Pennsylvania State University.

"Multiple sensors hidden within the car would make it difficult, if not impossible, for a car thief to disable the system in a short period of time," New Scientist quoted Song, as saying.

In fact, this new model would also omit those false alerts, characteristic of traditional car alarms.

The system starts when the driver of the vehicle switches on the transmitters fitted inside using a remote control, at the time of leaving the car. Then the car sends out a "join" message to all the nearby cars. The cars chooses its nearest neighbours to act as its sentinels and prefers partners that need the lowest signal strength for communication, so that the system does not consume less of the car's battery. The car continues sending out periodic "alive" signals to these watchers, till the time the owner returns and it finally sends a "goodbye" message.

However, in case the "alive" messages die out without a "goodbye" message, then the cars acting as watchers would report a theft by transmitting a message to a central base station. This would intern trigger the alarm which in turn would notify the security guard of the car park, the owners of the vehicle, or the police.

In fact, the system will also sense if a car is moving unexpectedly by measuring the signal strength of any "alive" messages. And if that happens, it transmits a warning message to other cars that are keeping a check on the same vehicle, because it is likely to be moving.

But, a theft alarm message will only be sent to the base station if a watching car gets more than three such warning signals from different sources. This would decrease the chances of any false alarms known for anti-theft systems.

The researchers themselves drove off some cars to test how the system works, and found that SVATS detected all such "thefts" in a matter of just 4 to 9 seconds. The system was apparently resistant to false alarms caused by weather, or people walking around the car park, both of which can affect the signals between sensors.

Now, pubs on mobile to quench thirst

Be ready to find out best party hangouts with just surfing through the mobile. The latest entrant to exploit the potential of value added services (VAS) in mobiles is global liquor major Diageo. The company is set to launch its wide range of services, including the details of pubs in the localities, recipes for cocktails and the historical backgrounds of the liquor brands, to mobile users in Mumbai under its flagship brand Smirnoff.

As Indian companies in different categories use mobiles to market their products, the Indian mobile VAS market is expected to witness a revenue of US$ one billion this year, up from US$ 570 million in 2007.

The company is doing the pilot project for its Smirnoff mobile link and claim that about two lakh people have already visited the site. The site provides services such as Night Life Guide, which gives details of the party hangout in Mumbai and western and central suburbs. Another service Vodkapedia gives details of vodkas available across the globe while Pocket Bartender gives recipes of various vodka cocktails. Explore Legacy gives in detail the historical backgrounds of vodkas. Also it makes people aware of responsible drinking through proper partying.

Santosh Kanekar, director, marketing, Diageo India, said, "In India there is an estimation of 200 million mobile customers and we want to exploit the situation maximum in order to create awareness among the consumers about our leading brands." The company will tie up with major mobile service providers to make the services available in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Diageo is set to grab the major pie in the luxury segment in the liquor market by launching number of high-end brands like King George 5, Tanqueray Gin, which costs US$ 400 and US$ 70 per 750 ml bottle, respectively. It plans to launch single malt whiskies like Cragganmore and Lagavulin which are priced at Rs 10,000/bottle.

Petrol, diesel price may be cut if states cooperate

Petrol and diesel price will be reduced by about Re one per litre and Rs 0.50, respectively, if states agree to forego incremental sales tax revenues they stand to earn on this week's fuel price hike.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh stand to gain over a rupee in sales tax on every litre of petrol sold and over Rs 0.50 on diesel after this week's Rs 5 and Rs 3 hike in the two auto fuel prices.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deroa on Thursday wrote to Chief Ministers of 30 states and union territories asking them to "at least forego the incremental tax" revenues so as to ease the burden of spike in international oil prices on common consumers.

"It is the duty of both Central and State Governments to provide maximum relief to the consumers... (while) the Central Government is contributing over Rs 120,000 crore, it is also expected that the state governments will not lag behind in helping the consumers in sharing their burden," he wrote.

Centre has cut customs and excise duties on crude oil and products to protect consumers. Foregoing the incremental sales tax revenues will not in any way impact the state earnings.

Andhra Pradesh, which has the highest sales tax of 33 and 22.25 per cent on petrol and diesel, is earning Rs 1.38 and Rs 0.59 a litre extra. In Mumbai that has a sales tax of 30.64 and 28 per cent, incremental revenue will be Rs 1.17 and Rs 0.75 respectively.

Akali Dal-BJP ruled Punjab levies a 31.68 per cent sales tax on petrol and will earn Rs 1.16 per litre more sales tax.

So far, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu have cut sales tax on the two fuels to minimise the June 4 hike.

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has gained Rs 1.21 additional revenues on every litre of petrol sold in the state and Rs 0.67 per litre of diesel, while Rajasthan with 29.36 per cent sales tax on petrol and 21.82 per cent on diesel is getting Rs 1.16 and Rs 0.53 per litre incremental revenues on the two.

Delhi, which is subsidising 80 per cent of the Rs 50 per cylinder hike in LPG prices, is earning Rs 0.83 per litre additional sales tax revenue on petrol and Rs 0.33 a litre on diesel.

"The country imports over three-fourth of the total crude processed and with crude constituting about 90 per cent of the product cost, adjusting the retail selling prices of sensitive petroleum products has become imperative," Deora wrote.

"If the present international oil prices continue without any domestic retail price adjustments, our PSU marketing companies would have incurred a revenue loss of Rs 245,300 crore during the current year, which is simply far too heavy and would have placed them in a crisis," he added.

A peep into all new Internet Explorer 8

If Firefox is readying an upgraded version, Microsoft couldn't have been behind. The software giant also has the next version of its popular Internet Explorer in the works.
While the test version of Internet Explorer 8 is already available for developer preview, the public release of the beta is set for June end.
Just like the focus of IE 7 was on security and incorporation of a tabbed interface, version 8's main features centre on stability and usability.
Here's looking into all that will be new in Internet Explorer 8.

Automatic crash recovery
In terms of stability, IE 8's new automatic crash recovery feature is designed to solve one major problem that most IE users know too well. Today, when an IE window or tab freezes or crashes, other browsers instances or tabs will likely become inoperable as well.
Automatic crash recovery does a better job of isolating instances of the IE browser -- or separate tabs within the same browser -- so that one stalled browser or tab can be terminated without affecting any other.
If a crash does bring down the entire browser, automatic crash recovery will attempt to restore the browser to its previous state -- including all open tabs -- the next time you open it.

Activities feature
Greater stability is fine -- but ultimately boring. Luckily, that's not all IE 8 has going for it. The new browser's usability features will generate the most buzz -- and are likely to tempt many to give IE 8 a try.
The new Activities feature, for instance, attempts to save a lot of time by cutting down on the number of separate sites that you have to visit to accomplish a task. In essence, the Activities feature allows you to invoke the essential services offered on separate sites without ever leaving the page you're currently on.
Let's say, that you're reading a Web page and you see an address for a restaurant you'd like to visit. Today, in order to get directions to that address, you would probably go to a mapping site and type or paste the address in and then wait for the service to provide you with a map from, say, your apartment to the restaurant.
The process is time-consuming and involves at least two browser windows and tabs, plus a bit of copying a pasting.
With IE 8's Activities feature, when you select the address, a small Activities button appears next to your mouse cursor. Clicking that Activities button brings up a context-sensitive menu of possible activities, with one of the options being the ability to map the tool using your favourite mapping site.
Selecting that mapping option actually invokes the mapping site in a smaller preview window inside the current browser tab.
Another Activity might pull from a review site of restaurants, allowing you to see what others have said about the restaurant without your having to visit another site.

Boasts social networks
The Activities feature was also created with a nod toward the growing popularity of social networking sites. Just as you can pull services from other sites, the Activities feature also allows you to push information to popular networking sites such as Facebook and Digg.
If you want to refer a friend to the page from which you got the address for the restaurant, for instance, you can select the Send to Facebook option on the Activities menu, and IE 8 will log you into Facebook, send the URL to Facebook, and present you with the Facebook page that allows you to add an entry.
A set of default Activities comes with the IE 8 browser, but you can easily customise the service providers that appear on your Activities list.

Web Slices
Another time-saving feature of IE 8 is called Web Slices, which are designed to allow you to subscribe to frequently-updated portions, or "slices," of certain websites.
Instead of spending your time visiting three or four websites to get updated information from a portion of each of those sites, you would simply use Web Slices to pull that information into a single location in IE 8.
A site such as eBay, for instance, lends itself to the Web Slices feature.
Say, for instance, that you're running or watching several auctions on eBay. Typically, you would visit eBay multiple times per day to check the status of those auctions.
With Web Slices, you can instead simply subscribe to a section of the auction page by clicking a Web Slice icon that appears when you allow your mouse cursor to hover over a portion of a site that is frequently updated.
Clicking the Web Slice icon adds a new button to a Favourites bar that appears above your browser tabs. Clicking the newly-created Web Slice button on the IE 8 Favourites bar will pull the latest data from your subscribed page and show it to you in a preview window.
You can visit the page itself merely by clicking a link within the preview window.

Developer tools
The new version comes with built-in Developer Tools. The new Developer Toolbar enables developers to quickly debug HTML, cascading style sheets, and JavaScript in a visual development environment that comes with the web browser.
Developers can quickly identify and resolve issues because of the deep insight the tool provides into the Document Object Model. The Developer Toolbar also allows the layout to be changed on the fly so that each rendering scenario can be tested thoroughly.

Choice of layout engine
Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 will ship in standards mode by default. However, users can set three different rendering modes using the X-UA-Compatible header:
Quirks mode which supports Internet Explorer 5 and legacy browsers.
Strict mode which supports Internet Explorer 7 and is accessed through the emulate IE 7 button.
Internet Explorer 8 standards mode.

Courtesy: Indiatimes News Network & Agencies

India bowled over: IPL's 20 defining moments

After a month-and-a-half of thrills and spills, the Indian Premier League came to a grand conclusion on Sunday.

Curtains came down on a concept that has arguably changed the face of cricket forever. The much-anticipated competition was not without its moments that left cricketers spellbound.

CNN-IBN picked the 20 most enthralling moments that defined the cash-rich league. The panel included CNN-IBN's editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, former India pacer Javagal Srinath, former India cricketer Anjum Chopra, senior journalist Anil Dharkar and a man who lived it through all, co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab, Ness Wadia.

Following are the top 20 moments that probably defined the IPL and would be remembered for time to come.

Number 20: Gautam Gambhir

A man who got India off to brilliant starts in the company of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, who enhanced his reputation. The belligerent southpaw displayed why he is considered one of India’s most exciting new talents as his willow did produce some daredevilry.

Number 19: Golden oldies

They say T20 is a game for the old but there were some golden oldies who made the stage their own. They say T20 is a game for the old but there were some golden oldies who made the stage their own. The likes of Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist showed why age should not be a concern.

However, Javagal Srinath though impressed with the veterans still believed that the young blood dominated the IPL T20 tournament.

"Age should not matter but it all depends on the kind of cricket, you play. Shaun Pollock was a great success, Sanath Jayasuriya found his bearings a bit late in the tournament and McGrath was as good as ever. All the golden oldies stuck to their jobs though some of them like Dravid struggled and even Tendulkar was not at his best. Experience did have a role to play but the fresh legs made all the difference in the tournament," stated Srinath.

Number 18: Hat-tricks strike thrice

And there were the bowlers who were supposed to provide cannon fodder for the batsmen but there were three of them who picked up hat-tricks to disband that theory. Makhaya Ntini, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Amit Mishra took three in three in a format that is known to be ruthless for the bowlers

Number 17: Cheerleaders

When it came to the cheerleaders the opinion was split through the middle. Some said that they would add to the glamour of the T20 format while others believed this would take away from the game.

"At the start of the tournament, there was excessive focus on what was happening off the field and the cheerleaders, unfortunately became part of the excessive focus on events off the field. I think at one level cheerleaders are part of the sporting extravaganza and the spectacle. It happens in the west with the NBA and NFL because once sports becomes part of the entertainment industry, then along with it comes off the field activities including the cheerleaders. At the start of the tournament, there was too much focus on them but by the end of the tournament the focus went back to the game of cricket and the cheerleaders became incidental and I found that the clothes that they were wearing were a lot more. So there was a shift in the tournament from the cheerleaders to cheering for the cricketers," said Rajdeep Sardesai.

Former India captain of women's cricket team, Anjum Chpora agreed that everybody got more serious with the tournament progressing and hence the cheerleaders were left alone.

"I think that everybody got involved more because inherently it is cricket all throughout than anything else. There were lots of Bollywood icons and corporate honchos involved but cricket was the real hero from ball one till the end of the tournament. Whether it was cricket that was driven with Bollywood or vice versa but it was cricket that was the real winner. There were a lot of apprehensions about IPL but at the end looking at the grand success, it is cricket all the way," stated Anjum Chopra.

Number 16: Sohail Tanvir

A fiery left arm pacer under a maverick skipper won the purple cup in the IPL. Sohail Tanvir bowled everybody over. He was a pillar for Rajasthan and stood tall when it mattered. Leading the Royals attack, Tanvir proved to be captain Warne’s most potent weapon.

Number 15: Brendon McCullum

The man who started the tournament with a bang. His blitzkrieg hundred will be one of the most lasting impressions of the IPL.

"One thing is very clear that twenty20 is about impact players and players who can change the course of the game in about 12 balls. You had Yusuf Pathan and Brendon McCullum do that and Sohail Tanvir did that with the ball. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid need time to get in. That's the lesson we have learnt and McCullum is certainly an impact player. He changed the game completely by hitting 158 in 20 overs, which many people thought was impossible,” said Sardesai.

Numer 14: Vijay Mallya's histronics

So are the players in the newest avatar of the game under constant pressure of 'perform or perish?'

"I think as the tournament progressed, I think the franchisee owners realised that winning really matters and from there they really started to pinpoint what went wrong. It took a while before they realised what went wrong and with all due respect to the Bangalore, I think they got the team wrong. Nobody understood the intensity with which the tournament would be played and once the tournament took off they were caught on the wrong foot. There were too many old players in the side and they could never match up with the other side. The boys need to come in terms with all that because this is the way the tournament would be played from now on," said Srinath.

Number 13: SRK miffed

He danced his way into trouble as the owner of the Knight Riders was asked to stop sitting in the players dugout.

Anjum Chopra thought that privacy for the players on the ground is vital and the sanctity of the dressing room is sacrosanct.

"Anybody be the co-owner they have the rights over the team and they can be around the boys all the time but probably when you cross over the boundary ropes and you are in the arena of your sport, you don't want anybody apart from the players or the supporting staff in the dugout or the dressing room area even if that means that the selectors have to be kept out of the dressing room. It is the players arena and that is where the players need to be around each other rather than any external influences around them," said Chopra.

Though Sardesai agreed that Shah Rukh Khan should not have been in the dugout area but he believed the Bollywood icon buying the Kolkata team was one of the most defining moment of the IPL.

"Shah Rukh Khan went all the way to buy a team like Kolkata, which is the last place many believe is the last place you should invest. No foreign investor goes to Kolkata today but here we have Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood's biggest icon, going to Kolkata. That for me was one of the most defining moments because Kolkata embraced Shah Rukh Khan and that set the tone because at the start of the tournament the concern was will the cities connect with people from different cities and people like Shah Rukh brought that emotional connect," explained Sardesai.

"He should not have been in the dugout but he certainly he did make that emotional connect and that is why the Knight Riders have been the most successful team in terms of the money they have made, " he added.

Ness Wadia, owner of the Kings XI Punjab said that investing money and time was not about just being around the big players of the team. Joining in the discussion he said: As I said when we won at the auction, it is about promoting cricket. I am a sports fan and for me it is about promoting sports at the grass root level and frankly speaking India has been lagging behind the western countries.

However, Wadia opined that it was important for the players to be left alone, especially when the plans and strategies are being discussed.

"We were clear from the beginning that Tom Moody was the coach and Yuvraj was the captain and with the senior players they would have strategic meetings during the entire tournament. Our involvement was only at the end and we used to cheer them on," stated Wadia.

Number 12: Music videos

Whether it was Kodbo, lodbo jeetbo from SRK or Hrithik Roshan donning a Mumbai jersey and dancing on the streets of the city or it was Preity Zinta shaking a leg with Daler Mahendi, the idea of promoting teams through the song and dance routine worked like a charm.

Number 11: Shoaib Akhtar

He came in the middle of Kolkata's IPL stint, bowled a magical spell and limped off. But the Knight Rider in his debut in the IPL was a spectacle, blowing the entire Daredevils team with his speed.

"I think Shoaib is a crowd puller, he just came, bowled and conquered. The way he came in and bowled against Delhi, it was not just Shoaib Akhtar it was the entire Eden Gardens backing him up and bowling against Virender Sehwag and the likes of Gautam Gambhir. So it was not the eleven Knight Riders, it was the entire stadium," said Chopra

"I think Shoaib's presence demands a lot, leave alone the controversies but he has a great command, he has a great presence and he demands attention, which IPL is all about. So he was a definite revelation," she added.

Number 10: Sachin Tendulkar

Some said the big Indian players won't make it make it big in the IPL but Sachin Tendulkar disapproved the theory, he was in full throttle.

Srinath believed that if Tendulkar had made an entry in the IPL at the onset, the Mumbai team's story might have been a different one.

"I expected Sachin to come early in the tournament because he was a crucial member for the Mumbai side and he made a huge difference as soon as he got into the side. He connected to the format and you could see the intensity in him. He is one guy who never likes to lose the game. If he made an early entry in the IPL, it would have been a different story for Mumbai. Nevertheless his batting was not at the best. We see a little bit of Sachin but hopefully we will see a better Sachin," said Srinath.

Numer nine: Flying Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh flew to break the stumps against Mumbai and jetsetted his team to the semi-finals and then lashed out at the Mumbai crowd for their ‘one-sided support.’

Sardesai, however though that Yuvraj's jibe on the Mumbai crowd was uncalled for and he must understand the difference between playing for your country and representing your IPL team.

"Yuvraj Singh should have realised that when he was playing that game that he was playing for Punjab, not India and in Mumbai. Players also will have to realise the city loyalties. Ishant Sharma plays for Kolkata even though he plays for Delhi and that it is something that the IPL needs to look at. Maybe the players should play for their home sides from next year," said Sardesai.

Number eight: Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta made sure that she made her players comfortable and egged them on in every game from the sidelines. And Zinta's co-owner Ness Wadia said they had decided that the owners would ensure that their team kept their spirits high.

"Preity took the role of staying at the ground as she was the only one who could take time off, me and Mohit Burman did quite a bit as well. And as I said before we all are one big happy family

Number seven: Mumbai Indians choke

They were on a surge after a disastrous start and when it really mattered Sachin Tendulkar’s troops choked and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory more than once. They finished fifth when they could have easily climbed higher mountains had they held their nerve.

Number six: Shane Warne, a captain fantastic

The man who made all the difference, Shane Warne brought a group of young man and built them into a winning machine who eventually not only conquered the IPL but also millions of hearts with their spirited show.

Number five: India's young guns shine

Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma and Swapnil Asnodkar made merry and the world took notice. Playing on a big stage, these youngsters proved their mettle and ensured a bright sparkling futute for themselves.

"I wish I was a youngster. IPL has given youngsters like Shaun Marsh, Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan such a big platform," said Wadia.

Number four: Closing ceremony

It finished in style with big names like Salman Khan and Dia Mirza performing in front of a capacity crowd at the DY Patil stadium as the mix of Bollywood and cricket proved to be a winning formula.

Number three: Shane Watson

The most valuable player in the IPL, who was almost forgotten in an injury ravaged career, Shane Watson decided to make a statement about his stunning talent. The Aussie all-rounder was awarded the man of the series as he sparkled like a diamond throughout the 44-day tournament with both bat and the ball.

Number two: Slapgate controversy

After Harbhajan Singh slapped S Sreesanth after a game between Mumbai and Mohali, the slap gate incident dominated the news and the headlines writers had a field day. It was a day which was a blot on cricket.

"Though Harbhajan deserved a punishment it was disproportionate. I think Sreesanth got away with nothing at all Farukh Engineer as a judicator did such a shoddy job that I think he should have been slapped. But if you look at it another way this was also entertainment and I think we talked about the incident for so long that these are some of the off the field moments that are not desirable. I think they add to the whole drama of the IPL," said Dharkar.

Number one: A Royal end

Rajasthan Royals proved that opinions really don’t matter. Tagged as the weakest side before the tournament, Shane Warne's men have decimated all teams.

"It was a spectacular victory for the Royals and they played like champions through out. They hardly lost any games and in the finals the way Shane Warne led the side aggressively, it was a spectacle. We got to see some great cricket from the Rajasthan Royals," said Srinath.

Sardesai had an insightful observation about the Rajasthan team.

"They had two things going for them. One, most of their foreign players were there throughout the tournament and they had not played too much cricket leading to the tournament. People like Shane Warne and Shane Watson had a point to prove. Plus, Sohail Tanvir and Graeme Smith did remarkably well. For me what really summarised Rajasthan's victory was Swapnil Asdnodkar. Coming from a small state, hugging Shane Warne, who is a legend of the game; Goa meeting Australia, what better example of cricket's uniquely democratising credentials," opined Sardesai.

Sardesai believed that IPL in a lot of ways changed cricket forever.

"National boundaries were broken during the IPL. The Jaipur crowd embracing Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir 24 hours after the city saw serial blasts. To me IPL proved that all barriers can be broken by the game of cricket. I am a Test cricket purist but if it requires T20 cricket to democratise it," he concluded.

Courtesy: Ibnlive