Sony on Tuesday introduced 3D TV in India, which would prove to be the next big trend in the evolution of multimedia entertainment. Based on new LED technology, the new range of TVs is also compatible with Internet and the company has exclusive tie-ups with some of the content providers like ‘Youtube’ to provide videos and clips.

“Indian consumers today have become all the more technology savvy and with the launch of new technologies like 3D, Internet TV and LED, we want to ensure that they get nothing but the best,” said Sony India Managing Director Masaru Tamagawa. The company also announced the launch of new models under the popular Bravia brand, priced between Rs. 45,900 and Rs. 3.50-lakh.

“Sony is confident that it will be able to achieve the targets based on three strong pillars of technology, picture quality and design. We plan to usher new heights in the LCD TV segment with plans to capture 30 per cent of the total market share,” Mr. Tamagawa said. Last year, Sony sold more than four-lakh units of Bravia in India and this year it hopes to double its sales. The total market for LCDs in the country is around 16-lakh units and is expected to grow up to 27-lakh units by the end of the current financial year.

Sony India has also planned a Rs. 1,800-crore investment in the next one year on marketing and promotional activities to create awareness about its products. “We have invested over Rs. 700 crore in promoting the Bravia range of flat panel display TVs, which contribute more than one-third of the total turnover of Rs. 3,500 crore in India,” he added. The company also plans to double its dealer network from 2,500 now.

The first theatrical ticket for the DLF-IPL III, autographed and unveiled by Sachin Tendulkar, was auctioned for Rs. 11 lakh and the money was donated to charity Trust Apnalaya here on Wednesday.

UFO Moviez, the world’s largest digital satellite cinema network will show the IPL 2010 matches live on gigantic screens in cinemas across India. The matches will be screened in High Definition Digital format without commercial interruptions.

“This is a brilliant initiative especially for interior regions of our country where cricket fans cannot experience the stadium energy. I am happy to give away this first theatre ticket and wish all my fans a wonderful experience in theatres,” said Tendulkar.

Pakistan cricket was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday with the country’s Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) putting an end to the international careers of former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan besides imposing a one-year ban on Shoaib Malik in the wake of the team’s disastrous tour of Australia .

Pakistan were whitewashed in all three formats of the game in Australia and the PCB had set up an inquiry committee headed by Wasim Bari to probe the reasons for the debacle.

As recommended by the committee, former captain Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were handed one-year bans.

The inquiry committee had recommended that Yousuf and Younis should no longer be part of the national team in any format because of their bad influence on the team and that Malik and Rana be banned for 12 months and fined Rs 2 million each.

The Akmal brothers — Kamran and Umar — and Afridi have been put on probation for six months besides being fined between Rs 2-3 million for indiscipline on the tour, the PCB statement said.

The punishments are set to impact the composition of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 Championship. The team is the defending champion in this format and the 15-man squad for the event is due to be out by the end of this month.

According to sources, the report was discussed by the PCB chairman Ejaz Butt with the national selection committee on Monday as part of the selection process for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies .

“Apparently at the meeting, there were mixed reactions to the strong recommendations keeping in mind that upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies where Pakistan defends its title,” the source stated.

The inquiry committee apparently had serious reservations over the attitude and commitment shown by Malik and Rana in Australia where they are accused of not cooperating with the management.

He said the captain, coach and manager on the Australian tour had reported Malik and Rana for misbehaviour and not cooperating with the management a fact confirmed by some other players who appeared before the probe committee.

This is the first time in Pakistan cricket history that the Board has taken such strong disciplinary action against so many players at one time.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday announced his decision to formally withdraw support to the government, protesting against the adoption of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh, who too had threatened to do so, however, was evasive on the issue. When journalists persisted with their questions, he said he would inform the media when he took a decision in this regard.

Mr. Prasad said he would call on President Pratibha Patil and submit his letter to her on Wednesday.

The RJD has four members in the Lok Sabha and had extended outside support to the UPA government.

Reacting to the suspension of seven members in the Rajya Sabha and the adoption of the Bill, the RJD chief and his SP counterpart charged that those evicted included four Muslim MPs.

The RJD and the SP chief, along with JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, told journalists that they met the Prime Minister earlier in the day but did not accept his suggestion that they allow the passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha and that their concerns would be addressed when the Bill is taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.

LG, which is fighting an uphill battle against leaders Nokia, Blackberry maker RIM and Apple, plans to boost smartphone offerings with some 20 models this year, half the offerings based on the most popular Android.

The South Korean firm wants to claim a double-digit share of the global smartphone market by 2012. Currently the top three players control three quarters of the booming and lucrative smartphone market.

The model LG-KH5200, which will be sold by the country’s second-largest mobile carrier KT, will compete against Motorola’s Android-based smartphone MOTOROI launched earlier this year through top carrier SK Telecom.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s No.2 mobile phone maker, is also set to unveil Android phones this month.

LG’s smartphone with 3-inch full touch screen, 5 megapixel camera, and slider qwerty keyboard will cost around 650,000 won ($573).

LG hopes to defend sliding phone margins with premium smartphone offerings after it saw phone business profit margins falling close to zero in the December quarter as it had to spend heavily on marketing of its simpler models.

LG and its home rival Samsung together corner more than 30 percent of the global cellphone market, but they have struggled to muscle into the booming and lucrative smartphone market.

Samsung said last month it plans to treble smartphone shipments in 2010.

LG aims to sell 140 million mobile phones this year, versus 117 million sold last year to claim about 10 percent of the global market.

Shares in LG fell 0.5 percent to 103,500 won by 0020 GMT, versus a 0.2 percent drop in the broader market.

Toyota said on Tuesday it would fix all Tundra pickups sold in the United States for the 2000 to 2003 model years to address a risk that part of the truck’s frame could corrode, causing spare tires or even the gas tank to drop to the road.

In November, Toyota Motor Corp recalled 110,000 Tundras sold in 20 cold-weather states, saying exposure to heavy road salt could cause the corrosion. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons was unable to say how many additional vehicles would be involved.

Toyota told its U.S. dealers in a notice on Tuesday that it would expand the recall to Tundras sold in all 50 U.S. states. Reuters reviewed a copy of the notice, which Lyons confirmed had been sent to the company’s U.S. dealers.

Toyota said the rear cross-member of the frame of the Tundra could corrode in some cases, and that could cause loss of rear brake circuits, making it harder for drivers to stop.

In “the worst case,” the fuel tank may drop to the ground and could be separated from the vehicle, potentially causing a crash or fire, the company said in its notice to dealers.

This repair campaign adds to several safety problems with which Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, is grappling.

Toyota has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for mechanical problems with its accelerator assembly that can cause sticking and for the risk that floormats could trap an accelerator.

In February, Toyota recalled nearly 500,000 hybrids, including its top-selling Prius, because of braking problems.

The Tundra, which Toyota redesigned in 2007, represents the Japanese automaker’s attempt to crack a market for full-size work trucks that has been dominated by Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Chrysler.

A hat-trick from Nicklas Bendtner helped Arsenal to a 5-0 thumping of Porto on Tuesday as they overturned a first-leg deficit with nonchalant ease to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Eboue were also on target as Arsenal completed a 6-2 aggregate victory to reach the last eight for the third consecutive season.

Bendtner was guilty of a series of bad misses in the Premier League win over Burnley at the weekend but he answered his critics in style with a commanding performance to crown a dazzling display by manager Arsene Wenger’s side.

“It shows how quickly football can change,” Wenger told Sky Sports. “I hope it won’t give him too much confidence now.

“But it’s good for him especially after Saturday. I hope it will give him the desire to work even harder.”

Porto had never won a European fixture in England before but Arsenal’s poor record of overturning first-leg deficits, a feat they had not managed for more than 30 years, gave the Portuguese side hope of defending their 2-1 advantage.

CHILLY NIGHT

Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will appeal to the elite in the Chinese-run Himalayan region in a speech on Wednesday, inviting them to visit communities of exiled Tibetans.

In an address marking 51 years since he fled into exile after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama will also pledge he and members of his government-in-exile will not take any political positions if and when the Tibet issue is resolved.

He will also deplore conditions in Tibet and offer his support for Xinjiang, another restless part of China populated by an ethnic minority, Muslim Uighurs, according to an advance copy of his speech obtained by Reuters.

China reviles the Nobel Peace Prize winner as a separatist, and says he foments violence. The Dalai Lama denies both charges, saying he merely seeks genuine autonomy for the remote region.

Reaching out to Tibetans working for the Chinese government, the Dalai Lama will say: “I invite Tibetan officials serving in various Tibetan autonomous areas to visit Tibetan communities living in the free world, either officially or in a private capacity, to observe the situation for themselves.”

China bans Tibetans who work for the government from visiting exile communities, but many ordinary Tibetans make the hazardous and illegal crossing to study Buddhism in the Indian town of Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has lived for five decades.

“Let me reiterate that once the issue of Tibet is resolved, I will not take any political position nor will members of the Tibetan administration in exile hold any positions in the government in Tibet,” the Dalai Lama will say.

On Sunday, Tibet’s new Chinese-appointed governor said only socialism could “save” the region and guarantee its development, and blamed the Dalai Lama for Tibet’s problems

Congress party head Sonia Gandhi said on Tuesday its ruling coalition was intact, despite a key ally breaking ranks to abstain as a bill to reserve a third of parliamentary seats for women was passed by the Rajya Sabha.

Already under fire over issues such as food inflation and a proposed hike in fuel prices, the government has been hit by two days of turmoil trying to push through the legislation.

While the Congress-led coalition still has a majority, the stand-off may give the government less breathing room over key pending economic legislation.

Sonia Gandhi, seen as the country’s most influential politician, was asked by reporters whether she was confident in the stability of the government.

“I think so. One can never tell. I am not an astrologer. I wish our former partners remained with us,” she said, according to the Press Trust of India.

The bill was passed in an evening vote after a raucous day in the upper house of parliament, but it still needs the approval of the lower house.

“It is a historic occasion, which calls for celebration,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in the upper house where the bill was supported by a majority of opposition parties.

Two regional parties pulled their support on Monday, and on Tuesday the Trinamool Congress party, one of the government’s most influential allies, abstained to protest at Congress’ handling of the bill and said it would do the same in the lower house.

I’m a pretty devout iPhone user. My original iPhone has been good to me. The new 2.0 firmware upgrade takes the device to a whole new level of awesomeness. But as awesome as the iPhone is, I couldn’t help but drool a bit when I first glimpsed the BlackBerry Bold. RIM promised a unique mix of form and function and according to the Boy Genius Report, they’ve pretty much delivered.

Boy Genius had a chance to take the Bold on a month long field test (seriously, we’re jealous) and the results are pretty much what most of us expected. It’s exactly what BlackBerry fans have been waiting for. Boy Genius says it best when they refer to the Bold as the “BlackBerry communities iPhone”.

The BGR review begins with a rocky start. The BlackBerry Bold has a start-up time which is admittedly frustrating. The phone takes upwards of three minutes to start-up. The Boy Genius team then had some issues keeping the phone powered in 3G mode. The old black screen and red LED that BlackBerry fans have become accustomed too.

But after their starter problems it was comparatively smooth sailing. BGR says the display is the nicest mobile phone screen they’ve ever seen and the Bold has been pimped up with an improved web browsing experience. The Bold is the BlackBerry that has it all, 3G data, GPS, and Wi-Fi. For much more check out the Boy Genius Report Bold review.