Eric Abidal angry at Barcelona, claims lack of pay

Eric Abidal is angry at how his Barcelona career came to an end and claims he was not even paid by the club when he was seriously ill.

The 34-year-old Abidal had a liver transplant last April, ruling him out of the 2012 European Championship and keeping him away from football for one year. He returned to make a few appearances for Barcelona before leaving to join Monaco in the offseason.

"The problem was that my contract was coming to an end. In that case, either it's renewed, either it ends. I was prepared for both," Abidal said in an interview with sports daily L'Equipe published Friday. "It was hard to accept but you don't have the choice. The adventure with Barcelona is over, but I'm very happy to have started another one with Monaco."

But Abidal said he was disappointed at how his departure was announced.

"What was hard to understand was what Barcelona said during my last press conference. By saying that it was a professional choice, it made other clubs doubt," Abidal said. "It wasn't even a question of money. The proof being that all the months I was ill, the club didn't pay me. Now I'm lucky to have the trust of the Monaco coach and president. Touch wood, everything's fine. But it's true that there was a time when I doubted myself."

Abidal has played 90 minutes for Monaco in every league game and was expected to play for France later Friday in its World Cup qualifier at Georgia.

After joining from Lyon in 2007, Abidal played 125 league games for Barcelona, helping the Catalan club to win four league titles and two European Cups. He forged a close bond with former coach Pep Guardiola, who is now in charge of Bayern Munich.

"He's someone who appreciates me enormously and I'm still in touch with," Abidal said. "He was a great coach. He's the one who gave me my chance. If he was still there, I may have continued (with Barcelona)."

Hulkenberg to race for Sauber F1 in 2013

Nico Hulkenberg will race for the Swiss based outfit in 2013 after signing today a deal.

The 25-year-old German won the GP2 Series in 2009, made his Formula 1 debut in 2010 with the Williams F1 Team and managed to capture a pole position in his maiden year. He is currently driving for Sahara Force India and ranks 12th in the Drivers’ World Championship with 49 points after 17 out of 20 races.

Hulkenberg’s best Formula One race result this season was at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth on the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

“We’ve been observing Nico for some time now and his performances have been very persuasive,” said Sauber F1 Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn. “That was the case in GP2 and has continued into Formula One. An obvious highlight was how he scored pole at Interlagos in 2010 despite the most challenging external conditions. He clearly showed that he can seize the chance if it arises. But high spots like that are one thing; systematic teamwork is another – and on that score I have confidence in Nico too. I’m sure he will fit in very well with the Sauber F1 Team. We look forward to working together with him.”

“I’m really looking forward to working with the Sauber F1 Team. It’s a well-placed team and very competitive,” said Nico Hulkenberg. “Plus it’s a team in which young drivers have repeatedly delivered exceptional performances. I would like to take up that baton. The Sauber F1 Team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot. Until that time I will remain fully focused on my job with the Sahara Force India Team. I’d like to thank the management at Sahara Force India for giving me the chance to return to Formula One as a team driver.”

The Swiss based team will announce its second driver for the 2013 season at a later date.

Ferrari launch the Ferrari F138 F1 single seater

Scuderia Ferrari launched today at Maranello its 2013 F1 car, the Ferrari F138. The choice of the F138 name, derives from a combination of the current year and the number of cylinders, partly to mark the fact that this will be the last year that the V8 engine configuration will be used in Formula 1, bringing to an end what will be an eight year career.

Ferrari F138 front
The Ferrari F138 is the fifty ninth car built by the Italian team specifically to take part in the Formula 1 World Championship. The project, which goes by the internal code name 664, is the first design to come from the reorganisation concerning working methods that has been in operation for several months, with the creation of two distinct groups of designers: one working on this car and the other on the completely different car which will race next season. This car constitutes Ferrari’s interpretation of this year’s Technical and Sporting Regulations, which in fact are substantially the same as those from last season. Therefore the F138 can be seen as an evolution of the F2012, in terms of its basic design principals, although every single part has been revised in order to maximise performance, while maintaining all the characteristics which were the basis of last season’s extraordinary reliability.

Ferrari F138 front
The design philosophy of the suspension layout has not changed and it continues to use pull-rods both front and rear, but it has been refined to the limit, in order to gain as much aerodynamic advantage as possible, especially at the rear. The bodywork elements have been redesigned to allow for changes to the positioning and layout of the exhausts. The dynamic air intake, mounted above the cockpit has been redesigned, as have been the intakes to the side pods, which in turn have also been optimised in aerodynamic terms, while maintaining unchanged the overall cooling system. The rear of the car is much narrower and more tapered on the lower part. The configuration of the front and rear wings derives directly from the last versions used on the F2012, partly because development of that car ran all the way to the final race of last season. However, the aerodynamic elements shown on the car are only those from the initial phase of development: significant modifications will be introduced in the weeks leading up to the first race and a busy development programme is already planned. The drag reduction system on the rear wing has been revised and optimised to make the most of the modifications to the Sporting Regulations that come into play this year. There are detailed changes to the design of the brake ducts, both front and rear and work has been carried out with Brembo on optimising the braking system overall. During both the design and production stages, great attention has been paid to weight reduction and on increasing rigidity. This theme was carried out through all departments working together – Chassis, Engine and Electronics and Production – which bears witness to the importance of being able to design and build a car with everyone working side by side in the same place, which has always been the case at Ferrari.

Ferrari F138 side
The engine on the F138 is an evolution of the one fitted to the car last year, inevitably given that the technical regulations forbid modifications to internal components aimed at improving performance. Given the consequent difficulty of finding performance increases through internal modifications, work was intensified on ensuring that the engine’s performance level remained as high as possible throughout the lifecycle of each power unit, which has now reached an average life of three races.

Ferrari F138
The KERS retains its location in the lower-central part of the car, a strategic choice which has always been adopted by the team, partly with the aim of ensuring maximum safety. Once again this year, a great deal of effort has gone into reducing its weight and size, at the same time improving the efficiency of some of its components and, as in the case of the engine, maintaining the highest performance level throughout the KERS usage cycle. The technical collaboration with Shell, which has run for several decades now, has led to further progress on the fuel and lubricants front, aimed at increasing performance in overall terms and also on maintaining it throughout the engine’s life, as well as reducing consumption.

Ferrari F138
As for the electronics, it is worth noting the introduction, ahead of schedule, of the single control unit that will be used in 2014. This has involved a lot of work to integrate and control all its features in terms of both software and hardware.

Scuderia Ferrari F138 Technical Specifications:

Chassis:
Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
Limited-slip differential
Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox – quick shift
Number of gears 7 + Reverse
Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
Independent suspension, pull-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
Weight (with water, lubricant and driver) 642 kg
OZ Wheels (front and rear) 13″

Engine:
Type 056
Number of cylinders: 8
Cylinder block in cast aluminium V 90
Number of valves: 32
Pneumatic distribution
Total displacement: 2398 cm3
Piston bore: 98mm
Weight > 95kg
Electronic injection and ignition
Fuel: Shell V-Power
Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra

Source: 

Mercedes unveil new W04 F1 single seater at Jerez

The Mercedes F1 Team unveiled today in Jerez, Spain its 2013 Formula One car, the Mercedes AMG F1 W04.

The new F1 W04 completed its first laps of today’s 100 km shakedown at 10:21 CET in the hands of Nico Rosberg, who drove the car throughout the morning. Lewis Hamilton will take the wheel of a Formula One Silver Arrow for the first time this afternoon, the first British driver since Sir Stirling Moss in 1955. The car will then complete four days of testing this week in Jerez, in the hands of Nico and Lewis.

Mercedes GP MGP W04
With the technical regulations remaining stable in 2013, ahead of major changes for 2014, the basic vehicle concept of the F1 W04 is a sophisticated evolution of last year’s car. Led by Engineering Director Aldo Costa, under the coordination of Technical Director Bob Bell, the project commenced with initial aerodynamic testing in early summer 2012.

Mercedes GP MGP W04
The aerodynamic design philosophy has been optimised around a new five-element front wing design and a second-generation Coanda exhaust at the rear. The car retains pushrod front suspension and a pullrod rear suspension, aimed at optimising tyre life and performance, while the rear end has been aggressively packaged to optimise aerodynamic development potential. The F1 W04 also does away with the stepped nose design of its predecessor thanks to a small ‘vanity panel’, which was found to offer a small gain during aerodynamic testing. The car completed its final mandatory FIA crash test on 15 January.

“2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team,” said Mercedes F1 Team Principal Ross Brawn. “The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor. Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in performance compared to last season. We are also hugely proud to welcome Lewis to the team as a works Mercedes-Benz driver. With Lewis and Nico, we have what I believe to be the strongest driver line-up in Formula One and I know that a healthy level of competition between them both will help drive the team forward.”

Mercedes GP MGP W04
“I’ve been working really hard over the winter on my physical preparation, both in the mountains – climbing to over 2,000 metres with ski boots – and also in the Mediterranean, training on my bike, swimming and running. I fitted that around regular visits to see the guys at the factory in December and January and we have done some really good work, especially in the simulator,” said Nico Rosberg. “The car seems to be performing well in the virtual world but we have a very busy and intense programme ahead of us during testing to make sure we can deliver that performance on track. The atmosphere in the team is very positive and the people are highly motivated to succeed. And, of course, I have a new team-mate with Lewis. It’s his first time in the Silver Arrow and I look forward to working together and pushing each other hard, to make this the best team in Formula One.”

“It’s a very special day for me to officially present our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow to the world. There is no company with a longer history in Grand Prix racing than Mercedes-Benz and it is an honour for me to tread in the footsteps of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher,” said Lewis Hamilton. “It’s the start of a new chapter for me, a new adventure, and when I walked through the doors in Brackley, I was so excited to get down to work. I’ve been at the factory for a few days now, getting to know the guys, meeting my mechanics and engineers, learning myself into the team and I have never seen a group of people that is hungrier for success than this one. They have been flat out this winter trying to pack more performance into the new car and I can’t wait to drive it and see where I can make a difference to help push the team forward with Nico. This is a new start for me with the team in Brackley but I have worked with Mercedes-Benz for a very long time now, and I learned one thing most of all: Mercedes-Benz doesn’t know how to lose. We are playing a long game here but I know we will have success together and I’m excited to be a big part of making it happen.”

Lenovo A630

Specifications
Lenovo A630
Network2G
3G
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
HSDPA 2100
SizeDimensions
Weight
Display
131 x 66 x 10 mm (5.16 x 2.60 x 0.39 in)
159 gram
TFT touchscreen, 256K colors
240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches (~143 ppi pixel density)
MemoryPhonebook
Call records
Internal
Card slot
Yes
Yes
4 GB, 512 MB RAM
microSD, up to 32 GB
DataGPRS
EDGE
3G
WLAN
Bluetooth
Infrared port
USB
Yes
Yes
HSPA
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
v2.0 with A2DP

microUSB v2.0
FeaturesOS
CPU
Messaging
Alert
Browser
Radio
GPS
Games
Camera
Video
Colors
Java
Android OS, v4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Dual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A9
SMS, MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
HTML
FM radio
Yes
Yes
3.15 MP
Yes
Black

- Loudspeaker
- Dual SIM (Mini-SIM, dual stand-by)
- Multitouch up to 5 fingers
- 3.5mm jack
- Geo-tagging, touch focus
- Accelerometer (sensors)
- MP4/H.264 player
- MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
- Photo/video editor
- Document viewer
- Voice memo/dial
- Clock
- Calendar
- Alarm
Battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Standard battery, Li-Ion 2500 mAh
Up to
Up to

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_a630-pictures-5830.php

Lady Gaga to perform at MTV Awards for first time since surgery

Los Angeles - Pop star Lady Gaga will debut new music at the MTV Video Music Awards in August in her first performance following hip surgery, the network said on Thursday.

Grammy-winning Lady Gaga, 27, will perform her first single from her upcoming new album "ARTPOP," which is scheduled to be released in November. The new single will be released on Aug. 19, ahead of the VMA show on Aug. 25.

The singer, who was named the top-earning musician under 30 by Forbes with earnings of an estimated $80 million in the past year, was forced to cancel part of her world tour earlier this year to undergo hip surgery.

Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, is known for her lavish and often controversial televised performances. At the 2010 MTV VMA show, she donned a dress made out of raw beef to protest the U.S. military`s "don`t-ask-don`t-tell" policy for gay service members. (U.G003/C/H-AK) 26-07-2013 06:27:23

Chinese director to stage Stefan Zweig`s Novella

Beijing - A play adaptation of Austrian writer Stefan Zweig`s novella "Letter From an Unknown Woman" will be performed on the Chinese stage later this year, according to its director Meng Jinghui.

The novella tells the story of an author who, while reading a letter written by a woman he does not remember, provides him with glimpses into her life.

Meng said the drama will be performed by one woman, with actress Huang Xiangli playing 10 roles, including a teenager, young lady, unwed mother, social butterfly and a psychopath.

"The play will exemplify the complicated feelings of love and torture," said Meng.

According to Meng, the play will be first staged from Oct. 10 to Nov. 3 at the Fengchao Theater in Beijing. It will then go on tour to other cities in the country.

The play has also been invited to perform in other countries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom. (Uu.H-AK)

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