Confident Group sponsors the West Indies for two mega world cricketing events

According to the announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Confident Group, which is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Bangalore, has agreed to be the sponsor of the West Indies cricket team for two mega world cricketing events- ICC Champions Trophy 2013 that will be held in the United Kingdom next month and ICC World Twenty20 2014 in Bangladesh.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive officer, Michael Muirhead, said after winning the World Twenty20 in 2012, their team has become one of the most attractive teams for a sponsor to be associated with in international cricket at the moment.

He also expressed his happiness for having the Confident Group as the team sponsor for the Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20 when the West Indies will defend the title.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will kick off on 6 June and it will continue till 23^rd June in England and Wales. Dwayne Bravo is the captain of the West Indies team.

It is expected that their sponsorship will inspire the Caribbean team to do well and get back their lost pride.

Confident Group is a well-known multinational company which is diversified into six verticals- Infrastructure, Hospitality, Aviation, Entertainment, Education and Health Care.

iBall launches Android-based Slide Q9703 tablet PC in India

Indian tablet PC market is becoming packed with low-priced tablet PCs. More and more Indian companies are giving more emphasize in making tablet PCs in an affordable price. The iBall Slide Q9703 is the latest inclusion of the Indian technology market launched by Mumbai based technology company, iBall.

The iBall Slide Q9703 has 9.7-inch QXGA IPS HD display with 2048x1536p resolution and it has pixel density of close to 264 pixels per inch. It runs on Android mobile OS v4.1 Jelly Bean which is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with an eight-core graphics engine.

It includes other features are 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB through a microSD card.

Sandeep Parasrampuria, Director of iBall, said in the launching ceremony, “It's an era of larger screens and stunning displays. This tablet's ultra high resolution and retina panel on quad-core processor and an octa-core GPU is going to provide terrific performance and a stunning viewing experience to their proud owners, I'm sure.”

It is expected that the price of Slide Q9703 tablet PC will be around Rs. 15,999. However, it is yet to know when this device will be available in the market.

This tablet PC has rich features which come in low price. It will help the device to compete with other popular devices like Google Nexus 7(16GB, Wi-Fi only) and Fonepad which also have the same price-tag.

Shakib Al Hasan fined for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct

For breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during Bangladesh’s second ODI match against Zimbabwe, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was fined 75 per cent of his match fees.

The Bangladeshi all-rounder was fined after he admitted his guilty to a Level 2 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during Sunday's match. He even accepted the proposed sanction offered to him by ICC match referee.

ICC match referee, Chris Broad, found him to have breached Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which relates to “showing serious disagree at an umpire's decision during an International Match”.

The charge related to an incident in the 2^nd ODI match of Bangladesh’s innings when Shakib Al Hasan showed his anger by smashing his bat into his pad and in the process almost hit Zimbabwe wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor before leaving the field after given out lbw off Prosper Utseya.

On-field umpires Owen Chirombe and Johan Cloete, third umpire Jeremiah Matibiri and fourth umpire Russell Tiffin had projected this charge.

David Miller’s 38-ball 101 leads Punjab to victory over Bangalore

Hitting a breathtaking 38-ball 101, Kings XI Punjab batsman, David Miller, guided his team to a dramatic six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. The host reached the target of 191 runs with 12 balls left at hand.

His aggressive innings deserves to be one of the most exciting knocks in the history of IPL. Along with Rajgopal Satish, he made an unbeaten 130-run partnership for the fifth wicket stand.

However, coming to chase an imposing score of 190 posted by Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab were struggling at 68 for four in 10 overs and 95 for 4 after 13 overs. Snatching a victory from that position was beyond thinkable for even a die-hard Punjab fans.

In last five overs, Punjab accumulated 99 runs and it could be possible thanks to left-hander’s power-hitting as he struck eight fours and seven sixes. Hitting a big six of Chris Gayle in the last ball of the 18th over, he fulfilled his century and led his team to victory.

However, things could have been opposite if Miller had not been dropped twice- first by Gayle and then by Kohli, in the 14^th over bowled Vinay Kumar.

Despite losing the match against Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore is in the second position with 14 points from 12 matches.

Mobile PCs are forecast to hit 762 million by 2017

The future of mobile PCs is brightest. According to an NPD report released on Monday, thanks to demand for tablet PCs and touch-screen notebooks, shipments of mobile PCs are expected to reach 762.7 million globally by 2017 which is up from 367.6 million last year.

Among all these mobile PCs, tablet shipments will see more growth as it will replace traditional notebooks as the dominant device and touch screens will make their way to more notebooks. Tablet shipments are forecast to hit 579.4 million by 2017, up from 256.5 million this year.

It is thought that notebook shipments may drop to 183.3 million in 2017 from 203.3 million in 2013 -- a 10 percent decline. By contrast, shipments of touch-screen notebooks will increase by 48 percent from this year to next year.

According to the report, among notebooks, touch screens will be found mainly in ultraslim notebooks known as ultrabooks which now accounts for 66 percent of all touch-enabled notebooks. But ultrabook shipments are now expected to rise up to 80 percent by 2017.

According to NPD DisplaySearch, the latest version of Windows, Windows 8, released for both touch-screen devices and traditional PCs, will not play a major role to increase the demand of touch screens. Rather, it will be different types of lower-priced devices, including hybrids, convertibles, and sliders, to drive the touch screen demand.

Genius launches a small and lightweight mouse Ring Mouse 2

Compared to desktop and laptop computers, tablet PC has many advantages. The biggest advantage is its portability and because of it tablet PC can be easily carried with by users. As tablet PC is a touch-based device, it lacks physical keyboard and mouse. However, by adding a docking station one can get the advantages of a keyboard and mouse, but it takes a lot of space. In such a condition, Genius has come up with an interesting solution: the Ring Mouse 2.

The question may come to your mind that what Ring Mouse 2 is. It is a tiny trackpad a user can wear on his or her finger. To use this device, user requires no space and because of its small size user can easily carry it around. For hands-free web surfing or giving a classroom presentation from a distance, it can be used.

The Ring Mouse 2 is small in size and light in weight. It is the combination of trackpad and button that is surrounded by four buttons. In the middle of the face of this device, there is a small trackpad which can also serve the purpose of left mouse button. Just to the right is the right mouse button.

The above button is used as drag button to hold or drag easily the selected things. There is a button in the left side that puts the Ring Mouse 2 into a mode that lets users easily scroll up and down in long web pages and documents.

To connect this device with a tablet PC, there is a dongle to be plugged into a USB port. The big limitation of this accessory is that it can be used only in Windows based tablets.

Acer launches Iconia A1 tablet PC on Friday

On Friday, Taiwan-based computer maker, Acer, launched its sleek and light weighed tablet PC, Iconia A1, in New York City. This new tablet PC sports a 7.9-inch IPS LED-backlit screen with 768x1024p display resolutions. It also has a pixel density of 162 ppi (pixels per inch). It runs on Android mobile OS v4.2.2 Jelly Bean and powered by MediaTek based Quad-core processor with 1.2GHz CPU speed. It has 1GB of RAM.

This tablet PC comes in two variants- 8GB and 16GB and their storage capacity can be expanded via micro-SD card. These models will have 5.0-megapixel rear facing camera with auto-focus and VGA camera in front side.

While speaking at the launching event, Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Acer America, said, “Tablets are becoming cherished companions to many people as they stay connected and entertained throughout their day.”

Along with Iconia A1 Acer also launched ultrabook series Aspire R7 and Aspire P3 as well as Aspire V series touch notebooks.

It is expected that Acer Iconia A1-810 (16GB) will hit the US stores in June with a price tag of $199.99.

Rajasthan Royals keeps their hope alive with a 5-wicket win

Getting a 5-wicket win against Pune Warriors at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan Royals is hopeful of making it to the IPL play-offs. They are now in the fourth position with 14 points from 11 matches.

It was Pune Warriors’ seventh successive loss in the tournament and with this defeat they ensured that there is no chance for them to play in the knock-out stage.

With this victory, Royals also took a sweet revenge on their opponents for their defeat when the two teams faced each other first time in Pune on April 11.

It was Royal’s sixth win at home. They reached the target with one ball spare at hand. Thanks to opening pair Rahane and Dravid, RCB could chase a challenging target of 179 runs successfully. The opening pair added 98 runs in just 11.5 overs.

At a time, victory seemed impossible for Royals as they required 43 runs from 24 balls. However, Stuart Binny’s unbeaten 13-ball 32 ensured the team’s much needed victory.

Batting first, Pune Warriors scored 178 runs for 4. Robin Uthappa scored an aggressive 41-ball 54 and Aaron Finch who scored 45 runs missed his half century for 5 runs. They shared 97-run partnership in the opening stand.

Mumbai Indians defeats Chennai Super Kings by 60 runs

Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by 60 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Winning the toss, they chose to bat first and in their allotted overs, they scored 139 runs for the loss of five wickets. In reply, Chennai Super Kings could manage to score just 79 runs losing all wickets in 15.2 overs. With this victory, Mumbai breaks Chennai’s seven match winning streak.

Pragyan Ojha and Mitchell Johnson took three wickets apiece while Lasith Malinga grabbed two wickets for just six runs. Other two wickets were shared by Harbhajan Singh and IPL debutant Pawan Suyal.

Chennai’s 79 all out is perhaps the lowest total posted by any team this IPL season. It was their heaviest loss in the IPL in terms of runs. The previous lowest total was Daredevils’ 80 all out against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

However, things could have been worst if Kieron Pollard had not dropped Chennai opener Michael Hussey (22) thrice in three successive balls in the first over of the innings bowled by Mitchell Johnson.

Defeating Chennai, Mumbai Indians maintained their unbeaten run at home this season.

However, Chennai Super Kings is still at the top of the point table with 18 points from 12 matches. Mumbai Indians has jumped to third place with 14 points from 11 games.

Sean Williams leads Zimbabwe to level the series 1-1

Thanks to Sean Williams Zimbabwe could level the three-match ODI series 1-1 after beating the touring nation by six wickets with 13 balls left at hand.

When Zimbabwe was struggling at 94 for 3, Sean Williams came to bat. His career-best unbeaten 75-ball 78 innings which includes six fours and a six led his team to victory and keep their hope alive of sealing the series victory.

Williams was supported by Malcolm Waller who played a 39 runs innings and remained not out. They both put on 86 runs for the fifth wicket partnership.

Zimbabwe captain, Brendan Taylor, played a passionate innings of 37, while opener Vusi Sibanda scored 49 runs.

For Bangladesh, Shafiul Islam took two wickets and other two wickets were taken by Ziaur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan.

Winning the toss, the host nation invited Bangladesh to bat first. Due to the failure of top order batsmen, Bangladesh could not make a tough chasing score. Losing nine wickets they scored 252 runs.

It could be possible because of Abdur Razzak’s aggressive 22-ball 53 runs innings in which he hit five sixes and four boundaries. Nasir Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan respectively scored 36 and 34 runs.

Now, the third ODI match is the series deciding match for both of them. Both teams will have no option but win the final ODI match to ensure the series victory.

Shah Rukh Khan may host the Bigg Boss 7

There is a rumor that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will host the seventh edition of reality TV show Bigg Boss. His name has come after Salman Khan who had hosted the last three seasons, has not agreed to host the reality show due to his busy schedule. The latest edition of Big Boss is likely to be aired at the end of this year.

Salman Khan is packed with busy schedule and physical illness. He is busy with his movies this year and due to his business he has the strong possibility to not host the show.

He had to delay his home production Mental due to his court appearance and his medical check up.

It is said that he will finish shooting Mental by the end of this year and it may get release early next year.

It can be said that there is a very little possibility to see Salman Khan to host the reality show. If the rumor is to be believed then the show's producers may approach Shah Rukh Khan, who is considered Salman's arch-rival.  

Dwayne Bravo named ODI captain for ICC Champions Trophy

All-rounder, Dwayne Bravo, has replaced Darren Sammy after being appointed as the new ODI captain of West Indies cricket team. His first assignment as the ODI captain is the next month’s ICC Champions Trophy 2013 which is scheduled to begin on June 6.

West Indies cricket team has been consistently improving in Tests and T20s, but their performance in ODI format of cricket game is satisfactory. It is expected that the announcement of new captain will freshen the leadership of the team in this format.

Dwayne Bravo is one of the experienced and senior cricketers who has all the qualities to for being appointed as the ODI captain. The 29-year-old player has good record with both the bat and ball. Playing 137 matches, he has so far scored 2311 runs and taken 160 wickets.

He feels humble and at the same time honored to be named captain of the West Indies cricket team. Sammy congratulated him said he will give him full support.

Due to his finger injury, Kieran Powell was not selected in the squad announced for the Champions Trophy.

An analyst claims to have some of the details of Microsoft Surface 2

Microsoft has once again come at the centre of media attention after an industry analyst claims that they have some information of the much-rumored smaller version of the Microsoft Surface Windows tablet that is allegedly in development.

According to Richard Shim with NPD DisplaySearch, the Microsoft Surface 2 could have a 7.5-inch display with 1400 x 1050 resolution and pixel density of 233ppi.

On the contrary, the first generation of Surface Windows, Surface Pro, has a 10.6-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 that gives it a pixel density of 208ppi.

The Surface RT also has the same screen size. The main difference between Surface Pro and RT is its resolution and pixel density. Unlike the Surface Pro, it has 1366 x 768 resolution and 148ppi.

May be Microsoft has taken the decision to make smaller and less expensive tablet PCs to see its increasing demand over their lager counterparts.

According to the analyst, Microsoft is working to make the device as inexpensive as possible. It has come to know from a separate unconfirmed report that this device could be as low as $400.

Shim did not specify whether this device will run Windows RT or Windows 8 Pro.

Zync’s the Quad 10.1 tablet PC gets underway on Friday

India is a very important market for low-cost tablet PC. It has huge population and because of it many manufacturers both local and MNCs have been attracted to launch their products in this market. Tablet PC maker Zync on Friday launched its Android based Full HD tablet PC named Quad 10.1 in India for Rs. 14990.

This new tablet PC has a 10.1-inch Full HD screen with 1920x1200p display resolution. It runs on Google’s Android v4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with an Octa-core Mali MP4 graphics engine.

It includes other features are 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB via micro-SD card.

Amul Mohan, co-founder of Zync Global, told at the launch event that following the success of the Quad 8 and the Quad 9.7, the company is now entirely targeting the high-end affordable tablet market in the country. According to him, Quad 10.1 tablet PC is packed with premium features which comes with a very affordable price.

The Quad 10.1 tablet PC provides feature-rich specifications in a low price that has created a niche market for itself and giving stiff challenge to both MNCs and domestic counterparts in India.

SlateBook 10 x2 is probably the second Android Tablet from HP

HP recently announced SlateBook 10 x2 which is probably the second Android-based tablet PC from the company. Its “10” refers that it has a 10.1-inch screen. It will run on Android 4.2.2 operating system which is the very latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. This model will have a 1.8GHz Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor.

HP’s first Android-based tablet PC was HP Slate 7. It was sold for just $170. It is expected that the SlateBook 10 x2 is likely to be more expensive than Slate 7 due to its larger screen. It is thought that SlateBook 10 will probably increase the possibility that HP will include a keyboard dock for the tablet.

Some of the details of the tablet PC have come out to the public when someone most probably an HP employee benchmarked a prototype with AnTuTu.

This new model may help the company to compete with other companies existing in the market.

Toshiba announces WT310 to compete with Microsoft's Surface Pro

Toshiba has announced a new tablet PC named WT310 to compete with Microsoft's Surface Pro and other business tablets like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2. This new tablet PC will be launched in the UK by the end of June. However, it is yet to know the price of this device.

Toshiba said: "Optimized for business use, the WT310 includes a comprehensive range of features designed to aid mobile workers, no matter what job is at hand."

The WT310 is an 11.6-inch tablet PC which comes with Full HD touchscreen technology. It also comes with a DigitizerPen stylus for accuracy and also hand writing notes which can be converted into an editable document.

It includes other features are a a full size USB 3.0 port, micro-HDMI, an SD card slot, Wi-Fi with Intel Wireless Display and optional SIM-card slot for HSPA+/ 4G LTE support.

For connecting devices like a keyboard, mouse or external hard drive, it has an optional docking cradle that adds extra ports.

To protect the components of WT310 tablet PC from any damage caused by drop or heavy pressure, it comes with a 'resilient plastic coating'. It is pre-installed with Intel Anti-Theft software and the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) which safeguards local data.

Chanaka Welegedara recalls in the Sri Lankan squad for Champions Trophy

Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has been recalled in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad announced for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 which is scheduled to kick off on June 6.

This fast bowler has not played any ODI match since mid-2010. Even, after sustaining hamstring injury, he had to come back home mid-way through Sri Lanka's Test series in Australia last December.

The inclusion of two senior players Mahela Jayawardene and Rangana Herath were expected. They did not play in the last home ODI series against Bangladesh. Jayawardene was not selected due to his finger injury while Herath had been rested.

Batsman Upul Tharanga failed to make his position in the squad due to his poor form. He had a woeful series against Australia. Playing three innings, he accumulated 13 runs. Because of his poor form, he was not even selected in the main squad against Bangladesh.

Another player who was not picked for the tournament is spinner Ajantha Mendis. Batsmen Kithuruwan Vithanage and Angelo Perera, and allrounder Sachith Pathirana have not been picked in the squad.

South Africa declares 15-member squad without Jacques Kallis

South Africa has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2013 that will take place in England.

This time, South Africa will have to play without their in-form all-rounder, Jacques Kallis, who made himself unavailable due to personal reasons. It was a surprise decision taken by Kallis.

Since making his ODI debut in 1996, the 37-year-old has been the regular member of the Proteas in all forms of the game for nearly two decades. In his long career, he has scored 15,756 runs in 321 ODI matches and taken 270 wickets. He is the fifth highest run scorer in ODI history. Because of his performance, he was named as one of Wisden's cricketers of the year.

In order to ensure his fitness for Tests, he has not been playing in bilateral one-day series. He has expressed his desire to be a part of the South African squad at the 2015 World Cup. Now, he is currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

It is sure that his absence will affect the team’s performance. His experience would help his team to do well against the opponent teams in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Now, selectors will have to find an alternative to fill up his place. In that case, David Miller could be the best option for his replacement.

Batting all-rounders JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis have made their return after suffering from injury. After sustaining an ankle and Achilles injuries against Australia, Duminy has been out for six months. Their inclusion in the squad will strengthen the team. AB de Villiers will continue as captain and wicketkeeper.

Matches of the second biggest tournament will be played at the Oval, Cardiff and Edgbaston, which is the venue for the final on 23 June.

The opening match will be played between South Africa and India in Cardiff on June 6.

South Africa squad for ICC Champions Trophy:  AB de Villiers (capt & wk), Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Klleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

ICC announces three CSR partnerships to feature the ICC Champions Trophy

This year ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will be featured by three Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) organizations - Room to Read, UNAIDS and UNICEF. The ICC will be working with them to convey the global cricket AIDS awareness partnership ThinkWise.

They will be joined for this tournament by 'Chance to Shine', the Cricket Foundation's program responsible for getting cricket back into state schools across England and Wales.

While the tournament will kick off, the ICC will work with the partners to host a variety of coaching clinics and visits involving players from the eight participating teams. They will also provide tickets to matches and highlights each of the initiatives at various match days throughout the event.

This year ICC will celebrate its 10-year association with UNAIDS to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS.  

India will select players based on IPL 2013 performance

The ICC Champions Trophy is coming soon. Ahead of this second biggest cricket tournament, Indian selectors have decided to pick up players based on the IPL 2013 performance. They might announce a 30-member probable squad on May 6 though IPL lasts till May 26.

The name of the players who are almost sure to be included in the squad are Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan.

There are still five players to be picked up in the squad. Of these, at least three fast bowlers will have to be taken along with a seventh batsman and a second spinner.

Dinesh Karthik may make his inclusion in the squad as an extra wicket-keeper batsman. Amit Mishra may get chance to play in the national team as a second spinner.

Vinay Kumar’s performance in the ongoing IPL should make him one of the two pacers to be included in the squad. He has taken 15 wickets at 20.60. However, Umesh Yadav will have to struggle hard with Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and Ashok Dinda to be one of the two remaining bowlers.

Australia declares 15-member squad for ICC Champions Trophy

Australian selectors have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy that will take place in England next month. There is no uncapped player in the squad. Players who played in the last ODI series against West Indies were selected in the squad.

Selectors have included all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in the squad. James Faulkner also has made his place in the squad by showing his impressive performance in the ODI series against West Indies in February this year. Even Tasmanian player has showed his good form in the on going Indian Premier League (IPL) by claiming five wickets so far.

Four pace bowlers- Clint McKay, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, have been included in the squad. George Bailey has been named as the vice-captain.

Australia will start their campaign against the host nation England on June 8. The performance of the players will be observed strictly because Australia is scheduled to play the Ashes series after the ICC Champions Trophy.

Shahid Afridi wants to comeback in the Pakistan squad

Pakistan all-rounder, Shahid Afridi, has been going through a tough phase. The 33-year-old player is struggling hard to make his comeback in the national squad announced for the upcoming tours of Scotland, Ireland and England for the Champions Trophy in June. He has been dropped from the squad along with batsman Umar Akmal and fast bowler Sohail Tanvir.

Shahid Afridi claims that he is still better than most. However, he is out of form now. He was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the ODI series in India in December 2012. However, he was selected in the squad for South Africa as a leg-spinner. Due to his poor form, he was not the regular member of the Pakistan squad.

He cannot perform well both with batting and bowling. He will have to prove his skill to make his place in the squad and it is going to be a big challenge.

Mushfiqur Rahim pays honor to factory collapse victims by dedicating Test win over Zimbabwe

To pay tribute to several hundred of their compatriots who lost their lives in a factory collapse last week, Bangladesh cricket captain, Mushfiqur Rahim, dedicated his team’s victory over Zimbabwe in a Test match.

He told the reporters, "It's a very sad moment for us back home, so we really dedicate this win to those people who died in the tragedy".

Bangladeshi cricketers wore black armbands to show their unity with those affected by the tragedy. With a 143-run victory against the home team, Bangladesh level the series 1-1.

They felt sad for the death of these working class people. Mushfiqur confirmed that the team's thoughts had been with their compatriots.

Now, both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will face each other to play 3-match ODI series which will start from May 3 at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

Both teams will try their level best to win the series and improve their ranking.