Is Rasool the answer to India’s spin woes?

Kashmir-born Parveez Rasool made Australia dance to his off-spin with a seven-wicket haul for Board President's XI

Rasool being felicitated in Kashmir.


Chennai: October 17, 2009 is a day Parveez Rasool will never forget. Arriving in Bangalore for the under-22 CK Nayudu tournament with his Jammu and Kashmir teammates, Rassol got the shock of his life when Karnataka's anti-terrorism squad arrested him for alleged traces of explosives in his kit bag.
It was a false alarm, but Rasool spent 10 hours in police custody, facing intense interrogation. Such incidents can leave one mentally scarred, but Rasool emerged unscathed.

Like that dreadful day, February 12, 2013 is also a day Rasool would like to remember, albeit for happier reasons. In one of the biggest stages of his blossoming career, the 23-year-old off-spinner had a dream run, scalping seven wickets for the Board President's XI to leave the Australians in a spin on Tuesday.

The bowling all-rounder, as he likes to call himself, was not deterred by the big stage he found himself in at the Guru Nanak College ground. He troubled the Aussies with the bounce and natural loop he got from his high-arm action, and reaped the rewards.

This was his second international experience after he was selected to play for India 'A' against England last month and he enjoyed it.

Rasool is humble, as one would expect of someone who hails from Brijbehara, a small town in Anantnag district. "It's a great achievement to do well against a team like Australia. By God's grace if I get more chances, I'll look to do my best," he said.

Wipro, Siemens removed from Nifty

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Shares in software service exporter Wipro Ltd (NSI:WIPRO.NS - News) fell as much as 2.2 percent while power equipment maker Siemens Ltd (NSI:SIEMENS.NS - News) retreated on Thursday after India Index Services & Products Ltd said both companies would be removed from the Nifty on April 1.

India Index Services & Products announced the exclusion in a statement on Wednesday, adding private sector lender IndusInd Bank Ltd (NSI:INDUSINDBK) and iron ore producer NMDC Ltd (NSI:NMDC.NS - News) would be included in the Nifty index in their place.
Wipro shares were down 2.7 percent as of 9:37 a.m. Siemens, the Indian subsidiary of Siemens AG (GER:SIE.DE - News), was down 1.7 percent. However, NMDC shares rose 2.8 percent while IndusInd rose 0.5 percent.

Acer Iconia B1 tablet sells for Rs.7999

Acer released its 7” tablet, Acer Iconia B1-A71, in India last month. The price tag of Rs. 7999 for this device makes it a good deal for Indian buyers. It comes with the Android Jelly Bean 4.1 Operating System and weighs 320 grams.

7-inch diagonal WSVGA capacitive multitouch screen with 1024x600 resolution display. India has a big market for 7-inch tablets and there are many brands, like Micromax, Karbonn, Milagrow and HCL, that are competing in the price bracket of Rs.10,000 and below. This latest release though has better features.

Seven inches is a standard book page size, and a tablet of this size is comfortable for web browsing, reading eBooks, playing games, or watching videos. With the Acer Iconia B1, you can do all this and more.

Here are the features and specifications:
•    Display:  7-inch diagonal WSVGA capacitive multitouch screen with 1024x600 resolution display.
•    Operating System: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Operating System
•    Battery:  2,710 mAh battery
•    RAM and Storage:  512MB DDR3 memory, 8GB of internal storage, microSD expansion slot with up to 32GB support.
•    Processor: Mediatek dual-core 1.2GHz processor (MTK 8317T)
•    Camera: Front-facing 0.3-megapixel webcam
•    Connectivity: Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS
•    Dimensions: 197.4 mm x 128.5 mm x 11.3 mm

PHOTOS: Acer Iconia B1

Other tablets by Acer

Acer has also released two other tablets namely Iconia W5 and Iconia W7.

ICONIA W5
This 10.1-inch tablet comes with a key board. MS Windows 8 (32-bit) Operating System and Intel Atom processor power this device. It is priced at Rs. 43,000.00.


ICONIA W7
Iconia W7 is an 11.6-inch tablet with 1920×1080 Full-HD 10-point touch display. This device is powered by Windows 8 Operating System.

10 most affordable phablets in India

Byond Tech Electronics, an aggressively playing tech startup has launched the Phablet PII, a business-ready smartphone.  Good looks and excellent features for the price they ask. This supports two SIMs, a feature available only in Karbonn A 30, in this segment of phablets.

With a 5.7” screen (145mm), Phablet PII has the right blend for lag-free performance: Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, Dual Core 1GHz Advanced processor and 1GB RAM. 4GB internal storage memory is expandable to 32 GB.

byond phablet PII-Dual SIM, 1GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, 8MP and 3MP cameras, 2500 mAh b …
Screen:

The 5.7”, 5-point multi-touch capacitive screen gives 1280x720 HD IPS display for excellent video experience.

Cameras:

8MP Autofocus Primary camera with Auto flash comes with Panorama Mode which lets you capture bigger and longer allowing you to capture the entire picture, not just a part. The 3 MP front camera gives you amazing clarity whilst having video conversations with your family and friends around the world.   

Social media, Apps:

All major social media and instant messaging apps are integrated. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Skype… you name it and these social media platforms are there at your finger tips. And there is the vast android market of 600,000 apps for business, entertainment, sheer fun and pranks.

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth make sure that you will never have to worry about connectivity, no matter where you are.

Sensors:

It has G-sensor, Proximity sensor and Light Sensor. These sensors aid in seamless user interface, prevent accidental touch and also aid in saving valuable battery power.

Long lasting battery:

The Byond Phablet PII sports a 2500 mAh battery which gives you 100 hours of stand-by time enough for all your needs.

With an MRP of Rs. 14999/- the Byond Phablet PII is available on online stores like Flipkart.com and also across India through multiple dealers and distributors, at much lower prices.

South Korea unveils missile it says can hit North‘s leaders

South Korea unveiled a cruise missile on Thursday that it said can hit the office of North Korea’s leaders, trying to address concerns that it is technologically behind its unpredictable rival which this week conducted its third nuclear test. South Korean officials declined to say the exact range of the missile but said it could hit targets anywhere in North Korea.

The Defense Ministry released video footage of the missiles being launched from destroyers and submarines striking mock targets. The weapon was previewed in April last year and officials said deployment was now complete. “The cruise missile being unveiled today is a precision-guided weapon that can identify and strike the window of the office of North Korea‘s leadership,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said told reporters.

North Korea has forged ahead with long-range missile development, successfully launching a rocket in December that put a satellite into orbit. The North’s ultimate aim, Washington believes, is to design an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could hit the United States.

North Korea, which accuses the United States and its “puppet”, South Korea, of war mongering on an almost daily basis, is likely to respond angrily to South Korea flexing its muscles.

North Korea, technically still at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, carried out its third nuclear test on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from around the world including its only major ally China. The test and the threat of more unspecified actions from Pyongyang have raised tensions on the Korean peninsula as the South prepares to inaugurate a new president on February 25.

“The situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula at present is so serious that even a slight accidental case may lead to an all-out war which can disturb the whole region,” North Korea‘s official KCNA news agency said.