No Indo-Pak cricket is frustrating: Akhtar

Lahore: The continuing freeze on Indo-Pak bilateral cricket is "frustrating", says Shoaib Akhtar but the former pacer does not agree with PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf`s "politically incorrect" statement that the Indians are intimidated by the prospect of taking on an in-form Pakistan.

"Obviously it is frustrating the way the Indians have avoided playing us for some reason or the other all these years. But I think Zaka Ashraf`s statement was a bit too strong and he needed to be careful while giving comments because of his position as PCB Chairman," the former pacer said on a television show.

The fast bowler said he could understand the mindset of the PCB chief when he made the statement on relations with India.

"But it was a bit too strong. I think he meant that Pakistan in its current form could beat anyone. It is also a fact that since 1985 we have won more matches against India because we have produced some of the most exciting talent in international cricket," he said.

Akhtar, who retired during the 2011 World Cup, said it was unfortunate that Pakistan and India didn`t play against each other more often as it deprived the cricket followers in both countries of great contests.

PTI

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Lobbyist for Pakistan seeks US apology over NATO airstrikes

Pakistan’s chief lobbyist asked the United States to apologize for NATO airstrikes that inadvertently killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, according to Justice Department records. On Dec. 22, 2011, Mark Siegel, a partner at Locke Lord Strategies, emailed a nine-page memo to offices on Capitol Hill that detailed Pakistan s version of the events surrounding the airstrikes. The memo said that the incident "seriously damaged" the relationship between the Pakistani Army and U.S.-led NATO forces and aroused "suspicions in the rank and file of the Pakistan Army that it was a premeditated attack … conducted to undermine the sovereignty and stature of Pakistan." "Considering the circumstances of the 25/26 November attacks that resulted in the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers, an apology by the U.S. Department of Defense to the people of Pakistan would not be inappropriate," the memo concludes. Siegel noted in the memo that the document was prepared after “briefings by multiple officials of the Embassy of Pakistan." In an interview with The Hill, Siegel said his firm’s memo on the NATO airstrikes was sent to all lawmakers, chiefs of staffs and foreign policy legislative aides on Capitol Hill. “What we were attempting to do there was summarize the Pakistan version of events and compare it to the U.S. version of events and note where the two are in conflict,” Siegel said. Siegel said an apology still has not been offered to Pakistan for the airstrikes. “There have been expressions of regret but there has not been an apology,” Siegel said. “It certainly would have helped. Now, two months after the fact, it could still be helpful.”

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What's behind Nokia's ClearBlack display technology?

Nokia's ClearBlack Display technology has been announced in September 2010, and Nokia is using it in several phones (including the Lumia 900, Lumia 800 and older Symbian models such as the X7 and E7). We know that it includes polarizing filters to block incoming light. Today however Nokia finally revealed how it actually works:

A CBD filter includes both a linear polariser and retardation layers between the surface of your phone and the display. When light hits your screen, this is what happens:

1. It hits the linear polariser, this vertically polarises the light. (Polarising means – roughly – aligning the wave vibration in a particular direction).
2. Then it hits the circular polariser retardation layer. This converts the light again, making it right-circularly polarised.
3. Then it hits the screen and bounces off it, switching the rotation of the light to leftist.
4. It goes back through the retardation layer. When this happens, the light becomes horizontally polarised.
5. Finally, it hits the linear polariser, since the light is horizontally polarised at this point it can be blocked entirely by this optical solution.

So why doesn't the light from your phone’s display get blocked? Because it only goes through the second half of this journey so the light is unpolarised when it hits the final filter and goes through. In the photo below, we can see a normal C6-01 phone with a CBD display (on the left) and the same phone without the CBD layer (on the right):

Samsung also have a technology that reduces reflections - Super AMOLED displays which uses an on-cell touch layer. Apparently a Super-AMOLED and a CBD on AMOLED behave pretty much the same under direct sunlight.
source: Nokia's blog

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Australian farmer revolutionizes water-turbine technology

The Sundermann turbine "T3" prototype was tested in Hervey Bay, Queensland.

MELBOURNE — Fred Sundermann, an Australian farmer with a long history in design and innovations, has developed a bi-directionally low-head water turbine designed to maximize operational efficiency in slow water flows.

Turbines have been around for more than a century, but Sundermann Water Power (SWP) Limited (the business backing the technology) claims that the Sundermann Turbine (S-Turbine) is the most efficient in harnessing the power of water.

“The problem today is that all existing lo-tech turbine systems throughout the world are inefficient as such whereby the water that hits the blade flows either passes through or around the blade, thus making them inefficient,” SWP Chairman Mr Ed Gibson said in a video interview.

As detailed on the SWP website, the key to the turbine technology is in its gearbox and blade systems:

The turbine has a unique design in that its efficiency is achieved by the tilting of the power blades during the rotating cycle. The blades rotate half a revolution for each full rotation of the central shaft. This configuration allows each blade to contribute a unidirectional force to the central shaft, for virtually the entire rotational cycle. In this way they can efficiently utilize the kinetic energy of the moving water. The central shaft works the generator via a gearbox to produce emission free renewable energy. Electrical power is generated at a voltage of 690V.

The idea for a micro-hydro turbine system was first conceived by Mr Sundermann 10 years ago in Heyfield, Victoria. Later in 2006, he developed the first working prototype out of bike chains and although the turbine could only produced 1 KW of power, it proved that his design worked (see this video for a quick demo of the turbine in action).

The latest S-Turbine prototype, the T3, measuring 2.44 m high, 2.2 m long and 2 m wide, is made out of iron, recycled plastic and 2pac, a water resistant paint. SWP is currently investigating stainless steel options for future prototypes.

Last year, SWP tested the T3 in Hervey Bay, Queensland, to confirm that it was a fully functional turbine, with no inhibitors to the free rotation of the blades and gears while in operation.

The test was considered a success by the SWP, based on the proven operational functioning of the turbine, and it reaching, at times optimum performance for the fitted generators and consistently 70% of the generators maximum output.

The turbine was able to power three standard hot water system heater (elements) at a rate considered equal to that achievable with mains power in a typical household. It generated up to 6 KW of power with the ability to increase exponentially.

SWP has indicated that “The Sundermann Turbine is suitable for installations where water flow is either: in a single direction, such as rivers or ocean currents, or in tidal areas where the water flow reverses direction approximately every six hours.”

Running 24-hours a day, each turbine delivers up to 100 KW of power and multiple turbines can be combined to form a larger working unit, or ‘bank’ delivering up to 1 MW per bank.

“Scale them up to any size, if we have a big river, we can have them built into a weir shape; if there are big tidal differences, you can build them big. The blades are just doors virtually –- depending on the water floor,” Mr Sundermann said.

But there are some limitations to the turbine technology, namely its reliance on water flow and stable surfaces. “The water has to be 5 km of water speed, and the limitations are that we can’t put it in rivers with soft banks, it needs to have a solid base,” Mr Sundermann explained.

SWP indicated that the turbine is ideal for places with high rainfall such as Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile New Guinea and places in South-East Asia.

Portable and cost-effective, the water turbine is a particularly viable energy alternative for remote and isolated communities where infrastructure is not well developed.

“They are a plug-in power as they are dropped into a river stream and immediately start generating power that is free and renewable energy, and it lowers the use of diesel fuels, so we think we have fantastic potential for global application for that,” SWP Director Mr Leigh Benett said in an ABC Rural Report.

The SWP organization is currently going through the process of a Commercialization Australia grant and have reached stage two. Further testing of the turbine will ensure its reliability.

“We have proved it works, but we have to have it tested long term, so we know the bearings are OK and everything is right,” Mr Sundermann said. “We have to walk before we run, and we have to perfect the little ones before we get the big ones going,” Mr Sundermann said.

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The Curse of Child Servitude

A girl not more than ten years of age trying to lift quite a healthy kid up, who I am sure was heavier than her, to a ride. She loses her balance in an effort to do so. This was a scene I got to see at a famous fast food restaurant play area. Yes! That little girl was a servant to a big happy family. The parents sit alone and dine in while the servants babysit the mischievous kids. Babysitting of course includes feeding them, taking full care of them that they don’t get lost and also bearing with all their stubbornness.

Getting help of a servant is not bad at all, it’s just you should at least consider the age of a person before you hire him/her. How can you expect a kid, who herself/himself is not able to carry her/his own burden, to help you in a task you yourself can’t do alone? Think about your own kids for a while; what if they are made to do stuff you expect the little servants to do. You of course dread seeing that.

If women are too insecure of their female servants that they will steal away their husbands, they should be equally uncomfortable with their men sexually harassing these little servants. You cannot deny the fact that this happens a lot. Men should also take care of the fact that the servant they hire should be old enough to carry the burden of the work load they assign them.

Another excuse people give for child labor is that the children’s parents themselves bring the kids to them for this purpose. You cannot just blame them about it. You are equally at fault when you hire them than their parents or maybe more. If you are kind enough to help them, be sensible in doing so. Spend some money on their kids’ education and give them a better future. Getting them enrolled to a not-so-expensive school won’t be a tough job. You just will have to cut down your dine out routines a bit to help them.

People hire these little children not just as their domestic servants but also to their workplaces. One of the main reasons is that you get it cheap. Tea-stalls, workshops or any other place you see the kids working; it’s always the job tougher than they can bear. Worse is when the same little angels are made to do harsher jobs like molding bricks or making glass bangles. We should make an effort to bring a relief to these kids in some way. Even a change in our attitude or just a kind word can make a difference at times.

Just look at the kids who work at your houses or workplaces for a change and think about it; do they really deserve doing what they are? What if it was your kid instead of that poor soul? How do they feel, when they look at all those luxuries you provide your kids with, living at your house? I am sure you will feel bad. If you can’t do any good for them; stop doing bad. If you feel bad for them or their families; hiring them is not a solution. Walk in their shoes for a while and think of better ways to help them. Say no to child labor. It’s a crime, it’s a curse!

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10 Weird Facts About Valentines Day

As dates are closing to February 14, the whole town is painted red. Literally! Well Valentines day is one day that is loved by every happy couple. Heck even single people enjoy it with friends if there is no one special in their life. But like any other hallmark holiday this day too comes with its weird superstitions  and stories.

Here we have ten weird fact about Valentines day. So read on for the things that you did not know about the day of love. And please be careful about the color of flower you give when it comes to roses, the consequences might not be so pretty!

10. Dumping

53% of women in America would dump their boyfriends if they did not get them a present for Valentines day! and then we complain when people are materialistic!

9. History

In medieval times young men and women would write their names and place them in a bowl on February 14. Each would then draw names from the paper of the opposite sex and wear them on their sleeve. Hence the term” to wear your heart on your sleeve”.

8. Myths

It was once believed that if a woman saw a flying robin on Valentine’s day she would end up getting married to a sailor. If a sparrow was the bird she saw she would end up marrying a man that was poor and live a happy life, if she saw a goldfinch then she was to marry a man that was a millionaire. One can only wonder who she would marry if she saw a crow.

7. The Greatest Valentine

Teachers receive the most valentines followed by children, mothers, wives and sweethearts.

6. Spending

The average US Consumer is expected to spend $117 on gifts,meals and entertainment on valentines day.Men spend double as compared to women who spend approximately $76  and men spend $158

5. Profits

Chocolates and candy reaches a sale of $1011 billion on Valentines day  and nearly $1.7 billion worth of flowers are bought each year on valentines day.

4. Single People

For every 120 single men in their twenties there are a 100 single women. So the good ones are out there after all!

3. Kissing

Kissing helps reduce tooth decay because the extra saliva helps clean out your mouth. Also you burn 26 calories in a one minute kiss. Who says it isn’t healthy to smooch!

2. Flowers

15% of the women in America send flowers to themselves on valentines day.198 million red roses were produced for valentines day in 2010.However be careful when giving roses to a feminist they are also known as a symbolic woman zone! And if you want to stay just friends only in that case giving yellow roses is appropriate. In some countries white and yellow roses are used in funerals so be careful!

1. Chocolate

Richard Cadbury introduced the first box of chocolates on Valentines Day in the late 1800′s Physicians of the 1800′s commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.

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England need second-highest run chase in Test history for unlikely win over Pak

Azhar Ali scored a dogged 157 to push Pakistan's lead to 323 in the Dubai Test © Associated Press

England at last saw the back of Azhar Ali, but still need to pull off the second-highest run chase in their Test history to avoid a 3-0 whitewash against Pakistan.

Azhar's painstaking career-best 157 spanned six sessions and almost nine hours, before the number three was ninth out in Pakistan's 365 all out on the third evening at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

England were therefore left with more than six and a half sessions to make 324, on a wearing pitch which had already helped spinners Monty Panesar (five for 124) and Graeme Swann share eight wickets.

They made an acceptable start to their mission improbable, openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss reprising the roles played by their great antecedents Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, the last and only other time England made so many to win - against Australia in Melbourne in 1929.

Cook and Strauss achieved a notable first for this series at least, when they surpassed their previous highest opening partnership of 27 on this disappointing tour - reaching 36 for none at the close.

They had a scrape each before stumps, Cook dropped by Taufeeq Umar off Umar Gul at third slip on four and Strauss rightly given not out on 14 - even after DRS - when he got his pad outside the line on impact against Mohammad Hafeez's off-spin.

Azhar's 442-ball vigil had been a triumph of unstinting concentration, shot selection and restraint - taking in a stand of 216 with Younus Khan (127), and containing just 10 fours and one six.

But Pakistan's last seven wickets then fell for only 34 runs in 21 overs, to give world number ones England a glimmer of hope that their batsmen might yet redeem themselves here.

Younus predicted yesterday that the tourists could still have a chance in this match, if their luck held. Equally, having watched Azhar's unflustered tour de force, it seemed they might collectively do worse than take their cue from him.

Azhar was in absolutely no hurry on the way to his second Test hundred and beyond, having previously reached exactly three figures on this same ground against Sri Lanka last year.

He eventually reached the milestone from the 319th ball he faced, with one of the most memorable shots of his long innings - a cut off Panesar for his fifth four.

He might have gone before his third-wicket partner Younus, for 84, but survived when Swann was just unable to hang on to a tough chance at second slip, very low to his left off the bowling of James Anderson.

Instead England's only breakthrough this morning came when Stuart Broad had Younus lbw on the front foot - DRS indicated the ball would have clipped the very top of middle-stump - after a five-hour stay which had helped to shut England out for 82 overs.

Younus was replaced by captain Misbah-ul-Haq, another batsman content to make the most of the ample time available in this well-progressed match.

He and Azhar duly added another 87, until Misbah fell lbw pushing forward to Panesar in late afternoon to kickstart the rush of wickets.

There was no DRS left for Asad Shafiq, sweeping at Panesar to become the 40th lbw victim of this head-scratching series, and Adnan Akmal was soon bowled for a duck by one that turned to beat his defence and hit off-stump.

Swann then scored his first successes, after 32 overs in vain.

Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal were both caught at slip shortly before tea - and then Azhar fell bat-pad to the off-spinner, and Panesar completed the innings with yet another lbw to account for Gul.

Meanwhile, Tim Bresnan arrived in Dubai this afternoon in time to watch the final session here, having undergone fitness tests in Yorkshire on the elbow injury which ruled him out of the Test series.

England hope the seamer will be available for four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against Pakistan, starting on February 13. (The mirror)

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Pakistan is going to whitewash England: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan's former captain and flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi feels the team is capable of handing out a 3-0 whitewash to world number one England given the way it dominated the first two Tests.

Pakistan enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead over the English. "I think Pakistan will complete a clean sweep in the third Test. They can whitewash England," Afridi told reporters at a function to launch the autobiography of former chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed.

Afridi said Pakistan enjoyed a psychological hold over the English batsmen.

"I see this series as the best opportunity for Pakistan to win the series 3-0. As they keep on winning they are getting hungrier for success and that is always the first sign of a team turning into a top class side," he said.

"Another good thing is that all the players realise their responsibility and are contributing and supporting each other on the field."

The all-rounder, who will join the team for the one-day and Twenty20 matches against England from next week, said Pakistani players have made winning a habit.

"After winning the first two Tests, the morale and confidence in the team is very high," he added.

Afridi, who was captain of the one-day side until last May, said that the way Pakistan are improving, they could soon match the feats of other great teams.

"Pakistan has the potential to be as good as the Australians were at one time," he said.

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