Spain make history in all-European final

Not only did Spain become first-time winners of the FIFA World Cup at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium on Sunday by defeating the Netherlands 1-0, La Roja also made history as the first European nation to win the global football championship outside their own continent.
If that was not achievement enough, Vicente del Bosque's squad became the second nation in history – after West Germany in 1972 and 1974 – to lift the World Cup on the back of success in the UEFA European Championship, La Roja having won UEFA EURO 2008. Spain, who edged out the Oranje thanks to Andrés Iniesta's extra-time winner, are the eighth country to lift the coveted prize after Uruguay, Italy, West Germany/Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina and France.
That two teams from Europe were able to vie for this accomplishment in the first finals staged on African soil was a remarkable achievement, especially when put in its historical context. Only six European teams had previously reached a World Cup showpiece in the eight finals staged on other continents – and each time they did so in a losing cause.
Czechoslovakia lost to Brazil in Chile in 1962, Italy did likewise in Mexico in 1970, before the Netherlands (in their second final defeat) were undone by hosts Argentina eight years later. The same South American opponents vanquished West German hopes in Mexico in 1986, then Brazil accounted for Italy in the United States in 1994 and overcame Germany in Japan in 2002.
Sunday's showpiece encounter was also the second successive World Cup decider involving two of Europe's finest, yet it was only the eighth overall in 19 editions of the tournament:
• 2006 (Germany): Italy 1-1 France (aet, Italy win 5-3 on penalties)
• 1982 (Spain): Italy 3-1 West Germany
• 1974 (West Germany): Netherlands 1-2 West Germany
• 1966 (England): England 4-2 West Germany (aet)
• 1954 (Switzerland): West Germany 3-2 Hungary
• 1938 (France): Italy 4-2 Hungary
• 1934 (Italy): Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia (aet)
Spain – who had not participated in a World Cup semi-final until their defeat of Germany on Wednesday – and the Netherlands had never met in this tournament or the UEFA European Championship prior to kick-off on Sunday. Their nine previous encounters, beginning with a 3-1 Spanish victory in the final of the 1920 Olympic football event, included four wins apiece.
While Spain were their continent's ninth finalist after Germany, Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, England, Sweden and, of course, the Netherlands, the Oranje – as purveyors of so-called total football – lost successive finals in 1974 and 1978. In taking on Spain, a fixture which increased Europe's total of World Cup final appearances to 25, Bert van Marwijk's squad had the chance to make it third time lucky, most notably when Arjen Robben was denied by Iker Casillas when one on one with the Spain goalkeeper midway through the second half of a tense encounter.
It was a miss which would prove costly as Spain ultimately went on to become world champions and, in the process, win the trophy by scoring just eight goals in seven games, three strikes fewer than the previous lowest tally, 11, set by England in 1966 and Brazil in 1994.

Spain becomes soccer's new world leader

Spain rules the soccer world, winning the FIFA World Cup at long, long last.
The triumph came after an exhausting 1-0 victory in extra time over the Netherlands on Sunday. Two years after winning the European title, the stylish Spaniards did even better.
This was a physical test of attrition that sometimes turned dirty — a finals-record 13 yellow cards were handed out and the Dutch finished with 10 men. In the end, it was Andrés Iniesta breaking free in the penalty area, taking a pass from Cesc Fàbregas and putting a right-footed shot from eight yards just past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
"When I struck it, it just had to go in," Iniesta said.
For the Dutch and their legions of orange-clad fans wearing everything from jerseys to jumpsuits to clown gear to pajamas, it was yet another disappointment.
Even with their first World Cup title tantalizingly within reach, they failed in the final for the third time. This one might have been the most bitter because, unlike in 1974 and 1978, the Netherlands was unbeaten not only in this tournament, but in qualifying for the first World Cup staged in South Africa.
Soccer City was soaked in Oranje, from the seats painted in that hue throughout the stadium to pretty much everyone seated in them. Unlike when they lost to hosts West Germany and Argentina in previous finals, the Dutch were something of a home team this time.
The Spaniards, though, were the winners.
"We have all done an incredible job," Iniesta said. "I don't think we even realize what we have done."
They had pockets of supporters, too, to be sure, dressed in red and scattered around the stadium. They might have been the minority, but when the final whistle blew, they were tooting their vuvuzelas the loudest in tribute to their champions.
The goal came off a turnover by the Dutch defence that Fàbregas controlled just outside the penalty area. Iniesta stayed on the right and sneaked in to grab the pass and put his shot to the far post. Stekelenburg barely brushed it with his fingertips as it soared into the net.
Iniesta tore off his jersey after the goal and raced to the corner where he was mobbed by his teammates. Several Dutch players wiped away tears as they received their medals as runners-up — yet again. They won every qualifying match and all six previous games in South Africa before the bitter ending.
The Netherlands now has more victories in World Cup games without a title than any nation: 19. Spain had held that dubious record with 24.
The Spaniards saluted their fans with arms raised high, then lifted their coach, Vicente del Bosque, in the air in celebration.
"This is immeasurable for Spain," Del Bosque said.
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas, the captain, accepted the trophy from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, kissed it and raised it for all to see while cameras flashed and confetti flew throughout the still-full stadium.
Soon, the entire team and staff gathered at midfield for a group photo. The players bounced up and down to the World Cup theme song, then took a victory lap as the trophy was passed to each member of the squad.
"It's the most beautiful that there is. It's spectacular," Iniesta said, referring to the gold ball.
Aside from a European title in 1988, the Dutch have been classic underachievers on the pitch. Results never matched the talent. These were no Dutch masters.
Yet the Spaniards haven't been much better. Other than Euro championships in 1964 and 2008, they rarely have contended in major tournaments. At least the Netherlands made those two World Cup finals and also got to the semifinals in 1998.
Second-ranked Spain started this World Cup in the worst way, losing to Switzerland. But Spain won every game after that, including a 1-0 victory over powerful Germany that was far more one-sided than the score indicated. No other nation has won the World Cup after losing its opener.
Yet the most dangerous player Sunday was Netherlands forward Arjen Robben. He had a rare breakaway in the 62nd minute after a brilliant through pass from Wesley Sneijder. He had the ball on his preferred left foot, but a charging Casillas barely got his right leg on the shot to deflect it wide of the gaping net.
Then it was Stekelenburg's turn, holding his ground after a misplay in front of the net gave the ever-potent Villa an open shot.
As play opened up, the crowd of 84,490 got quieter in nervous anticipation of the goal that would win the World Cup.
Robben again looked as though he might get it with a burst of speed past the defence, but Casillas sprinted from his net and smothered the ball before Robben could take a shot.
A second straight World Cup final headed into extra time, with the goalkeepers unbeatable. Stekelenburg, relatively inexperienced on the international level, made a spectacular left leg save when Fabregas broke free early in overtime

Bangladesh seal historic victory

Bangladesh won for the first time in 25 matches and enjoyed their first victory over England in any format with a stunning five-run success in the second one-day international in Bristol on Saturday. They defended a seemingly below par total of 237 to bowl England out for 231 with three balls to spare. Bangladesh
had lost 24 matches in all formats since beating Zimbabwe by one wicket in a one-day international in Chittagong in November and came into this match on the back of Thursday's six-wicket series-opening loss at Trent Bridge. But now they can dream of winning the three-match series 2-1 in the concluding match at Edgbaston on Monday.
England nearly avoided an embarrassing defeat thanks to Jonathan Trott's career-best 94.
However, Trott, in his first ODI since playing against his native South Africa in Port Elizabeth in November, was last man out when caught behind off Shafiul Islam.
The paceman held his nerve to finish with two wickets for 38 runs.
Admittedly Ian Bell - who made 84 not out at Trent Bridge on Thursday - did not come out to bat until England were nine wickets down and needing 10 off the last over, after breaking his foot while diving to try to take a catch during Bangladesh's innings.
But the Tigers were without Raqibul Hasan, who top-scored for them with 76 at Trent Bridge but had his toe broken by a James Anderson yorker in the process and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who was ruled out after being hit in the face during the same match.
England collapsed to 115 for five and were 166 for seven in the 40th over when Stuart Broad joined Trott.
The duo got the target down to 36 off five overs and Trott then clipped left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for four.
But their stand of 43 was broken when Broad, on 21, was well caught by a leaping Shakib at backward point off a flashing square drive from Mortaza's first ball back.
England, eight wickets down, now needed 28 off 23 balls.
They required 23 off the last two overs and then Trott inside edged a four off Mortaza before, next ball driving him down the ground for a boundary.
However, off the final ball of the penultimate over, Anderson was caught and bowled for two by Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza.
Bell, with Eoin Morgan as a runner, came out to bat but Trott was on strike.
Trott took twos off the first two balls but was caught behind off the next to end a 129-ball innings that featured just eight fours.
England saw captain Andrew Strauss (33) and Craig Kieswetter (20) make a rapid start.
But paceman Rubel Hossain, in for dropped spinner Faisal Hossain, struck twice as both openers, as happened on Thursday, fell in quick succession.
Strauss tried to uppercut Rubel but succeeded only in steering to stand-in keeper Jahurul Islam.

And 49 for one became 58 for two when the same duo dismissed Kieswetter.
And, next ball, that might have been 58 for three.
Paul Collingwood, whom replays suggested should have been given out caught behind for a golden duck, had made 10 when he was lbw to spiner Abdur Razzak.
Replays indicated he'd got an inside edge but Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf give him out and England were 86 for three.
Eoin Morgan was then lbw, hitting across the line, for one to Razzaq before Michael Yardy (10) was bowled by a ball that kept low from Shakib.
Earlier Bangladesh had been restricted to a seemingly modest total of 236 for seven after Strauss won the toss.
But Bangladesh opener Imrul Kaye made a valuable 76 in an innings where the next best contribution was Mahmudullah's 24 not out.
Ajmal Shahzad, recalled in place of fellow Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan, took an ODI best of three wickets for 41 runs.

Germany 3rd at World Cup after seesaw match

Sami Khedira scored with a header in the 82nd minute to give Germany a 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup third-place match Saturday.

"We had hoped for more, and we did everything for it," Khedira said. "This was some kind of final and we did everything for it. We have a young team and set an exclamation mark here and can reach more."
Thomas Mueller had put Germany up 1-0 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and teammate Marcell Jansen's goal tied the match at 2-2 after Uruguay had gone ahead.

Germany finished with 16 goals in seven tournament games, and Germany coach Joachim Loew, his voice still hoarse from the flu, said his team was going home "with a very good feeling."
Uruguay got goals from Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan in a match played amid a downpour. Forlan hit the crossbar with a free kick blast on the final play of the match, in stoppage time.

"Obviously it's something spectacular to be among the top four," said Forlan. "If someone would've asked us at the beginning, we would've liked it. It's something positive."
Forlan and Mueller each finished with five goals, tying them for the World Cup lead with two players who will compete in Sunday's final, David Villa of Spain and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands.
Germany has now finished in the World Cup top three on 11 occasions. Uruguay hasn't finished in the top three since its 1950 championship, placing fourth for a third time.

Miroslav Klose's aching back prevented him from playing for Germany. Klose is left one shy of Ronaldo's World Cup record 15 goals. Klose's replacement was Cacau.

As often happens in third-place matches at the tournament, offensive chances were plentiful.
Arne Freidrich headed a cross off the bar early in the first half for Germany, which would score just a few minutes later.
Bastian Schweinsteiger drilled a shot that Fernando Muslera saved, but the goalie was then at the mercy of Mueller, who was all alone to put the rebound into the net in the 19th minute.
Mueller had missed the semifinal loss to Spain due to a suspension.

Schweinsteiger was culpable on Uruguay's first goal nine minutes later, stripped of the ball by Diego Perez. The turnover set up a chance for Cavani down the left side, and he made no mistake with his low shot on veteran 36-year-old goalkeeper Joerg Butt, who made his first World Cup start in place of Manuel Neuer.

Dhoni: Life, Marriage, Cricket & more

Marriage between dhoni and sakshi singh rawat held yesterday night. Sakshi was MSD’s childhood friend and the engagement was over on 3rd july 2010. The marriage was planned to be held after India – Australia tour but suddenly the marriage took place yesterday evening. John Abhraham, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Ashish Nehra and Rp Singh attended their Captain’s Marriage and it is the biggest surprise of the year so far and we Congratulate MS Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Rawat and wish them a wonderful Married life ahead.

From Bollywood actresses like Bipasha Basu and Shilpa Shetty to legendary playback singer Asha Bhonsle and cricketer Yuvraj Singh all came together on Twitter to bless the 28-year-old Dhoni and 23-year-old Sakshi with health, happiness and prosperity. Dhoni’s Team India collegue Yuvraj Singh also wished him and Sakshi a great life ahead. “Got to know Mahi is getting married! Congratulations Dhoni and Sakshi. Hope u have a great life together. God bless!!Yuvi and family,” Yuvraj wrote on his twitter page. Former skipper Kapil Dev also congratulated Dhoni. BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan and owner of Chennai Super Kings skippered by Dhoni in the IPL, who was present at the wedding ceremony at Dehradun, said it is a “memorable day” for Dhoni.

Nadal wins Wimbledon for 2nd time

Rafael Nadal has won his second Wimbledon title in three years, blowing out upstart Tomas Berdych in straight sets on Sunday.
Nadal's 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory gave him his eighth career Grand Slam singles title. The Spaniard, who captured his fifth French Open crown last month, is now tied for sixth with Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi on the list of major winners in the Open era.
"After not an easy year for me, to be back at my favourite tournament of the world and to play well another time, and not only play well [but] to finish with the trophy, is amazing for me," Nadal said.
The 24-year-old is halfway to matching Roger Federer's all-time record of 16 Grand Slam men's singles championships.
Despite being ranked No. 1 in the world heading into Wimbledon, Nadal received the second seed out of respect for Federer's grass-court prowess. But the six-time champ fell in the quarter-finals to the 12th-seeded Berdych and will drop to No. 3 in the world when the new ATP rankings are released.
Semifinalist Novak Đjoković will knock Federer, who turns 29 next month, out of the top two for the first time since November 2003.
Nadal tightened his grip on the top spot with Sunday's bloodless victory over Berdych, a rangy Czech who was appearing in his first Grand Slam final at the age of 24.
Fortified by his semifinal appearance at the French Open, Berdych put together another impressive run at Wimbledon, dominating Federer over four sets in the quarters before upsetting Đjoković in straight sets to reach the final.
But Berdych was no match for the relentless Nadal, who held all 15 of his service games in the final. Nadal broke serve four times, the last one sealing the championship when he ripped one of his pinpoint crosscourt winners past Berdych after the Czech pushed toward the net.
Berdych hoped to benefit from his surprising appearance in the Wimbledon final.
"I hope it gives me a lot of confidence … to be stronger for next time," said Berdych, who later mentioned he was bothered by an abdominal muscle injury.
Nadal might have been celebrating a third straight Wimbledon title if not for the knee problems that forced him to skip last year's tournament, an experience he called "one of the toughest moments in my career" after Sunday's victory.
Seemingly free of the tendinitis that plagued him for much of 2009, Nadal will take another shot at completing the career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in August. His inability to win the New York tournament has been an attacking point for critics who hypothesize that Nadal's all-out playing style leaves him drained by the time the season's final major rolls around.
"For sure the U.S. Open is going to be one of my goals for the rest of my career," Nadal said. "But right now [my goal] is to enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party, and Mallorca."

Zaheer's absence a golden opportunity for youngsters: Kirmani

Kolkata: Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan's absence from the India-Sri Lanka Test series is a golden opportunity for the youngsters, including Karnataka fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun, to prove their mettle in the highest level, feels former stumper Syed Kirmani.

"I think, Zaheer's absence will be a good opportunity for the youngsters to fill the gap. It's a motivating factor for them," Kirmani, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, said.
Kirmani made it clear that he has no doubt about Mithun's potential but reminded that all will depend on performance. "Mithun has tremendous potential. He has it in him to go all the way up. But all depends on how he conducts," said Kirmani, also the Chairman of Karnataka's state selection panel.

Zaheer has been ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury.
On the three-match series, the 60-year-old said, "It all depends on the individual form of the players. It will be a keenly-contested series for sure and the key would be consistency."
The first of the three Tests begins at Galle on July 18. Disappointed with the performance of young cricketers in Zimbabwe, Kirmani said they should take a lesson from iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
"The youngsters should take the classic example of Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest cricketer in the world at this moment. He is full of discipline, the youngsters should emulate him," Kirmani said.
Kirmani also praised Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. "He is in the team (for the Sri Lanka series), obviously the second best at the moment. But let's not be pessimistic about Dhoni or anybody in the team. We hope our full strength team to perform always. Saha should consider himself very lucky. He should make use of his opportunity. I hope that he get a chance to perform at the highest level," he said.

On the retirement of world's leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan, who is to quit after the first Test, Kirmani said, "His words for Harbhajan Singh are really encouraging. Records are meant to be broken. There will always be somebody who will go past you. Even Sir Donald Bradman's (highest century) record was broken by (Sunil) Gavaskar and later Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him. Only time will say it all," he added.
Muralitharan recently said among the current crop of slow bowlers, only Harbhajan can match his record of scalping nearly 800 Test wickets. Brand ambassador of Widex Hi-definition Hearing, Kirmani was in the city to distribute hearing aids to the differently-abled children.

FIFA hopes Mandela can present trophy

Nelson Mandela faces a late fitness test to see if he is well enough to present the World Cup trophy on Sunday.

The beloved former South African president is now 91 and only makes limited public appearances due to health concerns. He has been seen little during the tournament, but it is hoped he will be well enough to attend the final between Spain and the Netherlands and hand over the gold prize to the champion.
FIFA is so keen to have the iconic image of Mandela presenting the trophy that it is taking the unprecedented step of waiting until the day of the match for final confirmation of his availability. Likewise, Mandela is determined to be there as the curtain comes down on the biggest event in South Africa’s sporting history.

“If he comes and stays to the end of the final then it is possible that he will present the trophy,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter. FIFA historically guards the identity of the trophy-giver with secrecy. However, multiple FIFA and tournament sources confirmed there is no doubt that Mandela would be given the honor if he is there.
Mandela and his advisers have set his Sunday schedule in order to give FIFA maximum notice of his availability or otherwise. According to a FIFA source, he has told Blatter that he will rise, as usual, at 4.30 a.m. local time and embark upon a regime of very light exercise. Between 5-5:30 a.m. he will be examined by his personal physician, who will evaluate whether he is in good enough condition to manage the exertions of attending the final. FIFA has been told to expect notification by 6 a.m.
“Mr. Mandela and Sepp Blatter are very close and there is a huge level of respect on both sides,” a FIFA source told Yahoo! Sports. “They go back many years and this event means a great deal to both of them.
“That respect comes into play here. [Mandela] wants to give FIFA time to formulate their plans and it goes without saying that we would love to have him present the World Cup.”

Mandela has long been a believer in the power of sports to unify the South African population. The recent film “Invictus,” which drew heavily from his personal memoirs, revealed how he defied medical advice in order to attend the final of the Rugby World Cup in 1995, when he handed over the trophy to victorious South Africa captain Francois Pienaar.
The statesman has made only fleeting appearances during this tournament, partly due to his health and partly because of the tragic death of his great-granddaughter Zenani, who was killed in a car accident while traveling home from the World Cup kickoff concert in Soweto on June 10.
“We all know the reason why Madiba could not attend the opening ceremony also at Soccer City, due to sad bereavement in his family,” said Blatter, referring to Mandela by his honorary title. “But we hope he can attend the final. Presenting the trophy would be a fitting honor for South Africa and Africa as he was one of the driving lights to bring the World Cup to South Africa.”

Spain's record in previous tournaments

Spain's World Cup record.

1930 Did not qualify

1934 Quarter-finals

1938 Did not enter

1950 Fourth

1954 Did not qualify

1958 Did not qualify

1962 Group stage

1966 Group stage

1970 Did not qualify

1974 Did not qualify

1978 First group stage

1982 Second group stage

1986 Quarter-finals

1990 Second round

1994 Quarter-finals

1998 Group stage

2002 Quarter-finals
2006 Second round

Netherlands' record in previous tournaments

Netherlands' World Cup record.

1930 Did not enter

1934 First round

1938 First round

1950 Did not enter

1954 Did not enter

1958 Did not qualify

1962 Did not qualify

1966 Did not qualify

1970 Did not qualify

1974 Runners-up

1978 Runners-up

1982 Did not qualify

1986 Did not qualify

1990 Second round

1994 Quarter-finals

1998 Fourth

2002 Did not qualify

2006 Second round

Indian Government May Ban Skype And Gmail.com

According to the reports, the Indian Government is going to ask many online services and telecom operators to ensure that the data going through their networks be made available to security agencies. The Department of Telecom (DoT) will soon call representatives of RIM (Blackberry), Gmail and Skype – and order them to “open” their data for security agencies, failing which may result into a ban.
Moreover, the Indian government is going to introduce a law that would make it compulsory for the foreign companies to provide complete access to their data transfer or set up a local server here.
Many online services allow users to opt for highly encrypted data transfer. Gmail.com offers completely encrypted services to all users. This has worried the security and intelligence departments, as such services are difficult to be tracked and can be misused against the country.

Philips GoGear Vibe – An alternative to Shuffle

Sum and Substance:

Thumbs Up:

Good quality of music, comes with a screen which is really great for such a lot price player.

Thumbs Down:

Bundled ear buds have poor quality.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Philips GoGear Vibe has a 4 GB integrated memory; the headphones have 84 dB signal to noise ratio, the player weighs 1.2 oz. The unit is 4.6 inches high, 2.6 inches wide, and 1.7 inches deep. The bundled software includes Philips Media Converter software and standard utilities & drivers. Supported audio formats are MP3 and WMA. Sample rate is 8-48 KHz, response bandwidth is 20-18000 Hz, supported bit rate is 8-320 kbps, the screen is 1.5 inches big and has a 128×128 pixels resolution.
Additional features include USB 2.0 compatibility, Volume control, Upgradeable firmware and SuperScroll. Factory equalizer presets include Jazz, Techno, Hip Hop, Classic, and Rock. The player has 20 presets for FM. You get binaural ear buds and USB cable bundled with the player. The device runs on 290 mAh lithium polymer battery. Supported OS for computer connectivity are Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later and Microsoft Windows Vista.

Razzle Dazzle:

The player might not look the sexiest but we were interested at its compact design. Philips GoGear Vibe is 2.5 inches high, 0.25 inch thick, 1.25 inches wide which lets you slip the device easily in your pocket.

Inside Dope:

Philips GoGear Vibe may not be as good as iPod and we think it was not made to compete directly with the Apple’s product anyways. Still, this is a really affordable (just $50) MP3 player and gives the Shuffle a good for the money. In terms of the design, the player looks pretty attractive. Inside the package, you get an installation software, booklet, ear buds, and USB adapter. The device has a glossy surface and it surely attracts a lot of finger prints. The body is really small and this will easily fit in to the tightest of jeans. But, we didn’t like the buttons, as they were quite stiff to press. There is also a cheap clicking sound when you press the buttons. However, looking the price point, this is forgivable. The player is excellent for portability, it cuddles nicely in your palm and looking at the tiny size, we would recommend this for gym work outs. The battery has a rated life of 25 hours for audio and for video, it is four hours.

Philips GoGear Vibe integrates well with Windows Media Player; it gets recognized by the software immediately when you plug in the device to your computer. We used WMP (Windows Media Player) for playing all our tracks and so we were glad that it supported the player so well. For creating play lists, all we had to do was drag and drop.
Menu feature set on the Philips GoGear Vibe is typical of music player; you can control the quality of sound through equalizer settings and also see song titles. The screen is just 1.5 inches big but Philips does really well fitting in the album art and track information on the display. The interface, overall, is simple and clean. Options for playback include standard playback and shuffle. You don’t have the scroll wheel or any of the cool touch screen features but the cross pad still is user friendly. The Back and Play button are easy to operate. Along with the player, there is a reference manual which gives detailed information about the player features. This will be really handy if you are new to the MP3 music player world. But for people like us who drool on gadgets all day, getting along with this device doesn’t take more than ten minutes.
Philips GoGear Vibe’s audio quality is not that good when heard through the bundled headphones. We took this off and replaced it with our Bose headphones. The sound quality now was as good as the iPhone. What we mean to say here is that the bundled ear buds are not good but we won’t complain about that here looking at the low price.
Philips GoGear Vibe also has FM radio. The supported audio formats are WMA and MP3. Other features include photo viewing and voice recording. This device also has video playback capabilities but we were skeptical about watching the clips on such a tiny screen. We put some videos on the player and our worst fears came true. The small screen has awful resolution and it is really poor in displaying videos. You also have to convert your clips in some low end format (software for this is provided) so we won’t recommend you watching movies on this player. Don’t buy this if you are just looking for a dedicated video player.
This player is made for music enthusiasts who are on a stiff budget. Switch the headphones and the audio quality will be as good as your iPod. Thus, the price and sound quality are the best features on of this player.

Nitty Gritty:

Swap the ear buds for some good quality headphones and you will have stellar sound quality from the Philips GoGear Vibe. It has a compact design and so we would recommend this player while working out in the gym.

Apple hits three million iPad sales in 80 days

Apple® today announced that it sold its three millionth iPad™ yesterday, just 80 days after its introduction in the US. iPad is a revolutionary and magical product that allows users to connect with their apps, content and the Internet in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.

“People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month.”

Developers have created over 11,000 exciting new apps for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch™ user interface, large screen and high-quality graphics. iPad will run almost all of the more than 225,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®.

Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

The Complete iPhone 4th Generation Review

Well today is the day that we have all been waiting for and the 4th generation iPhone is as promised a definite A+ upgrade to the iPhone era! If you have been paying attention to the Apple rumors in the past couple months you probably would of heard of the stolen iPhone prototype. Too much of that story’s speculation it turns out that the new iPhone 4th generation will feature the same overall design as the prototype reviewed by Gizmodo. However enough talk about the past, lets get right in to reviewing the 4th generation iPhone…

If you take a look at the picture above you will definitely see how the new iPhone 4th generation looks like the prototype that was found.  Lets take a look at some of the general features that are new to the iPhone 4th gen and then we will get into more detail on the iPhone’s features.

• Overall Design: The new iPhone is only 9.3 mm thick (that’s 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS) but actually weighs 3 more grams than the iPhone 3GS. Apple dropped the rounded hinds design and adopted a box like structure for the new iPhone 4th generation (Both White and Black Designs will be available). Apple also added both Glass on the front and the back of the iPhone which will help in preventing scratches.
• Camera Functionality: When you look at the new iPhone 4th generation a lot of the new features come through the added Front-facing camera.With this new front facing camera, the iPhone opens up to Video chat. Along with the front facing camera the iPhone receives 5MP cameras with 720p high definition video recording.  Want to take pictures in the dark? No problem with the iPhone 4th gen LED flash is included for low light photos.
• Say Goodbye to SIM: The new iPhone 4th generation features functionality for Micro SIM cards instead of normal SIM cards.
• Improved Sound Quality: Sound quality was also something that has been improved upon in the new iPhone 4th generation as a second microphone was added for sound cancellation enhancement.
• No More Antennas: Tired of antennas that you can see? Well this issue has been fixed in the new iPhone 4th generation as Integrated antennas were built into the actual frame of the iPhone.
• Highest Definition Mobile Screen: The new iPhone features an OLED 326 pixels per inch display that is 960×640 in resolution ( Apple calls it the Retina Display ).  The new screen has four times as many pixels as the current iPhone 3GS.
• Better Performance: This new iPhone will be Powered by Apple’s A4 chipset which will bring some serious boosts in performance.
• Did Someone Say Gyroscope?: The one hardware feature that no-one expected was a built-in 3-axis gyroscope capable of detecting pitch, roll, and yaw. Coupled with the accelerometer this brings the new iPhone 4th generation to 6-axis motion sensing. (This will enhance the gaming experience for a more realistic feel)

As you can see if you read over those list of powerful new features is that the new iPhone 4th generation packs some great new updates. Lets get into more detail however on just what is possible with the new iPhone 4th generation when it is coupled with the new 4.0 firmware.

Bigger and Better Battery Life

With the iPhone 4th generation’s  bigger battery and improved A4 chip; that is better at power management. The battery life has actually been considerably improved. A fully charged iPhone 4th generation will last…

• 7 hours of 3G talk time
• 6 hours of 3G browsing
• 10 hours of wifi browsing
• 10 hours of videos
• 40 hours of music
• 300 hours in standby

I was personal expecting a little bit more out of the iPhone 4th generations battery but any improvements are better than anything when it comes down to battery life. Just be prepared to still have to charge your iPhone daily.

Lets Take A Look on The Inside

When we take a look at the inside of the iPhone 4th generation we can see a lot of differences compared to the iPhone 3GS. Apple actually need to use a Micro SIM card instead of the now outdated SIM card because they need more space. The largest component of the iPhone 4th generation as you can see is the battery and with a larger battery did in turn boost the iPhone’s battery performance. Also as expected, the new iPhone 4th generation features the same A4 chip as the iPad. The A4 chip actually will consume less power because its sub-components can be switched on and off when they are not needed; this saving power whenever needed.

Retina Display Leads to an HD iPhone

Compared to the older versions of the iPhone we see a huge improvement in the new iPhone 4th generations screen. With new Reina Display technology the iPhone 4th generation receives a resolution of 960×640 and it displays 326 pixels per inch. This makes the iPhone capable of viewing up to 720p (high definition) images/videos and it also makes the iPhone 4th generation the highest resolution mobile phone on the market.

Introducing Integrated Antennas

If you take a close look at the edge of the iPhone 4th generation, you will notice 3 lines that are part of the structure of the iPhone. With the iPhone 4th generation,  Apple introduced  a totally new concept; using a stainless steel band around the iPhone Apple actually utilized this to be the iPhone’s antenna system. In short the iPhone 4th generation received integrated antennas right in the actual structure of the iPhone.

5MP Cameras and HD Video Recording

One of the greatest additions to the iPhone 4th generation is its camera additions. The iPhone 4th generation will feature a 5MP camera with LED flash and 5x zoom on both the front and back of the device. Besides the addition to quality of the camera the iPhone will also feature 720p video recording capable of 30 frames a second. Riding on usability the iPhone 4th generation will come with built-in video editing software, and one-click sharing to YouTube, MMS, email, etc…

Video Editing..AKA iMovie

One noteworthy feature that is coming to the iPhone 4th generation will be video editing. With key camera and video capture enchantments the new iPhone needed something to bring it all together. That’s why Apple created a mobile video editing solution called iMovie . With iMovie for iPhone, you will be able to directly edit HD videos, add titles, transitions and even import music from your music library. Apple goes as far as saying “there is nothing remotely comparable to this in terms of mobile video editing”. The iMovie application will cost you $4.99 (however you may get it free with the iPhone 4th generation).

A New Firmware Generation Comes with a New Name

With additions to the new 4.0 firmware, Apple renamed iphone OS to iOS. Apple actually did this because now the word “phone” isn’t needed anymore now that the same OS goes into every iDevice; the iPhone, the iPod Touch and the iPad. In addition to the name change the iOS4 includes over 1,500 developer APIs, and the biggest of them being multitasking. Besides multitasking the iOS4 will also feature custom background images and dynamic folder creation!
iOS4 will be available to the iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod Touch for free on June 21st, 2010.

Other Firmware Improvements [Mailbox, Search Engine, iBooks]

Besides the addition to many new developer API’s the iOS4 will provide sever enchantments to the iPhone in terms of existing apps. These features include…

• Unified Inbox: A unified inbox will enhance mail on the iPhone dramatically allowing you to combined different email accounts into one unified inbox.
• Bing Added: Well if you remember the rumor of Bing replacing Google as the default search engine you will be happily pleased that this is not actually true. Google will still remain the default search engine, however you will have an option of whether to use Bing or Google.
• The iBook Store: If you liked the idea of iBooks on the iPad you will love them on the iPhone as well.  iBooks on the iPhone have the same controls as the iPad, the same highlighting, the same bookmarking, and the same PDF reading as iBooks for iPad. Any emails containing PDF files will also atomically open them up in the iBook app to enhance the viewing of these files. If you buy one book on your iPad you can also get it on your iPhone for free!

With all of these general app improvements you can see that the iPhone 4th generation is going to change the mobile market once again.

A New Frontier – FacTime will Allow Video Calling

With the addition of a front-facing camera you can expect a feature and this feature is video calling. Apple indeed developed video calling for the iPhone and it is in the form of FaceTime. FaceTime will allow you to directly make video calls that are really quite extraordinary. The  only downside to FaceTime is that it is only for iPhone 4th generation and Video calling only works over Wifi. Apple does state however that they are talking with cellular providers to get things ready for 3g video calling in the near future. One more neat thing that Apple is trying to accomplish is making FaceTime an open industry standard so eventually you will be able to use FaceTime in conjunction with other mobile devices.

The iPhone 4th Generation Ships on June 24th!

The iPhone 4th generation will actually be available sooner than I first thought;  in fact the  iPhone 4th gen will be available for pre-order as soon as June 15th. The device will actually go on sale will  in 5 countries on June 24 (US, France, UK, Germany and Japan). Then 24 more countries will get it in early July and 88 more in September.

As For Pricing and Available Colors…

The iPhone 4th generation will unfortunately not come in any new colors other than black or white (which isn’t really too much of a disappointment). As for the price and storage of the new 4th generation iPhone the new iPhone will come  in 16GB (for $199) or 32GB ( for $299). Unfortunately the new iPhone will not come in a higher storage capacity which is a shame considering HD videos and photos will consume a lot more storage, but with everything accomplished in the iPhone 4th generation I can look past this one flaw.

The Final Conclusion

As you can definitely see the new iPhone 4th generation brings some huge improvements to the iPhone era and this is probably one of the biggest enhancements to the actual device since its launch back in 2007.  I can say that I am very please with what has been brought on in the iPhone 4th generation and I can personally not wait to get my hands on the device.

Shakira - Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)(The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song)

Race For World Cup's Golden Boot

The MVP award seems to be an American invention, and the rest of the world clearly is still getting the hang of the idea. FIFA, soccer's governing body, instituted its player-of-the-year award less than 20 years ago, and there's been an official World Cup honor-- the Golden Ball -- since 1982. In those seven World Cups, the media selected to vote for the award has gotten it wrong more often than not. Especially recently.

In 1998, Brazil's Ronaldo won it despite being outscored by three other players in the competition, having an awful final and not being France's Zinedine Zidane or Lilian Thuram, both of whom played at a historically outstanding level as Les Bleus won the Cup. Four years later, karma came back to bite the bucktoothed Brazilian as German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn scooped up the trophy. Ronaldo scored eight goals, the most in a World Cup since 1974, including two against Kahn in the final.

The voters screwed it up again in 2006, giving the award to Zidane largely based on his performance against Brazil in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Italy's Andrea Pirlo was that good in every game, masterfully pulling the strings in the Azzurri midfield and having a hand (or foot) in just about every key play for the champions.


Based on that pretty awful track record, we wouldn't be surprised to see the departed Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney (who managed one goal combined) get a few votes here in South Africa. It seems fame continues to be one of the principle criteria for selection, as the Golden Ball honor roll reveals that voters just aren't watching the games carefully.

If they've paid attention through the quarterfinals, they should be focusing on the following list of players who've distinguished themselves. All are world class, and all extremely well known, but none rise to the level of transcendent global icon/pitchman. Not yet, at least. Perhaps that will change as the semifinals kick off Tuesday (Netherlands vs. Uruguay) and Wednesday (Germany vs. Spain). These guys aren't self-promoters or gossip-page fodder. They just come through.

DAVID VILLA, SPAIN

If the tournament ended today, the 28-year-old forward (above) would be -- or should be -- the winner. His performance is all the more noteworthy because of the nightmare that striking partner Fernando Torres is suffering through. While Torres trips over himself, Villa leads the competition with five goals. Several have been spectacular (the run through the Honduran penalty area and the 50-yard shot against Chile spring to mind) and three were game-winners, including the only goals in Spain's second round and quarterfinal matches.

While a host of big-name attackers have shot blanks during this tournament (U.S. fans should know well how difficult it is to find a forward who can score), Villa is clutch defined. He has exceeded expectations and carried his team. La Furia Roja has managed just six goals in the entire competition. The €40 million that Barcelona spent to pry Villa from Valencia looks like money well spent at the moment. He'd have been worth a lot more as a Golden Ball winner.

Villa is technically gifted, composed, and plays as if he can score from anywhere. He also does a lot more work than most strikers, often recovering into left midfield to help link Spain's shifting playmakers with Torres.

"David has been the key for Spain. He is scoring important goals. It has been his World Cup," Torres said.

WESLEY SNEIJDER, NETHERLANDS

The Dutch playmaker, 26, is an exhausted Uruguay and a tough 90-minute final away from leading teams to the Champions League and World Cup titles within two months. The Ajax product joined Inter Milan from Real Madrid last summer and paid immediate dividends, helping Jose Mourinho's club to the treble and setting up Diego Milito's game-winner in the Champions League final.

He's had a similar impact with the Oranje. This is a team that, historically, has always become overwhelmed by the differences in its members' styles and personalities. Sneijder has brought them together, playing with a technique, intelligence, enthusiasm, pace and will to win that has Holland on the verge of its first World Cup final since 1978. He scored both goals in the 2-1 quarterfinal upset of Brazil and the winners in the 1-0 triumph over Japan and the second round defeat of Slovakia.

Just as importantly, he binds the team together. He is the axis around with the Netherlands spins, and his ability to put opposing defenses on the back foot has helped the Dutch hide the problems with their own. Brazil already knows all about him. The rest of the world is now starting to appreciate Sneijder as well.

THOMAS MÜLLER, GERMANY

Villa and Sneijder at least are established stars. Müller is basically a rookie, having signed his first full professional contract 17 months ago. He made his debut with Germany's senior national team in March. That's March, 2010.

Four months later, he's the talk of this World Cup. Müller's range, opportunism and savvy have drawn raves here and have symbolized a new Germany, a team that doesn't simply rely on the compact, mistake-free soccer of its predecessors but one that attacks with style and vigor. The eight goals over supposed world powers England and Argentina in the knockout stages prove the point, and Müller has three. He has four goals overall, along with three assists in the World Cup. He has been lethal attacking from deep positions and sees the field like a player 10 years older.

"He is a special player. There is one quality I like about Thomas. He is always relaxed when he is in the box. I also like the way he finishes off chances," Germany coach Joachim Löw said.

A ridiculous yellow card against Argentina will rule Müller out of Wednesday's semifinal against Spain. Even if Germany wins and Müller plays well in the final, perhaps missing such an important game will hurt his Golden Ball credentials.

If that's the case, Bastian Schweinsteiger may merit some consideration as well with a couple more big performances. He doesn't have Müller's gaudy numbers (just three assists), but he's equally as effective, has an amazing work rate and is involved in just about everything Germany does.

LUIS SUÁREZ, URUGUAY

The dark horse. Yes, he's suspended for the semifinal, and rightly so, but Uruguay wouldn't be there without the quick-thinking striker, whose goalkeeping performance in the last minute of overtime gave his side a reprieve against Ghana.

He's also effective on the offensive end. The Ajax man scored both goals in the 2-1 win over South Korea in the round of 16 and the only goal in the 1-0 win over Mexico, and his marauding and threatening runs have given Diego Forlán more room to operate. Uruguay is the surprise of the World Cup, (in a good way) and it has Suárez largely to thank.

And enough with the criticism of Suárez' handball. There is still some whining here in South Africa, with words like "cheater" and "injustice" being thrown around by fans and media. Anyone complaining on Ghana's behalf should look closely at the Black Stars' behavior against the U.S. in the second round, where we saw a commitment to waste time, fake injury and linger on substitutions that was worthy of its own FIFA award. Samuel Inkoom's antics in overtime, among others, will be the stuff of "Fair Play" legend, and Ghana certainly had its opportunity to advance to Tuesday's game here in Cape Town.

And for the impartial, what Suárez did was, in a sense, within the rules. Handling the ball is addressed in the laws of the game, and the punishment for the offense is as well. It's all down on paper, and everything went as it should. If what Suárez did was immoral, then so is icing and goaltending (basketball) and pass interference. They are standard plays athletes make to gain an advantage, knowing there is a price to pay. Suárez paid a heavy price -- he'll miss the semifinal. But his action was selfless and incredibly smart. Far more odious are things like diving, faking injuries or falls to get opposing players booked, and the sort of unsportsmanlike time wasting we saw from Ghana against the U.S.

So if Uruguay pulls the upset over the Netherlands, and Suárez plays well in the final, well, why not the Golden Boot?