The Craziest World Cup Semi-Finals of All Time

Yesterday’s World Cup Semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa saw the South Africans suffer yet another heartbreaking defeat in a World Cup Semi-final.

South African born Grant Elliot smashed the second last ball of the 43rd and final over (bowled by Dale Steyn) into the stands of Eden Park in Auckland to help the Black Caps register a brilliant win and qualify for the final for the very first time.

We take a look at three other Semi-finals that saw quite a rather dramatic end to proceedings

South Africa v/s England, World Cup 1992 Semi-Final 

The 1992 semi-final was heading towards a rather tense finish with South Africa needing 22 runs from their last 13 balls to defeat England and book their place in the final at their very first attempt. However, the bleary Sydney skies opened up and after 12 minutes of rain and the crazy rain rules ensured that the match ended in a farcical way with the Proteas requiring 22 runs off a single ball

India v/s Sri Lanka, World Cup 1996 Semi-Final

The 1996 semi-final saw India taking on Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens. India started off brightly while bowling first dismissing both Sri Lankan openers for a low score. However, a belligerent knock from Aravinda de Silva, left India shell shocked and Sri Lanka ended up with 251 on the board. India started off brilliantly, but Sachin’s dismissal with the score on 98 saw India collapse losing 7 wickets for 22 runs. The Eden Gardens crowd then vented their fury at the players tossing water bottles onto the ground and burning chairs which led to match referee Clive Lloyd abandon the match and give the victory to the Lankans

West Indies v/s Australia, World Cup 1996 Semi-Final

The match between the West Indies and Australia was quite a nail biting affair. Australia got off to a horrendous start losing their first 4 wickets with just 15 on the board. However, a crucial fifth-wicket stand of 138 between Michael Bevan and Stuart Law helped them reach 207/8. In reply, the West Indies were cruising at 167/2 in the 42nd over before Chanderpaul’s dismissal triggered a collapse which saw the West Indians losing by just 5 runs despite the best efforts of captain Richie Richardson.

South Africa v/s Australia, World Cup 1999 Semi-Final

South Africa once again found themselves missing out on a place in the final despite not the fact that they didn’t lose the match. The match is remembered for the run out of Alan Donald, who ended up attempting to reach the other end having lost his bat while trying to respond to a suicidal run call from his partner Lance Klusener.

Dennis Abraham James

Content Editor @ProdNote

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Xiaomi Redmi 2: Xiaomi’s sequel to the Budget King Redmi 1s

The Redmi 2 replaces the Redmi 1s in India and is priced at just ₹ 6,999

Xiaomi’s replacement for the extremely popular Redmi 1S – The Redmi 2, goes on sale at 2 p.m. today. We take a look at the latest budget device from Xiaomi.

The Redmi 2 features a plastic build like the one found on the Redmi 1s but it is around 20 grams lighter than its predecessor at just 133g. The back features a textured feel with a matte finish.

The 4.7 inch display is fully laminated and is protected by Gorilla Glass 2. The display is 720p panel with a pixel density of 312 ppi. The display is sharp and has good viewing angles as well. Visibility in direct sunlight is also good.

The Redmi 2 is a dual sim device which supports 4G for both sims. 

The rear camera is an 8 MP unit which is capable of taking brilliant pictures. The selfie camera is a 2 MP unit.

The 2200 mAh battery pack will easily go through a day of usage without running out of juice. It also charges up to 20% faster than normal batteries thanks to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology.

Dennis Abraham James

Content Editor @ProdNote

ProdNote is an ad-free community built upon trust, where we help each other in making informed buying decisions. Click here to sign up.

Xiaomi’s iPad Killer – The Mi Pad

The Xiaomi Mi Pad is Xiaomi’s first tablet. It is priced at an affordable ₹12,999

Xiaomi first ever tablet – The Xiaomi Mi Pad will start selling in India today on Flipkart for just ₹ 12,999. We take a look at the Mi Pad and find out whether Xiaomi has made yet another brilliant device for a bargain basement price.

The Mi Pad has a 7.9 inch IPS LCD display tha has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 giving it a pixel density of 326 ppi. The display also has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Mi Pad takes its design cues from Apple’ iPad Mini with Retina display. Its dimensions are 202.1 mm x 135.4 mm x 8.9 mm. and it weighs in at just 360 grams which makes it quite easy to use.

The Mi Pad is a powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 processor which has four Cortex A-15 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and an additional power-saving core. The 192 core Kepler GPU can give many PC and console graphics cards a run for their money.

The Mi Pad sports an 8 MP camera on the back and a 5 MP selfie cam. The battery is a 69oo mAh unit which can easily last a few days of heavy duty gaming.

Dennis Abraham James

Content Editor @ProdNote

ProdNote is an ad-free community built upon trust, where we help each other in making informed buying decisions. Click here to sign

The Best Android UI’s Around

6. Sony UI

Sony’s UI looks dated.

Sony’s UI for its devices is quite heavy and does slow down the devices. The UI is quite heavy but doesn’t really bring that many options which are actually helpful or can help you make the device reflect your personality(themes)

5. LG UI

LG’s UI has a flattened look to it but tries to do simple things in multiple ways.

LG’s UI has a flattened look to it keeping it in line with Android Lollipop but does come with numerous options to do similar things, eg: There are quite a few ways to multi-task: Slide aside, Dual window and the stock app switcher. Add in LG’s own boring voice assistant. However, it does provide some cool options like Knock on and a resizable keyboard and floating window notifications.

4. Samsung TouchWiz UI

Samsung’s Touchwiz has long been hated for slowing devices down but Samsung claims it has addressed these issues with the new version found on the Galaxy S6.

Samsung’s Touchwiz has long been hated for slowing devices down but Samsung claims it has addressed these issues with the new version found on the Galaxy S6. The problems usually stem from Samsung stuffing the devices full of unnecessary features and excessive bloat.

3. HTC Sense UI

HTC’s Sense UI is the best skinned version of Android made by a major OEM.

HTC’s Sense UI is the best Android skin by any OEM making Android devices today. Fast and intuitive, it enhances the look and feel of Stock Android and also provides good customization options including themes and BlinkFeed.

2. Stock Android

Stock bare bones Android is extremely quick as it is and gets the latest updates first. However, it contains all the available Google apps and relies almost entirely on Google Now which can get annoying. Also you need either a Nexus or an Android device to get your hands on the latest builds.

1. CyanogenMod OS

CyanogenMod is basically a turbocharged version of stock Android.

CyanogenMod is a custom ROM that runs on millions of devices around the world. It is basically a turbocharged version of Stock Android with the user being allowed to choose what apps he/she wants to use.

#ThrowbackThursday: 4 Epic World Cup Ads That Will Forever Stay With Us

Cricket world cup ads in India are the Super Bowl ads of the U.S. Every world cup season, some of the most memorable moments on television happen due to these ads. We have picked some of the most unforgettable ones that we have witnessed over the years.

2003 World Cup Pepsi Ad With Sachin, Warnie, and Carl Hooper

While we weren’t the title favorites, this ad cashed heavily on the Sachin-Warne chemistry (off-field this time).

1999 World Cup Pepsi Ad With Sachin and Shahrukh

This one was built up well starting out with small teasers and then finally showing up with the (almost) entire Indian team. Will forever be known for the epic chemistry between Sachin and Shahrukh.

The Apple Singh Series For the 1999 World Cup Tournament

Sanjay Mishra entertained us all as the official mascot of ESPN-Star Sports for the 1999 world cup.

1996 World Cup Coca Cola Ad

The 1996 world cup will always be remembered for the return of Coca Cola into India. And what better than the world cup to market their return. This ad did not feature any stars but it was its aesthetic value that made it so memorable.

Shishir for @ProdNote

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Poll

4 of the Most Anticipated Phones to Look Forward to This Summer

Both CES and MWC have passed us and we saw a whole new generation of Smartphone at the two shows. We take a look at 4 of the best smartphones from those shows that we’re hoping will hit the stores next month.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge both sport QHD 5.1 AMOLED displays. The S6 Edge’s display is curved on both sides.

Both versions of Samsung’s newest flagship feature Samsung’s homegrown Exynos 7420 (14nm architecture) processor which is mated with 3 GB of RAM. There are 3 storage options available – 32, 64 & 128 GB. The devices also support wireless charging.

HTC One M9

The new HTC One M9 combines the design elements of both the M7 and the M8. The display is still 1080p and sticks to the 5 inch size to accommodate the BoomSound Speakers. Under the hood lies the Snapdragon 810 processor and 3 GB of RAM.

The HTC One M9 uses a 20 MP camera which is protected by sapphire glass. The front camera is the UltraPixel unit found on the back of the previous generations of the One.

LG GFlex 2

The New LG GFlex 2 is the first device to feature the Snapdragon 810 processor. This new powerhouse is supported by either 2GB RAM and 16 GB ROM or 3 GB RAM and 32 GB ROM.

The P-OLED flexible display is now 5.5 inches and has a resolution of 1920 X 1080 and is protected by a custom chemically strengthened version of Gorilla Glass 3.

Asus Zenfone 2

The new Zenfone 2 is the first phone to feature 4 GB of RAM. This is combined with an Intel Atom Z3580 running at 2.3 Ghz.

The Zenfone 2 features a 5.5 inch Full HD display. The power and volume buttons are on the back. The primary camera is a 13 MP unit.

@DennisA_James

Content Editor @ProdNote

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The New Apple MacBook – I/O Error from Cupertino?

Apple launched the new Macbook at WWDC 2015, And revealing this latest iteration of the iconic brand has opened a rather large can of worms that could prove to be a big headache for the boys from Cupertino.

We take a look at this, the latest iteration of the MacBook, and the biggest problems that it has created.

USB-C

USB-C. We can’t see what you thought was good about just one of these.

The MacBook Air has just 1 port that controls everything from USB connectivity and HDMI to delivering power to the MacBook. This means that if you want to do anything other than charge the MacBook, you’ll have to buy a boatload of connectors to get anything done. Thankfully, there is a separate port for your headphones.

The Intel M Processor

Intel Core M – Mobile Only. You forgot that didn’t you Apple?

Apple has used Intel’s Core M Processor for the new MacBook. The Core M series used in the new MacBook are a duo of dual core processors which come with Intel new Iris Pro Graphics built in. What Apple seems to have forgotten here was the fact that these processors are used mainly for mobile devices aka phones and tablets not Laptops. Video editing softwares and gaming will most probably have big issues running on this processor. So basically, it won’t do things that you expect to do using other MacBooks.

The MacBook Air?

The New MacBook(C) will eat into the the MacBook Air(L) line.

The New MacBook is all about slimness and lightness and portability. Um, Cupertino isn’t that the job of the MacBook Air? Something seriously does seem to be going wrong in Northern California if Apple has decided to cannibalize its own range once again. Perhaps, its the wine?

@DennisA_James

Content Editor @ProdNote

8 Things You Can Buy Instead of the $10000 Apple Watch Edition

60000 packets of Maggi!

6000 bottles of beer!

33 Moto 360s!

250 grams of actual 24 carat gold!

100 Redmi 1S phones!

240 of these watches that also tell the time!

10 Bajaj Pulsars!

4 TATA Nanos!

And finally, if you really wanted apples, you could buy 3000 kg of those

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The Apple Watch – 3 Ways that Apple Screwed it Up

The Apple Watch Edition. I’d rather buy a car. Thank you very much.

At WWDC 2015 Apple unveiled its latest personal device, The Apple Watch, to the waiting world and despite Apple’s claims about the Apple watch being “The Watch Reimagined ” it really isn’t the case here. We take a look at how the guys from Cupertino missed their cues this time.

Price

Lets get the facts out of the way first. The Apple Watch Sport starts at $350(about 22,000 rupees) and tops out at $400(approx 25,100 rupees). The Apple Watch(the one with the steel casing) ranges from $549(approx 34,400 rupees)to $1,099 (approx 69,000 rupees.) And the Apple Watch Edition starts off at $10,000(approx 6.27 lakh rupees.)

And what else can you get for that sort of money? Well for around $400 you could get two Asus Zenwatches or get one Moto 360 and save $150(around 9400 rupees).

For the price of the priciest of the steel cased Watches, you could get yourself an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, which can do a lot more than the watch.

And then we get to the insane Apple watch edition. For that price you get yourself a car, one that’ll last a lot longer than any watch and of course is a lot more useful as well. As Asus put it you have to be insane( or be a celeb) to buy the Edition.

Asus are quite right to say this.

 Hello, Cupertino? There’s nothing new here!

Yes, the biggest issue is that Apple hasn’t brought anything new to the game. The Apple Watch does what every other smartwatch in the market does. it can be your health and fitness tracker and it does notifications. Sure, Apple may claim that they doe everything better, and maybe that is true(that’s a big maybe though,) but the fact of the matter is that the only thing you can do with the Apple Watch that other smartwatches cannot is draw a stupid smiley face or some other silly emoji and send it to another Apple watch user.

Really Apple? An Emoji? Really?

Apple’s track record with 1st Generation devices

Apple really doesn’t have a brilliant track record when it comes to 1st gen devices. Take the 1st gen iPhone for example, when it was launched in 2007,  3G was widely available and the iPhone didn’t have that available. The 1st gen iPad was clunky and looked rather weird. 10 months later, it had been replaced by a much slimmer iPad 2.

The problem with  Apple and 1st gen devices is the fact that seem to always be a bit too cautious. Who knows when the next Apple Watch will come out? In a year? 18 months? Whatever be the cycle, you can be sure that the next generation watch will be quite different.

The 1st gen iPad. Proof of Apple’s restraint.

@DennisA_James

Content Editor @ProdNote