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Like the Eee? If you’re enthusiastically shaking your head in the affirmative, perhaps you’ll want to check out Fukato’s low-cost Datacask (cheery, right?). Like the Jisus before it, the computer-maker hopes to garner some of that cheapo laptop market with this black and white number, which sports an 8-inch, 800 x 480 display, a 500MHz AMD Geode CPU, a 20GB 60GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, and a (surprise!) Linux-based OS. The little dude will be hitting European shelves sometime in May for €279 (or about $440).

source:engadget

Pakistan’s proposed series of ODIs with Sri Lanka has hit the rocks before even properly setting sail because of a probable clash of dates with the Indian Premier League (IPL). The PCB said that it would ensure the best side would be available for the series - tacitly acknowledging there might be a clash - it appears likely the series will be postponed to ensure the IPL doesn’t suffer, which will raise further questions about whether a window needs to be found in the international calendar for the league.

The bilateral series was hurriedly agreed upon a couple of days ago with Arjuna Ranatunga, chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), accepting an invitation from his Pakistan counterpart Nasim Ashraf in Lahore, as Pakistan rushed to fill the gaps in their calendar left by Australia’s pull-out from a full tour in March-April.

Though dates were not decided, reports suggested that the series would go ahead between April 23 and May 5, after Sri Lanka complete their tour of the Caribbean. However, the IPL begins on April 18 and a number of players from both sides are involved.

The IPL has told heads of various franchises that players from both sides will be available for the tournament and has urged them to work according to plan. Franchise heads have been assured that the IPL has the cooperation of both boards, who plan to schedule the series after the IPL ends on June 1.

Duleep Mendis, the SLC chief executive, says the board is not even aware of the series. “It was just a suggestion, I believe, from Pakistan,” he “But nothing has been discussed yet, and there has been no confirmation in this regard. Officially, such a tour is not on the cards yet. We don’t know anything about this tour.”

Despite assurances, some franchises remain concerned at the prospect of losing out on star players, if only for a couple of weeks. Deccan Chargers, the Hyderabad IPL team who have Shahid Afridi, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa and Chamara Silva, are worried about the proposed series and hope that it will be rescheduled. But Vijay Mohan Raj, the franchise’s chief executive, says they have not taken up the issue with the IPL council.

“Of course, the series would be a huge worry for us,” Raj “It’s not fair. We were informed clearly about who would be available during the first auction, and we bought our players depending on that. This series, if it happens, will change everything. We are hoping that it is rescheduled.”

When it can be rescheduled to is another matter. The only window is between June 1, when the IPL concludes, and June 24, when the Asia Cup - also to be held in Pakistan - begins. But the extreme summer temperatures in most of Pakistan during June seemingly rule out that period, unless the entire series consists of day-night matches in Karachi.

After the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are due to host India for a series of three Tests and five ODIs, which will take them to the end of August. In September Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy.

Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, rigorously denied that the IPL had come in the way of the series, but admitted a window had yet to be found. “You will have to ask the IPL [about whether assurances had been given], because I have no knowledge of that at all,” Ashraf  “This is our schedule and it has nothing to do with the IPL.”

But no dates for the series could be pinpointed and the April-May window was not mentioned. “In principle, SLC have accepted our invitation. The question is of finding dates,” Ashraf said. “Tentatively, June is an option, but essentially sorting out dates is up to us.”

MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests the caffeine in those daily cups of java might spell blood sugar trouble for diabetics.
In a small group of 10 diabetics, glucose levels rose by 8 percent when participants took pills filled with the level of caffeine found in four cups of coffee.
“There’s reason to believe that caffeine consumption — and coffee is the most common source of caffeine — may be harmful to people with type 2 diabetes and make it more difficult for them to keep their glucose levels under proper control,” said study author James Lane, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University.
While some research has suggested that the antioxidants in coffee could prevent diabetes in women, laboratory tests have questioned whether caffeine disrupts the body’s ability to process blood sugar. “We want to demonstrate that what we’ve seen in the lab takes place in the real world when people are living their normal lives,” Lane said.
In the new study, researchers inserted a small sensor into the abdomens of 10 patients who had diabetes but didn’t take insulin. The sensor kept track of blood sugar levels for up to 72 hours.
Over several days, the patients — all coffee drinkers — alternated between taking placebos and 500 milligrams of caffeine a day in capsule form. That level of caffeine is equal to four eight-ounce cups of coffee.
The findings appear in the February issue of Diabetes Care.
On days when they consumed the caffeine pills, the blood sugar levels of the patients went up by 8 percent compared to when they took placebos. Glucose also rose after meals, most notably after dinner when blood sugar levels grew by 26 percent.
There are a couple possible explanations, according to Lane. In one, caffeine may interfere with the transfer of glucose from blood into the cells of the body, boosting blood sugar levels. Another possibility, he said, is that caffeine may stimulate the liver to release glucose when it’s not needed.
A researcher who studies coffee said the new study has some limitations. For one, it looks at effects over one day, rather than over the long term, said Rob van Dam, a research scientist at Harvard School of Public Health. For another, “it should be noted that effects of caffeine in capsules cannot be directly translated to effects of caffeinated coffee, as studies have previously found less pronounced effects of caffeinated coffee on blood glucose levels as compared with caffeine in isolation,” he added.
What to do? Keep coffee consumption under control, Lane suggested. “It would be worthwhile for people with diabetes who drink coffee to try quitting for a time and see if their glucose improves,” Lane said. “It’s a simple thing that might make their diabetes better.”
Decaf may also do the trick. Indeed, van Dam said a previous study showed decaffeinated coffee actually reduced spikes in glucose levels after people ate sugary food. “It may thus be useful for persons with diabetes to try switching from caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee and see whether this improves their glycemic control, he said.

source:health.yahoo