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I, Christopher Henry Gayle, am making this statement so that all my friends, fans and followers who continue to wonder why I am not being picked for the West Indies team despite being fit, available and in form will know the truth considering the many rumours and statements that have been made as it relates to this issue. Until now, I have kept my silence, but I believe that the time has come for you to all know what I plan to do about this extremely frustrating and humiliating situation. Ever since I was a little boy growing up in Rollington Town, and living in the shadow of Sabina Park I had two dreams. The first was to play for Jamaica and the second to play for the West Indies. Fortunately, and thanks to the Almighty, I have been able to achieve both of them. I have been Captain of both Jamaica and of the West Indies, and have worn both uniforms with pride and served with distinction. I find it really painful now to hear that I did not give my best or that I lost my commitment to

Chris Gayle  has said he "will explore the opportunities available" to him elsewhere since he can no longer wait on the WICB to resolve their issues with him, but is available for selection for West Indies and Jamaica and has ruled out retirement. In a long and emotional public statement  he said communication with officials of the West Indies and Jamaica boards had broken down and traced the evolution of the long-running and bitter dispute back to 2009, when Ernest Hilaire, now CEO of the WICB, cast doubts on his ability to captain the team. Gayle also referred to the recent efforts at rapprochement with Hilaire and said that Hilaire would not be able to meet him till August, ruling him out of West Indies' current home series against India. "I have now reached the stage where I have to say that enough is enough," Gayle wrote. "I understand that the WICB and the Jamaica Board met and my matter was discussed but nobody has told me anything and I can only as

We’ve been hearing about the Motorola Droid 3 smartphone for quite some time. No official announcements have been made yet, but images and videos of the device been leaking since early this month. And now, new leaks are confirming the handset’s rumored release date and specs. The Motorola Droid 3 follows after the Droid 2 and Droid X2, all of which have already launched on Verizon. The below leaked image from Android Central confirms that the Droid 3 will indeed feature a 4-inch qHD display running Android 2.3 on a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor. It will come with a front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of HD video capture along with LED flash. Although the handset lacks Verizon’s high speed 4G LTE support, it will come with pre-installed 3G GSM SIM making it a world phone. This means that it can be used on GSM networks abroad. And for those who like a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, this handset’s got it. According to the leaked image from DroidLife ,

Nokia’s very first Windows Phone Mango device leaked recently, dubbed the “Sea Ray.” The slick handset will be getting some custom apps developed by Nokia, but it’s been reported that those apps won’t be exclusive to the Finnish handset maker. Senior vice president of Developer and Marketplace at Nokia, Marco Argenti, revealed these plans during an interview in London. Pocket-Lint met with Argenti, who discussed Nokia’s plans to develop several dedicated apps for Windows Phone 7 that will also be available to rival manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung, and LG. This is an interesting move because most handset makers try to create dedicated apps exclusive to their devices to differentiate their products from the competition. “Every Nokia App will be available on every phone,” said Argenti, although he later acknowledged that some apps will be exclusive to Nokia users for a limited time. However, the main area that Nokia will be exclusive on is in mapping. Argenti did not go into details

I’ve had the Samsung Exhibit 4G for a week or so now and I’ve actually been using it more than I thought I would. We mentioned the Exhibit 4G coming to T-Mobile back in June then I eventually got my hands on it for a little unboxing. To find out how well this nice sized mid-range phone does read on past the break. To get a little idea of the box and all the goodies inside as well as look at the hardware before I explain further here is the hands-on video for you all. T-Mobile Samsung Exhibit 4G hands-on and unboxing: Hardware The Samsung Exhibit 4G is on the market now and comes with Android 2.3 installed and a 1GHz Hummingbird processor under the hood. And that’s all you need to know right? It has 3.5″ display with a 480×800 resolution. The handset packs a VGA front-facing camera while the shooter on back is 3MP. 1500 mAh battery as well as 512MB RAM and 1GB ROM. Of course, the phone wouldn’t be the Samsung Exhibit 4G without that 4G connectivity which is accomplished through T-Mobile

It was an exciting week discovering the new features of Google+ that is so far shaping up to be a worthy Facebook competitor. But that’s not the only cool thing Google is bringing us this week. The company has just unleashed a game on YouTube called Nexus Contraptions just in time for our holiday weekend. The Nexus Contraptions game involves bouncing Google apps into a Nexus S handset. The Google apps are represented as balls that get released one at a time from the top of the screen. You are supplied with a variety of tools including rubber bands and propellers that you can place and angle in order to get the balls to bounce into a funnel to obtain a new Nexus S. Obstacles include blocks of wood and shelving so you’ll have to get creative in how you setup your contraption to get your balls into the funnel. Plus, you’re timed so you have to think fast. The slick graphics and animation make it a game that we’d love to see as an app. Go check it out here.

arting this week, Google will begin highlighting search results which turn up Content Creators. What this means is that Google, in their never-ending search for great content across the web, will start highlighting posts which have clear connections to authors who have signed up with Google. What THIS means is that if you’ve got a Google profile, one you can sign up for at Google that is, the same one that you’ll later be using for your Google+ account, the content that you author, that being blog posts and etc, will be specially highlighted in search results. Sounds like Google’s loving up on people like me and you! What will be happening, and what IS happening already with a select few in a beta pilot program (sound familiar?) will be that search results showing posts that you’ve found on a subject that’s, for example, Android, and I’ve written the post, you’ll see my lovely profile picture and a link to my Google profile to the right of the result (as seen above.) What this means is

The Golden Master version of Apple’s Mac OS X 10.7 Lion was just seeded to developers this morning. It’s a good sign that the major OS revamp will be launching on time within the next two to three weeks. The exact release date has yet to be confirmed, but new insider tips are now pointing to two weeks from today. 9to5 Mac claims that a reliable insider source has tipped that Apple will be shipping OS X Lion on July 14. The release will be available through the Mac App Store for $29.99 while a server version of the platform will be available for $49.99. However, the source does warn that the release date could be pushed back if any last minute bugs are discovered in the Golden Master version. The tipped release date hits on a Thursday and is just five days before Apple’s next earnings call. It supports previous rumors claiming that the MacBook Air would launch mid-July at the same time as OS X Lion.

Foursquare released a new version today of its popular “check-in” app that’s been completely revamped for the Windows Phone 7 platform. The company had previously released an early version for the platform that subsequently got pulled from the Marketplace because of lacking features and poor overall user experience. In collaboration with Microsoft, the company has rebuilt the app that is now faster and easier to use. This new version 2.0 of the Foursquare app for Windows Phone 7 includes many of the new features that Foursquare introduced recently but delivered over a slick new interface. The new design also better matches Microsoft’s Metro styling and takes full advantage of the panoramic UI. It also adds a new LiveTile and a feature that lets you view a map of nearby specials or specials near where your friends are checked-in. Foursquare for Windows Phone app version 2.0 is free and available for download now at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Nokia has already shut down its US and UK online stores and now reports are saying that the company may completely exit Japan by the end of August. The report comes from Japanese newspaper Nikkei, which claims that the company’s exit would include closing down its upscale Vertu branded stores in Tokyo’s Ginza and Shibuya districts by end of July. Nokia has already ceased direct carrier deals in Japan since 2008 and this most recent move is not only a result of Nokia’s new commitment to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, but also reflects the plummeting demand for its Vertu feature phones as smartphones gain in popularity. Plus, the cost of Vertu handsets, which can be diamond studded, is around $7000 to $250,000 each. Any users with Nokia phones running on the country’s NTT DoCoMo network will see their services discontinued once their contracts expire at the end of August. Nokia’s Tokyo office will remain open until the end of the year to handle any customer service issues or refunds

The L.A. Times reported today that insider sources have divulged that both Google and Microsoft have now begun preliminary talks to purchase Hulu. It’s been reported that the online video streaming site has been shopping around for buyers, with the first suitor rumored to be Yahoo, although nothing official has been announced yet. The talks are still in the very early stages and it’s a normal part of the process when looking for potential buyers to setup meetings with a variety of technology and media companies. Hence, there could still be a long road ahead with new suitors to come. Hulu is jointly owned by the major content providers—Fox, NBC Universal, and Disney’s ABC. Whoever purchases Hulu, could strike a special deal on licensing fees and have a major competitive advantage. This would be ideal for either Google or Microsoft since they are each attempting to break into the living room. Google has its Android-powered Google TV while Microsoft has its Xbox 360 console. It may be a t

“Cars 2” is not just a bad movie, it is dangerously bad. It is, by far, the worst movie Pixar has ever made, though “A Bug’s Life” may give it competition in that race. It is the most poorly written, the most poorly designed, voiced, and executed movie in Pixar’s otherwise stellar line-up. Heck, even the opening short was horrible, and those are usually the sweet cherry on the Pixar sundae. I should have guessed the problem when the animated short came on. Instead of the usual, standalone vignette, the short featured the cast of Toy Story 3, including the new toy owner, little Bonnie. This might have been a set up for an upcoming Toy Story 4, as Tom Hanks recently hinted that work had begun on an unnecessary fourth film in the tiresome series. Instead of the sculpted, tightly constructed, and often wordless short that usually treats audiences before a Pixar film, the Toy Story short might as well have been a segment on a straight-to-DVD knock-off of the original movie. It was completel

Shortly after Google+ was announced earlier this week, Facebook made their own announcement with CEO Mark Zuckerberg proclaiming something “awesome” to be unveiled next week. Not many details were given, but plenty of speculation pointed to either a new Facebook app for iPad or a photo sharing app. Now it turns out it may be something much more “awesome” indeed. A TechCrunch source familiar with the situation has revealed that next week’s event will actually be to launch a new video chat service powered by Skype. The Facebook invitation sent to press for the Wednesday, July 6, event does show two overlapping chat icons with a profile silhouette that could certainly be hinting at such a service. The new video chat product is said to offer an in-browser experience with a desktop component. It’s not clear how or if it would integrate with existing Skype software installed on a computer. It’s not all too surprising at the same time since Facebook and Skype have been working together in the

Apple’s Mac OS X 10.7 Lion was announced and previewed at WWDC 2011 to have over 250 new features, including full-screen apps, built-in Mac App Store, and a new Mission Control, all for just $29.99. It was set to be available sometime in July and it looks like it should be right on time as Apple has just seeded the Golden Master version of OS X Lion to developers today. The Golden Master version means that the software has reached its final build and is the last developer seed before the OS becomes available commercially to all. The GM version is available now for download on Apple’s developer site, and it should remain identical to the eventual commercial release unless any last-minute bugs or problems are discovered. It’s believed that OS X Lion will be available sometime in mid-July in part because of recent rumors regardingApple’s MacBook Air revamp. It’s said that Apple is holding back the launch of their revamped MacBook Airs to coincide with the launch of OS X Lion. Sources also

There are several budget-friendly Android tablets on the way and one of them is from Vizio. The company may be more known for their TVs, but that could soon change with their very first tablet device that’s simply called theVizio Tablet. The device is set to go on sale sometime in July, but limited pre-orders are kicking off today The Vizio Tablet is designed for multimedia consumption and to work as a super remote control, especially compatible with Vizio TVs of course. But, its IR sensor makes it work just fine with any TV or entertainment device in your living room. It features an 8-inch 4:3 ratio screen with a 1024 x 768 resolution, stereo speakers, front-facing webcam, and HDMI-out. The tablet is powered by a single-core 1GHz processor and will come running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but should be upgradeable to Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The limited pre-orders for the tablet just started today around 1:30PM EST via Vizio’s Twitter and Facebook pages. The pre-order is for the bundle wit

I know lately the news has been covered with all sorts of mobile phones and Google+ but another big thing is going on right this moment for all you PC Gamers. Yesterday the Steam Summer Sale kicked off and you can get the best deals on PC (and a few Mac) games of the entire year. Steam saves some of their biggest deals and game packs for the summer. From June 30th to July 10th Steam will be offering huge savings on all the biggest PC games of the last year or so, with new deals going up every single day. Today they have a pretty solid list of games on sale like Portal 2 for only $33 and even Medal of Honor for the low price of $10 and some change. Sales today also include The Witcher 2, Borderlands, Back to the Future, Dawn of War II and a hugely popular seller the Valve Complete Game Pack for only $49.99 (usually over $200). The Steam servers are getting hit pretty hard with everyone and their dogs downloading tons of games so be patient. The biggest deals are always the Game Packs wh

Livescribe has shut down its developer program, telling coders that the company is looking to focus instead on “cloud access, storage and services.” The platform had allowed developers to create apps for the digital pens, and was previously a key selling point for models like the Livescribe Echo we reviewed last year. “Our recent introduction of Livescribe Connect, which enables customers to easily send notes and audio, as a pencast PDF, to people or destinations of their choice like Google Docs, Evernote, email, and Facebook, is an important step in this direction. Applications in our online store will remain available for download and purchase pending compatibility with future Livescribe software updates.” Livescribe developer programs team After three years, however, Livescribe has decided to call it a day. The company says it will continue to keep its app store open, but warns that future firmware updates could well break compatibility. After July 22, no further submissions for inc

RIM is reportedly working on a BlackBerry Media Box, a compact set-top box (STB) that would run the same QNX OS as the PlayBook and the company’s upcoming “superphone.” According to a trusted source speaking to n4bb , the new STB would be based on similar hardware to the PlayBook and has been described as a crossover between the BlackBerry Presenter and the Apple TV. The Presenter, if you’ve forgotten, is RIM’s wireless display adapter which allows BlackBerry smartphone users to run PowerPoint presentations and slideshows from their handsets. If the talk of PlayBook-style hardware is accurate, though, this new BlackBerry Media Box would be considerably more powerful than the Presenter: the TI dual-core chipset used in the tablet is capable of Full HD output and smooth multitasking. According to the source, the Media Box would be “less consumer focused” than the Apple TV, though there’s still a chance of third-party services integration. With RIM not having its own comprehensive media

AT&T has finally approved the BlackBerry Bridge app which will allow PlayBook owners to wirelessly connect their tablet to their BlackBerry smartphone. The carrier “has thoroughly reviewed the application” an AT&T representative told AllThingsD, “and at noon today it will be made available via BlackBerry App World.” Would-be PlayBook buyers with AT&T devices were disappointed to find that the carrier had differentiated itself from its US rivals by not offering Bridge support at the PlayBook’s launch. Without it – or a quickly cooked-up hack – the PlayBook could not access email, calendar and other information on a BlackBerry phone; since the tablet currently lacks a standalone email app, that means key functionality has been absent for a number of months. Now, AT&T has confirmed that users will be able to access their phone’s content free of charge from the PlayBook, though a $20 per month tethering plan will be required if they also want to use the handset’s wireless c

Samsung has refined its retaliatory patent infringement suit against Apple, dropping two patents and adding a further four as well as challenging its rival’s position on what constitutes copying. “The Samsung Defendants admit that they have not ceased competing with Apple” the newly filed papers sarcastically confess, “notwithstanding Apple’s efforts to avoid such competition.” The company argues that what Apple alleges is “copyist” behavior is, in fact, fair competition. Meanwhile, rather than allow itself to be painted as some technology vampire, Samsung is keen to stress its own innovation history. “From 2005 through 2010 alone, Samsung invested more than $35 billion in research and development” the newly filed response suggests. “More than a quarter of all Samsung employees – over 50,100 engineers overall, including about 8,700 in telecommunications – daily engage in cutting-edge research and development projects.” That hard work has paid off, is the implication, with Samsung flagg

Earlier this week we pondered out loud whether Adobe – in addition to releasing various video tutorials showing dissatisfied Apple Final Cut Pro X users how easy it was to jump to Premiere Pro – would sweeten the deal with a discount; what we didn’t expect was that discount to amount to a whopping 50-percent. If you’ve bought Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer, you can save half on a new copy of Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium or Premiere Pro CS5.5. “We’re hearing from video professionals that they want pro level tools that address cutting edge work but also allow them to use legacy footage and workflows,” snipes Jim Guerard, Adobe’s general manager and vice president of professional video and audio, obliquely referring to complaints from Final Cut Pro X users that they were unable to load up their old projects in the new version of Apple’s software. “At Adobe we’ve been in the trenches with video pros for years” he continues. The offer isn’t valid for Adobe’s Premiere Pro subscriptio

Another day, another Apple production rumor, and as the whispers in Taiwan would have us believe that Apple’s suppliers are already gathering together materials for iPhone 5 and iPad 3 manufacture, ahead of an official unveil in September and commercial release in October. Your favorite component gossip source, DigiTimes, has it on anonymous authority that Foxconn – which will be slapping all the parts together – will be making a single fifth-gen iPhone, rather than both a cut-price iPhone 4S and flagship iPhone 5. The rumors around whether Apple is readying one or two devices have been flip-flopping for months now; before this, analysts were busy suggesting that the iPhone 5 would be 2012′s handset, and the iPhone 4S was on the way this year. Then LulzSec leaks tipped a 4G LTE iPhone 5 – along with the iPad 3 – for launch in September, shaking things up once more. Confusing matters is that, bar some tentative, rumored specifications, there’s no real consensus on what an “iPhone 5″ is

Google’s Vic Gundotra has confirmed that the search giant is readying a developer API for Google+, the company’s new social network. “I’m a developer guy at the core” the senior VP of social told CNET, ”it is inconceivable I would build something without a platform.” No specific examples of what developers might have access to were shared, but there’s already talk that Google is in discussions with social gaming teams. “We’re just getting started!” Gundotra insisted, highlighting that Google+ is still only a few days old. Still, demand for entry to the service has been huge, driven in no small part by a sense of exclusivity as Google strictly controls the guest-list. Before third-party developers get their chance to interact with Google+, however, it’s likely that the in-house team will boost integration with Google’s own services still to be touched by the social network. Still, despite all that Google has to showcase, there are still plenty of gaps for coders to exploit. That will li