Nicki Minaj is coming to SA with Macklemore
The festival will take place in Pretoria from Friday, 26 September till Sunday, 28 September 2014 according to TribeOne's Twitter account.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
You have to see this cool video of pugs dressed up as Game of Thrones characters
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you must be suffering from serious withdrawal like us.
We were a bit nostalgic and came across this cool video.
The video called the Pugs of Westeros stars three cute pugs playing doggy versions of the main characters.
Their owners Philip and Sue Lauer have been dressing the pugs as characters from movies and TV since they were puppies and jumped at the chance of creating a mini movie of their favourite show.
Iraq's Sadr vows to 'shake the ground' against militants
That's a big reason, they say, the US was surprised by the recent offensive by a Sunni-backed, al-Qaeda-inspired group that has seized a large portion of Iraq.
"This is a glaring example of the erosion of our street craft and our tradecraft and our capability to operate in a hard place," said John Maguire, who helped run CIA operations in Iraq in 2004. "The US taxpayer is not getting their money's worth."
Maguire was a CIA officer in Beirut in the late 1980s during that country's bloody civil war. He spent weeks living in safe houses far from the US Embassy, dodging militants who wanted to kidnap and kill Americans. In Iraq, the CIA's station in Baghdad remains one of the world's largest, but the agency has been unwilling to risk sending Americans out regularly to recruit and meet informants.
Iraq is emblematic of how a security-conscious CIA is finding it difficult to spy aggressively in dangerous environments without military protection, Maguire and other current and former US officials say. Intelligence blind spots have left the US behind on fast-moving world events, they say, whether it's disintegration in Iraq, Russia's move into Crimea or the collapse of several governments during the Arab Spring.
40 officers dead since 9/11
Without directly addressing the CIA's posture in Iraq, agency spokesman Dean Boyd noted that 40 officers have died in the line of duty since September 2001. He called "offensive" any suggestion that "CIA officers are sitting behind desks, hiding out in green zones, or otherwise taking it easy back at the embassy."
Boyd said the intelligence community provided plenty of warning to the Obama administration that the insurgent Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, known as ISIL, could move on Iraqi cities.
"Anyone who has had access to and actually read the full extent of CIA intelligence products on ISIL and Iraq should not have been surprised by the current situation," he said.
However, while US intelligence officials predicted that ISIL would attempt to seize territory in Iraq this year, they did not appear to anticipate ISIL's offensive on 10 June to seize Mosul, which created momentum that led to other successes. Officials also expressed surprise at how quickly the Iraqi army collapsed. And military leaders contemplating quick airstrikes said there was not enough intelligence to know what to hit.
A senior US intelligence official who briefed reporters this week acknowledged that "a lot of the (intelligence) collection that we were receiving diminished significantly following the US withdrawal in Iraq in 2011, when we lost some of the 'boots on the ground' view of what was going on." Under rules for such briefings, the official spoke on condition that her name not be used.
In the same briefing, the official disclosed that US intelligence did not know who controlled Iraq's largest oil refinery.
And she suggested that one of the biggest sources of intelligence for American analysts is Facebook and Twitter postings.
The US spent nearly $72bn on intelligence gathering in 2013.
It was telling that President Barack Obama sent 300 special operations troops "to help us gain more intelligence and more information about what ISIL is doing and how they're doing it," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said — an implicit admission that American intelligence-gathering about ISIL has been insufficient.
No one suggests that the CIA carries all the blame. After American troops left Iraq, the State Department abandoned plans for a huge diplomatic staff at a network of facilities.
In Afghanistan, the CIA is also closing a series of remote bases as the US troop presence there draws down. Intelligence collection there is expected to suffer as well.
Need for non-white officers
The CIA's approach is designed, current and former officials say, to prevent the sort of thing that happened in 1984, when Beirut station chief William Buckley was kidnapped from his apartment by Hezbollah and tortured to death. But bases can also be attacked, as in 2012 in Benghazi, Libya, when two CIA contractors were among four dead Americans.
Other intelligence services accept more risk. In Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, most case officers operate outside of embassies, posing as civilians under what the US calls "non official cover”, said Ronen Bergman, who covers intelligence affairs for Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth and is working on a history of the Mossad.
In countries such as Iran where Israel does not have an embassy, the Mossad sends deep cover operatives to live and gather intelligence, knowing they could be executed if discovered, Bergman said.
But Israel can call upon a large population of native Arabic speakers whose appearance allows them to blend in. US intelligence leaders have been talking for years about the need to recruit non-white case officers and train them in difficult languages, but current and former officials say it just hasn't happened at the level anticipated after the 11 September, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US
The intelligence budget document leaked last year by Edward Snowden shows that after 11 years of war in Afghanistan, just 88 people in civilian US intelligence agencies got bonuses for speaking Pashto, the language of the Taliban and its allies.
Comedy Has Not Made Me Rich, Julius Agwu
But he stated that he is contented with his present status, adding that the success he has achieved through comedy has not changed who he is.
According to the 41-year-old indigene of Choba in Rivers State, he still retains his old friends, disclosing that he is still the Choba boy who started from a humble beginning that has not forgot his roots, despite living in a ‘choice areas’ in Lagos.
Chai!!! She What Nigerians Are Saying About Mikel Obi
Google making low-cost smartphone
The Android-powered handset will be built with a basic set of features including FM radio, have a screen of around 12.7cm and be priced at less than $100, Google senior vice president Sundar Pichai said at the start of the technology giant's annual developers conference.
"We are going to be launching it around the world, but will launch in India first in the fall of this year," Pichai said.
He added that Google was working with carriers in India to provide affordable telecom service packages to go with the smartphones, which could in many cases provide internet access for the first time.
The Android One initiative sets out to work with smartphone makers and others in the "ecosystem" to pool resources and standardise hardware platforms to provide "turnkey solutions" for making handsets, according to Pichai.
Developing markets
"There are many people - billions of people, in fact - who still don't have access to a smartphone," he said.
"We want to change that."
Low-cost phones powered by Android have proven popular in developing markets, but have been vexed by "fragmentation" because handset makers customise the software to suit different hardware or set themselves apart from rivals.
The variations result in popular third-party applications typically not working across the array of Android devices, frustrating users who want the latest fun, hip or helpful mobile mini-program.
Android One software for low-priced smartphones in emerging countries could bring some consistency across devices, according to Gartner consumer technology research director Brian Blau.
"Google really needs to have a solution for emerging markets with low-cost devices," Blau said.
"It is going to be a long, tough road to have an impact there; it is going to take years to bring the next two to three billion people onto the internet."
Google is collaborating with handset makers and others in the industry to field affordable smartphones that are high quality and come with reasonably priced data plans.
Standards
Handsets will be made by Google partners and launch with an initial range of "sub-$100" smartphones.
"We've long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information," Pichai said. "It's time to find out."
Google and Silicon Valley rival Facebook have made priorities out of connecting with people in parts of the world where internet connectivity is scant, unreliable or just non-existent.
Having more people tune into websites or services mean expanded opportunities to make money from online advertising or providing tools that connect shops with customers.
Google does not make money from hardware, with its own branded gadgets meant to set standards and show off software capabilities with an eye toward inspiring electronics manufacturers to raise their games when it comes to Android or Chrome devices.
Developing countries have become prime targets for smartphone makers, and Android software made available free to handset makers has proven to be popular with budget-conscious buyers.
The news came a day after Microsoft said it would sell an Android-powered Nokia smartphone at a price of $135, a device also apparently aimed at emerging markets customers.
Wi-Fi to be mobile broadband standard in SA
South Africa is experiencing a network crunch as demand for data grows, but there is a lack of spectrum - particularly in the area of high speed access of Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks.
"Wi-Fi has the potential to become different standards to different sorts of people, both commercial and public," Andre Bezuidenhout CEO of Ctrlroom told Fin24.
He said that while telcos relay on the technology to offload data from their networks to avoid congestion, it is consumers who are demanding public Wi-Fi access.
"Consumers are evermore expecting free Wi-Fi access, internet connectivity and data, whether bundled with their cellular contracts or available at the places they purchase from. These are just some examples of the many ways that Wi-Fi is standardising approaches to a number of market challenges and opportunities."
Free Wi-Fi projects
A number of municipalities and even private companies are moving to meet that demand, especially as data grows exponentially.
The City of Tshwane has a stated goal of blanketing the city with Wi-Fi coverage and has been successfully rolling out free Wi-Fi access for citizens.
"Tshwane has made history by becoming the first metro to roll out free Wi-Fi and indeed our announcement of the provision of this service was made before the City of New York's announcement - this is indeed a ground-breaking achievement for an African city," Executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said in his State of the Capital City Address.
Mobile data growth is expected to boom in developing countries as more people access the internet on smart devices. (Jeff Chiu, AP)
In her State of the Province Address, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille promised that the province would see universal internet coverage in a deal signed with Neotel.
"Neotel has therefore generously committed to funding the infrastructure rollout of 384 Wi-Fi hotspots, using Western Cape Government buildings, which will cover almost every ward in the province. Our government will be subsidising the free portion of citizens' internet access," Zille said.
Spectrum
Global mobile operator Orange has also partnered with African Eagle Tourism to provide free Wi-Fi services within their fleet of vehicles. The service is primarily directed at tourists who value connectivity when visiting Cape Town.
"What we see is that the expectation for data is huge and there is a great increase of demand concerning the data," Sèbastien Crozier, Orange Horizons CEO told Fin24.
The lack of spectrum in the key 800MHz range has made Wi-Fi attractive and the delay in moving terrestrial broadcasters has negatively impacted on the ability of mobile operators to rollout out true 4G networks.
President Jacob Zuma said in his State of the Nation Address that internet infrastructure was a national priority.
"We will expand, modernise and increase the affordability of information and communications infrastructure and electronic communication services, including broadband and digital broadcasting," Zuma said.
According to data from Ericsson's Mobile Data Traffic Growth report for 2013 to 2019, the Sub-Saharan region's data appetite is huge and expected to grow at 65% to 2019 and beyond.
Put into perspective, mobile data in the region was at 37 000 terabytes (TB) per month in 2013, and that will jump to 76 000TB by the end of 2014, on its way to a mammoth 764 000TB by the end of 2019.
Hackers use Dropbox to spread malware
In a post by security firm Trend Micro, the firm found that hackers had been manipulating online storage utility Dropbox to download command and control settings (C&C) for malware.
Given that the platform offers free and anonymous storage, it has been an ideal platform to host malware which could be used to launch attacks.
"When BKDR_PLUGX.ZTBF-A is executed, it performs various commands from a remote user, including keystroke logs, perform port maps, remote shell, etc., leading to subsequent attack cycle stages. Typically, remote shell enables attackers to run any command on the infected system in order to compromise its security," wrote Maersk Menrige, threats analyst at Trend Micro.
Dropbox has over 300 million users globally, and has been accelerating as internet access becomes more widely available. The platform offers 2GB of free online storage, requesting only an e-mail address.
Trend Micro discovered that in 2013, the service was abused to launch an attack against a Taiwanese government agency, but the latest instance indicates that cyber criminals are using Dropbox to update C&C settings.
"The use of Dropbox aids in masking the malicious traffic in the network because this is a legitimate website for storing files and documents. We also found out that this malware has a trigger date of May 5 2014, which means that it starts running from that date. This is probably done so that users won’t immediately suspect any malicious activities on their systems," said Menrige.
Samsung, LG launch smart watches with new Google software
Samsung's Gear Live and LG's G Watch - both powered by Android Wear - are the first devices to adopt the new Google software specifically designed for wearable technology.
G Watch - LG's first smart watch - is also equipped with Google's voice recognition service and can perform simple tasks including checking e-mail, sending text messages and carrying out an online search at users' voice command.
The two devices cannot make phone calls by themselves but can be connected to many of the latest Android-based smartphones, the South Korean companies said in separate statements.
Samsung and LG are the world's top and fourth-largest smartphone maker, respectively.
A typical smart watch allows users to make calls, receive texts and e-mails, take photos and access apps.
Saturated smartphone sector
G Watch opened on Thursday for online pre-order in 12 countries including the US, France and Japan before hitting stores in 27 more including Brazil and Russia in early July.
Gear Live was also available for online pre-order on Thursday.
The launches come as global handset and software makers step up efforts to diversify from the saturated smartphone sector to wearable devices.
Samsung introduced its Android-based Galaxy Gear smart watch last year but it was given a lukewarm reception by consumers.
The second edition, Gear II, was unveiled in February and based on Samsung's own Tizen software in a move to break free of its heavy reliance on Google's Android platform.
Samsung's arch rival Apple is believed to be set to launch its own smart watch soon, while Google is moving toward a wide consumer launch of its eyewear Google Glass later this year.
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei also unveiled a connected watch called TalkBand.
Global smart watch sales are expected to grow this year by more than 500% from 1.9 million units in 2013, according to the market researcher Strategic Analytics
Sudanese 'apostate' charged with forgery
"She is arrested," Mohanad Mustafa told AFP on Wednesday.
The charge against Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, 26, relates to the South Sudanese travel document she was carrying when authorities stopped the family from leaving Sudan on Tuesday following an annulment of her apostasy death sentence.
Ishag is also charged with providing false information, Mustafa said.
She was detained by national security agents at Khartoum airport, despite the presence of US diplomats who were escorting her and her family, her American husband Daniel Wani said.
They were trying to travel to Washington, Wani said, insisting there was nothing wrong with the travel documents.
Family safety
Sudan's ministry of foreign Affairs on Wednesday summoned the charges d'affaires of both the United States and South Sudan over the incident, official media reported.
US state department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said Washington's charge d'affaires had voiced "our concern that the family should be allowed to depart swiftly from Sudan".
"Sudan has assured us of their -the family's safety... We will continue monitoring the situation and discussing it," she added.
Sudan's foreign ministry criticised South Sudan's issuing of the travel permit, "despite their knowledge that she is a Sudanese national", while condemning the US for trying to help the women leave Sudan "via illegal [false] travel document", the SUNA news agency said.
"We are worried. That's why we want to get out of here as soon as possible," Wani said of death threats against his wife.
Illegal act
A lower court judge sentenced Ishag to hang for apostasy on 15 May, in a case that raised questions of religious freedom and sparked an outcry from Western governments and human rights groups.
An appeal court freed her on Monday from the women's prison where she had been detained with her children, but she immediately went into hiding because of the threats to her life.
Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman told AFP the woman should have used a Sudanese passport, but her lawyer said she does not have one.
"That is the whole problem, she took a foreign document for travelling," he said. "What she has done is an illegal act."
However, Osman suggested the situation can be resolved.
A family 'problem'
Kau Nak, South Sudan's charge d'affaires, said Ishag was entitled to the travel document because her husband and children are South Sudanese.
"I'm the one who issued that travel document to her," he told AFP. "My signature is on the back of the document."
After being stopped at the airport, the family and its two children, including a baby girl born while Ishag was on death row, were taken to a police station, a two-storey building on a rough, unpaved alley in Khartoum's Arkawet district.
Ishag remains in custody there.
On May 15, a lower court judge, referring to her by her father's Muslim name Abrar al-Hadi Mohamed Abdalla, sentenced her to death for apostasy.
It convicted her under Islamic sharia law that has been in force in Sudan since 1983 and outlaws conversions on pain of death.
On Monday, an appeals court freed her from the women's prison where she had been detained with her children, but she immediately went into hiding.
'Problem is with her family'
Christian activists say her "alleged brother" stated that the family would carry out the death sentence if she were acquitted.
According to the church, Ishag was born to a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother.
When Ishag was five her father abandoned the family, leaving her to be raised by her mother, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Khartoum, which said she joined the Catholic church shortly before she married.
It said the original legal action against her was filed by men "who claim to be" her relatives.
"The problem is not with the Sudanese government, is not with the court. The problem is with her family," said Information Minister Osman.
Pics: Michael Babatunde breaks arm after blocking shot from Onazi
Onazi was aiming to score a goal with the long-range shot but the ball cannoned into Babatunde's arm. The video of the incident is kinda graphic..but you've seen worse, so check on it after the cut...
Pics: Jay Z & Beyonce finally release footage from their secret 2008 wedding
Some photos from the concert below...
Ritualists’ den owned by a pastor uncovered in Lagos, 8 kidnapped victims rescued
According to Vanguard, the den was discovered after a failed attempt by a woman identified as Mrs Rosemary Chukwu, a member of Pastor Nwankwo's church, to kidnap her neighbor's 7 year old son, Emeka Emmanuel to the den for rituals.
Sources in the area said around 6.30 am yesterday, Mrs Chukwu lured the little boy who was on his way to fetch water from a well down the road and took him to her house where she locked him in the toilet. To keep her neighbors from hearing the little boy's screams for help, Chukwu then instructed her own children to begin a prayer session which they did, shouting on top of their voices. Continue...
Trouble however started when the boy's mother who stays four buildings
from Mrs Chukwu raised alarm after she could not find her son. A search
for the young boy began which Mrs Chukwu also partook in.
Minutes into the search, Mrs Chukwu was said to have excused herself,
went into her house and then came out with a box on her head, saying she
was travelling. Suspecting foul play, some of the area boys instructed her to put down the suitcase which was opened and the
unconscious body of the 7 year old boy was discovered.
A resident of the area, Oyetoye Gbemi who spoke with Vanguard said the area boys descended on her and she confessed it was her pastor who sent her
A resident of the area, Oyetoye Gbemi who spoke with Vanguard said the area boys descended on her and she confessed it was her pastor who sent her
"She told us she was travelling to the village. But one of the area boys who was among the search party, ordered his colleagues to search the box. Immediately she heard that, she flung the box away and took to her heels. We all suspected something was amiss. When the box was opened, Emmanuel was found inside, half dead. The area boys descended on her and stripped her naked. On interrogation, she said her pastor, the General Overseer of Holy Family Ministry a.k.a House of Mercy, asked her to bring the boy. The area boys followed her to 319, Lagos Road, Ikorodu, where the church is situated, where they saw her pastor waiting for her. But on sighting the crowd, he took to his heels. But for the arrival of Policemen from Owutu division, the woman would have been lynched. The angry mob also attempted to set the church ablaze but were also prevented by the policemen. They, however, succeeded in torching some parts of the property.” he saidIn the process of chasing the fleeing Pastor and burning some part of the church building, area boys forced open a door to a building at 7, Oshodi Street, which was directly at the back of the church building and owned by Pastor Ernest. To everyone's amazement, men and women, eight in number, chained and looking frail were found in the building. The captives upon interrogation said they were kidnapped from various places like Ogun, Anambra, Bayelsa and Oyo states. One of the captives, a 50 year old woman said she was kidnapped while returning from a night vigil. One of the rescued victim, 52 year old man pictured above without a shirt said he was a commercial bus driver and was kidnapped two years ago.
Residents in the area said the building owned by the pastor had always been under suspicion as no one ever saw anyone coming out or going in during the day. They said most of the activities carried out in the building is usually done at night.
Chris Brown rejects plea deal in D.C case, headed for trial
TMZ reports that Chris was close to copping a plea but the deal fell apart because the prosecutor and Chris' lawyer couldn't agree on a statement of fact about the events leading to the alleged assault.
Chris has always denied assaulting a fan in 2013 outside a hotel in D.C. If he'd pled guilty, he would not have to serve any additional time in jail. Now that he's going to trial, jail time is on the line again. His bodyguard has already been convicted of the assault. A trial date has been set for September.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Pics: Tiwa Savage, Davido, Rita Dominic, other stars storm Mauritius
Photos: Triana Building in Apapa gutted by fire
NDLEA arrests 11 school children over drug abuse and trafficking
NDLEA Kaduna State Commander, Mohammed Jibrin made this revelation at The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking programme which held in Kaduna yesterday, June 24th.
Mr Jibrin said the students comprising of seven girls and four boys were arrested following a tip off, adding that eight of the students arrested were still in Junior Secondary school. He said parents of the students arrested have been invited for questioning and counseling while the hotel manager is still under investigation.
Monday, June 23, 2014
MWEB to go big with public Wi-Fi zones
The company announced last week the launch of a Wi-Fi zone in the popular Florida Road in Durban as part of its network expansion.
Unlike a Wi-Fi hotspot which is usually limited to one venue, the zones cover larger areas and users should see speeds of around 10mbps.
"For MWEB Wi-Fi it's less about the speed and more about rich media experience, and to deliver this they have designed the network in such a way that it provides more than adequate bandwidth to the user," Nathier Kasu, general manager of MWEB Wi-Fi told News24.
Wi-Fi has seen a resurgence after being relegated to the technology dustbin as excitement over Long Term Evolution (LTE) grew.
Challenges
However, in SA, high speed LTE which represents the fourth generation of mobile networks, has hit a roadblock as the government has been unwilling assign spectrum critical for the technology.
One of the biggest challenges is the national broadcaster which has been unwilling or unable to migrate its services out of the 800MHz band which is key for LTE services.
In the absence of LTE spectrum, companies and even some municipalities have been rushing to build Wi-Fi hotspots so that people may access the internet at higher speeds.
The City of Tshwane has a stated goal of blanketing the city with Wi-Fi coverage and has been successfully rolling out free Wi-Fi access for citizens.
"Tshwane has made history by becoming the first metro to roll out free Wi-Fi and indeed our announcement of the provision of this service was made before the City of New York's announcement - this is indeed a ground-breaking achievement for an African city," Executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said in his State of the Capital City Address.
In her State of the Province Address, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille promised that the province would see universal internet coverage in a deal signed with Neotel.
"Neotel has therefore generously committed to funding the infrastructure rollout of 384 Wi-Fi hotspots, using Western Cape Government buildings, which will cover almost every ward in the province. Our government will be subsidising the free portion of citizens' internet access," Zille said.
Tourists
Global mobile operator Orange has also partnered with African Eagle Tourism to provide free Wi-Fi services within their fleet of vehicles. The service is primarily directed at tourists who value connectivity when visiting Cape Town.
MWEB is ambitious about its Wi-Fi programme and the company said that the data is unlimited to customers.
"MWEB is in the process if rolling out their solution at 16 hospitals and clinic across the country and has been able to rollout at 14 major malls in the country. To date MWEB WiFi over 140 000 people registered on the network," said Kasu.
Apple, Google to bring apps to diabetics
Apple, Samsung Electronics and Google, searching for applications that could turn nascent wearable technology like smartwatches and bracelets from curiosities into must-have items, have all set their sights on monitoring blood sugar, several people familiar with the plans say.
These firms are variously hiring medical scientists and engineers, asking US regulators about oversight and developing glucose-measuring features in future wearable devices, the sources said.
The first round of technology may be limited, but eventually the companies could compete in a global blood-sugar tracking market worth over $12bn by 2017, according to research firm GlobalData.
Diabetes afflicts 29 million Americans and costs the economy some $245bn in 2012, a 41% rise in five years.
Many diabetics prick their fingers as much as 10 times daily in order to check levels of a type of sugar called glucose.
Non-invasive technology could take many forms.
Electricity or ultrasound could pull glucose through the skin for measurement, for instance, or a light could be shined through the skin so that a spectroscope could measure for indications of glucose.
"All the biggies want glucose on their phone," said John Smith, former chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson's LifeScan, which makes blood glucose monitoring supplies. "Get it right, and there's an enormous payoff."
Apple, Google and Samsung declined to comment, but Courtney Lias, director at the US Food and Drug Administration's chemistry and toxicology devices division, told Reuters a marriage between mobile devices and glucose-sensing is "made in heaven."
In a December meeting with Apple executives, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) described how it may regulate a glucometer that measures blood sugar, according to an FDA summary of the discussion.
Such a device could avoid regulation if used for nutrition, but if marketed to diabetics, it likely would be regulated as a medical device, according to the summary, first reported by the Apple Toolbox blog.
The tech companies are likely to start off focusing on non-medical applications, such as fitness and education.
Even an educational device would need a breakthrough from current technology, though, and some in the medical industry say the tech firms, new to the medical world, don't understand the core challenges.
"There is a cemetery full of efforts" to measure glucose in a non-invasive way, said DexCom chief executive Terrance Gregg, whose firm is known for minimally invasive techniques. To succeed would require "several hundred million dollars or even a billion dollars," he said.
Poaching
Silicon Valley is already opening its vast wallet.
Medtronic senior vice-president of Medicine and Technology Stephen Oesterle recently said he now considers Google to be the medical device firm's next great rival, thanks to its funding for research and development, or R&D.
"We spend $1.5bn a year on R&D at Medtronic - and it's mostly D," he told the audience at a recent conference. "Google is spending $8bn a year on R&D and, as far as I can tell, it's mostly R."
Google has been public about some of its plans: it has developed a "smart" contact lens that measures glucose.
In a blog post detailing plans for its smart contact lens, Google described an LED system that could warn of high or low blood sugar by flashing tiny lights. It has recently said it is looking for partners to bring the lens to market.
The device, which uses tiny chips and sensors that resemble bits of glitter to measure glucose levels in tears, is expected to be years away from commercial development, and skeptics wonder if it will ever be ready.
Previous attempts at accurate non-invasive measurement have been foiled by body movement, and fluctuations in hydration and temperature. Tears also have lower concentrations of glucose, which are harder to track.
But the Life Sciences team in charge of the lens and other related research is housed at the Google X facility, where it works on major breakthroughs such as the self-driving car, a former employee who requested anonymity said.
Apple's efforts center on its iWatch, which is on track to ship in October, three sources at leading supply chain firms told Reuters. It is not clear whether the initial release will incorporate glucose-tracking sensors.
Still, Apple has poached executives and bio-sensor engineers from such medical technology firms as Masimo Corp, Vital Connect, and the now-defunct glucose monitoring startup C8 Medisensors.
"It has scooped up many of the most talented people with glucose-sensing expertise," said George Palikaras, CEO of Mediwise, a startup that hopes to measure blood sugar levels beneath the skin's surface by transmitting radio waves through a section of the human body.
The tech companies are also drawing mainstream interest to the field, he said. "When Google announced its smart contact lens, that was one of the best days of my career. We started getting a ton of emails," Palikaras said.
Samsung was among the first tech companies to produce a smartwatch, which failed to catch on widely. It since has introduced a platform for mobile health, called Simband, which could be used on smart wrist bands and other mobile devices.
Samsung is looking for partners and will allow developers to try out different sensors and software. One Samsung employee, who declined to be named, said the company expects to foster noninvasive glucose monitoring.
Sources said Samsung is working with startups to implement a "traffic light" system in future Galaxy Gear smartwatches that flashes blood-sugar warnings.
Samsung Ventures has made a number of investments in the field, including in Glooko, a startup that helps physicians access their patients' glucose readings, and in an Israeli glucose monitoring startup through its $50m Digital Health Fund.
Ted Driscoll, a health investor with Claremont Creek Ventures, told Reuters he's heard pitches from potentially promising glucose monitoring startups, over a dozen in recent memory.
Software developers say they hope to incorporate blood glucose data into health apps, which is of particular interest to athletes and health-conscious users.
"We're paying close attention to research around how sugar impacts weight loss," said Mike Lee, cofounder of MyFitnessPal.
After decades of false starts, many medical scientists are confident about a breakthrough on glucose monitoring. Processing power allows quick testing of complex ideas, and the miniaturization of sensors, the low cost of electronics, and the rapid proliferation of mobile devices have given rise to new opportunities.
One optimist is Jay Subhash, a recently-departed senior product manager for Samsung Electronics. "I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it one of these days," he said.
Twitter wants to be your TV companion
The company announced Thursday that it's buying SnappyTV, a San Francisco-based start-up that makes software for quick edits of live video and television into short clips.
SnappyTV's technology is already used by a number of brands and media companies to post videos on Twitter (TWTR, Tech30), including news clips and sports highlights.
"As Twitter has grown as the companion to live events and broadcast media, SnappyTV will help partners and brands bring the best videos into the conversation," Baljeet Singh, Twitter's director of product management, said in a blog post.
SnappyTV said the deal would build on the companies' existing partnership, through which Web users "have been able to turn to Twitter to view highlights from major events from world championships to TV and awards shows to Presidential elections, just to name a few.'
The firms didn't disclose Twitter's purchase price.
5 things we'd like to see from the Apple smartwatch
The Wall Street Journal and Reuters are both reporting that the iWatch, if that is in fact it's name, will be released this fall, likely in October.
The Journal says the watch will come in multiple sizes and have 10 sensors for tasks like health and fitness tracking. Reuters says the watch will have a 2.5-inch screen and be "slightly rectangular." Both outlets cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
There's no reason to doubt the reports, really. Apple's top brass have all gone on the record suggesting a new product from Apple will be released by the end of this year.
So, with the countdown likely begun, we take a look at five features we'd like to see on Apple's smartwatch.
The future of smartwatches
Smartwatch a smart idea?
How does Samsung's smartwatch work?
Check e-mails on your watch
The future of smartwatches
Smartwatch a smart idea?
How does Samsung's smartwatch work?
Check e-mails on your watch
Really be 'smart'
The dirty little secret of smartwatches, at least so far? They aren't really smart in the same way that a smartphone is.
So far, the offerings from Samsung, Sony, LG and the like have operated as extensions of a smartphone, linking up via Bluetooth or wireless to, for the most part, serve you notifications that you could have seen by pulling your phone out of your pocket.
Apple may do something along those lines as well and could still make a successful product. But with their close ties with app developers, we'd love to see Apple make the first smartwatch that lets you leave your phone behind.
Wireless charging
If you live in a household where at least a couple of people are competing for socket space to keep their smartphones, tablets, e-readers and the like charged up, things are probably already a tangled mess. Does anybody want one more device to fit in there?
Whether it's a wireless charging pad or some new tech whipped up by Apple especially for its smartwatch, we'd love to be able to just set the watch down on the nightstand and have it powered up and ready to go the next morning. And speaking of:
Battery life
Nobody wants a watch that they have to charge up as often as they do their phone. At least for now, these things are nice extras, not essential communication tools, and if they become more trouble than they're worth, the love affair won't last long for even the most dedicated fanboys and fangirls.
The smartwatches already on the market average somewhere around two or three days on a charge. The ones that do more, like Samsung's Galaxy Gear, are on the low end of that and those that do less tend to be higher.
Apple is surely planning on releasing a feature-rich device. If it can somehow do that while figuring out how to jam a powerful battery into a tiny watch, it will be a nice selling point.
Connectivity
Apple's smartwatch is no doubt going to link up with your iPhone, and probably an iPad. But like a lot of other major tech companies, Apple wants to edge its way into a lot of other areas of your life, and it sure would be cool to be able to sync those other products with your watch.
Play music on your iPod or iPhone with a tap of the watch. Change channels or pause movies on Apple TV. Beam photos or videos onto your television set via Airplay. All those abilities would be nice.
And Apple is believed to be looking into the growing "Internet of things," or connected objects such as cars and refrigerators. This might be a while (and a couple of smartwatch generations) away. But if you could perform home automation tasks like opening your garage, turning off your lights or locking your doors with a watch, we'd be impressed.
Of course, it would be cool if the presumed iWatch would link up with non-Apple devices, like those running Google's Android system or Microsoft's Windows. But we're not holding our breath on that.
Affordable price
This is Apple. So, there's no reason to think it will depart from a model that's always worked for them.
Unfortunately for budget-conscious consumers, that approach is to roll out finely crafted products at premium prices even while devices with similar features can be had without the Apple logo for less.
But we hope this one is different. Nobody needs a digital watch and, as mentioned above, there's a decent chance that it won't even work unless you already own another, presumably pricey, Apple device. We'd like to see it priced as an affordable accessory for your iPhone in an effort to pull in customers who want, not need, one.
Of course, nobody needed an iPad either. More than 200 million purchases later, it feels like Apple knew what it was doing.
Belgium wary of Germans
Never before have Belgium won all three group matches at a World Cup, a record which is in their sights against the Koreans.
But even avoiding defeat in that match would ensure they top the group and, in all probability, avoid a tough clash with Germany in the last 16. "If possible we will try to avoid Germany," said defender Daniel van Buyten, who plays his club football in that country with Bayern Munich. "I think everyone who knows a little about football would not like to play against Germany," he added.
"For me they are one of the favourites in this tournament. Belgium, with a star-studded squad, were also tipped by many to make a good impression on the competition. But despite winning both games so far, they have not yet found top form.
"We cannot show champagne football every time," said coach Marc Wilmots. All three of Belgium's goals have come from substitutes - showing strength in depth but also hinting that the strongest starting eleven has not been found.
Germany met Belgium in the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory.
While some in the Belgian camp are anxious to avoid a rematch 20 years later, others are in a more bullish mood.
"We know that Germany has a really good team but we fear no one," said Kevin de Bruyne.
Ronaldo delivers cold dose of reality
The 29-year-old Real Madrid superstar - whose fitness has been a hot source of debate - kept his country's slim hopes of reaching the second round alive with a sublime cross which was headed home by Silvestre Varela in the dying seconds of time added on.
The Portuguese, who were hammered 4-0 by Germany in their opening game, must beat Ghana and hope there is a winner from the other match between Germany and the Americans - who both have four points - on Thursday to leave the second qualifying spot down to goal difference.
However, Ronaldo - who looks doomed to prolong the curse of the world footballer of the year never winning the World Cup the year he wins the award - said even reaching the second round will not presage a revival that will see them lift the World Cup trophy for the first time.
"Portugal were never a favourite," said Ronaldo.
"Even qualifying for the finals was problematic (he almost single-handedly got Portugal to the finals with a hat-trick in the second leg of the play-off with Sweden in Stockholm in a 3-2 win, and a 4-2 victory on aggregate).
"I never thought we would be world champions. We have to be humble and recognise our limitations. There are things we cannot do, like running faster or having more quality.
"At the moment there are better teams and better players than our own.
"Also with the setbacks we have had here, with the suspension of Pepe and the injury to Fabio Coentrao."
Ronaldo, who had an outstanding season for Real which culminated with the 'meringues' 10th Champions League trophy, said he could have taken the easy way out and not come to the finals given his fitness concerns.
"It could have been a lot easier for me, I could have not come to the World Cup and I would have sat at home as a Champions League winner.
"Instead I answered my country's call as always," said Ronaldo, who inspired the Portuguese to a surprise run to the Euro 2012 semi-finals.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento also sprang to his captain's defence denying it was his patchy form which has been responsible for them clinging on to hopes of qualifying only by their fingernails.
"He was fit and he played 90 minutes," said Bento, who prior to the finals signed an extension to his contract taking him up to 2016.
"I don't think the problem with the displays lies with him. What happened has more to do with other players.
"The match has to be analysed from a broader perspective. I do not want to talk about individual cases and on one performance in particular.
"This is not the time to separate individual performances and the level of the team. There was not one player worse than the others. They are sad at the moment and it is not the time to criticise them.
"If there is somebody you want to criticise then it is me the coach."
2 million under-5s die each year in central, west Africa
Progress in reducing child mortality has not affected the overall number of deaths because of "enormous" population growth, said Manuel Fontaine, Unicef's director for the region.
"Things are gradually improving. On some measures, the mortality rate for children is falling," he told AFP.
But because of population growth, "the number of children under five who die every year from preventable causes remains unchanged" at two million, he said.
That accounts for 30 percent of global deaths in that age group, even though only one in 10 of the world's under-fives are born in the region.
Underscoring Unicef's concern about the booming population growth in central and western Africa, Fontaine pointed to Nigeria, currently home to 170 million people.
Economic growth
The population of Africa's economic powerhouse is expected to reach up to 450 million by 2050 and close to a billion by the end of the century to become the third most populous nation on the planet.
According to projections, one birth in three will occur in Africa by 2050, and by 2100 it will become one in two, Fontaine said.
It will be impossible, he said, for central and western Africa to take advantage of a "demographic dividend" in the same way as parts of Asia, which have achieved rapid economic growth thanks to huge workforces.
"They continue to have more and more children in a population that is already very young," undermining any potential economic advantage, he said.
Fontaine noted that Ghana and Senegal, two stable democracies, have kept their populations under control compared with troubled countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Sierra Leone or the Central African Republic.
He said the answer must lie in improved education on health and family planning, particularly for girls.
"If my husband asks me to stop acting, I will' - Dakore Akande says
Dakore said this while denying reports that her father in-law and her husband asked her to stop acting hence her absence from the big screen. Dakore said;
"That was a lie. People just cook up stories from nowhere and some other people will just believe them. They didn't see me for a while and they started peddling rumors about me. I just had to take a break from acting. Something more important came along. I fell in love. I had to give more time to my relationship to make sure I nurtured it away from the public eyes as much as I could. I took an inadvertent break to focus on my relationship. Being a career woman is great and I was lucky to have some success at it. But at the end of the day, family and having a stable, happy home is more important to me and I knew that something would have to give in. At that time, it was my career that had to give in. Nobody told me to stop acting. Not my father-in-law, not my husband
And if they asked her to?
"Of course I will. And that will be my husband. There will have to be a way he will go about that. Yes I will."
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