ORANGE COUNTY CLERK TO EXTEND HOURS FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGES AFTER COURT ORDER

The Orange County clerk-recorder offices will be open on at least one Saturday in July to accommodate the high demand for marriage licenses among same-sex couples.

The change in hours comes after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a one-sentence order Friday lifting a stay on an injunction against the state’s voter-approved Proposition 8, which had banned same-sex marriage in California.

The order cleared the way for same-sex weddings to resume, and two of the plaintiff couples in a lawsuit that reached the U.S. Supreme Court – which essentially threw the matter back to the 9th Circuit on Wednesday – were married Friday.

“We're listening to what our customers tell us they want,” Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen told the Los Angeles Times. “We'll continue to find ways to help make things easier for them.”

An announcement posted on the clerk-recorder's website says its offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 27. Those Saturday hours will apply at the clerk-recorder's main office in Santa Ana as well as those in Fullerton and Laguna Hills.

The only same-sex marriage license issued in Los Angeles County Friday went to Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, one of the two couples who challenged Proposition 8.

The pair were married at Los Angeles City Hall by outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, following a marriage about an hour earlier by Attorney General Kamala Harris of the two lead plaintiffs in the case at San Francisco City Hall.

Clerk's offices in San Francisco and Sacramento had extended their hours into Friday evening to accommodate the heavy demand.

Couples who take advantage of Orange County's Saturday hours should fill out applications online at www.ocrecorder.com before showing up in person, Nguyen told the Times.

FIVE REASONS WHY ANDROID IS KILLING APPLE

                                                            Despite Apple’s best attempts to rejuvenate its stale software, and for all it’s glitz and glamour, I don’t believe that iOS 7 will change the current balance of power. My reasoning: because it fails to address key issues which separate Apple and Android.

I know some people will argue that Apple isn’t interested in the same markets as Android, and that it’s not the company’s goal to try and please everyone, which is fair enough. But my rebuttal is that the technology industry is brutal; it’s survival of the fittest, and those who don’t adapt will fall by the wayside.

So, in no particular order, here are my top five reasons for Android’s success over Apple:

1 – Hardware diversity

Perhaps the most obvious reason for Android’s more recent dominance in the mobile market is because the operating system is simply available to a larger number of people. Apple’s relatively high price point for its products keeps them out of reach of many consumers, especially when it comes to emerging markets. Whilst Apple is maintaining a strong market share in some of the world’s top economies, the US, Japan, Europe, etc, it’s lagging significantly behind other manufactures in other markets.

Android, on the other hand, has a range of manufacturers producing a range of products. Without a central company dictating when new top of the line phones are released, Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc, are available to offer the very highest spec products as soon as new technologies become available, offering the best top of the line devices to consumers. We’ve seen over the course of just three months, faster and more powerful smartphones than ever before, whilst Apple is still stuck on last generation hardware technologies.
The HTC One, for example, offers much better hardware than Apple’s iPhone 5. Android handsets are constantly evolving, offering consumers the best hardware on the market.

At the other end of the spectrum, the same companies are free to design smartphones and tablets which meet more budget price ranges, whilst still providing consumers with a decent smartphone experience thanks to the Android OS. This is proving to be a particularly strong business idea in emerging markets.

Now, whilst Apple may not be interested in lowering its price to meet the needs of these markets right now, today’s emerging markets are tomorrow’s wealthy economies. By ignoring consumers at this early stage, Apple risks facing an uphill battle against a more established brand, Android for example, if it decides to try and sell products in these markets in the future.

But it’s not just a problem with the price; Apple’s product line-up is also extremely limited for even high-end purchasers. Currently you’re stuck with a choice of just one size and spec of phone, which whilst easy for Apple to maintain, means that consumers can’t opt for a larger screen size, additional storage, or whatever other features they might prefer to have attached to their handset or tablet.
Just look at all that choice, and this is just from one Android manufacturer.

Take the Galaxy Note series of smartphones for example, they’ve proved to be extremely popular as they offer customers a unique experience which can’t be had with traditional 5 inch or smaller smartphones. Sony and HTC, amongst other companies, are eager to catch-up in the market space, but Apple’s stubbornness to keep its product portfolio small is restricting its ability to meet real consumer demand.

Similarly, smaller tablets are another prime example of Apple’s inflexibility. I’m sure we all remember Apple dismissing 7 inch tablets as too small to be useful, and then laughed wholeheartedly when the company announced the iPad Mini. Apple’s problem is that is seems to think that it can best dictate what consumers want, whereas Android lets the market decide, and recently this approach has worked very well in Android’s favour.

2 – Competition and innovation

But it’s not just a battle between Google and Apple, each manufacturer utilizing the Android operating system is in direct competition with everyone else, which had led to a much faster pace in innovation. There’s a distinct advantage in offering consumers something which they can’t get anywhere else — look at the recent top of the line Samsung and HTC products, the Galaxy S4 and the One, for example.

Now whilst you might love or hate TouchWiz or Sense, there’s no denying that both of the company’s have invested a lot of resources in improving their own handsets above and beyond the basic Android experience, in order to stand out above the competition. Consider the massive range of additional software piled in with the Galaxy S4: exercise tracking software, better multitasking functionality, and additional camera settings, amongst plenty of other things. HTC, on the other hand, has invested heavily in its BoomSound system, Sense 5, and BlinkFeed, which offers consumers a different experience to Samsung’s.
Android lets you chose from the best of the best, pick from the features which matter most to you. Apple’s one size fits all policy stifles innovation.

But this doesn’t just apply to software; the HTC One aimed to provide a top quality audio experience above that of Samsung’s, whereas Samsung attempted to win over some consumers with the faster Exynos 5 Octa processor. Similarly, Sony’s Xperia Z boasts extra features such as waterproofing and improved scratch resistance, something which Samsung has since copied with the Galaxy S4 Active after identifying that it was a great idea that consumers wanted.

Furthermore, the next line-up of smartphones are already gearing up to take advantage of faster processing technologies, like the Snapdragon 800, in order to place themselves ahead of the current crop of smartphones, which is possibly why we’ve been hearing rumors of a beefed up Galaxy S4 as well. It’s a constant battle to offer the best products, which is a massive win for consumers.

This level of internal competition doesn’t exist with Apple products, and it shows when you look at the much slower rate of progress taking place with the iPhone.

3 – Open source, free market system

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of Android’s strength stem from its open nature, which allows third parties to do what they want with the platform in order to offer consumers products which they would like to use. This has seen Android leap ahead of iOS in recent years, and has helped the platform capture larger and larger shares of the smartphone and tablet markets, but it’s also spun off a range of entirely new products.

Android has already broken into the gaming space, in a way which Apple hasn’t even started to think about, thanks to Kickstarter projects like Gamestick and OUYA, and even projects funded by big companies like Nvidia. Nvidia Shield is an excellent example of a company utilizing Android in a fairly unique way, offering a handheld gaming platform with all the functionality of a full operating system. Apple certainly isn’t doing any of this, which again is going to introduce more and more consumers to the Android ecosystem whilst Apple remains stuck with its current clientele.

There have also been a whole range of other Android powered products which have appeared thanks to innovative third party companies. Plenty of manufacturers are now offering mini Android PCs, often in the form of a USB stick sized device, which bring computing into your living room for around $50 or less. There’s a range of Android TV products as well, which give users access to a range of media options in the living room.

We haven’t even talked about software yet, but now’s a good a time as any. Of course, Apple fans will likely say that the Google Play Store is full of rubbish apps and that the App Store takes in a lot more money, which is true, to some extent at least anyway. But firstly, the amount of money the store makes isn’t necessarily in the best interest of consumers. Android has plenty of cheap or free apps which are great, so the money issue is just a silly one.

As far as app quality goes, it’s certainly true that there are some poor quality apps on the Play Store, but it doesn’t usually take long for these to be exposed and weeded out. The rating system certainly does its job, and most of the regularly downloaded apps in the Google Store are as good as anything found in Apple’s store. In fact, the ease in which apps and software can be uploaded to the Play Store is one of Android’s strengths, as it allows developers to easily and quickly respond to consumer demand, rather than having to wait eons for authorisation from Apple.

4 – Strong developer community

This brings us neatly onto the next point, a strong and ever growing developer community.

We all know that there are a variety of custom ROMs for a start, each offering unique features, porting the default Android experience to handset which would otherwise go without, and some aiming to improve system performance. ROMs like CyanogenMod have proven hugely popular because of their punctual updates for handsets which otherwise would go without the latest versions of Android, and others like Paranoid Android are intent on innovating on the default Android experience.

Some community driven developments, like notification features for example, have even gone on to be incorporated into official versions of Android. With more minds working on the same problem, you’re far more likely to achieve superior results than deciding everything with a select group of individuals behind closed doors.

Another example is the custom MIUI ROM, which has proven so popular that handsets pre-installed with the ROM sold out almost as soon as they were announced. Thousands of consumers with products that they want spawned from a third party developer, bringing even more consumers into the Android fold without Google having to lift a finger.

I want APPLE please

But it’s not just customs ROMs which are helping to drive Android’s popularity. We’ve already discussed the wide range of apps available, but developers are also more than happy to work on free projects to address the needs of certain parts of the Android community.

Samsung users will probably remember the Exynos processor root exploit which was plaguing various Galaxy handsets a few months back. The problem was initially addressed and patched by members of the development community well before Samsung put out their own updates. Whilst this issue isn’t particularly a selling point for Android itself, having a development community which can access the platform so easily has a huge number of benefits above Apple’s closed platform.

Similarly, look at the new privacy tools in development by the creator of CyanogenMod. In the light of the recent NSA data collecting scandal he saw a need for greater privacy and was able to immediately begin working on addressing people’s concerns, without having to wait for an official update, if one would ever come. I love that community members can so easily be creative with the platform, and whilst it certainly won’t be a major selling point for everyone, developers are what keep the platform moving forwards, it’s another huge benefit to innovation for Android compared with iOS.

But the developer community doesn’t just benefit those who are looking to mess about with the serious stuff under the hood, there are a vast variety of more simply tweaks which most users can take advantage of. Themes are an excellent example of user created content which is easily installed on most Android devices, there are thousands of custom icon packs too, and a plethora of different launchers which help users tweak their Android experience to exactly how they like it. Android works great out of the box, but unlike Apple, Google allows us to tinker away in whatever manner we see fit, to tailor the experience to exactly what we want, and that’s a big selling point for a lot of consumers.

5 – The Google ethos

Many of the reasons Android is doing so well listed above don’t really have anything to do with Google, but that isn’t to say that the company isn’t pulling its weight. Google has created a range of free applications which improve the users experience over the default operating system, and it’s constantly trying out new ideas and scrapping old ones which don’t work.

Google’s commitment to big data also gives the company a large edge over its competitors. Over the past decade Google has undertaken a huge number of projects aimed at giving users better access to the huge amounts of information stored on the web, ranging from obvious applications like Maps, to optimizations and improvements with its search engine. Google Now is an excellent example of Google’s innovation in this space, pulling information from a much larger set of data specifically for a user when they need it.

I suppose that this can best be summed up by Google’s willingness to experiment with various aspects of its ecosystem. Google Glass is a prime example of an idea which could well flop, but even so, the company is willing to invest time and money to see if it works. It’s this approach which has given the company a massive edge over its competitors, like Apple and Microsoft, when it comes to being on the cutting edge of web technologies. Android, as one of Google’s main projects, reaps the benefits of the company’s experimentation and innovation.

Looking at the situation in reverse, it’s hard to pinpoint anything interesting or experimental that Apple has done in recent years. The company is totally starved for unique projects by comparison, and does nothing to encourage or inspire third party development of its platform either. This can be seen in Apple’s recently rather uninspired unveiling of iOS 7, which in many ways is simply playing catch-up to Android.

To be fair, iOS 7 certainly has its good points but it’s simply not as a creative or innovative platform as Android, for all of the reasons mentioned above. Android attracts innovation from both hardware and software developers, which, in my opinion, is the main reason why our favourite mobile operating system is killing Apple. source :360nobs

THE'INTERNET OF THINGS'DOOM OR SAVE?

                                                            Doors that magically unlock as you approach. Clothes that advise you when they're out of style, then tell your car how to get to the nearest sale. Cough medicine that tells you when it's time to go to the doctor. This magical, futuristic world now called the "Internet of Things" is coming straight from science fiction into your home. Like "the cloud," the "Internet of Things" is largely a marketing term designed to create buzz around a series of not-yet-ready-for-prime time technologies, and also like the cloud, you won't be able to avoid hearing about it soon.

But this time, the stakes are much higher. It’s a full-on cage match between George Jetson and George Orwell.

Maybe it's a miracle to think about high-tech insulin pumps that patients never need to touch, while doctors control them from thousands of miles away. But what happens when a hacker hijacks that insulin pump — or simply threatens to hijack it, and messages the patient that he'd better pay a ransom to keep it functioning properly? Those runaway gadgets from "The Jetsons" cartoon might not be such a laughing matter in real life.

We already have an Internet of Things — your PC, laptop, tablet, everything already connected to the Internet. What the "IoT" crowd means by "things" is "everything." They want to attach tiny computers and sensors to just about every object in the world, and make them all talk to each other.

"We have everyday objects we've been interacting with for years, and many of these objects are now gaining intelligence and connectivity," said Jason Johnson, leader of the IoT consortium. "We will create this fabric of connected devices."

The back story
The idea of putting little connected computers everywhere, even floating in the air around us, isn't new. You'll find popular references to "ubiquitous computing" nearly 20 years ago. Since then, there has been one failed effort after another to bring James Bond-like automation to our lives. Take the hobbyist X-10 technology, which let users turn off household lights via remote control — X-10 gadgets had trouble competing with The Clapper, much less "The Jetsons."

Today, continually shrinking sensors and processors put us on the threshold of the Internet of Things. In fact, some of this futuristic wizardry already has a devoted following. Members of the burgeoning Quantified Self movement use iPhones and wearable sensors like Fitbit to measure their heart rate, blood pressure and sleep patterns, upload that data into spreadsheets, sometimes even share it automatically via Twitter and Facebook. They use the data to find the optimal temperature to go for a run, or the best humidity conditions in which to sleep.

AUDITIONS FOR PRESENTERS AND ACTORS/ACTRESSES

A movie production company shooting in August need the following categories of artistes for their job: Men 25-45 year old, Elderly men 50-65 years old, extras all ages. If interested send a picture of yourself to brokendestiny124@yahoo.com before July 5th.

A female TV presenter aged 21-30 years who's good in yoruba and pidgin english and a video editor good in adobe premier and final cut pro are needed by WAP TV. The audition is on June 29th at WAP TV 20 Olutosin Ajayi street,Ajao estate, off airport road, Lagos. Time - 11am

Also tomorrow June 29th will be the audition date for a TV series campus instincts which will hold at Metro park, 31 Isaac john street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. Time - 9am. Come with a 5x7 self picture of.

Finally white gold production will be holding an audition for a new movie on July 6th at moors place,Amuwo odofin-festac link road, Lagos close to the Festac link bridge by 9am.You must be above 5fest tall and age range between 23-60 years for both sex. For more info call 08023858879.

RICKROSS SUED FOR NOT PAYING FOR ROLEXES

                                  Rapper Rick Ross is being sued by a luxury firm for not settling the tab on some ordered Rolex wristwatches.

The Maybach Music boss owes Johnny’s Custom Jewelry almost $90,000 after he ordered three diamond-studded Rolexes almost a year ago, but has not yet paid for them.

The lawsuit alleges that the pieces were delivered but never paid for, asking for $89,847.50 plus interest to settle the tab. TMZ has obtained a copy of the receipt, which shows two Rolexes made of 18-carat gold (one with 30 carats of diamonds, the other with seven), and a third two-tone watch with five carats of diamonds. They cost $55,000, $14,000, and $14,000, respectively.

TONTO DIKEH FACING 15-YEAR SENTENCE FOLLOWING MARIJUANA PICTURES

You should learn to watch what you put up on social media, especially when you’re a celebrity.

Tonto Dikeh might be in a lot of trouble after officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stated that she could face up to 15 years in jail for taking pictures of banned substances and encouraging their consumption.

Dikeh had on Friday posted photographs of a wrap of hemp and grains of the weed formed into the letters, ‘Happy birthday POKO.’

She also posted a photograph of herself and added the inscription, ‘Mi smoke ganja mi smoke weed while my hatez smoke ma gossip.’

Her picture is a close-up of her face that seemed to depict her in a high state.

When Saturday PUNCH contacted NDLEA for comments, its spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the matter would be investigated.

He said the matter had been referred to the appropriate department of the agency.

Ofoyeju said, “Our attention has been drawn to the post quite frankly and I can tell you that action will be taken on it. The law is clear and NDLEA has been very clear on the issue. No one is permitted to sell, use, cultivate or encourage the use of Indian hemp in Nigeria. The weed is one of the banned narcotics in the country.

“NDLEA Act Section 14 (b) states that any person who conspires with, aids, abets, counsels, attempts to commit or is an accessory to any act or offence referred to in this act shall be guilty of an offence under this act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than 15 years and not exceeding 25 years.

“Investigation has not started as of now but definitely, a step has to be taken on the matter. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse; so, it is obvious that the actress stands the risk of 15 years jail term. The appropriate department is meeting on the issue for necessary action.”

The NDLEA spokesman, however, declined to give any hint on particular steps the agency would take in its investigation, citing reasons bearing on ethics.

Dikeh’s post has expectedly drawn mixed reactions from readers, with many of them voicing concern for the way she is living her life.

OJB KIDNEY FAILURE-A BLESSING OR A CURSE

Hello, mecksoncrownblog readers, I am going to take it from GOOD to BAD/SAD just read along.....                                                                                                                                             Yes as we all know, ojb is an artist who had a great time during his reign right? but for the past few years now the music industry has been the foodbasket of other younger artist with different style of songs. Lets not forget that OJB is down with kidney failure but the popularity he is gaining is awesome whether good or bad, to Nigerians both home and abroad. The rate at which he is trending on twitter alone is alarming, talk of google and other social network sites. Ojb is so popular right now that some people had to share from the glory. Surprise ? Okay, let me put this straight. I hope we all know Juliet Ibrahim the popular Ghanaian actress. It was on the very concurrent day when she posted some stuffs about ojb's illness, that same day she got a lot of negative words from Nigerians. You would agree with me that it was that day that most Nigerians got to know that there is a foundation called 'Juliet Ibrahim foundation'. Ehen! shey I lie ni, you know?. Away from that, I call the next two ' unconcious act of trending '. I am using these words because these people were there to help but ended up trending. The first one is on the famous mercy Johnson Okojie,I believe its no news that she's got 15 million naira car,plated 'ODI-WIFE'. Bloggers sef, person come help na her car and the amount she buy am una first post for net. Now, the second one is kelly handsome, since the release of maga don pay track(except the beefs),I do not think Nigerians have really paid any attention to him like before, But with his recent release of 'save ojb' at least 76% of music lovers have it downloaded to their phones and PCs<----So much for that. Now the BAD-there are different speculations on the internet as whether the money is more than the figure the saveojb group were posting which have scared government officials away according to nomoreloss,the person in charge of the funds.On the other hand OJb is still in pain, This kept me wondering is this truely A BLESSING OR A CURSE/ OR BOTH. Enough of the drama, lets not forget, He said he's got only 8 weeks to survive. You can also donate by sending your prayers and stop saying this one no pay, that neverpay.CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED                                                                                                                      1. Don Jazzy
2. Mr. Kool
3. Mercy Johnson
4. Dele Momodu
5. Ruggedman
6. Julius Agwu
7. Peter, Paul and Jude Okoye
8. Vector Tha Viper
9. DJ Jimmy Jatt

GOVT OFFICIAL WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR OJB DUE TO MISINFORMATION ON FUNDS RAISED

                                   There have been speculations that some celebrities have been to see OJB and made some donations. While it's true that the likes of Don Jazzy, P-Square, Ruggedman, Mercy Johnson, Iyanya, Julius Aguw have contributed, the other names on the list that circulated today are 100% false. For instance, D'banj didn't give N7m, Wizkid didn't give N3m and 2face didn't give N1.5m.

"Head of fund raising committee for #SaveOJB, singer Nomoreloss, says the hype and misinformation is affecting efforts to raise the complete money OJB needs for his treatment.See more tweets after the cut"                                                                                                                                                

DR.SID BUYS-OUT CINEMA HALL TO WATCH'MAN OF STEEL' WITH 200 FANS

Being an avid fan of the ‘superman’ movie franchise, Dr. Sid wanted to be one of the first people to see it. So, to thank his fans for their love and support, the Mavin doctor decided to take 200 lucky fans to the cinema with him for a private screening of the new blockbuster, in partnership with Tripican.com

He purchased 200 movie tickets on Tripican.com, the online discounted movie ticketing website, for his fans and a few friends to see “Man of Steel” on Saturday, 22nd June 2013.

In a quick interview, he said:

“So last week, I hung out with 200 of my fans and friends at the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, at the Palms for a private screening of the new Superman Movie “Man of Steel”. I am a big movie fan and I wanted to share a movie experience with some of the most important people to me.
My fans have made me who I am, they have supported me for 10 years now. So this is one of my little ways of showing that I appreciate them all. I had a lot of fun at the cinema plus the movie was amazing. I want to say a big thank you to all the ticket winners that came through and my Mavin fam – Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Altims, Babyfresh, Tega, Bizzle, Otoide, not forgetting Tunde Ednut.”

”
Man of Steel” is the most recent superhero movie from the ‘Superman’ franchise and features some of the biggest stars in Hollywood - Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburneand Diane Lane.

TUNISIA HACKERS TAKE APART OLD REGIME CENSORSHIP MACHINE

       Before Tunisia toppled its dictator Ben Ali, the country’s internet was subject to complete censorship - all emanating out of an infamous villa. That same villa is now home to the Tunisian Internet Agency, which has renamed it Lab 404. Prior to the dictator’s fall it was called Ammar 404, a reference to the government’s censorship. The TIA, writes France 24 (FRA), has since given access of the censorship machine to local hackers. They are busy exploring and decoding the machines to see how the censorship was implemented, all towards ensuring that Tunisia’s Internet is not limited again. The regime also used more advanced systems to control online traffic and spent over $2.6 million in 2010 alone to monitor the Internet. But these are not yet available to the hackers, pending a contract with an unnamed technology company.

NIGERIA EXECUTE FIRST PRISONER SINCE 2006

Four men have been hung in Nigeria, despite a pending appeal on their sentences. Lawyers and the government have confirmed that the men had been sent to the gallows, the first state executions since 2006. A fifth man was also to be hung, but technicalities delayed his execution, reports the Washington Post (US). It is unclear if he was eventually killed, though some reports suggest as much. Two of the men were convicted of murder, said their lawyer, and had been on death row for sixteen years. There were pending suits at Nigeria’s appeal court and the lawyer said the state broke the law by going ahead with the executions. In 2011 most of Nigeria’s governors supported a return to state executions.-NEWS

NAMIBIA AND NIGER RECEIVE WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Two African destinations have been added to the latest list of World Heritage Sites. Namibia’s Sand Sea, the oldest desert in the world and the only one bordering on a coast, has finally made the cut. This massive area of shifting sand is famous for its massive dunes, which are slowly moving over a much older desert system, and recently saw the country earmarked as one of the top safari destinations in Africa. Niger’s iconic town of Agadez was also awarded the coveted status. Suitably called the gateway to the North African desert, it has existed since the 15th century and features, among many things, the tallest minaret built out of mud bricks.

AL-QAEDA CONFIRM EUROPEAN HOSTAGES ARE STILL ALIVE

             A twitter message by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) confirmed that eight European hostages kidnapped in 2010 are still alive. The message comes right after recent rallies in France marking the hostages’ 1,000 days in captivity. 'We would like to assure the families and parents of the hostages of their children’s safety' said the message, adding it will release a video of the hostages soon. The men, five of which are French, were taken in Niger while working for a French nuclear firm, writes the BBC (UK). AQIM has in the past threatened to execute the hostages if French military action continues in Mali, but so far has not done so. It also indicated that it is still open to negotiations for their release. Kidnapping is a popular method of fundraising for the group. A French sailor was recently rescued by Nigerian forces after he was kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Togo.

WAJE COVERS THE 29TH EDITION OF BUBBLES MAGAZINE

                      The 29^th Edition of Bubbles Magazine is now out. This edition is covered by the fabulous Waje. It’s been an incredible year for the music star as she recently dropped her much anticipated album to increasing critical and commercial acclaim; she also scoops up a major brand ambassadorship. Waje speaks toBubbles about her music and why it took her this long to drop an album.

As the foremost music journal in Nigeria, we also delve into the Limpopo fever currently engulfing the nation, courtesy Kcee. There’s hardly a more widely popular tune right now.

In this edition, we examine other topical issues such as the increasing use of local dialect in urban music, a feature on the seeming return of Timberland footwear to the fashion circuit in addition to our monthly expose on artistes who are no longer up-coming but inching closer the top of their game.  Jide Taiwo speaks to fast rising DJ Spinall, whose ubiquitous look is as striking as his mixes.--entertainment

Bubbles is out nationwide from Saturday 29^th July at vendors stands, Patabah Bookshops and Ozone Cinemas.

HAPPY!!PSQUARE AND JUDE OKOYE PROVED ME WRONG BY DONATING 5 MILLION NAIRA

                     Just yesterday i posted "a letter to ojb jazreel's fans,friends and foes" which got alot of retweets on twitter.Just when i thought i was gaining the air,Psquare and jude just prove me wrong by donating a whooping sum of money,when i mean whooping,not that cough oo, i mean 5million naira,isn't that cool.Thanks to the twins jor.much love

6 AMERICANS,I BRITON VANISH WHILE SAILING FROM NEW ZEALAND TO AUSTRALIA

Six Americans and a Briton have been missing at sea for more than three weeks after setting sail from New Zealand, officials said Thursday.

The seven were aiming to sail the 70-foot schooner Nina to Newcastle, Australia.

The New Zealand Herald on Friday identified four of the people on the boat: David Dyche, 58; his wife, Rosemary, 60; their son David, 17; and Evi Nemreth, 73, of Boulder, Colo., a maritime technology expert and retired University of Colorado professor.

A 35-year-old British man, a 28-year-old American man and an 18-year-old American woman on board have not yet been identifiedA statement from Maritime New Zealand released early Thursday expressed "grave concerns" for the Nina's crew.

Maritime New Zealand via AP

The Nina was built in 1928.

The vessel left the Bay of Islands area of northern New Zealand on May 29. It has not been heard from since June 4, when the ship was 370 miles west-north west of Cape Reinga in "very rough" conditions with winds gusting to 68 mph and 26-foot swells.

Authorities said the vessel's emergency beacon has not been activated. 

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Banaghan said that a military aircraft had covered a 160,000 square nautical mile search area on Tuesday, with an additional 324,000 square nautical miles examined on Wednesday.

"No sign of the vessel has been found," Banaghan said. "We do hold grave concerns for the Nina and her crew but remain hopeful of a positive outcome."

On Thursday, the rescue center was set to search the northern shores of New Zealand, in case the crew had abandoned ship and attempted to raft to safety — but “windy and rainy” weather conditions delayed the effort, said spokesman Steve Rendle.

The huge search was launched after family and friends raised concerns about the crew's whereabouts.

The Nina was built in 1928. It is also equipped with a satellite phone and a spot beacon, which allows tracking signals to be sent manually.By Henry Austin, NBC News contributor

SAN DIEGO MAN KILLED GIRLFRIEND IN PANAMA,COVER UP CRIME:FEDS

Yvonne Baldelli of Laguna Niguel was last seen in Panama in November 2011.

A San Diego man is accused of engaging in an elaborate scheme to cover up the death of Yvonne Baldelli, who went missing in 2011.

Brian Karl Brimager, 37, was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Diego Wednesday on charges that he obstructed justice and made false statements to law enforcement. He was arrested by FBI agents at his Vista home Wednesday morning without incident.

Brimager allegedly sent fake emails, gave false information to law enforcement, and made it appear to friends and family that Baldelli was still alive and traveling with another man in Costa Rica. The indictment states that in September 2011, Brimager and Baldelli went to Bocas del Toro,Panama, from Los Angeles. They then rented a room inside a hostel on Isla Carenero, a small island near Bocas reachable only by boat.The U.S. Attorney’s office alleges that Brimager physically abused Baldelli, and she was last seen at a restaurant with him on Nov. 26, 2011."After Baldelli’s disappearance, Brimager allegedly covered up her death by sending emails from her laptop pretending to be Baldelli, saying she was traveling to Costa Rica. He’s also accused of using her ATM card in Costa Rica during a two-day layover, and also using her card in San Jose to make it appear as though she was alive".

“Brimager impersonated Baldelli over email in an attempt to trick her friends and family into believing she was still alive, thereby obstructing, influencing and impeding investigation into her disappearance and suspected death,” the indictment said.

He is also accused of disposing of key evidence from the hostel: A bloody mattress.

Brimager allegedly dumped the mattress in the ocean, and previously conducted two internet searches on her computer, seeking how to wash a mattress of a blood stain.

The indictment also alleges that Brimager got rid of Baldelli’s belongings by packing the items into 10 large garbage bags and leaving them on the dock outside the hostel for disposal.

He then allegedly lied to investigators, saying she took her laptop to travel. That same laptop was found in Brimager’s possession last year, which he then allegedly tried to cover up by saying the laptop never went to Panama and he never sent emails from that device.

Brimager now faces 10 counts of obstruction of justice and one count of false statement to a federal officer. He faces a maximum sentence of 205 years in prison and a $2.5 million fine if found guilty of all charges.

OBAMA:I WONT FORCE CHURCHES TO HOLD GAY WEDDINGS

                     Supreme Court ruled in favour of gay couples by striking down certain provisions in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In its decision, the court cleared the way for states that allow gay marriage to pay federal benefits to married gay couples.In a statement following the court’s ruling, Obama said he would not force religious institutions to hold gay weddings                                                                                                                                                                                                           President Obama, in his statement hailing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, promised that he wouldn’t try to force religious institutions to conduct gay marriages.

“On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom is also vital,” Obama said. “How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions. Nothing about this decision — which applies only to civil marriages — changes that.”

KIM KARDASHIAN FIRST TWEET SINCE BABY NORTH WEST WAS BORN

                     Kim Kardashian has been visibly absent from the social network, Twitter for some time. She however decides to say something via Twitter two weeks after the birth of her baby girl North West. The tweets have nothing to do with her boyfriend, Kanye or her baby girl. Rather she celebrates her sister, Khloe, whose birthday was June 27.

“The birthday girl! I love you so much!” Kim captioned the first shot, adding that Khloe is “the most loyal & supportive person on the planet!” on the other.

FOR REAL? - ROBBER POSTS 2CHAINZ'S STOLEN ID AND VISA CARD ONLINE

                             Tauheed Epps  popularly know as 2chainz denied the report of him getting rob by some robbers in bayarea,you know that video footage that was all over the internet.but now,i think the robbers cant just gulp it in any longer.They decided to take the bold step by posting the picture above for us to see..... pictures from: 360nobs   

BOSTON BOMBER GOT BOMB MAKING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE INTERNET

                    The dark side of the internet was brought to the forefront again after it was revealed that the suspect of the Boston bombings, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, downloaded bomb-making tutorials via the internet.

Tsarnaev was handed a 30-count indictment by a grand jury on Thursday, including the use of weapons of mass destruction and the murder of 4 people including a university police officer, and may face life imprisonment or execution.

Dzhokhar and his brother conspired to use improvised explosive devices, the indictment charged.

Tamerlan died following a gun battle with police days after the April 15 bombing, and authorities captured Dzhokhar after a massive manhunt following his escape from the same shootout.

Dzhokhar was placed in a prison hospital.

Tsarnaev downloaded bomb-making instructions from an Al Qaeda magazine, gathered online material on Islamic jihad and martyrdom, and later scribbled anti-American messages inside the boat where he lay wounded, the indictment said.

According to the indictment, he scrawled messages on the inside of the vessel that said, among other things, “The U.S. Government is killing our innocent civilians,” “I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished,” and “We Muslims are one body you hurt one you hurt us all.”

Dzhokhar and his brother built these IEDs using pressure cookers, explosive powder, shrapnel, adhesives and other items designed to ‘shred skin, shatter bone, and cause extreme pain and suffering, as well as death,” the indictment said.

These IEDs were placed at the finish line of the 117th running of the Boston marathon and detonated as onlookers cheered runners at the end of the 26.2-mile race, the indictment said.

KESHI BACKS IDEYE DESPITE LACK OF GOALS

                                                               Brown Ideye hardly scores. He also hardly lays assists. And yet, his coach Stephen Keshi has backed the  under-fire forward  to come good once he sheds his anxiety.

The forward scored once at the African Nations Cup and only once more since then; a penalty conversion against Mexico in a 2-2 friendly draw.And at the Confederations Cup he was guilty of squandering a host of gilt-edged chances as he failed to find the back of the net.

But his endeavour, hard work, link-up play have found favour with his coach.

“Yeah, it’s true that Brown hasn’t scored goals, but that does not make him a bad player,” Keshi tells KickOffNigeria.com. “Sometimes when the ambition [to score] turns into anxiety, it becomes difficult for a striker to score goals.

“So all he needs to do is relax. We have been working on his inner relaxation and inner calm so that when he is in front of goal it will be much easier for him.”

Keshi praised Ideye’s other qualities, especially his unselfish graft for the team. Against Spain he dropped deep to rescue the two fullbacks from sticky situations, and Keshi says that fits into his philosophy of team ahead of individual.

“He is a good kid; he has been working his tail off everywhere on the pitch. And that’s what we want from somebody who plays for the team.”At club level Ideye averages more than a goal every other game, and Keshi predicts that once the forward starts scoring for the Eagles, it will be hard to stop him.

“It’s just the finishing that’s lacking because that is his number one job, and that is why people are a little bit angry, but I’m very sure it’s going to come – and when it comes, it won’t stop.

“We just need to support him, keep believing in him and give him the confidence to continue to express himself without pressure.”

MUNA:MY RELATIONSHIP WITH PETER OKOYE(PSQUARE)-THE TRUE STORY

Since Munachi Abi came into limelight after winning the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria( MBGN) crown in 2007, life has never been the same again. Within a very short period  of time, Muna, as she is fondly called by her admirers became a household name especially when she emerged one of the  formidable female  artistes in the Nigerian entertainment scene, floating  her own record label company called, No Koncience. But  while Muna’s  profile was constantly on the rise, so did the number of controversies trailing her.

From her rumoured ‘love affair’ with Peter Okoye, one half of the superstar  duo, P-Square, to her public dispute and reconciliation with rapper, Mode 9, Muna fluctuated between popularity and notoriety. However, in this interview, she addresses some of the nagging issues affecting her personality and career. She also narrated the circumstances that informed her decision to set up  her own record label, No Koncience among other things….

Do you still recall how you felt that fateful day  you were crowned as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, MBGN 2007?

I was excited. I didn’t think I was going to win but I won.

Before you won the beauty pageant, you were with a group called,  The Specimen?

No, I wasn’t with them. They only gave me an opportunity to feature on their album as at that time. That was my first time rapping on wax. I used to write a lot of lyrics until my friend saw my notepad and quickly notified “The Specimen”  about me. They were glad to ask me to join them as they wanted  to see  what I could do with my talent. I would say, I learnt the art on the spot.

*Muna

Have you written songs for any Nigerian artist?

Yes, back in the days, I wrote a song for J Martins, Waje. I have a good chemistry, I co-wrote the song, “I Wish” with Waje in her current album.

Aside writing songs and rapping, you are also into modelling. Do you still have that contract with Unilever as Face of Lux?

My contract with Lux is under review. They are trying to renew it.

And your programme  with Sound City. Is it also under review?

I still have an amazing relationship with SoundCity. I worked with them for over a year. We didn’t actually split but at that time, I was trying to get into the music business seriously. You really can’t do a lot of things at the same time. So, I took a break. I can always go back and say, I need my job back.

Looking at your first video, Ifunanya, you played your character well; the love smitten girl and you have the looks too. Why didn’t you get into Nollywood?

No. I really don’t think I can act or even make it as a good actress although I haven’t tried it. I probably do know how to act, it’s just that I haven’t found the right script yet.

Have you been approached before?

Yes, I do get a lot of scripts. But I still haven’t found that one; when I find it, its going to make everybody cry.

Do you  want to play a tragic character?

Exactly, the kind of story I’m looking forward to interpreting because it moves me.

You recently set up your own record label called,  No Koncience. Why did you leave RMG to form yours?

I needed to become a little bit more independent and you know one needs to grow. I have  learnt how to handle things on my own and become responsible. It was something I needed to do  because one  cannot continue to be under someone’s wings forever. There comes a time when you have to spread you own wings and fly.

And you have a first single from this label?

Yes, my single “No Tomorrow” is out. It  came out on the 10th of this month, and it’s been good and a video for the song will soon be put together. My album, The Goddess, The hustler” is still receiving finishing touches but I may have to change the name.

Unlike many of your counterparts in the entertainment industry who prefer to climb the ladder of stardom by escalating their biffs with their colleagues. While your misunderstanding with Mode 9 lasted, you took the pain to call  him on the phone and even tweeted  a public apology,  what informed your decision to re-trace your steps?

I hate to be in enmity with someone. Life is too short for that. It’s not who I am. I have a good relationship with Mode 9, there’s no biff. And really it wasn’t a big issue it’s just you, the media who escalated things, trying to make a mountain out of nothing. You keep hammering on the same question trying to get the person to react negatively and it’s really frustrating. Mode 9 and I are very good friends and we’ll keep it that way.

It is alleged this is partly why you left your former label, RMG, for being too hard on fans with that strong worded press statement that told everyone off?

No, I did not leave RMG for that reason. I still have a good relationship with my former label and I was aware of all the statements written concerning that issue. I left RMG because I needed to start up my own thing; there was nothing more to it. I have no issues whatsoever with RMG.

What’s your opinion about love?

Love is life. It’s the most beautiful thing to happen to anybody.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yes, it could happen. It is possible.

Is this what happened between you and Peter Okoye (PSquare) love at first sight?

Look, I know Lola Omotola very well. I have known her for years and we are really close. All those things you heard or read about us are not true. Peter Okoye and I are friends. I know his family well. I was just invited to be in his video (Ifunanya) and that was it. Nothing more than that. I know how Peter and Lola love each other and I respect their love.  I could never do that to them. I could never bring myself to do anything to hurt them.

It’s good to have you clear the air!

(She interrupts) What you’ll see is another screaming headline, “Muna again denies affair with Peter Okoye.” It’s not fair, it’s heartbreaking and very frustrating. Some of these things you media guys  write about us hurts us so badly.

How have you learnt to deal with rumours about you?

I try to remain focused and I move on.

How supporting has your family been?

My family has always been there for me. My mum particularly, she is my rock. She’s always asking when am I going to get your song to use as my ringtone?

If offered a role to play  in a steaming love scene who will you do it with?

Maybe, with Johny Depp and Brad Pitt … except Brad Pitt says he won’t be doing sex scenes again because of Angelina Jolie, but for them, I am ready to play more than romantic.

What about  Nollywood Actors?

No. There is no one hot enough for me in Nollywood. No one.

What’s your vision for your new label?

To take over the world. (laughs) really it’s just to grow and be an inspiration to the next generation. To let them know anything and everything is possible once you set your mind to it.

Is marriage knocking on your door?

Yes, I believe it will come when it has to come and you all will know when the time is right.

What’s your favourite dance move?

I really don’t think I have  any particular one. You know as a rapper you aren’t really supposed to dance. You just stand on one spot and wave your hands.

Interview by charles mgbolu (vanguard news)