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The World's Music Awards 2014 went down May 27 at Sporting Monte-Carlo in Monte-Carlo, Monaco andD’Banj took home the awardfor Africa’s World Best Male Artiste.

Kokomaster beats hands down heavy weights like 2face Idibia, Akon, Banky W, Darey, Davido, Dr. Sid, Fally Ipupa, Femi Kuti, Fuse ODG, Ice Prince, Iyanya and others.

He announced the news over a plate of rice and stew at breakfast. 

D'banj who wore a white bathrobe, raised up the plaque in jubilation, announced the news over a plate of rice and stew at breakfast.  

World Music Awards honours the best-selling recording artists from every continent. D’Banj also performed at the event alongside others like Miley Cyrus, Jason Derulo, Mariah Carey and Rocky Martin.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active With Heart Rate Sensor, IP67 Rating Launched

by Ketan Pratap, May 30, 2014

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Samsung has announced its much-awaited ruggedised version of the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy S5 Active. Like Galaxy S5, the Galaxy S5 Active comes with heart rate sensor present at the back panel.

The South Korean giant quietly launched the Galaxy S5 Active on AT&T and has priced it at $714.99 (Rs. 42,000) without contract, while it is also available at $199.99 with two-year contract with AT&T.

Unfortunately, there is no word whether when the Galaxy S5 Active will be available outside the US or on other mobile carriers apart from AT&T.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, much like the Galaxy S4 Active, is dustproof, shock- and water-resistant with IP67 certification and can survive being dipped in up to 1 meter water for up to 30 minutes with covers slightly closed. It meets US Mil-STD 810G for shock, temperature, humidity, rain and altitude. It comes with a water-resistant earphone jack, so one can use earphones even during wet conditions.

According to the official AT&T listing of the Galaxy S5 Active, the smartphone features a special 'convenience key' on the side of the device which launches outdoor activity-related features and apps named as Activity Zone.

The Galaxy S5 Active, much like the Galaxy S5, runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat out-of-the-box. It features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1080x1920 pixel full-HD resolution. The smartphone comes with 2GB of RAM and will be available in 16GB inbuilt storage model, with microSD card expandability up to 128GB. The Galaxy S5 sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with HDR (for video as well), and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO functionality, ANT+, Bluetooth 4.0, USB3.0, NFC, and Infrared remote functionality. It features a 2800mAh battery, rated to deliver 29 hours of talk time, and 480 hours of standby time. The phone has an accelerometer, proximity sensor, a gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer, gesture sensor, finger hovering sensor and a light sensor.

The Galaxy S5 Active will be available in Camo Green, and Titanium Grey colour variants.

Expert explains how to protect yourself from hackers, after Apple users were hit by iPhone and iPad scam

APPLE users were sent into a panic when a particularly nasty scam held their devices ransom earlier this week.

An unknown number of Apple users throughout Australia received sinister messages from a mysterious hacker named Oleg Pliss that demanded $100 to unlock their iPhones, iPads, iPods and other devices.

The Australian Government’s Stay Smart Online initiative has released a high-priority alert about the hacking event, and the NSW Police has also warned its Facebook followers about the dangers.

Now, Crispin Kerr, the Asia-Pacific managing director of online security company Webroot, has shared his insights into how the scam worked and what Aussies can do to protect themselves in the future.

Hackers held iPhones to ransom. Source: News Limited

HOW WAS THE HACKING ACHIEVED?

Mr Kerr said the Apple devices themselves had not been compromised.

The hackers gained access remotely by logging into the users’ Apple storage system, iCloud.

From there, they activated the Find My Phone feature, which allows users to lock down the device remotely in case of theft.

“It is unlikely — but not impossible — that Apple itself was hacked since the hack primarily targeted Australian users,” Mr Kerr said.

“A popular third-party website or service was most likely hacked and user credentials were attained this way.

“Because most users use the same passwords for multiple sites and services, passwords attained from other sources were likely used to gain access to iCloud.”

Apple released an official statement about the hacking yesterday.

“Apple takes security very seriously and iCloud was not compromised during this incident,” it said.

RELATED: Hackers hold Apple users’ iPhones, iPads and iPods ransom through Oleg Pliss scam

MR & MRS WEST.....KIM SHARED PICTURES....

Kim Kardashian has shared pictures from her wedding. 

The reality TV star posted two pictures of her marrying Kanye West at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy, at the weekend on her Instagram page. 

In one shot he can be seen holding her hand as their guests clap the newlyweds, and in theother they are embraced in a kiss. 

She simply captioned the pictures: "Mr. and Mrs. Kanye West."

The pictures show off Kim's elegant Givenchy haute couture gown, while Kanye looks particularly smart in custom fitted Givenchy tuxedo.

After the ceremony, the happy couple and their wedding party enjoyed a lavish reception, which included a four-course meal and seven-tiered wedding cake. 

West gave a 20-minute speech, and both mother and father of the bride Kris and Bruce Jenner spoke to wish the couple well. 

Kim and West's first dance was to All of Me, which was performed live by their friend John Legend, who also raised a toast to them. 

Kim's sister, Khloe, has also posted a picture from the event, of her gazing over the Italian skyline. 

She captioned it: "E vissero felici e contenti..." which is Italian for "And they lived happily ever after..." 

Following their wedding celebrations - which started in Paris, France, on 23 May - the couple have now moved on to Ireland, where they are enjoying a honeymoon in Cork, Ireland, staying at the exclusive Castlemartyr Resort.

Obasanjo holds talks with Boko Haram to free Chibok schoolgirls

Nigeria’s ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo has met with people close to Boko Haram in an attempt to broker the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls, a source close to the talks told AFP.


The meeting took place last weekend at Obasanjo’s farm in southern Ogun state and included relatives of some senior Boko Haram fighters as well as intermediaries and the former president, the source said.

“The meeting was focused on how to free the girls through negotiation,” said the source who requested anonymity, referring to the girls seized on April 14 from the remote northeastern town of Chibok, Borno state.

Reports of the talks emerged as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said the girls had been located while casting doubt on the prospect of rescuing them by force.

Obasanjo, who left office in 2007, has previously sought to negotiate with the insurgents, including in September 2011 after Boko Haram bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja.

Then, he flew to the Islamists’ base in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, to meet relatives of former Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in police custody in 2009.

The 2011 talks did not help stem the violence and some at the time doubted if Obasanjo was dealing with people who were legitimately capable of negotiating a ceasefire.

Spokesmen for the former head of state, who remains an influential figure in Nigerian politics, could not be reached to comment on the latest reported Boko Haram talks.

But the source told AFP that Obasanjo had voiced concern about Nigeria’s acceptance of foreign military personnel to help rescue the girls.

Nigeria: Direct Your Protests At Boko Haram, Not At Me, Jonathan Tells #BringBackOurGirls Protesters

President Goodluck Jonathan has asked Nigeria's #BringBackOurGirls campaigners to direct their protests to the extremist Boko Haram sect who abducted the missing over 250 schoolgirls from their dormitories in Chibok, Borno State over a month ago.

Speaking through the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, Mr. Jonathan told the protesters, who had planned to march on Aso Rock, that their anger should be directed at the terrorists holding the girls and not at the government he leads.

"Government believes that we all must come together to fight terrorism and that protests should be directed at the terrorists who have abducted our innocent daughters and deprived them of a place at the fountain of freedom in our country," Mr. Jonathan said.

The president also warned the protesters against politicizing the Boko Haram insurgency in the government, saying government does not deserve the kind of blame being heaped on it.

Mr. Jonathan said, "We must be careful not to politicize the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.

"When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, Iraq, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must all unite to fight the terrorists.

"This is the task of this generation. Our daughters must be freed to come home to their parents and loved ones."

Read full statement read to protesters on behalf of President Jonathan by Minister Akinjide on Thursday

Address by The Hon. Minister of State, FCT

On the Occasion of Visit by #Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners

Facebook takes aim at Twitter with latest feature

Facebook will add technology to its mobile apps that recognises the music, movies or television shows its users are enjoying, in the company's latest move to give prominence to media and entertainment on its social network.

The new feature, which must be activated by the user and is off by default, would create a status update on Facebook that identifies the song a user is listening to and provide a 30-second preview of it that's available to the user's friends.

Facebook, which announced the move in a post on its official blog on Wednesday, is working with streaming music services Spotify, Rdio and Deezer to offer the music previews.

If a television show is detected, Facebook would highlight the specific season and episode that the user is watching and share it in their news feed.

The new tool comes as Facebook is increasingly competing with Twitter Inc to become the main online venue where consumers discuss television shows, sports and other entertainment in real time.

The new feature activates the microphone on a smartphone and detects the music, movie or television show playing in the background, similar to the way the popular Shazam app works.

Once users activate the feature, the technology attempts to recognize the music or video playing in the background any time a Facebook user composes a status update.

Facebook said only songs or videos would be identified and the feature, which recognizes "millions" of songs, wouldn't store sounds in the background.

The new feature will be available on the Android and iOS versions of its app in the U.S. in the coming weeks, the company said

Tim Hortons rolls out mobile barcode payments across Canada and USA

EXPANSION: Barcode technology provides a secure, quick and easy scan-to-pay option

Canada-based coffee chain Tim Hortons has expanded its mobile payments service, first launched using host card emulation (HCE) technology in December 2013, with the introduction of barcode-based mobile payments across its outlets in the USA and Canada.

The mobile barcode service is available for both iOS and Android users while HCE-based NFC payments are available to users of BlackBerry 10 devices. The iOS version of the TimmyMe appalso includes support for Apple’s Passbook mobile wallet.

“The barcode technology provides a secure, quick and easy scan-to-pay option at participating Tim Hortons once a prepaid Tim Card is registered on the company’s popular TimmyMe app,” the company says.

“Enhancing our technology so that guests can store their digital Tim Card in their phone for quick and easy payments is an added convenience we know customers will enjoy,” says David Clanachan, Tim Hortons’ chief operating officer.

As well as making mobile payments in stores, the TimmyMe App also lets customers find their closest Tim Hortons location, see nutritional information on menu items and reload their Tim Card from their mobile device

Google listens after you say 'OK Google' to your desktop Chrome

If you don't mind recordings of what you say to your PC being sent to Google, you can now let your desktop Chrome browser always listen for the command "OK Google", which triggers a hands-free voice search.

Google announced the arrival of the voice trigger in Chrome on Wednesday, bringing its standard voice-command for initiating a search on Android, Google Now, or actions on Glass, to the desktop too.

Previously, to activate a voice search in Chrome on the desktop, users would have to click on the microphone icon in the search box.

The new voice command only works on google.com and is available for Chrome users outside the US and in some other languages, so long as they're on that domain — rather than, for example, Google.com.au or Google.es. The feature is supported on Chrome for Linux, Macs and Windows

How to prevent your iMessages getting lost

Apple has said it is addressing several bugs within its iMessaging system which have caused text messages to become lost after the recipient switches to a non-Apple phone.

iMessaging allows iPhone users to send texts to other iOS devices via Apple's servers, bypassing text messaging charges. The problem arises once an iPhone user switches to an Android or Windows phone and chooses to keep their number previously recognised as an iPhone.

Users have complained that iMessages sent to them once they have changed phones have failed to be delivered as regular text messages, to the extent that a California-based woman has filed a law suit against the company.

Adrienne Moore, who now uses a Samsung phone, filed a complaint against Apple earlier this week, claiming the company failed to disclose its knowledge of the problem.

While the issue does not appear to affect all previous iPhone users, Apple issued a statement saying it recently "fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users," and was working on an additional fix for future software updates

BIRD TURNS TO OLD WOMAN!!

LAGOS -- Residents of Ajegunle area of Lagos were, yesterday, thrown into shock, after a bird was said to have transformed into an old woman who confessed to being a witch.

The dark-complexioned nonagenarian with tribal marks, who spoke in Yoruba, told a bewildered crowd that she was on her way back to Ibadan, Oyo State (as a bird) when she missed her track.

She was also said to have told the mammoth crowd that her mystical powers disappointed her because it was dawn.

Eye-witnesses told Vanguard that three black birds were seen at about 7am, flying side‑by‑side along Old Ojo Road.

Then, all of a sudden, one of them landed on a moving pick‑up van owned by Eko Electricity Distribution Company.

An eye witness who identified himself simply as Mr Okafor said: "Immediately the bird landed on the van, it transformed into an old woman.

"Everyone ran away at first but we later gathered round the woman only to discover that she had a bruise on her forehead with which she landed.

"When we asked her what her mission was, she said three of them were sent to Lagos from their coven in Ibadan but that on their way back, they missed their way.

"She said they started hovering in the area until it was morning, adding that she fell because she was tired.

"She also told us that she initially did not want to embark on the journey and that she used to restrict her witchcraft activities to Ibadan because of her age.

"She was thereafter taken to the Baale of Ajeromi, where she confessed to have killed her husband through witchcraft."

Policemen from Layeni Police Division were said to have been contacted to prevent the woman from being lynched and they came and took her away.

Police sources told Vanguard that the woman would be released to any of her relations who shows up, explaining that the law does not recognise witchcraft.

"She has not committed any crime and will, therefore, be released to any member of her family who shows up. We did not arrest her. We only prevented a likely jungle justice," the police source said.

NUT shuts schools nationwide today

THE leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has ordered the closure of all schools nationwide today in protest against the abduction of the over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, by the Boko Haram sect.

The teachers are also to hold “Bring back our girls” rallies simultaneously across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja today.

NUT President, Comrade Michael Olukoya, while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, demanded the safe release of the schoolgirls abducted over a month ago.     

He also called on the Federal Government and respective state governments  to pay adequate compensation to families of 173 teachers killed by the Boko Haram sect during attacks in Borno and Yobe states.

NUT while condemning the killing of the teachers, said “we demand that both the federal and the respective State Governments should exhibit true concern to the families of the 173 teachers -170 from Borno and three from Yobe — who lost their lives to the barbaric, uncivilised and wicked acts of terror by paying them adequate compensation to assist in soothing their misery.”

Olukoya, also called on the Federal Government to properly secure the schools nationwide, to ward-off incessant attacks by the insurgents, saying it was most unfortunate and painful that the school system had suffered the worst attacks from primary to tertiary education system.

He also urged the governments at all levels to provide insurance cover for both students and teachers in the vulnerable political environment in the country.

The teachers, while insisting that the Federal Government should declare state of emergency, maintained that education remained the bedrock for development of any nation.

They also called on government to publicly declare education as fundamental human rights and that its abridgement should be criminalised.

“All schools nationwide shall be closed, as today, will be our day of protest against the abduction of the Chibok female students and the heartless murder of 173 teachers.

“We remain resolute in our resolve to continue the campaign even as we mourn the death of our colleagues, until our girls are brought back safe and alive and the perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to book,” Olukoya said. 

Meanwhile, the Oyo State wing of NUT, in line with the national directive,  has mandated all teachers in the state to stay away from classrooms, while all government schools would also be shut. 

The Oyo State wing of the union, in a release signed by its state secretary, Waheed Olojede, said it had sought the understanding of the state government over what it called “the patrotic move of the union and its leadership” before the issuance of the directive.

Before her single “Pills N Potions” drops tomorrow morning, Nicki Minaj held a Twitter Q&A to answer some hard pressing questions from the Barbz.

http://bit.ly/1nmersb

TWIN BOMB AGAIN ...

Two bombs exploded in the central areas of Jos the Plateau state capital yesterday, killing over 150 people.

NigerianEYE gathered that while the first bomb blast went off in the market, located at Jos Terminus, at the back of the popular Ahmadu Bello Way, by 2.30pm, the second explosion occurred about 30 minutes later.

The second blast was said to have killed more people than the first one as many residents and traders, who had fled the scene over the first explosion, tried to join rescue agencies to save the injured and retrieve the bodies of the dead.

SR Photo :Smoke rising from the Terminus Market today in Jos after the explosion 

The first explosion was said to have gone off in a Siena space bus marked Plateau XB 146 BLD at about 2.30pm.

“The exact figure of the bodies recovered as of now is 118,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, co-ordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the city, told AFP.

He added that “more bodies may be in the debris” of buildings which collapsed due to the intensity of the blasts.

A trader, who gave his name simply as James, said he was lucky to have survived with minor injuries but vowed to relocate his family from Jos where he had lived for two decades.

James was indeed lucky as eyewitnesses said that over 150  people lost their lives to the blasts.

The Cable News Network however reported a third explosion in Abuja Market in Jos where shoes are sold. It however did not give details.

Fifty-six people were injured in the twin blasts, said Abdulsalam. The military said improvised explosive devices were hidden inside a truck and a minibus.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosions.

The huge impact of the explosions, which occurred at peak hour in the afternoon, reverberated kilometres away, throwing the entire city into panic.

Jos was a boiling point during the long-running clash between Hausa settlers and the Berom before peace was restored in the hilly city.

Yesterday’s explosion followed Sunday night explosion in Sabon Gari, Kano in which five people died.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) declared the blast as “catastrophic”.

“I can’t tell you the figure of those killed by the blasts now, because we are still evacuating bodies from the scene.

“The only thing I can say is that the casualty figure is very massive. It is a catastrophe,’’ told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The first explosion went off in the centre of the market around 3.28 p.m. The second followed about 14 minutes later.

Abubakar said both explosives were loaded in parked cars.

“The bombers parked the cars and left the explosives to detonate. It was in the market and at a peak period. So, you can only imagine what could have happened,’’ he said.

He said bodies were being deposited at the old and new Jos University Teaching Hospitals and the Plateau Special Hospital.

“There are also a massive number of people injured. We have conveyed some to various hospitals,’’ the NEMA official said.

He said an idea of the number of casualties was only possible after the rescue operation.

“We will have to first finish the operation and then visit the various hospitals. For now, we are only picking bodies all over the place,’’ Abubakar said.

Plateau Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe said there were “46 dead, 45 injured”, a figure believed to be a gross under estimation of the casualties.

Security agencies, NEMA, Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations launched a rescue battle in which only a few were saved.

Over 20 bodies were burnt beyond recognition. They were brought to the morgue at the Plateau Specialists Hospital, Jos.

The Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) were jammed by residents who came in search of their loved ones. The two tertiary hospitals received more bodies than the injured.

An eyewitness account said a bus loaded with bags of maize was parked by unknown persons. The bags of maize were used to conceal the “apparently timed” explosive device.

Another eye witness account said a Vectra Opel car was parked carelessly. Two young men, who were seen alighting from the car, disappeared into the crowd of traders and their customers. Shortly after, the explosive went off.

The explosions set the entire city in disarray. Banks, shops and other businesses were hurriedly closed. People ran in various directions. Some stood by the victims, calling for help.

Letters allegedly written by the Boko Haram sect were received in Jos a few weeks ago. The letters were said to convey threats of attack. Many government and public institutions were mentioned as targets of attack. Those targets include Plateau State House of Assembly, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, University of Jos, and Federal Government College, Jos, among others.

The said letters placed citizens and security agencies on the alert, but yesterday’s attack caught everybody, including security agents unawares. The attack came at a target not mentioned in the threat letters.

The Plateau State government expressed shock at the attack, but pleading with citizens to remain calm.

Commissioner for Information Olivia Dazyem said: “The two explosions took the state unawares and came at a time government had restored total peace in the state.

“There are casualties recorded but the actual figures cannot be ascertained immediately as rescue operations are still going on and security agencies have been drafted to all parts of the state to avoid violent reactions from citizens who are hurt by the explosions.

At Plateau specialists hospital and Bhingham University Teaching Hospital, many residents were rushing to identify their loved ones.

The government said it was “not in a hurry’’ to release the casualty figures.

“The casualty figures have not been ascertained because the figures are still being collated from various hospitals,’’ Mrs. Dazyam said.

She, however, said the figures would be made available “as soon as possible’’.

“Full investigation has begun on the incident. But we want people to be calm and pray, especially for the victims.

“We also want everyone to support the authorities in these trying times,’’ she said.

Maj-Gen. Dave Enetie, Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, could not give details of the causality.

An eye-witness, Peter Amine, said the first explosion went off in the centre of the market. The second followed about 14 minutes later.

“We were inside the market when I heard a loud explosion at about 3:28 p.m.

“Before I knew what happened, a vehicle part landed just by my legs,’’ a visibly shaken Amine told NAN.

He said that a thick dark smoke engulfed the scene, thus compounding the already chaotic situation as horror-stricken persons ran in all directions.

Police chief Olakpe said: “But, most importantly, there are lessons to be learnt in this terrorists’ attacks. When a primary explosion occurs, there is greater possibility of a secondary explosion. So citizens should learn not to rush to scene of primary explosion because it is meant to gather more casualties for the secondary explosion.

“The second lesson is, when an explosion of this magnitude occurs, there will by flying objects which are capable of causing more casualties. So citizens should lie down as soon as they heard the explosion.

“The third lesson is that citizens should avoid rushing to the scene of explosion. They should give an interval of 30 minutes before going there because, if there will be a secondary explosion, as it happened in this attack, so many people that will fall victim.

Olakpe denied that the security agencies were caught unawares by the attacks. He said, “We were not caught unawares. The issue of terrorism is what I call ‘secret conspiratorial’ it is something that involves the vigilance of everyone. It is not issue of security agencies alone; let all hands be on deck. Every citizen should take interest in their own security.”

Olakpe added: “The market portion of the attack has been cordoned off and the market suspended for now. Security agencies will sweep the area in the next two days.”

President Goodluck Jonathan expressed dismay at the blast in a statement by his spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati.

House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described the attacks as acts of cowardice that had no place in civilised societies.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal urged security agencies to redouble their efforts to fish out perpetrators of the attacks. He urged the public to provide the security agencies information that will help their investigations.

He urged Nigerians not to despair, saying the security challenges bedeviling the nation will soon be a thing of the past.

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) urged Nigerians, especially those living in the Northern, not to lose hope due to the persistence of attacks by members of Boko Haram.

The forum also advised people not to be despair about the development stressing that “tough time don’t last but tough people do”.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu promised that leaders at all levels were doing their best to ensure that terrorists are defeated.

In a statement signed by Chairman of Northern SSGs Forum and Secretary to the Niger State Government Saidu Idris Ndako Kpaki, the forum expressed regrets that the murderous act happened when security agencies were doing their best to stop the killing of innocent citizens.