Bill Gates offers N15.8 million for ‘magic' condom

Condom

Bill Gates has offered $100,000 (about N15.8m) for anyone to come up with “next generation condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use.”

Last year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) selected a reinvention of the toilet that functions as a solar-powered wastewater treatment system. Now, Gates is challenging inventors to use improvements in materials science to develop a condom that feels good.

The idea is that, as reliable and easy-to-use as condoms are, men supposedly experience more pleasure having bareback sex than they do using a condom. The challenge asks:

Is it possible to develop a product without this stigma, or better, one that is felt to enhance pleasure? If so, would such a product lead to substantial benefits for global health, both in terms of reducing the incidence of unplanned pregnancies and in prevention of infection with HIV or other STIs?

The challenge states that condoms have been in use for around 400 years, and have not improved in the past 50 years. However, the scientific advances made in the past 50 years, the initiative reads, have not been applied to this important area:

Material science and our understanding of neurobiology has undergone revolutionary transformation in the last decade yet that knowledge has not been applied to improve the product attributes of one of the most ubiquitous and potentially underutilized products on earth.

A better feeling condom could go a long way to convincing some men that they might as well roll one on before sex, if only for their own safety.

Nigerian behind Kim Kardashian’s fake tweet unmasked

Kim Kardashian

Many so called citizen journalists who helped spread the fake Kim Kardashian's tweet will be ashamed to learn that a mischievous young man orchestrated it all.

I’m not about to make him more popular than he is because, apparently, that is his only goal. So, I won’t publish his Twitter handle. I might send it to you via email if you ask.

A few Nigerians have traced the original tweet to him and his Twitter timeline is full of invectives from angry Nigerians who had initially fallen for the hoax.

It is also clear he is not repentant, as his TL is full of tweets savouring the global success of his latest hoax and boasts about what he will do when he gets his ‘black belt in Photoshop’. 

There are also loads of congratulatory tweets from pals, a few of whom are apparently awed by the global success of the hoax.

Seriously, we should be afraid. From getting global acclaim for advance fee frauds, Nigeria is moving to a stage where our youths are getting  sheer kicks out of deception and getting global recognition for faking celebrity twitter handles.

We are growing a young and vibrant column of 419 junkies, people who receive immense gratification akin to orgasm from successfully deceiving or fooling others. To them it is all harmless fun, but really it's far more; only if they knew.

Nigerians need to learn to interrogate their news sources. And to all the gullible bloggers, Twitter and Facebook journalists out there, learn to conduct basic investigations before rushing to your laptop, tablet or mobile devices.

Since the first 419ner got his mugu or maga decades ago, the world has ceased to exist in pure black and white. Develop a critical mind. Ask questions and accept nothing unless you have tried to ascertain its veracity.

God help us.

 

Some of his tweets:

ITS WORLDWIDE. MAMA I MADE IT!!

 

Lmaooooo RT @TheBlackHer***t: LMAOO RT @Tidij*: Lmao omg please. Gullible is not even the adjective to describe you guys anymore.

 

I hear it has gotten to BBM lol. I love you guys

 

 

Once I get my black belt at photoshop you niggas won't be able to tell what's real and what's not

 

One of his awed pals tweeted:

@*huckic**** bad-fucking-ass. My twitter idol!

 

Another tweeted:

gracias “@Sas**_Ij: RT @*anmust***: Man you a legend. RESPECT @*huckic****

 

 

Choirmaster with a fantastic organ!



Hannah Okurabe after the assault. Image: Punch

I once had a funny colleague who was a choirmaster in a prominent church in a famous town in Ogun State. Highly dexterous on the church organ, major church services could not start without him being present.

Like most choirmasters are known to be, this colleague was very popular with the ladies. In his mischievous moments, he would often exclaim that women could not resist his fantastic organ.

I remembered this colleague when I read the story of three ladies who viciously fought and wounded each other over a choirmaster, one Joseph Unuigbe, who incidentally, is married.

Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi were on Tuesday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on a three count charge of conspiracy, assault and causing grievous harm.

Abigeal (26) and Remi (28), both choristers at a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Progressive Road, Ebute Meta, were said to have assaulted Hannah Okurabe (18) with razor blades at Abule Nla junction, a few metres away from the church.

A father of two, Unuigbe is married to Folashade, who is also a member of the same church.

But the fact that the lover boy is married did not seem to matter to the duo of Abigeal and Remi who on March 17 allegedly accosted Okurabe and cut her on her cheek, eyelid, left ear and back of her neck.

Although the Magistrate, Mrs. M. O. Tanimola, admitted the suspects to bail in the sum of N200, 000 each in like sum the two women are currently cooling their heels at the Kirikiri Minimum Prison because they could not immediately perfect the terms of their bail.

They are to produce two responsible sureties who are gainfully employed and with evidence of tax payments to the state government in the last three years. The sureties are also required to be relatives of the defendants and their addresses are to be verified.

Just how fantastic is this choirmaster’s organ to warrant all this trouble?

 

World's youngest richest man

Moskovitz

How does it feel to have a billion dollar in your bank account? Here's the world's youngest billionaire, according to Fortune Magazine.

He is only 28 years old. But he has a total net worth of over $3.8 billion. His name is Moskovitz, Mark Zuckerberg's former roommate. He co-founded Facebook, the social networking giant, but no longer works there.

In spite of his formidable fortunes, Moskovitz leads a simple life. He bikes to work, flies commercial airlines and pitches his own tent at Burning Man, the annual arts community gathering in Nevada, US.

Robot Househelp comes to life

Dominik Brumm of the Artificial Lab of the University of Zuerich checks humanoid robot ROBOY during a media presentation in Zurich February 27, 2013. A project team, composed of scholars and industry representatives, has been working on ROBOY since June 2012. The team combines the latest discoveries from university research with the invaluable expertise of the industry sector to come up with the most state-of-the-art robotics technology.

Credit: Yahoo!

 

Related: Roboy, robot househelp to be 'born' in March 2013

Samsung Galaxy Grand hits Nigeria

Samsung has rolled out its highly anticipated Galaxy Grand smartphone in Nigeria, adding a new Galaxy device to its expanding range of products in this category. The device premiered in Africa at Samsung Ambassador, Banky W’s ‘R&BW the Grand Love Project’ album launch at Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, February 15, after a very successful pre-order campaign. 

 

The 5-inch display, smart, dual-SIM Galaxy Grand combines the features of Samsung’s game-changing Galaxy S III and the revolutionary Galaxy Note II, which were released by the manufacturing giant last year.

 

According to the Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, the new Galaxy Grand will ensure that Samsung maintains its dominance in the global smartphone market, by positioning itself to meet the demands of consumers desirous of optimizing the value that they derive from their mobile devices.

 

“Continuing with our legacy of launching innovative devices that redefine consumer experiences, we take great pride in announcing the launch of the Galaxy Grand in Nigeria. The Galaxy Grand is revolutionary not only in terms of the great smartphone experience that it provides but also in terms of its value proposition. We feel that the Galaxy Grand will further fuel the growth of the smartphone market in the country and will especially delight consumers looking for a device with great, smart dual-SIM capabilities,” he said.

 

 

Powered by the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, Jelly Bean 4.1.2, the Galaxy Grand features an impressive 1.2 GHz dual-core processor that supports seamless multitasking; faster web browsing and superior graphics. Its 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display is ideal for users who want the productivity of a tablet with the portability of a smartphone. 

 

Even with its massive screen, the device is incredibly slim, with an ergonomic design that makes is comfortable to hold. The vivid display provides an expansive viewing experience rendering messaging, multimedia and web content in brilliant color and clarity. The device also sports a Multi-Window feature that allows seamless multitasking and running of multiple applications simultaneously without having to switch between screens.

 

Describing the Galaxy Grand as the ideal device for users with fast-paced mobile lifestyles who demand more from their phones, Business Head, Hand Held Products at Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas highlighted the Galaxy Grand’s dual-SIM capability as a unique selling point of the device. 

 

“Whether users want to take advantage of different pricing plans from two network operators, or want to keep their business and personal calls separate, the Galaxy Grand’s smart dual-SIM feature provides the convenience of two cell phones within one smart mobile solution,” he stated.

 

Some other features that the mobile phone maker believes will make the Galaxy Grand smartphone an instant hit with mobile phone users across the country include Smart Stay, which uses the front camera to prevent the device from going into standby mode while it detects a user in front of the device, and the phone’s Direct Call feature, which lets users automatically dial a call by raising the device up to the ear.

 

The device also features a unique Face & Voice Unlock feature that enables the users to lock and unlock their device with face or voice recognition, providing greater security and convenience. With the launch of Galaxy Grand, Samsung now offers a range of six dual-SIM smartphones and a total of 14 smartphone models across the world.

 

Is it ever a good PR strategy to do nothing during certain crises?

I have read a few remarks of renowned communications experts to the effect that sometimes in PR, the best strategy is to do absolutely nothing.

They point out though that the key is to know which kind of situations warrant such a strategy, and which require rapid and immediate action.  

In my experience, some, perhaps most, crises fester by every passing minute and can get out of hand if actions are delayed. But again, it is not every time your clients or bosses are behaving like the ceiling is going to cave in that it is, in fact, going to cave in. In such situations, the professional thing to do is to stand your ground and counsel them to relax and fight off the impulse to ‘do something’.

It is not one of the easiest things in the world to do, and nomatter your explanation, you are bound to have a few execs or clients barking at you “we can’t just sit and do nothing!” But, if you are convinced doing nothing will save a potentially bad situation from getting worse, stand your ground.

Given some passage of time, people always come round to seeing things in better perspectives, and will thank you for your counsel. It has happened to me on a few occasions.

Have you ever had to counsel your client or management to adopt the strategy of ‘keep mute and do nothing’? How did it play out?

Another explosion at Arepo!

The moment I saw this heavy smoke in the direction of Arepo swamp this evening, I suspected something was cooking again.

It's been officially confirmed. There has been yet another pipeline explosion.

It might sound callous, but I have no sympathy for any number of vandals incinerated again. Enough said.

Gambia to switch to 4 day work week

Gambian President,  Yayha Jammeh

 

Gambia is the place to be, men!

A statement broadcast on state radio from the Gambian presidency announced that from February 1, official government working hours will be from Monday to Thursday, from 8am to 6pm.

"Fridays will henceforth become rest and prayer days alongside Saturdays and Sundays," the statement said.

"Schools, banks and all affected institutions are free to work on Saturdays to compensate for the Fridays," it added.

The presidency also said that this new arrangement "will allow Gambians to devote more time to prayers, social activities and agriculture - Going back to the land and grow what we eat and eat what we grow for a healthy and wealthy nation."

The sliver of a country wedged into Senegal which surrounds it on all sides except for a palm-fringed coastline on the Atlantic coast has a population of about 1.8 million and is the smallest country on the African mainland.

Though essentially a secular state, Gambia is 90 percent Sunni Muslim.

 

Five hot phones to have this year



Samsung Galaxy S 4

Possibly the most anticipated handset of 2013, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is coming this year. Most proud owners of Galaxy S3, including yours truly, have not fully explored the resources on the device, and now, its successor beckons.

But seeing how well Samsung Galaxy S 3 has caught on with Nigerians, Galaxy S 4 is bound to make waves here as well.

I mean, it's such a hot cake that I swear I see some boys hawking it in traffic. I'm not making it up. I actually witnessed this at Berger on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway a couple of times, and I wondered who would buy a N90k+ phone in traffic.

I digress. 

Galaxy S 4 will come with a flexible screen, five-inch display, snappier processor and Android Jelly Bean. Get ready!

iPhone 5S/iPhone 6



Leaked picture of the back panel of iPhone 5S, expected soon. A full-on upgrade iPhone 6 is expected much later. I don't expect these phones to make much waves in Nigeria, though. Not with the restrictive marketing strategy of Apple.

                                              BlackBerry 10 touchscreen



Much expected BlackBerry 10 has already been widely trialed, with the next-gen OS and is expected on the shelves soon. A touchscreen phone, touting new multimedia access, improved apps and better typing is expected later.  They should make some impact here. Naija big boys and girls cannot have enough of BlackBerry.

 HTC M7

HTC’s own ‘phablet’ is expected soon. HTC has already released the HTC Butterfly in Japan and the US, but a different five-inch effort, the HTC M7, is expected to be a mind blower.

Features include: full HD display, 4G, quad-core Qualcomm tech and a unibody aluminium design.

                                                        Nokia Lumia 940

The Lumia 940 is for now only a concept, but one with a stunning carbon fibre frame and beefed up screen. I must confess those Nokia Lumia ads on CNN make me wanna have one.

 

It's an exciting year for lovers of smartphones.

 

Commotion at Berger

People gathered around the bus into which the
bloodied body was loaded.

A bit of commotion at Berger Bus Stop on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway inward toll gate when I passed now.

Crowds gathered on either side of the road, looking as police men loaded a bloodied body wrapped in white cloth into the back of a danfo bus (in the picture above). Armed policemen were everywhere. Couldn't wait to find out what's happening, lest I added to the long traffic already building.

Road trap: Police, LASTMA replace muggers at Mile 2

On the eve of Xmas, I wrote about muggers' exploits at Mile Two oke.

Today about 10 am, I passed the same spot and I have both good and bad news. First, the good news: the bad boys are gone from the spot, probably because of what I wrote, or because a powerful person experienced the same thing and organised a police raid.

Now to the bad news: LASTMA officials and police officers are now at the spot, and they are not there to help motorists, sadly. It's their brand new meal ticket.

I was coming from Osodi and wanted to link the bridge that leads to Mile Two Bus Stop below at the emergency ramp created just after where FESTAC buses load. Surprisingly, a LASTMA official and a policeman were rushing at me, but could not quickly cross the road to where I was.

They waved at me to stop. I tried to see the name tag on the LASTMA official, there was none; first red flag. Second red flag: the expressions on their faces were of someone who had just witnessed murder, and could scarcely wait for vehicles to pass to lay his hands on the 'suspect'.

I tried to figure out what I could have done wrong, I couldn’t. But with the red flags, waiting to find out would be a grave mistake. Besides, even genuine LASTMA guys these days are adept at pulling a rabbit out of the hat with uncommon ease. With the newly passed Lagos Traffic Law, you can never be too sure what they have up their sleeves. I waved to them in return and zoomed off. The policeman rushed at me and tried to open my door, but it was locked.

My suspicion is that the guys were after me for taking the emergency ramp, which motorists have taken for ages. It was actually created over a year ago by the authorities as an alternative exit for motorists coming from Osodi and going to Mile 2, Orile, or back to Osodi.

There is usually chaotic traffic at the FESTAC exit, especially with the FESTAC and Okokomaiko-bound buses staying on the road to pick passengers. The ramp has succeeded mainly in improving the driving experience of motorists at that location as people who are not going in the direction of FESTAC or the Mile 2- Badagry Expressway no longer need to contest the main exit with those who are. 

But apparently, those who thought up the smart alternative among the traffic officials have since moved on, leaving behind those who see an opportunity to cash in.

So my advice to you is that when next you are on that route, it’s better you take the FESTAC exit, or you go to Berger to make a u-turn.

Wish you safe motoring

Lawyers refuse to represent Indian gang rape suspects

Thousands of Indian women and men participate in peace march with placards carrying pro-women slogans to Mahatma Gandhi memorial, Rajghat, in New Delhi, India Images: Daily Mail

Accused rapists in a footage by NDTV
 

 

Well, even lawyers  can be repulsed by certain crimes!

Lawyers in India are refusing to represent the suspects arrested in connection with the cruel gang-rape and murder of a medical student in India last December.

The group of Indian men accused of gang raping the 23-year-old woman were arraigned today without representation. The lawyers said they are abstaining to give the case a speedy trial. (Finally some forthright learned friends admit lawyers complicate cases).

 

Five people have been formally charged over the rape and murder of the physiotherapy student, with one named as Ram Singh.

 

Today it emerged a sixth suspect, who is believed to be a juvenile and is expected to be tried separately, was the cruellest of all.

 

According to The Hindustan Times, a police charge sheet reveals in horrendous detail exactly what he is alleged to have done to the unconscious victim - after she had been raped.

 

The newspaper reported that he pulled her intestines out with his bare hands and was also responsible for suggesting that she be thrown naked from the bus.

 

Today her father called for the hanging of those responsible for the attack saying 'the death penalty is compulsory for a crime so great.'

 

The trial will be held in a fast track court and will start on Saturday.

 

'Of all the persons in the bus, two had engaged in the most barbarism - Ram Singh, the main accused in the case, and the juvenile ' said an officer, according to the paper.

 

'Both of them had subjected her to sexual abuse twice. Singh was the first to rape her followed by the juvenile and then Akshay. Later, when she lost consciousness, Singh and the juvenile raped her a second time.'

 

Authorities are waiting for the outcome of a bone marrow test before deciding whether the sixth suspect in the attack will be charged as a juvenile or an adult.

 

The results of the test, intended to determine the suspect's exact age, are expected to arrive soon.

Police plan to ask for the death penalty in the case. The men - the bus driver, his brother and four of their friends - are residents of a south Delhi slum near the site of the attack.

'We have decided that no lawyer will stand up to defend the rape accused as it would be immoral to defend the case.'

 

Criminal lawyer Ajay Digpaul told India Today: 'In my view, it should not take more than 10-15 effective hearings to decide the case as there is plenty of evidence.'

 

Sanjay Kumar, a lawyer and a member of the Saket District Bar Council said that 2,500 advocates registered at the court had decided to stay away to ensure 'speedy justice'.

 

'We have decided that no lawyer will stand up to defend the rape accused as it would be immoral to defend the case,' he said to AFP.

 Her father moved the family to Delhi from a rural part of India in order to improve her chances of realising her ambition of a career in medicine.

 

The dream was cut short on December 16 when she was attacked by six men after as she caught the bus home after going to the cinema to watch The Life of Pi. She died from her injuries on Friday.

 

Fresh details of the case have emerged in the Indian press where it is reported that her attackers tried to throw her under the bus after raping her inside it.

 

India's people have been outraged by the sickening gang rape attack and have taken to the streets all over the country

 

The rape victim died at the weekend after 13-day struggle to survive injuries so severe that the majority of her intestines had to be removed.

 

Confessions of a US traffic cop, lessons for LASTMA

 

Nigerian police officers, LASTMA officials, FRSC men and others involved in road safety and traffic law enforcement have a lot to learn from this American police officer, especially in the area of use of discretion and responsible traffic law enforcement.

Mike Brucks retired from the El Paso Police Department as a traffic cop last May after 22 years and almost 40,000 tickets, by his estimation. He was featured by Yahoo!

 Here are some of his stories from the road and tips for motorists looking to avoid a ticket.

Besides speeding, which is the reason for most tickets, what's most likely to get a traffic cop's attention?

 

Seatbelts, cell phones, red lights, and stop signs. I concentrate on all the things that can cause an accident. There are some cops who write tickets for expired plates, for having no insurance or registration, but you're not going to crash because of any of that. I focused on safety issues—that's what I like to do.

 

Do traffic cops think it's cheating to hide behind billboards?

 

No. You've got a radar detector; you know where we hide. If you are thinking we are hiding somewhere, it's because you're speeding.

 

Do you have favourite hiding places?

 

I stay on the freeway mostly. That's where there are more speeders. I'll park under overpasses, on bridges. I need to be able to start the bike and accelerate to go after someone. If there are a lot of exits, I can miss [a speeder] who can maybe get off at an exit, and then it's too late to catch him.

 

How much leeway do you give someone before writing them a speeding ticket?

 

The speed limit in Texas used to be 60 mph, [and] well, out on the clear road where there's a lot of visibility I give people leeway. I wouldn't write tickets until they got to 80 mph. I've never worked an area where the speed limit drops a lot without warning, what I call a trap. If there's a new speed limit that's lower, it [takes] time for people to get used to it and I don't write tickets there.

 

What can a driver say to get out of a ticket?

 

When someone tells me that a family member has just been sent to the hospital and they're on their way, how can I ticket them for that? I tell them that they're not being safe, that they need to slow down and stay safe. That's about it.

 

I think now it's much more of a rat-race world than it was 30 years ago. The workforce has generated that. People have to be at work on time or risk getting fired, kids have to be picked up and taken places—it's just citizens in a hurry. Ninety-eight percent of the people I stop are law-abiding good citizens, and they say they have no reason to speed. That's an easy ticket. They're not happy, but I could go months without any problems, without anyone cussing me out. I wrote a lot of warnings, too, but it all depends on the situation, if they were being safe.

Are speed limits too low?

 

No, the traffic engineers, at least in Texas, are pretty good. It's not that some parts of the highway are safer for speeding, it's that drivers aren't always paying attention. People die on lonely deserted stretches of road too. There are a lot of times drivers aren't concentrating. They need to understand you're going 100 feet per second on the highway. Above 75 mph things just happen so fast, [whether it's] a flat tire, a coyote, wind, dirt, or rocks. It's not that much better now that cars are safer; reaction times are still the same.

 

What's the toughest ticket you've had to write?

 

I clocked a woman coming down from New Mexico on Highway 54 at 111 mph. She had just been stopped for going 90 mph 15 minutes [earlier] in New Mexico. Everybody has a reason, and I want to know it. I always ask why someone was speeding, and that's just to open things up. I want to know what they're thinking, if they need my help for something. She had been crying, and the tears didn't just start—they'd been going on a long time, you can tell. She was on her way to a motel in El Paso to catch her husband who was shacked up with another woman there, cheating. How do you write a ticket for that?

 

Who's the craziest speeder you've seen?

 

I stopped a guy going 136 mph. I caught him mostly because he thought he lost me. I came up beside him and blocked his front wheel on the curb. The hardest part after that was now I have to be courteous and respectful, although he could have killed someone, and that makes me angry. It's really too bad, he was a good kid, never been in trouble, but now he had to go to jail for felonious evading, and that's really going to wreck his life.

 

When do you not chase a speeder?

 

I clocked a guy on a crotch-rocket bike doing 189 mph. Just let him go. Since police departments began to get sued for chasing speeders, around 1995, there's a fine line. You have to determine if you can catch him, if chasing him will cause an accident for him, for you, for the public. There's no way to catch anyone like that. ..

Playboy founder Hefner marries for third time at 86

Hugh Hefner, with his brand new wife
 

Apparently, this man will be a playboy till he dies.

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner has reportedly tied the knot for the third time, marrying a former Playmate 60 years his junior in an intimate New Year's Eve ceremony at the Playboy Mansion.

Hefner, 86, and Crystal Harris, 26, announced the nuptials on their Twitter feeds -- @hughhefner and @crystalhefner -- and posted pictures of the wedding.

"Happy New Year from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner!" Hefner said in a message accompanied by a picture of the octogenarian sporting purple pyjamas and a captain's hat and the blonde Harris in her wedding dress.

Harris posted a picture on her own Twitter feed of the ceremony conducted under an archway of red, pink, purple and white flowers.

"Today is the day I become Mrs Hugh Hefner. Feeling very happy, lucky, and blessed," she tweeted shortly before the wedding.

Hefner and Harris had planned to marry in 2011 but she called off the ceremony at the last minute.

What’s the oddest thing you’ve found in a hamper?

A Christmas hamper and its contents

Happy New Year to you all! May 2013 bring us abundant blessings and unending happiness.

How many hampers have you received so far? And how interesting are the contents?

As a journalist working for a national newspaper many years ago, I recall receiving some odd hampers, like one containing no more than four packets of 'gari ijebu' (cassava flakes) and two-piece 'adire' (tie and die) pyjamas!

I’m not exaggerating. Those were just the two items in the hampers; in addition to a Christmas card, of course. And I loved it, for its novelty.

The 'gari' was factory-processed for export, and was really enjoyable.

The ‘hamper’ was given to me by a professional ‘uncle’, an ijebu man, who was, and still is very passionate about products made by his people. I still have the pyjamas till today.

Beyond unique concepts and themes in hamper-giving, as far as mainstream hampers go, I have come across some real unusual items such as a bottle of Izal, bottles of bleach and, wait for this, toilet cleaners; ewwww!

No strict rules about what can go into a hamper, I guess, but certain items simply don’t blend with the Christmas spirit. It’s better to stick with the concept of food and treats and forget, for the moment, about how people deal with the aftermath of gorging themselves!

Let’s share. What’s the oddest thing you have come across in a hamper?