Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo brings video-game design to reality

In the race to own the minds of couch-bound racers, Microsoft's Forza and Sony's Gran Turismo video game series have played a eight-year leapfrog match, with each new generation using ever-swelling oceans of polygons and physics simulators to create the most realistic worlds possible inside a game console.

Today, Mercedes-Benz revealed the latest move by the creators of the Gran Turismo series: Making the dream cars inside the game a reality, beginning with this, the AMG Vision Gran Turismo, powered by a twin-turbo 577-hp V-8. These images aren't screen captures — they're photographs.

As part of the upcoming Gran Turismo 6 game launching for the PlayStation 3 on Dec. 6, Gran Turismo invited several of the world's leading car design studios to creat

 

e unique concept cars that players can eventually download and race inside the game, with at least 15 expected to be unveiled over the coming months, ranging from General Motors and Chrysler's SRT division to Italian design houses Zagato and Bertone.

ASUU strike: Union to take final decision during meeting on Friday

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is likely to hold its postponed National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Friday.
The meeting is expected to decide whether or not to suspend the indefinite strike it began four months ago.
It is however unclear if the NEC will still be held at the Bayero University, Kano where it was initially proposed to hold.
The leadership of the Union postponed the scheduled Kano NEC meeting following the demise of one its key members, Festus Iyayi, a former President, who died last Tuesday in a ghastly motor accident on his way to Kano for the postponed NEC meeting.
He died along the Abuja-Lokoja highway in an accident caused by the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada.

The Union also urged the public to ignore speculations that ASUU has called off its NEC indefinitely, explaining that the Union only postponed the NEC meeting as a mark of honour and respect for the late Iyayi.
An official on condition of anonymity confirmed that ASUU officials had last week Wednesday converged at the Bayero University, Kano, before news of Iyayi’s death filtered in.
The Union has been on strike since July 1 over the 2009 agreement it reached with the Federal Government.
All entreaties to call it off was rebuffed until President Goodluck Jonathan waded in with an offer of N1.1 trillion to be spread across the nation’s universities for a period of five years.
ASUU has said it will deliberate on Federal government’s offer and take a position after its forthcoming NEC.

ASSU STRIKE UPDATE:PROFESSOR FESTUS IYAYI KILLED IN ACCIDENT INVOLVING GOVERNOR IDRIS WADA'S CONVOY

Former ASUU President, Professor Festus Iyayi died a few hours ago in the Kogi State capital, Lokoja from complications from accident that involved the convoy of the Governor of the state, Governor Idris Wada.
The late Professor was on his way to Kano for a meeting of ASUU when the terrible crash occurred. This is the 2nd time in less than a year that the Governor would be involved in a terrible accident where lives were lost. In December of 2012, his convoy was involved in a crash where he lost one of his security aides, while the Governor and 2 others wee seriously wounded. 

May the soul of the dearly departed rest in peace.

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Police Take Over UNILAG Gate To Prevent Students Protest Over ASUU Strike| Photos

Posted by: ojblord bigboss in Entertainment 41 mins ago 0

About ten police vans are stationed at the gate of
the University of Lagos today with a couple
others sighted on campus.
The students of UNILAG began mobilizing via
social media networks late last week, inviting
other students to join in a protest that would
likely commence at the varsity gate like the fuel
subsidy protest of January 2012, held at the Gani
FAwehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota.
The students want the Nigerian government to
quickly end the ongoing lecturers strike by
honoring its agreement of 2009 with university
teachers, but other issues topping their agenda
include requests for the reinstatement of Student
Union Government (SUG) at the University of
Lagos (UNILAG) and reversal on the hike in tuition
fees at the Lagos State University (LASU).

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REVEALED: How Lésbian Prostitutíon Booms In Lagos [PHOTOS]

Posted by: @SirJP_ in Entertainment 1 hour ago 0

Lagos with its cosmopolitan nature can best be described as ” The Saddom and Gomorah” of Nigeria, everything and anything is possible in Lagos. This article by PM News is an eye opener and a must read for our young girls, we must save our generation from total annihilation. Homoséxuality and lésbianism is a crime against humanity.

Beautiful girls, rich women, money, expensive cars, strip clubs, luxurious hotels —the secret séx trade, exclusive only to women, is now big business in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, P.M.NEWS has revealed, after intense undercover research.

Like in a secret cult, only the initiated understand its cryptic language, esoteric ways, séxual benefits and financial rewards.

For those involved in the bizarre trade, it was discovered during investigation in Lagos Mainland and Island, lésbianism is not new.
Most séx workers with secondary school education agreed that their involvement in the salacious act dates back to their boarding school days when they were initiated by older girls.

Back then, it was just casual séx by girls in their puberty. Today, lésbianism has become a trade, a big but hidden business in the Lagos metropolis. Dozens of prostítutes informally interviewed during this investigation gave a rare insight into the usually hermetic world of lésbianism in Lagos and the trade now associated with it. The youngest lésbian prostítute P.M.NEWS met for this article was 16 years old. Most of them were in their early 20s.

Many get involved through seduction. Some are influenced or initiated by friends who are already in the séx trade and have contacts and connections in high places , where women are ready to exchange cash for pleasure. “I was introduced to lésbianism when I was in secondary school.

I was in a boarding school in Benin, EDO STATE” says one of the lésbian prostítutes who introduced P.M.NEWS team into the strange world of lésbian prostitutíon in Nigeria’s most populous city. Now a student at the University of Ado Ekiti, the Edo State indigene, shuttles between campus and clubs, hotel rooms or sleek houses in Lagos most weekends to have séx with rich women. “I have to be in Lagos on weekends because that’s where the business pays well.

Sometimes, I travel to Port Harcourt, but most times, I come Lagos. “I already know how it works here in Lagos. I have a lot of contacts in the strip clubs and I have a lot girls who are into the business and they refer women to me. But it is better to meet the woman yourself because if she is rich, the other girl will not refer you to her, she will take her herself,” she says.

During an outing in Lagos four weeks ago, she remembered with nostalgia, how a rich man once approached her for his shy wife and paid her big money. “She was shy, she told me. She wanted a girl that night but she could not come to the strip club and her husband picked me for her. “The husband left us in the room upstairs. He was having some drinks downstairs and watching TV.

He later came when we were almost done and gave her a peck. He asked her if I was good. She didn’t answer. She just gave him a peck and smiled,” she said. She admitted that sometimes, she services men, but added, “It’s better to do it with a girl. She knows how to make you come and she cannot transmit diseases to you.”

There are also risks, she admitted. She remembered how she was approached by “one rich woman with a British accent. “I agreed to follow her. However, when we got home, there were two other ladies waiting for me. She did not tell me I would be having séx with three women. But I had no choice. I was already there and I did it.

I just renegotiated the amount,” she said. This new trend of prostítution is fast spreading among teenagers, but is not restricted to them. The high and mighty in the society are involved. Other less fortunate in life are also involved in their level. Tribe or religion is no barrier. P.M.NEWS was introduced to some lésbian prostítutes who claimed to be Muslims and others said they are Christians.

There were also others, who perhaps, due to the effect of alcohol, did not know which religion they practice. Unlike the ordinary séx trade between men and women, those involved in the trade said they do not stand by the roadside to meet patrons. Patrons and séx workers usually meet in some of the strip clubs in Lagos, exchange contacts or leave straightaway for their escapades.

Rich women are involved mainly for pleasure while the workers are in it for money. “It’s about connection. One person introduces “one person to another and it goes round. They are able to identify themselves through compliments like;oh! I love your legs. You have sweet b00bs. You look beautiful,’” another lésbian prostítute told P.M.NEWS in a strip club during the investigation. She added: “They also wink and look seductively at you.

If they get a good response from you, then they know they are with the right person.” She says some possess a high level of courage. “They can walk up to any lady they find attractive as long as the environment is safe for them.” Other prostítutes argued that society women in Lagos who are involved in the trade are very caring. “Especially if they find you interesting, in the sense that if you are able to make them reach orgasm. They will give you a special treatment such as take you for shopping and keep you as partner even after séx. They can then buy you a car or rent you an apartment,” one of the séx workers said, echoing what was heard from others in their business.

The payment for services rendered is determined by quality service offered by the prostítute. “It could be sucking their private part or the ability to creatively use your hands to please them,” a séx worker said. The excellent use of vibrators and a good massage can put one worker at an advantage position. The fees start from N15000 a night and can reach N100,000 in some cases.

The amount dwarfs by far what is paid by men, which starts from N1000 or N2000 depending on the area. The ghettos are no exception to the trade but the price is relatively poor, it was discovered. It varies between N2000 and N5000. One séx worker explained that even though the trade is based on connections and recommendations, there are special places where it is easy to get hooked with lésbians. Beauty salon, luxurious hotels, swimming pools and expensive shopping malls were mentioned. Married women are also involved.

They woo girls in need of money, including their friends’ daughters. Married women in the trade claim that their husbands are either not good enough in bed or too busy to attend to their séxual needs. “They tell me their husbands do not satisfy them or are too busy and they can’t cheat with another man without being suspected,” a worker told P.M.NEWS.

“The good thing about it is that men cannot suspect them. Any woman can hang out with them and men are not bothered,” a séx worker said. Some women, the prostítute explained, invite two girls to satisfy them. The root of this new dimension of prostítution can be traced to “only-girls” boarding schools.
Young innocent girls in such schools are lured into the act by older girls, most time through bullying. During this investigation, our correspondents interviewed dozens of séx workers mainly at strip clubs and attended a get together by lésbians and bisexuals.

LATEST ON ASUU Strike: ASUU dragged to industrial court

THE strike action embarked upon by university lecturers has assumed another dimension as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been dragged before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over the lingering strike action.
The suit, with the number NICW/Abj/242/2013 which also has ministers of labour and productivity, education, finance and justice, as well as secretary to the government of the federation as defendants, was instituted by the registered trustees of Golden Women of Integrity and Vision Association and Mrs. Florence Uche Ojieh.
In the suit, the claimants are asking the court to determine whether the strike action embarked upon by ASUU is not illegal and contrary to law and whether members of the union are not bound by the policy of ‘no work no pay’ and therefore not entitled to their salary during the period of the strike.
They also asked the court to determine whether members of ASUU are entitled to continue to retain their employment, having abandoned or deemed to have abandoned their work in the universities; whether or not the union complied with the mandatory provisions of Section 4 and 5 of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8 LFN 2004 before embarking on the strike; whether the union has complied with the provision of Section 8 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8 LFN 2004; whether or not the minister of education is not entitled to determine the employment of the union, same having abandoned or deemed to have abandoned their work in their universities and whether or not the doctrine of collective bargain or the purported 2009 agreement can be the basis for the strike action by ASUU same not having been incorporated in their contract of employment between it and the federal government.
The reliefs sought by the claimants include a declaration that the strike action embarked upon by ASUU since July 2, 2013 is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
The claimants also sought a declaration of court that the strike action is unlawful and unwarranted in the face of the payment to the union by federal government of over N50 billion to meet ASUU’s demands from the government.
Other reliefs are an order of mandatory injunction directing the union to go back to work immediately and unconditionally; an order directing the union to return or refund all monies paid to it by the federal government in error or otherwise; an order directing ASUU to return to the negotiation table and a declaration that the strike action is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
Others are an order directing ASUU to refund all monies paid to its members as salaries, wages and allowances during the strike action; an order enforcing the no work no pay rule on the union; a declaration that the condition precedent to protest and or strike as provided by the Trade Dispute Act Cap T8 LFN 2004 has not been fulfilled; an order declaring the agreement on which the strike action is based as an extra-legal document which have no force of law; an order declaring any step taken or any further step to be taken in relation to the industrial action by ASUU, agents, privies, assignors, sympathizers, successors or any person whatsoever by whatever name so-called as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and an interim order restraining any other trade union and association from joining, participating and aligning with the ASUU strike.

 

Stella Damasus and Senator Yerima on Al-Jazeera Network THE STREAM

Family turns canceled wedding into dinner for homeless

Eun Kyung Kim TODAY

14 hours ago

Courtesy of Alvin Evans

Children attend a party that was converted for a celebration for the homeless by a family who donated their cancelled wedding reception.

Carol and Willie Fowler had planned an elaborate, sophisticated wedding reception for their daughter, only to have it canceled six weeks before the ceremony. So the Atlanta couple turned their heartbreak into an occasion for celebration — throwing a party for more than 200 homeless people instead.
“My husband actually prayed about it,” Carol Fowler said. “The next morning he woke, I was in the process of canceling the venue, letting them know that we had no use for it, and he said, ‘No, we’re going to call "Hosea Feed the Hungry" and have them round up people from the shelters.'”
Fowler said she loved the idea, especially since “we were going to spend this money anyway" with only 40 days left before the Sept. 15 ceremony.
Neither of the Fowlers had worked with "Hosea Feed the Hungry" before but knew about the organization because both of their children — their daughter, Tamara, and their son — had volunteered for the Atlanta-based nonprofit group.

Courtesy of Alvin Evans

The couple wanted to do something positive with the money they'd spent on the event, so they turned the party into entertainment for local homeless families, bringing in entertainment like a clown for the kids.

“At first I thought it was a prank call. I thought somebody was joking with us,” recalled Elizabeth Omilami, the charity’s chief executive office.
But she quickly realized that the Fowlers were for real — and started working to meet their wishes of gathering 200 people, preferably women with children, for a full sit-down meal at a swanky local restaurant.
“We didn’t get any cash out of it, but people found out that somebody cares about them and that’s worth more than any cash we could have given them,” she said.
Omilami arranged to have buses transport residents from three area shelters to the restaurant for the afternoon celebration. Guests were greeted with glass tumblers of punch and lemonade and plated hors d’oeuvres of beef tenderloin kabob, coconut shrimp and, for the kids, mac ’n cheese shooters.
Children were greeted by a clown, juggler and face painter. They later were served their own special meals of chicken fingers, French fries and fresh fruit in a room separate from the adults, who sat down to a meal of salmon and chicken.

Alvin Evans / Courtesy of Alvin Evans

Guests attending a party that originally was supposed to be a wedding reception, but converted into a party for the homeless.

“The feeling was one you cannot explain, to see the faces and hear their thank you’s,” Fowler said of the guests. Her entire family attended the celebration, including her husband, children and her grandchildren.
Fowler, who declined to comment on why the wedding was canceled, said her daughter found the experience “surreal but incredibly rewarding.” What made it all the more special was the fact that the party fell on the day before the 70th birthday of Fowler’s husband.
“In lieu of having all of our friends, and we could have packed the place with just our friends, he opted to have people from shelters be our guests,” he said.
Julie Bilecky, sales and marketing director of the party’s venue, Villa Christina, called the event “awesome.”
“What a way to make lemonade out of lemons,” she said. “Carol and Bill did a phenomenal job of giving back to the community. It could have been difficult situation but everyone worked together to make it a different kind of party. It was fabulous.”
The event turned out so great that the Fowlers hope to hold a similar opportunity annually and already have started thinking about sponsors for next year.
“We feel that this is something that God would like us to do because obviously, we did not set out to do this,” she said.....yahoo news

One-legged robber arrested in Delta State

A 21-year-old disabled armed robbery suspect, John Okue, has been arrested by the Delta state police command in a hair saloon in Okwashi-Uku, following a tip off.
The disabled robber, who lost one leg to a virus, led the gang of other brutal robbers whose ages ranged from about 17 to 25 years.
Together, they were said to have robbed, killed and raped their female victims with impunity.
The gang was said to be highly connected to top police officers in the state. Consequently, when any member of the gang was arrested and detained, his freedom was often obtained.

Okue and other gang members

It was reliably gathered that at a point when the police wanted to apprehend him in his home in Kwale, he escaped while he disguised as a begger. The police officers detailed to track him down saw him but never knew he was the suspect they were looking for.
This cat and mouse game between the police and the armed robbery suspect continued for several weeks as he became elusive until recently when the gang leader was apprehended in a barbing saloon at Ogwashi-Uku following a tip-off.
Police sources said confessional statement by the gang leader led to the arrest of other members at different locations.
They are being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Asaba.
Among dangerous weapons recovered from the gang were battle axe, pump action, rifles, shot guns and AK 47 rifles.

AY Shows - Exclusive Video From 2face's Traditional Wedding

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DBanj - Top Of The World (Official Video)

Davido - Skelewu (LipStik Bandits Choreo)

THE PROPOSAL - Featuring Bovi & Ijeoma

Indian doctors separate Nigeria’s conjoined twins

Badaru Mannir (L) holds his daughter Hassana Badaru (2L) while Hussaina Badaru (R) is held by her mother, after a surgery to separate the conjoined twins at BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi on September 4, 2013. The twins were joined at the back. AFP photo service

 

Indian doctors declared Wednesday that a pair of formerly conjoined twins, born in Nigeria, were healthy and happy after they were successfully separated in a marathon “nerve-wracking” operation in India by a team of 40 specialists.
The one-year-old girls, sporting matching bright pink dresses, sat patiently on their parents’ laps as doctors explained the separation last month during an 18-hour operation at a New Delhi hospital.
“They were fused at their back when they came to us which is very rare,” paediatric surgeon Prashant Jain told AFP.
“Usually the twins are joined in the head or the upper body. It posed a huge challenge to our team of doctors,” Jain said.Doctors held the media conference in New Delhi as the twins, Hussaina and Hassana, sat happily, grabbing at a mobile phone, clutching a rattle and trying to pull off their mother’s earrings.

Malama Badariyya Badaru, the mother of the twins, said she was overjoyed at finally being able to hold the girls in her arms “individually”.
The girls, sporting hair bands of different colours to make recognition easier, looked curiously at the cameras during the conference at the BLK Super Speciality hospital.
“It was all nerve-wracking work. But it feels great to see them happy, healthy and independent,” Jain said.
The single surgery was carried out in three stages, preparation, separation and then reconstruction of their shared organs which include the lower spine, lower intestinal and urinary tracts as well as genitals.
“We carried out rehearsals using dummies. All tubes, wires, injections and drugs were colour-coded in pink or blue (for each girl) to avoid any mistake,” he said.
Jain said only 15 percent of all conjoined twins are born with this type of condition, known medically as pygopagus. Medical literature lists just 32 such cases, he said.
The family, from Kano state in northwestern Nigeria, were told by doctors in their country that one of the girls may not survive if they went ahead with the surgery there.
An unnamed philanthropist then stepped in to help, and suggested they travel to India which offered good facilities at relatively low medical costs, Jain said.
The family can head home to Nigeria after a series of month-long check ups, he said

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Some of The Weirdest Guinness World Records

Chris "The Duchess" Walton is the current Guinness World Record holder for longest fingernails. Seen here in NYC back in 2011, her nails (which she's been growing for 18 years) measured 10 feet 2 inches on her left hand and 9 feet 7 inches on her right at the time.

 

The Guinness World Record for "Most spoons on a human body" belongs to Etibar Elchiyev. Here he is in Tbilisi, Georgia in December 2011 when he won the title with 50 metal spoons magnetized to his body.

 

China's Jin Songhao set the Guinness World Record for the longest time spent in direct full body contact with snow in January 2011. His time was 46 minutes and seven seconds

 

These 52 chefs set the world record in February 2013 for the world's largest Cantonese fried rice in Costa Rica. It served over 7,000 people and weighed almost 3,000 pounds.

 

Milan Roskopf of Slovakia broke his own previous world record in June 2009 by juggling three motor saws 62 successful times in a row. His previous record was 35.

 

These thrill-seekers still hold the record for most naked riders on a theme park ride with 102 riders in Southeast England on August 8, 2010.

 

In Northern England, Pete Glazebrook looks lovingly at his prize-winning onion which weighed a stunning 17 pounds. It's the Guinness World Record holder for heaviest onion and has held the title since September 2011.

 

Beekeeper She Ping in China covered his body with 331,000 bees (or 73 pounds) in April 2012 to break the previous record of 59 pounds of bees.

 

Japanese fashion designer Kazuhiro Watanabe currently holds the Guinness World Record for "tallest mohawk" at 3 feet and 8.6 inches tall. He entered the Guinness World Records in September 2012 for his 'do.

 

Not only does the Resorts World Sentosa's S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore hold the title for world's largest aquarium with 80,000 animals, 800 species, and 42.9 million liters of water, it also holds the record for "world's largest acrylic panel."

Boko Haram: Shekau’s deputy killed by Nigerian troops

Published on August 14, 2013 by pmnews  
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters announced on Wednesday in Abuja that Momodu Bama, the second-in-command to the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has been killed.
A statement by the Defence Headquarters said that Bama’s death had also been corroborated by other terrorists captured by troops.
It said that Bama was killed, following an encounter between troops and terrorists around the Bama corridor, near Maiduguri in Borno.
According to the statement, the troops have continued to intensify pursuit of terrorists who have been unleashing mayhem in Borno and Yobe.

Shekau: deputy killed by Nigeria’s troops

It said that Bama had been personally leading attacks against troops and innocent citizens in communities in Yobe and Adamawa.
“A specialist in manning the anti-aircraft guns of the group, he is known to be vicious and heartless with a penchant for personally slaughtering and executing his victims.
“Bama has been a most wanted terrorist with a N25 million bounty already placed on his head.’’
The statement named other people who died in the operation as Bama’s father, Alhaji Abatcha Flatari, “who is also one of the spiritual guiding lights of the out-lawed terrorists group”.
It added that 17 other terrorists also lost their lives in the encounter, while 24 were captured.
The statement said that troops were continuing the pursuit of the terrorists, while intensifying aggressive aerial and land patrols to ensure better security cover for communities in the two states.

Must watch:Who Dey Call Me? Basketmouth (Funny)

ASSU STRIKE:Students, Activists Protest Poor State Of Education In Lagos

Over 1,000 university students, teachers, pro-democracy and human rights activists this morning held a rally in Lagos, western Nigeria, to draw attention to the poor state of education in the country.
Organisers of the rally said they were protesting against poor infrastructure in public schools, high school fees and government insensitivity to the plight of teachers at all levels in the education sector.
The protest is coming on the heels of the indefinite strike embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, nationwide, to protest poor funding of education by the government.

•Students and activists protesting in Lagos today over the poor state of education in country. PHOTO… DEDEIGBO AYODEJI

The peaceful protest which started at the secretariat annex of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Yaba, was led by Comrade Abiodun Aremu of the Joint Action Front, JAF, a coalition of students and civil right groups.
Other leaders of the group who participated in the march include radical lawyer, Bamidele Aturu and Comrade Chibuzor Asomugha, who represented the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP.
The protest march led to the disruption of traffic along Ikorodu Road. Motorists and commuter bus drivers spent long hours on the road as the protesters marched, sang and danced to sensitise the public about their cause.
In his speech at a rally held at Palmgrove, Comrade Abiodun described the march as the beginning of a series of protests lined up to make governments at all levels change their attitude to education.
He called on parents, traders, artisans and others to join the protest and force government to do something about the poor sate of education in the country.
“This is just the beginning of a number of protests that we have lined up in the coming days. We are going to be peaceful in all the protests. As you can see today, there are no street urchins or ‘area boys.’ The aim is to draw government attention to the numerous problems bedevilling education in the country. We need the support of everybody. If we don’t do this, nobody is going to do it for us,” he stated.
Comrade Asomugha, on his part, said it is time for the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and other relevant groups to take the bull by the horn and fight for the rights of the downtrodden.
“Education is not only for the rich, Nigerians should wake up and reclaim what belongs to them. We, members of ASUP, have resolved to join the protest to salvage the education sector. We want to identify with the spirit of peaceful protest, which is a veritable tool to fight a just cause,” he said.
—Dedeigbo Ayodeji & Damilare Okunola ............COURTESY PM NEWS

ASUU strike ends soon, says minister

ASUU strike ends soon, says minister

Sonnie Badu leads 45,000 Redeemers at the just ended Festival of Life.

Guinness Nigeria - New TV Commercial

Windows 8 tips & Shortcuts

WINKEY Toggles between Desktop and Start Menu

Esc Key If you have the Desktop running it will exit to desktop whenever in Start Menu

WINKEY + , Provides Peak of Desktop if open

WINKEY + B Switch to the Windows Desktop and select the tray notification area.

WINKEY + C Display Charms and notification

WINKEY + D Switch to the Windows desktop and toggle Show Desktop (hides/shows any applications and other windows).

WINKEY + E Switch to the Windows desktop and launch Windows Explorer with Computer view displayed.

WINKEY + F Search Files using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + I Display Settings pane for the Start screen.

WINKEY + L Lock PC and return to Lock screen.

WINKEY + M Minimize the selected Explorer window.

WINKEY + O Toggle orientation switching on slate and tablet PCs.

WINKEY + P Display the new options for items like projectors.

WINKEY + Q Search within Apps using the new Windows Search pane.

WINKEY + R Switch to the Windows desktop and display the Run box.

WINKEY + U Switch to the Windows desktop and launch the Ease of Access Center.

WINKEY + X Switch to the Windows desktop and Administrative tools.

WINKEY + Z Display the App Bar in a Metro-style app.

WINKEY + 1, WINKEY + 2, WINKEY + 3 ,,,, Launches each of the classic desktop Task Bar apps from Left to right.

Jimoh Performs "Sho Le" By Sean Tizzle | MTN Project Fame Season 6.0 Nom...

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PETER OYOYE'S PROPOSAL

Dismissed Officer's Call Was Fake-- Frank Mba

Police dismisses Sergeant for extortion

Another twist to the story...Dismissed Sergeant Impersonated Classmate For 21 Years

SHOULD I BUY THE BLACKBERRY Q5?

SHOULD I BUY THE BLACKBERRY Q5?

 

Smartphone makers believe in trickle-down economics. They build their portfolios top to bottom, looking to get as much bang out of the flagship as they can and, after the hype around it has settled, they bring out the more affordable packages to keep the cash rolling in. The big question - always - is how much of the flagship specs will trickle down the ranks.

Having delivered the latest BlackBerry 10 OS in a classic messenger form factor, a midrange package combining touchscreen with the iconic hardware keyboard was next on the Canadians' to-do list. The Q10 came at a price not a lot of people can afford, so the Q5 promises to deliver the same experience without sweeping the fluff out of your pocket.

BlackBerry Q5 official photos

At first glance, the Q5 has all the important checkboxes ticked. You get a dual-core Krait chipset, a 3.1" display of the same 720 x 720 pixel resolution and a four-row QWERTY keyboard for that serious texting and emailing.

Key features

·         Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri/quad-band UMTS/HSPA, 100 Mbps LTE

·         3.1" 16M-color 720p (720 x 720 pixels) IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen

·         Four-row hardware QWERTY keyboard

·         Dual-core 1.2 GHz Krait, 2GB RAM, Adreno 225

·         BlackBerry 10.1 OS; Office document editor

·         BlackBerry Hub is a unified inbox of all your communication and social networking accounts

·         BBM with video chat and screen sharing

·         5 MP auto-focus camera with face detection and Time Shift; LED flash

·         Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps; 720p on the front-facing camera

·         2MP front facing camera

·         16GB of storage, microSD card slot; Dropbox and Box.NET integration

·         Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot; Wi-Fi sync

·         Bluetooth 4.0

·         NFC

·         standard microUSB port, microHDMI

·         3.5mm audio jack

·         GPS receiver with A-GPS

Main disadvantages

·         BlackBerry World is still missing key apps

·         Screen size is somewhat small by today's standards and the 1:1 aspect is awkward for video watching

·         QWERTY keyboard could be better

·         BlackBerry Maps may be even worse than Apple Maps

·         No FM radio

The screen is no longer AMOLED, the camera has been downgraded from 8MP to 5MP and the CPU has been downclocked by 300 MHz. These are things, which sure make the Q10 the more desirable package, but not the kind that will dramatically change the user experience. It looks like the BlackBerry Q5 is much closer to the BlackBerry Q10 than its name suggests.
BlackBerry Q5 at ours

That, and the more affordable price tag, may actually help the Q5 convince more users than its bigger and more advanced sibling. We are about to see how much of that potential translates in real-life performance. Join us on the next page, where the Q5 gets unboxed and handled.

There's also a cheapish looking headset and some leaflets in the package. A microSD card is missing but the 8GB of internal memory should be enough as a start.

Design, build quality and handling

The smartphone certainly lacks the sophistication of the Q10 and even though the plastic used is of decent quality, it's nowhere near as solid or good looking as on the Q10. Cost-cutting was obviously not limited to the internals - the build and finish were affected too.

Like all things BlackBerry, the styling of the Q5 is respectful of tradition. The spaced-out QWERTY keyboard takes after the Curves, as opposed to the tightly-packed, molded keys of the Bold series - and the Q10. It's a cleaner, simpler design but not as good looking. Quite unexpected for a BlackBerry handset, the back gives slightly in when pressed harder, producing mild squeaks mostly around the shared SIM/microSD slot. The flap covering the slot feels a bit flimsy itself.

Then again, it would be unfair to the BlackBerry Q5 to only compare it to a clearly premium device like the Q10, which is also one of the handsomest smartphones around. In more general terms, the Q5 is average looking at the very least and certainly not a smartphone you'd be embarrassed to be seen with.

The Q5 held in hand

The phone's back is nicely curved for comfortable handling. The finish is as good as immune against fingerprints and provides for a great, secure grip. It is a well-built device overall, except for the card slot flap.

QWERTY keyboard

The BlackBerry Q5 QWERTY keyboard uses the same four-row layout as the one on the BlackBerry Q10, but has the typical Curve styling, with slightly smaller but better spaced keys.

The keys themselves aren't as pleasant to press on the BlackBerry Q5. They're sitting a little too low and have a rather short stroke. They're almost flat too, compared to the sculpted buttons on the Q10, which takes away some of the tactility and, in turn, the speed and/or accuracy of typing. The company has chosen to stick with the traditional numpad layout at one of the sides of the keyboard.

The keyboard is decent but not perfect

The Q5 has more screen bezel at the bottom - the BlackBerry logo is between the keyboard and the display, rather than on top near the earpiece. That's one thing that works better than on the Q10. When swiping up from the bottom of the screen, the Q10 doesn't provide a comfortable starting point, while the Q5 does.

The best thing about the BlackBerry Q5 keyboard is that, just like on the Q10, it works with the touchscreen, rather than being at odds with it. With plenty of shortcuts available, most of which should be familiar to experienced BlackBerry users, the keyboard can seriously speed up getting around the interface.

Instant Actions makes the right kind of difference too, letting you launch apps and perform tasks using search as you type interface. But we'll look at that in more detail in the software part of this review - for now we'll just say that the Q5 is a fine texting device, even if slightly worse than the Q10.

Controls

Now let's explore the rest of the BlackBerry Q5 controls. Above the screen, we find the traditional status LED, proximity sensor and the earpiece. The front facing camera on the Q5 is a 2MP unit that can do 720p video.

The earpiece is flanked by the front-facing camera and some sensors

The right side of the BlackBerry Q5 features the volume controls, with a small pause/mute button squeezed in between. The convenience key, a token of the old days, is gone along with the trackpad and call buttons.

The three key combo on the right

The left side of the handset is where the two slots, for SIM and microSD cards, are located. Those are hidden under a small plastic flap which isn't really perfectly designed as it got stuck a couple of times under the back panel and we had to push hard against the back of the BlackBerry Q5 to release it. The other element of interest on the left is the microUSB port, which is left exposed.

The microUSB port is joined by a couple of port on the left

The 3.5mm audio port and the power/lock key are at the top of the BlackBerry Q5, flanking the secondary microphone.

The power key, the secondary microphone and the audio jack sit on top

The bottom houses the loudspeaker grille and the mouthpiece. It's an unusual position for a speaker but one that makes sure you doesn't get muffled when the phone's resting on its back. Not sure about pockets though.

The primary microphone and the loudspeaker

The 5 megapixel camera lens and a LED flash are the main attraction at the back. We like the fact that all the mandatory labels such as the FCC ID are printed on a sticker than you can remove, so it doesn't spoil the looks of the back.

The 5MP camera lens and the LED flash are the stars backstage

Unfortunately, the back panel of the BlackBerry Q5 is non-removable, meaning you don't get access to the 2,180 mAh battery.

 

The good news is the BlackBerry Q5 scored a very nice 55-hour endurance rating in our real-life battery test. The small screen and the energy-efficient chipset must be getting the credit for the solid performance.