South African TV journalists being robbed live at gunpoint while cameras roll

SA is not easy oooo. A team of South African Broadcasting Corp. journalists were mugged at gunpoint by four men in Johannesburg while television cameras were rolling.

Vuyo Mvoko, SABC's contributing editor, was preparing to be interviewed live on TV from outside Milpark Hospital on Tuesday night when the men robbed him and the crew of money, cellphones and broadcasting equipment, the SABC said on its website.

At least two of the men are clearly visible on the screen during the robbery, according to the recording, which was posted on the broadcaster's website.

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. The murder rate increased for a second consecutive year in the 12 months through March 2014 to 32.2 per 100,000 people, while the number of robberies with aggravating circumstances climbed by 13 percent.

Why having the apple watch is a good idea... or not

This week's unveiling of the Apple Watch has hypnotized the masses, or at least the media. Why are we so enraptured by a device that it's pretty obvious we don't need?

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during the Apple Inc. Spring Forward event in San Francisco, California, U.S.

the times report: I ambush people in elevators (and on planes, at parties, and everywhere else I go) all the time. As a consumer psychologist, I’m always curious, and it’s my job to ask questions about why consumers do what they do. Almost always people enjoy sharing their purchases and spending plans with me. Not this guy, though. To be honest, I found the mystery and his aloofness to be highly intriguing (also, a bit humorous, especially the “don’t touch” part).

In effect, everyone has had a similar experience to my run-in with the Apple Watch guy. This has been one of the most protracted unveilings in history (Apple first announced the watch last September), and that slow striptease has so very much to do with our breathless anticipation of Apple’s smartwatch.

I have nothing against smartwatches or Apple, mind you. I love my many Apple products, but for those considering a pricey new purchase, consider how much of your desire is real and how much is the result of emotional manipulation.

The Fetishization of Technology

Remember your first cell phone? Smartphone? GPS? If you’re old enough, you might remember your first computer and the thrill of typing without Wite-Out. We have witnessed one incredible innovation after another, and while the hits do keep on coming, the emotional impact of those pioneer experiences is hard to duplicate. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to experience them again. We absolutely do want to bring back those feelings, so when Apple teases us with the promise of revolutionizing our lives (again!), we badly want to believe the message.

What’s more, technology has nearly reached a level of fetishism in our lives. It instills a desire that extends beyond mere utility. When you watch Tim Cook describe the act of connecting the recharging magnet to the back of the Apple watch, he seems to be talking more about pleasure than technology or functionality. The marketing is all about creating a genuine emotional connection. This is Apple’s signature achievement, and also a danger zone for consumers hoping to make rational purchasing decisions.

The Desirability of Luxury

When Tim Cook introduced the top-of-the-line $10,000 to $17,000 Apple Watch Edition, his script was punctuated with the most potent words and phrases in luxury marketing. He began by stating that the watch was “unbelievably unique and very special.” He then went on to say that it was “beautiful,” “custom,” “elegant,” “available in limited quantities,” and that even the in-store display tables would be “beautiful,” “custom,” and the “ultimate experience.”

If we are already predisposed to like or want Apple products, these are exactly the right words and catch phrases to use. These amorphous platitudes tend to ignite emotion and yet slip right by the more critical parts of our brains. After all, is the watch really that unique when the look and technology are the same as their lower priced models, which more than 22 million people are expected to purchase? Is it really “custom” when it’s not handmade, made-to-order, or hard to get so long as you have the money?


The truth is that few will be able to stomach a five-figure price tag for something so fleeting. Apple Watch Edition is more technology than watch, and therefore unable to capitalize on one of the most popular luxury watch rationalizations: timelessness. Consumers often justify luxury watch purchases because they believe the item will retain or even increase in value and can therefore be passed down to children or resold on sites like The Real Real.

But despite the fact that few will purchase it, the $17K Apple Watch Edition was actually designed with the everyday shopper in mind—as a way to simultaneously elevate the stature of lower-priced models and make the less expensive ones seem like terrific values by comparison. All that luxury lingo can be applied to the $350 or $550 versions, which seem like bargains next to the one with a $17K price tag.

Catch one of World Most influential person (Omotola) On March 2015 Issue Of TW Magazine

She has one of the best bodies in not just in Nollywood but in the world and Omotola isn’t bashful as she covers the March issue of TW Magazine. The mother of four who was listed amount the 100 most influential persons in the world by times magazine is in fine form as she flirts with the camera wearing a lovely neck and hand piece with a white half top and a skirt that fully displays her hour glass figure. The magazine discuses her successful stay in the Nollywood for 20 years. Ayeekooo!

Mercy Johnson follow Tonto Dikeh Goes into Music

Do you seriously think Mercy should jump into the music waters?

Nigeria's train-ride-taking actress, Mercy Johnson is set to release a new single with Don Jazzy, the Mavin boss.

Apparently she announced this in tandem with Don Jazzy at the AMVCA through their Twitter handles. She said: "with @DONJAZZY at AMVCA...watch out for my single...its Don Jazzy again."

To which Don Jazzy replied "Osheee tell them."

If this doesn't make you scared, nothing else will. We all remember how Tonto Dikeh's musical adventure went. And now she's signed to DKM (That's D'Banj's record label.)

Some commentators have reminded us that she '(Mercy Johnson) 'featured in Ice Prince's Aboki remix, but we need to remember she only said (not sang) 'don't you know I'm married?' to which Sarkodie responded 'okay, I see.'

We can only hope the Don Jazzy effect helps to save this DOA situation. 

God oooo. help her! smile.

42 Killed and 20 seriously injured in Bus & Truck Collision in Tanzania

42 people lost their life here.
DAR ES SALAAM:  Forty-two people were killed and at least 20 others seriously injured on Wednesday in a collision between a bus and a truck in central Tanzania, officials said.

A statement from the president's office said the packed passenger bus was travelling between the western town of Mbeya and the economic capital and coastal city of Dar es Salaam when it was crushed by a container truck travelling in the opposite direction.

"The container fell on the bus... when the truck carrying the container swayed while attempting to avoid potholes along the road," said regional police commander Ramadhani Mungi, suggesting reckless driving was the cause of the road disaster.

Speaking to state television later Wednesday, he said two of the injured died while receiving treatment in hospital, bring the overall toll to 42 dead.

Officials had earlier confirmed at least 40 passengers on the Majinjaa Express-owned bus were dead, many of them crushed under the toppled container, and that more than 20 other were in a serious condition.

Iringa Regional Commissioner Amina Masenza said the bodies had already been moved to a district hospital mortuary, and those with serious injuries moved to a regional hospital.

The accident occurred near Changarawe in the centre of the country, and around 550 kilometres (350 miles) west of Dar es Salaam.

"This gives cause for great mourning. The entire country has been shaken," the east African nation's President Jakaya Kikwete said in a statement.

Serious road accidents are common in the region, due to overloaded and poorly-maintained vehicles, excessive speeding and poor roads.

The accident is the worst to be reported in Tanzania since 2006, when 54 people died when a bus fell off a bridge and into a river north of the town of Arusha. By agence france press.

Want to invest? it is time to start considering apple's shares

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple CEO Tim Cook took a figurative victory lap at his company's annual shareholder meeting, one day after he announced details about the new smartwatch Apple plans to start selling next month.

A year ago, some investors were voicing frustration over Apple's lagging stock, and activist Carl Icahn was pressing Cook to return more cash to shareholders. But no complaints were heard Tuesday. Apple shares are up 65 percent from a year ago, the company has a market value of more than $700 billion — making it the most valuable U.S. company in history — and will soon bump AT&T to join the benchmark Dow Jones industrial average.

Apple sold a record 200 million iPhones in 2014, which provided the bulk of the company's $200 billion of revenue. Cook cited those and other milestones in what he called an "unbelievable" year.

The stock fell 1.7 percent Tuesday, amid a broader market decline, as some analysts questioned whether the company's new smartwatch will be a hit.

Jesse Jackson and a black Apple shareholder who did not say his name when he spoke, urged Cook to improve diversity in Apple's leadership and board. 

Kim K has been stepping out in weird outfits at Paris Fashion week

What some of our celebrities wear these days... and dont be fooled this is not lady Gaga. Mrs West out and about in Paris wearing a Balmain couture cage dress (left) and later out with Kanye West wearing a catsuit with lace-up detailing and a pair of black leather over-the-knee peep-toe heeled boots. See more photos after the cut...