The 10 Richest Teen Celebrities

The idea of working so hard to make so much seem to be primitive and archaic, and the most welcomed one is that of those believing working smart makes all the difference. This idea has torn down many curtains, and the players revealed seem to be dazing as kids seem to have joined them with some massive momentum. Check out the Ten richest teen celebrities, and what they do to sustain such lofty positions in their career:

#1: Justin Bieber

As one of the polarizing figures in pop entertainment today, Justin Bieber has already earned a lot of money. You may love him or hate him but there is no denying that Justin Bieber is very popular and he has successfully translated this to a wealth of about $110 million. According to Forbes 2012 Top-Earning Celebrities under 30, Justin Bieber made $55 million from May 2011 to May 2012.

Only eighteen years of age, Justin Bieber has records in the Top 100 Billboard and dozens of television and movie appearances. He was discovered on YouTube in 2008 and was directly referred to Usher who then signed him to a recording contract. Bieber was a hit for teen girls to say the least. All seven songs of his debut EP album “My World” charted in the BillBoard Hot 100. As of May 2012, he has sold 15 million albums. His upcoming album is called “Believe” and its first single is “Boyfriend.”

#2: Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus, the 19 year old teen celebrity known for her role in Hannah Montana, has a reported net worth of $100 million. She is now exploring more mature roles for her musical and acting career.

Miley entered the entertainment industry when she was eight years old when she joined her father and country music star Billy Rae Cyrus for the TV series “Doc” in 2001.
Miley Cyrus has had her share of controversies with her growing fame. She once posed unclad for Vanity Fair although she was only 15 years old. For this reason, her pictures jumped in value from $300 to $2,000.

#3: Taylor Lautner

With his hulking physique, it may be hard to believe that Taylor Lautner is just 20 years old. Yet he has already an estimated net worth of $40 million and earned $12.5 million for his portrayal of of Jacob Black for the “Twilight Saga” movies.

Taylor Lautner’s Salary
Twilight (2008/I) $1,000,000
New Moon (2009) $4,000,000
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) $7,500,000 + 2.5% of the profits
Abduction (2011) $7,500,000
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011) $12,500,000 + 7.5% of the gross
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012) $12,500,000 + 7.5% of the gross
Lautner has been acting since he was eleven years old after his family moved to Los Angeles. He will return in the upcoming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. He also starred in the 2011 film Abduction.

#3: Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas is part of the Disney’s music group The Jonas Brothers and this has helped him accumulate total earnings of $18 million. Most of his earnings came from his television and Broadway performances as well as record sales. He was discovered when he was just six years old as he was having a haircut in a barbershop.

The Jonas Brothers was supposed to be a solo project for Nick who is presently 19 years old. But the record producer liked the collaboration of Nick with his brothers Joe and Kevin. He has now appeared in his own films Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. He also formed a separate group called Nick Jonas and the Administration.

#5: Dakota Fanning

Mary Elle’s sister takes the next spot after she earned $4 million for her role in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. Dakota is now an 18-year old blonde bombshell but she has already been active as a celebrity since 1999 by appearing on films such as War of the Worlds, Charlotte’s Web and Man of Fire. Her biggest break however came in 2001 for the American drama film I Am Sam. She has an estimated net worth of $16 million.

#6: Angus T. Jones

Angus T. Jones began acting at age 6 for the popular TV show “Two and a Half Men.” Now that he is 17 years old, the Texan actor has a net worth around $15 million. His rate for the aforementioned TV show was $300,000 per episode with a signing bonus of $500,000 for playing the role of Jake Harper in the popular CBS comedy.
For his acting acumen, Jones has already won two Young Artist awards and one TV Land Award.

#7: Jaden Smith

Like Mary Elle and Dakota Fanning, another celebrity siblings round our top ten. This time it’s Jaden Smith, the 13-year old elder brother of Willow and another child of the celebrity couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He has reportedly received $5 million for his lead role in the movie “The Karate Kid” with Jackie Chan.
Jaden also starred alongside his dad for the movies “The Pursuit of Happyness” in 2006 and “Men in Black II” in 2002 as a cameo role. He also inherited the melodic voice of his father as he sang in singles of Justin Bieber.

#8: Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez is known by many as the girlfriend of Justin Bieber. But she is a shining star in her own right. She started in the children show “Barney and Friends” where she portrayed the role of Gianna. Gomez is also known for playing Alex Russo in the Disney Channel Emmy Award-winning television series Wizards of Waverly Place. She earned $30,000 per episode of the series.

She pursued a career in music by forming the group “Selena Gomez and the Scene.” Her active music and acting career have helped her amass a fortune pegged at $5.5 million.

#9: Willow Smith

Willow Smith may be the daughter of celebrities Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith but she is a celebrity in her own right. Only seven years old, Willow has already earned over $4 million solely on her singing engagements alone. This does not include her appearance in the movie “I Am Legend.”

#10: Elle Fanning

Mary Elle Fanning is a 13-year-old actor, model and singer known for earning $1.5 million for the film Super 8. She is the younger sister of Dakota Fanning and started to become visible on the TV screen last year but she started on-screen work since she was three years old. She has an estimated net worth of 2 million.
These top ten celebrities may switch places next year but there is no denying that they have successfully achieved financial security through their hard work and sheer talent.

Justin Timberlake Drops New Single After 7 Years

Pop star and actor Justin Timberlake has just dropped “Suit and Tie,” his first single since 2006.

In 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than seven million copies worldwide.
The album was a commercial success, with ‘Cry Me a River’ and ‘Rock Your Body’ as the hit tracks.
The new track from his upcoming album The 20/20 Experience, is actually his first project in 7 years.
Justin features Jay-Z.
Listen to song here: “Suit and Tie”

Jaguar Land Rover announces more apprenticeships

Apprentices could work in any of Jaguar Land Rover's sites across the UK

Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced it is recruiting more than 150 apprentices.

The company says it wants to add to the 300 apprenticeships already created over the last two years.
Apprentices will be based at all JLR sites in the West Midlands, including its new engine facility being built on the Staffordshire-Wolverhampton border.
They will also work at Halewood, Merseyside. The apprenticeships will last for between three and six years.
Kirsty Scott, head of organisation performance at JLR, said it was "another significant intake of new apprentices in 2013".
"We have ambitious plans for growth and Jaguar Land Rover is committed to providing the highest quality of both practical and academic training to develop future talent for the business," she added.
The news of the apprenticeships comes just days after the company announced the creation of 800 production jobs at its plant in Solihull.
The group, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire, produces Land Rovers in Solihull and Halewood while Jaguars are produced at the Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham.
JLR said it would be accepting applications until 31 January.

Eminem Pushed To 2nd Spot As Rihanna Tops The Chart As Most Popular Celeb On Facebook

At at the time of posting this news, the Barbadian singer has 61,564,736 fans, while the rapper stands at 61,217,673, and this is according to Starcount, a data aggregator that measures social-media popularity.
Slim Shady reigned as king of the social network since surpassing Lady Gagaand Michael Jackson last February. MJ had previously been the most popular celeb since his death in 2009.
Rihanna’s social popularity has surged in recent years; she dethroned Lady Gaga as the top female celeb on Facebook last July. And what makes this recent statistics truly phenomenal is the fact that less than two years ago, Rihanna was five million less fans than Eminem, but that gap quickly closed — likely thanks to Facebook’s recent purge of fake likes, Starcount says.
The singer also dominates other social networks, including YouTube,where she sits in second spot after Justin Bieber,and Twitter,where she is fourth behind Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry.
Starcount ranks Rihanna as the third most popular social media star in the world after Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, but adds that based on current trends, “We may soon be celebrating a new queen of social media.”
For the remaining top 10, check out the chart below. Who would be on your list? Tell us in the comments.

Sanusi Wants Ohanaeze, Afenifere, CAN, others Banned

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to ban some ethno-religious organisations in the country including the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze, Afenifere, Jamatul Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Mr Sanusi, who was a guest speaker at the dinner organised by the Northern Reawakening Forum (NRF), said such bodies are no longer religious or cultural in nature but political associations.

“These religious organisations, the Arewa, Afenifere, including Jamatul Nasril Islam (JNI) and CAN, should be banned because they are not religious organisations, they are not culture organisations, they are political associations under the guise of religious organisations,” the CBN governor said.

He said the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that the Federal Government must promote associations that cut across ethnic groups and the religious divide, adding, “But what we have are religious organisations that invite government officials to speak and the organisations honour them. They are just glorified institutions.”

The CBN governor said that the difference between a Muslim and a Christian in the North is nothing compared to the wide gulf between the rich Muslim and the poor Muslim, which also applied to the Christian in the North.

He said that the North is sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode, noting: “Agriculture farming there is subsistence. There is no development, no education, no prospect for employment and therefore we are sitting on a time bomb.”

Other notable speakers at the event included the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Audu Ogbeh, who said security challenges in the North had set the region on fire, and the former chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ahmed Joda, who accused political leaders of overheating polity and tearing the country apart.

The National Chairman of the NRF, Mohammed Umara Kumalia, said the region had evolved from a people with a great and enviable culture and tradition to the present state where acute poverty, ethno-religious conflict, insecurity, disease and erosion of core values had taken over the life of many and made economic progress almost impossible in several parts of the North.

He said the forum was established to offer support to other stakeholders to elevate the North to its glorious days when peaceful coexistence, tolerance, hard work, service, respect, equity, honesty, humility, trust, brotherhood, commerce, agriculture, trade and above all pride were the values and culture of the people that today populate about 76 per cent of the geographical entity called Nigeria.

Chelsea get first option on hot-property Isco

Chelsea have taken a major step in their bid to sign Malaga midfielder Isco after securing first option to buy him in the summer.

The 20-year-old (above)  is one of the most highly-rated young players in Spain and Real Madrid had an offer of just over £13million turned down this month.

But Chelsea are confident they are now in prime position to beat some of Europe’s biggest clubs after loaning one of their best youngsters, Lucas Piazon, to Malaga for the rest of the campaign.

It is believed that as part of that deal, Malaga agreed in principle to Chelsea having first refusal on Isco.

Malaga are struggling financially and know they face a losing battle to keep one of the best young talents in Spain.

He has represented his country at every level from the Under-23s downwards and earned his first call-up to the full national team last May for friendlies against Serbia and South Korea, although he was not used.

Chelsea have identified the attacking midfielder as a possible replacement for Frank Lampard. The 34-year-old will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season and Isco fits the new policy at Stamford Bridge of buying younger, technically gifted players.

Chelsea hope the fact they have some youthful Spanish talent in Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Cesar Azpilicueta, as well as striker Fernando Torres, could help Isco settle in west London should the transfer take place.

The Blues are determined to spend big again in the summer having ­struggled for consistency all season. They are favourites to sign Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini at the end of the season and are also in the running for Atletico Madrid striker Falcao.

However, the immediate focus at Chelsea is on tonight’s Premier League game at home to Southampton.

Rafael Benitez is braced for another frosty reception from Blues supporters but believes that some fans respect what he is trying to do.

His appointment as interim manager in November angered many Chelsea followers, who have made no secret that they want the Spaniard out by displaying banners and chanting in support of former manager Roberto di Matteo.

Benitez built a strong rapport with Liverpool fans on Merseyside, where he won the Champions League in his first season in charge, and concedes a similar relationship is unlikely because he is only at Chelsea until the summer.

Benitez said: “The difference is that I was in Liverpool for six years. That is a long time. At first it was difficult but, little by little [it improved]. It is a question of time. My priority is not to think about me but about the team winning. My contract is until the end of the season and my job is to do well.

“I prefer to concentrate on the positives, not the negatives. A lot of people are appreciating what we are trying to do and the supporters will be happy if we keep winning.

“I have contact with some fans but I do not have the time to be talking with everyone because we have a game every three days and my responsibility is to prepare the team.”

Benitez believes he is slowly stamping his mark on the side and Saturday’s 4-0 win at Stoke went some way to appeasing his critics.

He added: “There is actually a lot of positivity around the club. Look at the stats, the numbers: the team are creating chances and keeping clean sheets. There are a lot of positive signals.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Marko Marin, who has started just one League game since joining from Werder Bremen for £7m in the summer, is expected to leave on loan. Queens Park Rangers and Fulham are interested along with sides in La Liga and the Bundesliga.

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Talent show: Isco escapes Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso and Chelsea are hopeful they can beat the Spanish side to his signature

Man Marries Mother-In-Law After His Wife Died

In an unprecedented move, a man and his mother-in-law defied all social norms and got married two years after the death of the man’s wife.

The man, Judah Magarasadza’s wife Rozie Gopoza died in 2008 and two months later his mother-in-law Felistus moved in with him. It is reported that the two then started a love relationship which culminated in them trying the knot in 2010. The wedding reception is understood to have been low key. This was a result of the two’s families refusal to bless the marriage.
Both families reportedly declined to take part in wedding negotiations after the man and the mother-in-law approached them saying they wanted to solemnise their ‘illicit’ relationship. Despite the setback, the two would not allow anyone to flout their plans and went on to get married.
From 2010 to December last year, the two were living as husband and wife. However, after the man died, things took a downward trend for the mother-in-law c*m-wife. Sources said the woman was barred from the funeral by her husband’s relatives who vehemently told her that they did not recognise her relationship with their son.
“She was thrown out. Anyway who would blame them? They were very right in doing so. What kind of a relationship is that,” blasted the source.
It is said the woman was also barred from attending the burial at the man’s rural home. Our news crew finally got hold of Magaraszadza’s brother who identified himself as Joseph Magarasadza. He confirmed that his late brother was involved in a love relationship with his mother-in-law which he described as ‘illegal’.
“No such thing can be allowed to happen in our society. Both parents refused to take part in lobola negotiations after my brother and the woman said they wanted to get married,” he said.
Joseph said contrary to reports that the woman was banned from the funeral, she had actually made the decision herself.
“We had a meeting with her and her brother and that is when she said she would not be at the funeral because people were saying thing about her. No one stopped her from attending the funeral,” he said.
In an attempt to get a comment from the once a ‘mother-in-law’, a woman who answered the phone said the issue was not for public consumption.

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Lady Gaga At It Again, Wears Shocking Bra On Stage, Causes Controversy

Lady Gaga is known for her outlandish outfits and is no stranger to controversy. But when Gaga wears a gun bra on stage, you know she’s got publicity in her sites.

Lady Gaga wearing a gun bra on Friday at a show in Vancouver

Gaga wore the gun bra at a show in Vancouver on Friday, and it seems to be a prop from her Rolling Stone cover shoot from 2010. But Gaga’s gun bra certainly takes on a different meaning these days in the United States, with mass shootings dominating the news and President Obama expected to enact new gun legislation in his second term.
Of course, knowing Gaga wears a gun bra is about as surprising as her meat dress, or any one of 1,000 other crazy outfits she’s sported during her career. And the gun bra wasn’t the only ridiculous outfit in Vancouver; Gaga also wore latex pants split right down the crack of her b*ttocks.
Artistes are usually very sensitive people, so Gaga must have known it’s not so cool wearing a gun bra right about now…well except she’s one of the folks who want guns to stay. Her gun bra has sparked controversy in America with many slating the pop star for her action. [Vibe]

Prostitutes in Lagos Celebrate Matron at 70

The Lagos Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Prostitutes over the weekend, celebrated one of their own, a septuagenarian simply known as Madam Juliet and otherwise called ‘Matron’ as she clocked 70. Juliet who recanted her sojourn as a commercial sex worker to The Daily Post, said she came into the business at the age of 21, and had been a sex worker ever since. The well-attended event which took place in Ejigbo, Lagos State, attracted retired and active members of the association.

Nigerian Monarch Makes History As The First Black Person To Buy The 2014 Bentley

The Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom in Ondo state and chairman of Obat Oil, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, made history last week as the first black person to buy the 2014 model of Bentley.

The Oba didn’t just buy it, it was specially customized for him, according to sources close to him.
The new ride, which arrived in Nigeria a few weeks back, has Olugbo as its plate number
Oba Akinruntan also has a custom built 2012 Rolls Royce similar to that of Queen Elizabeth II.

Tiwa Savage’s Special 10 Commandments For Women

 

1. Dont be in a hurry to move out of ur parents house.
2. Dont wait for a man before you start living. You can live a fulfilled life as a single woman.
3. Stay away from alcohol. It has killed others and you are not special.
4. Dont entertain a wrong number call, especially at night. Its not the right way to find a lover.
5. Develop a healthy eating habit. Always take breakfast and avoid sweets.
6. Dress well: impression count. People will judge you by the way you dress even before dey talk to you.
7. Dont use s*x as proof of love. s*x is no proof of love, he’ll leave you after the s*x.
8. Dont marry for the money, else you’ll become one of his possessions.
9. Add value to yourself – get a career. Dont be fooled that a man will solve all your problems.
10. Beauty is not everything. If it is all you have, u’ll lose ur place to someone beautiful better more matured and competent than you..

Facebook Graph Search is an awesome tool for phishing attacks

Facebook shook the tech world foundation a bit with the announcement of the Graph Search capability. Users are anxious for a chance to play with the new feature, and attackers are looking forward to this potent new weapon…I mean tool, as well.
In a nutshell, Facebook Graph Search is a contextual search engine that allows you to find things based on relationships and context—basically drawing from the limitless pool of Likes, tags, and check-ins posted by a billion Facebook members.

Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Graph Search this week at a Facebook media event.

From a search perspective, Graph Search seems like a very powerful tool—something that makes search more personally relevant, and a concept that should have Google worried a bit. You can search based on people, places, friends, and interests. For example, you can do a search for “friends who like The Beatles and live in Chicago,” or “Italian restaurants my friends have visited nearby.”
However, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword as well. Andrew Storms, director of security operations for nCircle, says, “The new Facebook Graph Search is a phishers’ dream come true. It takes the micro targeting capabilities that have been available to online advertisers for years and puts them into the hands of cyber criminals.”
Think of it like Google hacking on steroids. Attackers learned long ago that Google is a virtually endless treasure trove of valuable information—sensitive data, and seemingly innocuous tidbits that can be used to hack into a network or account. Facebook Graph Search raises the bar—and not in a good way—by delivering that same capability with a more personal context.
Alex Horan, security strategist for CORE Security points out the inherent conflict of interest of a tool like this because Graph Search is only as useful if it provides relevant and interesting results. “This means Facebook will want it to have as much information available as possible to respond to each query, ensuring people have a positive experience. This directly goes against the desire expressed by people to keep their information private.”

Users have a tendency of ignoring privacy controls and oversharing.

Using Facebook Graph Search, an attacker can narrow down specific targets, and customize emails or Facebook messages using compelling details about their lives, their friends, the things that interest them, and the places they’ve visited.
Richard Wang, manager at Sophos Labs, says Graph Search might be a startling eye-opener for many. This will probably lead more users to discovering that they have shared more than they expected and gives scammers the opportunity to target particular groups of people.”
In a Facebook post about the Graph Search announcement, Robert Scoble praised the privacy model behind the tool. Scoble explains, “You can only see items shared to public or shared with you specifically due to your friend arrangements.”
That is true, and Facebook deserves credit for building in privacy controls. Unfortunately, many of the billion-ish Facebook users aren’t aware of, or don’t properly use the security and privacy controls—so everything they post on the social network will be easily discoverable by cyber criminals.
Horan clarifies, “From a hacker’s perspective, the data was already there and subject to target an attack, but this new feature makes it easier for attackers to collect similar targets for a more customized attack.”
“If you thought the level of spam and phishing scams on Facebook couldn’t possibly get worse, I have bad news for you. We ain’t seen nuthin’ yet,” warns Storms.

VIDEO Premiere: Skales – My Baby…….(VIDEO)

If you are a fan of E.M.E All Stars‘ Empire Mates State of Mind collaboration album, then the song My Baby by the label’s rapper, Skales will definitely be one of your favourite tracks.
Produced by Sarz, the song is a laid back hip-hop track and the video boasts of an impressive display of creativity and style. The video was shot in the heart of Lagos, according to the label’s rep and was directed by Michael Williams in collaboration with Skales.
Check out the spanking new video premiering today, Wednesday 16th January 2013 first on BN!
Check it Out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyQwUnGo_b8&feature=player_embedded

Apple stock declines while iPhone remains US favourite

Under the radar of yesterday's wild Apple [AAPL] speculation that iPhone sales are reeling comes an attributed story based on evidence which points out that while Samsung's Galaxy sales are booming, iPhone remains the stronger brand with one-in-two shoppers still planning to get one.

iPhone remains consumer favorite
Changewave's news here is that this level of interest in an Apple smartphone reflects historical patterns quite accurately -- interest in any new device usually wanes after the initial interest on its release, as you can see in the graph above.

"One-in-two North American respondents (50%) planning to buy a smart phone in the next 90 days say they’ll get an Apple iPhone. While that’s down from 71% in last quarter’s survey – conducted just as the iPhone 5 was being released – historically speaking it’s a solid showing for Apple," the researchers say in a press release provided to me.

Samsung's doing well, with its Galaxy S III retaining a consistent slice of the consumer markets and increasing interest in the larger Galaxy Note II.
There's some concern for Apple in the survey, as it shows that the number of shoppers planning to purchase a Samsung smartphone across the next 90-days has soared from 13 percent to 21 percent. While most of these consumers plan to buy an S III, around a quarter (23 percent) have their eyes on a Note, aka, "Phablet".
From Changewave:

"The impressive demand for the Galaxy Note II suggests the era of large-screen smart phones is upon us. Importantly, when all planned buyers were asked their screen size preference, more than one-in-four (27%) said they’re most interested in a 5-inch or larger screen."

Change the game
Should Apple be worried at yet another form factor its adroit Android foe has put up against it in the market? Not according to Changewave's Paul Carton, who notes:

"With this level of consumer interest, Apple is perfectly capable of producing a large-screen smart phone that’s virtually a tiny tablet – they could call it an 'iTab' – and have it on the shelves for the next Holiday season.”

Will Apple do this? I consider it unlikely, as I believe it is more likely to introduce a new device designed to expand the whole category of these mobile devices. Looking at the deep competition it faces, I remain convinced the company will seek to change the underlying metaphor of what a smartphone should be in an attempt to change the rules of the game -- anyone can ship a phone with a different display size; few can reinvent the category.
Not everyone agrees, of course: ex-Apple CEO, John Sculley, shows why Steve Jobs was a good recruit for the top job when he advises his former company to follow industry trends. Apple watchers, of course, will recognize that where Sculley follows, Jobs led: Apple is at its best when it sets trends.

Microsoft is coming up
What the latest Changewave data does reveal, however, is that the smartphone industry has indeed become a two horse race between Apple and Samsung.
71 percent of US consumers in the market for a smartphone within the next 90 days will purchase a device from one of these two companies (two thirds of these will opt for Apple, one third for Samsung).
This leaves precious little for competitors in the current cash-strapped consumer economy. An industry, which perhaps should have been booming, is instead consolidating around a small number of household brand names.
There's potential for a third runner, Changewave observes: while iOS remains the OS which most satisfies consumers (71 percent of iOS users say they are Very Satisfied with the OS), it's Windows Phone (53 percent), not Android (48 percent, that takes second place.
This is likely to mean that consumers using a Windows Phone in preference to Apple or Android will be likely to say good things about Microsoft's new OS, and while Windows 8 sales aren't great, this does suggest Redmond has a route to avoid the company meltdown some industry watchers predict.
This is also good news for Nokia, and while you most likely won't see to many mentions of this elsewhere, it could be bad news for Samsung:

"Nokia is the biggest beneficiary of the higher Windows Phone satisfaction levels to date. The Finnish manufacturer's Very Satisfied rating jumped to 56 percent this quarter putting it in a dead heat with Samsung (55 percent) for second place – though both remain well behind Apple (70 percent), the industry leader," Changewave explains.

In other words, from a fairly shaky start, Nokia and Microsoft are beginning to make some headway persuading customers that their devices are at least as good as those from Samsung, which currently dominates the smartphone market.
Given none of these firms offer the kind of customer satisfaction Apple provides, this strongly suggests that should Microsoft begin to exceed Samsung's heavy marketing spending then there's a chance it can unseat its Korean pretender and once again reclaim its seat as Apple's number one rival.
Apple's ascendancy is on hold
The take away here has to be that while Wall Street analysts are chiming the division bell on the fate of Apple stock, the company itself continues to benefit from its strong customer relationships and ability to deliver products which please consumers. (Though Maps clearly damaged this, it didn't topple the company's lead).
Not every analyst is a herd animal, some maintain their own original perspective, such as Brian White at Topeka Capital who continues to maintain a $1,111 price target on Apple stock.
White warns that the supply chain changes that dominate the Apple news agenda this week are not surprising, given the firm cut certain component orders in December and this was already known.
He also predicts (as I have) a deal with China Mobile and sees a huge future company opportunity on launch of the Apple television, which he says will be a "new TV experience". Though he thinks it could be a couple of years away.
The bottom line?
Apple continues to be the consumer's favorite smartphone, and while Samsung is the biggest challenger, Microsoft and Nokia are in prime position for a flank attack. Apple meanwhile already has plans to expand iPhone sales while also opening up new market sectors with an eye to a bigger prize.

Mercy Johnson Joins The League As She Turns Musician

Rap star, Ice Prince has gone on social networking site twitter to announced that the sultry actress will be part of a star studded list of artists to remix his currently raving hit song ‘Aboki’

You will recall that in October last year, another nollywood actress, Tonto Dike dropped her singles ‘Hi’ and ‘Itz Ova’ to wide condemnation that degenerated to a virtual war on twitter; Tonto and her fans hurled insults at each other. It is hoped this never happens in this case.
Already we hear that recording is well underway and the remix should be hitting fans of both Ice Prince and Mercy soon. Mercy Johnson gave birth to a baby girl in faraway United States, late December last year. Her new role as ‘singer’ now comes fourth after taking on as ‘actress’, ‘wife’ and ‘mother’.

Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus photo, specs leaked

Samsung is working on an update to Galaxy Pocket, an entry-level device it launched in April 2012. According to a report in technology blog , this device will be called Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus and will work on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

Galaxy Pocket Plus will be another low-range smartphone with incremental upgrades over its predecessor. The operating system will be layered with a toned-down version of the company's TouchWiz user interface. When it comes to hardware, the only upgrade is in terms of processor clock-speed, which has been moved up from 832MHz to 850MHz.

The specifications shared by Galaxy Pocket and its older sibling are 2.8-inch touchscreen, 4GB internal memory, 512MB RAM, 2MP rear camera, 1,200mAh battery, WI-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. As per the report, Samsung aims to launch this smartphone in the market in the first half of this year.

Key specs:

Display: 2.8-inch screen Operating system: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Processor: 850MHz RAM: 512MB Camera: 2MP Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 Battery: 1,200mAh

Chelsea loan out Lucas Piazon to Malaga

Chelsea have confirmed that Lucas Piazon has been sent out on loan to Spanish side Malaga until the end of the season.
The 18-year-old Brazilian midfielder has been a key part of Chelsea’s progress to the Elite Group stage of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League, scoring the side’s first goal in the campaign. He came on to make his Barclays Premier League debut in the 8-0 victory over Aston Villa, missing a penalty in the process.

Pep Guardiola appointed as coach at Bayern Munich

 

The former Barcelona boss has been appointed to take over at the Allianz Arena, ending month's of speculation over his future.

Pep Guardiola will take over from Jupp Heynckes as Bayern Munich coach.

The 41-year-old former Barca boss left Camp Nou in 2012 having won 14 trophies with the Liga side during his four seasons in charge and has signed a deal with the Bundesliga side until 2016.

More to follow... 

 

KAKA TO TRIGGER CHELSEA AND MANCHESTER UNITED SCRAMBLE FOR HIS SIGNATURE

KAKA could trigger a scramble from the Premier League’s big clubs this month.

The Real Madrid midfielder is poised to be released by a club on a free which could set alight interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Kaka has been used sparingly this season, and manager Jose Mourinho does not see him as part of his first-team plans.
Moreover, Kaka has failed to reproduce the form of AC Milan, where he was considered one of the world’s best players.
But Spanish paper El Economista reports Real Madrid are fed up with having to pay his exorbitant wages and poor performances.
So far, PSG and AC Milan, who have been linked with a move for the Brazilian, but they are unwilling to foot the wage bill.
Kaka has managed just one goal so far this season for Les Merengues, who trail rivals Barcelona by 18 points in La Liga.
He joined Real for £56m from Milan in June 2009.