In December of 2010, South Africa was officially invited to join Brazil, Russia, India and China as a member of the BRIC economic block. These countries are all emerging economic powers that are predicted to become more prominent over the next few decades. However, Simon Freemantle, with Standard Bank Research, says, “It’s very warranted, the attention they’ve been given, but I think it has been to the detriment to some of Africa’s other very important emerging world partners. If you look beyond BRICS, you’re looking at countries like Turkey. Trade this year (2011) is expected…
Selected by helenlloyd
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Most Topular Stories
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Africa’s Emerging Trade Partners
Africa Good News - Latest News8 Feb 2012 | 2:12 pm -
China’s Wild West
Intelligent Travel9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amBy Annie Fitzsimmons “Welcome to the Wild West of China,” my guide said as we touched down in Lijiang after a 4-hour flight from Shanghai. Though I didn’t yet spot any cowboy boots, I was indeed far west in the Yunnan province, at the foothills of the Himalaya; bordered by Laos, Vietnam, and Burma. Impressions of Lijiang performance (Photo: Annie Fitzsimmons) For an instant introduction to the region, I attended a performance of “Impressions of Lijiang,” with the sacred Jade Dragon Mountain looming behind the outdoor theater. It is truly a spectacle of local… -
AUDIO: DR Congo rapper on albino attacks
BBC News - Africa9 Feb 2012 | 9:46 amHip-hop artist N'Kashh from the Democratic Republic of Congo explains why one of his songs is about the recent attacks on albino people. -
Times Square Celebrates Love This February
Vagabondish9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amTimes Square ©Bernt Rostad Times Square is embracing Valentine’s Day with a month-long celebration dubbed “Free Love in Times Square.” This month couples can renew their vows in the square. Also, couples can they can declare their love at the Crossroads of the World, and the declaration will be projected on a flashing digital billboard for the crowds in the square to witness. Couples who declare their love will also be entered in a second honeymoon sweepstakes. The Times Square Alliance has also commissioned a public Valentine sculpture for the center of the square for… -
'Congo Masquerade'
Africa Unchained9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amNicolas Van De Walle reviews Peter Eichstaedt & Theodore Trefon's 'Congo Masquerade':Trefon takes a broader view of the DRC, examining the country’s sociopolitical dynamics and its failing institutions. His book has no heroes. It is sharply critical of the DRC’s rapacious political class. But Trefon is perhaps even more critical of the aid efforts of the United Nations, various bilateral and multilateral donors, and international nongovernmental organizations, all of whom he suggests might actually be making things worse, by perverting institutional incentives for reform. The…
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Africa Good News - Latest News
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Africa’s Emerging Trade Partners
8 Feb 2012 | 2:12 pmIn December of 2010, South Africa was officially invited to join Brazil, Russia, India and China as a member of the BRIC economic block. These countries are all emerging economic powers that are predicted to become more prominent over the next few decades. However, Simon Freemantle, with Standard Bank Research, says, “It’s very warranted, the attention they’ve been given, but I think it has been to the detriment to some of Africa’s other very important emerging world partners. If you look beyond BRICS, you’re looking at countries like Turkey. Trade this year (2011) is expected… -
South Africa Develops Hi-Tech Solution to Fix Roads
7 Feb 2012 | 5:22 pmSouth Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has successfully piloted new road technology, specifically designed to improve the lifespan of roads that carry heavy traffic. If the technology is implemented nationally, it could mean the end of potholes on local roads. Economic growth, higher traffic volumes and higher axle loads are some of the factors that have made it necessary to review how South Africa's roads are built and maintained. South Africa has a well developed and extensive road network of about 754 000 kilometres, of which over 70 000km are paved or… -
Social Media Saves Africa's Oldest Community Radio Station
7 Feb 2012 | 5:08 pm"It got the message out there to the decision makers, and because it was in their faces all the time… there has been offers of assistance," said Adrian Louw, programme integrator at Bush Radio. The emergence of social media has opened new opportunities for community broadcasters in Cape Town, South Africa. Not only are they able to interact more effectively with their audiences, but they can now do so cheaply. Bush Radio broadcasts to at least 260 000 listeners, predominantly in the poor Cape Flats, formerly an apartheid housing area for people of colour. But thanks to social media… -
Mining Database Goes Live in Sierra Leone to Increase Transparency
6 Feb 2012 | 5:15 pmThe launch of Sierra Leone’s first online mining database in West Africa comes with a promise to increase transparency and accountability in the country’s rich natural resource sector. “This system will stamp out all forms of malpractice in terms of licensing, financial management and general information pertaining to the mining sector,” said Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Minkailu Mansaray. “The public should be aware of what mining companies pay to the government and what the government receives from mining and exploration companies.” Launched on Jan. 19,… -
Lessons from a CEO in the Banking Sector in Africa
6 Feb 2012 | 2:18 pmAccording to James Mwangi, Head of Kenya Equity Bank, “Across the African continent only about 18-24% of the population (uses) banks…So, it shows that there is a huge opportunity.” Read more...
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Intelligent Travel
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China’s Wild West
9 Feb 2012 | 5:43 amBy Annie Fitzsimmons “Welcome to the Wild West of China,” my guide said as we touched down in Lijiang after a 4-hour flight from Shanghai. Though I didn’t yet spot any cowboy boots, I was indeed far west in the Yunnan province, at the foothills of the Himalaya; bordered by Laos, Vietnam, and Burma. Impressions of Lijiang performance (Photo: Annie Fitzsimmons) For an instant introduction to the region, I attended a performance of “Impressions of Lijiang,” with the sacred Jade Dragon Mountain looming behind the outdoor theater. It is truly a spectacle of local… -
Getting Lost on Florida’s “Forgotten” Coast
8 Feb 2012 | 12:30 pmSt. George Island, Fla., is in the middle of nowhere. And that’s the way they like it. Why else would they call this area, along the northeastern part of Florida’s panhandle, the “forgotten” coast? It is remote, undeveloped and, at this time of year, no one’s here. Oh, wait. I should have said, no tourists. Out in the flat-as-glass Apalachicola Bay every morning, we found dozens of oyster boats quietly harvesting the famous shellfish from the shallow sea floor. They say it gets busy during the summer, but it’s a different kind of busy than frenetic Panama… -
I Heart My City: Jennifer’s Abu Dhabi
8 Feb 2012 | 9:57 amJennifer Garcia-Alonso is co-founder of The Purple Passport, a web-based collection of chic, one-stop-shop guides to experiencing the world’s cities in style. She is a New Yorker who has been living in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for the past three years (which we think qualifies her as a local at this point). Check out Jennifer’s take on her home away from home, then leave a comment below if you have anything to add. Abu Dhabi is My City The first place I take a visitor from out of town is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, an architectural wonder. It is the largest… -
The Radar: Islands Made for Valentine’s Day, Barcelona Freebies, How to Enjoy the Australian Outback
8 Feb 2012 | 6:20 amJust because they’re free doesn’t mean they’re not beautiful. Five places in Barcelona you can enjoy without spending a dime (or a Euro). [Amateur Traveler] The Outback isn’t just a great spot for spotting kangaroos. Experience the beauty that Australia’s Northern Territory has to offer. [Matador Network] Just in time for Valentine’s Day: Check out these four heart-shaped islands. [LA Times] Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #ngtradar. Check back in the morning for our daily roundup. Photo: Kahouli Jawher/My Shot -
Photos: Where You Went
7 Feb 2012 | 10:59 amOur readers boast impressive travel résumés. That’s why we ask you the same question on Facebook every Friday: Where are you traveling this weekend? See photos of where you — or readers like you — went, and get inspired to plan your next trip. Want to share your photos with the National Geographic community? Upload your favorites (don’t forget to add a caption, or we won’t know where you went) to Your Shot/Travel at ngm.com/yourshot. Tag all your submissions #travelshot, then look for your photos online in one of our My Shot galleries or here on the blog.
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BBC News - Africa
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AUDIO: DR Congo rapper on albino attacks
9 Feb 2012 | 9:46 amHip-hop artist N'Kashh from the Democratic Republic of Congo explains why one of his songs is about the recent attacks on albino people. -
South Sudan: Second pipeline deal
9 Feb 2012 | 9:29 amSouth Sudan signs a second oil pipeline deal in a bid to reduce its dependence on Sudan - amid a deepening oil crisis between the former civil war enemies. -
North Africa gets giant car plant
9 Feb 2012 | 9:22 amThe biggest car factory in North Africa, run by French firm Renault, is officially opened near the Moroccan city of Tangiers. -
Forest sign Elokobi from Wolves
9 Feb 2012 | 8:02 amNottingham Forest sign Wolves left-back George Elokobi on loan until the end of the season. -
Ghanaians rally to support Gyan
9 Feb 2012 | 7:20 amGhana lend their support to Asamoah Gyan, after his penalty miss against Zambia in the Nations Cup semi-final.
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Vagabondish
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Times Square Celebrates Love This February
9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amTimes Square ©Bernt Rostad Times Square is embracing Valentine’s Day with a month-long celebration dubbed “Free Love in Times Square.” This month couples can renew their vows in the square. Also, couples can they can declare their love at the Crossroads of the World, and the declaration will be projected on a flashing digital billboard for the crowds in the square to witness. Couples who declare their love will also be entered in a second honeymoon sweepstakes. The Times Square Alliance has also commissioned a public Valentine sculpture for the center of the square for… -
How Travel Can Make You a More Romantic Partner
9 Feb 2012 | 7:37 amI believe travel can change you in many positive ways and just one of the many is that it can make you a more romantic partner. Forget about memorising poetry books or learning to cook your partner’s favourite meal – just hit the road, get traveling and you will learn how to be as romantic as your partner could ever imagine! Here’s how: Knowing About Romantic Places Romance is a bit like real estate – location, location, location. Once you’ve traveled the world a little, you’ll build up a collection of romantic places to add to whatever story you may want to tell your partner. -
Photo of the Moment: Finding Our Path, Austria
9 Feb 2012 | 6:30 am© Matthias Rhomberg -
Make Way for Cocktails and Skydiving in Singapore
9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amiFly, you fly, we all fly © CNN.go.com If you have a few hours to kill in Singapore, take a trip to iFly–the city’s skydiving destination with a new bar, SkyLoft. That’s right–a wind tunnel for indoor simulated skydiving and an adjacent bar. While divers are not allowed in pre-drink, they are more than welcome to come to the bar post-dive. SkyLoft hosts an in-house DJ, live bands and is a prime location for viewing Singapore’s nightly pyrotechnics show on the South China Sea. More details on iFly can be found at CNN.go.com -
Coach Class No Longer the Culprit of Blood Clotting
8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 amYou are now encouraged to move about the cabin © Gene Eaton “Economy class syndrome”, the nickname that suggests Coach seating causes blood clots, is in fact not true. New guidelines state that the real risk of deep vein thrombosis during plane travel is from not getting up and moving around enough during long flights. Flights lasting at least eight hours are riskiest, the guidelines say. Most people who develop these clots have risk factors, including obesity, older age, recent surgery, a history of previous blood clots or use of birth control pills. Special compression…
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Africa Unchained
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'Congo Masquerade'
9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amNicolas Van De Walle reviews Peter Eichstaedt & Theodore Trefon's 'Congo Masquerade':Trefon takes a broader view of the DRC, examining the country’s sociopolitical dynamics and its failing institutions. His book has no heroes. It is sharply critical of the DRC’s rapacious political class. But Trefon is perhaps even more critical of the aid efforts of the United Nations, various bilateral and multilateral donors, and international nongovernmental organizations, all of whom he suggests might actually be making things worse, by perverting institutional incentives for reform. The… -
Since We Are Afraid of Infinite Silence
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amIn Black Looks Emmnauel Iduma's 'Thoughts on Boko Haram':Consider the danger of infinite silence.They come to us in the name of God, for evil has taken the guise of virtue. They say they are speaking a collective language, premised on restating the religious utopia created by their prophet. Their prophet. Clearly, their God and their prophet are imagined. Evil has taken the guise of virtue.I realize that, in the final analysis, what Boko Haram wants is to silence our freedom. They want to introduce a regime of creative stagnation. I understand that creativity begins at the threshold of… -
Africa’s only way forward is a grassroots/wildfire movement!
7 Feb 2012 | 3:30 amA Mind of Malaka rejoinder to You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!:When Wangari Maathai began her campaign to reforest Kenyan’s landscape, her success was not with the members of her government. It was with her people; local people without much education, but who had a vision bigger than any government official had the mind to conceive. Trickle down policies do not work in Africa, because there is rot at the head. Africa’s only way forward is a grassroots/wildfire movement. With one spark, you can ignite an entire continent. It’s not going to be easy, and change never easy. Sometimes… -
The 'Wall of Fear' is Gone in the Arab World
7 Feb 2012 | 3:30 amHajrudin Somun writing in Zaman:GRAPHIC: KADİR ÖZMENDoing away with the ‘wall of fear’For the first time since they were liberated from colonial powers, Arabs have shown a high level of persistence in their revolt. They have relieved themselves from a fear of being imprisoned, persecuted, tortured or even killed if they protest against authoritarian rulers. “The wall of fear is gone,” said a woman participating in a protest march for the “blue bra girl” in Cairo.More here -
Quick Hits
7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amIf Steve Jobs had been AfricanThe historical roots of East Asia’s growth miracleBeyond the ‘resource curse’Some empires really were worse than others.Sudan's Oil Crisis is Only Bashir's First Problem
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Appfrica.net
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A Look at the Apps4Africa 2011 Winners
14 Jan 2012 | 9:19 amAppfrica is the organizer and facilitator of the second annual Apps4Africa competition which rewards African technologists for developing creative solutions to some of the continent’s most challenging issues. 2011 was the second year we’ve done Apps4Africa, the first year culminated with this congratulatory message from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: Last year the theme of the competition was Climate Challenge, which means all the entrants should have focused on solving climate change and adaptation issues that affect their local communities. Over the course of 7… -
The Lucrative Skills African Talent Should Acquire in 2012
29 Dec 2011 | 8:39 amIn the American and European tech space there’s a growing problem. There’s so much funding available for early stage startups that everyone and their college dropout buddy is starting-up, leaving no one out there to hire. It’s one of those first world problems: “We just raised 4 million dollars for our social network for redheads but we can’t find any developers…frowny face.” If Silicon Valley is having trouble hiring top tech talent, then it means that there’s also a drought in the NGO space. Even the biggest non-profits are suffering from the… -
…to Redistribute the Future
30 Oct 2011 | 4:55 amLast week at Tech4Africa in Johannesburg I gave a short talk. It was meant to be much longer but I got confused on how much time I had, so apologies to the T4A people. Anyways, the topic of the presentation was “The 5 Most Disruptive Innovations I’ve Seen” and it discusses industries and concepts which are rapidly changing in the wake of new technology. The Future of… // The Future The first of these themes is ‘the future’ itself. To be exact, predictive technologies that are being used to improve decision making. “The future is already here, it’s just… -
Distributing Content when Communication Networks are Compromised
15 Oct 2011 | 7:44 amFor the past several months I’ve been working on a project for moving data around when there’s no internet. I talked a bit about this at the Power of Information conference earlier this year in London, but I thought I’d share more here. Abayima applies cold war tactics to mobile data storage and distribution. Abayima targets anyone living in oppressive, restrictive, societies around the globe. It was inspired by the information networks during the most recent Uganda elections and the Arab Spring — both situations where electronic communication networks were… -
Data is the new Oil, Africa is rich.
13 Oct 2011 | 8:19 amThe environment is rich in phenomena that has been observed, analyzed, commoditized and, in many cases, exploited. But much like the precious mineral and natural gas resources of the continent, for local societies, the tools for extraction are sparse or absent. In this context we aren’t talking about refineries, we’re talking about the capacity to collect, understand, and manipulate statistics and quantitative research to build narratives that change behavior or encourage action. Shanta Devarajan recently pointed out this ‘statistical tragedy’ of Africa: To show that…
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Brave New Traveler
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Notes on arranged marriages
8 Feb 2012 | 10:08 amAuthor's sister's wedding Lisa Jose is ready for the inevitable, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have questions. THE PHOTOGRAPH IS black and white. That is not surprising since it was taken 61 years ago. The edges are torn. The dark haired girl sits on a chair looking at the camera, unsmiling. Next to her, a tall man stands erect with his hands awkwardly clutching the back of the chair. “I was 19 when I married your grandfather,” my grandmother tells me. “He came to see me; he asked me my name and what I had studied. Then, a few months later we were…
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About.com Africa Travel
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Like Downton Abbey? You'll Love These Books About Keen-ya...
8 Feb 2012 | 3:09 amI have spent the past three months immersed in the colonial lives of the first white settlers in Kenya (or "Keenya" as they liked to call it). It started off with a re-read of Beryl Markham's excellent West with the Night, and I just got carried away with the genre. If you loved watching "Out of Africa" or "White Mischief" and have become enchanted with the Edwardian drama Downton Abbey, you may enjoy reading the list of books below. They are ranked in order of my personal preference. Beryl Markham -- West with the Night (beautifully written autobiography) Elspeth Huxley -- The Flame Trees of… -
Planning a Safari Online
6 Feb 2012 | 1:13 amMany of us plan and book our trips online, so why should a safari be any different? The main problem with booking a safari yourself, is that there are so many variables to take into consideration. I usually end up recommending that people plan their safari about a year in advance and use a travel operator that specializes in Africa. Because unless you really know your African geography, weather patterns, animal behaviors and airline options, you can go horribly wrong. But what's my advice when a safari specialist creates their own online safari planner? I was just dabbling with one designed… -
Quarter Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations
3 Feb 2012 | 10:40 amThe 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has been a fantastic tournament so far, African soccer at its most compelling, muddy and entertaining. The biggest surprise of the first round has to be co-host nation Equatorial Guinea's spectacular start. Who said lightning doesn't strike twice? The Nzalang Nacional (National Lightning) beat a shocked Libyan side 1-0 and, then went on to crush Senegal 2-1. You can credit a home crowd advantage, and even the million dollar payout by the President's son. But whatever the reason, the lowest ranking team in the tournament outplayed their opponents to make it… -
Is It Safe to Travel to Egypt?
2 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amProtestors are getting tear gassed in Cairo tonight. They are angry about the terrible loss of life during a soccer match in Port Said that killed 74 people. Protestors have in fact been quite active in Cairo since January 26. So, I've had a few people ask me "is it safe to travel to Egypt right now"? I was asked the same question a year ago, because the streets of Egypt were ablaze, and the US Department of State had not yet issued an official "Travel Warning". That's what happens when there's politics involved. However, being cautious before saying "don't go" is smart since many Egyptians… -
Valentine's Day - A Blooming Business for Africa
31 Jan 2012 | 1:14 amValentine's day is not widely celebrated in Africa, except by the more affluent urban folks. But Africa is very much involved in our Valentine's day celebrations. More than 70% of all cocoa beans are grown on African soil, so your Valentine chocolates are likely to have originated in Africa. And around 800 million flowers will be making their way from Kenya's Lake Naivasha region to markets throughout Europe for the Valentine's day rush. Flowers are Kenya's biggest export earner, and growers employ more than 70,000 people. (In the US, the 200 million roses shipped for February 14th, come…
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Matador Network
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Our flawed formula for happiness
9 Feb 2012 | 10:44 am“If happiness is on the other side of success, your brain never gets there.” BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING in the corporate world fixing computer problems, my team’s and my “success” was measured with statistics. The number of tickets taken, the number resolved, the amount of calls picked up, time spent on the phone. Those kinds of numbers. I was consistently a top performer and took pride watching those numbers climb each month, until one. I’d broken a record; I’d fixed more PC problems than anyone else in recorded history that month. You know what the… -
The uncertain future of Ukraine’s illegal mines
9 Feb 2012 | 9:07 am[Note: This story was produced as part of the Glimpse Correspondents Program, in which ten writers and photographers receive a stipend and editorial support to develop two long-form narratives for Matador. The Glimpse Correspondents Program is open each fall and spring to anyone who will be living, traveling, working or studying abroad for more than ten weeks.] The black Hyundai bounced along Highway 21 en route to the eastern Ukrainian mining city of Torez, each pothole tossing me from my seat. I peered from behind as Alex, a journalist and friend of mine, carefully navigated the car around… -
Why San Francisco hates Los Angeles
9 Feb 2012 | 7:16 amPhoto by 20 buckz. I’ve never completely understood why San Franciscans talk smack about Los Angeles. I’M FROM LOS ANGELES, and I love San Francisco. I’d never call it San Fran or crowd the streetcars on my way to eat Ghiradelli chocolate and Boudin bread bowls of clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf. We’re Californian too! We respect your vibe man! But many San Franciscans see it differently. You can be brutally attacked (read: coyly judged) for merely mentioning that you’re from Los Angeles. Last summer my girlfriend and I went to a cafe on Warschauer Straße in Berlin. An… -
Need a break from winter?
8 Feb 2012 | 2:28 pmSpend 270 seconds revisiting the Summer of 2011. THIS VIDEO IS PURE GOOD TIMES. I don’t know the people shown but I can’t help but smile at the clearly epic summer they shared. Shot in Seattle and beyond in the warm months of 2011, (270) Seconds of Summer is an ode to friends and fun that I felt compelled to share. This video found me on the perfect afternoon. Turning towards the living room window I see fat globs of rainwater falling from cedar boughs and a haze of drizzle. This is what people think of when they think of shitty Washington weather. (270) Seconds of Summer snapped… -
Notes on arranged marriages
8 Feb 2012 | 10:08 amAuthor's sister's wedding Lisa Jose is ready for the inevitable, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have questions. THE PHOTOGRAPH IS black and white. That is not surprising since it was taken 61 years ago. The edges are torn. The dark haired girl sits on a chair looking at the camera, unsmiling. Next to her, a tall man stands erect with his hands awkwardly clutching the back of the chair. “I was 19 when I married your grandfather,” my grandmother tells me. “He came to see me; he asked me my name and what I had studied. Then, a few months later we were…
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About.com Adventure Travel
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First Winter Teva Mountain Games This Weekend
8 Feb 2012 | 5:48 amVail's first Winter Teva Mountain Games start this weekend. Even if you're not an extreme athlete, there's an event for you - the Seven Wonders of Vail. This Colorado Mountain town is an adventurer's paradise, summer or winter....Read Full Post -
Seeking a Company That Offers Luxury Safaris?
6 Feb 2012 | 12:19 pmWhich boutique, family-owned company puts together luxury African safaris and lodges its guests in many of the properties on Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" list of the top 20 properties in the world? With this company, guests travel in style, and move from location to another in chartered bush planes....Read Full Post -
Pad Your Body to Protect Yourself From Crashes
2 Feb 2012 | 11:18 amWish I had been wearing CrashPads shorts under my pants when I slid into a pile of rocks and did a number on my leg while mountain biking in Scotland. This protective sports apparel comes in garments designed to help protect bodies playing specific sports, from skiing and snowboarding to mountain biking, soccer and horseback riding. You can buy off-the-rack choices or have custom garments made at CrashPads....Read Full Post -
Top 10 Types of Adventure Check-Up
30 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pmHere's the latest "Top 10 Types of Adventures" list. Let me know if you think other types of adventure travel experiences should be added to the list. Photo: (c) Lois Friedland -
Are You an Adventure Philanthropist?
28 Jan 2012 | 10:48 amSo what's an adventure philanthropist? Roadmonky says it's a traveler who likes to combine adventures with a chance to give back to local communities you're visiting. On a Roadmonkey trip you'll see how much fun it is to combine adventure and volunteering....Read Full Post
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Geotraveler's Niche
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The newest travel magazine in town – WildJunket
30 Jan 2012 | 4:35 amI love when dreams come true. I also love visionaries who actively pursue their dreams and paths without being swayed by (in my opinion) unnecessary peripheral noise or static. That’s how amazing success stories are born. For fellow travel writer, blogger, and friend, Nellie Huang, it was starting up her own magazine, and what an impressive start it’s been. We all waited with bated breath to see just how the new magazine would look and feel when Nellie announced last year that it was indeed in the works, and I couldn’t be more excited for her. Professionally laid out,… -
Postcard: Winter in Stockholm’s Archipelago
24 Jan 2012 | 11:19 amNow it truly feels like winter here… -
Postcard: Sinning before Lent with semlor
16 Jan 2012 | 1:49 amTechnically, I’m not supposed to be eating this crazy looking pastry (semlor) before the end of the month/early February, but the beau and I dug in anyways.
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The Luminous Landscape - What's New
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9 February, 2012 - Advanced Guide to Lightroom 4 - 35% Discount
9 Feb 2012 | 7:09 amToday we are announcing a pre-release of our upcoming Advanced Guide to LR4. Until the release of Lightroom 4 we are offering a 35% discount. This advanced tutorial is designed for those who are already familiar with previous versions of Lightroom and it will concentrate in depth on the new features of Lightroom 4. This new Advanced Guide video tutorial will also include the videos for a new seperate tutorial: The New User's Introduction to Lightroom 4. This multi-hour tutorial will be priced at $19.95 on the release of Lightroom 4. No videos for any Lightroom 4 tutorial will be… -
8 February, 2012 - New Cameras, and New Pricing from Sigma
8 Feb 2012 | 12:04 pmSigma has announced that their controversial SD1 camera has been re-launched as the SD1 Merrill, in honour of Dick Merrill the late co-founder of Foveon. The new MSRP is $3,300, but the MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) will be $2,299, which likely means an actual retail price of around $2,000 when it's released in March. This is the price that it should have launched with last year. This re-launch and price reduction quickly follows the recent passing of Sigma's co-founder and CEO Michihiro Yamaki. The new CEO is Kazuto Yamaki, the founder's son and the company's previous COO. The SD1 has been… -
7 February, 2012 - Master Class in San Miguel with Michael Reichmann
6 Feb 2012 | 2:53 pmAs previous announced, Phase One is having a Master Class in San Miguel de Allende in early March. It is being taught by Michael Reichmann and Mark Dubovoy. There have just been a couple of cancellations and these spots are now open. If you do not own Phase One gear, a loaner system can be made available for use during the workshop. Find out more right away. NEW I normally don't do new product announcements unless they are really significant. There are two though today that will have far reaching implications. Nikon has announced the 36 Megapixel D800, also available in a version without an… -
5 February, 2012 - A Photographer's Eulogy for Eastman Kodak
4 Feb 2012 | 2:25 pmIt's the end of an era. The Kodak that we knew and loved (or not) for the past hundred years is no more. Michael Chiusano shares with us today A Photographer's Eulogy for Eastman Kodak. "I have purchased many of your tutorials in the past and found them very helpful. However, Camera to Print and Screen is truly over the top in usefulness and helpfulness. I have gone back to it several times to get up to speed on a subject, or answer a question about sharpening, printing and/or moving photos to an iPad; it is great, and well worth the cost." … -
1 February, 2012 - The Game of Photography - What Are The Rules
31 Jan 2012 | 5:01 pmToday's new essay is by scientist, photographer and author Harold Merklinger. It is titled The Game of Photography – What Are The Rules? "You and Jeff did it again! A great series of videos. I've watched the earlier Camera to Print series as well as the LR 2 & 3 videos and as usual, I learned new technique and ideas even though I've been behind a camera for 45 years. Additionally, the rapport you two have is most engaging, enjoyable, and totally different than the sterile video tutorials from others (I'm afflicted with being a visual learner).
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Rosh Sillars
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The successful photographer in 2012
8 Feb 2012 | 11:48 amWhat is success? Success is subjective. It means different things to different people. I divide photographic success into two distinctive areas. The first area is the opportunity to create beautiful images. For many photographers, successfully finding and taking advantage of great opportunities to create beautiful images means they win. Once you decide to make photography your career, the story changes. For photographers who wish to make a living, success still involves finding great opportunities. The difference between the amateur and the professional in developing photographic… -
How can Twitter help you with your SEO questions? : Podcast 191
6 Feb 2012 | 3:43 pmDetroit Creative Labs Podcast – Photographer Edition – You don’t need to be from Detroit nor a photographer to be apart of this digital marketing and social media experiment. Time: 20:00 Podcast host: Rosh Sillars This week’s show notes: Will Twitter help answer your SEO questions. Selina Maitreya call… Photographers Path Series. Sociable plug-in, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter. Travel Plans? Google Plus Hangout: None Rosh Sillars Google+ Like us on Facebook (video updates) Twitter @roshsillars Itunes Detroit Creative Labs: Photographer edition - subscription Comment line:… -
Ask for the sale: Podcast 190
30 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pmDetroit Creative Labs Podcast – Photographer Edition – You don’t need to be from Detroit nor a photographer to be apart of this digital marketing and social media experiment. Time: 30.00 Podcast host: Rosh Sillars This week’s show notes: Selina Maitreya event Feb 6 4PM EST http://selinamaitreya.com/teleseminar/ , Your Intern , Landing Pages, Ask for the sale. New Speaking Video Google Plus Hangout: None Rosh Sillars Google+ Like us on Facebook (video updates) Twitter @roshsillars Itunes Detroit Creative Labs: Photographer edition - subscription Comment line: 64-newrosh-1 (646 397… -
Landing pages for photographers
28 Jan 2012 | 10:11 amYour marketing must be specific to your target. A landing page is a marketing web page designed to offer specific information related to the advertisement or link clicked by the visitor. The goal of a landing page is to convince the person on the page to take the desired action. This action is called a conversion, which may represent downloading a file, filling out a form, contacting the photographer, or purchasing a product or service. People looking for a food photographer don’t want to see fashion photography. Photo buyers looking for a fashion photographer don’t want to… -
Your intern is not the expert
24 Jan 2012 | 7:46 amIt’s amazing how many of my clients ask me if their intern, assistant, or most inexperienced person on staff should do their social media marketing. Really? In some cases, social media drives more than 30 percent of a photographer’s income. The percentage is higher for wedding and retail photographers. Should the person who knows the least about your company or industry be the one representing you out in the world? No. There is a myth that young people are social media savvy because they all have Facebook accounts. That is like saying my aunt Lucy should deliver my next…
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Digital Camera Reviews & Photography Tips
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Olympus FL-50
8 Feb 2012 | 3:50 pmOlympus FL-50 is a powerful flash (guide number of 164 ft./50m at ISO 100) with a fast recycling time in a compact, durable body. It features Full range of TTL Automatic, Automatic and Manual flash modes; Flash sync at speeds up to 1/4000th second; More even illumination with less corner fall-off. The Olympus FL-50 measures [...] -
Kodak ESP C310
8 Feb 2012 | 12:42 pmKodak ESP C310 is a All-In-One Printer features Print resolution: up to 9600 optimized dpi, Print speeds: 6 ipm in black, 4 ipm in color, 3-in-1 inkjet printer: print, scan and copy, 1.5-inch LCD, Built-in memory card reader, Paper capacity: 100-sheet rear folding tray, and Connectivity: Wireless, USB. The Kodak ESP C310 measures 16.5. x [...] -
Canon Selphy CP780
8 Feb 2012 | 4:15 amCanon Selphy CP780 is a a Compact Photo Printer features PictBridge, Rey-eye Correction, optional bluetooth, and the ability to preview, edit and add creativity to your images on a 2.5” LCD Screen. The Canon Selphy CP780 measures 6.9″ (W) x 3.0″ (H) x 5.2″ (D) and weighs 2.1 lbs. Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 [...] -
Nikon Coolpix P6000
7 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amLast update (07 February’12): - Review & Sample Photos @ LetsGoDigital - Added New Firmware v. 1.2 Nikon P6000 is a 13.5 Megapixels point-and-shoot digital camera which is also the successor of Nikon Coolpix P5000. It features 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED Glass Lens (35mm equivalent: 28-112mm) with optical Image Stabilization, RAW mode, Built-in [...] -
Tamrac 5550 Adventure 10
7 Feb 2012 | 6:19 amTamrac 5550 Adventure 10 is lightweight camera bag to carries and protects a Pro digital or film SLR with a grip and a lens up to 8.0″ attached, additional lenses, a flash, accessories and a laptop. The bag features the comfortable, foam-padded backpack harness with sternum straps is contoured to distribute the weight of the [...]
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My year of getting published
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Travelllll.com is hiring writers...
31 Jan 2012 | 11:33 amTravelllll.com, a travel blogging and media news site, is looking for a few good writers to provide content on travel blogging trends and the latest trends, news, and products in the online travel market.What they are looking for... People who are passionate about the travel industry. We’re looking for two people who are on the bubble when it comes to the latest trends, news, and products in the online travel market.Good writers. We’re looking for people who can craft some English prose. You don’t have to be Shakespeare. But you should feel pretty comfortable with your… -
Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...
29 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am1. How to Instantly Transform Your Landing Page Images from Good to Great2. 10 Ways Multi-blog Authors Can Stay Creative and Generate Great Posts 3. Having Trouble Getting Yourself To Write? 9 Tips 4. 8 ways freelance writers earn more by setting their sights higher 5. Are you afraid to pitch to editors? this is the reason you shouldn't be -
21 Jan 2012 | 10:39 pm
21 Jan 2012 | 10:39 pmThe British Guild of Travel Writers, in association with Traveller magazine, is holding their third annual travel writing competition for new writers. Only those who have not been published in the travel field are eligible to enter. Entrants are advised to submit an 800-word article with the theme A Revealing Journey."It could be about the journey itself, or being in a destination, that awakened your senses and emotions. Alternatively it could be about your travels as a reflection of a personal journey you have made. Either way, make travel in a destination, or the journey to get… -
TripShock.com Seeks Travel Bloggers...
20 Jan 2012 | 10:29 pmTravel website TripShock.com plans on promoting the Gulf Coast by sending established travel bloggers and reporters down there to experience for themselves. From the press release...The company (TripShock.com) plans to bring down up to five different travel writers or bloggers and offer them complimentary lodging, dining, and tours in the Destin-Panama City Beach region. The dates for this offer will start as early as March of 2012 and go through November.Any travel writers that are interested must contact Greg Fisher at gfisher[at]tripshock[dot]com for more information and details. -
Green Travel Writer wanted...
19 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm
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Steve's Digicams Forums
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Need advice in buying a superzoom!!!
9 Feb 2012 | 9:30 amhello folks:) I'm a learner in photography.. had been clicking pics with my Nikon s570 and my cell Sony Ericsson C901!!;) now i want to move on and get myself a bridge camera [hope that's what its called:o] checked up a lot of reviews and have shortlisted a few : Panasonic lumix DMC FZ47 Fuji HS20exr canon sx30 Nikon p500 Video is not of great concern to me.. Good IQ and decent low light is what I'm looking for.. I don't mind settling for lesser zoom either Guys it'll be of great help if u would guide me to to get myself a decent cam:) -
Idea - Dynamic ISO
9 Feb 2012 | 6:38 amI was wondering just how much of the flexibility of a digital camera is crippled by the need to align with old film standards. Is there any reason why for a given shutter/aperture the camera couldn't just count the photons and *then* scale to the 'perfect' ISO that would clip say .01% or some other user-definable amount of the image. So the ISO is determined after the shot based on the shot itself instead of before the shot based on the more approximate metering. You could just replace the 14-bit 24MP sensor with a 28-bit 12MP sensor. Same amount of data but imagine the huge dynamic range it… -
February 9, 2012: Sweetness
9 Feb 2012 | 6:06 amSweetness Photographed by Melissa Duet from United States Camera: Canon Digital Rebel XSi Click on this photo to visit Steve's Photo of the Day Contest The Digital Picture of the Day is © copyrighted material of the photographer, it may not be used without their prior permission -
P & S that does well for sports
9 Feb 2012 | 5:23 amWe need a new camera. We currently have a Canon Powershot A560 but are having some problems out of it. I would like to purchase a new Point and Shoot as the wife doesn't want to spend the $ on dslr. I would say the budget is around 2 to 250. Requirements: Does well at indoor sports (low or indifferent lighting) such as basketball, gymnastics. I know it isn't going to deliver what a dslr with a great lens can. Does well with outdoor action shots such as baseball and playing in the pool. Taking pictures outside the pool though. Indoor low light conditions such as birthday parties, holidays,… -
Solitude
9 Feb 2012 | 4:14 amPlease rate/provide your valuable feedback!!
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White African
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The iHub in 2012: Freelancers and Presentations
5 Feb 2012 | 12:04 amThis weekend the iHub Advisory Board met with the managers (Tosh and Jessica) to discuss the future direction of the space and what our focus should be for the coming year. The meeting was facilitated by my friend Peter Durand of Alphachimp Studios, who is in town as a part of the PopTech Lab. The iHub Advisory Boards is made up of 5 people who come from the Nairobi tech community, and represent the community when important, or difficult, decisions have to be made. They are: Riyaz Bachani, Wananchi executive, now in charge of Wazi WiFi Josiah Mugambi, Co-Founder of Skunkworks, works at Nokia… -
Pivot East: East Africa’s Startup Pitching Competition
1 Feb 2012 | 9:17 pmMark your calendars, buy your tickets, submit your applications! We’re ramping up to the Pivot East pitching competition, where the best startups in East Africa come to show what they have, pitch their startup to investors, media and the judges for a chance to win the prize money. Pivot East will be held at Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, June 5th and 6th. Last year we had over 100 applications for the 25 slots, and we’re expecting even more after seeing how well Pivot25 did last year (writeups by TIME Magazine and CNN). Last year we saw startups from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and… -
Infographic: Mobile and Internet in Tanzania
1 Feb 2012 | 5:37 amThe iHub Research team has worked up an infographic on Tanzania to match their past ones on Kenya and Uganda. We’re looking at 50% mobile phone penetration in Tanzania, with about 22 million connected, where Vodacom has the largest market share at 42%. The crazy stat is online: In Tanzania, only 2.5% of the population has access to the internet, 80% of those on mobile phones. Hats off to Patrick Munyi (@ptrckmunyi) for the great design! -
20th Century Parallels
26 Jan 2012 | 3:32 amAt the beginning, they shared an excitement about technology, an optimism for the future, and even a certain clumsiness in getting down to business. While that quote sounds a lot like our current state of affairs in the technology space, it’s not. It’s from a good story on how the movie and film industry came to be in the early 20th century. -
The “Mobile Web” as text and voice
23 Jan 2012 | 8:48 amThe mobile web revolution has already spread around the world. The phase of it that we live in is where we see the internet hitting critical mass based on the availability of web connectivity on mobile devices. Data is widely available, and the costs continue to decrease at an alarming rate. We’re seeing the disruption this is causing already, from businesses to consumers, and within the political structures of entire countries. THE MOBILE WEB from Duniamedia on Vimeo. Dunia Media, out of Switzerland, has put together a good video showcasing this change. Interestingly enough, this video…
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Have Camera Will Travel
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Fantastic FNQ photo Friday
2 Feb 2012 | 3:39 pmRecently I had the opportunity to spend some time up on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands on assignment for the Mercedes Magazine, a stunning publication sent out for free to owners of Mercedes cars.Part of my assignment was to photograph Lake Barrine, part of Australia's most biologically diverse national park, the Crater Lakes National Park. (that title swings between it and the Daintree as more species get discovered in different areas!)One of the great things to do on Lake Barrine is a boat cruise around the lake. Here you'll spot heaps of wildlife out sunning itself on the banks of the… -
Fantastic FNQ photo Friday
26 Jan 2012 | 4:50 pmOne of the great joys of living in far north Queensland is the wildlife.Not only the wildlife found in the bush mind you, but that which lives all around the house.It's the time of year where the green tree frogs keep you awake at night.They climb up on the kitchen window to catch insects attracted to the light.They get into your toilet and give you a heart attack when you lift the lid!And they help the postman deliver the mail. This fella may look like he's sitting on the edge of a leaf but it's actually my mail box.My boys were never so keen to go get the mail for me (even in the rain!) as… -
Paul Dymond to offer private photographic tuition in 2012
22 Jan 2012 | 8:11 pmJump for joy! Well those of you who live in Cairns anyway. If you haven't been following the Have Camera Will Travel page on Facebook. here's letting you know that as of February I will be offering private tuition in photography for those in the Cairns area. People have been asking me to do this for a while for various reasons - hard to make it to a course, need one on one help with specific problems, would like feedback on their images. Wel I've finally pulled my finger out and got myself organised to offer this service and I am really excited about it. You can find all the details in… -
Why I want to be around creatives.
12 Jan 2012 | 2:47 pmAs we start a new year there's a lot of optimism floating around. People all over the world always consider this a great time to re-evaluate their lives, make promises to themselves that they may or may not keep, and generally start off 2012 with a wave of enthusiasm.I love being surrounded by creatives because they keep that feeling of optimism throughout the year. They don't need a date on the calendar to fire up their enthusiasm, it seems to pervade their every waking moment. And I think I know why. It's because they have dreams. Not regular I'd like to pay my house mortage off kind of… -
Happy New Year!
31 Dec 2011 | 7:20 pmWherever you are in the world I hope you had a fantastic New Year's Eve and that your 2012 will be absolutely wonderful. What do I have planned? More photography work that I absolutely love!I'll be honest, last year was a big challenge for me. It was my fourth year as a stay-at-home Dad and all the fun and enjoyment that entails. It was also the first year my youngest son went to school, which suddenly left me with week days between the hours of 9 and 3 to myself. I envisioned myself getting back into work full-time but life is never what we plan. Instead I found myself trying to determine…
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News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Sony full-frame camera coming, 500mm F4 lens finally announced
8 Feb 2012 | 7:05 pmSony has confirmed it will be making a full-frame replacement for its flagship A900 DSLR. No further details were given during a round-table discussion at the CP+ show in Japan, but we find it hard to believe the result will step away from the SLT technology the company has invested so heavily in. The company has also finally announced the A-mount 500mm F4 lens that it has been showing in various states of preparedness since PMA 2007 will be available from late March. -
Ricoh reshuffle sees Pentax take control of cameras
8 Feb 2012 | 5:07 pmRicoh has announced that its Pentax Ricoh Imaging (PRI) business unit will take full control of the design, development and sales of the company's cameras, worldwide. PRI was created when Ricoh bought Pentax and is the business that has been responsible for the design, manufacturing and sales of Pentax cameras. It will now absorb the consumer businesses of Ricoh's Personal Multimedia Product Company, which was responsible for the design, manufacture and sale of Ricoh cameras. The change will take effect from April 1st 2012. -
Sony promises more NEX lenses in updated E-mount lens roadmap
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pmSony has said it will have 15 lenses ready for the NEX system by the end of 2013. It made the annoucement of an expanded E-mount roadmap at the start of the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan. The roadmap includes a variety of zooms and prime lenses, including a high-end standard zoom with Sony's premium 'G' branding. There will also be a pancake prime and a mid-telephoto prime lens some time during 2013. -
Sigma DP series reinvented as DP1M and DP2M with 15MPx3 sensor from SD1
7 Feb 2012 | 11:00 pmSigma has totally reinvented its DP series of large sensor compacts with the DP1 Merrill and DP2 Merrill. The DP Merrill models are named after Dick Merrill, inventor of the Foveon sensor and include the most recent version of his technology - the 15x3MP APS-C sensor first seen in Sigma's SD1. Because the Merrill cameras feature full APS-C sensors, they also feature totally redesigned lenses, with the DP1M including a 19mm F2.8 lens to offer a 28mm equivalent field of view and the DP2M having a 30mm F2.8 lens to give a 45mm equivalent field-of-view. -
Sigma SD1 becomes SD1 Merrill and gains (much) keener price tag
7 Feb 2012 | 11:00 pmSigma's new CEO, Kazuto Yamaki has announced the re-branding and re-pricing of the company's flagship camera. The SD1 DSLR will now be know as the SD1 Merrill, in honor of Dick Merrill, inventor of the Foveon sensor technology on which it is based. The price will also be revised, falling to what should be a street price of around $2,299, which Yamaki attributes to work conducted to reduce production costs of the sensor. Despite these changes, his letter promises the performance and characteristics of the sensor have not changed. To avoid disappointing existing SD1 customers, Sigma will offer…
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AfriGadget
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Gigantic Electronics extension cable
23 Jan 2012 | 7:20 am“Safety First!”, you may think while watching the following video, but if the cheap (Chinese) polyethylene (?) extension cables just break too often due to rough handling and their low quality, chances are that someone will come up with an alternative. Like this young man in Kenya: (no subtitles available on this one, sorry) A young man from Kiandutu slums in Thika had always wanted to be an electrical engineer, but lack of fees denied him a chance to further his studies. And yet this has not dampen his resolve to put his mark on the world of electrical engineering.For starters,… -
A mobile phone security system for your car
23 Aug 2011 | 2:07 amIn Nyeri, Kenya a young man named Peterson Mwangi has created a way to start and switch off a car engine, via an SMS command from his cell phone. This is a lot like Morris Mbetsa’s anti-theft vehicle system using SMS of a couple years ago. -
Emargence Door Exit
29 May 2011 | 6:15 pmImagineering is what it’s all about – wouldn’t you have wanted to build your own helicopter from scratch when you were 17 years old? Joseph Omwoyo, a young Kenyan form-four student in Western Kenya, did just that and built his own version, using locally available materials. It doesn’t fly, nor does it look like it will ever take off – but what really matters is that a young boy with limited resources still had the energy to fulfill his dream: “…Omwoyo says he got the idea while in Form One when he, together with his colleagues, toured the Kisumu… -
Retain, Reuse, Rejoice
12 Apr 2011 | 5:02 pmWe’re currently fighting a bug that has affected our server [Update: Fixed! ], hence the long delay in updating this wonderful blog. Also, we recommend subscribing to this blog (because the bug doesn’t show up on our feed), so if you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the AfriGadget RSS feed. Thank you! So… “what do you do with old billboard posters”, asks Kenyan bloggger Daudi “Mentalacrobatics” Were on his Posterous site – and instantly delivers the following snapshot: “Apply Nairobi ingenuity and waterproof your… -
Lamutiki
27 Jan 2011 | 7:41 pmAnyone remembers David Mayer de Rothschild’s Plastiki, “a 60 feet (18 m) catamaran made out of 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and other recycled PET plastic and waste products” that successfully conquered the Pacific Ocean last year? Well, it seems this young man from Lamu (Kenya) had a similar idea and is in the process of building his own plastic bottle boat. Our reader Arthur Buliva from Kenya just sent us these pictures with the following explanation: I was in Lamu recently and came across this man who was making a boat out of plastic bottles and old slippers. He was…
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Timbuktu Chronicles
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Sigma Electric
9 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amAfrica Awards for Entrepreneurship winner Sigma Electric: is engaged in the design, manufacturing supply, and installation/erection and commissioning of electromechanical equipment, plant, systems and turnkey projects and also in electromechanical services and trading activities. -
Ruth Babajide's Merbi Ceramic
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amCraft Central speaks with the founder of Merbi Ceramic Designs - Ruth Babajide who also twins her work with curation.She discusses a recent collection: My Craft London work is... The Asiko Glamour Girls collection is a set of ceramic storage vessels that have a sophisticated modern appeal to the western market with a strong West African aesthetic. The surface has enamel prints inspired by the Dutch Wax cloths worn by the famous Nigerian actresses who starred in the iconic nineties film called Glamour Girls. With layered gold lustres and enamel spray paint images inspired… -
Chukudu Scooters
7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amDRC transportation makers in the Washington Post: (Miguel Juarez - Miguel Juarez for the Washington Post) In the towns and villages of war-ravaged eastern Congo, the lumpy, lava-covered roads belong to the humble chukudu: hand-hewn wooden scooters that men ride and push across the hills, hauling towering loads of charcoal, cabbage, potatoes and other stuff of daily life. Though the chukudus look pre-industrial, local residents say they date from the 1970s, when Congo's economy and government began to collapse under the rule of then-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and people had to improvise… -
Glass Blowing Industries
6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amEstablished in 1952 Glass Blowing Industries products include pharmaceutical containers, optical windows and sandblasted trophies. -
Given Gugulethu Nkuna-Designer
5 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amAfrica Creative features Given Nkuna whose: Image courtesy of africacreative ...Le2 designs originates from the word gugulethu which is the middle name of the founder, given nkuna (28). lethu (le2) means 'ours' and gugu means 'pride.' given founded le2 designs in 2007...le2 designs specialises in felt making and creates colourful, quirky products such as handbags, hats, scarves and jewelry. given is also involved with artist proof studio, where he facilitates outreach programmes to young artists. he also did a programme in 2007 to train 25 people in felting skills and he manages the…
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Africa Can... - End Poverty
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Creating a level playing field
8 Feb 2012 | 11:41 amThroughout the slums of this world, poor children are dreaming of becoming football stars and playing in the World Cup. Some of them from Kibera—Kenya’s largest slum—had a shot last weekend, when the International School of Kenya hosted the third “Mini World Cup”. The event involved more than sixty teams made-up of Kenyan and international children from all walks of life. Two teams from Kibera made it to the top eight teams of the tournament, keeping their dream alive to win the “Cup” in one of the next years. The great thing about football is that all teams, no matter what… -
Les effets de la crise en zone Euro sur la Zone franc: une perspective camerounaise
7 Feb 2012 | 12:40 pmFor English, click here Alors que les rebondissements de la crise de la dette souveraine se succèdent, beaucoup se demandent quelles pourraient être ses effets sur les économies de la zone franc, une partie de l’Afrique ayant gardé des relations étroites avec l’Europe, et en particulier la France. Dans le cas du Cameroun, la zone Euro demeure le plus grand marché pour les exportations camerounaises et abrite la communauté la plus importante de Camerounais à l’étranger. Le dernier numéro des Cahiers Economiques du Cameroun traite de ce point et suggère que les canaux de… -
The effects of the Euro zone crisis on the CFA franc zone: a View from Cameroon
7 Feb 2012 | 12:34 pmFor French, click here. As the sovereign debt crisis is unfolding, many are wondering what could be its effects on the economies of the CFA franc zone, a part of Africa with close relations with Europe, especially France. In the case of Cameroon, the Euro zone still represents the main market for the country’s exports and hosts the largest community of Cameroonians abroad. The latest issue of the Cameroon Economic Update discusses this point and argues that the transmission channels should be similar to those of the 2008-09 global financial crisis. Furthermore, Cameroon‘s economic rebound… -
La crise de la zone euro et ses impacts sur l’Afrique sub-saharienne
2 Feb 2012 | 1:39 pmLors d’une mission au Mali, j’ai présenté les constats du dernier « Pouls Africain » à un séminaire avec une centaine de participants, y inclus le ministre des finances du pays. J’ai soulevé quatre points: • Malgré le ralentissement de la croissance économique dans les pays développés, l’Afrique sub-saharienne a connu une continuation de la relance économique suite à la crise de 2008-9. Le taux de croissance moyen du PIB pour l’année dernière était de 4.9 pourcent. • La raison de cette forte performance est le niveau élevé des prix des… -
Recent reforms in Sierra Leone: Beating the effects of global economic downturn
2 Feb 2012 | 8:52 amThe year 2011 ended on a high note for the reformers in Sierra Leone. There were two significant reforms which the government saw through – reforms that had been long overdue, but which now hold the potential of unleashing new investments and economic growth in the country. Can Sierra Leone’s use these reforms to beat the potential effects of a global economic downturn? One hopes so. The energy sector in Sierra Leone has long faced under-investments. Not very long ago Freetown had the dubious distinction of being the darkest capital in the world and the Bumbuna dam…
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Helping Help
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Real Leaders Inspire Ongoing Action
16 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pmThe day after MLk day is more important than the holiday itself. It is the day that we truly see who the real leaders are. It is the day that the celebrating masses give way to the nonconforming minority of change-makers. MLK taught us to lead fearlessly, selflessly, and righteously. His accomplishments - and sacrifice - is worth celebrating and remembering, and I am proud that we take a day every year to do it. But celebrating is easy. The day after MLK day is where true leaders shine. And they continue to shine for the weeks and months in between celebrations. Right now, the world doesn't… -
Passionate Leaders are Better Leaders
9 Jan 2012 | 6:05 pmLeadership Passion Pyramid To be a truly inspiring and effective leader, you must have passion. But not any passion will suffice, the best leaders focus their passion on 4 main areas: Passion for the development and fulfillment of the people they lead Passion for the cause they are working towards Passion for making an impact Passion for their own personal growth The ordering is just as important as the area of passion. Why? Nothing happens if the people you lead don't make things happen. Be invested in the people you lead, as their happiness and… -
Look Back Before Moving Forward
24 Dec 2011 | 8:40 amAt the end of every year, I dedicate a day to looking back. I think about a lot of things, and I use Who, What, Where, When, Why, How as a framework... Who slowed me down Who helped me What I set out to do What I did When I was struggling When I was happiest Where I tripped Where I soared Why I failedWhy I succeeded How I lost motivationHow I inspired, motivated, and empowered others and myself I look within myself to find balance, and I look outside to find knowledge. I listen and learn from experts in all fields, knowing the diversity of… -
Inspire Others To Exceed Their Expectations
17 Dec 2011 | 4:12 pmForbes.com just published a brilliant article on leadership that was written by Russell Raath. In it, Russell share a scene from the movie Invictus where Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela: Morgan Freeman’s Mandela offers some final words of wisdom. “We need inspiration,” he says, “because in order to build our nation, we must all exceed our own expectations.” You can read the full article on Forbes and I highly recommend it. The takeaway is simple and powerful. As a leader, your job is to do more than just setting and achieving goals. Your imperative is to inspire and… -
Increase Motivation, Inspire Action and Drive Behavior
4 Dec 2011 | 2:09 pmNo matter your position, role, and responsibilities - you have the ability to motivate others and inspire action. There are thousands of books, research reports, and case studies on this topic - and out of all of them that I have come across, the three best resources are the following two videos and link Dan Pink on the Surprising Science About What Motivates Us (video) Simon Sinek on How Great Leaders Inspires Action (video) Chip and Dan Heath on How to Change Things When Change is Hard (book, and article) Here are the videos and book summary for your convenience: Dan Pink on the…
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Change.org News / Women's Rights
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LEGO Agrees to Meeting After 50,000 Denounce Selling Out Girls
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amAfter a month and more than 50,000 petition signatures, an open letter, numerous radio shows, TV segments, blog posts, articles, and even YouTube videos about the company, LEGO has decided to listen to girls! On Sunday, February 5, Michael McNally, Brand Relations Director, sent an email to SPARK Movement. SPARK, a girl-fueled movement to end the sexualization of girls, is a coalition of more than 70 organizations and reaches tens of thousands of girls and those who support their healthy development. LEGO has accepted SPARK’s request for a meeting to discuss how they can go back to offering… -
Nigeria Attorney General Demands Investigation of Gang-Rape
8 Feb 2012 | 8:08 amIn September, a horrifying video came to light at Abia State University in Nigeria, depicting five men gang-raping a young woman as she begged them to just kill her. Concerned citizens in Nigeria and around the world, activists, and bloggers called for the "ABSU5" to be brought to justice, denouncing the culture of impunity that led these criminals to believe they could get away with taping and distributing their assault. Yet University and Abia State officials refused to take action, denying the violent act occurred in their jurisdiction without investigating. The Assistant Commissioner of… -
Super Bowl Sexism? #NotBuyingIt!
5 Feb 2012 | 5:17 amEvery Super Bowl has those one or two ads that everyone is talking about around the watercooler the next day. Remember last year’s Chrysler commercial starring Detroit and Eminem? And that adorable (and notably genderless) kid in the Darth Vader costumewho magically started the family car?It’s no wonder companies spend big ad bucks on the big game. $3.5 million for a 30 second spot buys access to over 110 million viewers, many of whom tune in as much for the ads as for the game. In fact, 66 percent of female viewers say they watch as much or more for the ads, compared to 46 percent of… -
How Facebook Can Really Help Women Connect
31 Jan 2012 | 12:41 pmFacebook recently launched a "Women Connect" app, calling it "an online platform for organizations and causes to connect and share information with supporters about issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment.” Apparently, it's a part of Facebook's "Diversity campaign." Taking action to further gender justice is admirable, but some people see Facebook's internal actions as out of step with this stated mission. The top comment to greet me on the Women Connect page, ranked up through users hitting the "Like" button, reads: "I'm glad that FB is supporting this but they also need to get… -
Why Is the UFC Paying Fighters for Making Rape Jokes?
26 Jan 2012 | 12:02 pmIn these modern times, athletes are considered heroes and icons to thousands, sometimes millions, of people. Even compared to the idols we make of celebrities and musicians, athletes remain our anointed heroes. They often come with backstories that are the stuff of movies (sometimes literally) with tales of overcoming poverty, racism, broken homes, and a variety of other hard knocks. And most of all, athletes remind us of the human potential. They show us the human form in perfection. They dazzle us with their almost superhuman abilities. And it’s thrilling drama. These characteristics make…
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UNICEF News
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In Madagascar, reducing malnutrition among children under five
8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmAMBOASARY, Madagascar, 8 February 2012 – Four-year-old Nomy arrived at the hospital in Amboasary with a diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition – a potentially deadly condition – with medical complications. By 11 a.m., he had been admitted for emergency treatment. -
Food shortages force children to drop out of school in Niger
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmNIAMEY, Niger, 6 February 2012 – The effect of food insecurity on children’s health is obvious; children, particularly those under age 5, are vulnerable to life-threatening malnutrition. -
UNICEF Executive Board opens with highlight on innovation
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmNEW YORK, USA, 7 February 2012 – The UNICEF Executive Board opened its first regular session of the year at United Nations Headquarters in New York, with an emphasis on the role of innovation in strengthening UNICEF’s ability to carry out its work under tight financial constraints. -
‘Humanitarian Action for Children 2012’ calls for continued focus on the Horn of Africa
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmNEW YORK, 26 January 2012 – The ongoing crisis in the Horn of Africa will remain a significant part of UNICEF’s global humanitarian response in the coming year, according to the ‘Humanitarian Action for Children 2012’ report, which launches tomorrow. -
Alarming outbreak of cholera in the Central African Republic begins to subside
6 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmBANGUI and NDIMBA, Central African Republic, 3 February 2012 – Véronique Yassambatendji was awakened late one night in October when her husband began experiencing severe diarrhoea and vomiting. The 30-year-old mother of four brought him directly to the local health centre in Ndimba, where he was treated with oral rehydration salts.
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Global Voices » Humanitarian Response
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Sahel Region: 1.6 Million Children at Risk of Malnutrition
9 Feb 2012 | 3:11 amAfrik.com reports that [fr]: ” because of the low harvest and an increase of 60 to 80 % in cereal pricing, 10 millions people across Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad will be affected by food security issues, including 1.6 million children.” Written by Lova Rakotomalala · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper -
Bulgaria: Severe Flooding Emergency
7 Feb 2012 | 4:57 amGV Author Ruslan Trad is tweeting - here, here, here, and here - about the severe flooding in southern Bulgaria, which was caused by heavy rainfall of the past few days and has killed at least eight people in the village of Bisser. The latest tweet came about an hour ago: “Breaking: Maritsa River’s dike broke close to the village of Generalovo, municipality of Svilenhrad, huge wave.” More photos from the disaster in the village of Bisser - at the Facebook page [bg] of the Bulgarian National TV's fundraising effort to help the victims. Written by Veronica Khokhlova ·… -
China: Veto of UN Security Council Draft Resolution on Syria Draws Praise and Grief
5 Feb 2012 | 8:24 amThis post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12. Russia and China seem to have voted with their own interests in mind yesterday in their controversial opposition to a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to stop the killings in his country, a revision of an earlier draft calling on Assad to relinquish power. China justified its decision to veto the draft resolution, saying it wants to promote peace in Syria, and Russia claims to hope for a diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict in the country. As FireDogLake writer… -
Saudi Arabia: A Family Living in a Cemetery
29 Jan 2012 | 7:52 amAway from the political scene and on a more human level, a short movie shot by young Saudi filmmaker Bader AlHomoud named “Almagbarah,” which translates to cemetery in Arabic, has changed the life of a Saudi family. Bader describes the montage phase in his tweet [ar]: #ma8barah اليوم أصبت باكتئاب وانا اعمل مونتاج لفلم سيصيبكم بالكابة سترونه قريبا Today I got depressed while editing a movie that will make you all depressed too The three-minute movie, posted below from YouTube, shows a Saudi family living in a cemetery. It… -
South Sudan: Urgent Steps Needed to Counter Inter-Communal Violence
28 Jan 2012 | 3:38 amUrgent steps are needed to counter inter-communal violence in South Sudan: “Inter-communal violence in Jonglei and throughout South Sudan, while traditionally cyclical in nature, is not inevitable. The causes of this violence go beyond the retaliatory nature of cattle raiding and touch upon broader issues of accountability, reconciliation, political inclusion, state effectiveness, development, and the proliferation of arms among the civilian population.” Written by Ndesanjo Macha · comments (0) Share: Donate · facebook · twitter · reddit ·…
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Women Thrive Worldwide
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Video: Ritu Sharma Talks Poverty on Fox 5
3 Feb 2012 | 1:54 amRitu Sharma, traveled to some of the world's most troubled spots, including Burkina Faso, where she lived on a dollar... -
Video: Ritu Sharma on CSPAN
1 Feb 2012 | 4:45 amRitu Sharma, President and Co-Founder of Women Thrive Worldwide, appeared on CSPAN to talk about how U.S. policy plays a... -
Event Invitation: Bridging the Gender Technology Gap
26 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pmWomen Thrive Worldwide invites you at our February Gender Roundtable event, Access Denied: Bridging the Technology Gap. Click through for... -
Women Thrive Welcomes U.S. Action Plan on Women and Children in Conflict
19 Dec 2011 | 3:00 pmWomen Thrive Worldwide welcomes the release today by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of the U.S. National Action... -
The Year of Gender Integration?
15 Dec 2011 | 8:12 amThere has been a lot of rhetoric in Washington this year about the importance of women. How has...
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...My heart's in Accra
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News in the Age of Participatory Media
2 Feb 2012 | 12:28 pmI’m teaching my first class at MIT this spring, a “special topics” class at the Media Lab. (This is evidently how new classes get launched at MIT -they’re “special” the first year before they become official. All that means, I think, is that you need my permission to take it.) If you’re a student at MIT, or another Boston/Cambridge institution, hope you’ll consider joining us. The class is my attempt to bring a “journalism” class to the Media Lab while avoiding the journalist/citizen media distinction. (This certainly isn’t a… -
David Weinberger: Too Big To Know
25 Jan 2012 | 8:02 pmDavid Weinberger‘s new book “Too Big To Know” (#2B2K – be sure to pick book titles that make good hash tags…) launched last night at Harvard Law School with a talk entitled “Unsettling Knowledge”. If you know David’s work, it’s obvious that the title is a pun. And David’s new book is a wonderfully unsettling piece – it challenges our notion of what knowledge is, and introduces the uncomfortable question of how we navigate this new space. Knowledge as we know it is coming apart, David tells us. The bastions of knowledge, the… -
Beth Kolko: “Hackademia – Leveraging the conflict between expertise and innovation to create disruptive technologies”
25 Jan 2012 | 7:42 amBeth Kolko is the sort of academic who follows her muse from one fascinating topic to another. Colin Maclay traces some of her past work from a doctorate in English through research on use of technology in the developing world, through her current research on human-centered design and engineering at the University of Washington. For the past couple of years, Beth has been focused on research for a book on hackers and makers. This is a project that comes from her daily life, where she’s spent the last six years participating in hacking and making events in the Seattle area –… -
MIT Media Lab opposes SOPA, PIPA
14 Jan 2012 | 11:31 pmI’ve been working with friend (and boss) Joi Ito to help the Media Lab put up a statement about our collective opposition to SOPA and PIPA. Joi and I are both posting this piece on our personal blogs, and a shorter piece from the Media Lab site leads to both these posts. As we get ready to post, it seems like the tide in the battle is turning, and major concessions are being offered by bill sponsors. That’s good news, but SOPA and PIPA are still worth our close attention – there are powerful forces advocating for their passage, and as we try to document below, the harms of… -
More notes from Microsoft Research Social Computing Symposium
13 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pmSome notes from day 2 of the Microsoft Research Social Media Symposium: My attempts to transcribe Wael Abbas’s talk about media and protest in Egypt prior to the Arab Spring. Becky Hurwitz has been active in the Occupy movement in New York City, and offered reflections on how Occupy is developing and testing technology for protest. She invites us to use the people’s mic, a technology created to ensure that participants in Occupy General Assemblies can hear speakers, despite police bans on amplification. We dutifully echo her in a mic check and in repeating a few words of her talk,…
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Wired: Gadgets
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Purported Pictures of iPad 3's Rear Casing Emerge
8 Feb 2012 | 4:28 pmThe launch of Apple's next iPad is just around the corner, if the presence of leaked parts images are any indicator. Today, what reasonably seems to be the rear casing of the new iPad has popped up in photo form on the interwebs. -
Sprint's iPhone Strategy Is Paying Off, Q4 Results Suggest
8 Feb 2012 | 2:46 pmSprint desperately needed a hit, and it looks like it got one. The struggling wireless carrier sold 1.8 million iPhones in its fourth quarter, with 40 percent of those phones going to first-time Sprint customers. -
Adobe Splashes Out With Creative Cloud
8 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pmAdobe is making a big splash into the cloud with its Creative Cloud service, launching an enhanced online version of its sought-after Adobe Creative Suite for $50 a month on a one-year contract. -
Little Lenses: 3 Miniature Cameras Tested
8 Feb 2012 | 3:21 amThese extraordinarily tiny picture machines make snapping photos fun and different. -
Greenpeace Hates Big Tech, But Wants To Kill Google Least
7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmGreenpeace looks down on the tech giants of the world. But it looks down on Google the least. On Tuesday, the big-name environmental-rights outfit unveiled its annual ranking of the tech giants working hardest to combat climate change and shift their operations to renewable energy sources. It's called the "Cool IT Leaderboard," and this year's leader is Google, which scores a mere 53 points out of 100. Cisco, last year's leader, dropped to second, with 49 points.
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SlashGear
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Temple Run for Android postponed, still coming this month
9 Feb 2012 | 10:40 amThe game that’s still got iOS fans having heart attacks over how awesome it is, Temple Run, was originally scheduled to be dropped for Android today, but its developers have let us know that a bit of postponing is in order. Though we and the developers at Image Studios are hoping to get in on the game for a full release by the end of the month, it’s likely not going to happen this week. Those of you on the iPhone version of this game can continue swinging in glee as your Android compatriots wait for some awesome temple running pleasure for just a few more days or weeks or forever… -
Tesla Model X SUV teaser easter egg revealed
9 Feb 2012 | 10:10 amTeam members at the public relations group that represents Tesla have certainly got their ducks in a row – or perhaps its just Tesla CEO Elon Musk – as a leaked image showing up early today already has us giggling. This image shows the fabulous looking vehicle in just about as sparse a vision as possible with its falcon doors and smooth angles all around the only apparent features. But as the image is so dark, Tesla knew that we would be bumping up the whites in Photoshop – and what do you know, a lovely little super clever easter egg! This egg shows the phrase… -
Tweetbot for iPhone Review
9 Feb 2012 | 9:54 amIf there’s one reason to continue using Twitter outside the desktop environment other than your all-consuming addition to checking updates, it’s Tweetbot. The little robot bird that sits on your iPhone’s display begging you to tap, showing you that using Twitter can actually be more fun on the iPhone than it is anywhere else. This app uses a selection of gestures to allow you to interact with each Tweet, has a perfectly excellent aesthetic to the entirety of it, and has customizable tabs to make your experience just what you want it to be. Once you sign in, you’ll see… -
HTC Android 4.0 ICS spring schedule released
9 Feb 2012 | 9:20 amThe folks at HTC have just updated their schedule for updates to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on a handful of their devices, and it’s no small batch, I can tell you that! For the end of March HTC has the Sensation, Sensation 4G, and Sensation XE getting updated with the Sensation XL ready to go soon afterward. After that there’s so many HTC devices getting set up with Ice Cream Sandwich that you’re going to get a sugar high! HTC has today confirmed not just their suddenly massive set of Sensation device, but their Evos and their Amazes as well! The full list looks… -
Sorry Nokia Astound users, T-Mobile USA has dumped you
9 Feb 2012 | 9:18 amT-Mobile USA has frustrated already-irate Symbian fans in the US with the news that the Nokia Astound, the rebadged C7 priced at just $80 last year, will not receive an update to Nokia Belle, despite its European equivalent getting the OS upgrade. “Unfortunately the Nokia Astound on T-Mobile will not be updated to Nokia Belle” Nokia US confirmed via Twitter. Nokia Belle – the latest iteration of Symbian, and arguably the upgrade that brings the platform within spitting distance of rival smartphone OSes – was released for the C7, among other handsets, earlier this…
