iPhone 5 – Review and pictures
iphone: we have been hearing lots about the iPhone 5 since a while now, and the latest is a probable date of production of the device. The Apple iPhone 5 is said to have entered trial production is may be expected to go into mass output by the third quarter of this year itself.
Apple’s next iPhone could include an 8-megapixel camera manufactured by Sony. At least, that’s the conjecture flying around the Web, after Sony CEO Howard Stringer suggested his company is manufacturing components for its rival.
I need to get myself one!
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All new, bolder VW Beetle revealed
Despite its flatter roof and sportier rear end, the new VW Beetle is still no Macho Car of the Year candidate but it will certainly garner its own small following.
For the third time in 73 years, Volkswagen has revealed a new Beetle, this being the second time they’ve tried to recreate the legendary ‘people’s car’ in an upmarket, ’boutique’ hatch format.
Replacing the ‘New Beetle’ that practically pioneered the retro segment back in 1998 but never quite mastered it like the Mini did, this ‘New New Beetle’ is back to tackle that same turf with a more aggressive design.
Even though it’s unlikely to shake off the feminine image of its predecessor, and perhaps with good reason, this Beetle looks far more staunch in profile thanks to a flatter roof inspired by the Ragster concept of 2005, while the rear end, which ditches its round lights for the first time ever and gains a spoiler, also has a racier vibe about it.
Strange then that with the exception of LEDs in the headlights and a flatter shape at the bottom of the bonnet, the latest Beetle doesn’t look very different from its predecessor at the front – VW is not tampering with the classic Bug face.
Beneath the retro skin is where the big changes have happened. Not only longer (+152mm), wider (+84mm) and lower (-12mm) than its dated Golf 4-based predecessor but it also brings the latest in VW technology to the party.
European customers get to choose between four engines, comprising three TSI turbopetrols and a TDI turbodiesel. The 1.2-litre TSI produces 77kW while the midrange 1.4 TSI is good for 118kW. And now the Beetle can officially call itself a hot hatch thanks to its flagship 147kW 2.0 TSI engine from the previous Golf GTI. It even has the GTI’s XDS electronic differential.
At the other end of the scale is the familiar 77kW 1.6 TDI, which also benefits from BlueMotion technologies like idle-stop and battery regeneration helping reduce the CO2 rating to just 112g/km.
Beetle’s contemporary technology also extends to safety, where it now benefits from what VW calls one of the most torsionally rigid bodyshells in the segment, in addition to six standard airbags and ESP stability control.
This Beetle’s cabin has also been modernised in just about every respect – some details like the cubbyhole and certain colour accent panels actually harking back to the original Beetle. It’s also a bit more practical than before, with boot space increasing from 209 litres to 310 litres.
VW has concocted three trim levels – Beetle, Design and Sport – each with its own individual character and features. On that subject, the Beetle also gets the obligatory mile-long options list, with features like keyless access, sat nav and a panoramic sunroof being available.
VW will be unveiling this new Beetle at three places this week, namely the Shanghai and New York motor shows and at an event in Berlin. With right-hand drive versions going on sale in the UK by early next year, it’s likely we’ll see it in South Africa by mid-2012.
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10 tips to affair-proof your marriage
South Africa's porn reality show looks set to go ahead despite recent mishaps.
Why do some people cheat on their partners? There are many reasons, but essentially they fall into one of two categories. The first is an add-on. The couple might have a good relationship and a great sex life but the cheating partner simply wants the excitement of an affair, or the ego boost provided by a new lover. Or maybe sex is so important that when an opportunity arises, it’s grabbed eagerly with both hands.
The other is a fill-in. One partner may feel there’s something missing in their relationship, that their partner is emotionally distant, or their sex life is lacking – and so he or she seeks it elsewhere. Whatever the reason, sexual betrayal hurts. And if discovered, it can destroy your relationship quicker than the latest Trojan virus.
While there are many components to a strong, lasting marriage, I believe a couple’s sex life is extremely important. Yes, there are those who stop having sex but choose to remain together. Yet the importance of sexual intimacy in a long-term relationship cannot be underestimated. It’s a defining feature. It distinguishes between our love for our partner and our love for everyone else in our lives.
So when it comes to taking action to decrease the likelihood of our partner straying, we can view this from the perspective of the above two categories. If married to an opportunistic hedonist, for instance, there’s probably little you can do. No matter how fantastic your sex life is your partner is still likely to seek those furtive, ego-boosting add-ons. It’s not you – it’s him. Or her.
But a lacklustre, emotionally disconnected love life is something you definitely can turn on its head. Now I’m not suggesting that boredom in the bedroom justifies an affair. Yet this potential portal for a marriage virus is a reality we can face up to – and lock down. If you’re looking to fortify your relationship sexually, here are a few suggestions you might like to consider:
1. Make a pact with yourself to stop being boring when it comes to sex. Treat this as an amazing adventure to embark on, as if you’re studying towards a new degree or learning to surf. Get some great books or DVDs, read up on sex techniques and positions, and try them out.
2. Pick something new, regularly, and put it into action. Never tried oral sex on your partner? Always dreamed of sex standing up in the shower? Want to give tantric sex a whirl? Now’s the time to break new ground. It may expand your sexual repertoire beyond your wildest dreams.
3. Explore your own sexual add-ons. Find props that make it more fun for both of you, that heighten desire and arousal. Buy some sexy lingerie, role play with each other in fantasy outfits, invest in those five-inch stilettos. Be daring and try a sex toy or two, and throw in some fun flavoured lubricants.
4. Look for sexual opportunities that take you and your lover out of your rut, off the beaten track. Be inventive. Grab a moment away from your home to make passionate love. Try the great outdoors. Book a weekend in a cottage and christen every room, chair, table, shower, the back seat of your car parked in the garage. Sex away from your usual playground can be invigorating.
5. Plan regular sex. It may seem cold scheduling it into your weekly timetable, but if your lives are hectically busy it’s important to make time to be intimate. Maintenance sex, as it’s called, is vital for long-term relationships. How frequent should it be? Ask your partner how many sessions a week they consider ideal, ask yourself the same question, then come to a fair compromise – with some flexibility built in.
6. Have quickie sex. There’s nothing like the excitement of grab-’em, rub-’em-up and get-it-off passionate sex to add pulse-racing sparkle. Plan one or two romantic sessions with loads of foreplay, alternating with 5-10 minute quickies. Find shortcuts that prepare you physically, if needed. Using a lubricant can help women tremendously (dry sex if unaroused can lead to tiny tears internally, inviting infection).
7. Sex doesn’t always have to be penetrative intercourse. If you don’t particularly feel like sex but your lover does, be generous and spoil him or her with loving attention ending in multiple orgasms. (Guys can have these too – stop him ejaculating during orgasm by pressing a finger firmly on his perineum.) Treat your lover to oral sex, or get a vibrator out and explore your partner’s body to their delight.
8. Allow for sexual growth. Just as our relationships change and deepen as we mature, so do our sexual wants and tastes. Over a relaxed glass of wine, ask your lover to open up about his or her deepest, darkest sexual fantasies, and reciprocate. If saying them out loud seems awkward, write them down. Then agree to give them all a go (or most, if some are utterly unappealing), one by one. You’ll be amazed at how your sexual boundaries expand.
9. Relax with sex. It’s messy, noisy and undignified. Learn to laugh at it, to take the act less seriously. Laughter in bed can inject a new dimension – it bonds us like nothing else. Think back to your teenage years and how much silly fun you had with your friends, what you still remember as the good times. Recreate that silliness and laughter with your lover in bed, and you’ll burn those moments into your collective sexual memory.
10. Show your gratitude. There’s nothing that generates happiness more than recognising and vocalising how much we have to be grateful for. If your lover made your earth move, thank him or her profusely and sincerely. Smile, kiss and hug your appreciation. Say what things you loved the most and you’re inviting a repeat erotic performance. Over and over
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FNB Personal Loans
FNB personal loans:
- Get a loan for R2 000 or more depending on your financial profile.
- FNB offers flexible repayment periods from 6 to 60 months. Loan repayment
periods can be negotiated in order to suit what is affordable for you. - Repayments are done via a monthly debit order and your instalment amount
will remain fixed over the loan period, even if interest rates go up. - Your loan is offered with insurance which covers the original loan amount in
the event of death, retrenchment, dread disease as well as
temporary/permanent disability. - You can get a valid quote for 10 days within which you can either accept or
decline the loan offer. - You get to choose either a voice-logged contract or a paper-based contract
that is face to face with our branch consultants in any of our branches. - You get to take a break every January from paying your loan instalment.
- Individuals banking with FNB, will get lower interest rates.
A personal loan is for personal use and this implies that FNB does not dictate what the loan is to be used for. You may access your account and even perform transfers through the following facilities from your FNB transactional account:
-ATMs
-Telephone Banking
-Cellphone Banking
-Online Banking
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‘Ronaldo knows English, Messi knows football’
Madrid –Messi has scored 48 goals in all competitions so far this season, and his next match will be Saturday against Ronaldo and his Real Madrid teammates. No Spanish league player has ever scored 50 goals in a season.
Football giants have been weighing in on the Lionel Messi (left) v Cristiano Ronaldo debate ahead of the El Clasico, and Messi leads the vote
“Yes he’s on his way,” Cruyff said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “He’s just played now four years or something like that and the others have played at least 14 years, so he’s got 10 more years to go with same quality and, hopefully, same success.”
The 23-year-old Messi has scored 95 goals in his last 99 games and helped Barcelona to eight trophies over the past two seasons, which were both capped with World Player of the Year accolades.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, endured a trophyless first year with Madrid in 2010 after six successful seasons at Manchester United. The Portugal forward doesn’t want Madrid to go three straight seasons without silverware, but Barcelona and Messi stand in the way.
The pair will play in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday before meeting in two legs of the Champions League semifinals.
But as much as Cruyff, a former Barcelona star, believes Messi is worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Pele, Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano, he’s not as convinced about Ronaldo.
“A little more difficult, I think,” Cruyff said about the 2008 World Player of the Year. “All the people mentioned were players from the street and Ronaldo is more of a physical player, while in the others mentioned are not physical players (but) pure technical players – pure technique.”
Two-time defending champion Barcelona hold an eight-point lead over Madrid in the Spanish league going into Saturday’s match, the first of four meetings between the rivals in less than three weeks.
According to the El Pais newspaper, Ronaldo has taken on his personal rivalry against Messi with such newfound focus that he is reportedly being nicknamed “The Anxious One” inside Madrid’s locker room. Ronaldo, who has scored 39 goals in 47 games, has yet to score in six games against Barcelona, with one victory and four losses.
Barcelona have won a record five straight times against their biggest rivals, including November’s 5-0 rout at the Camp Nou.
Even England coach Fabio Capello appeared to select Messi over Ronaldo when asked Thursday which of the two players he would pick if he could nationalise just one for his current team.
“Ronaldo knows English and (Messi) knows football,” Capello said.
Against Madrid, Messi will be looking to end his own drought. The diminutive Argentine, nicknamed “The Flea,” has yet to score against a team coached by Jose Mourinho.
One thing both Messi and Ronaldo do have in common is a failure to win titles on the international stage, which could be the ultimate decider of their place in history, according to Cruyff.
Whether Maradona or Messi is regarded as Argentina’s most revered player will also likely hang on the World Cup, Cruyff said.
“(Messi’s) got qualities similar to Maradona, who was a player, too, who did a lot of individual stuff,” the 63-year-old Dutchman said. “People will connect a good player with the results they achieved in their career and Maradona of course won the world championship and that’s what Messi didn’t win and it will be (decided on) something like that.
“But for me, today, Messi is a great player.” – Sapa-AP
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Fugees Reunion
Fugees – ready or not (another beat rmx) from Wildzen on Vimeo.
Wonda, who produced the threesome’s Grammy-winning album The Score, tried to speed up the reunion on April Fools’ Day by tweeting that a Fugees reunion tour was in the works.
Fugees record producer, Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis says it’s only a matter of time before Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel bring back the Fugees.
“BIG NEWS!!! What we’ve been waitin for!!!! @MsHillMvngTrgt @wyclef @prasmichel got offered $50 mill with @LiveNation!!” he tweeted.
He said the joke turned into a mass frenzy of phonecalls, emails and heavy retweeting that resulted in people dialling up Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras. Wonda believes that if a reunion did happen, that tickets would be sold out worldwide in two hours.
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‘Who is Malema at war with?’
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema arrives at the Johannesburg High Court surrounded by bodyguards armed with military assault rifles. Picture: Tiro Ramatlhatse
Malema created a stir on Monday and set tongues wagging when the burly men, devoid of any insignia or logos, threatened lawyers involved in his court case, and some positioned themselves outside and inside the court.
Malema was accompanied by ANC veteran Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
In what could have easily been a scene from a Hollywood action movie and what could be a first in South Africa, Malema was escorted into the courthouse accompanied by these men armed with Dashprod SAR M14 rifles. But the posse of armed bodyguards should not have been allowed into the court.
Equality Court Judge Collin Lamont had to stop proceedings to order the removal of “people carrying guns” in his courtroom after being told about their presence.
The evictions came shortly before Roelof du Plessis, a co-complainant in Malema’s hate speech case that is before the Equality Court, told Sapa that he had been prohibited from entering the court, “by people who were bodyguards, or who are not people with the court”.
While ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu was earlier quoted in the Citizen as saying the guns were for crowd control, when approached by the Pretoria News for comment he refused to speak about security issues regarding Malema “as they are none of your business”.
Police spokesman Colonel Vish Naidoo also declined to comment about the armed guards outside court, saying it was not a police matter.
“It is up to the Justice Department to comment on why people were allowed into the court with firearms,” he said.
Justice spokesman Tlali Tlali failed to return cellphone calls or SMSes at the time of going to press.
Malema’s use of the heavily armed guards, who police said did not work for the SAPS, has been lambasted by security and military analysts.
The Institute of Security Studies policing specialist, Johan Burger, said the sight of Malema being escorted into court resembled something out of a gangster movie.
“This is completely out of place with present day South Africa. Not even the level of crime we have in South Africa warrants this kind of blatant show of force, which creates a threat in its own.
“If you look at the armaments the bodyguards are carrying, one would be tempted to draw the conclusion that there was a very serious threat against Malema.
“If this is the case he must tell us what kind of threat he has received, which has warranted this overboard protection,” he said, adding that the guns being carried were offensive military weapons used in war zones.
Burger said that in cases of threats to personal safety, police would be called in to do a threat assessment and would, if a threat was detected, provide security.
“Clearly, in this case the police feel that there is no threat to Malema as they have not provided him with a security detachment.
“Of further concern is how the bodyguards will guarantee that innocent people will not be killed if they have to open fire on a so-called threat.
“Malema must justify to all South Africans the need for such force and the reason for sending out such a threatening and intimidating message of force,” he said.
Military analyst Helmoed Heitman said the use of such weapons was a “gross overkill”.
“Most people don’t need bodyguards and for the few that do a pistol is perfectly adequate form of protection.
“This sort of rifle for the protection of someone like a president would be understandable, but definitely not in the case of Malema,” he said.
“These are fire support weapons which are used as a ‘back-up’ if things go really wrong and would usually be used by special forces operatives in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Serious questions need to be asked, especially if these are fully automatic weapons. If they are, then someone needs to explain how these guards came into their possession.
“These guns are not something you want any Tom, Dick or Harry carrying around, and unless they had special permission to have these weapons and carry them in public, the police should have arrested them on the spot.
“One needs to know how well trained these ‘guards’ are and how well they can shoot, because if you are shot with this weapon you are, for all intents and purpose, dead,” he said.
SA Gunowners’ Association spokesman Martin Hood said having a gun in a court was against regulations and having an exposed weapon was against the law.
Hood said rifles were restricted firearms and getting a licence for them was difficult. “Who is this company and are they registered?” asked Hood. “I take particular exception to weapons like this being taken into a court… What they did is illegal and… the police either messed up… or they turned a blind eye.” – Pretoria News
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Vodacom vs Cell C: Red VS black
Network provider Cell C is on a mission to make a point in their tongue-in-cheek campaign, poking fun at the recent rebranding of Vodacom. This campaign features Trevor Noah saying that it takes more than a lick of paint to change your performance. Amazing!
