What if wireless power at a distance actually worked? It does, uBeam invented a way to wirelessly send energy up to 15 feet away with ultrasound.
What if you could slap a wireless charging case on your phone and charge it while you move around or use it? uBeam invented that too. While early uBeam prototype were massive, non-portable boxes that merely shot power around, it now has a working version that consumers would want.
And what if your phone could wirelessly charge while you’re at Starbucks because they installed the transmitters? You’d probably be more likely to stop by.
That’s why sources confirm to TechCrunch that major brands are vying to become strategic investors of uBeam in hopes of scoring exclusivity deals so they’ll be the first retail locations to offer uBeam wireless charging. uBeam is seeking exclusive partnerships with the #1 players in several retail verticals.
Starbucks is said to be especially near to striking deals to join a strategic investor round that will close soon, and uBeam is also in talks with the top names like Virgin in air travel, Starwood hotels, and some huge fast food chains. uBeam has also spoken with leading hardware manufacturers like Apple and Samsung.
Meanwhile, traditional venture capitalists are foaming at the mouth over uBeam’s future. Now that it’s product has gone from fantasy, to impractical, to what looks like the future of power in just a few years, they’re ready to throw money at uBeam and its plucky founder Meredith Perry. While it may not ask for much money beyond the strategic round, sources say it’s looking towards a massive Series B that could be around $50 million or more, with a valuation of $500 million or even much higher depending on progress.
UBeam CEO Meredith Perry
When asked, uBeam declined to comment on this article.
The new money would add to the $10 million Series A led by Upfront Venturesthat uBeam raised in October, which also included many investors from its $3.2 million in seed rounds such as Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Ludlow Ventures, CrunchFund (run by TechCrunch’s founder), Troy Carter, Shawn Fanning, Mark Cuban, Ken Seiff, Ellen Levy, and Tony Hsieh.
Plenty of other companies have tried and failed to produce true wireless power, with some ending up doing magnetic resonance charging. But that requires devices to be so close to transmitters or even touching, so they may as well be plugged in. It’s linear innovation, not exponential innovation.
However, the buzz amongst prestigious funds is that after due diligence research, many think uBeam’s style of wireless charging will work for consumers and could have utterly massive potential.
Wireless Power Via Ultrasound
Plenty of other companies have tried and failed to produce true wireless power, with some ending up doing magnetic resonance charging. But that requires devices to be so close to transmitters or even touching, so they may as well be plugged in. It’s linear innovation, not exponential innovation.
However, the buzz amongst prestigious funds is that after due diligence research, many think uBeam’s style of wireless charging will work for consumers and could have utterly massive potential.
Death To Cords
Wireless charging cases could free people from hunching by electrical outlets and rationing their energy all day. While smartphones have gotten progressively more slim and powerful, battery life has struggled to keep up. That’s not only a drain on satisfaction with smartphones, it stifles the entire mobile economy as a lack of power keeps people from downloading apps, shopping, or using on-demand services. uBeam could provide economic stimulus along with the delight and convenience people will pay for.
Then there’s the tech giants. Smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are desperate to solve their charging problems and try on wireless power, and find a way to differentiate themselves in a lucrative but crowded market. There could be natural acquisition interest in uBeam, especially since the company and Perry hold several wireless charging patents that could prove highly valuable.
uBeam just received approval on another important patent this month. It covers how uBeam’s transmitters and receivers can communicate about configurations and which devices the transmitters should prioritize. These giants might be willing to pay a premium to buy uBeam just to keep it out of their competitors’ phones.
But long-term, if uBeam’s wireless charging protocol reaches its full potential, it could be the death of the power cord. Not just for phones, but for an extraordinarily wide array of electronics. Anywhere you see a charging cord, just imagine uBeam’s technology inside the device instead.
To be clear, uBeam is still working on a hard science problem where unexpected setbacks can happen. There are plenty of reasons it might not be able to get wireless power as cheap, powerful, fast, and safe as Perry hopes. But if it does, uBeam could be one of the transformative technologies of our era. And that’s just the swing for the fences that investors dream of.
Goodbye Virginity. Such an awkward title, I know. If you have been following my posts then you probably would have noticed that I don’t give a rabbit’s d**k what y’all think of my ideologies. Hey! It is my own perspective of things; you are also entitled to yours, which is why there is a comment box down below for your pleasurable use. So, my sweet and loving readers let us get down to business.
I made mention of the word, Virginity. Yeah! Virginity, I have always seen it as a word for the ladies. When a girl’s hymen is broken during sex or by accident (the accident part of athletics, cycling, etc. I still find hard to believe though) she can say the words, “goodbye virginity”. Calling a boy a virgin sounded real strange to me because of this definition of mine until I stumbled upon Wikipedia’s definition, Virginity is the state of someone who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. You see it? I was wrong. Damn! I hate being wrong but what can I do? No one is perfect.
Goodbye Virginity – I was nine years of age and having much fun with my books, animations, movies and video games. That was all I could think of, had very little pleasure for outdoor games or relating with peers both male and female alike. I was mostly shy around girls, never liked them touching me or even getting close to me at all. I was a loner. My idea of going out was the occasional visiting of eateries, amusement parks and relative’s places for the holiday.
A visit to an uncle’s place for the summer break was the Ultimate visit of despair because it instigated my use of the words, “Goodbye Virginity”. My uncle and his wife were meant to travel the following day to the East for a friend’s traditional marriage and since my cousin, Fred and I were still little (both age 9), they called in our older cousin, Amaka to babysit. We were so happy because that meant we weren’t going to travel with them and we get to have so much fun without care of cleaning the house, feeding or handling any serious chore.
Goodbye Virginity – After they left, Fred and I played games all through the day and saw movies before going to bed at night, that day was awesome; we ate and played and it felt really good. What more could a nine year old boy ask for? It was paradise. The next day Fred left in the morning for his summer classes so I was left alone with Amaka. I played video games while she watched movies. By 10am her friends, Tina and Shade came visiting and they went into her room for the usual female gossip, I presumed. GOODBYE VIRGINITY.
Some minutes passed and Shade came into the sitting room when I was already done with my game and was watching one of the best cartoons of that time, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. She sat beside me and said,
You are a very cute boy. And I’m quite sure you have a lot of girlfriends already, you little Casanova, you!
At this, with much surprise, I smiled and answered her,
Thank you but I don’t keep female friends. I love being on my own.
She just patted my head and went back inside. In less than 30 minutes my cousin, Amaka called out my name and asked me to get a bottle of water for her. I got it and took it into her room.
Goodbye Virginity – Immediately I entered, Tina who was standing at the door, shut it and Amaka beckoned on me to come sit with her on the bed. This I did innocently due to the fact that she’s my cousin. I had no clue why she wanted me there with her friends but just obeyed. The next thing I experienced was her hand on my laps (now I was really confused), then she asked me if I knew that I had a big p***s for my age. I said “no” and tried standing up but Shade had already gotten close and she pushed me back down. I begged that they let me go but it seemed like the more I pleaded the more they pulled off my clothes. I was helpless.
It is obvious this particular incident was every boy’s fantasy but I didn’t want this. I didn’t have any experience with girls my age not to talk of people double of it. Amaka was 18 years old and probably her friends were too.
Goodbye Virginity
They each took turns in using me as their play thing. And when they had each gone the first rounds I was in trouble because little me was still standing. That was my Doom. They climbed again and really tired me out.
I still don’t know which was worse, being f**ked by three girls or the fact that one of them was my cousin. When they were done Amaka warned me never to mention it to anyone else she’ll cut off my p***s. That was goodbye my virginity. As some will put it, I was now a man (sexually though) and I started out with three girls. It traumatized me but when I look back to that day, with the knowledge I have gathered within the years and my interaction with my fellow guys, I have just one thing to say,
Good riddance. It was awesome. I made the male folks proud by saying goodbye to my virginity the best way ever.
A foursome, if there is a word like that or Gang raped as the common folk will put it.
And there you have it, the awful, later turned awesome story of how I got to say GOODBYE VIRGINITY.
Unemployment is not doomsday; it may seem like everything is wrong when you are without a job, your future plan starts to feel unrealistic and you hit the stage of extreme depression. At some point of your life, you will find yourself without a job. Be it right after college or at some point of your professional life when you decide to take a break. Not having a steady job and income can make you feel extremely unworthy, but it is still not the end of the world. Unemployment is not doomsday.
You have to channel all the negativity into something productive. Unlike most articles, I will not advise you to enjoy being unemployed by going on vacations, building a sexual relationship and engaging in other fun activities. Unemployment is not doomsday.
Unemployment should be the life push you need; it gives you time to discover yourself, to tap into your creativity and develop your potentials. I found it quite tough getting a job the first few months after college, I went to various establishments and submitted my CV, some called me up for interviews, some offered me peanuts as salary, but I didn’t settle for that. I was provoked by the outrageous job offers I received, I was provoked to the extent that I took time to think ‘’what am I good at?’’ ‘’ What do I enjoy doing?’’ that was when I discovered my talent in fashion. I got interested in designing and tailoring dresses and I made dresses, it was interesting and I felt good about it. I am currently in a fashion school and I will start up my own fashion line soon. Now you see, something good came out of those few periods of being unemployed.
Now my point is unemployment is not the end of the world; you should not cloud yourself with negativity; use your situation as an opportunity to tap into your entrepreneur spirit.
Men Handle Breakups Better – There are no generalizations but in most cases men handle breakups a lot better than women. Guys have a deep need for emotional support but they are also very resilient when it comes to handling tough spots. May be all those years of hunting toughened the guys up.
Guys do have a hard time dealing with breakups it’s just that they are better at detaching themselves from their emotions through the use of distractions. The way guys handle breakups is very different from the way girls do mostly because of their mental makeup. Men Handle Breakups Better
The way men handle breakups is by indulging in mental distractions. Most men avoid talking about their breakup rather they just avoid or ignore the discomfort by off-putting their mind through other pursuits. Girls on the other hand are more prone to facing their grief and sharing it with their friends or relatives.
Men Handle Breakups Better
Here are 10 known ways that guys go about dealing with a breakup. Remember that this is a generalization on how men handle breakups, each of us has unique personality traits and we all have different ways of handling pain.
1. Hang Out With Friends
It is common for guys to seek out company to keep their mind distracted. They don’t usually talk to their friends about their breakup or the pain they are going through but the company just helps in distraction. Those few hours of being with your fellow dudes, drinking and chatting on random things will go along way in helping you out.
2. Drink the Pain Down
young man drinking and feeling despair
Alcohol has been a friend to many broken hearts. Most guys, out of their need to numb the pain, take to alcohol as a natural anesthetic. It’s also common for them to open their hearts out, and talk about their pain, when they are drunk.
Men Handle Breakups Better
3. Start Finding New Dates
Some men deal with breakups by trying to forget their ex as quickly as possible. They start flirting again, start dating again or just go about having casual flings in an effort to erase the memory of their ex. Every girl becomes a victim.
4. Party Hard
Loud music, crazy crowds and the energy of partying can numb pain like nothing else. Many guys are known to handle the pain of a breakup by indulging in some mad partying. Parties also become avenues for booze, and new girls to flirt with, as means of distraction.
5. Drown the Pain in Work
Most matured men handle breakups by working harder. Work almost becomes a means of escaping from the pain of past memories. It’s no wonder most creative art has often come out of a broken heart.Men Handle Breakups Better
6. Eat to Numb the Mind
Indulging in junk food becomes a means of numbing one’s mind and sabotaging the body unconsciously due to the suffering inside. Eating being a mechanical activity helps to keep busy in some way. The stupor created by over-eating helps numb the mind off its ceaseless thinking. Hope you don’t get fat though.
Men Handle Breakups Better
7. Watch TV Aimlessly or Play video games
Some guys just blank their minds by watching TV mechanically or playing video-games. They usually end up watching sports or movies mostly for the distraction rather than interest at that point. Aimless channel surfing is often the case.
8. Take to Physical Workouts
Guys have been known to hit the gym with vengeance to handle the pain of a breakup. The physical pain of weight lifting is used to offset the mental pain of memories.
9. Travel
Some men take to traveling as distraction to handle a breakup. Traveling to nearby or far off places helps keep the mind occupied and meeting new people or making new connections is an added bonus. Men Handle Breakups Better
10. Enter the Virtual World of Internet
Browsing through the vast portal of internet is an activity that is gaining in popularity as an effective means of distraction. Guys who want to be alone take to entering the virtual world of online gaming, chatting or just reading through blogs. Watching stuff online is quite common with most guys who are dealing with psychological pain of a breakup or loneliness.
Hope you concur to the above facts on how men handle breakups better?
Soul mate-Life partners, is there someone in your life who you share a connection with on a deeper level than anyone else you’ve ever known. And you want to find out if the person is meant for you. Well, there are some sure signs to tell if you’re on the right track. And if you’ve found the one who truly understands and knows you, don’t let go they only come around once in a lifetime! Soul mate-Life partners.
You can convey what you’re thinking by just looking at each other.
You can’t even remember what it was like to be without them and you don’t want to.
They challenge you every single day. Soul mate-Life partners.
They know exactly what to do to calm you down when you’re mad, to help relieve your stress, or to cheer you up.
They also know exactly what to do to get under your skin and they at least attempt to not do those things.
Even after years of being together, you still have great chemistry.
You are completely comfortable in their presence. Soul mate-Life partners.
After spending a few days apart, you both talk a mile a minute to catch each other up on everything you both missed.
It feels like you’ve known each other your whole lives.
You disagree on some things, but are always on the same page when it really matters.
You have a bond that people around you don’t understand.
Their family feels like your own family.
You don’t feel the need to keep searching for more because you are so at peace with what you have.
You hurt when they hurt; you smile when they smile.
They are part of almost every story you tell. Soul mate-Life partners.
They think the weird, quirky things you do are adorable, and you feel the same way about them, too.
You are a better person with them than without them.
They support you and your dreams even if they don’t entirely understand them.
You are a dynamic duo, a perfect pair, a true team.
You feel protected by them and secure in your relationship. Soul mate-Life partners.
For the first time in your life, you realize that home is not a place, but a person.
In some ways, you have become pretty much the same person.
You are your best and worst self around them, and they love you for both.
You know, in your gut, that this is it for you.
This whole soul mate hints sounds really lovely; I wish to find someone I share deep connection with soon. Feeling lonely
Differentiating between love and infatuation is always complicated because both conditions share three similar symptoms; passion, a desire to be close, and strange emotions.
Passion
Passion may be present without genuine love. It is entirely possible, particularly for the male, to feel passionate for a woman he has never met. Passion does not necessarily indicate genuine love. Sometimes it is the major part of infatuation.
Love, however, is always based on more than sex, including sharing interests, values, goals and beliefs.
Infatuation is a stage that is too intense to last. Neither a man nor a woman can maintain such fierce passion for long, although they vow they will. If a relationship is based on passion, I give them three months tops and it’s over.
Desire to be close
The desire to be near someone constantly can just be as overwhelming in infatuation as in genuine love. You may wish to be together all the time, dreading the time when you must part. You may feel empty and lonely when your loved one is not with you, but this does not necessarily mean that it is real love.
Strange Emotions
Strange emotions can occur just as frequently with infatuation as with real love, although “funny feelings” and strange emotions are probably more indicative of infatuation. Genuine love encompasses more than a mixture of sick or giggly feelings and will continue long after such strange feelings subside.
However genuine love can be tested as all things. Here are a few tests that can separate genuine love from infatuation;
Testing For Genuine Love
Love develops slowly; infatuation rapidly
Love relies on compatibility; infatuation relies more on chemistry and physical appearance
Love centers on one person only; infatuation may involve several persons.
Love produces security; infatuation produces insecurity
Love recognizes realities; infatuation ignores them
Love motivates positive behaviour; infatuation has destructive effect
Love recognises faults; infatuation ignores them
Love controls physical contact; infatuation exploits it
Love is selfless; infatuation is selfish
Love brings the approval of family and friends; infatuation brings disapproval
Love ends slowly; infatuation ends rapidly
Love survives the test of time; infatuation can’t wait.
Know what love is and isn’t. Learn and try to find love not infatuation.
Spend money to create memories; getting the latest gadgets, cars and trending fashion feels really good, but you get over that feeling soon. Materialistic gratification does not last long, materialistic things buys our happiness for a brief moment. New things will lose their shine and we will lose our interest.
Instead of spending your money on things that will eventually be obsolete, spend money on something that will make lasting memories. Memories become a part of our lives forever and help make us who we are. The good experiences will forever stay good in your mind and the bad ones turn into a funny anecdote in the future.
Spend money on these and you will create memories:
Education
Being learned is power; there isn’t another feeling in the world that can compare to that feeling. There are varieties of things to take classes in; it could be a different language, ICT, religion, culture and even different professions, things that will open your mind to a whole different world.
It’s quite simply, just sign up for something different that will add to your vault of knowledge. You may never know when it can come in handy. Spend money on education.
Traveling
Traveling can be pricey at times, but it creates memories that last a life time. One good trip can cost less than a car you don’t really need but want. Trade materialistic things in for a night under the Northern Lights, a kiss on the Eiffel Tower, or a long journey backpacking through the Alps. Spend money on a vacation.
Music
Learning to play an instrument can be comforting; music helps you relax and you can channel your emotions in your music. Also, it is a great start to a new tradition in your family. You can pass this down to your children and make new memories. That is, of course, after you have told them about the ones you have when you learned to play.
Books
Book are always going to be something different with each reader that turns its’ pages. It is a completely different experience using your imagination to put the author’s words into images in your head. Books won’t ever require you to turn them on, charge them or restart them. They are things you can pass down from generation to generation. Spend money on books.
It is a much different experience to sit somewhere, with a book in hand, with absolutely no distractions. Books are portals to explore completely different worlds with a turn of a page.
Food
Instead of spending money on a bag, save it for some great food when out and about. Take some cooking classes on food from different cultures, you can also try out bakery, it might come in handy when you would like to impress a guest.
Spend money on things that would create memories instead of materialistic things. You don’t have to spend all of it on creating memories but if you do, you won’t regret it.
6 Awesome things to do for HIM – If you are reading this article you are to be congratulated for being so much in love with your boyfriend. The very fact that you feel like doing something sweet for your boyfriend is suggestive of the love you feel for him. Of course your love is the sweetest thing your boyfriend will ever experience from you; it surpasses anything external that you can do for him.
6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
When you love someone it’s important to allow yourself to express it as well. Some girls restrain their show of love for the fear that the guy would start taking her for granted, but that’s like living from a very protective place. If you really trust his love why should you fear expressing yourself fully and if you don’t trust his love then ask yourself why you feel that way?
List Of 6 Awesome Things To Do For Your Boyfriend
Any action that swells from the innocence of a love filled heart is bound to carry the flavor of sweetness. But in case you are looking for some tips on things to do for your boyfriend, here’s a list of 6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend;
1.) Be all ears to what he says
You don’t only want to be his girlfriend but also his best friend. One of the qualities of being a close friend is to be a good listener. It’s not easy to be willing to listen without wanting to judge or comment, but if you really love him allow him this talking space. 6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
Let him talk his heart out and then encourage him to talk more, he is sure to appreciate the sweetness in your wanting to listen him out.
2.) Dress to his taste
Remember that this is not a directive but something that you want to do because you love him. Your boyfriend may find some of your dressing style uncomfortable or too revealing, especially in public places. If you sense his discomfort you can avoid dressing that way in his company. He’s bound to find it sweet of you to do this for him.
6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend. But take note that you don’t have to do anything that makes you feel resentful or else it will only end up making you feel lousy or exploited.
3.) Cook him something special
In fact just cook him anything that you know he likes and he’s sure to find it really sweet of you, especially during the initial days of the relationship. Guys love that “home maker” instinct in their girlfriend.
Even if you are not a great cook, he will definitely love you for putting in the effort for him. 6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
4.) Give him a special night
If the both of you are on physical terms then there is no better way to be really sweet to your boyfriend than to give him the pleasure of your intimacy. The giving part is usually the most loving part about sex, and as a girl you can really give him a pleasurable high with the things you can do with his body.
6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
5.) Baby-talk him
Many guys love to be baby-talked to. You can call him by some cute names like teddy, cutie, sugar pie, plum cake or puppy and sweet talk him. No matter how much we grow up we all have a child inside us that loves to be acknowledged. Cuddling and baby-talking are some cute things to do for your boyfriend.
6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
6.) Gift him for no reason
Nothing shows love more than the act of giving. If you know that your boyfriend is looking to buy something for himself, you can buy it and gift it to him. You can gift him a shirt, a cap or a t-shirt out of the blue for no reason at all but to show him how much you love him.
A genuine love within usually manifests as a gesture of giving and that’s the sweetest part about any relationship. 6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
You can do a lot of sweet and cute things for your boyfriend just by holding on to the deep appreciation you have for the relationship. True love is always finding ways to show itself so opportunities will makes themselves available to you all the time. 6 Awesome things to do for your boyfriend
Simdul Shagaya is a Nigerian entrepreneur; the CEO and founder of Konga, one of Nigeria’s top e-commerce website.
Education
He was born in Nigeria but received most of his education in the United States. Sim Shagaya is a graduate of George Washington University, Dartmouth College and he holds an MBA from Havard Business School.
Career
Sim Shagaya returned to Africa in the early 2000s, and at that time Nigeria was still finding its feet in democracy, and Sim Shagaya opted to stay in South Africa; which was more stable at that time, he joined Rand Merchant Bank as the West African Principal. He has over 11 years’ experience in New Media and Investment Banking. He has worked with leaders such as MicroStrategy, Lucent Technologies and Real Networks. He served as the Africa lead for the search and internet advertising leader – Google Inc. He serves as a Director of E-Motion Advertising Limited. He is a member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria. Sim Shagaya launched e-Motion Advertising in November 2005, a Lagos-based integrated marketing and communications agency. In March 2011, he founded Dealdey, which grew to be one of Nigeria’s leading daily deals site.
Challenges
Sim Shagaya’s journey to success was not without several loopholes; he had failed attempts such as alarina.com- a dating site, jobclan.com- a job recruitment site, gbogbo.com- a classified site and a media streaming service -iNollywood.com. In an interview Sim Shagaya explained why his previous startups were not successful, he said: “The timing was wrong. These startups were just way ahead of their time.” The failure didn’t deter him, rather, the experiences and insights gained from these entrepreneurial endeavors eventually enabled Sim Shagaya to pioneer the online industry in Nigeria, particularly e-commerce retailing.
Konga
Konga.com was founded in 2012; it is a Nigerian electronic commerce company. Konga offers a third-party online market and a first-party direct retail spanning various categories including consumer electronics, fashion, home appliances, books, children’s items, and personal care products. Konga’s head office is in Yaba, Lagos. Sim Shagaya founded Konga with 20 staff which initially functioned as a Lagos only online retailer focused on merchandise in the Baby, Beauty, and Personal Care categories, but broadened its scope to all of Nigeria in December 2012 and gradually expanded merchandise categories through 2012 and 2013. According to Sim Shagaya, his primary goal with Konga was to aggregate the youngest and fastest-growing market that was dispersed, under-served and that traditional retailers were simply failing to reach. Konga has improved over the years and it is now one of the most visited online shopping sites in Nigeria.
Sim Shagaya was listed by Forbes as one of the 10 most powerful men in Africa in 2014, he has also won several awards such as the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Award in the CNBC/All Africa Business Leaders Award in West Africa. He is no thought a successful entrepreneur.
Eye Color Health Detection – There’s more to eye color than meets the…eye. For one, contrary to what you may have learned in grade school, there’s more than a single gene involved, which is why your specific hazel hue can look so vastly different from your daughter’s, says Rachel Bishop, MD, chief of the consult service section of the National Eye Institute. Though as with skin pigmentation, she says, you’ll see eye color similarities among families and ethnicity (dark eyes are more prevalent in an African population than a Scandinavian one, for example).
What’s more, whether they’re brown, hazel, green, blue, gray, or somewhere in between, your eyes can tell you more about yourself than you might expect—and not just in “the eyes are the windows to the soul” kind of way. Your eye color could dictate your risk for certain diseases or even predict how your body handles booze. Read on to get clued in. Eye Color Health Detection
I have 7 Eye Color Health Detection tips just for you;
1. Dark-eyed people are more likely to have cataracts.
A fogginess appearing over the pupil of the eye is a common sign of cataracts, a clouding of the vision common with aging. And people with dark eyes are at greater risk: A 2000 study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found that dark-eyed people had a 1.5 to 2.5 times greater risk of cataracts. Protecting your eyes from ultraviolet rays is one of the crucial steps of cataract prevention for anyone, but the researchers recommend dark-eyed sunbathers take particular caution. (Wearing sunnies and a hat with a brim is a good place to start!) Eye Color Health Detection
2. Vitiligo is less common among blue-eyed people.
A 2012 review of vitiligo research published in Nature found the autoimmune disease, which causes the loss of skin color in blotches, was less common in people with blue eyes. Of the nearly 3,000 vitiligo patients—who were all Caucasian—involved in the research, 27% had blue eyes, 30% had green or hazel eyes, and 43% had brown eyes, whereas the typical breakdown of eye color among Caucasians is 52% blue, 22% green or hazel, and 27% brown.
Eye Color Health Detection
The researchers discovered that variations in two particular genes, TYR and OCA2, which play a role in blue eye color, also decrease risk for vitiligo, says study author Richard A. Spritz, MD, director of the genomics programs at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
3. Melanoma is more common in people with blue eyes.
Eye Color Health Detection – From a genetic standpoint, Spritz says that,
melanoma and vitiligo look like they’re opposites. The same variations we saw as protective for vitiligo increased the risk for melanoma.
One theory as to why: vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, meaning our natural immune response mistakenly attacks our own bodies. Over-activity of that response could be what makes brown eyed people more susceptible to vitiligo—and what fights off melanoma.
He says,
The exact relationship is unknown, but the genes that protect against vitiligo, those that protect against melanoma, and those that simply dictate the amount and type of pigment you’re given all seem to be intertwined.
4. People with dark eyes may be more sensitive to alcohol.
If your eyes are black or brown, you may drink less than your blue- or green-eyed friends, according to a 2001 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. The researchers found higher self-reported alcohol use among women with light eyes as well as more frequent alcohol abuse among a group of light-eyed prisoners who they studied. They hypothesized that dark-eyed folks may be more sensitive to alcohol and other drugs in general, which may lead them to drink less to achieve the desired effects. Eye Color Health Detection
5. Women with light eyes may better withstand pain.
In research presented at the American Pain Society’s 2014 annual meeting, anesthesiology professor Inna Belfer, MD, PhD, presented findings suggesting women with light eyes may have a higher tolerance for pain and discomfort. (Eye Color Health Detection ) A small group of women were studied before and after giving birth, and those with darker eyes exhibited more anxiety and sleep disturbances in response to the pain of the experience.
Dark-eyed women also experienced a greater reduction in pain after receiving an epidural, suggesting more sensitivity to pain, MedPage Today reported. Belfer told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the results were very preliminary, but could one day help doctors pinpoint a genetic cause of pain.
6. People with light eyes may be more likely to have age-related macular degeneration.
One of the most common causes of vision loss after 50 is age-related macular degeneration or AMD, damage to a small part of the eye near the center of the retina that sharpens your eyesight. It can begin as blurriness and progress to spots that appear completely blank. Several small studies have suggested that, in addition to smoking and a family history of the disease, having light eyes also ups your risk for AMD, perhaps as much as twofold.
Eye Color Health Detection
However, most of these studies have been small, and some question the significance of the findings. AMD is more common among Caucasians, Bishop says, who are also more likely to have pale eyes, but she’s not familiar with any research supporting a causal link between the two. It could be an association, she says, such as how African Americans have a higher risk of glaucoma and a higher proportion of dark eyes, but the two may have nothing to do with each other, she says.
7. Changing eye color could be a sign something’s wrong.
If you notice a reddening in the whites of your eyes, you might have undiagnosed allergies. If they turn yellow, you may have liver problems. If just one eye has recently changed color, it could be a sign of inherited diseases like neurofibromatosis, which causes nerve tissue tumors, or Waardenburg syndrome, which typically involves deafness and pale skin, or it could even signal melanoma of the iris, Bishop says. Eye Color Health Detection
Bishop says,
If your eyes have always been two different colors, it’s probably nothing to worry about; there can be slightly different patterns of pigment assigned to each eye during development. But if you notice a recent change, you always want to rule out a problem.
Well my dear readers, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, new research claims that they are also windows to our health. Eye Color Health Detection
According to the picture above, there has been a change in eye color since cutting out gluten, pain killers, and cutting back on alcohol. Your iris is only a couple of cells thick and you can literally see a difference within a week if you change your diet. Cutting out alcohol makes a massive difference to how sparkly your eyes are. Eye Color Health Detection.
Important Food Diet-Cut – Anyone who cares about his health already knows to purge the cupboard of refined carbohydrates and added sugars—your white breads, your Tropicanas. And yet many of us live with a rising dread that we are accidentally ingesting terrible things that we don’t even know are terrible, or that are more terrible than we’d allowed ourselves to believe.
So we canvassed a panel of experts, from coaches to nutritionists, and asked them to pick ONE thing you should cut out of their diet if you want to eat healthier and drop weight. Important Food Diet-Cut
Abby Calcutt, registered dietitian/nutritionist and health-and-wellness coach (Boston)
Cut out Arizona Iced Tea. It’s a nice example of a beverage loaded with more sugar than you need in a day, masked with the healthy and healthful label of’ ‘iced tea.’ And while you’re at it, eat foods with more fiber in them: fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. Important Food Diet-Cut
What You’re Missing: One 20 oz. can of Arizona Iced Tea (with lemon flavor)—one of the few companies that doesn’t list nutrition facts on its site—is loaded with 59 grams of sugar.
If I had to choose one food thing, I would choose low/nonfat fruity Greek yogurts. There is such a buzz about Greek yogurt being so great for you, and it’s one of the fastest growing categories in the dairy aisle. But now it has gone overboard with pre-blended granola in it, dessert-like flavors (chocolate anyone?), the sugar content and additives have pushed all the goodness out of Greek yogurt.
What You’re Missing: Chobani’s Blackberry Fruit on the Bottom Greek Yogurt has 120 calories and, with 15 grams, more sugar than Cinnamon Toast Crunch. (Rhymes with TechCrunch… lol!)
Important Food Diet-Cut
Lori Zanini, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Los Angeles)
Important Food Diet-Cut
Flavored coffee creamers! Most coffee creamers seem so innocent because they are added to our coffee in small amounts. What we usually don’t realize is that the majority of coffee creamers contain hydrogenated oils, which are trans fats that can actually harm our heart health by lowering our good cholesterol and increasing our bad cholesterol—while providing additional, empty calories. Since this is likely a daily habit, with multiple cups of coffee, the small amounts can add up to a big health risk. Skip the creamer and drink your coffee black to make your diet healthier today.
What You’re Missing: One serving of Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy—and we know you’re putting in more than that one tablespoon—packs 40 calories, 9 percent of your daily saturated fat, and six grams of sugar.
Chris Bennett, Nike+ Running Global Head Coach (New York City)
Stop drinking soda. That includes diet soda, too! It hurts me to even say this, because I love soda. My personal preference is a classic, specifically Coca-Cola Classic. I’ll even tell you how I like it—in a red aluminum can, not a plastic bottle. Regardless, it’s the worst. But soda (any kind of soda) is the easiest thing to take out of your diet because it’s so easily replaceable. And the best part is that it’s replaceable with something extraordinary—water. I am not a big fan of people trying to live Spartan lifestyles, nor am I a believer in fad diets and crash weight-loss plans.
Important Food Diet-Cut
But if guys knock soda out of their daily routine and just replace it with water, they will lose weight. They will have more energy. They will be better hydrated. They will recover better. They will look better. They will be doing less damage to their teeth, their bones, their liver, and their kidneys. They will simply be better.
What You’re Missing : One 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola Classic has 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar.
Jim White, dietitian and gym owner (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Sweet cereals: As delicious as Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Reese’s Puffs cereal may sound, I suggest only consuming these cereals on occasion. That is if you have the self-control to keep these in the cabinet and not eat the whole box. Otherwise, choose high fiber cereals with eight grams of sugar or fewer per serving.
Important Food Diet-Cut
Many cereals advertise well by appearing healthy with ‘fresh fruit’ and ‘healthy whole grains,’ but will typically be loaded with refined sugars with little-to-no benefit for your body. Look for whole grains on the ingredient list, not just the front of the box, and at least three grams of fiber per serving. Add a handful of fresh fruit, a few raw almonds, or one tablespoon of ground flaxseed to help fully satisfy you instead of doubling up the serving size.
What You’re Missing: One serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch—again, assuming you don’t eat the whole goddamn box—has 130 calories and 9 grams of sugar. Reese’s Puffs will set you back 120 calories and 10 grams of sugar.
Important Food Diet-Cut
Brandon McDaniel, Los Angeles Dodgers strength and conditioning coach
The biggest thing I see is guys reaching for a granola bar or fruit bar because they have been told that grains are healthy for them. These bars typically have a lot of poor ingredients, high amounts of sugar and are highly processed. I always push our guys towards a real food option that has a balanced amount of carbs, fat and protein.
What You’re Missing: Remember those Nature Valley Granola bars you ate as a kid? Well they have 120 calories and 12 grams of sugar.
Future is our celebrity profiling of the day. His real name is Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn and he is an American rapper, singer, and record producer from the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.
HIS EARLY LIFE
Future was born in Atlanta, Georgia on the 20th of November, 1983 and is of Haitian descent. His stage name came about after members of the musical collective The Dungeon Family called him “The Future”. His first cousin, producer Rico Wade of the Dungeon Family, encouraged him to sharpen his writing skills and pursue a career as a rapper. He attended Columbia High School.
He voices his praise of Wade’s musical influence and instruction, calling him the “mastermind” behind his sound. He soon came under the wing of Atlanta’s own Rocko who signed him to his label A-1 Recordings. Since then his work ethic has driven him to his success. From 2010 to early 2011, Future released a series of mixtapes including 1000, Dirty Sprite and True Story. The latter included the single “Tony Montana”, in reference to the Scarface film. During this time, Future also partnered with Gucci Mane on the Free Bricks collaborative album and wrote YC’s single “Racks”.
HIS CAREER
Future’s career took a great turn in 2011 as he signed a major label deal with Epic Records in September 2011, days before the release of his next mixtape, Streetz Calling. The mixtape was described by XXL magazine as ranging from “simple and soundly executed boasts” to “futuristic drinking and drugging jams” to “tales of the grind.” A Pitchfork review remarked that on the mixtape he comes “as close as anyone to perfecting this thread of ringtone pop, where singing and rapping are practically the same thing, and conversing 100% through Auto-Tune doesn’t mean you still can’t talk about how you used to sell drugs. It would almost feel antiquated if Future weren’t amassing hits, or if he weren’t bringing some subtle new dimensions to the micro-genre.”
Before his album being released in April 2012. XXL’s Troy Mathews wrote, “While Astronaut Status is up and down and never really hits the highs like ‘Racks’, ‘Tony Montana’, and ‘Magic’ that fans have come to expect from him, it’s apparent that he’s poised to continue the buzz of 2011 humming right along into 2012.” Future was selected to the annual XXL Freshmen list in early 2012.
His debut album Pluto, originally planned for January, was eventually released on April 17. It included remixes of “Tony Montana” featuring Drake and “Magic” featuring T.I.. According to him, “‘Magic’ was the first record T.I. jumped on when he came outta jail. Like, he was out of jail a day and he jumped straight on the ‘Magic’ record without me even knowing about it.” The track became Future’s first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Other collaborators on the album include Trae Tha Truth, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg. On October 8, 2012, Pusha T released “Pain” featuring Future, the first single from his upcoming debut album.It was announced that Future will be repackaging his debut album Pluto on November 27, 2012 under the name Pluto 3D featuring 3 new songs & 2 remix songs including the remix for “Same Damn Time” featuring Diddy & Ludacris, as well as his newest street single “Neva End (Remix)” featuring Kelly Rowland. In 2012, Future wrote, produced and was featured on “Loveeeeeee Song” taken from Barbadian singer Rihanna’s seventh studio album Unapologetic.
HIS SECOND ALBUM, HONEST
On January 15, 2013, Future released the compilation mixtape F.B.G.: The Movie which features the artists signed to his Freebandz label: Young Scooter, Slice9, Casino, Mexico Rann and Maceo. It was certified platinum for having over 250,000 downloads on popular mixtape site DatPiff. Future said of his second studio album Future Hendrix it will be a more substantive musical affair than his debut album and will feature R&B music along with his usual “street bangers”. The album was to be released in 2013. The album will feature Kanye West, Rihanna, Ciara, Drake, Kelly Rowland, Jeremih, Diplo, and Andre 3000, among others.
The album’s lead single, “Karate Chop” featuring Casino, premiered on January 25, 2013 and was sent to urban radio on January 29, 2013. The song is produced by Metro Boomin. The official remix, which features Lil Wayne, was sent radio and was released on iTunes on February 19, 2013. On August 7, 2013, Future changed the title of his second album from Future Hendrix to Honest and announced that it would be released on November 26, 2013.
It was later revealed that the album would be pushed back to April 22, 2014, as it was said that Future has tour dates with Drake on Would You Like A Tour?. In December 2013, it was announced that Future would make a guest appearance on Kat Dahlia’s upcoming debut, My Garden.
HIS RAP STYLE
Future uses Auto-Tune in his songs. Rapper T-Pain, who also uses that audio processor, criticised Future, stating that the later doesn’t know how to use it correctly. After that announcement he stated in an interview;
When I first used Auto-Tune, I never used it to sing. I wasn’t using it the way T-Pain was. I used it to rap because it makes my voice sound grittier. Now everybody wants to rap in Auto-Tune. Future’s not everybody.
Listen to his song, I won featuring Kanye West;
HIS PERSONAL LIFE
Nayvadius has fathered four children with four different women: Jessica Smith, Brittni Mealy, India J, and singer Ciara. Future and Ciara were engaged in October 2013, but called off the engagement in August 2014.
FUTURE & CIARA at the 2013 BET Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on June 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
And that was Future, the auto-tune hip hop artiste. For more info visit his site here
If you notice things easily you’ll see that Future is a November-born and most of my profiling are on November-borns, also mostly Scorpios. I don’t do it purposely but as we can all see my heart moves in play with people like me, AWESOME FOLKS of the Scorpio star of November.
It has built-in reader, note-taking and sharing features.
The design focuses on simplicity and minimalism.
The rendering engine is called EdgeHTML.
Microsoft Edge will be the only browser running on Microsoft Windows 10 mobile, but users can download the Edge browser or Internet Explorer 11 for laptops, larger tablets, or desktop machines. It’s unclear if Edge will be available on other mobile platforms such as Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS.
The technology inside the Microsoft Edge browser is fundamentally different from what’s running inside Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s legacy browser that has declined from about 50% of the market share in the second quarter of 2012 to about 46% share today, according to Net Applications. In that period of time, the world has gone more completely mobile and browsing habits have changed. We now expect the web browser to handle phone calls, run web extensions, and applications. As our expectations changed, Internet Explorer did not.
In part that’s because IE was hobbled by its own success. When your clients are big corporate customers and tech-averse individuals who hate upgrading to a new version of software, it’s difficult to introduce new technology that could adversely impact thousands of small businesses. But Microsoft can’t ignore its declining share anymore, especially on mobile devices, where Internet Explorer holds a paltry 2.5% share, according to Net Applications.
Microsoft Edge
In a blog post from March, when Microsoft said it would focus on the Edge browser (then called Project Spartan), a program manager wrote:
Project Spartan is our future: it is the default browser for all Windows 10 customers and will provide unique user experiences including the ability to annotate on web pages, a distraction-free reading experience, and integration of Cortana for finding and doing things online faster. Web developers can expect Project Spartan’s new engine to be interoperable with the modern Web and remain “evergreen” with no document modes or compatibility views introduced going forward.
Basically, it’s a browser that sounds a lot like the ones most technologically-inclined people are used to. And those people are the developers and younger generation that Microsoft needs to court if it wants to stay relevant going forward. But large corporate customers, don’t panic–Internet Explorer isn’t going away. Microsoft Edge
Microsoft will release IE 11 with some (unspecified) versions of Office 10 and will continue to support it going forward. But unless your audience is captive, pushing them to Internet Explorer isn’t going to win you any converts. And even if they are captive, it’s a pretty cruel thing to do.
Microsoft’s windows 10 with continuum just demonstrated the ability to use your phone as your desktop computer.
In contrast to Apple’s “Continuity,” which aims to make moving between phone, tablet and desktop seamless, Microsoft’s windows 10 with Continuum instead has the phone you’re using adapt its interface depending on the context you’re using it.
Joe Belfiore
In an on-stage demo, Microsoft’s windows 10 with continuum was connected a phone to a monitor, keyboard and mouse, by Joe Belfiore and instantly the UI he was using adapted to the new inputs and outputs. While the operating system interface we saw on screen didn’t look exactly like Windows 10 on a laptop or desktop computer, the applications shown (especially PowerPoint) did. Instead of making minor adjustments to a presentation using a 5-inch screen, you can simply connect to an HDMI-compatible monitor and have all the space and tools you would on a full PC.
(Joe Belfiore is the Corporate Vice President, Operating Systems Group at Microsoft. He is responsible for the design and software product definition of forthcoming generations of Windows Phones. In May 2013, he was recognized as the #10 Best Designer in Technology by Business Insider. In 2010 he was interviewed by Walt Mossberg at All Things D conference)
Belfiore pointed out that the feature really shines when apps have been built to scale across form factors, so whether or not this ends up being a feature most would want to take advantage of really depends on developers committing their efforts to Windows 10.
Of course, phone hardware isn’t built to deliver full-on desktop interfaces (just ask Motorola!). That being the case, Belfiore said the feature will run on future devices — a hint that Continuum will be one of the selling points Microsoft is going to push for upcoming Lumia devices.
Secret Life of Wilson Love V; Wilson Love’s Secret is really unbearable. I have try to come up with easier ways to tell you but to no avail. Who would have guessed that a young guy would do something like that?
Anyway the story continues;
Wilson Love’s Secret Life
It is Thursday morning, three days had passed and still no Nneoma. Wilson was still asleep when his phone rang. He jumped up to the sound of his phone ringing. He searched all around him throwing up his pillows and picked up the phone lying right beside his left foot.
Wilson Love’s Secret Life – He answered; “Hello” and Ivy’s voice responded from the receiver,
Hello boy, how are you holding up? Hope you are not still sulking about Nneoma? Anyway get out a pen and copy down her number.
Wilson couldn’t believe his ears, he quickly dived at Emeka, who was writing on his reading table and took his pen and book to copy the number. Ivy called out the number and said goodbye. Wilson copied it and told Ivy just before she hung up that she was the best and he’ll make it up to her. Wilson Love’s SecretLife
He then dialed the number he had just received. It rang and his heart began to race. There is a click as the receiver picked up the call and said, “Hello”. Wilson heard that same sweet voice he heard at the volleyball field. He was so happy but comported himself and responded, “is this Nneoma?” “Yes, please who is asking?” she replied. “It is the cute guy you met on Monday dear, how are you?” said Wilson.
There was a giggle from Nneoma before she answered,
Wilson! I’m fine oh! I’m sorry I gave you the wrong digits, misplaced my last three numbers with my departmental code. Don’t know what I was thinking I’m really sorry. Is there any chance you’ll forgive me?
Wilson Love’s Secret Life
Smiling, Wilson said,
Forgive you? I have done that already dear. I understand. What’s important is that I have your number now. Where are you? Can I see you today?
She laughed and responded,
Slow down cowboy. You can’t see me today, I’m sorry. I have to go home to see my parents, they just returned from Dubai last night and have summoned me home. Probably when I return on Saturday we’ll see at the Hostel party. Is that okay?”
Wilson shrugged his shoulder and exhaled slowly before he replied,
any way, I have no problem with that. I’ll be expecting to see you at the party then. So is that a date?
Nneoma laughed then answered, “If that’s what you want to call it. Take care Wilson, the trouble maker” and she hung up.
Wilson Love’s Secret Life
Wilson slowly put down his phone and walked up to Emeka. He hugged his cousin so tight and kissed his forehead. Man! He was so happy.
“What will I wear to the party? Should I get a haircut? Am I looking too slim?” He bombarded Emeka with questions that Emeka just picked his books and walked out of the room.
I need to get everything set before Saturday. Where do I start?
Bear in mind that the secret of life is enjoying the journey. Also don’t forget this is a life story that I totally made up.
My esteemed and most faithful readers, I still don’t know how to reveal this Wilson Love’s Secret, it is really hard because what he did was so gruesome but keep reading. Subscribe to this post below and enjoy the whole episodes of our suspense-filled THE SECRET LIFE OF WILSON LOVE.
Drake, with the real name Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, songwriter, and actor. He first garnered recognition for his role as Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later rose to prominence as a rapper, releasing several mixtapes like Room for Improvement before signing to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.
HIS EARLY LIFE
Aubrey Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, to parents Sandi Graham (née Sher), an educator, and Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis. Two of his uncles, Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges, are also musicians. His father is an African-American from Memphis, Tennessee, and mother is a Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah.
His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in two Toronto neighborhoods; he lived on Weston Road in the city’s west end, until the sixth grade, when he moved to the affluent Forest Hill. As a youth, he played minor hockey with the Weston Red Wings. He has commented on the move to Forest Hill and his mother’s struggle, saying that,
She wanted the best for her family. She found us a half of a house we could live in. The other people had the top half, we had the bottom half. I lived in the basement, my mom lived on the first floor. It was not big, it was not luxurious. It was what we could afford.
Drake then began attending Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where he began acting, but did not graduate. It was the first of two high schools he would attend, as he later went to Vaughan Road Academy, describing it as “not by any means the easiest school to go to. It’s a tough school.” Despite dropping out of high school, years later, he graduated in October 2012.
At the age of 15, he met an agent, the father of a high school friend. The agent found him a role on the Canadian TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy Brooks. In the show, Brooks is a basketball star who became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate. Drake describes how his early acting career affected his family,
My mother was very sick. We were very poor, like broke. The only money I had coming in was off of Canadian TV, which isn’t that much money when you break it down. A season of Canadian television is under a teacher’s salary, I’ll tell you that much. It’s definitely not something to go fucking get.
He would continue his acting career on Degrassi: The Next Generation until 2009, when his character graduated from Degrassi. Overall, he appeared in a total of 138 episodes.
Looking back on his early life, he had to essentially live two different lives because of his parents’ divorce; he lived in a very upper-class part of Toronto, and, when in Memphis, was told he was “the furthest thing from hood.”
He witnessed many life-changing experiences because of this, one being his father’s arrest, which he describes by saying,
The fact that I didn’t have a father, because he was in jail two separate times. He did a two-year bid and a three-year bid, I was there when he got taken down. We had just gotten back from Memphis.
However, Drake comments on his childhood experiences by saying,
I’ve seen things that didn’t make me happy. They were character building. That’s why I think people in the hood can still connect with what I’m saying even though I’m not saying ‘yeah I got crack in my pocket’ ’cause that wasn’t my struggle necessarily, [but] I speak from a place that’s just human emotion.
Drake stated that his parents’ divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying,
I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother.
At the age of 24, Drake commented on his early life by saying,
I’ve seen a lot, man. I’ve seen a lot of life, put it that way. I’ve been with the most blessed kids in the world. I’ve been with people whose life is right at the bottom of the barrel. I was on a TV show, I went to art school, I went to hood schools. I’ve lived. I’ve lived a full 24 years, man.
Around this time, he was dating fellow Canadian R&B singer Keshia Chanté.
HIS CAREER
Drake planned to release his official debut album, Thank Me Later, in late 2008, but the album’s release date was postponed, first to March 2010, then May 25, 2010. Universal Motown then stated the album had been pushed back three weeks for a June 15, 2010, release. Thank Me Later was finally released on June 15, 2010. On that day, 25,000 fans gathered at New York’s South Street Seaport for a free concert by Drake and Hanson. A near-riot ensued after police canceled the show due to overflowing crowds.
The week of the album’s release, the album sold 447,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Due to his first week sales, Drake had sold the most records for any hip hop artist in one week in 2010. Eminem surpassed that accomplishment a week later. The album has collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne while forgoing planned duets with Trey Songz and Danny!
On March 9, 2010, he released the first single from his Thank Me Later album, titled “Over”. The song was well-received and performed well both commercially and critically. The song reached a peak of No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The song also received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards. On March 12, 2010, a version of K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Drake is featured in the song, performing a solo verse near the end of the song.
In June 2010, it was announced that Drake would have a prominent role in the video game Gears of War 3. He was scheduled to play the part of Jace Stratton, but a scheduling conflict meant it went to someone else. On April 29, 2010, it was announced that Drake had finished Thank Me Later. According to reports, Drake announced the completion of the album to a crowd during his April 26, 2010, show at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. His camp has since confirmed that he was finished with the final track to the album and the next single from the album would be titled “Find Your Love”.
“Find Your Love” was released as the second single on May 5, 2010. Critics commended Drake’s attempt to move into the singing lane on the song, and compared it to Kanye West’s work on 808s & Heartbreak. The single became the most successful single from the album, peaking at number 5 on the Hot 100 and receiving a Platinum certification by the RIAA. “Find Your Love” also performed well internationally and was Drake’s first top 40 appearance in the United Kingdom and Italy. To date it also remains Drake’s only solo top 10 appearance in his home country of Canada.
The music video for the single was shot in Kingston, Jamaica and tells the story of Drake being involved in a fateful encounter with a gang-affiliated woman. The video was criticized by Jamaica’s minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett who said,
We just have to say that care has to be taken by all, including our creative artists, in portraying images of our destination and people, Gun culture, while not unique to Jamaica, is not enhancing [the island’s image]
The third single from the album, “Miss Me”, featuring Lil Wayne, was released on June 1, 2010. The single proved to be moderately successful, and reached No. 15 on the Hot 100. The fourth and final single released from the album was “Fancy”. The song was performed at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2010 with appearances by Swizz Beatz and Mary J. Blige in the performance. The song proved to be his least successful single of the era, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it managed to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Songs chart and received a nomination at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.
Drake hosted the first annual OVO (October’s Very Own) Festival. In that festival he brought out the VIP list of rap stars including Jay-Z, Eminem, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Bun B and Fabolous. He kicked off his “Lights Dreams and Nightmares Tour” on September 20, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The tour traveled to major cities in the United States, winding down on November 6 in Las Vegas.
‘TAKE CARE’
Drake’s second studio album, Take Care, was announced on November 17, 2010. It was originally scheduled to be released on October 24, 2011, though it was later delayed to November 15, 2011 (my birthday).
crazy Drake drinking from his Grammy award
In late January 2011, Indiewire announced that he was in negotiations to join Eva Green and Susan Sarandon in the cast of Nicholas Jarecki’s forthcoming feature-film Arbitrage. In April 2011, it was announced that he would no longer star in the movie in order to focus on the album. “Dreams Money Can Buy” and “Marvins Room” were released on his October’s Very Own Blog on May 20 and June 9, respectively. The former was not featured on the official tracklisting, while the latter was released as a promotional single through iTunes on July 22 after it gained considerable airplay on Urban radio. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA, peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top 10 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On June 28, the music video for “Marvins Room” was released, featuring him feeling depressed in a club.
“Headlines” was released as Take Care’s lead single on August 9, 2011. It was met with positive critical and commercial responses, reaching number 13 on the Hot 100 and was eventually certified Platinum in the United States and Canada. The song also became his tenth single to reach the summit of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, which led him to be the artist with the most number 1 hits on the chart, a record which he still presently holds with 12 number one hits. The music video for the single was released on October 2, 2011, depicting Drake rapping in various locations around Toronto such as Guild Park and Rogers Centre. He performed “Headlines” on ice during the second intermission of the NHL All Star Game in his home country of Canada in January 2012.
“Make Me Proud” was released as the second single from the album on October 16, 2011, and features Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. The single was commercially successful, reaching a peak position of number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It ties the record for largest jump on the Billboard Hot 100 for a male artist (with Akon’s “Smack That”), when the song vaulted from number 97 to number 9 in an 88 position jump. The song also reached the peak of both the Billboard Rap Songs chart and the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, marking Drake’s eleventh and eighth number ones on both charts respectively. “Make Me Proud” became Drake’s fourth consecutive single to receive a Platinum certification by the RIAA.
“The Motto” was released as Take Care’s third single on November 29, 2011, and features American rapper Lil Wayne. It became one of Drake’s most successful singles, peaking at number 14 on the Hot 100 and topping the Rap and R&B/Hip-Hop songs charts, further extending his lead for most number one hits on the rap chart and matching a record set by fellow rapper Jay-Z, for most number one hits on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a Rap artist. It is credited for popularizing the phrase “YOLO” in the United States, with the song’s hook stating, “You only live once: that’s the motto, nigga, YOLO.” The song’s music video was released on February 10, 2012, and features appearances by fellow Young Money rapper Tyga, E-40, and Mistah F.A.B.
The album’s title track was released as the fourth single on February 21, 2012, and features Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. It is Drake’s biggest worldwide hit as a lead artist with the song being his first top 10 hit in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The single was certified 2× Platinum in the United States for sales of over 2,000,000 units, being the second single after “The Motto” to do so. The music video for the single was released after many delays on April 6, 2012, simultaneously with the music video for the fifth single “HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)”. The video for “Take Care” depicts various scenes of both he and Rihanna embracing along with various scenes of natural landscapes and wildlife. Critically, the video was praised, with MTV stating, “None of his contemporaries — not even the ever-obtuse Kanye [West] – make videos like this, mostly because no one else can get away with it.”
The music video received four nominations at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Male Video, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Video of the Year. The fifth single from Take Care, “HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)” was released on April 24, 2012 and was the least successful single from the album, peaking at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Gold by the RIAA, indicating sales of over half a million units. The Judaism themed video for the song won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video. In December 2012, FUSE TV named “HYFR” one of the top 40 songs of 2012.
HIS RECORD LABEL, OVO
Drake and producer Noah “40” Shebib formed a record label named OVO Sound in early 2012. Drake and 40 represented OVO (October’s Very Own) since his previous mixtapes were released. The label is currently distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The label signed its first artist who goes by PartyNextDoor and also signed producers Boi-1da, T-Minus, and Mike Zombie. In 2012, Jake One produced a song for Drake, originally expected to be released ahead of the third annual OVO Fest. A video of Drake previewing the untitled song while smoking a hookah was released on June 26, 2012 through Vimeo. In the event, the previously unissued “Enough Said” by Aaliyah featuring verses added by Drake was released instead on the day of the concert.
While touring in the UK in support of Take Care, Drake announced in an interview that he had begun work on his third studio album. He had recently worked with 40, and was hoping to work with Jamie xx, who produced Take Care’s title track, while in the UK, stating that he wants him to “have a bigger presence on my third record”. Drake has stated that the album will have a different style than that of Take Care.
Drake was featured on Rick Ross’s single “Diced Pineapples” from God Forgives, I Don’t, Kendrick Lamar’s song “Poetic Justice” from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, and ASAP Rocky’s “Fuckin’ Problems” from Long. Live. ASAP, which also features Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz. On December 5, 2012, it was announced that Drake’s record label, October’s Very Own, inked a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records.
In January 2013, Drake was seen filming the music video for a new song titled “Started from the Bottom” and was being directed by Director X. Drake later announced that he will release the song as the first single off his third studio album on the night of the 55th Grammy Awards. The single was instead premiered on February 1, 2013 and released to iTunes five days later. At the 55th Grammy Awards, he won the award for Best Rap Album for Take Care and announced his third studio album would be titled Nothing Was the Same. In March 2013 he would premiere a song off the album titled “5 AM in Toronto”, a sequel to the Thank Me Later track “9 AM in Dallas”.
Later in the month he would film a music video for the song and it would be released on April 1, 2013. Drake also would release two more songs on April 15, 2013 titled “No New Friends”, a song that will be featured on DJ Khaled’s Suffering from Success album, and “Girls Love Beyonce”, which samples from Destiny’s Child song “Say My Name”. On September 14, 2013, Drake performed an unreleased song from his upcoming album Nothing Was the Same, titled “Too Much”, featuring London singer Sampha on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He also announced that his “Would You like a Tour?” tour will begin in October 2013. Drake made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on January 19, 2014; also serving as the musical guest. The episode received acclaim from critics who praised Drake’s acting ability and comedic timing.
HIS FOURTH ALBUM
In July 2014, Drake announced that the name of his fourth album would be Views from the 6, though he had not yet begun to record it. However, on February 12, 2015, Drake released If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, with no prior announcement onto iTunes, making it his fourth retail project with Cash Money.
Influences
Drake stated that Kanye West, Jay-Z, Aaliyah and his mentor Lil Wayne are his biggest influences. He refers to Kanye West as one of his idols and favorite rappers in hip hop. He expanded on this by commenting in an interview with MTV:
I can never sit here and tell you that’s not one of my idols, that’s not one of my favorite rappers. Whatever energy I’ve ever felt is irrelevant. When you ask me, ‘What do I think of Kanye West,’ I’mma always have something positive to say.
His musical abilities have often been compared to West. He commented on this by saying,
It’s an honor, when I was a kid trying to figure out what I liked, it was ‘he who I related to the most. He was an artist, in every sense, from his cover art to his music. Now, I would say, he is really great, competitor…and friend, at the same time. My goal is to surpass everything he’s accomplished. I don’t want to be as good as Kanye, I want to be better.
In an interview with SoulCulture TV Drake stated that R&B singer Aaliyah has had the biggest influence on his career. He stated that,
Aaliyah has had probably the most impact on my career, because when I made a choice to start singing it was because of something that my father had told me which was, ‘There’s no rapper out there that sings and raps and does both things well… and in order to be successful you’re gonna need something other than just what everyone else is doing.’ I was rapping already at the time so I had an identity in rap, but when I started singing I needed something to reference. I needed someone to be like, ‘I wanna be like that’. I didn’t want it ever to be a male because then I would sound like that person, so I just found comfort in all of Aaliyah’s music and her melody choices and the things that she talks about – and how she always conveyed these amazing emotions but never got too sappy, she always kept it G. That had the biggest influence on my music because – as much as my music may be geared towards women – I try not to make it so that only women can sing it.
Musical style
Drake’s lyrics often discuss themes of wealth, fame, and past relationships. AllMusic describes Drake’s moods as searching, thoughtful, introspective, brooding, confident, dramatic, earnest, energetic, humorous, intense,
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 16: ESPYs host Drake speaks onstage during the 2014 ESPYS at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 16, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
laid-back/mellow, literate, melancholy, nostalgic, playful, reflective, smooth, tender, warm and yearning. Drake’s sound is labeled as “soft” for his lyrics and melody to most hip hop listeners. He denied this by saying
I’m not soft. I’m just not one of those people who’s closed off emotionally.
A large portion of Drake’s work incorporates elements of both rapping and singing, which has led to him being unique as a recording artist. Drake has even described himself as “the first person to successfully rap and sing.” He went on further about his statement by saying
I’m one of the few artists who gets to be himself every day. It doesn’t take me six hours to get ready and I don’t have to wake up in the morning and remember to act like this or talk like this. I just have to be me. That’s one of the favorite parts of my life – I’ve done this purely by being myself.
He has a unique musical style that has set him apart from his (Young Money) counterparts. Regarding Drake’s album Take Care, Lil Wayne commented on the project prior to its release that;
I can tell, you know, I don’t know nothing else out there that can touch it, including my stuff. That kid is on another planet.
Recently, Drake has been making a notable shift away from Young Money/Cash Money collaborations and towards a new project, OVOXO. The OVO owl symbolizes OVOXO, which is a separate entity from Young Money/Cash Money and represents a collaboration group between Drake and R&B singer The Weeknd. Its eyes and beak form the acronym for October’s Very Own. He has been moving in this new direction after the release of Take Care, which featured writing collaborations with The Weeknd on 5 tracks ranging from “Crew Love” to “Shot for Me” and 2 production collaborations on “Crew Love” and “The Ride”, more than any Young Money/Cash Money collaboration.
Toronto Raptors
On September 30, 2013, Drake was announced as the new “global ambassador” for the Toronto Raptors, thereby joining the executive committee of his hometown’s National Basketball Association (NBA) team. In this role, he will help promote and serve as a host of festivities for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, to be held in Toronto, as well as provide consulting services to re-brand the team and redesign its image and clothing line, in honor of its upcoming 20th anniversary, in the 2014–15 season.
The job includes his own staff, located in an office next to that of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke. In announcing the position, Aubrey Graham noted that,
obviously, I won’t be able to be in the building every day but I am extremely dedicated to it… I do take it very seriously as a new job and a new chapter in my life.
My confusion has been cleared. Owing to the fact that Drake has won a lot of awards and nominated in so many too, I can proudly state that every Scorpio born is dope. We are awesome.
Oluwaseun Osewa is a Nigerian entrepreneur and blogger, the founder of Nairaland– a Nigerian online community. He was born on 17th July, 1982 in Sango Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Education
Seun Osewa studied Electrical Engineering in the University of Ile Ife, but he dropped out to pursue his programming dream.
Career
Seun Osewa has been interested in the internet business since 2000; he started a career in Webhosting in 2003, but it wasn’t successful he had only one customer after 3 months. Seun Osewa stopped his webhosting career and created a site that sends SMS under the alias Python.
Seun Osewa later started Web Forum Online Community with a $15 monthly deal that was previously offered by a family member; he created 3 Forums; one for I.T Discussion, the 2nd for higher institution students, and the 3rd for the emerging GSM Industry in the country at MobileNigeria.com . MobileNigeria took off and was re launched in February 2005 by the help of an active member of the forum; Mr. John Sagai Adams.
Nairaland
Seun Osewa founded Nairaland on March 2003; the concept behind Nairaland was from a section on MobileNigeria that focus on other aspects of life such as: romance, relationship, news, technology and mobile section.Nairaland also serves as a medium for advertising both local and international business ventures. Nairaland had several setbacks including being banned by Google Adsense in 2012 due to display of many sexual explicit contents and that led to the creation of Nairaland Ads. Despite the setbacks, Nairaland is ranked as the 7th most visited site in Nigeria according to Alexa.com with over 1,300,000 registered accounts.
Seun Osewa was included in Forbes List of Best African Most Successful Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 in 2013. He is hardworking and very determined in pursuing his dreams, he also likens himself to the great Mark Zuckerberg.
Happiness– that is my reply each time someone ask me the best feeling in life. Life can be a challenge, yet we try to make the best of it. Happiness is the best feeling and it will lead to a fun filled life. Just having a family and being wealthy does not guarantee happiness. Are you happy? Are you living your life to the fullest?
How you can live a long happy life:
Regular exercise is good to keep up your health. Running and other exercises can improve your life span and your health.
Sleep is essential to being happy; studies show that sleep is important for good health. Adults are encouraged to sleep about 8 hours a night.
Food is important for good life and being happy. What you eat influences the way your body looks on the outside and feels on the inside. Some foods are proven to help you live a happy and long life.
Life is busy and stress is not avoidable. Having a clear list or schedule can help you oversee things and manage stress. Less stress, happier you.
Rest and relaxation can make you feel calm and happy. You can take a nap, read a book, take a bath, or meditate. Meditating helps with anxiety, depression, pain and stress. Feeling calm lengthens your life and happiness.
Laughing is an expression of happiness, but it also has a lot of health benefits. It can help prevent depression, heart disease and releases endorphin which makes you deal with pain better. Also, laughter can help you heal quicker, or help medicine work well. Laughter has short and long term benefits, like stress relief. So if you laugh a lot, it will help you live longer, and of course, happier.
Having a happy marriage can help you live longer and healthier. Having sex with your partner can also add years to your life. If you are not married, being part of a social group can help you recover quicker. Any kind of close relationship can help you live a long and healthy life. ‘Happiness’
Being positive in your daily life is essential to living a long life. Studies show that feelings such as gratitude and forgiveness can make you live longer and happier.
When you have kids, you usually would think you get old quicker. The opposite is true, studies have shown that people with children live longer. And the more children, the more years are added to your life span. ‘Happiness’
Being selfless by helping out people who need it, is a great way to live a long and happy life. Volunteering is also a great way to live longer.
Date these men types at least once– the problem with dating is that you never know when someone you’re seeing will worm his way into your heart. He might not be Mr. Right (that’s if that exist) but he will add some value (good or bad) in your growth as a person. So take one of these types of men out for a spin—you’ll thank me later, ladies.
Types of men you should date at least once
A Man With Really Good Taste in Music Dating a man with great taste in music will generally broaden your tastes in music for the rest of your life. ”Date these men types.”
Your Polar Opposite A man with opposing views on virtually everything is bound to engage you in the type of verbal sparring that lead to playful sex. A man who has an entirely different outlook than you can be a great lesson in accepting people for who they are.
Your Twin On the other hand, dating a man who is essentially you with a beard helps reinforce your already ironclad belief system. You’ll enjoy watching the movies you would have wanted to watch anyway, and delight in having your own opinions spouted back to you. But, you may also find that it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, as you both make the slow and painful realization that you’re essentially in the relationship version of having two left shoes. ”Date these men types.”
A Nerd He’s smart, a little shy, quirky, and he loves science fiction, online gaming, comic books, or other related pursuits. Nerds often make great partners if you are patient and understanding. Being around him will make you feel dumb sometimes , but you will surely start to feel smarter after a while. ”Date these men types.”
A Jerk Yes, even total a-holes have some merit in the dating world. These men are to be dated once and only once and for as brief a period as possible. Getting involved with a jerk helps you realize how much you’re worth, and gives you a great chance to do things like throw a drink in someone’s face or kick them out of your apartment, all while knowing you’re in the right. Most importantly, jerks help you appreciate the good dudes when you land the sweetheart you deserve. They also provide great conversation for cocktail stories with your girlfriends.
Date these men types at least, experience and variety is the spice of life.
Magical First Kiss, what do you think of the caption? I ask this because I don’t believe in the so-called magical first kiss. There is nothing magical in the exchange of saliva from one mouth to another. Nah! You know as a toddler I saw Disney and Marvel animations (boy, those people are perverts. I’m realizing the amount of provocative images and words they had in there cartoons) there were scenes of kissing and they were mostly magical.
Remember Sleeping Beauty and her magical first kiss and Snow White? What of the Princess and the Frog? Those were some really awesome magical first kisses.
I was growing with a mind-set that mine would be like that… it wasn’t or so I believe. After this story you decide if it was magical or not, okay? I once wrote about the first time I did some things in life now this is my first kiss.
I’m not proud to say this but I was seven years old when I had my first kiss. At that age I had a female best friend and her name was Cindy. Cindy was a tomboy and actually taught me how to play the basketball, football and video games; yeah! She was that awesome.
Cindy and I were so close that we did almost everything together and she was the man in our relationship (shame on me). Whenever I got back from school I find myself at her house just 30 to 45 minutes later. We had so much fun but never for one day had I thought of kissing her, I saw her as I’d see any dude my age. Don’t forget she was a tomboy.
One fateful afternoon, we were playing Gran Turismo, a car racing game on her Play Station 1 and there was a power outage (for our Naija readers, it means NEPA took the light, lol). Cindy then suggested that we play hide and seek while waiting for the power to be restored. I was the one to hide so I went into her wardrobe and hid.
Ten minutes… twenty… twenty-four minutes… she hadn’t found me. I was already sweating profusely so I came out and sat on the floor. So tired and hungry I shut my eyes and dozed off.
Magical First Kiss
It all happened so fast; within a few seconds I felt something bump my feet and as I opened my eyes, Cindy had fallen on me and our lips were locked. We began kissing and at that very moment power was restored.
We drew back, stood up and returned to our video game. Funny enough we have not made mention of that event till date.
