January 27, 2010

Top Stories –
Apple introduce the “iPad” –
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs introduces the “iPad” a new tablet with no keyboard or mouse. Designed for browsing the internet, it is 0.5 inches (13mm) thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds (680g). The iPad, which will launch in March for $499 (16Gb version), includes 12 new apps and will run most of the 140,000 apps in the App Store. Jobs described the iPad as “a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.”
Steve_Jobs_with_the_Apple_iPadSteve Jobs with the iPad

Throw out the running shoes –
Dr Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University reveals that running barefoot is better than wearing running shoes. The researchers found that people who run barefoot tend to land on the ball or the middle of the foot, moving smoothly, but those who run in shoes tend to land on the heels, sending shockwaves through the body.

Bubble Wrap hits middle age –
Bubble Wrap is 50 years old. It was first invented by Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding as textured wallpaper and there are more than 250 dedicated Facebook pages. Sealed Air who owns the patent and manufactures Bubble Wrap makes more than $4bn a year.
StAnne07BubblewrapGal1

Top Video –
The first Mackintosh commercial (1984)

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February 9, 2010

Top News Stories –

Chubby hedgehogs sent to ‘fat club’ to diet –
A group of overweight hedgehogs are to be given a helping hand in losing their winter weight thanks to a special ‘fat club’. The hedgehogs started piling on the pounds because they spent longer than usual in the care of the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife. They were kept in their warm enclosures during the severe weather conditions which hit the country in December and January, because the cold could have killed them. (See List of the Day) [Daily Telegraph]
European-Hedgehog A European Hedgehog

Chinese police admit enormous number of spies –
A Chinese police chief has said he uses more than 12,000 spies to inform on a remote county of just 400,000 people, an admission that lays bare the enormous scale of China’s surveillance network. Liu Xingchen, the 56-year-old assistant to the head of Kailu County, a farming region in Inner Mongolia, said his vast network of informants meant he could be “very sensitive” to any signs of dissent and protest. In an interview with Xinhua, the government-run news agency, Mr Liu described how he was able to “quickly and accurately discover all sorts of information that might destabilise society”. “Every policeman and auxiliary policeman, no matter their division or particular police station, has to establish at least 20 informants in their community, village, work unit and so on. Altogether, these add up to 10,000 spies. “Then the actual criminal units, the economic crimes unit, the Domestic Security Department, the Public Information Security Supervision and so on will establish a further five ‘eyes and ears’.
“At the latest count, our bureau has established 12,093 informants,” he said. [Daily Telegraph]

Google Buzz takes on Facebook and Twitter –
Google has launched a new tool that will allow users of its email service to share their feelings with other users, in an effort to take on social networking giants Facebook and Twitter head-on. Google Buzz, as the new application is called, essentially allows Gmail users to write status updates which other users can see, but goes further by allowing them to aggregate other services in an attempt to make it easier to operate in the increasingly frustrating information-heavy online environment. Buzz goes a number of steps further, however, by allowing users to create a Google profile page, which can be seen not just by friends but by the entire web if so desired, and will guide users to follow the people they email and chat with the most. It will also allows posts to include links, YouTube videos, pictures from Google’s Picasa hosting service. (See Video of the Day) [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Google Buzz for mobile

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January 13th 2012

Cruise ship runs aground and capsizes –
A 290m (950ft) long cruise ship, the Costa Concordia with about 4,000 passengers and crew on board runs aground and capsizes near the island of Giglio off the coast of Italy. Passengers were enjoying their first dinner on board after leaving Civitavecchia port near Rome for a Mediterranean cruise. Early reports are of 8 people being lost but helicopters are still evacuating people.
Collision of Costa Concordia 11 The Costa Concordia

Warner hits 5th fastest test century –
Australian left-hander batsman David Warner hits the 5th fastest test century in the first day of the test against India. He reached his second test century in just 69 balls. Faster test centuries are:
Viv Richards, West Indies v England, St John’s 1986 – 56 balls
Adam Gilchrist, Australia v England, Perth 2006 – 57 balls
Jack Gregory, Australia v South Africa, Johannesburg 1921 -67 balls
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies v Australia, Georgetown 2003 – 69 balls
David Warner, Australia v India, Perth 2012 – 69 balls
Warner_playing_for_AustraliaDavid Warner
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February 14th 2014

Mars doughnut rock mystery solved –
Pictures from Mars taken by the Mars Rover last month showing a piece of white-rimmed and red-centred rock that appeared seemingly from nowhere, is explained by NASA. It turns out the Mars Rover, Opportunity drove over a larger rock, a doughnut shaped piece broke off and appeared in the later picture. The rock (called Pinnacle Island) contains high levels of manganese and sulphur, providing further reason to believe there could be water on Mars.
JellyDonutRock_opportunity_1171 Before and after images of the area.

Are you Gender Questioning? No problem –
Facebook users can now choose up to 50 gender options when they sign up to an account in the US from “agender” and “two-spirit”. The fifty options are shown below.
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February 20th 2014

Earthquake stirs the west country –
An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale strikes the Bristol Channel off the west coast of England the strongest to hit Britain in six years. The last significant earthquake was on February 27, 2008 at Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, measuring 5.2.

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion –
Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook buys messaging service WhatsApp for around $19 billion. The deal consists of Facebook shares worth $12billion for the purchase and another $3billion of restricted stocks as a windfall for WhatsApp’s co-founders and their 50 employees. About 450m people around the world use the instant messaging service each month.
Mark_ZuckerberMark Zuckerberg
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November 30, 2014

Top News Stories –

US boy missing for four years found alive hidden behind fake wall –
A 13-year-old boy reported missing by his mother four years ago was found hidden behind a false wall in his father’s home. After a tip-off police raided a detached suburban house with an immaculately kept garden in Jonesboro near Atlanta, Georgia. They discovered the fake wall behind some towels and it disguised a passage to a space above the garage. The boy’s father Gregory Jean, 37, and stepmother Samantha Joy Davis, 42, and three other people in the house, were charged with obstruction, false imprisonment and cruelty to children. [Daily Telegraph]

‘Hot Selfie’ competition dubbed Facebook’s most narcissistic challenge CANCELLED after one hopeful is ‘intimidated’ after posting their photo –
A ‘hot selfie’ competition where posers paid to enter in the hope of winning $10,000 has been shut down before a winner could be chosen.
The narcissistic photography challenge was abandoned after ‘entrant tampering’, according to the competition’s website.Brisbane-based company Serious Selfie set up the competition which offered a cash prize for the best pout. A statement on the Hot Selfie website said: ‘It was with regret that Serious Selfies PTY. LTD. terminated the Hot Selfie Competition, ahead of its end date, as a result of entrant tampering. ‘Unfortunately, one of our entrants had been contacted and intimidated outside of the Facebook platform.’ [Daily Mail]
Selfie-competition-entrant - copyright Hot Selfie Competition Entrant in the Hot Selfie Competition

Video of the Day –

Lego Star Wars The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer

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January 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Beer with balls –
The Stedji brewery in Iceland has announced its new beer will be flavoured with smoked fin whale testicles. The Hvalur 2 beer is being sold for a limited period to mark the Icelandic midwinter month of Thorri. The fin whale is the second-largest living mammal after the blue whale and can grow up to 27m (88ft).

Trevor “Dozy” Ward-Davies dies –
Trevor Ward-Davies, best known as Dozy from the 60s pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, died today at the age of 70 after a short illness. The bass guitarist was a founder member of the band that had hits in the 60s with “Hold Tight!”, “Bend It!” and the legendary UK number one “The Legend of Xanadu” complete with whip-crack sound effects. Between 1965 and 1969, the group spent more weeks in the UK singles charts than the Beatles.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & TichDave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich in 1967

Model restaurant –
A restaurant in Zhengzhou, central Henan province, China, can get their meal for free if they are selected by staff from a cosmetic surgery as one of the best-looking within a group of diners. People have their photos taken on arrival and the five diners judged most attractive get a free meal.

Video of the Day –

Tall Tales Part 2 from Kilogramme on Vimeo.

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January 29, 2015

Top News Stories –

Russian planes buzz UK airspace –
Britain’s Foreign office have said that two Russian Tu-95 Bear H aircraft came within 25 miles of UK airspace in the last 24 hours. They travelled from the north, past the west coast of Ireland and to the English Channel before turning and going back the way they had come. British typhoon fighters were scrambled after the the bombers did not file a flight plan, did not have their transponders switched on and “weren’t talking to air traffic control”.
Russian_Bear_'H'_Aircraft

Taylor Swift trademarks lyrics –
Taylor Swift has trademarked phrases from her current album, 1989 in the United States. The phrases include “this sick beat” and “we never go out of style”, and the trademark ruling stops the use of the lyrics on merchandise. Rihanna successfully sued Topshop earlier this month for using her image on a t-shirt.
Taylor Swift (6820713278)

Murray’s girlfriend tells it like it is –
Tennis player Andy Murray’s fiancé Kim Sears is caught on camera apparently swearing about Murray’s semi-final opponent Tomas Berdych’s. Lip readers allege she said “Take that you flash Czech fucker”, when Murray won a crucial point. Murray later defended Sears, saying: “In the heat of the moment, you can say stuff that you regret.”

Video of the Day –

Taylor Swift – Shake it off

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March 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Ronaldo has most Facebook likes after going ahead of Shakira –
Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Shakira to become the most followed person on Facebook. The 30-year-old star now has 107,096,356 likes compared to 107,087,100 for the Colombian singer. Ronaldo became the first sportsman to cross 100 million likes last October after joining the site in 2009. He also has 34 million followers on Twitter but is only 13th on that list with Katy Perry leading on 66.6 million followers. [BBC]
Cristiano_RonaldoChristiano Ronaldo

Flintoff wins Australia’s I’m A Celebrity –
Andrew Flintoff has been crowned Australia’s king of the jungle after winning their version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Flintoff beat Australian Football League player Barry Hall and TV personality Chrissie Swan to the title in the South African jungle. After winning, Freddie said: “As an Englishman winning something in Australia, it’s unheard of.” On the show he ate a rat’s tail and was covered in elephant manure. He also drank fermented milk laced with cockroaches and flies and fell out of a helicopter. [BBC]
Andrew_FlintoffAndrew “Freddie” Flintoff

Vladimir Putin reappears in public for first time in 10 days –
President Vladimir Putin has made his first public appearance for over ten days, scotching rumours of a Kremlin coup and even his own death. All eyes were on the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Monday as Mr Putin met with the President of Kyrgyzstan, Almazbek Atambayev, for talks as planned. Commenting on suggestions that he had been forced to lie low because of ill health, Mr Putin said that life without rumours would be boring. “It would be boring without gossip,” Mr Putin, 62, said in his first public appearance since March 5. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Breaking Rules from BIBI LOU on Vimeo.

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March 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

George Clooney wants 12-seater cinema at his country estate by the Thames –
George Clooney wants to add a 12-seater home cinema and luxurious swimming pool to his 17th century country estate in Sonning-on-Thames, plans submitted on Friday revealed. A new pool house, pergola and hot tub will be built onto the back of the existing riverside boat house, allowing George and his new wife Amal to luxuriate by the estuaries of the River Thames. Plans have been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning department to extend an annexe of Clooney’s countryside mansion in Sonning Eye, Berkshire. [Daily Telegraph]
George_ClooneyGeorge Clooney

Facebook completes first drone flight above UK, Mark Zuckerberg confirms –
Solar powered drones which provide internet access to rural and remote areas have been trialled in UK for first time by Facebook. They “have a wingspan greater than a Boeing 737 but will weigh less than a car”, according to the social network’s chief Mark Zuckerberg. The drones, developed by Somerset-based company Ascenta which Facebook bought last March, will beam down laser-guided internet signals to those below. Solar panels attached to the wings of the drones mean that they will be able to keep going at altitudes of 60,000 ft for months at a time.
Mark_ZuckerberMark Zuckerberg

Dermot O’Leary quits the X Factor –
After eight years, Dermot O’Leary has announced through Twitter he is stepping down as presenter of the long-running talent show, and is now joint favourite to replace Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear – bookmakers William Hill currently has O’Leary joint with Jodie Kidd as the 4/1 favourite. O’Leary recently danced continuously for 24 hours to raise money for Comic Relief.
Dermot_Oleary_tweet
Dermot_OlearyDermot O’Leary

Italy court clears Knox and Sollecito –
Italy’s top appeals court has overturned the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher.
The decision is the final ruling in the long-running case. The pair were found guilty in 2009, then freed in 2011 after the convictions were overturned. Their convictions were reinstated by another court last year. Ms Kercher was found dead in 2007 in a flat she shared with Ms Knox.
The couple had always maintained their innocence and the decision by the Court of Cassation puts an end to their long legal battle. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

SUNDAYS from PostPanic on Vimeo.

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April 9, 2015

Top News Stories –

Milan court shooting: Man kills lawyer, judge and co-defendant –
A gunman has killed three people in a shooting spree at the Palace of Justice in Milan in northern Italy. The suspect, Claudio Giardiello, was arrested in a suburb after fleeing the scene on a motorbike. He was reportedly a defendant in a bankruptcy case. He is believed to have shot dead a co-defendant, his former lawyer and a bankruptcy court judge. The newspaper La Repubblica, quoting officials and witnesses, said that the gunman had been attending a bankruptcy hearing when a fight broke out inside the third floor courtroom. He pulled out a weapon and shot the lawyer, named as Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, as well as one of his co-defendants, named as Giorgio Erba. According to La Repubblica, Mr Appiani was a former lawyer for Mr Giardiello who was acting as a witness in the case. The gunman then left the courtroom and headed to the office of appeals court judge, Fernando Ciampi, shooting him dead. It is not known if the gunman had any links to the judge. [BBC]

Taylor Swift’s mum has cancer –
Taylor Swift has told her fans news about her mother no daughter ever wants to hear. “The results came in, and I’m saddened to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer,” she posted on her Tumblr page. The music industry’s best-selling star said she asked her mother, Andrea Finlay, to get screened for potential health issues as a Christmas present last year, “just to ease some worries of mine.” “There were no red flags and she felt perfectly fine, but she did it just to get me and my brother off her case about it,” Swift wrote. While the 25-year-old intends to keep her mother’s exact diagnosis and condition private, she said Finlay wanted to talk publicly to encourage others to get tested. [Daily Mail] #PrayForMamaSwift becomes one of the top trending hashtags of the day. (See Top Twitter Trends)
Taylor-Swift

Richie Benaud: Australia cricket legend & commentator dies at 84 –
Former Australia captain and legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84. A pioneering leg-spin bowler, Benaud played in 63 Tests, 28 as captain, before retiring in 1964 to pursue a career in journalism and broadcasting. His final commentary in England came during the 2005 Ashes series but he continued to work for Channel Nine in Australia until 2013. [BBC]

Google ‘looking at buying Twitter’ –
More than $1.5bn (£1bn) was added to the value of Twitter following reports Google could launch a bid for the social network. Shares in Twitter jumped 4.8pc on reports the US company had hired Goldman Sachs as an adviser to fend off approaches. Two companies are believed to have contacted Twitter with “serious” interest, according to Briefing.com, with Google identified as one of those firms. Twitter, which allows its users to post short messages online, has a market capitalisation of more than $34bn. Despite being less than 10 years old, the company has 288m monthly active users. Google launched its own social network, Google+, in 2011, but despite racking up around 300m monthly active users, it has struggled against rivals such as Twitter and Facebook. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Museum of Energy Mechanical Surface A/V Performance_santralistanbul 100th Anniversary from Ouchhh on Vimeo.

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April 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

Clinton logo goes rainbow for same-sex marriage arguments –
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday changed the colors of her presidential campaign logo Tuesday on social media to the rainbow colors symbolizing the gay rights movement, less than an hour before the Supreme Court on Tuesday was set to hear oral arguments on same-sex marriage. Clinton, who is now seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, announced in 2013 her support for the right of same-sex couples to get married after leaving her post as Secretary of State. Clinton’s logo changed on her Facebook and Twitter pages Tuesday morning shortly before 9 a.m. Facebook pages for individual state branches of the Clinton campaign also changed their logos, though the main logo on HillaryClinton.com, remained the usual red and blue logo. [CNN] The hashtag #SCOTUS relating to the court case trended on Twitter.

Hilary Clinton Twitter Page April 28 2015Hilary Clinton Twitter (April 28 2015)

Baltimore police enforce curfew –
Police fired gas to enforce a curfew on the streets of Baltimore, a night after violence and arson rocked the city. After an evening of largely peaceful protests, a few hundred people defied the (local time)deadline of 22:00. But in the face of thousands of troops on the city streets, the remaining crowds later dispersed and police said the curfew was working. The protests have gone on daily since the death of Freddie Gray in police custody on 19 April. [BBC] (See Top Twitter Trends)

Sam Smith cancels Australian tour and Logie Awards show –
Sam Smith has been forced to pull out of his Australian tour due to bleeding on his vocal cords. The singer is just half way through an eight-date tour. He was also due to perform at the TV Week Logies, the annual Australian television industry awards. Writing on the tour website, Sam said having to cancel the tour “killed” him, but that he was on doctor’s orders to rest.
Sam-Smith-2014Sam Smith

Victoria’s Secret unveils 10 new models –
Victoria’s Secret added 10 new models to its roster, which had recently been whittled down to five (Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, and Lily Aldridge). The lingerie company provided a 15-second clip introducing their new employees, and handy dandy summary of each new model’s bona fides, which include, variously, racket sports, salsa dancing, and trying new meals. [Fox News] (See Video of the day and List of the day)

Video of the Day –

And the 10 Newest Victoria’s Secret Angels Are…

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May 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn split up –
Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods and his girlfriend, US Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn, say they have ended their relationship.
Both blamed the pressure of their busy schedules for the split. Ms Vonn said on Facebook that the decision was mutual. In a statement on his website, Mr Woods said he would “always cherish our time together”. The sports stars first publicly announced they were an item in March 2013 following weeks of speculation. “After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship,” Ms Vonn, 30, said on her Facebook page. [BBC]
Lindsey-Vonn-Facebook
In January Vonn won her 63rd World Cup downhill title and Woods lost a tooth in the media scrum.
Lindsey Vonn CULindsey Vonn

Chelsea win Premier League: Jose Mourinho attacks critics after capturing league title at Stamford Bridge –
Eden Hazard’s goal confirmed Chelsea as champions for this first time in five years and manager Mourinho rejected any suggestions his side are not worthy winners or that they have been helped by the failure of others. “The people who have a big face to say we don’t deserve it are the ones who, in my country, say the dogs bark and the caravan goes by,” said Mourinho. This is the first title Mourinho has won with Chelsea since returning to the club since 2013 and his third with the club in total. (See List of the Day)
Jose-MourinhoJose Mourinho

Video of the Day –

Fight of the Century” considered a disappointment so…
FLOYD MAYWEATHER PUNCH-OUT!!!

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May 28, 2015

Top News Stories –

‘Buy button’ to be added to Google search results –
Google has confirmed that it is to introduce a “buy button” to its search results imminently. The button would give Google Search users the option to purchase without needing to visit a separate website. The company’s chief business officer, Omid Kordestani, said he wanted to reduce “friction” for users so they buy more things online. Google faces significant competition from Amazon, where many people now begin their search to buy products. [BBC]

Hashtag is ‘children’s word of year’ –
Hashtag has been declared “children’s word of the year” by the Oxford University Press. OUP analysed more than 120,421 short stories by children aged between five and 13 years old, submitted to the BBC’s 500 Words competition. According to the OUP, new technology is increasingly at the centre of the children’s lives but how they are writing about it is changing fast. Words including email, mobile and Facebook are in decline, it said.
They are being replaced by the likes of Instagram, Snapchat and emoji. And the word television has now been superseded by phone. The report also notes a sudden new arrival in children’s sentences. The use of the hashtag symbol # to add an extra meaning or comment at the end of a sentence has become commonplace. #IblameTwitter #AndInstagram. [BBC]
hashtag

Video of the Day –

The A-Z of YouTube: Celebrating 10 Years | #HappyBirthdayYouTube

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 EU TE AMO LOUIS #NationalBurgerDay #WorkingClassTories
2 #FelizJueves Justin and Selena #ClickBaitAMovie
3 FIFA 16 Kung Fury Derek Hatton
4 #TeenChoice #io15 FIFA 16
5 #GeziyiUnutma #AskPOTUS #jamesyouareperfect
6 #ParaSiempre Cheryl Lynn Sevilla
7 Riley Curry FIFA 16 #NationalBurgerDay
8 Justin and Selena George Pataki #TeenChoice
9 #اكتب_مقوله_مق�… #ClickBaitAMovie #HappyBirthdayRyan
10 #ClickBaitAMovie Riley Curry #bressure

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July 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Wimbledon 2015: Novak Djoković beats Roger Federer in final –
Defending champion Novak Djoković saw off seven-time champion Roger Federer in four sets to win his third Wimbledon and ninth Grand Slam title.
The Serb, 28, won 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (10-12) 6-4 6-3 to overtake the likes of Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl in the all-time list of major winners. Federer, 33, had hoped to become the first man to win Wimbledon eight times. The Swiss won a thrilling second set tie-break but Djoković came through to win in two hours and 56 minutes. [BBC] No-one in the crowd proposed to his girlfriend unlike Djoković’s match in January 25, 2015.
Novak-ĐokovićNovak_Đoković

Woman, 30, changes name to log in to Facebook –
A woman has told how she has been forced to change her name by deed poll to match her “ridiculous” Facebook pseudonym after being locked out of her account. Jemma Rogers, 30, a holistic therapist, from Lewisham, south-east London, set up a profile on the social network in 2008. Wanting to avoid annoying friend requests from old friends and strangers, she created the profile under the pseudonym Jemmaroid Von Laalaa. But last month she got a message from Facebook asking her to send identification to prove it was a genuine name and account. In a desperate bid to get the profile back, she changed her name by deed poll and is now officially Ms Von Laalaa. What’s more, despite her extreme efforts, she’s still locked out of her account even after sending over her new ID to Facebook. [Daily Telegraph]

$1 million reward offered for Judy Garland’s stolen ruby slippers –
An anonymous donor has offered a $1 million reward for credible information leading to the recovery of a pair of Judy Garland’s sequined, ruby red slippers stolen from a museum in her Minnesota hometown. The late actress wore the slippers in “The Wizard of Oz.” Three other pairs still exist, including one on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. John Kelsch, executive director of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, says the donor is from Arizona and is a huge fan of Garland and the 1939 movie. The reward offer requires the exact location of the slippers and the perpetrator’s name.

Video of the Day –

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Comic-Con Trailer

List of the Day –

Novak Djokovic Grand Slam record

Tournament 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 SR W–L Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open 1R 1R 4R W QF QF W W W QF W 5 / 11 50–6 89.29
French Open 2R QF SF SF 3R QF SF F SF F F 0 / 11 48–11 81.36
Wimbledon 3R 4R SF 2R QF SF W SF F W W 3 / 11 52–8 86.67
US Open 3R 3R F SF SF F W F F SF 1 / 10 50–9 84.75
Win–Loss 5–4 9–4 19–4 18–3 15–4 19–4 25–1 24–3 24–3 22–3 20–1 9 / 43 200–34 85.47

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 El Chapo El Chapo #UFC189
2 #WimbledonFinal #WhatIdTell18YearOldMe Ojuelegba
3 #UFC189 #NoteToSelf Robbie Keane
4 #AlgoQueMeEncantaEs #WimbledonFinal #WimbledonFinal
5 Justin and Selena Jaden El Chapo
6 #حزب_الي_ما_تجي… Camille Cosby #WhatIdTell18YearOldMe
7 #OTRASantaClara #FaceTimeMeNash Justin and Selena
8 オナネタ #OTRASanDiegoWasLouder #placenameamovie
9 #HoyDomingoPintaPara #NerdistSDCC Suicide Squad
10 SAI2 Satoru Iwata Brian Toomey

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July 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Kim Kardashian on the cover of Rolling Stone? It’s the death of rock’n’roll! –
Kim Kardashian has been accused of many things over the years, but this week brought a new addition to the charge sheet: killing rock’n’roll. The accuser? Sinéad O’Connor, who adduced that the presence of Kardashian and her cleavage on the cover of US magazine Rolling Stone was evidence that “music has officially died”. “Bob Dylan,” she added, “must be fucking horrified.” [Guardian]
Rolling_Stone_Kim_KardashianRolling Stone magazine cover

Donald Trump declares personal wealth of more than $10 billion –
Donald Trump, the property mogul turned US presidential candidate, has declared his personal wealth to be over 10 billion dollars (£6.4bn) in his official forms submitted to the US government’s election commission. In a typically flamboyant statement extolling his own vast wealth, Mr Trump complained that the Federal Election Commission forms did not have sufficient boxes to accommodate a man of his stature. “This report was not designed for a man of Mr. Trump’s massive wealth,” said a statement issued by Trump campaign headquarters. [Daily Telegraph]
Donald_TrumpDonald Trump

Video of the Day –

The Death Of Bees Explained – Parasites, Poison and Humans

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #JustinBieberComeBackTo1D #PrimeDay #OhNoLouis
2 あなたの精神年齢 Best Buy Nick Cave
3 #OhNoLouis #GrowingUpUgly #GrowingUpScottish
4 #MasterChefBR Wellington #woofwoofwednesday
5 Aimar Major Garrett Briana
6 #FelizMiercoles #5ONTHEWALL #BackTheBBC
7 #HappyBirthdayLuke #ESPYS #PMQs
8 プラカード #JustinBieberComeBackTo1D #5ONTHEWALL
9 #5ONTHEWALL #JimmyV #JustinBieberComeBackTo1D
10 Best Buy #DailyLifeIn4Words Theresa May

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July 31, 2015

Top News Stories –

Facebook unveils solar-powered drone that can beam the internet down to earth –
Facebook has unveiled a full-scale prototype of its Aquila drone – the high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft that the Californian tech giant wants to use to beam internet to people in parts of the world that are not yet connected. Aquila, which is solar-powered and named after the eagle in Greek mythology that carried Jupiter’s thunderbolts, is based on technology developed by Somerset-based company Ascenta, which Facebook bought in March 2014 for an estimated £12.5m. “Aquila has the wingspan of a 737 but weighs hundreds of times less, thanks to its unique design and carbon-fiber frame,” said Jay Parikh, vice president of global engineering and infrastructure at Facebook, in a blog post. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day

Naomi Campbell guilty of assault on Sicilian paparazzo –
Naomi Campbell was convicted of assault by a Sicilian court on Friday after she scratched the eye of a paparazzo photographer who took pictures of her and her former boyfriend. The incident occurred in August 2009 when the British supermodel and her then partner Russian billionaire Vladimir Doronin moored their yacht off the Sicilian island of Lipari to visit the local town. They had just arrived from St Tropez. A photographer, Gaetano Di Giovanni, took several photos of Campbell as she walked through the narrow streets. Campbell then hit photographer with her handbag, scratching one of his eyes. [Daily Telegraph]
Naomi-Campbell Naomi Campbell

Beijing to host 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics –
Beijing has been chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, beating the bid of Kazakhstan’s Almaty. Having hosted the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese capital will be the first city to host both a summer and winter Games. Beijing and Almaty were considered outsiders when the 2022 bid race opened two years ago. But after a host of European cities withdrew for political or financial reasons, the Chinese bid beat Almaty by 44 votes to 40 with one abstention. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

Inside Facebook’s Connectivity Lab

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1 #MilGanasDe #LiesMenTell #fridayfeeling
2 #DragMeDown #DragMeDown #DragMeDown
3 #حرقوا_الرضيع #GotDumpedBecause #WannaKnow
4 #SiempreMePasaQue #BlueMoon Rickie Lambert
5 #AysunAltay #HappyBirthdayJKRowling #HappyBirthdayJKRowling
6 San Félix Russell Wilson #ChoiceYouTuber
7 永遠の0 Cespedes #LeaveAMark
8 Hayırlı Cumalar Lynn Anderson #HappyBirthdayBeau
9 ブルームーン Roddy Piper #AskMadison
10 #MeVendriaEstupendoQue Supa #LiesMenTell

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August 6, 2015

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Facebook launches live video for celebrities in Mentions app –
Facebook has launched a live video function for celebrities on its Mentions app. The feature will allow any star with a verified account to broadcast to fans who follow them. It’ll be in competition with services like Periscope and Meerkat and will appear in people’s News Feed.
The Facebook Mentions app allows athletes, musicians, politicians and other stars to talk with their fans and each other. [BBC Newsbeat]

George Cole, Arthur Daley in Minder, dies at 90 –
Stars of stage and screen have been paying tribute to “immaculate” and “unforgettable” Minder actor George Cole following his death at the age of 90. Cole, whose showbusiness career spanned 70 years, is best remembered for his portrayal of small-time wheeler dealer and crook Arthur Daley in the TV show Minder, alongside his likeable bodyguard Terry McCann, played by Waterman. He died yesterday in hospital with his family at his side after a short illness, it was announced today. [Daily Telegraph]

Apple Music signs 11 million up to free trial in first five weeks –
Apple has signed up 11 million users to a free trial of Apple Music since the service launched at the end of June. Jimmy Iovine, who co-founded the Beats Music streaming service bought by Apple before it launched Apple Music, told USA Today he was “pleasantly shocked” by the service’s growth in its first five weeks, while Eddy Cue, the company’s senior vice president of internet software and services, said: “We’re thrilled with the numbers so far.” Should all of the trial members choose to keep paying for their subscriptions, Apple Music will have accumulated the equivalent of around half of rival streaming service Spotify’s paying membership – some 20 million – within three months. [Daily Telegraph]
Jimmy-Iovine Jimmy Iovine

Video of the Day –

Husband shocks wife with pregnancy announcement!

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1 Chano #GOPDebate #secschoolinnigeria
2 #OTRAMETLIFE Patrick Kane #Hiroshima
3 #تفجير_طواري_ع�… #Hiroshima #ThankYouThursday
4 River #GLS15 Jamaicans
5 #لماذا_السعودي… #SuperVillainCelebs George Cole
6 BET Uncut #DebateQuestionsWeWantToHear #OTRAMETLIFE
7 #FelizJueves Jennifer Aniston #Ashes2015
8 #Hiroshima #WelcomeBackToTexas1D #EatAn80sBand
9 #LaVidaNoValeNadaSin #VRA50 #NashsNewVideo
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August 22, 2015

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7 Dead as Fighter Jet Crashes Into Highway at British Airshow –
A fighter jet taking part in a British airshow on Saturday crashed into a highway, killing seven people. The crash took place at the Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex, on England’s southern coast, at 1:20 p.m. Video footage showed the jet soar, loop and then plunge before it could complete a second loop. It crashed into a busy road, the A27, near the airfield where the show took place. Hours after the crash, the police had no comment about the pilot’s fate. Beyond the fatalities, one person was seriously hurt and 14 others had minor injuries, according to a statement from the Sussex Police. [NY Times]

Facebook and Instagram remove Project Harpoon page –
Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram have taken down the pages run by Project Harpoon. The internet movement sees people digitally edit pictures of women to make them appear thinner.
Now if you try to look at Project Harpoon on these social media sites, you are met with an error message. The online group started on Reddit, in a thread called Thinner Beauty which says it is not about “hate” but wants to provide people with “health goals”. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

Match Head Bomb at 2500fps – The Slow Mo Guys

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1 BeliebersVoteForJustin #TrueButYouShouldntSayIt #MakeAFilmBroke
2 #ALDUBAgainstALLODDS #ProtestPP #Beijing2015
3 #SiMePagaranPor #MakeSomeonesDayIn3Words Neymar
4 #DragMeDownMusicVideoIsOut #1989TourLA Louise Mensch
5 Iñaki Yeezys Shoreham
6 #HoyViernesNoSalgoPorQue #MakeAFilmBroke #DragMeDownMusicVideoIsOut
7 #كلام_اخير_للا�… #LLSYouTube #bigbloggerconference
8 #طلعت_ريحتكم #FocusOnMeIsComing Callum Wilson
9 #TodosConNicolas #UnauthorizedFullHouse Pogba
10 #WelcomeToManilaArianaGrande Mike Fiers US Marines

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August 26, 2015

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Ex-Broadcaster Kills 2 on Air in Virginia; Takes Own Life –
He was a fired television reporter with a history of conflicts at work and rage apparently stoked by racial grievances. And when he sought revenge on Wednesday, gunning down two former colleagues, he used the tools of social media to ensure that his crime was broadcast live, recorded from multiple angles and posted online. Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41, identified by the authorities as the gunman, waited until Alison Parker and Adam Ward, young journalists at WDBJ in Roanoke, were on air, then killed them while recording on his own video camera. Mr. Flanagan shot himself in the head hours later, the authorities said, but as the chase for him was on, he wrote about the shooting on Twitter, uploaded his video to Facebook and sent a manifesto to ABC News that spoke admiringly of mass killers and said that as a black, gay man he had faced discrimination and sexual harassment. [NY Times]
Alison_Parker_and_Adam_WardAlison Parker and Adam Ward

Theater shooter Holmes gets 12 life sentences, plus 3,318 years –
A Colorado judge formally sentenced James Eagan Holmes to multiple life terms plus thousands of years in prison for the Aurora movie theater massacre that killed 12 and wounded 70. Holmes, a 27-year-old former grad student, received one life term for each person he killed, plus 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded and for rigging his apartment with explosives. He is not eligible for parole. Prosecutor George Brauchler said he believed the sentence was the fourth longest in U.S. history. He described the judge’s command to promptly remove Holmes from the courtroom as “the right exclamation point” to bring a painful, difficult trial to a close. [CNN]

James_Holmes_2012James_Holmes_2012

Burger King is trying to make the McWhopper happen –
Lovers of fast food burgers are in for a treat: why choose between the Big Mac and the Whopper when you can have both in one mouthful and save the world at the same time? Burger King has approached McDonald’s about combining their star burgers for one day only, in a bid to raise awareness of Peace Day, the day of global unity recognised by the United Nations held annually on September 21. The McWhopper would be six parts Big Mac (top bun, all-beef patty, cheese, lettuce, special sauce and middle bun) and six parts Whopper (tomato, onion, ketchup, pickles, flame-grilled patty and bottom bun). The limited edition burger would be available in a co-branded pop-up restaurant in Atlanta, the mid-way point between McDonald’s headquarters in Chicago and Burger King HQ in Miami. [Daily Telegraph] See Video of the Day

Video of the Day –

Burger King | McWhopper Proposal

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1 #5monthswithoutzayn #SolveMyProblemsIn4Words #ask5sos
2 #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words #RelationshipGoalsIn3Words
3 #Tucumanazo Vick #charitytuesday
4 #فتاه_تغتصب_شاب #5monthswithoutzayn House of Fools
5 #NuncaMePasoEsoDe Curt Schilling #1YearOfMyEverything
6 BeliebersVoteHottest Aaliyah #5monthswithoutzayn
7 #SolveMyProblemsIn4Words #ask5sos #TravelTuesday
8 LANA EU TE AMO #BornToRun Colin Fry
9 #FelizMartes You Oughta Know Harvey Proctor
10 NCAE Jorge Ramos Greg Rutherford

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August 27, 2015

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Facebook sets user record as more than 1bn people log on in single day –
Facebook has revealed that more than 1bn people used the site on Monday – the first time the social network has hit the milestone. Mark Zuckerberg, who founded the company in 2004 while studying at Harvard, said he felt “proud” that one-in-seven people on Earth logged on to the website during the day. The 31-year-old wrote in a post on Facebook:

Mark Zuckerberg tweet Mark Zukerberg tweet
Although Mr Zuckerberg did not specify what had caused the rise in the number of users, the website has consistently attracted more followers. Last month Mr Zuckerberg revealed Facebook had 1.49bn monthly active users, up 13pc from a year earlier. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

LEVEL from joe pease on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

The top ten most unexpected words added to the online Oxford dictionary [according to the Daily Telegraph]
1. manspreading (noun): the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seat

2. awesomesauce (adjective): extremely good; excellent

3. bants (noun): playfully teasing or mocking remarks exchanged with another person or group; banter

4. fat-shame (verb): cause (someone judged to be fat or overweight) to feel humiliated by making mocking or critical comments about their size

5. Brexit (noun): a term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union

6. bruh (noun): a male friend (often used as a form of address)

7. cakeage (noun): a charge made by a restaurant for serving a cake they have not supplied themselves

8. fatberg (noun): a very large mass of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products that have been flushed down toilets

9. Grexit (noun): a term for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the eurozone (the economic region formed by those countries in the European Union that use the euro as their national currency)

10. hangry (adjective): bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger

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1 #1dfansaregorgeous #NationalBurgerDay #1dfansaregorgeous
2 Smelly Cat #MakeSexAwkwardIn5Words #MakeSexAwkwardIn5Words
3 #bieberisback Smelly Cat #NationalBurgerDay
4 #MeEncantaQue #jetblackheart #NameTheNextBoyBand
5 #1DayUntilWhatDoYouMean #1dfansaregorgeous #bieberisback
6 #jetblackheart Darryl Dawkins #jetblackheart
7 Derrick Rose #BoringComicBookPlots Smelly Cat
8 #D5ComingSoon Usain Bolt Spitman
9 #لو_قالوا_اختا�… #NameTheNextBoyBand #UCLdraw
10 コミュニケーショ��… #ShesKindaHotEP Kevin Nolan

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September 23, 2015

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Facebook launches 360 video with Star Wars exclusive –
A short, exclusive Star Wars clip is among the first 360-degree videos to be posted on Facebook. The sequence, created by Lucasfilm’s special effects team ILMxLAB, allows users to look in all directions as the camera whizzes through the sci-fi scene. When watched on a normal computer, the mouse is used to move the view. On mobile devices, a user can move the device around to alter the perspective. Other 360 videos posted include content from Discovery, GoPro, NBC and Vice.[BBC]

All About That Bass writer says he got $5,679 from 178m streams –
Kevin Kadish, who wrote All About That Bass, says he made just $5,679 (£3,700) from 178 million streams of the song. “I’ve never heard a songwriter complain about radio royalties as much as streaming royalties,” Mr Kadish said. “That was the real issue for us, like one million streams equals $90 (£59).” Mr Kadish co-wrote All About That Bass with singer Meghan Trainor. She became the first act to enter the UK top 40 based purely on streams of All About That Bass. Streaming now accounts for one-third of the US music industry’s income, which remains relatively flat, with total revenue down 0.5% to $3.17bn (£2.05bn). [BBC Newsbeat]
Meghan_TrainorMeghan Trainor

Video of the Day –

The Angry Birds Movie – Official Teaser Trailer

List of the Day –

List of most streamed songs in the United Kingdom – [from Wikipedia]

No. Song title Artist Released Streams (millions)
Radioactive Imagine Dragons October 2012 19.7+
Pompeii Bastille February 2013 32.0+
Let Her Go Passenger February 2013 21.7+
Get Lucky Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams April 2013 24.5+
Counting Stars OneRepublic June 2013 19.7+
Blurred Lines Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams May 2013 20.7+
Wake Me Up! Avicii July 2013 21.4+
All of Me John Legend August 2013 38.7+
Happy Pharrell Williams November 2013 40.0+
Timber Pitbull featuring Kesha December 2013 21.0+
Rather Be Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne January 2014 41.0+
Take Me to Church Hozier January 2014 50.8
Waves Mr Probz February 2014 32.1+
Stay with Me Sam Smith April 2014 29.1+
Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran June 2014 60.1
Uptown Funk Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars December 2014 60.0
Love Me like You Do Ellie Goulding February 2015 30.0
Cheerleader OMI April 2015 40.0
See You Again Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth April 2015 29.5

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1 #NoQuieroEnamorartePero #LameApocalypses Happy Diwali
2 #MessageToSelf #AvengersAgeOfUltron #MOBOAwards2014
3 #ReContraDaPara #OttawaShooting Lille
4 Happy Diwali Halloween Harry Roberts
5 Nathan Cirillo Diwali in India Age of Ultron
6 #NothingBeatsFIRST #SheNeverLeft Balotelli
7 #AngGustoKoLangNaman Between Two Ferns Alvin Stardust
8 #AklımdaykenSöyleyeyim #AgeofUltron #AgeofUltron
9 Diwali in India #ICryAtRavesWhen #OttawaShooting
10 Between Two Ferns Avengers 2 MOBOs

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September 25, 2015

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Fifa: Sepp Blatter faces criminal investigation –
Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter, the head of football’s world governing body Fifa. The attorney general’s office said he was suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal and of a “disloyal payment” to European football chief Michel Platini. Mr Blatter was being questioned, and his office was searched, it added. Fifa said it was co-operating with the investigation. Mr Blatter, 79, has run Fifa since 1998 and has always denied any wrongdoing. [BBC] In July FIFA turned down a request for Blatter to Attend U.S. Senate Panel hearing
Sepp_Blatter_Apr_2015Sepp Blatter

London Zoo love triangle: Meerkat keeper glassed rival over llama handler –
A meerkat keeper has been found guilty of assaulting a monkey keeper in a vicious brawl at London Zoo’s Christmas party which saw the two love rivals fight over the llama keeper. Caroline Westlake, who will be sentenced next month, hit her colleague Kate Sanders in the face with a glass leaving a wound that required stitches, a court heard on Friday. Miss Westlake claimed that it was an accident, and that Miss Sanders had already punched her, held her backwards over a 30 ft balcony and then spat at her. [Daily Telegraph]

Netflix adds gender reassignment to staff benefits list –
Netflix has added gender reassignment surgery to its list of staff benefits. The streaming entertainment service is not the only one – other technology companies including Facebook and Tesla also offer the option, along with hormone therapy, in a bid to be as diverse as possible. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11886148/Netflix-adds-gender-reassignment-to-staff-benefits-list.html [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

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1 #6MonthsWithoutZayn #6MonthsWithoutZayn #fridayfeeling
2 Boehner #DonaldTrumpsGoogleHistory #MacmillanCoffeeMorning
3 #MeMolestaMuchisimo Boehner #6MonthsWithoutZayn
4 #BuenViernes #VVS15 #BUYSECRETSONITUNES
5 #SOADnoMultishow #NewNFLTeams Bond
6 #HTGAWM Bryson Tiller Sepp Blatter
7 Bond Kevin McCarthy #bbcqt
8 #ALDUBPreparationDay #fridayreads Nigel Farage
9 ゴジラ Johns Island #JapaneseGP
10 #ALDubEBforLOVE #DrugTVShows #secretsinlondon

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October 13, 2015

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Chess gets ‘sexy’ in million dollar Las Vegas tournament
The cerebral, centuries-old pastime of chess is not something normally associated with the glitz of Las Vegas. But amid the neon lights of the Planet Hollywood casino some of the world’s greatest grandmasters gathered to battle it out for $1 million in prize money at the game’s most lucrative ever tournament. There were tears and tantrums, controversial rulings, and stunning upsets – and that was exactly what the organisers wanted. The competition, called Millionaire Chess, was a concerted effort to “sex up” the favorite hobby of nerdy schoolboys, and ultimately turn it into a money-spinning television sport. To that end a Big Brother-style “confessional” booth was installed where players revealed their inner turmoil to a camera between moves and “trash talked” their opponents. The tournament was eventually won by [World number 2] Hikaru Nakamura. Following the biggest payday of his stellar chess career he said: “I want to thank the organisers. They have tried to make chess sexy and that’s what chess needs. There are so many stereotypes out there about chess. This is very special.” [Daily Telegraph]
HikaruNakamuraHikaru Nakamura

Playboy Magazine abandons nudity –
Playboy magazine is stopping publishing pictures of totally nude women because the internet has made them outdated, its US owners say. It’s a break with a 62-year format that has had a significant impact on American culture. Every month since 1953, fold-out spreads of fully nude women have filled Playboy. The glossy adult men’s magazine boasts a plethora of celebrity conquests in its portfolio. Madonna, Sharon Stone and Naomi Campbell were photographed at the peak of their fame. Kate Moss posed for its front cover in a bunny outfit. Lindsay Lohan and Pamela Anderson have also graced it. [BBC] Coincidentally today is international “No Bra Day”  – See Top Twitter Trends

Facebook Briefly Bans The Phrase ‘Everyone Will Know’ –
Facebook blocked the phrase “everyone will know” for more than a day, but users are now once again able to post the seemingly innocuous three words. “This was a mistake with our spam filter and our engineers have resolved the issue,” Melanie Ensign of Facebook security communications told The Huffington Post. HuffPost also independently confirmed that the phrase can now be posted. “We’re constantly updating the rules used by our spam-fighting engine and this particular phrase erroneously got caught in the mix,” she explained. Ensign didn’t know exactly how long the phrase had been banned. On Friday, someone asked on Question.com, “Why can’t you post ‘everyone will know’ on Facebook?” Another user replied they also were unable to post the phrase as a status. On Sunday, a Reddit thread was filled with people claiming they were unable to post the phrase as a status or in a comment. [Huffington Post]

Video of the Day –

Because he can

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1 Martes 13 #GiveTwitterASlogan #NoBraDay
2 #NoBraDay #DemDebate #GiveTwitterASlogan
3 #SabesQueTeQuiereCuando #NoBraDay #AdaLovelaceDay
4 Emilia Clarke #AMAs #theatreheroesday
5 #WeArePerfectDay2 #BetterDebateQuestions #RAW
6 Vick T.I. Royal Mail
7 #كلمه_اول_ماتع�… Jennifer Lawrence #PAKvENG
8 #AMAs #AdaLovelaceDay #BritishProblemsNight
9 #Martes13 Nudes Are Old News Diane Abbott
10 #ZaynWeAreReadyForYourMusic Pitchfork Danny Cohen

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November 4, 2015

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Brazilian prison inmates using a mouse to courier drugs –
As prison guards in one of Brazil’s notoriously overcrowded and chaotic jails, the officers in Barra da Grota prison probably thought they had seen it all. But last week they saw something that shocked even their hardened heads: a mouse, they noticed, was being used by inmates to courier drugs. The animal was seen scurrying along the corridor with tiny bags of drugs tied to its tail, running between the cells. Gean Carlos Gomes, director of the central Brazil prison, 1,100 miles inland from Recife, said the mouse was being used as a “bridge” between cells. “They attached a hook to the mouse’s tail and then used it to carry the drugs and other goods from one cell to another,” he said. “When the animal arrived at its destination, the prisoner took the mouse and removed the hook from its tail.” [Daily Telegraph]

Vladimir Putin is Forbes magazine’s most powerful person in the world –
Vladimir Putin has been named the world’s most powerful person for the second year running by Forbes magazine. Of the 73 listed, 28 are billionaires. Thirty of the individuals are Americans. And only nine are women – the same number as last year. The 63-year-old Russian president has, unsurprisingly, retained his position at the top of the Forbes ranking of the world’s most powerful people. Forbes says the decision is made on the amount of money they control; the number of people they impact; their total spheres of influence; and how actively they wield their power. And in all areas Mr Putin has triumphed; he dominates one of the world’s largest countries, and his actions in Ukraine and Syria are changing the course of history. [Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day
Vladimir_PutinVladimir Putin

WARNING: Do Not Post Your Winning Ticket On Social Media –
Chantelle from Perth won $900 [Australian] by betting on 100-to-1 shot Prince Of Penzance in the Melbourne Cup yesterday… Like many punters around the country Chantelle celebrated the win by posting a selfie with her victorious ticket on Facebook. Little did Chantelle know, the photo of the barcode could be used at an automated machine to claim the cash – which is exactly what someone did. “To the low life who is obviously my friend on Facebook and used my photo to claim our winnings. You’re a massive dick. You ruined my day,” Chantelle wrote on Facebook. Chantelle told Triple M that police were able to track where the money was claimed and are confident of finding the person responsible. [Triple M]
Chantelle winning ticket Facebook postChantelle winning ticket Facebook post

Video of the Day –

Emirates: #HelloJetman
Armed with unguarded ambition and the vision to push boundaries beyond the unthinkable, Jetman Dubai and Emirates A380 take to the skies of Dubai for an exceptional formation flight.

List of the Day –

Forbes Most Powerful People Top Ten 2015 [Forbes]

Rank Name Organization Age
#1 Vladimir Putin Russia 63
#2 Angela Merkel Germany 61
#3 Barack Obama United States 54
#4 Pope Francis Roman Catholic Church 78
#5 Xi Jinping China 62
#6 Bill Gates Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 60
#7 Janet Yellen Washington, United States 69
#8 David Cameron United Kingdom 49
#9 Narendra Modi India 65
#10 Larry Page Google 42

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1 告白の日 #YouHadMeAt #NationalStressAwarenessDay
2 #9DaysUntilMITAM #NationalStressAwarenessDay #GrantsNotDebt
3 #QueVuelvaElFav #9DaysUntilMITAM #cipd15
4 #احتجاج_الهلال… #NerdyCountryMusic Gerrard
5 Briana #CMAawards #PMQs
6 #NationalStressAwarenessDay UC Merced Dapper Laughs
7 Benzema Hump Day #IPBill
8 #MasterChefBR McDavid Ashley Young
9 #felizmiercoles #MyStonerConfession #TwitterHeart
10 Valbuena Bayern Chris Powell

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November 5, 2015

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Facebook launches music sharing app called Music Stories –
Facebook has announced a new post format which allows people to listen to the first 30 seconds of a song shared on the site. It will be called Music Stories and Facebook says it is aimed at “enabling better music discovery and sharing”. The previews will be streamed from Spotify and Apple Music and fans can link through to buy or save the music. [BBC Newsbeat]
Facebook Music share tweetFacebook Music share tweet

Facebook ‘takes on Apple’s News with news app Notify’ –
Facebook will launch its own news aggregator app featuring stories drawn from numerous media partners next week, according to reports. The standalone new app, reported to be called Notify, will act as a direct rival to Apple’s News app, which recently launched in the UK. The social network has partnered with publishers including the BBC, the New York Times and NBC, according to the Financial Times. Users can subscribe to specific news organisations and receive notifications once stories are published. Reports first emerged the social network had been testing the app over the summer. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Le Petit Chef – Bouillabaisse from Skullmapping on Vimeo.

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1 #8DaysUntilMITAM 5th of November #BonfireNight
2 5th of November #NationalDoughnutDay #StressIn5Words
3 H& #YouWereSoHotUntil #museums2015
4 #CMAawards #StressIn5Words H&
5 #شي_جميل_يبداا_… #8DaysUntilMITAM #MillionMaskMarch
6 #StressIn5Words Faisal Mohammad Lewes
7 Elio Rossi Martha Ford Sam Burgess
8 #Empire Chris Paul Melissa Mathison
9 #مشكله_الاسكان… Seth Rollins Guy Fawkes
10 Rolling Stones #TheSuperheroWeActuallyNeed Benzema

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December 11, 2015

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Tokyo police are using drones with nets to catch other drones –
Tokyo’s police force has introduced an elite fleet of interceptor drones designed to chase and catch suspicious-looking drones in nets flying over sensitive locations amid concerns for the prime minister’s safety. Riot police will control the camera-equipped interceptor drones to chase after private drones they feel may be spying on buildings, including the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s office, and ensnare them in large nets before returning to the ground. Those controlling the force drone will first warn the suspicious drone’s operator to cease the flight, before pursuing them. A four-propellor drone carrying trace amounts of radioactive caesium was intercepted on the top of the prime minister’s office in April, raising terror concerns in the capital. Police said radioactivity levels were only a maximum of 1 microsievert of gamma rays per hour, a level that is not harmful to humans. [Daily Telegraph]

Google Chrome extension replaces all mentions of Donald Trump with Voldemort –
When JK Rowling said Donald Trump was worse than Lord Voldemort, after the former’s proposal that all Muslims should be banned from entering the US, the Harry Potter author inspired one person to take the idea that little bit further. A Google Chrome user has released an extension for the web browser that turns all mentions of Trump into various aliases for Harry Potter’s nemesis. A series of Trump-related Chrome extensions have filled the web. The Trumpweb inserts quotes from the man himself in between “Donald” and “Trump”, and another removes any mentions of him from Facebook. You can also change any mentions of Trump to “your drunk uncle”. [Daily Telegraph] A petition started on December 6 to ban Trump from entering Britain has now reached over half a million signatures.
Donald_TrumpDonald Trump

Video of the Day –

TIMEDRIFT II from Martin Heck | Timestorm Films on Vimeo.

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1 #SextaCampuseirosClubSdv #FlashbackFriday Ian Bell
2 #ParaEl2016MeEncantariaQue #ICantStopSmilingBecause Arnold Peralta
3 #زد_رصيدك28 #CouldBeOniTunes #FridayFeeling
4 #من_عيوب_تويتر #WomenInMusic #DanielHoltzclaw
5 #ALDUBMaiDenMoment #WelcomeToCanada #RuinAChristmasMovie
6 #PraNamorarComigoÉPreciso #XMenApocalypse #SNERVOUS
7 #BirŞeySöyleyeceğim #ewaGlobal #pantoday
8 #WatchBoomChaOnAnahiVEVO #RuinAChristmasMovie #InternationalMountainDay
9 #MiFraseDeBorracho #YouAreInDenialIf #bbcqt
10 #XMenApocalypse #NewMusicFriday #DiamondBall

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  • 2015 South Indian floods
    • Major UK-based reinsurance broker Aon Benfield estimates India has suffered over US$3 billion (over Rs. 200 billion) worth of losses as a result of the flooding, and rates them as the costliest floods and the eighth-costliest natural disaster of 2015.(Business Standard)
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December 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Eiffel Tower joins Twitter and receives a warm welcome from Statue of Liberty and Taj Mahal –
When a 126-year-old woman took to Twitter for the first time this week, the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty were so impressed that they sent her tweets to congratulate her. But this was no ordinary old lady – it was the Eiffel Tower, the world’s most visited monument, taking its first steps on the wildly popular microblogging site. “Parisian since 1889, now I am sparkling on Twitter!” said one of the first tweets, in both English and French, on the official account of the 1,063 ft-high tower nicknamed La Grande Dame by its creator, Gustave Eiffel. The tower that each year attracts more than seven million visitors from across the globe, already has around 1.7 million fans on its Facebook account but until this week had kept away from Twitter. Its arrival there this week, under the username @LaTourEiffel, was quickly hailed by direct tweets from the official accounts of other world-renowned monuments. [Daily Telegraph]
Staue of Liberty Tweet

Star Wars: The Force Awakens becomes fastest to take $1bn –
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has become the fastest film to take $1bn (£674m) at the global box office. JJ Abrams’ film achieved the feat in 12 days, beating the previous record of 13 days set by Jurassic World in June.
But while Jurassic World had the benefit of record takings in China over the period, The Force Awakens has yet to open there. Star Wars also scored the biggest US Christmas Day box office takings in history with $49.3m (£33.2m). The film took $153.5m (£103.5m) in the US in its second weekend, bringing its total domestic haul to $544.6m (£367m). [BBC]

Christmas time storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in U.S. –
Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time. The bad weather, or the threat of it, prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states. Flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois. In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday. He said at least eight people had been killed and numerous roadways had been closed. [Reuters]

British soldiers aid evacuation in flood-hit northern England –
British soldiers helped evacuate hundreds of people from rising floodwaters in the historic city of York on Sunday, after heavy rainfall inundated towns and cities across northern England. Prime Minister David Cameron pledged more military help for the region as the army was deployed to move 300 to 400 people from their homes in York, where the River Ouse was expected to continue rising until Monday, the local council said. Some 100 soldiers were also helping emergency services in the hardest hit areas of West Yorkshire, including Leeds, police said, after the region suffered its worst flooding in 70 years. [Reuters]

Video of the Day –

The Christmas Human – Wishing you a very Christmas merry! from Andre Maat on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Google Trends 2015 –
Top Searches – Global News

Isis

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #زد_رصيدك44 Peyton Manning #yorkfloods
2 가요대전 #DepressABeatlesSong #RecipeWizard
3 #ANECUP #GBvsAZ #AndThenThereWereNone
4 #ÚltimoDomingoDoAnoSdvDTr #MichaelIsOurSafetyPin #BigGame8
5 #FelizDomingo #mattylovesya #DepressABeatlesSong
6 #TeamBernardoFordGoesToJapan Chyna #SAvENG
7 #MyBebeLoveDay3 #5SOSIsDeadParty #2015bestnine
8 #حكمه_انت_ماشي_… #PlatonicActivity #5SOSIsDeadParty
9 #علمتني_الرياض… #2016PopCulturePredictions Lynton Crosby
10 #5SOSIsDeadParty #ThinkBIGSundayWithMarsha COBRA

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January 7, 2016

Top News Stories –

Igloo built in middle of downtown Chicago road stumps the internet –
An igloo built in the middle of a busy road in downtown Chicago has captivated the internet and left people passing by a little confused. Internet users speculated the 5ft-tall igloo home built under a streetlight near a busy intersection had been constructed by a homeless person. However the person who created the home from slabs of ice has been identified as local resident David Sudler. He built the chilly fort over two nights using the ice blocks and a milk crate to stack the slabs and create the roof. [Daily Telegraph]
Igloo in ChicagoAdam Robinson Tweet

Facebook wants to kill off your phone number –
The days of the phone number are, quite literally numbered, thanks to the inexhorable rise of the company’s Messenger app, according to David Marcus, Facebook’s vice president of messaging products. “Think about it: SMS and texting came to the fore in the time of flip phones. Now, many of us can do so much more on our phones; we went from just making phone calls and sending basic text-only messages to having computers in our pockets,” Marcus wrote in a blog post. “With Messenger, we offer all the things that made texting so popular, but also so much more,” he said. “Yes, you can send text messages, but you can also send stickers, photos, videos, voice clips, GIFs, your location, and money to people. You can make video and voice calls while at the same time not needing to know someone’s phone number.” [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Dillon Francis – Not Butter from Brandon Dermer on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

People’s Choice Music Award winners:
Favourite male artist: Ed Sheeran
Favourite female artist: Taylor Swift
Favourite group: Fifth Harmony
Favourite breakout artist: Shawn Mendes
Favourite male country artist: Blake Shelton
Favourite female country artist: Carrie Underwood
Favourite country group: Lady Antebellum
Favourite pop artist: Taylor Swift
Favourite hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
Favourite R&B artist: The Weeknd
Favourite album: Title by Meghan Trainor
Favourite song: What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber
Favourite music icon: Madonna

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 unavailable #UnpopularMusicOpinionhour #CharlieHebdo
2 unavailable #NationalBobbleheadDay Tom Allin
3 unavailable $675 Million #BirdCelebs
4 unavailable Tila Tequila #WasteHisTime2016
5 unavailable #ZaynOnBillboard #PeoplesChoiceAwards
6 unavailable #IdolPremiere Craig David
7 unavailable #okquake #bodyshockers
8 unavailable Zora Neale Hurston #PCAs
9 unavailable #DirectionersShazam #selfieforseb
10 unavailable #BirdCelebs #GreatBarrierReef

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February 6, 2016

Top News Stories –

How Facebook updated ‘six degrees of separation’ (it’s now 3.57) –
If you pick any two Facebook users, it’s been calculated there’s an average of 3.57 “degrees of separation” between them. The maths has been done using the social media giant’s handy data set of 1.6 billion people. Facebook wanted to test the age-old “six degrees of separation” theory to mark its 12th birthday. “This is a significant reflection of how closely connected the world has become,” the firm says. “When people connect, powerful things happen and lives are changed. “We see this on Facebook every day, whether it’s an exchange with an old friend that brings a smile to your face or a new connection that changes your life path, or even the world.” It means that each person in the world (at least among the 1.59 billion people active on Facebook) is connected to every other person by an average of three and a half other people. Find out your own degrees of separation at Facebook’s blog page. [BBC Newsbeat]

Video of the Day –

“NFL 2016: Part One” — A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL

Part 2 available here

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Worldwide USA UK
1 #RIPTwitter #SixWordBernieStory #SixNations
2 #FelizSabado #RIPTwitter #flowersofmanchester
3 #HappyBirthdayCrystalReed #NationalLibrariesDay #WalkOutOn77
4 #CarnavalComBDTSDV #caturday Taiwan
5 #Goya2016 #HDM2016 #Sydney7s
6 #سنحترم_حقوق_ا�… #ShawnWorldTourOnsale Edgar Mitchell
7 #PorTuAmorYo Jay Electronica #RIPTwitter
8 #IPLAuction #NFLHonors #CBBFinal
9 #MueroPor George Karl #B12hr
10 #ALDUBYouGoodbye #Formation #GrahamNorton

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