Ronaldo and Bale among the goals as Real Madrid win 10-goal thriller

Cristiano Ronaldo provided the perfect riposte to FIFA president Sepp Blatter after scoring a hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 7-3 on a night when Gareth Bale grabbed his first goals at the Bernabeu. Days after Blatter had made a bizarre impersonation of the Portuguese while saying the star spent "a lot of money at the hairdressers", the 28-year-old scored his third career hat-trick against Sevilla to go top of the scoring charts in Spain with 11 goals. He celebrated his first goal from the penalty spot with a military salute in a mocking response to Blatter's description of him as a "commander" last week. Read: Ronaldo reacts to Blatter jibes The absorbing victory also allowed Real to put Saturday's defeat by Barcelona behind them, not just because of the three points but also because Bale, the most expensive footballer in history, began to repay some of his fee. Making his first start as a home player at the legendary Bernabeu, the Welshman scored twice, made another two and also managed to complete his first 90 minutes in his seventh appearance for Madrid. Despite Bale's largely anonymous display at Camp Nou, which was blamed on a lack of match practice, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti was wholly vindicated by his decision to keep faith in the 24-year-old, who curled home a fine opener before a free-kick was deflected in as he handed Real a 2-0 lead. On a satisfying night for the hosts, for whom substitute Xabi Alonso made his first appearance of the season after injury, Karim Benzema also grabbed a brace as Real moved up to third in the table, six points behind Barca. Sevilla were reduced to 10 men late on when Stephane Mbia received his second yellow card. In Italy, both Napoli and Juventus closed the gap on Roma to just two points, but the league leaders can extend their lead -- and register a perfect 10 victories from their opening 10 league games -- when hosting bottom side Chievo on Thursday.

PS4 Not What Its Hyped Up To Be

Sony has built quite a reputation of releasing updates to its Playstation platform, and apparently that's carried over to Ps4 news ahead of the launch. Today the company posted a massive FAQ session on its blog to explain a few details that wer'nt clear on last weeks con. For example, the PS4 can't stream media files from its home network like its predessor could, it can't even play Mp3 or CDs, and the only way of using your own background music in-game is via Sony's Music Unlimited Service. Honestly it has more bads than goods and if it was'nt for the obvious improvement to the graphic quality i'd advice you to stick to your PS3 or 2.

Dell: No, our laptops don't smell like cat urine

Lol, Dell has, er, come clean about a problem forum users have commented about for months: Its Latitude E6430u laptop does indeed have a pungent aroma, but it was caused by "a manufacturing process that has now been changed," and "is not in any way related to biological contamination." Dell's response came after months of complaints by laptop owners who insisted that the model smelled, in the words of one commenter, "as if it was assembled near a tomcat's litter box." According to Dell, the "smell is absolutely not urine or any other type of biological material. The parts have been tested and we have confirmed this 100%. The smell is caused by a manufacturing process which has now been changed." Dell says it's offering a replacement part, and that the problem doesn't affect newer versions of the laptop. Comments about the E6430u's smell date back to June, and the initial response from Dell customer support was a suggestion that users remove and clean the keyboard. In August, as complaints mounted, Dell had several customers ship their laptops to the company for analysis, and later determined that the issue didn't represent "a health hazard," and that "no other parts of the computer or manufacturing process are affected

Majority of mobile users now use smartphones, blame those young people.

Nielsen's mobile report for Q3 2013 shows that more and more teens have convinced their parents to get them smartphones, especially during back-to-school season. Usage of non-dumb devices among those in the 13 to 17 year-old range has reached 70 percent, a nice 12 point growth over September last year. A prodigious 79 percent of all users aged 18 to 24 are also toting smartphones, contributing to the 64.7 percent total of all US mobile owners who have now traded their feature phones for something more advanced. Android continues to leadthe battle of the operating systems with 52 percent, though it's held that share since mid-2012. While Apple's iOS trails close behind with 41 percent, it actually tops the list of smartphone makers in terms of OS share. Despite Cupertino's continued reign in the hardware department, Samsung's market slice by OS has increased by 2 percent, while Nokia and HTC saw a slight bump, thanks to their new Windows Phone models. Meanwhile, BlackBerry held steady at 3 percent despite its billion dollar lossin the second quarter. If you digest numbers better with a side of images, check Nielsen's charts after the break.

Really Strange Pic

The dudes in the black robes at the bottom of the pic caused a lot of anxiety yesterday during Chelsea's match against City, with their weird synchronised movements

Ever Heard of Google Glass? It's Revolutionary.

For those who don't know. Google Glass is a device that would make some of the tasks that you would normaly perform with a camera surprisingly sim( it is not a phone), it's designed to look like a pair of glasses that all you would have to do is put on and speak to, amazing right? You say "take a picture" and whatever you were looking at at the time is stored, you can record, share what you were looking at,translate your voice, give you directions and even send a message, all hands-free.

And now there's been an upgrade. Google confirmed that it is preparing an invite system that will enable current Glass users to invite up to 3 friends to join their explorer program and buy a device of their own.

All About Smartphones: LG Reveals Specs For Its Curved G Flex Smartphone

All About Smartphones: LG Reveals Specs For Its Curved G Flex Smartphone

There's Money To Be Made From Playing Games.

you can help raise millions of dollars for sick children by sitting on the sofa and playing video games. Just like the weekend athletes who collect donations from family and friends for every mile they race in a charity run, thousands of gamers will be enlisting their networks to support them in a marathon of a completely different sort. This novel fund raising idea is sponsored by Extra Life, which is now a part of the nonprofit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Players can sign up to play for this charity at any time throughout the year. But November 2 is Extra Life's annual game day. And because this year the day ends with clocks falling back an hour, they have upped the challenge from a 24- to a 25-hour marathon of gaming. Would anyone really support gamers spending an entire day just playing? And would gamers sign up for such a thing? Even Extra Life founder Jeromy Adams was unsure. Back in 2007, he reached out to a gaming community called Sarcastic Gamer to see whether they would donate a few games to Tori Enmon, a young girl who was going through cancer treatment in his local hospital. He received such an overwhelming response from gamers all over the world that he and Tori had to spend the next few months trying to find enough hospitalized kids to take all the games. Adams says he realized that gamers were the ideal audience for a good cause. Here, he thought, is a group that loves trying to save the day and be the hero. "Gamers are not the stereotype of the angry pale kid in mom and dad's basement," he said. "They are more likely to be the mom and the dad. "We are some of the most connected people on the planet. We communicate more efficiently, and we want to make a difference. Despite these expert qualifications, nobody really asks us for our help." Tori succumbed to her cancer in 2008, and Adams started Extra Life that year in her honor. Since then, his faith in gamers has been more than proven. Every year thousands of new players sign up, and to date they have raised more than $4 million.

Blatter calls for more African nations at World Cup finals

Is Sepp Blatter angling for another term as head of world football? The 77-year-old vowed at the 2011 FIFA presidential elections, where he stood unopposed after a bribery controversy ruled out his only rival, that this would be his fourth and final four-year stint in office. However, this week he hinted that he has "a mission" to fulfill and said he feels "young enough to be in this office." And he fueled speculation that he may stand again with comments in Friday's release of the FIFA Weekly magazine, in which he said the African and Asian regions deserved more representation at World Cup finals. Blatter, who has stayed in power since 1998 by vowing to take FIFA's showpiece tournament to all parts of the world, criticized Europe's overwhelming presence in relation to its lesser number of member associations. Read: Russian racism furore is latest headache for FIFA Europe will have 13 of the 32 places on offer in Brazil next year, while South America has four plus the possibility of another via a playoff with fifth-best Asian side (Uruguay vs. Jordan). Africa has five berths, while CONCACAF has three plus a playoff with the top Oceania team (Mexico vs. New Zealand). "From a purely sporting perspective, I would like to see globalization finally taken seriously, and the African and Asian national associations accorded the status they deserve at the FIFA World Cup," Blatter wrote in an article looking at the future of the sport. "It cannot be that the European and South American confederations lay claim to the majority of the berths at the World Cup (18 or 19 teams), because taken together they account for significantly fewer member associations (63) than Africa and Asia (100)."

The World's Tiniest House, (Not Cheapest).

You Can Finaly Become A Titan!: Report.

In the past, if you wanted to be able to be able to lift more weight you would have to spend months bulking up at the gym. Now, with a new invention from a group of design students at the University of Pennsylvania, you can just strap on an external bicep and you are ready to go. The bionic device, called the Titan Arm, is the brainchild of four mechanical engineering students who, in their final undergraduate year, built an upper-body exoskeleton that can be used in physical therapy and manual labor. The invention won its inventors $10,000 in the Cornell Cup for Innovation and has recently been shortlisted for the 2013 Dyson award. The Titan Arm straps directly to a user's right arm to help lift heavy objects that the user wouldn't normally be able to lift. Its inventors believe that it will be useful in aiding physical rehabilitation, both for people who have suffered upper body injuries and for those with pre-existing muscular-skeletal disorders. The Titan Arm's inventors say the exoskeleton can also be used by people whose jobs require heavy lifting such as warehouse workers, removalists and couriers. Read: Bionic fashion, hot wearable tech "With the Titan Arm, we wanted to create something that could both augment a user's natural strength as well as help someone perform physical therapy in their own home," says Elizabeth Beattie, one of the Titan Arm's inventors. "We wanted to create something that was low-cost and easy for a user to put on and strap to themselves." According to the United States Department of Labour, back disorders are one of the leading causes of disability for people during their working years. The American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says that back problems afflict over 600,000 employees each year with a cost of around $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The problem is significant in other countries: the World Health Organisation says that worldwide, 37% of lower back pain is due to injuries sustained in the workplace. Beattie says that addressing this problem while being attentive to user comfort was one of the primary motivating principles in designing the device: "We wanted something that was comfortable for the user, something that mimics the body's natural mobility and range, so we definitely went through a lot of testing in order to get to where the design is right now." The Titan Arm attaches to a user's right arm with a power motor at its elbow joint. The bionic limb can lift approximately 40 pounds of weight, augmenting a user's natural strength. The arm is predominantly made of aluminum and steel components, and is powered by a DC battery. Read: Meet the robot chef who "prints" cookies As well as helping lift weight, the arm can also be locked into any position with a ratchet brake to hold an object steady without any exertion from the user. JD Albert, an engineer and co-founder of E-Ink, calls the Titan Arm "exciting," but adds: "I would caveat that with the fact that it's a very tough product to launch for a lot of reasons ... it needs to feel right (and) I think there's also some pretty significant safety concerns ... We are taking a piece of machinery and integrating it with a person and so naturally you need to make sure that there's no way to injure someone." Still, Albert says that for young engineers, the Titan Arm represents an impressive achievement: "They've managed to combine a pretty wide variety of disciplines both dealing the mechanical side of things -- the design and the electrical -- and the software side of things as well." Beattie says that the Titan Arm team intends to keep working on the exoskeleton with a view to one day bringing it to market: "The four of us definitely want to use our engineering tool kits to better the quality of life of those around us. I think that's one of the things that technology really has the power to do."

Fergie's new Autobiography is Filled With A Lot Of Beef

The release of Alex Ferguson's autobiography was always likely to ruffle a few feathers, with the recently retired Manchester United manager aiming barbs at a number of his high profile former stars. Cue backlash, with Roy Keane first out of the blocks. A former United captain signed by Alex Ferguson in 1993, Keane was one player who was criticized fiercely by the Scotsman in his latest autobiography, which is published on Thursday. In charge of the Old Trafford club for 27 years, Ferguson details a "horrendous" confrontation following an interview Keane gave to the club's MUTV television channel lambasting his teammates which ultimately led to the midfielder's departure from United. Read: Ferguson's book -- 10 things you need to know Irishman Keane questioned why Ferguson was unable to display the same fideltiy he had demanded from his charges. "I do remember having conversations with the manager when I was at the club about loyalty," Keane, who left United under a cloud in 2005, told British broadcaster ITV. "In my opinion I don't think he knows the meaning of the word. "It doesn't bother me too much what he has to say about me but to constantly criticize other players at the club who brought him a lot of success I find very, very strange. But I certainly won't be losing any sleep over it."

The Thinnest Tablet in The World

Three years ago, Apple unveiled the very first iPad, that boxy, large and thick device. But four iPads later and we're starting a whole new ball game. And trust me, its easy on the eyes.

It's called the iPad Air, and for the first time since the iPad 2 we're seeing a brand new design, the 'fifth generation'. It sports the same 9.7 inch display, it weighs just one pound and its even thinner than previous iPads. What do you think, will it perform better than any of the others?

Nokia To Release A New Tablet

Nokia is getting into the tablet business. The Finnish company announced a new 10-inch tablet called the Lumia 2520 on tuesday at a press event in Abu Dhabi. It's going to be Nokia's first full-sized tablet, it's also expanding its smartphone line with the release of 2 new devices,the Lumia 1520 and the Lumia 1320.

The Lumia 2520 will cost $499 and run on windows 8RT.

World Cup 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a place in Brazil

Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will go head-to-head for a place at the 2014 World Cup after Portugal and Sweden were drawn together in the European qualification playoffs. Portugal captain Ronaldo will lead his team out against Ibrahimovic's Sweden, with one of the star duo set to miss out on a ticket to football's biggest tournament following the draw at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Eight second-place teams from the nine European groups will compete over two legs for four World Cup berths. Read: Swiss and Belgians shake up seedings Paulo Bento's Portugal were pipped to automatic qualification by one point, finishing behind Fabio Capello's Russia. If Portugal fail to qualify it will be the first time they have missed the tournament since 1998. Sweden, coached by Erik Hamren, will be desperate to reach a 12th World Cup after missing out on South Africa 2010. France, World Cup winners in 1998, were drawn against Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine, with Euro 2004 champions Greece taking on Romania. Read: Mexico fires coach ahead of playoff Minnows Iceland, who are bidding to become the smallest nation to successfully qualify for the quadrennial competition, will play Croatia, who sacked coach Igor Stimac last week. Stimac was replaced by former player Niko Kovac, who took over on a caretaker basis.

Violin played as Titanic sank sells for $1.7 million

A violin played by the Titanic's bandleader as the ship sank sold at auction Saturday for more than $1.7 million, a UK-based auction house said. The price -- 1.1 million British pounds, when adding the buyer's premium and tax -- is by far the highest ever fetched for memorabilia tied to the sunken passenger ship, according to veteran collector Craig Sopin. "This figure is going to be hard to beat," said Sopin, who helped authenticate the fact the violin came from the Titanic. "I can't think of anything else that is more iconic to come off that ship." According to survivors, Wallace Hartley's band played to calm passengers even as the ship sank beneath them. The scene was depicted in James Cameron's blockbuster movie "Titanic," which depicted Hartley and his band playing "Nearer, My God, to Thee" as the ship took on water. Hartley's body was reportedly pulled from the water days after the April 1912 sinking with his violin case still strapped to his back. In 2006, the damaged violin was found in the attic of a home in Britain. It was authenticated through testing of salt water deposits, according to a statement released by Henry Aldridge and Son, which hosted the auction in Wiltshire, England. The violin was adorned with an engraved silver plate that connected it to Hartley. Aussie tycoon insists Titanic II good idea The names of the seller and the buyer have not been released. The famous wreckage was first discovered in 1985 off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since then there have been a number of research and recovery expeditions, during which time the artifacts included in the sale were found

Barca and Athletico Failed To Match Real's Record

Real Madrid will head into a big week knowing the club's Spanish title bid is back on track and that one of its records will stand for at least another season. Carlo Ancelotti's team will be just three points behind Barcelona ahead of next weekend's "Clasico" at Camp Nou after the La Liga champion dropped its first points this campaign in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Osasuna. It was the first time in 64 league matches Barca had failed to score, despite the introduction of Lionel Messi midway through the second half. Second-placed Atletico Madrid then surrendered the division's only other 100% record, losing 1-0 at Espanyol to also fall one win short of the 1968-69 Real side's benchmark beginning. Read: Ferguson backs struggling Moyes Ancelotti, meanwhile, was lifted by a 2-0 win at home to Malaga earlier in the day which lifted some of the building pressure on the Italian. "Today I am happy, we have to keep going and keep improving, but the team has done well today, the week has started well," the former Milan and Chels

Suicide Bomber Strikes In Somalia

Soldiers were among the casualties in a suicide attack at a cafe in Somalia early Saturday, authorities told CNN. The incident occurred in the town of Beledweyne in the central part of the African nation and it drew sharp condemnation from the Somali prime minister. Authorities continue to sort out the casualty figures. Police officers said the death toll is as high as 20, but the country's prime minister's office reported at least 13 dead. A few dozen injuries were reported. "I condemn the attack in the strongest terms and send my condolences to the families of all the innocent civilians who were killed and wounded," Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said. "The motive of these attacks are to frighten Somali people, these acts of terrorism will not derail the progress made across Somalia." Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, a Hirran deputy governor, said seven government soldiers died and top Somali military commanders were injured and hospitalized. He said at least 33 people were injured Al-Shabaab, the militant Islamist group, issued a claim of responsibility on its website and said it killed Somali and Ethiopian troops, who have been fighting Al-Shabaab. A terror group with ties to al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for last month's four-day siege at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where at least 67 people died. Beledweyne is the capital of Hirran province, and the attack took place near the administrative office of the region. The city, more than 200 miles north of Mogadishu and near the Ethiopian border, is a commercial hub linking southern and northern Somalia. "A process of establishing a regional administration in the area has been under way in the past couple of days," the prime minister's office said.

Take A Look at Nicki Minaj's Brand New Lambo

It's a pink $400,000 lamborghini Aventador(with custom rims)needles to say, it would attract a lot of eyes once she lets it loose on the streets and not all of them would stare in admiration...

US Commandos Raid Target Islamist Leaders

Stella Oduah's car purchase whistleblower being haunted by NCAA

Stella Oduah's car purchase whistleblower being haunted by NCAA

List Of The Best Smartphones in The World

Firstly, I know we have more pressing issues in the world right now but I just could'nt resist..
This following list was compiled by PCADVISOR, enjoy

1, LG G2.
2, Sony Xperia Z( surprise surprise)
3, iPhone 5s
4, HTC 1
5, Samsung Galaxy Note 3
6, Sony Xperia Z
7, Samsung Galaxy S4
8, iPhone 5C
9, HTC One X+
10, Huawei Asce P6
11, HTC 1 mini
12, Nokia Lumia 720

It's not surprising that Samsung, Apple, Sony and HTC constitute 9 out of the 12 phones in the list while there's only 1 from nokia and a complete absence of a single Blackberry. So if you happend to be on the market for a smartphone i would recommend Nos 8 or 4 for max performance and (if possible) an affordable price.

iPhone 5c May Be A Flop

When Apple unveiled not one but two new iPhones last month, it was the dawning of a new strategy for the company, which for six years had championed its single iconic smartphone even as competitors rolled out an array of shapes, sizes and features. But a month later, there are questions about how effective this strategy has been, particularly in regards to the iPhone 5C, the cheaper, colorful plastic counterpart to Apple's higher-end iPhone 5S. Though some observers see a long game in which the "fun" version of the iPhone will still prove popular, others are skeptical, based on some early signs. Apple has not released figures breaking down sales of the 5C versus the 5S (An earnings report on October 28 may change that). But independent analysts estimate that the fancier 5S is outselling its candy-colored cousin by 3 to 1 or, in some cases, even more. Localytics, a tool from Forrester Research that it says samples apps on 1 billion devices, says the 5S is winning 3-to-1 in the United States and a whopping 5-to-1 (72% to 28%) worldwide. Reports from generally reliable sources in China say Apple has cut production of the phone there, less than a month after it went on sale. C Tech, a Chinese site that ran accurate photos of the iPhone 5C and 5S before they were released, quotes insiders who say daily production of the 5C has been cut in half -- from 300,000 to 150,000. Part of the problem, some analysts say, is the price. Although the iPhone 5C starts at $99 with a mobile data plan, many had predicted that it would need to be even cheaper to appeal to buyers in emerging markets like China and India. In China, where phones aren't subsidized by mobile carriers, the 5C is selling for 3,500 yuan, or about $560. And though its style is all new, the 5C doesn't sport features significantly upgraded from the iPhone 5, which can be had for as low as $199. The two-year-old iPhone 4S can be had for free with a data plan.

FIFA Ignores Ethiopia's Protests Against Nigeria.

Nigeria's football chiefs were the happiest people in the country yesterday when FIFA dismissed Ethiopia's complaint against the ref's decision disallowing their goal against the Super Eagles on Sunday. The Antelopes felt betrayed after the centre ref decide that Salhadin Said's shot at goal crossed the line before Oboabona cleared it away which indirectly helped us snatch a 2-1 win. But FIFA said the ref's word was final and can't be overturned.

29.8 Million Slaves in Nigeria: Report

A new report claiming to be the most comprehensive look at global slavery says 30 million people are living as slaves around the world. The Global Slavery Index, published by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation, lists India as the country with by far the most slaves, with an estimated nearly 14 million, followed by China (2.9 million) and Pakistan (2.1 million). The top 10 countries on its list of shame accounted for more than three quarters of the 29.8 million people living in slavery, with Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh completing the list. In terms of countries with the highest of proportion of slaves, Mauritania in West Africa topped the table, with about 4% of its 3.4 million people enslaved, followed by Haiti, Pakistan, India and Nepal. READ MORE: Mauritania -- Slavery's last stronghold The index, whose authors claim it contains the most authoritative data on slavery conditions worldwide, is the product of Australian mining magnate and philanthropist Andrew Forrest's commitment to stamp out global slavery. Forrest, ranked by Forbes as Australia's fifth richest man, with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion, adopted the cause after his daughter volunteered in an orphanage in Nepal in 2008, coming into contact with child sex trafficking victims. Forrest is a signatory to the Giving Pledge started by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, whose members commit to donating at least half their wealth to philanthropic causes. The index, which draws on 10 years of research into slavery conditions around the world and was produced by a team of 4 authors supported by 22 other experts and advisers, is the inaugural edition of what will be an annual report into slavery. It ranks 162 countries according to the number of people living in slavery, the risk of enslavement and the robustness of government responses to the problem. Walk Free policy and research manager Gina Dafalia told CNN the report was intended to shine a spotlight on the issue, and quantify the extent of the problem in different countries before programs were put in place to tackle the problem. So far, she said, Walk Free -- and its partners Humanity United and the Legatum Foundation -- had pledged a total of $100 million to stamp out the practice.

18 foot Long Giant Fish Washed Up.

On sunday somewhere in southern California, a marin science instructor taking a dip spotted something out of the ordinary, The silvery carcass of an 18ft serpent like oarfish. Jasmin Santana of the Catalina who noticed it needed more than 15 helpers to drag the beast ashore, some people are even calling it the discovery of a lifetime...Maybe for them, 17 years ago Navy Seals pulled ashore a 23ft long oarfish that was found along the coast near San Diego, Carlifornia, although i think they killed that one themselves.

18 foot Long Giant Fish Washed Up.

On sunday somewhere in southern California, a marin science instructor taking a dip spotted something out of the ordinary, The silvery carcass of an 18ft serpent like oarfish. Jasmin Santana of the Catalina who noticed it needed more than 15 helpers to drag the beast ashore, some people are even calling it the discovery of a lifetime...Maybe for them, 17 years ago Navy Seals pulled ashore a 23ft long oarfish that was found along the coast near San Diego, Carlifornia, although i think they killed that one themselves.

Microphone Bomb Kills An Afgan Governor

Well this is something new, yesterday a bomb attack on a mosque in Afganistan killed the governor of a province south of kabul, a friend of the country's president. This was while he was making an address on the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday. Arsala jamal was governor of Logar province,he was obviously a high ranking official so an assasination of this level will raise new fears for Afganistan's security as foreign troops prepare to leave by the end of next year. "When the governor was giving a speech it detonated. He is martyred," said Jamal's spokesman, Din Mohammed Darwish. He said one other person was killed No one claimed responsibility.

Dozens Dead As Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits The Phillipines.

magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the central Philippines on Tuesday, leaving at least 67 people dead and 164 more injured, and rattling many who were celebrating a religious holiday. The quake, which struck early in the morning, crumbled a number of buildings and sent panicked people streaming into the streets, witnesses said. The bulk of the casualties -- 57 deaths and 104 injuries -- came in Bohol province. At least nine were killed in Cebu province and one died in the province of Siquijor, according to a report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Most of those killed were hit by falling rubble, the Philippines News Agency reported. At least 33 people were missing, and authorities were checking into reports of people trapped in collapsed buildings in Cebu and Bohol, the agency reported. Landslides were reported in Cebu, according to the disaster council, which also reported stampedes at two venues in that province, as well as damage to a port terminal, an airport tower, a fish port, a public market, schools, churches, hospitals, bridges, roads, government buildings and residences across Bohol, Cebu and outlying areas. Power was restored to most affected areas, except Bohol province and a portion of the city of Iloilo, the report said. The quake was centered about 620 kilometers (385 miles) south-southeast of Manila, near Catigbian, and its depth was 20 kilometers (12 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Philippines disaster council gave the temblor a slightly higher rating, 7.2 magnitude, than the USGS. Maryann Zamora, a communications specialist with the charity World Vision, reported seeing glass and concrete in the streets of the city of Cebu, about 60 kilometers north of the epicenter. "Right now we are in the streets because it is unsafe to be inside," she said by phone, her voice shaking as one of more than 10 aftershocks hit. "Tell everyone to pray for us."

England Worried Ahead Of Wembly Clash

Where there should be excitement there is trepidation. Where there is hope, there is also fear. England expects -- but what it also anticipates is a night of high drama, tension and nails being bitten until they are no longer visible to the human eye. When Roy Hodgson's side take to the turf at the iconic Wembley Stadium, the 'Home of Football', it will attempt to secure a victory which guarantees a place at next year's World Cup. Read: Quartet on their way to World Cup finals One win is all that separates England from challenging the world's best in Brazil and yet it still seems so far away. Perhaps it's not difficult to understand given the country's history and that painful night 40 years ago when England faltered in such agonizing fashion. As on Tuesday, the opponent will once again be Poland. It was Poland and their goalkeeper, Jan Tomaszewski who was infamously labeled a 'clown' by former Nottingham Forest and Derby manager Brian Clough ahead of the qualifier on October 17 1973, who proved the scourge of the Three Lions. Indeed, it was the Poles who had the last laugh -- claiming a 1-1 draw to progress to the 1974 World Cup finals and leave England desolated

Miley Cyrus In Control

Give Miley Cyrus some credit: she's ridden this ceaseless wave of publicity all the way to No.1. Her latest album, "Bangerz," is at the top of iTunes in 70 countries, and the expectation is that she's going to arrive at the top of Billboard's 200 album chart as well. While her success could be brushed off with the industry motto "all publicity is good publicity," those who've closely watched the 20-year-old's development say that's not the whole story. In CNN's "The Life of Miley Cyrus," which examines Cyrus' music, message and personal journey, insiders who've intimately come to know the singer/actress say that her transition from a childhood of ATVs and cheerleading to adult superstardom was no accident. Instead, Cyrus has executed her transformation with total control. Shirley Halperin, music editor for The Hollywood Reporter, tells CNN she gives Cyrus "a lot of credit for her own street smarts and her own understanding of what consumers want." After all, Halperin says, "there was a time when people thought Miley Cyrus would never be on Top 40 radio, because Disney was too squeaky clean. Well ... she's certainly turned that around." And how did she do that? By systematically shedding her reputation as a tween celebrity. Cyrus herself has never been "squeaky clean" -- even before she turned 18, her actual image was occasionally at odds with the image those parents paying for tickets to "Hannah Montana" concerts expected. According to Josh Eells, the Rolling Stone writer who went skydiving and to a tattoo shop with Cyrus for Rolling Stone's recent cover story, believes the beginning of this transition happened at 17, when Cyrus was filming the comedy "LOL" in Detroit with Demi Moore. "She said that was the first time that she was really ... basically by herself. There were other(s) -- obviously the rest of the cast and crew was around -- but she was kind of living on her own," Eels said. "She would go out to clubs, which she'd never really done before. I think it was probably easier for her to be anonymous or kind of fly under the radar in Detroit a little bit. She said she learned a lot from (Moore), and I think she got into hip-hop more up there." While "LOL" failed to make a dent in Cyrus' rep, a certain haircut that same year definitely did. In August 2012, the singer made one of the biggest statements a young celebrity can make: she drastically changed her look with a super-short, platinum blonde haircut, a clear departure from anything she'd done before.

The iPhone 5c Sensor Works For Dogs Too

You'll have to be doggedly clever to unlock Mike Linden's new iPhone 5S. Linden, 23, was fooling around with the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone he purchased Friday morning. He found it dull locking and unlocking it with his own finger, so he decided to find out what would happen if he programmed the front right paw of his pet Chihuahua, Hurley, into the gadget. How secure is your iPhone 5S fingerprint? Much to his surprise, the pawprint did the job. "I thought this is never going to work, and it did!" Linden told CNN . "The funniest thing is, it only works for the paw I programmed. It doesn't work for the other three." Dogs aren't the only four-legged friends who can handle the sensor. TechCrunch found it has worked for cats, too. Linden, a musician in Burnsville, Minnesota, is an Apple fan: He was in line at Minnesota's Mall of America at 4:45 a.m. to be among the first to get the new iPhone. The phone has a fingerprint sensor in its Home button for added security. Users must "register" their print with the device, after which they can unlock the phone by placing a finger or thumb on the button. But though he's been tickled by the finger (paw?) print sensor, Linden's not too pleased with the particular phone he bought. The sound from the phone receiver is muffled and he suspects he'll have to return it. When he does, Hurley might not be as cooperative.

Runstatic Six Pack and Fitness App For Android and iOS

All About Smartphones: Runstatic Six Pack and Fitness App For Android and iOS

EFCC Apprehends Fake Commissioner

Attempts by a middle-aged man to present himself as a senior police commissioner and curry favour from unsuspecting government agencies in the Federal Capital Territory, has backfired, exposing him as fake Assistant Police Commissioner. Convinced that Kunle Adeshola, who also goes by the names of Dr. Kunle Shoal, Dr K. Adeshola and Sunday Mealayeshe Adekunle was not sincere in his exploits, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, immediately arrested and detained him in their custody. A statement from the commission made available to Vanguard yesterday, described the suspect as a serial impostor and self-acclaimed Assistant Commissioner of Police who has been parading himself as an operative of the EFCC and defrauding officials of government agencies under the guise of conducting phantom investigations. The statement, which was signed by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said Adeshola was nabbed on Thursday October 10, 2013 while trying to hoodwink the head of an unnamed federal government agency to write a letter supposedly to the Inspector General of Police to transfer him to the EFCC. According to the agency, the unsuspecting CEO wrote the pleading with the IG to second the fraudster to his agency with a view to sanitising the place. It was however leant that the suspects pocketed the letter and made the CEO to believe that the IG had sanctioned his deployment to the agency and was about to resume work there. However, EFCC agents arrested the suspect before he could “resume duties” at the agency. At the time of his arrest two fake identity cards were found on him, one of the cards bearing the name Dr. K Adeshola (ACP) identifies him as a staff of a nonexistent EFCC Monitoring Unit while the other is a police ID card with number: APF NO. 02576 with the name, Dr. Kunle Adeshola Search in his apartment in Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja yielded a number of documents suspected to be fake. They included copies of NYSC Exemption Certificates and blank copies of University of Jos certifica

Taliban Deputy Captured.

A top-level Pakistani Taliban leader was captured by U.S. forces in military operation, a State Department spokesman said Friday. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), confirmed Friday that its deputy chief, Latif Mehsud, was arrested in Afghanistan's Khost province four days ago, but it received word of the arrest Thursday, said a source within the terror organization who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Mehsud, 32, who's from Sararogha in South Waziristan, is a key aide to TTP leader Hakeemullah Masud and organized all external meetings with journalists and others on behalf of the chief. The TTP had ties with the failed attempt to bomb Times Square in New York in 2010, said Marie Harf, deputy spokeswoman for the State Department. "I don't have further details about the operation to share with you at this time," Harf said Friday of Mehsud's arrest. "TTP has, is also responsible for attacks on our diplomats in Pakistan and attacks that have killed countless Pakistani civilians."

Audu Ogbeh Speaks Out

He is an encyclopedia of some sort. The history of Nigeria revolves around his finger tips as he bats no eyelid in telling it. He is a politician of note and to most people, a revered one with some modicum of integrity. In 1979, he ran for legislative seat in the Benue State House of Assembly on the Platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), and was consequently, elected the Deputy Speaker of the House. In 1982 he was appointed Federal Minister of Communications, and later became Minister of Steel Development. His tenure ended in December 1983 when a military coup brought Major-General Muhammadu Buhari to power. In 2001, he became the National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but left the scene under a controversial circumstance. Today, he is one of the founders of the newly registeredAll Progressive Congress (APC). Looking back through the years, Chief Audu Innocent Ogbeh in this no-holds-barred and time-consuming exclusive interview in his Abuja residence tells Saturday Vanguard that the PDP he once chaired is a party of Killers amongst other turbulent national issues. The following are the excepts of the interview Nigeria will be 100 years by January 2014 having been amalgamated in 1914. And it’s been 53 years of the country’s post-independence existence. How has the country fared? Audu Ogbeh We started off well. It was a land of hope, a land of opportunity, a land of sunlight and faith, land of very proud people. Nigerians are hardworking and very committed. And it went on. It had its own challenges until the unfortunate tragedy of 1966. And then all that hope; true federalism which we had then, all that regional competition for excellence simply came to a halt under the unitary system of government which the military brought along. And then the culture of violence came into this country. Gun was a solution to political problems and we are here now. We haven’t recovered yet because the hands of the military have not left the scene yet. A British Journalist told me this once: He said you Nigerians made a mistake. You allowed the Army to hang around too long. He reminded me that in 1945, Winston Churchill, the hero of the Second World War contested election with his own deputy, Clement Atley. They refused to vote for Winston Churchill and voted for Clement Atley. Then I asked him why. Were you not being ungrateful? He said no, they did want any professional soldier hanging around too long in government. And he said but you are paying for it in your country. Are you saying that 15 years down the line, democracy hasn’t set the pace to correct the anomalies apparently perpetrated by the military? A strong and violent culture does not dissipate very quickly. It gets engrained in the blood system of people. The choice of candidatures by the opposition is always predetermined by strong men and individuals who believe that they own the estate. If you argue with them, you pay very severely. And the most difficult person to set free is a happy slave. So, most Nigerians would rather not risk challenging arrogant authority. They will just blend. And Nigerians have the courage to say, sorry, this is wrong. And a few who have tried have paid dearly, some with their lives. And we haven’t had time to mourn them even. So, people have learnt the lesson of acquiscence, grumbling in their bathrooms. I call Nigerians bathroom vocalists and bedroom heroes who would rather complain to their wives and children but outside there, they are busy flattering, cringing and crawling before arrogant authority. That’s what we are. But talking about the military, many Nigerians will be quick to point out the legacies of the military than the civilian rule, why is it so? In terms of infrastructure, roads and bridges, yes, they built a lot; I mean Gowon did a whole lot. Obasanjo, Murtala did quite a bit but you realized that the destruction of Civil Service, unfortunately happened under the Murtala regime; those arbitrary retirements. They were permanent Secretaries in Lagos who went to their early graves. I know one of them before he died. He couldn’t afford a gateman in his house in Lagos. If a visitor came, he had to come out of his house to open the gate. He had no money. But he was presumed corrupt. Those retirements with immediate effect changed the Civil Service into the near monster it is now. Politicians are called corrupt. Check the Civil Service. Only God knows what goes on there. So, in terms of physical achievements, yes. Democracies are not particularly famous for physical infrastructures. In fact, when people call something the dividends of democracy, it is a funny misnomer. Roads and bridges and water systems are no dividends of democracy

Fire Falls Like Rain In Syria

It started with a baby. Within minutes, dozens of teenagers and children staggered into an emergency room on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria. Rola Hallam, a British Syrian doctor, describes what she saw there in late August. "We had had, you know, over 30 who had arrived, all within about 10 or 15 minutes, all with just heartbreaking, extensive burns," she said. The patients were victims of an August 26 attack in Awram al-Koubra, outside Aleppo, where eyewitnesses described incendiary like devices being dropped from a government fighter jet onto a private residence, and then a school. Incendiary bombs are not chemical weapons, but their effects can be just as devastating. Syria: Chemical weapons team faces many dangers, says U.N. chief Ban They are identified as "any weapon or munition which is primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through the action of flame, heat, or combination thereof, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target," according to the United Nations. British emergency doctor Saleyha Ahsan describes them in less clinical terms, in the terms of her patients. "The descriptions were fire falling like rain, just falling like rain, plumes of flames and then balls of flames falling out of the sky," she said.

Youtube Fixes Its Comments

YouTube comments are rough. They dabble in all forms of trolling, bullying, racism, sexism and other offensive -isms, interspersed with endless spurts of nonsensical chatter. Any thoughtful comments are typically lost in a roiling sea of "LOLs," insults and spam. Thousands of these comments can follow a popular video, in order of when they were posted but with a handful of the most upvoted comments on top. "If some of these comments were spray-painted on homes, buildings or at schools, there would be consequences. But online there are almost none," said Benny and Rafi Fine, the filmmakers behind the popular Fine Brothers YouTube channel. Now YouTube has a new plan to pull its infamous comments out of the muck and make them more constructive and personalized. "When it comes to the conversations happening on YouTube, recent does not necessarily mean relevant. So, comments will soon become conversations that matter to you," said the company in a blog post. "In the coming months, comments from people you care about will rise up where you can see them, while new tools will help video creators moderate conversations for welcome and unwelcome voices." Since YouTube is a Google property, it will start by integrating its existing commenting system into Google+, the identification platform and social network Google has been tirelessly trying to make happen since 2011. YouTube commenters will now have to tie their current accounts to a Google+ account. 'Don't feed the trolls': Racism on YouTube The first major difference is that relevant comments will now automatically float to the top. If the maker of a video posts something in the comments, or even just on their Google+ page, it will automatically be highlighted and placed right under the video. The new system also will automatically surface comments from popular personalities and quality threaded discussions. "We're moving from comments to actual conversations," said YouTube product manager Nundu Janakiram, who compared the new nested comments to a conversation in Gmail. YouTube also is using Google+ to customize what each person sees based on who their friends are and which other commenters they interact with the most. Conversations can be made private, so you and your three best friends can analyze the latest Beyoncé video on YouTube without anyone else seeing.

The New Smartphones.

Do you ever look at your smartphone and think it's just too stiff and flat? A growing number of tech giants have, and they're aiming to fix that with what may become the next wave of smartphone innovation. LG announced on Monday that it will start mass-producing a flexible, curved smartphone screen. Its first devices to use the new 6-inch OLED screens will be available next year. Several companies have shown prototypes of flexible displays before, but so far there haven't been any mass-market bendy phones. Samsung announced a similar screen technology last month and plans to release the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3, its first device with a curved display, later in October. Apple has long been rumored to be looking into similar technology for the iPhone. A patent filed in March describes an "electronic device with wrap around display" that would go around most, or all, of the device. Apple, like other companies, sometimes files patents for products that never come to market. What's clear in the minds of many is that the coming wave of flexible and curved displays is just the first step in what could become a dramatic shift in what we expect of our phones. "What we're seeing today is a big step toward a break from the rectangular norm of smartphone design, paving the way for more outlandish shapes and sizes for future devices," Aaron Souppouris, of tech blog The Verge, wrote Monday. Since Apple released the keyboard-killing iPhone, the physical design of smartphones has pretty much stagnated. The touchscreen rectangles have appeared in different sizes, and recently companies like Motorola and Apple have tried to spice things up with different colors and patterns on the back. But the basic look is the same. Most of the serious competition takes place inside the devices. Manufacturers compete for the best camera, the fastest processor, the widest selection of apps and, of course, low price tags. When all those specs are close and the devices start to blend together, companies turn to splashier -- some might say gimmicky -- features to try to make their 5-inch Android smartphones stand out from the other guy's 5-inch Android smartphones.

Neymar Filling In For Messi.

With Lionel Messi on the sidelines, Neymar took center stage in the battle with Cristiano Ronaldo for the crown of La Liga's most influential player on Saturday. Ronaldo's injury-time heroics prevented Real Madrid from falling eight points behind in the title race ahead of the international break, as the Portugal forward scored a last-gasp winner against Levante. Barcelona had no such problems, despite also going behind at home to Valladolid, with Gerardo Martino's team running out a 4-1 victor for eight wins out of eight. Alexis Sanchez scored two of those goals, but it was his fellow South American Neymar who ran the show -- scoring the last himself, setting up one for the Chilean and providing the spark for Xavi's strike that made it 2-1. With Messi recovering from a second injury this season, Neymar has been given an increasing amount of responsibility following his $75 million move from Santos and is showing he can fit into the role of team player as well as solo star. However, it was Sanchez who responded to Javi Guerra's 10th-minute opener, firing in a superb equalizer from outside the penalty area. Neymar's burst helped Cristian Tello to set up midfield veteran Xavi for his second goal this season, then the Brazilian slid a perfect pass for Sanchez to slot home in the 64th minute. The roles were reversed on 70 as Sanchez squared the ball to Neymar, who turned and fired in a low shot for his second league goal since arriving. Ronaldo took his La Liga tally to seven, one behind Messi and Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa, as he blasted the decisive goal in Real's 3-2 win at Levante. Real twice came from behind to deny the home side, which led through Baba Diawara in the 57th minute and then Nabil El Zhar with four to play in regulation.

Underwear Protest In Hungarian University Over Mini-skirt Ban.

Students at a Hungarian university attended class wearing only their underwear to protest against a dress code ordered by the college head. In a letter to students on Wednesday, the rector of Kaposvar University in southwest Hungary wrote that a conservative dress code – dark suits and shoes for men; jacket, blouse and trousers or long skirts for women – must be adhered to when attending classes or exams. “From October 1, there is also no place in the university for mini-skirts, flip-flops, heavy make-up, inappropriate fashion accessories, or unkempt fingernails and hair,” the letter continued. The rector did make an allowance for lighter clothing during warm summer days, prompting some students to make the underwear protest. “We were appropriately dressed but the class room was so warm we removed some clothing as is permitted,” said one student. The protesters included male and female students. Students plan to wear flip-flops and beach towels at another protest on October 7.

"Put On Some Clothes Miley"

Stop stripping. Stop letting yourself be "pimped." And for heaven's sake, stop licking sledgehammers, Miley. That's the advice from Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, who's penned a motherly, if expletive-laden open letter to former Disney star Miley Cyrus in the wake of a controversial video music awards show performance and the video for her latest single, "Wrecking Ball." "Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent," the 46-year-old singer says in the letter posted on her official website. Confessions of pop's wildest child Cyrus, 20, was the subject of widespread scorn in August, when she danced provocatively in a skimpy outfit during MTV's Video Music Awards show. Soon after, she released the video for her latest single, in which she rides a wrecking ball while nude and suggestively licks a sledgehammer. Gauging reaction to Sinead O'Connor's open letter to Miley Cyrus "I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way 'cool' to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos," O'Connor wrote. "It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it's the music business or yourself doing the pimping." In a Rolling Stone article, Cyrus compared her look in the "Wrecking Ball" video to O'Connor's style in her iconic 1990 video for "Nothing Compares 2 U." But O'Connor said she chose the shaved-head look in direct defiance of music industry executives who wanted her to present a sexier appearance. Miley and Liam's engagement is off She said the music industry doesn't care much about Cyrus.

Bayern Batterd City 3-1 last night.

Arjen Robben said it all -- "We didn't expect an easy game like that." Robben could have been forgiven for expecting more of a challenge from one of the most expensively assembled teams in European football. But the Dutchman will not lose too much sleep over the way Manchester City capitulated against a Bayern Munich which simply oozed class. Bayern, which won the European Champions League last year, claimed a 3-1 win -- a result which flattered City for the most part. Easy "The first 70 minutes we played some terrific football," Robben told Sky Sports. "We were so dominant against a big team in Europe. We didn't expect an easy game like that. "It is a compliment to our team but we expected more from City. We didn't give them any space, we pressed them right up to the goalkeeper and they just kicked it away. Sometimes they gave us too much space and we used space well." City's disastrous flirtation with the Champions League was supposed to end with the arrival of new manager Manuel Pellegrini. It has failed to make it past the group stage in its two previous attempts and it faces a challenge once more.

iOS 7 and Its Glitches.

The new version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 7, was released September 18 to mostly positive reviews. It was the biggest change to iOS since it was introduced six years ago, overhauled to add a slate of new features and a more streamlined, flat, abstract look. But nobody's perfect, right? It's not unusual for new operating systems to have some glitches in their earliest days. Nobody's talking about anything cataclysmic this time, like the Apple Maps fiasco on iOS 6 that led CEO Tim Cook to issue a rare apology -- and which some say led to the ouster of Apple senior vice president Scott Forstall. But a couple of weeks into its existence, iOS 7 has prompted a handful of complaints from users. Here are some of the most frequently heard, along with tips for how to fix, or at least bypass, them. iMessage failing Apple says it's aware of an issue that's causing texts sent through its iMessage app not to go through for some users. On various Apple-oriented message boards, iOS 7 users were complaining that they'd send a message which appeared to work fine, only to later see the dreaded red exclamation point that means it wasn't actually sent. "We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update," Apple said in a statement e-mailed to media outlets. "In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users." The fix? Until the update rolls out, some users say they've been able to get rid of the problem by turning their phone off and back on...

Facebook Now Allows You To Search For Comments and Status Updates

Facebook announced an update to Graph Search on Monday that will enable users to search for conversation topics within status updates, comments and posts. Some users with Graph Search can now browse Facebook for topics of interest ? for example, "posts about Breaking Bad" or simply "Breaking Bad." The update also allows users to search for posts or comments from a certain time period or location (for example, "posts by my friends from last month") or posts that they already composed or commented on. The update makes Facebook much more conducive to real-time conversations, an area where it has been making major strides to compete with the likes of Twitter. The two social networks have been competing for eyeballs during primetime television events like the Emmys, the NFL's Monday Night Football, and Sunday's Breaking Bad finale. When users' eyes aren't glued to the TV screen, Facebook and Twitter want them to be having conversations or voicing their opinions on their respective networks. Opening up Graph Search to enable post and comment searches will help Facebook to do so. When a user logs into his profile during a primetime event, he can quickly scan all conversations about the game or his favorite show ? even if he isn't near the top of the News Feed. If a user want to talk about an event hours (or even days) later, he can search for all relevant conversations on Facebook, something users can't easily do using Twitter. Facebook has been working to add partnerships around live media in an attempt to fuel this social conversation. Earlier this month, the social network announced a content deal with FOX Sports to promote Facebook data and conversations alongside live NFL and college football broadcasts. Facebook has also added features like searchable hashtags and verified accounts in an attempt to make finding topics of interest easier on the platform. Facebook reported on its Q2 earnings call that 88 to 100 million people are actively using the social network during primetime television hours ? a number that Facebook advertisers will pay close attention to. Twitter is making similar efforts ahead of the company's IPO; the company is expected to file its public IPO papers as soon as this week. Just last week, Twitter announced ad partnerships with both CBS and the NFL, which will bring real-time video into your Twitter stream. Facebook's search update is not yet available to all Graph Search users, according to a company spokesperson. It will be tested starting on Monday with a small group of users and will roll out more expansively after that. Users will only be able to search for content that has been shared with them, in addition to public posts. In other words, your conversations should not appear in a search run by someone outside of your network unless your comments and posts are public.

Apple Passes Coke as The Worlds Top Brand.

Move over, Coke. It looks like Apple is the real thing. The tech giant has ended Coca-Cola's 13-year run as the world's most valuable brand on a highly regarded annual list. And the rivalry between Apple and Google has apparently been good to both. Bolstered by the dominance of its Android operating system, Google also leapfrogged Coke, moving into second place on Interbrand's yearly Best Global Brands list. They headed a tech-heavy list, on which IBM, Microsoft, Samsung and Intel helped round out the top 10. But Apple shone brightest, as much for its role as a cultural institution as for the products themselves. "Every so often, a company changes our lives, not just with its products, but with its ethos," Interbrand CEO Jez Frampton said in the report. "This is why, following Coca-Cola's 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Interbrand has a new No. 1 -- Apple." Interbrand, which consults with companies about their public image, compiles its list based on financial performance of the company, the role the brand plays in influencing consumers, and how secure the brand's top money-making products are in their field. According to the report, Apple's brand is estimated to be worth $98.3 billion, a 28% increase over 2012, when it was No. 2 on the list. Coca-Cola's value also rose, but by only 2%, to $79.2 billion. Much of Apple's boost can probably be attributed to its growing presence in China, where iPhones and other Apple devices are increasingly popular. Apple and Google were just two of many tech companies among the list's fastest-rising brands. Facebook gained 43% to hit No. 52, making it the only social-media site on the list. Amazon jumped 27% to No. 19. Last year Google was fourth on the list. "Tech brands continue to dominate Interbrand's Best Global Brands report -- underscoring the fundamental and invaluable role they play in consumers' lives," the report reads. The report estimates that the list's tech companies have a combined value of more than $443 billion.