Pinterest lays base for money-making

Online scrapbook Pinterest is rolling out new tools that will show businesses the number of visitors it delivers to their websites, part of the fast-growing start-up’s efforts to build a base for the introduction of money-making features.

Pinterest does not currently display any revenue-generating advertising on its website, but retailers and large brands such as The Gap, Patagonia and Dell are increasingly using the site to promote their products.

Providing companies with data about usage is a “pretty clear step in the direction” of monetising Pinterest, said Greg Sterling, senior analyst with Opus Research, a San Francisco-based market research firm.

“They couldn’t really start charging people without some way of measuring the efficacy of the spend,” he said.

Pinterest is “building foundations to monetise” its service this year, Chief Executive Ben Silbermann told The Wall Street Journal last month.

In February, the company raised US$200 million in funding from venture capital firms that include Andreessen Horowitz and Bessemer Venture Partners. The funding deal valued the three-year-old company at US$2.5 billion.

The new tool, which will be available free to businesses that use Pinterest on Tuesday, will also provide information about user activity on Pinterest as it relates to a particular company, such as the frequency with which people are clicking on a company’s online photos.

Pinterest, which allows users to create online bulletin boards of images and photos based on various themes such as travel, decorating, or sports, was the 38th most visited website by US internet users in January, with roughly 30 million unique visitors according to online measurement firm comScore.

“The goal is really to help websites understand what content is resonating with people on Pinterest,” Cat Lee, a product manager at Pinterest told Reuters in an interview.

Pinterest has not disclosed how many companies have set up official business accounts on its service since it began offering the feature in November.

 

Ciara graces the cover of Annex Magazine, talks vulnerability and her music inspirations

Ciara and her One Woman Army is marching to the front of the line on the cover of ANNEX Magazine’s latest issue.

In a beautiful pair of black and white photos shot by Bradford Rogne, Ciara looks stunning on the double cover of Annex magazine’s 2013 “Diane” issue. Inside the mag, she talked about the release of her buzzing track, “Body Party,” which is set to drop on iTunes March 12. She also talks on her boo Future and how her upcoming album, One Woman Army, reveals her vulnerable side

About One Woman Army

“I am approaching this record in a different way than I have any other project before. While recording “One Woman Army” I have been running towards my fears and allowing myself to be vulnerable in many ways; for the first time I allowed myself to be completely open in the music making process. I can honestly say this is the most fun that I’ve ever had making an album.”

Ciara’s inspirations

“I really love listening to artists like Lana Del Ray, Kendrick Lamar, Drake just to name a few. However, I continue to find inspiration from the generation of greats such as Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna.”

 

Hackers expose celebs’ finances

Authorities and celebrities are grappling with how to respond to a website that posted what appears to be private financial information about top government officials and stars such as Jay-Z and Mel Gibson.

Los Angeles police and the FBI said they were aware of the pages but declined to confirm they were investigating the site, which posted purported Social Security numbers and credit reports of the leaders of both agencies. Pages posted on Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not include credit reports but included addresses and other sensitive information.

Social Security numbers posted on Gibson, Jay-Z and others matched records in public databases.

The site, which bore an internet suffix originally assigned to the Soviet Union, remained active on Monday afternoon (Tuesday, NZ time). It did not state how the information was obtained or why the 11 people targeted on the site were selected, describing the records only as “secret files.”

Its existence was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

FBI Director Robert Mueller and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck were among those targeted, as were celebrities Beyonce Knowles, Ashton Kutcher, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton.

Several of the purported credit reports appear to have been generated last week.

Representatives for each person targeted either declined to comment on the accuracy of the information that was posted, or they did not return messages seeking comment.

Several of the pages featured unflattering pictures of the celebrities or government officials whose information was posted.

The site’s page on Beck includes a taunting reference to former officer Christopher Dorner, who was killed in a shootout after killing four people over several days last month. Beck’s page included the message “(hash)YouCantCornerTheDorner” and an image of a woman protesting police corruption.

While government officials often have to disclose details on their finances – and celebrity divorces sometimes feature public financial data – the information posted online exceeds those disclosures.

Social Security numbers are rarely included in public records anymore because they can be used for identity theft.

New Zealand driver caught towing a rubbish bin behind his car

Auckland police pulled over a driver for texting in slow-moving traffic on a motorway on-ramp, then discovered he had a wheelie bin hooked to his car’s tow bar.

After slapping his forehead, the driver explained he had towed the bin to the top of his drive for collection but forgot to take it off, the March edition of police magazine Ten One reported.

When asked whether he had noticed other drivers trying to alert him during the 10km he had been towing the bin, the driver said: “I was probably too busy texting.”

Police issued the driver with a ticket for texting and removed the bin before its construction could be tested on the motorway.

The driver was stopped on the Great North Rd on-ramp to the north-western motorway on the morning of February 20.

Beyonce shows off her figure in bright florals

In the wake of Daylights saving, Beyonce posted a selfie wearing a floral ensemble. The photograph most certainly favors Rihanna: from the hoops to the pose but we’re still feeling it. Beyonce’s preparing to go on tour and debut her new animated film “Epic” where she finally plays the queen she’s always fantasized about.

Joe Budden’s girlfriend gets oiled up and snaps a pic in a bikini

Love & Hip Hop cast member and Joe Budden’s new boo thang Kaylin Garcia is showing off her toned bikini body.  The certified  Zumba instructor recently showed off her hot body proving Zumba does the body good! Who wouldn’t want to see a hot girl with a banging body oiled up, this is definitely for the fellas (or ladies).

Another Bikini Instagram Pic Below

Bride surprises her groom with a full blown Beyonce performance at their wedding

Talk about a performance. This young lady took her wedding experience to a whole other level and performed a full-blown Beyonce rendition (costume included) of ‘Love On Top’. Though she was lip syncing, she put her heart and soul into the entire production. From the back up dancers to the sequined red blazer, we can tell she put months of effort and practice for this this moment. The only thing is, I am not sure if it was a cute gesture or just plain weird? But hey, the groom seemed to have enjoyed it. Check it out for yourself:

Monster bluefin tuna sells for $30k

A monster bluefin tuna caught off the New Zealand coast has fetched $30,000 at auction.

But it is not clear yet, how much of that the Whitianga fishermen will get to take home.

The giant pacific bluefin tuna, caught last Tuesday off the East Cape, had a live weight of 415 kilograms and a gutted weight of 361kg.

The fish was caught by a three-man crew aboard the 20-metre longline fishing boat the Karina B. The boat is owned by Whitianga father and son Dugal and Wayne Macfarlane.

Wayne, the boat’s skipper, said the fish took about half an hour to land.

It went to auction on Saturday, and while Wayne said it went for a reasonably good price, they had been hoping for a little more.

“It’s not as much per kilo as we’ve had in the past. We have had smaller fish go for the same amount.

“But it turns out the size may have been more of a hindrance in this market. There wasn’t the interest for such a big fish on that particular day.”

It is not known who bought the tuna but it was airfreighted to Japan just days after it was caught.

Wayne said shipping costs and customs fees and the like would still have to come from the total price but their business would still get to see a significant “hunk of change”.

“We’ve been doing this so long, we’re used to fluctuations in markets and prices on the day. It’s a fairly good price.”

Kendrick Lamar Performs “Poetic Justice” on Sports Nation

Hip Hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs “Poetic Justice” on SportsNation’s Madden Cover Vote kickoff special.

Is this the Samsung’s Galaxy S IV?

This post was originally published on Mashable.

New images from a Chinese forum, unearthed by Sammy Hub, might show Samsung’s upcoming flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S IV.

The device in the photos is marked GT-I9502, and looks very similar to Samsung Galaxy S III. Screenshots from the Antutu hardware test application show that it has a quad-core 1.8GHz processor, a 1080p display, 13-megapixel camera and 2GB of RAM.

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The Samsung Galaxy S IV is due to be unveiled on March 14 in New York. Previous rumours about the device’s hardware sound similar to the specifications listed above, with one notable exception – that the Galaxy S IV will be powered by an 8-core processor.

The Galaxy S IV will also reportedly have a feature that will scroll text based on a user’s eye movements.

Mother tries to sell kids on Facebook

This post was originally published on Mashable.

Here’s a quick parenting tip: it’s not OK to offer to sell your children on Facebook, even if you really need the money.

Misty VanHorn, a 22-year old mother of two in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, found that out the hard way over the weekend.

VanHorn was arrested on Saturday for the alleged trafficking of minors on Facebook – offering her 10-month old and her 2 year-old for $US4000 ($3890).

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According to the police report, VanHorn offered her children several times on the social network – offering the 10-month old girl for $US1000 ($972), or both of them for $US4000. And she had a taker.

Police believe VanHorn wanted the $US1000 to bail her boyfriend out of jail.

VanHorn was dealing with a woman in Fort Smith, Arkansas, according to The Oklahoman. This means she could be charged with a federal crime because the act would have crossed state borders.

“Just come to Sallisaw, it’s only 30 minutes away and I’ll give you all of her stuff and let y’all have her forever for $1000,” read VanHorn’s Facebook message to the Fort Smith woman, as unearthed in the police report by the Daily Dot.

She is being held on a $US40,000 ($38,900) bond. The children are in the custody of the state’s department of human services, which alerted the police in the first place.

A word of caution for anyone rushing to Facebook to find the alleged perpetrator: there are multiple Misty VanHorns on the social network. Two of them live in Oklahoma. One looks similar to the mugshot released by the Sequoyah County Police Department, but does not appear to live in VanHorn’s town, Sallisaw.

Google’s latest gadget “Google Shoe”

First there were Google glasses – now the tech giant has shown off a talking shoe.

The concept, shown off at the South by Southwest music, film, and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, makes use of a custom-made microcontroller on the tongue of a pair of Adidas.

A speaker provides audio feedback to whoever is wearing it and either encourages or discourages certain activities, such as running, depending on the shoe’s “personality”.

It’s outfitted with an accelerometer and gyroscope, as well as pressure sensors on the bottom, so it can detect movement and also collect data that can then be sent to a smartphone.

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A Google representative treaded carefully when discussing whether the shoe would come to market, telling technology blog Engadget that Google wasn’t getting into the footwear business.

“The whole reason we’re doing this … is to show what happens when you collect a lot of data and use that data to tell interesting, funny, relevant stories in new and different ways,” the Google representative said. Another representative later told CNET it was an “experiment”.

Glam superyacht up for auction

THE Gold Coast family responsible for some of the city’s richest developments is putting its spectacular superyacht on the block and they are even willing to throw in the silverware.

The 31.52m vessel, called the Spirit of Sovereign, has been all over Australia and the South Pacific since it was purchased by the Lewis Land Corporation, which developed The Sovereign Islands, Harbour Town and worked with Mirvac on Ephraim Island.

But now the Lewis family wants to step things up and buy a boat that is about 10m longer, with room for their large extended family with the Spirit of Sovereign to be auctioned off soon on the Gold Coast by Ray White Marine.

Ray White Marine agent Brock Rodwell said even the silverware used on the boat would be included in the sale.

“The boat has a dining room table for 10 and silverware to match, which will be included,” he said.

“But they are taking the wine collection they have onboard with them.”

The Spirit of Sovereign, built by the world-renowned Warren Yachts of Kincumber, NSW, in 1990 has a full-time crew, which stay onboard.

There is also room for eight guests in the four ensuited cabins, including a master stateroom and VIP bedroom.

The Spirit of Sovereign has massive entertaining areas, including a jacuzzi on the forward deck, outdoor bar on the upper aft deck and a grand saloon inside with every feature and facility, including a state-of-the-art home theatre and sound system.

Thanks to the boat’s large galley, the owners have the capacity to cater for anything from an intimate dinner party to a large corporate function.

Push for free Wi-Fi at Gold Coast hotels

TOURISM Australia is calling on Gold Coast resorts and hotels to fork out for free Wi-Fi to bring the city up to speed with other major holiday destinations overseas.

Australia’s peak tourism body is in talks with the county’s largest telecommunications companies to get free wireless internet hooked up in all major Australian tourist destinations.

Gold Coast Tourism has backed the call, arguing free Wi-Fi is now an expectation of travellers at international tourism destinations.

While some hotel groups have complained about the cost of offering high-speed quality free Wi-Fi, Tourism Australia say its now an essential way for tourism operators to promote their business.

It’s also pushing for change as the key to a social media marketing strategy that would see Australia blasted out to the rest of the world.

“Providing free Wi-Fi is something I’d strongly urge operators to consider,” Nick Baker, Tourism Australia’s executive general manager, consumer marketing, said.

“Of course there’s a cost associated with this, but it doesn’t have to be prohibitive, it’s the opportunity cost that operators should be focusing on.”

Most large hotels offer free internet access in lobby areas but charge up to $29 for 24-hour usage in hotel rooms.

Mr Baker said free Wi-Fi would help generate instant international exposure for the Gold Coast.

“Holidays are all about living in the moment. How often have we promised ourselves that we’ll post a great holiday moment on Facebook, tweet out a photo or a review on TripAdvisor, but not been able to do so due to lack of Wi-Fi access,” he said.

“Ultimately, we’d love to see the Telcos get involved, and have started some initial conversations.”

Sea World Resort on the Gold Coast is one which has taken the plunge, offering free Wi-Fi in every room and all public areas, and said the positive feedback had been priceless.

“We responded to the requests of our guests and the response has been amazing,” a spokesman said.

“People want to be connected whether its teenagers on Facebook or guests checking emails, even when they are on vacation.

“We decided to embrace the technology as a part of the total guest experience.

“Yes there is a cost but it is now an expectation when you are travelling overseas, we see it as part of our total investment strategy, and we believe it is one way we can be an industry leader on the Gold Coast.”

Gold Coast Tourism said free Wi-Fi would give local operators a competitive advantage.

“It is an increasingly important conversion factor for travellers and we believe it will translate into increased activities and expenditure around the city,” chief executive Martin Winter said.

“It would also boost the promotion of our visitor’s experience as they share it across their networks.”

He said Gold Coast Tourism was also pushing for larger Wi-Fi hotspots across key precincts of the city.

Ricky Ponting hooks $10m Brighton mansion

The backyard at Ricky Ponting’s new Brighton home.

Ricky Ponting is believed to be the mystery purchaser who spent close to $10 million for a mansion on the Golden Mile of Brighton in Melbourne.

The 1920s Edwardian on St Ninians Road is owned by Jeffrey Hunter, whose company Hunter Products supplies toys, sporting and leisure equipment to many of Australia’s largest retailers.

Industry sources say the former Australian Test captain has been hunting for a property for months in the Brighton area, which is also home to cricket legend Shane Warne and girlfriend Liz Hurley.

The entry to Ricky Ponting’s new home in Brighton.

The Shandford estate, which is protected by large wrought iron gates and a 7-camera security system, has seven bedrooms, billiards room, library, marble fireplace, theatre, pool, full-size tennis court and a private access laneway to the beach.

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Agents JP Dixon had listed the property with an asking price of about $12 million. Hunter purchased it for $2.7 million in 1999.

Director Jonathan Dixon did not respond to a request for comment. Ponting could not be reached by the time of publication.

Where the Pontings will dine.

Ponting and wife Rianna own a sprawling waterfront mansion in the Sydney suburb of Burraneer, which they bought for $3.8 million in 2004 and refurbished.

Juicy J at The Breakfast Club – Power 105.1

Juicy talks tap dancing on top of his Rolls Royce, his Stay Trippy album, whether he’ll star in a reality t.v. show again and more

Reeva Steenkamp secretly met with ex-boyfriend just two days before she was gunned down by Oscar Pistorius

The model who was gunned down by Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius met with her ex-boyfriend just two days before she was killed, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

In a bombshell new BBC Three documentary Oscar Pistorius…What Really Happened? Reeva Steenkamp‘s ex-love of five years, Warren Lahoud, spills all the details on their clandestine meeting — claiming that despite the murder defendant repeatedly calling his girlfriend to check up on her whereabouts, she seemed in good spirits and assured Lahoud there were no problems in her new relationship.

The successful businessman, who runs his own South African vegetable exporting business based near Johannesburg, reveals in the TV special that he had previously crossed paths with the Paralympian – who is nicknamed the Blade Runner – and had never noticed anything off about his behavior.

“I’ve met him twice and there was never anything negative out of it at all. (It was) fine…no problem at all,” he says.

During their rendezvous, Lahoud says he asked Steenkamp if everything was ok at home after they were interrupted during their innocent coffee date.

“I mean he’s phoned twice already, every 20 minutes,” Lahoud says. “I asked her that question. She said ‘there’s nothing wrong.’”

South African police have said they want to study text messages on Steenkamp’s iPhone in the days leading up to her tragic shooting – and it seems with good reason – as Lahoud tells the BBC that the former couple had exchanged numerous text messages in the days leading up to the fatal shooting.

“She contacted me and we met up for a quick coffee, and that was it,” he states. “We did [exchange text messages], to meet up the previous week. It was just a hello, how are you, and that’s it, and I suppose that led up to meeting me.

“She seemed fine. We didn’t really discuss personal relationships it was more a friendly thing.

“She didn’t seem unhappy. She always told me that she wouldn’t be with anybody that she felt unhappy with, or she wouldn’t allow herself to be with somebody like that.

“I’m actually glad that we did meet now.  I’m very glad that I did see her.

“She was unbelievable from the beginning. She really captured everything of me and was a great person.

“Reeva had a beautiful loving heart, she gave everything, and was friendly to everyone. She really made you feel good and welcome.

“In a matter of conversing with her for a few seconds you’d feel like you’ve known her for years.

“That was how Reeva was. Very open and loving and full of fun.”

When asked if he sensed during their catch up that there were problems between Steenkamp and Pistorius, Lahoud says, “It was just random. She asked me how business was going, I asked her how her modeling was going, what she’s doing, where she’s at, how things are.

“It was that kind of friendly chat, it wasn’t anything specific we met for. Just a catch up of what’s going on, and how our families are. That kind of stuff. You know, nothing specifically intense or anything like that.”

And, if he had the chance to talk to Pistorius, what would Laroud ask?

“Why? Why did you do it? What happened?” he says.

“Other than that I can’t really comment on what’s there, or what has happened, or what I feel.

“I’ll leave that to the justice system, and their findings. Nobody knows, it’s all in their hands, and we just have to wait and see what happens.”

Source: http://radaronline.com

6-Month-Old shot multiple times in Chicago: Baby & her father wounded In South Side gunfire

A 6-month-old girl and her father were shot multiple times in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood Monday afternoon.

According to DNAinfo Chicago, the child was one of two people wounded in the shooting, which took place around 12:48 p.m. in the 6500 block of South Maryland Avenue.

Both victims — the other the girl’s father, per ABC Chicago — of what police believe was a drive-by shooting were taken to area hospitals and are in serious-to-critical condition, the Chicago Tribune reports.

A DNAinfo report identified the female infant as Johnylah Watkins. The male victim, according to the Tribune, is Jonathan Watkins, the baby’s father

Jonathan Watkins, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, was changing his baby’s diaper in the front passenger seat of a Chevy Venture minivan, just minutes after visiting the girl’s grandmother, when a gunman approached them and opened fire.

The baby’s mother was previously shot while carrying Johnylah, both the Sun-Times and DNAinfo report.

According to NBC Chicago, police say the baby’s father, Jonathan Watkins is known to have gang affiliations.

No one is in custody in the shooting and police are investigating.

Gun violence in Chicago has earned the city national media attention — including two recent back-to-back This American Life episodes on NPR, even as its oft-blasted homicide rate in February plummeted to a 56-year-low. Previously, in January, 40 homicides were reported by police.

Earlier Monday, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy touted that shootings in Chicago so far this year are down 19 percent compared to last year, according to NBC. Homicides, McCarthy said in a press conference, are also down by 26 percent compared to 2012.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=9023453

8 year old boy marries 61 year old to make his dead ancestors happy

This is not for the weak stomach! We understand culture and the notion of “to each his own” but this takes it too far. A very strange South African “couple” is making headlines today. The bride is a mother of 5 and the groom a mere 8-year old. It was the death wish of his grandfather that he marry Helen Shabangu. RadarOnline shares the disturbing story:

Fearing a supernatural punishment from Sanele Masilela‘s grandfather, his family arranged for him to wed Helen Shabangu after the boy said he had been told by his deceased ancestors that he was to get married.

“This is the first time this has happened in the family,” Sanele’s mother, Patience Masilela said.

“Sanele is named after his grandfather, who was never had a white wedding before he died so asked Sanele to get married. He chose Helen because he loves her.”

The family went all out for the $1,490 ceremony held in Tshwane, South Africa, in which little Sanele wore a silver and black suit and exchanged rings with 100 guests looking on — and a kiss!

 

“By doing this we made the ancestors happy. If we hadn’t done what my son had asked then something bad would have happened in the family,” Patience said, noting that the ceremony was not legally binding.
“I didn’t have a problem with it because I know it’s what the ancestors wanted and it would make them happy.”

Helen said of  the marriage, “I would say that this is not wrong. Sanele was fine and he was happy about the ceremony and it was what he wanted. He was happy to get married and very excited.”

“When I’m older I will marry a lady my own age,” Sanele said.

“I told my mother that I wanted to get married because I really did want to. I’m happy that I married Helen — but I will go to school and study hard.”

 

 

What are your thoughts on this?

Source: RadarOnline

Burnell Taylor Performs “Ready For Love” on American Idol Season 12.

After being tapped as a finalist, Burnell Taylor performs India.Arie’s “Ready For Love.”

Dawn arrests net drugs, cash and weapons in Sydney, Australia

Hells Angels Sydney chapter president Felix Lyle is one of the biggest-names arrested in Tuesday morning’s dawn raids targeting bikies, organised crime figures and their drug and firearm networks.

A senior police source said Mr Lyle has been arrested for drug supply charges after warrants were executed on Tuesday morning.

The Hells Angels Chinatown headquarters were also raided.

Arrested … an officer with a suspect. Photo: Police media

Mr Lyle pleaded guilty to attempted fraud worth $2.1 million in October last year and was to face sentencing later this month.

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Drugs, firearms, explosives, a hand grenade and $500,000 in counterfeit cash was seized as police executed 30 search warrants in properties across NSW that are linked to the Hells Angels, Rebels and Comanchero bikie clubs.

A sophisticated police investigation culminated in the arrests of 18 senior bikies and organised crime figures in a series of dawn raids across NSW.

Counterfeit cash: police seized a fotune in false notes. Photo: Supplied

Organised crime had taken a “tremendous hit” as a result of the two-year operation, which relied on more than half a million secretly recorded phone calls, police said.

The raids, involving 350 officers, were linked to a drug bust of 400 kilograms of ice three weeks ago.

Senior police said that the operation, code-named Alistair, heralded a new era of inter-agency co-operation that would bring more arrests.

Seized … one of the weapons found. Photo: Police media

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the “long and drawn-out operation” was ongoing and more arrests would follow.

The Organised Crime Squad Commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Plotecki, said a number of international links were identified, including Balkan and Asian syndicates.

“More than 350 police across the state executed 30 warrants today,” he said, adding that the arrests had been executed across south-west Sydney, the northern metro area, the CBD and the south coast.

In custody … the pre-dawn police raids took targets by surprise. Photo: Police media

“This type of work is not about putting large amounts of drugs on the table – this is about destroying those relationships and the people that make up the [organised crime] networks.”

Chief Superintendent Plotecki said police “had very good reason to close the operation today” but would not elaborate further on whether an imminent threat had been detected.

Some of the items seized in the raids gave insight into the brazenness of the groups involved.  “I am disturbed by some of the stuff we’ve taken because of the sheer audacity of these people,” he said.

Mr Scipione praised the work of Strike Force Alistair, and said those arrested were among some of the biggest targets in organised crime – and that police had not yet finished with them.

“You will be surprised by the names that will come out, there are some very very senior members of organised crime gangs, and that will roll out over the course of today,” he said.

”You will be surprised by some of the allegations, because these allegations are extraordinarily serious when it comes to firearms, when it comes to drugs.

Mr Scipione sent a strong warning to criminals: “In terms of organised crime, NSW Police and the Crime Commission have you people firmly in our sights. We’re not going away. We’ll continue to pursue you, those that support you, those that supply you with drugs. We will come after you. The team today has shown you what we can do … there will be another operation.”

Police Minister Michael Gallacher said: “Today’s result confirms that, together, the NSW Police and the Crime Commission are delivering exceptional results.”

Kiwi songbird with Universal appeal

 

A 16-year-old North Shore student from New Zealand who pens her own songs has topped New Zealand’s iTunes download chart and won a record contract with a major label.

Singer Ella Yelich-O’Connor, who goes by the stage name Lorde, has signed with Universal Music, which also represents artists including Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Elton John and the Eagles.

Her song Royals is at the top of New Zealand’s iTunes download chart and was No1 on the George FM charts for several weeks.

Initially offered as a free download, her debut EP, The Love Club, was downloaded 60,000 times before going on sale on iTunes.

The Takapuna Grammar student is being closely managed by Universal – the biggest record company in the world – which is controlling when she does interviews and is planning a staged career launch this year.

A staff member at Universal Music in Auckland confirmed to the Herald the teenager had signed a deal with them but would not discuss details.

The label has cultivated an air of mystery about the teenager. Although having a large social media presence, she has uploaded very few photos of herself.

 

Some of her songs, including The Love Club and Royals, have been removed from YouTube by Universal with a message saying the label “has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds”.

However, her success is already attracting attention.

Fans on her Facebook site have asked her to put her songs on Finnish Spotify, and she has gained endorsements from critically acclaimed Canadian musician Grimes and blogger Perez Hilton.

Yesterday, Takapuna Grammar principal Simon Lamb said Yelich-O’Connor, now in Year 12, frequently performed at school.

“She has an amazing voice, a lovely voice. A wonderful performer. We are really proud of her achievements to date and really proud to support her in her pursuit of that career.

“She’s a bright girl. She got an excellence endorsement out of NCEA last year, and she’s going into the International Baccalaureate programme.”

In a previous interview on katherineisawesome.com, Yelich-O’Connor said she was discovered after a videotape of her talent show performance at Belmont Intermediate found its way to Universal.

* Listen to Lorde here.

Buyer interest in Orcon heats up – Kordia

Kordia chief executive Scott Bartlett. Photo / Supplied

 

Orcon, the internet service provider owned by state-owned Kordia, has attracted “intensified” buyer interest in recent months and an announcement is expected to be made in “coming weeks”.

Kordia, which rolled Orcon into its network business last year, has been in talks with several parties for a potential sale of the ISP, it said in an emailed statement. The merged unit was dubbed Kordia New Zealand, headed up by Orcon boss Scott Bartlett, and accounted for 40 per cent of the group’s revenue. The ISP continued to trade under its own banner.

“Interest in the business intensified following the announcement of the integration with Kordia in November last year,” the company said. “Discussions are continuing, and Kordia expects to be able to make a formal announcement in the coming weeks.”

Kordia has focussed on new revenue streams after the government decided to free up radio spectrum for newer mobile technology by axing analogue TV in favour of a digital signal. That was initially scheduled for 2015, but was brought forward to kick off last year.

Last month, the state-owned enterprise reported an 11 per cent increase in first-half sales to $207.1 million, beating its Statement of Corporate Intent target.

 

Profit shrank 69 per cent to $2.2 million in the six months ended December 31, and was flat from a year earlier after stripping out a one-time gain in the 2012 financial year.

– BusinessDesk

South Auckland, New Zealand road closed after nine-year-old hit by car

File photo / Martin Sykes

A major South Auckland road has been closed for several hours this evening after a nine-year-old boy was hit and critically injured by a car.

Police said the boy was struck by a car and critically injured on Massey Road in Mangere at about 5pm, and he was taken to hospital

The boy was taken to hospital and police said he had suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Serious Crash Unit is investigating the crash, and Massey Road between Buckland and Roberston Roads is expected to be closed to traffic for at least two hours, until about 7.30pm.

Police said drivers affected by the road closure should exercise patience.

– nzherald.co.nz

Aussie ‘Keep Calm’ T-shirts glorify rape, murder

Outrage: Three of the “Keep Calm” T-Shirt designs that were allegedly caused by computer error.

An online T-shirt company founded in Australia is on its deathbed after a purported “computer error” saw it advertise shirts on Amazon glorifying rape, murder and sex crimes.

The shirts, printed on-demand by T-shirt design firm Solid Gold Bomb, include dozens of offensive slogans such as “Keep Calm and Rape A Lot”, “Keep Calm and Knife Her” and “Keep Calm and Kill Her”.

Other designs include “Keep Calm and Grope On” and “Keep Calm and Choke Her”, among many other variations of the World War II propaganda slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On”.

Amazon was the firm’s main distribution channel and the online retailer has now suspended its account after an uproar that saw Amazon accused of making money from domestic violence.

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Solid Gold Bomb was founded in Melbourne by Michael Fowler, who said he was having his morning coffee on Saturday when the company’s Facebook page began blowing up with threats and accusations of misogyny.

Fowler said he was receiving 300 to 1700 orders a day – but since the scandal broke, sales dropped to 20 on Tuesday and as low as three on Monday.

He said he would struggle to make payroll this Friday and may have to shut down the company. The firm’s Facebook and Twitter pages have been deleted after a torrent of abuse.

“It’s devastating, the majority of our sales stopped,” said Fowler, 41. “The only real sales channel we currently have is our own website.”

But Fowler, who has plastered Solid Gold Bomb’s website with an apology message, blames a “computer error” for the debacle.

He explained he wanted to create a range of parody “Keep Calm” T-shirts and so wrote a “three-line script” that would harness electronic dictionaries and verb lists to automatically generate phrases for the shirts. He ended up with thousands of different options on Amazon through what Fowler claims is a “100 per cent automated” process.

Fowler said he had no idea the offensive T-shirts were on sale until the scandal blew up and he had cancelled orders he had received for the shirts since Saturday. But he could not be sure whether any of the offensive T-shirts were sold and printed in the year since they had been uploaded to Amazon. “It is possible that something slipped through,” he said.

“As a father, husband, brother and son, I would never promote such product … this was never my intention and I am extremely sorry for the trouble this carelessness caused,” he wrote in his apology message.

Some haven’t bought the explanation, including British conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, who was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying it was “absurd” to say the “ridiculous, mindless products” had been made in error.

Solid Gold Bomb was launched in Melbourne by Fowler in 2008 but that same year moved its headquarters to London before finally settling in the US. The company has eight staff worldwide but Fowler and his art director remain in Australia, with manufacturing conducted in the US.

Fowler, who has just welcomed his third child, is now focusing his efforts on reviving the company although he described the task ahead as “like suddenly having to climb Everest without an oxygen tank”.

Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au