Meteorite hits central Russia - Video Collection (16 minutes)

 A meteorite streaked across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured 1,200 people.

People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt the shock wave, according to a Reuters correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow.

The fireball, travelling at a speed of 30 km (19 miles) per second according to Russian space agency Roscosmos, had blazed across the horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200 km (125 miles) away.

Car alarms went off, thousands of windows shattered and mobile phone networks were disrupted. The Interior Ministry said the meteorite explosion, a very rare spectacle, also unleashed a sonic boom.

"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it were day," said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains.

"I felt like I was blinded by headlights."

The meteorite, which weighed about 10 metric tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth's atmosphere and broke apart 30-50 km (19-31 miles) above ground, according to Russia's Academy of Sciences.

The energy released when it entered the Earth's atmosphere was equivalent to a few kilotonnes, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.

No deaths were reported but the Emergencies Ministry said 20,000 rescue and clean-up workers were sent to the region after President Vladimir Putin told Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to ease the disruption and help the victims.

The Interior Ministry said about 1,200 people had been injured, at least 200 of them children, and most from shards of glass.

WINDOWS BLOWN OUT

The early-morning blast and ensuing shock wave blew out windows on Chelyabinsk's central Lenin Street, buckled some shop fronts, rattled apartment buildings in the city center and blew out windows.

"I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend," said Andrei, a local resident who did not give his second name. "Then there was a flash and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shock wave that smashed windows."

A wall and roof were badly damaged at the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant but a spokeswoman said no environmental threat resulted.

One piece of meteorite broke through the ice the Cherbakul Lake near Chelyabinsk, leaving a hole several meters (yards) wide.

The region has long been a hub for the Russian military and defense industry, and it is often the site where artillery shells are decommissioned.

A local Emergencies Ministry official said meteorite storms were extremely rare and Friday's incident may have been connected with an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool that was due to pass Earth.

But an astronomer at Russia's Academy of Sciences, Sergei Barabanov, cast doubt on that report and the European Space Agency said its experts had confirmed there was no link.

The regional governor in Chelyabinsk said the meteorite shower had caused more than $30 million in damage, and the Emergencies Ministry said 300 buildings had been affected.

Despite warnings not to approach any unidentified objects, some enterprising locals were hoping to cash in.

"Selling meteorite that fell on Chelyabinsk!" one prospective seller, Vladimir, said on a popular Russian auction website. He attached a picture of a black piece of stone that on Friday afternoon was priced at 1,488 roubles ($49.46).

RARE EVENT

The Emergencies Ministry described Friday's events as a "meteorite shower in the form of fireballs" and said background radiation levels were normal. It urged residents not to panic.

The first footage was shot by car dashboard video cameras and soon went viral.

Russians also quickly made fun at the event on the Internet. A photo montage showed Putin riding the meteorite and Nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovksy said in jest it was really a new weapon being tested by the United States.

Experts drew comparisons with an incident in 1908, when a meteorite is thought to have devastated an area of more than 2,000 sq km (1,250 miles) in Siberia, breaking windows as far as 200 km (125 miles) from the point of impact.

Simon Goodwin, an astrophysics expert from Britain's University of Sheffield, said that roughly 1,000 to 10,000 metric tons of material rained down from space towards the earth every day, but most burned up in the atmosphere.

"While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop impacts."

The meteorite struck just as an asteroid known as 2012 DA14, about 46 m in diameter, was due to pass closer to Earth - at a distance of 27,520 km (17,100 miles) - than any other known object of its size since scientists began routinely monitoring asteroids about 15 years ago.

($1 = 30.0877 Russian roubles)

(Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow; Writing by Timothy Heritage and Thomas Grove; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Michael Roddy)
courtesy: liveleak.com, reuters.com

Amazon Beats Apple As Most Trusted Company in U.S.: Harris Poll

Reputation is everything, or at least it is for American corporations. According to the 2013 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, six out of ten U.S. consumers study a company’s reputation before buying a product or service. It’s not uncommon for large American companies to spend billions on advertising annually to endear themselves into the hearts of the public and to prove that they are trustworthy.

The reputation can impact a company's sales revenue and stock price. Robert Fronk, executive vice president of Harris Interactive Reputation Management, sat down with The Daily Ticker to explain why.

Apple’s (AAPL) dramatic fall in stock price happens to correspond with its fall from the number one most reputable company in the United States last year. “For a number of years, their reputation was driven by their innovation, their products and services almost being ahead of their time and almost driving the market,” says Fronk. “Now, actually, financial performance is a dominant driver of their reputation and of course financial performance can be somewhat out of your control, as they’re finding.”

The American people may have lost faith in Apple but are finding it again in Amazon (AMZN).

Amazon.com earned the highest reputation in this year’s Harris Poll, edging out not only Apple but also companies like Google (GOOG), Disney (DIS), and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). According to Harris, Amazon holds the most emotional appeal, provides the best products and services, and is the most trusted company in the U.S.

Of all households surveyed, 50% had discussed Amazon within the past year and nearly 100% of those conversations had been positive.

“There’s no doubt that having an array of products and services at the right price is valuable,” explains Fronk. “But they take that advantage and actually use a lot of the information that they’re able to define about their consumers and make recommendations back to them, help them lead a better life, and even delight them on occasion.”

Customers trust Amazon to use their private information properly, a significant act of faith given that 70% of survey respondents are concerned about companies invading their privacy.

“I think that the way they do it is that they use that information to create the right level of intimacy with you, but without going over that fine line of being intrusive,” says Fronk. “Perceptions are that they’re not giving that information to anyone else to monetize it.”

Some of the least reputable companies in America include Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), AIG, Halliburton (HAL) and American Airlines. 

When it comes to reputation, the power may not be in the purse, instead company's must find a gentle balance between soft factors and the bottom line.

Story by 

Nicole Goodkind | Daily Ticker

" This is one of those things you don't hear everyday. Share your thoughts and concerns in the comments section. Thanks for visiting!"

Apple unveils new 128GB iPad

Apple (AAPL) on Tuesday announced the upcoming availability of a 128GB version of its fourth-generation iPad tablet. The new slate will be identical to its predecessors in every way, but it will double the amount of available internal storage from the previous maximum of 64GB. Apple’s new full-size iPad model will be available beginning on February 5th and it will cost $799 for the Wi-Fi model or $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Apple’s full press release follows below.


8:40 AM
Apple (AAPL) on Tuesday announced the upcoming availability of a 128GB version of its fourth-generation iPad tablet. The new slate will be identical to its predecessors in every way, but it will double the amount of available internal storage from the previous maximum of 64GB. Apple’s new full-size iPad model will be available beginning on February 5th and it will cost $799 for the Wi-Fi model or $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Apple’s full press release follows below.

Apple Increases iPad with Retina Display to 128GB

Offers Twice the Storage Capacity to Create & Enjoy Even More Incredible Content

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today announced a 128GB* version of the fourth generation iPad® with Retina® display. The 128GB iPad with Wi-Fi and iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular models provide twice the storage capacity of the 64GB models to hold even more valuable content including photos, documents, projects, presentations, books, movies, TV shows, music and apps.

“Our AutoCAD WS app for iOS was designed to give customers seamless access to their designs anywhere, anytime”

“With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs.”

iPad continues to have a significant impact on business with virtually all of the Fortune 500 and over 85 percent of the Global 500 currently deploying or testing iPad. Companies regularly utilizing large amounts of data such as 3D CAD files, X-rays, film edits, music tracks, project blueprints, training videos and service manuals all benefit from having a greater choice of storage options for iPad. The over 10 million iWork® users, and customers who rely on other incredible apps like Global Apptitude for analyzing team film and creating digital playbooks, Auria for an incredible 48 track recording system, or AutoCAD for drafting architectural and engineering drawings, also benefit greatly from having the choice of an iPad with more storage capacity.

“Our AutoCAD WS app for iOS was designed to give customers seamless access to their designs anywhere, anytime,” said Amy Bunszel, vice president of AutoCAD products for Autodesk. “These files are often large and highly detailed so having the thin and light iPad with its Multitouch display, integrated camera and all-day battery life, is a real advantage for iPad users to view, edit and share their AutoCAD data.”

“The features and capabilities of iPad give us the ability to set a new standard for multitrack recording and editing on a mobile device,” said Rim Buntinas, WaveMachine Labs’ CEO. “Users of the Auria app can play 48 mono or stereo 24bit/96 kHz tracks simultaneously, record up to 24 of those tracks simultaneously, and also edit and mix with familiar tools. With its portability and all-day battery life, iPad has revolutionized recording for audio professionals allowing artists to record anywhere.”

“The bottom line for our customers is winning football games, and iPad running our GamePlan solution unquestionably helps players be as prepared as possible,” said Randall Fusee, Global Apptitude Co-Founder. “The iPad’s unbeatable combination of security, being thin and light, having an incredible Retina display and also being powerful enough to handle large amounts of data enables us to deliver a product that takes film study to a new level and ultimately gives our users the best opportunity to prepare, execute and win.”

The fourth generation iPad features a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina display, Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime® HD camera, iOS 6.1 and ultrafast wireless performance**. iOS 6.1 includes support for additional LTE networks around the world***, and iTunes Match℠ subscribers can download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud®.

iPad runs over 800,000 apps available on the App Store℠, including more than 300,000 apps designed specifically for iPad, from a wide range of categories including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. iPad also supports the more than 5,000 newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand, and the more than 1.5 million books available on the iBookstore℠.

Pricing & Availability

The new 128GB versions of the fourth generation iPad will be available starting Tuesday, February 5, in black or white, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi model and $929 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular model. All versions of the 128GB iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
courtesy:bgr.com,yahoo.com,Zach Epstein

Starbow to begin 2nd daily return Tamale flights to Accra

The Starbow Airline will, as from Monday, February 4, 2013, be operating a late afternoon Accra-Tamale-Accra Flight.

The new addition to the Starbow timetable will make it possible for travelers from both Accra and Tamale to conduct day return business between the two cities which will remove the prolonged visits and needless costs through night stopping. 

It will also provide customers in Tamale the opportunity to travel to Accra in the evening to conveniently connect onto international services from Accra.

Mr. Andy Smith, Head of Commercial at Starbow said 

“Starbow will provide an enhanced service using our BAE146 Jet and it’s reduced flight times between the two cities that will provide benefit to the business community by offering them a significant improvement in cost efficiency over existing services and enable a full days business in ether Tamale or Accra with a return in the same day”.

Departure time from Accra to Tamale is 16:15, and from Tamale to Accra is 17:45, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Story by: Myjoyonline

Zeitgeist 2012 | Google's Review of 2012

This year, Google is doing a review of the searches made globally via their search engine. They chose to call it Zeitgeist 2012. With this, people go  watch the review video and if they have the time, they can share their New Year's resolution with the rest of the world. 

" Zeitgeist 

~ The defining spirit or mood 

of a particular period of history

 as shown by the ideas and beliefs 

of the time. "

As the year draws to a slow close, Google reminds the world by saying "What did the World Search for in 2012?

2012 was a year of big moments, from global games to historical elections and everything in between. With this site, we've analyzed over one trillion queries to showcase what the world searched for.

"2012 has been an awesome year for me... how was your 2012?!?"

Victoria's Secret Fashon Show Video Sneak Peek leaked by CBS

CBS already leaked a sneak peek of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The video is still up on the CBS website. CBS 12 News also caught footage of the video on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Those who can't watch the flash video on either website can view it on YouTube. 

The video gives a glimpse of the sexy Victoria's Secret runway show, including an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the backstage action.

Models walk the runway  during the Victoria's Secret  2012 Fashion Show  on November 7, 2012. Photo credit:   Photo by Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images for  Swarovski Elements

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is a combination of fashion and music. The runway will have Victoria's Secret's famous "Angels" like Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio. Musical guests include Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Rihanna.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is a special CBS event for the holiday season. It's become an annual tradition for the sexy lingerie brand. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show includes the infamous million-dollar bra, over the top lingerie and angel wings. This year, Alessandra Ambrosio walks the runway in a $2.5 million dollar bra, with a matching thong and baton. 

"I think this looks like fun... What do you think?"

Story by: Chanel Adams, Boston Fashion News| Examiner.com

20 trivia facts about world countries [Infographic]

Have you ever wondered what country has the highest alcohol consumption??? Or which is the least tolerant. Someone took the pain to put this photo together and I think its a must see... Go on!

"I just saw this with a friend while staring at it he asked, 'What do you think about this? I was stunned by the question... and I still am. 

So I want to know what you think too. You can leave it as a comment." 

Story by Aya Padron, Matador Network

Virginity on sale for $780,000!

A 20-year-old Brazilian woman been offering her virginity and a man from Japan known as "Natsu" has managed to place the winning bid. The asking price is a whopping $780,000. Talk about being weird but its no wonder that her virginity sold out for so much because she is quite the hot babe. By losing something, Catarina Migliorini could gain $780,000.

The 20-year-old Brazilian woman has been auctioning off her virginity online for the past few weeks and a man from Japan known as "Natsu" came out on top with the winning bid.

Natsu beat out five other bidders after a feverish final day where the price of Migliorini's virtue jumped from $190,000 on Oct. 23 to the final $780,000 price tag. The news wasn't so good for her male counterpart, Alex Stepanov, whose virginity only racked up $3,000 from a woman in Brazil named "Nene B."

Catarina Migliorini, 20, is auctioning off her virginity for charity, and
received a winning bid of $780,000 for virtue.

Although Migliorini, a physical education student, has claimed to media that she planned to donate as much as 90 percent of the auction price to charities that will build homes in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, even auction organizer Justin Sisely, who devised the plan for a proposed documentary, was skeptical.

"I was surprised she said that because in all my dealings with her, she made it clear that it was a business decision for her," Australian filmmaker Justin Sisely told The Huffington Post recently. "Now, given how big this story is in Brazil, she's trapped. If she doesn't give any money to charity, she's going to look bad."

Now that the price of virginity has been established, "Natsu" will be tested for sexually transmitted diseases before getting his big shot with Migliorini aboard a plane flying between Australia and the U.S. -- Sisely's attempt to circumvent prostitution laws.

Migliorini will also undergo an examination to prove she is as pure as the driven snow -- before the actual driving commences.

The actual sex act will not be filmed, but both Migliorini and "Natsu" will be interviewed before and after the auctioned-off intercourse, the New York Daily News reported. "Natsu" will be allowed to remain anonymous without his photo appearing in the media.

In order to ensure the encounter is as tasteful as possible, sex toys are not allowed and "Natsu" must wear a condom.

Although having sex in exchange for money pretty much defines prostitution, Migliorini doesn't see it that way.

"If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "The auction is just business, I'm a romantic girl at heart and believe in love. But this will make a big difference to my area."

That was Sisely's goal when he started working on the documentary two years ago.

"This is about transforming life," he told HuffPost. "These people will be different afterwards. Their lives won't be the same. Catarina is the biggest story in Brazil right now. Where will she go after this?"

As for the "donation," it may be hard to find a charity willing to take cash from a person who got it by selling her virginity to the highest bidder, according to Cleon Daskalakis, a former Boston Bruin who now runs NetRaffle.org, a company that raises money for charities on the Internet.

"This type of transaction is setting a dangerous precedent, not to mention a call for global prostitution on a one-time basis," he told HuffPost. "To those of us who promote professional and successful fundraising vehicles, this is a disgrace. I can't imagine any legitimate charity would want to be associated with this type of promotion."

The virgin auction has received worldwide attention as well as skepticism from journalists like William K. Wolfrum, who points out that the production company behind the film, Thomas Williams Productions, seems to have little more than experience doing wedding videos.

"Basically, let me wrap this up as I see it: An unheard-of director is working with an unheard-of producer. Two years ago, they floated out the idea of auctioning off virgins and filming the sexual encounters. Two years later, they are back and say the sex will happen by the end of the month," he wrote on his website.

"I think this world is getting weirder and weider by generation..."

Story by Nina, Times of India

British Airways is 75 years in Ghana!!!

Seventy-five years ago a handful of passengers boarded a bi-plane for a one-week journey which would pioneer an air service that today still links Ghana and the United Kingdom.

On 13 October 1937, the DH86 Diana class aircraft operated by Elders Colonial Airways on behalf of Imperial Airways arrived in Accra for the first time. This once-weekly service between Southampton and Accra took almost one week, involving nine stops between the UK and the Central African hub of Khartoum.

A couple of years later, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was formed under the BOAC Act, from the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd, a British airline that operated in Europe in the 1930s.

In 1974, the UK government dissolved BOAC and British European Airways to form the global carrier, British Airways, as we know it today. 1987 saw the airline privatised in a hugely oversubscribed flotation of shares on the London Stock Exchange, as well as the appointment of British Airways’ first women pilots.

In 2002, British Airways begun daily, non-stop flights between Accra and London on a Boeing 767 aircraft. The six-hour overnight flight is extremely popular for business travellers, who enjoy the convenience of a full working day in Ghana, and an early morning arrival for easy onward connection to other destinations.

Today, British Airways operates to Ghana on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a four-class configuration, which features its innovative First (First Class) product, along with Club World (Business Class), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and World Traveller (Economy Class).

Currently, British Airways is the only airline to offer a first class service in and out of Ghana, and its £100m investment into the improved product is proving extremely popular on the route.

Iberia, the Spanish national carrier, merged with British Airways in January 2011 to the International Airline Group. In July 2012, Iberia launched it’s twice-weekly Ghana operation, with Economy and Business Class Cabins on an Airbus A319 aircraft. So far, Iberia’s operations have been “extremely encouraging.”

“It’s amazing to think that 75 years ago we were operating bi-planes that could carry seven passengers and the journey took over a week, when you consider that today we have daily flights a day that do the journey in about six hours,” says James Wooldridge, British Airways commercial manager for Ghana.

“We believe very strongly in investing in the communities we operate in, and Ghana has benefited greatly from such commitments over the past 75 years,” says Wooldridge.

British Airways’ CEO, Keith Williams was recently in Ghana to support Flying Start, the airline’s partnership with UK charity, Comic Relief, which was launched two years ago to raise money around the world for good causes. Flying Start hopes to raise £500,000 by the end of 2012 to vaccinate 100,000 Ghanaian children against deadly diseases.

Story by myjoyonline.com

Internet giants Google, Facebook and Twitter threaten to block controversial snoopers' charter

Google, Facebook and Twitter are set to torpedo Home Office plans to spy on every citizen's emails and website visits.

The internet giants have threatened to block the so-called 'snoopers' charter', which requires them to store all data for a year so that security agencies, police and councils can request its disclosure.

Civil liberty groups claim the powers would create a surveillance state, but Britain's security and intelligence agencies insist they are vital to investigate crime and protect the national interest.

Google, Facebook and Twitter are set to torpedo Home Office plans to spy on every citizen's emails and website visits.

Now the frank testimonies of internet bosses have been released by a cross-party committee of MPs and peers that is scrutinising the draft Communications Data Bill.

They reveal directors from Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Twitter believe the Bill would breach users' privacy and allow repressive regimes to spy on Britons. Facebook said it might go to court to resist the new law, while Google and Twitter executives said they could refuse to unlock encrypted data if the Government were to seek the information via third-party providers such as BT.

Facebook said it might go to court to resist the new law, while Google and Twitter said they could refuse to unlock encrypted data

Facebook director Simon Milner accused the Government of using a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut', and claimed the potential for nations with poor human-rights records to obtain data 'should be a real concern'. Nick Pickles, director of  civil-liberty group Big Brother Watch, said: 'How the Home Office thinks these plans are workable in light of such clear criticism is a mystery.' The Home Office said: 'We hope all major communications companies take their responsibilities to assist law-enforcement seriously.'

Story by  Robert Verkaik, Daily Mail