Review: The Acer Aspire S7
IT Maestro Starter of Conversations & Talent seeker at Discovery Ultrabooks are nothing new. Ever since Apple famously launched the MacBook Air in 2008, PC enthusiasts were chomping at their collective bit to get a similar device for their Windows needs. Fast forward a few years and most of the manufacturers offer an ultrabook alternative to the ‘cult of the Mac’. Whether it is a ThinkPad, ATIV Book or VAIO, an XPS, Spectre, or Portege, few have successfully been able to get the balance between performance and portability just right. Cynics might add the hefty price of these machines but given that it is competing with Apple products in both the looks and functionality departments, I tend to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to budget. That doesn’t mean I’ll be lining up any time soon to buy one, but there are plenty of people who can afford to spend good money on these expensive toys. Be that as it may, the Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook might just be the one to change my mind (if not the size of my available budget). It might seem trite to say that this is not your typical ultrabook but just one look at the S7 should be enough to show it. It is thin, it is light, and it is an absolute beauty to look at. Featuring an aluminium unibody, it is less than 13mm ‘thick’ making it one of the thinnest ultrabooks around. In terms of weight, well, it is completely negligible as traditional pen and paper notebooks feel heavier to carry around. Some users who are not fans of Windows 8 might baulk at the idea of using the operating system on such a beautiful device but the performance you get from the S7 using both the keyboard and touchscreen make these arguments irrelevant. While I am used to using Windows 8 in ‘desktop mode’ almost exclusively, having a powerful touchscreen device made for a very pleasant (and intuitive) experience. The battery life of approximately five hours might not be enough for some of the more power-hungry users, but it is a small price to pay considering the processing power of the S7. In addition, the fact that it is such a thin machine means the keyboard is quite flat on the surface when you type. Of course, this criticism is true for any ultrabook but it still takes a while to get used to typing with a slightly different wrist position than usual. This is a minor issue as you are bound to get into the swing of things within a few days of use. An...
R&B Superstar, Miguel joins Line-Up for the MTV Africa Music Awards
Music and youth lifestyle brand MTV Base has revealed that R&B superstar Miguel is to join the star-studded line-up of performers at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA). Miguel will be performing at the global celebration of African creativity, talent and youth culture, taking place on 7 June at the ICC in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The MTV Africa Music Awards is brought to you by KwaZulu-Natal Province in association with Absolut & The City of Durban. South Africa Tourism is also on board as a partner for the MAMA. Also adding star power to the awards ceremony will be Nigerian sensations Flavour and Tiwa Savage, while urban hit makers Uhuru, Oskido and Professor will be flying the flag for South Africa. They join previously announced African artists Davido (Nigeria) and Mafikizolo (South Africa) at the stunning music event and live telecast that will be broadcast around the world on MTV, MTV Base, BET International and affiliate stations. Commenting on his involvement in the MAMA, Miguel said, “What I love most about Africa is the people and the spirit there. What makes me most proud to be involved in the MAMA is the feeling that my music has reached further than I imagined it could…it’s inspiring.” Picked as one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People” in 2013, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Miguel has become one of the genre’s most significant artists thanks to his personal brand of daring, soulful and emotionally authentic R&B, tinged with traces of avant garde hip-hop, funk, soul, electro and classic rock....
Zamantungwa Khumalo Represents S.A at the World Economic Forum
The multi-talented, multi-tasking Zamantungwa Khumalo recently returned from a trip to Abuja, Nigeria, where she and other young South Africans from the Global Shapers community “represented” at the World Economic Forum. A lot has changed since we interviewed Zama last year! Find out more here: Thanks for chatting to us again Zama, first off, who are the Global Shapers community? We are a network of city-based Hubs developed and led by young leaders between 20 and 30 years old. We play an active role in shaping the communities in which we live. Sounds interesting, what kind of people are the shapers? Shapers are highly motivated young leaders who have a great potential for future leadership roles in society. We are selected on the basis of our achievements, leadership potential, and commitment to make a difference. Through the Global Shapers Community, we are provided with opportunities to connect with the worldwide network of Global Shapers, to network with other World Economic Forum communities, and to represent the voice of youth at World Economic Forum events. And what role do you play? I’m a member of the Tshwane Hub and participate in the different hub projects and initiatives that we support, as a hub. How did you get involved in this? A few months ago, Shapers had the opportunity to apply to be 1 of 50 Shapers to attend the 24th World Economic Forum on Africa. I actually applied at the last minute, after some encouragement from a fellow Hub member. Then I received confirmation that my application was successful and started preparing for the forum! What was the role of SA in being the ‘Youth Voice’ at this year’s forum? We participated in the different forum events, not just as delegates, but as discussion leaders and panellists. For example, I was part of a plenary session which was televised live on one of the biggest morning news shows in Nigeria, and it was streamed live – the views expressed went beyond South Africa and some of the challenges we face. Our contributions were not necessarily about the respective countries we come from. Can you give us an idea of how the days were spent? Before the Forum, we firstly attended SHAPE Africa. SHAPE Africa is an annual regional meeting of Global Shapers from Africa and its platform for change makers to discuss and come up with practical solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges. Sounds great, what were the highlights for you here? The two-day (SHAPE Africa) event had phenomenal speakers such as the Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian investor, banker and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, Director,...
2014 BET Awards nominees list
BET has announced the nominations for the “BET Awards” 2014. Nominations were announced in 20 categories, selected by BET’s Voting Academy comprised of a group of respected entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, creative arts and fans. The “BET Awards” 2014 will take place on Sunday 29 June at th Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA. The 2014 BET Awards will premiere on BET International in Africa on 1 July at 21:00 CAT. “This year’s nominees represent the best of the culture,” said Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials. “It’s great to see our talented new artist’s right alongside our more beloved ones with long careers. We appreciate our BET Awards nomination committee, over 300 strong, for their efforts and congratulate all the nominees.” The complete list of nominees for the “BET Awards” 2014 are: Best International Act: Africa Davido (Nigeria) Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) Mafikizolo (South Africa) Sarkodie (Ghana) Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) Toofan (Togo) Best International Act: UK Dizzee Rascal Ghetts Krept & Konan Laura Mvula Rita Ora Tinie Tempah Best Female R&B/Pop Artist Beyoncé Janelle Monáe Jhené Aiko K. Michelle Rihanna Tamar Braxton Best Male R&B/Pop Artist August Alsina Chris Brown John Legend Justin Timberlake Pharrell Williams Best Group A$AP Mob Daft Punk Macklemore & Ryan Lewis TGT Young Money Best Collaboration August Alsina f/ Trinidad Jame$ – I Luv This Beyoncé f/ JAY Z – Drunk In Love Drake f/ Majid Jordan – Hold On (We’re Going Home) JAY Z f/ Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail Robin Thicke f/ T.I. & Pharrell Williams – Blurred Lines YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan – My Hitta Best Male Hip Hop Artist Drake Future J. Cole JAY Z Kendrick Lamar Best Female Hip Hop Artist Angel Haze Charli Baltimore Eve Iggy Azalea Nicki Minaj Video of the Year Beyoncé – Partition Beyoncé f/ JAY Z – Drunk In Love Chris Brown – Fine China Drake – Worst Behavior Pharrell Williams – Happy Video Director of the Year Benny Boom Chris Brown Colin Tilley Director X Hype Williams Best New Artist Ariana Grande August Alsina Mack Wilds Rich Homie Quan ScHoolboy Q Best Gospel Artist Donnie McClurkin Erica Campbell Hezekiah Walker Tamela Mann Tye Tribbett Best Actress Angela Bassett Gabrielle Union Kerry Washington Lupita Nyong’o Oprah Winfrey Best Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor Forest Whitaker Idris Elba Kevin Hart Michael B. Jordan YoungStars Award Gabrielle Douglas Jacob Latimore Jaden Smith KeKe Palmer Zendaya Best Movie 12 Years a Slave The Best Man Holiday Fruitvale Station...
Exclusive listen: Stream Coldplay’s Ghost Stories album for free on iTunes
Coldplay have today announced that their new album, Ghost Stories, is available to stream for free via iTunes. Fans who head to iTunes.com/Coldplay now can listen to the album in full, a week before its worldwide release on 19 May. The album stream is accompanied on iTunes by a stunning, full-length animation of Mila Fürstová’s Ghost Stories artwork, directed by Alasdair + Jock at Trunk Animation. Ghost Stories is Coldplay’s sixth album. Fans who pre-order the album from iTunes.com/Coldplay now will immediately get the singles Magic and A Sky Full Of Stars, as well as the album track Midnight. The band’s current single, A Sky Full Of Stars, has topped the iTunes Chart in 88 countries since its 1 May...
Venue change for the Hansa Pilsener Dreamer’s Celebration
Hansa Pilsener teams up with Kalawa Jazmee to celebrates 20 years of Dreamers, music and freedom. The beer brand that celebrates South Africa’s Dreamers and doers is gathering the cream of the local music industry for a concert marking the country’s 20 years of freedom. In partnership with record label Kalawa Jazmee and Metro FM. Kalawa Jazmee has been at the forefront of local music since the 1990s and will be marking 20 years of supporting various Dreamers that are now iconic acts in the country today. Artists taking the stage during the Dreamers Celebration include legendary Oskido, Thebe, Trompies, DJ Vetkuk vs Mahoota DJ Zinhle, Uhuru, DJ Naves & Sphe, Fistaz, Lulo Café, and many more. “The artistic line-up embraces artists that have been shaking up the local music industry for the past 20 years, and is in collaboration with Kalawa Jazmee Records,” said Hansa Pilsener Marketing Manager Kelebogile Mashigo. “The collaboration between Hansa and Kalawa just made sense because what better way to mark both where we have come from and what the future holds for the country and its next generation of Dreamers, than a full day celebration?” Due to popular demand, the venue for the Hansa Pilsener Dreamer’s Celebration has changed to The Cultural Village, Power Park, Soweto. Those who have already bought their tickets via Computicket will still be able to access the event. “We decided The Cultural Village is a better venue to cater for our concert needs. Besides the artist stage, we also need sufficient space for the four Hansa Dreamers, featured in their own TV adverts, to host their own lounge areas,” said Kelebogile Mashigo, Hansa Pilsener’s Marketing Manager The four Hansa Dreamers featured in their own TV adverts will host their own lounge areas at the concert. Event-goers will have the chance to meet the faces behind these small businesses – Caprivi Lounge’s Hlogi Makau, Fury Custom Bikes’ Ruan Vermeulen and Robert Nicholls, The Blackanese sushi restaurant’s Vusi Kunene, and Soweto Outdoor Adventures’ Kgomotso Pooe. DATE: Saturday, 10 May 2014 TIME: 12pm to 12am VENUE: The Cultural Village, Power Park, Soweto COST: R100 pre-sales or R120 at the door TICKETS: www.computicket.com The artist line-up is as follows: Nokwazi Busiswa Alaska Heavy K AB Crazy Winnie Khumalo Brickz Spikiri Sphectacula / DJ Naves Uhuru Lulo Cafe Ismail Abrahams Professor/Character DJ Zinhle Dr Malinga Trompies Black Motion Thebe Oskido Mahoota vs Dj...
Proudly brought to you by:
