Africa Young Person of the Year list

 a flash back!
The Central Working Committee (CWC) of The Future Awards Africa has unveiled the long list for the biggest youth award on the continent, the Young Person of the Year – The Africa Prize. The Future Awards Africa which has been described by the World Bank as ‘The Nobel Prize for Young Africans’, partners with the African Union (AU) this year.
“As is the tradition, the nominees for Young Person of the Year – The Africa Prize, were drawn from a huge pool of talented trailblazers across Africa, who are making tremendous contributions around the globe,” said Dr. Raymonde Agossou, Head, Division for Human Capacity and Youth Development, African Union Commission. “We are extremely proud of our honorees this year. Working with The Future Project to compile this impressive list was refreshing.”
The winner of this award was  announced at the awards ceremony to held in August 2013, in addition, all the honourees were  given plaques.
“We are extremely pleased with our honourees and the entire list presented by The Future Project this year, at every turn, these young African stars inspire us,” said Tonye Cole, Managing Director of Sahara Energy who is a member of the Audit Committee for The Future Awards. “We are also extremely grateful to the African Union Commission for partnering with us this year.”
The seventy-five (75) nominees for the other 15 categories of The Future Awards Africa 2013 were announced on the 10th of July, 2013.
This edition of The Future Awards is hosted in partnership with the youth office of the African Union Commission, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and nominations for the biggest prize, Young Person of the Year is Africa-based. The honourees automatically qualify as one of the 50 Young Africans Making a Difference on the Continent to be celebrated by the African Union at its 50th Anniversary Celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October, 2013.
Previous Young Person of the Year winners include malaria scientist Ify Aniebo, award-winning writer Chimamanda Adichie, NASA scholar Tosin Otitoju, agriculture entrepreneur, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, and multiple award winning journalist, Idris Akinbanjo who beat out Jason Njoku, Linda Ikeji, Chinwe Njoku, Peter and Paul Okoje (Psquare), and D’banj to clinch the coveted award last year.
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YOUNG PERSON OF THE YEAR – THE AFRICA PRIZE 2013 HONOUREES
LUDWICK MARISHANE  – SOUTH AFRICA (22)
South Africa’s youngest patent holder and serial inventor, Ludwick Marishane is the founder of DryBath, the world’s only non-water based germicidal bath substitute lotion for the whole body which has sold 162 units as at 2012. He was rated as the best student entrepreneur in the world (Global Champion of the Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards 2011), one of the 12 winners of Google’s annual Zeitgeist Young Minds Competition, and appeared on Huffington Post and Ted Talks in 2012.
WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA – MALAWI (25)
A student in the Dartmouth College class of 2014, William Kamkwamba is a Malawian inventor and author who rose to global fame when he built a windmill to power some electrical appliances at their family house back at the age of 14. In 2012, Kamkwamba published his autobiography, an inspirational book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope and a documentary about Kamkwamba, called William and the Windmill, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury award at SXSW in 2013.
ASHISH J. THAKKAR – UGANDA (32)
Ashish J. Thakkar is the Managing Director of Mara Group, a conglomerate he founded at the age of 15 which includes IT, real estate, manufacturing companies, and more with operations in 26 countries, spanning four continents, and employing over 7,000 people worldwide.
SARAN KABA JONES – LIBERIA (31)
Saran Kaba Jones is a clean water advocate and social entrepreneur who founded FACE Africa to provide safe drinking water and empower women and girls in her home country of Liberia; FACE Africa had raised over $250,000 to this end and Jones was listed by the Guardian UK in 2013 as one of Africa’s 25 Top Women Achievers alongside President Joyce Banda of Malawi and Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee.
MOCTAR DEMBÉLÉ – BURKINA FASO (22)
Moctar Dembélé, one half of the team of African students that invented The Faso Soap, together with his partner, (Gérard Niyondiko, from Burundi), he is the first  non-American born/citizen, to win the Global Science Venture Competition (GSVC) organized by the University of California Berkeley, USA for inventing the anti-malaria repellant soap.
GRACE IHEJIAMAIZU – NIGERIA (22)
Named as one of Google’s 12 Brightest Young Minds in 2011, and by the US Government as ‘International Exchange Alumni Member of the Month for September 2012’, Grace Ihejiamaizu is an entrepreneur and global change-maker.  In 2010, she founded an after-school youth project, Raising Young Productive Entrepreneurs (RYPE) Initiative; in 2012, she started a Social Enterprise company called iKapture Networks and founded the fast-growing online platform, opportunitydesk.org.
PATRICK NGOWI – TANZANIA (28)
Following its nomination by Tanzania’s leading consulting and auditing firm (KPMG) in 2012 as the fastest growing company in the country, Helvetic Solar and its founder, Patrick Ngowi have from then been featured in a number of national and international media including FORBES, Venture Africa, and most recently, he was invited to speak at the Africa Global Business Forum 2013 that was held in Dubai.
PETER OKOYE AND PAUL OKOYE (PSQUARE) – NIGERIA (31)
This inspiring twin brothers have been tagged one of the very best in African music. Signed to Akon’s Konvict Musik, Psquare signed a record distribution deal with Universal Music Group in 2012, the same year they released their hugely successful remix singles/videos featuring global music giants, Akon “Chop My Money”, and Rick Ross “Beautiful Onyinye Remix”. The duo has just come off a massively successful African tour where they easily filled up stadia in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, and more.
FOGLABENCHI LILY HARITU – CAMEROON (27)
A finalist of the 2013 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, Foglabenchi Lily Haritu, is the youngest individual to reach the position of program supervisor in the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services. Haritu has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to reproductive and sexual health rights education and rights promotion particularly through her work with stationary and rural mobile clinics across Cameroon.
KARIUKI GATHITU – KENYA (27)
Kariuki Gathitu is an entrepreneur, and software developer who in 2010 turned down an offer to work for Google to instead developed a mobile payment management system called MPAYER. MPAYER has been widely acknowledged and received awards for innovation and recently won second position in a global competition held in South Africa called Dragons Den (2013) and was the best application in Africa; it came second in the World’s 50 Top Startups Globally (2013), and in same year was named one of the Top Tech Startups You Need to Know in Africa by CNN.
Visit The Future Project’s website www.thefutureafrica.com/awards to read the honourees’ full profiles.

Ex-cop tries to arrest actor in the middle of filming a robbery scene

2 d It's every actor's dream for an audience to firmly believe his character and forget that he's actually playing a role — that is, unless the actor is portraying a robber and the audience is a former special-ops cop. While shooting in Sedburgh, England, for the film "27 Memory Lane," actor Jason Redshaw found himself pursued by an ex-cop who believed he was a criminal after witnessing a scene in which Redshaw attacks an elderly woman and flees. August Pennyworth pursued Redshaw and pinned him against a wall, until director Luke Hupton chased down the arrest-in-progress and show Pennyworth the camera to prove it was all make-believe. The former cop apparently had a good laugh about the mistake. The cameraman, unfortunately, wasn't able to capture the whole incident on film, so looks like we won't get to see it on the blooper reel. [Source]

Tiny MP3 player that's controlled by your teeth seeks funding

A growing trend in consumer electronics is hands-free operation, which allow users to interact with their devices using their voice or hand gestures. But one prototype is tapping into a new way for users to control it: their teeth. Seeking funding on Kickstarter, a tiny MP3 player called Split separates into two earbuds, which simultaneously play a track in both ears and are controlled by teeth clicks (one bite to skip a track, two bites to adjust the volume). Unfortunately, Split's storage space is surprisingly small: It can only fit roughly 24 songs. But for those who have a standard workout playlist and love chewing, this might be the device for them.

Why Do These Hermès Bags Cost $70,000?

By 

Susanna Kim 

Heritage Auctions is selling this Hermes "Special Order Horseshoe 35cm Shiny Blue Electric & Indigo Porosus Crocodile Birkin Bag with Gold Hardware," estimated to sell for $60,000 to $70,000.

Heritage Auctions

Many consider collecting a male-dominated hobby, with men dominating categories like stamps, cars and baseball cards. But a surge in luxury accessory sales in the secondary market, handbags in particular, have reinforced female dominance in accumulating items like Hermès handbags that can sell for five figures.

The Hermès Birkin bag, a line of bags made by the French luxury retailer and inspired by British actress Jane Birkin, has played a major part in attracting bona-fide collectors.

"Until very recently, people with lots of bags didn't self-identify as collectors. They were shoppers, buyers or 'fans of Chanel,'" said Matt Rubinger, director of luxury accessories for Heritage Auctions. "They weren't creating a collection with a lasting value or investment in mind. As we've hosted these auctions and people see how strong the market is, that has shifted."

Heritage Auctions recognized the growing popularity of the market and brought on Rubinger three and half years ago to launch the luxury accessories category.

Rubinger said that of Heritage's 35 categories, such as sports collectibles, they are all dominated by a male customer base, except for luxury accessories.

In Photos: J-Lo and Other Celebrities With Their Beloved Birkins

Because Hermès can have waiting lists that can span years for Birkin bags, handcrafted in France, the secondary market exploded with the prevalence of online retailers.

Websites Ruelala and Gilt host semi-regular sales for luxury handbags, but none are quite as expensive as Birkin bags.

On Monday, Heritage Auctions is hosting in Beverly Hills a "Fine Jewelry and Luxury Accessories Auction" that includes 68 Birkins out of 275 bags. The most sought-after item is a crocodile Birkin bag that was custom made with an indigo interior. It's estimated to be worth $60,000 to $70,000.

Crocodile Birkin bags can retail for $60,000 in Hermès stores; leather Birkin bags for about $10,000.

Why the big price tag? Rubinger doesn't deny that these bags are "not the norm" for most American households. Buyers with means are paying for both the brand and the quality, Rubinger explains.

"One craftsman sits in factory in southern France and starts with the first stitch, from start to finish. You pay for that craftsmanship," he said. "If they can't get enough of a certain material that meets their standards, they discontinue it."

Hermès did not respond to a request for comment.

What has enforced luxury handbags as a collectibles category was that many pieces, such as the Birkin, were not only holding in value through time, but rising.

"In the luxury space, if you buy a new luxury car, you are not thinking of lasting value," Rubinger said. "If you buy a Range Rover, you aren't planning to sell it for more than you bought it."

Luxury handbag collectors, on the other hand, can.

"If you really pay attention to what you're doing, you're not going to lose money, and in the best case scenario you can make money on this bag that you enjoyed," he said

Last year, Heritage Auctions launched weekly online auctions for luxury bags that start on Tuesday and last for seven days. About 75 designer bags start at $1 with no reserve.

Poll: Do You Like Chloe's Hair Better Light Or Dark?

by Liz Doupnik0 

Despite all the mega hair news this week, this ‘do really stopped us in our tracks! Our October cover girl, Chloe Grace Moretz just revealed gorgeous, strawberry blonde locks on her Instagram! She’s been rocking super chic brown tresses for a while. She even told us during her photo shoot “I like being a brunette better. It’s more sophisticated.” With that in mind, we’re wondering if this new look could be for an upcoming role in a movie? Either way, it's so fun that she's experimenting with new, pretty shades for her hair.
Which style do you like better? Take the poll below to tell us what you think!
More: Chloe Grace Moretz's Secrets To Feeling Awesome

Do you like Chloe better as a brunette or strawberry blonde?

• Brunette! She looks so cool and edgy!
• Strawberry Blonde! She looks so cute and pretty!

View Results

Steve Jobs Died Two Years Ago Today

Joanna Stern

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds up a new version of the iPod Nano during an Apple Special event, Sept. 5, 2007 in San Francisco.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple's visionary co-founder is a constant presence even now, living on in movie posters that adorn bus stops and periodically in the news, like when his childhood house is considered for historical landmarking.

But today is actually the second anniversary of Steve Jobs' death.

On Oct. 5, 2011, Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod and Macs, died at the age of 56, surrounded by family members, after battling a form of pancreatic cancer and having a liver transplant.

"Steve was an amazing human being and left the world a better place. I think of him often and find enormous strength in memories of his friendship, vision and leadership," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to all Apple employees on Friday.

The letter was posted on Apple news website 9to5Mac.

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

A photographer takes a picture with his iPhone of a tribute to Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs placed outside The Apple Store, Oct. 6, 2011, in London, England.

"He left behind a company that only he could have built and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We will continue to honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to the work he loved so much," Cook wrote.

More: Five Things We Miss About Steve Jobs

In 2004, Jobs beat an unusual form of pancreatic cancer and in 2009 he was forced to get a liver transplant. Still, it was during those years that Jobs introduced some of the company's most iconic products, including the iPhone and the iPad. However, he became sick again and he finally announced on Aug. 24, 2011, that he was stepping down as CEO and handing over the reins to Cook.

Apple still thrives on the products Jobs created, but since his death industry experts have wondered whether Apple would be able to maintain its lead without his foresight and innovation. However, analysts point to Apple's recent successful iPhone launch, in which it sold 9 million phones in the first weekend, as further proof of the company's lead in the industry.

"Since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple has continued to execute well from a product and business perspective," Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Rectile Research and a long time Apple watcher, told ABC News. "However, there continues to be a cloud of skepticism, primarily from stock watchers, about whether Apple can continue the streak it's been on with the iPod, iPhone and iPad in terms of inventing or re-inventing a category."

Those next categories, however, might also be influenced by Job's forethought and plans. In Walter Issacson's Steve Jobs biography, Jobs is quoted as saying he had figured out the solution to some of the major issues plaguing the television.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Apple CEO Steve Jobs stands in the new Apple store, July 17, 2002, in New York City.

"It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it,'" Jobs told Issacson. Apple has been rumored to be working on a television set of its own and Tim Cook has recently said that the area was of "intense interest" to the company.

"Steve Jobs was the master at 'just one more thing,'" Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co., told ABC News in 2011. "And this was his last one thing."

Cook has also said that wearable computing is interesting. Apple has been said to be working on a smartwatch or its iWatch, which would work with the iPhone to put some more functionality on your body.

"If Apple can launch into a new category in 2014, as many expect it will, this may finally silence the critics," Rubin said of those who have said Apple would suffer without Jobs at the helm. "However, there are other revenue opportunities for Apple, and it does not need to pin growth on any one new device."

Whether or not those products are introduced soon, it is clear that Jobs' legacy lives on at the company he built in his garage in 1976.

"There is no higher tribute to his memory," Cook said in the letter. "I know that he would be proud of all of you."