Softn' Free Hair Xpert crowned

The Soft n Free Hair Xperts Masters Challenge Grand Finale where entertainment and hair showcasing was galore took place on Sunday. Amanda Black opened the show with her hit track 'Amazulu'.

The #YoungXperts showed the future of hairstyling with their creativity, leading the pack is Nicole Pearce, who came first place and won R30.000. Doctor Sithole of Vosloorus also walked away with R30.000, obtaining the Softn'Free Technical Expert title.

The top 8 contestants, Khonaye Nkohla,Vuyokazi Mangali ,Khe Zondi, Abner Hlatshwayo,Treavor Mokoaleli, Maggie Makhethi, Doctor Sithole and Tony Masangu all revealed an avant -garde of bridal hair. Trevor Mokoaleli of Betlehem out-styled them all and was titled Sofn'Free HairXperts Grand Finale winner, walking away with R250.000. 

Other winners include Khe Zondi, who won the most avant-garde and Arthur Tlhalatsi, taking the viewer's choice award. Kwesta was also part of the entertainment line-up as he wowed the crowd with his hit songs such as Ngud' and May'babo just to name a few.

Hosted by Idols judge and Living Your Dream star Somizi Mhlongo, the Softn' Free Hair Xrperts Masters Challenge Grand Finale was held at Kyalami's (Midrand) Theatre on the Track.

©IOL

New Orlando Pirates Jersey celebrates heritage in the modern era

In 1937, 80 years ago, a people's club was born. A Club that became the burning light of hope, a Club that won the domestic league title in our first year of democracy under our new national flag; a Club that became a beacon of trust. Today, adidas Football and Orlando Pirates announce the latest evolution of their innovative partnership.

With football apparel becoming increasingly viewed as a lifestyle product worn beyond the stadium, the new range is designed to deliver unique streetwear style which our fans and supporters will celebrate and enjoy.

Orlando Pirates will go into the new season with kit that delivers advanced performance as well as a new contemporary look. The black home kit with white trim and white away kit with black trim have a clean and sleek appearance, with the adidas three stripes placed on the shoulder to bring a retro football feel.

"This is more than just a Club, we are an institution that has stood many tests of time, and is still standing. When we look back over the past 80 years, we are exceedingly proud of what we have achieved, which transcends the four white lines of the field of play. Going into this new season, with a slick and new jersey that invokes memories of the past, we hope that this combination of the old school meeting the new will be part of the re-awakening of the still mighty Buccanneers."  Says Orlando Pirates Brand Activation Manager, Tokoloho Moeketsi

Climacool technology provides heat and moisture management in the most testing conditions, as does Climalite technology in the shorts that removes the need for an inner mesh. The club crest is heat applied while a debossed skull and cross bones on the back of the jersey brings out the personality of this unique team.

Simplify your life in 10 easy steps

Between chasing deadlines and wanting to get ahead, it can get too much. It's easy to fill up our lives because there are so many things that sound amazing, but it can get overwhelming. Why not try to simplify things and trim unnecessary stress from your life?

Always ask

"Will this simplify my life?" If the answer is no, reconsider.

Just say "no"

Overextending your life will complicate your life. Learn to love and protect a little space in your diary.

Declutter your home

Your home is your sanctuary. Get rid of anything that isn't making you feel comfortable, clean, inspired and happy.

Want less

Recognise that you already have everything you need to live a meaningful life.

Own less

How much do you really need? Look at things you haven't used or worn in a year, get rid of them. Give them to charity or someone who actually will use them.

Stop and pause: Just be. Take note of the beautiful things that surround you: nature, a friend, your wonderful home; be grateful for those blessings.

Take a "digital detox

We're in danger of letting life pass us by while we click away.

Simplify your social life

Surround yourself only with people that inspire and support you. Eliminate toxic relationships and make time for those you love. A bigger circle doesn't necessarily mean more love.

Track your expenses

When you know what you're spending your money on, it's possible to make changes. Buy only what you can afford.

Simplify your goals

nstead of having a dozen goals, focus on one goal and give it all of your energy. Not only will it make you less stressed, it will make you more successful.

As long as you do something that makes you happy each day, even if you have a morning and evening routine just to feel more grounded. Life is about choices, choose a simple happy life.

Information courtesy of FedHealth

#Hisense adds two more ULED TVs as it #AimHigh

Hisense is set to #AimHigh and solidify its strong position within the South African television market with the release of two new exceptional Ultra LED (ULED) televisions.

Since the introduction of ULED technology, Hisense's line-up has incorporated a number of sizes and price points, allowing a wide range of consumers to experience the superior image quality, clarity and precision that ULED offers. And the brand has certainly been flying high, with Hisense South Africa maintaining the top spot in TV unit market share from March to December 2016, and April to May 2017.

The latest premium 4K television models, the flagship 75" N9700 (75N9700UWG) and the 65" N8700 (65N8700UWG), continue to push the technology forward, making these the obvious choice for discerning viewers.  

New additions

One would be hard pressed to do better than Hisense's hero 55" ULED Curved T910 TV from last year, but the electronics forerunner has done just that with the 2017 flagship model - the 75N9700. This 75" set carries the distinction of being the largest ULED TV that Hisense has introduced yet, and with its pleasing aesthetics that are easy on the eye, this television will be the focal point of any living room.

Featuring a unique design, the 75N9700 sees a Dolby Digital-enabled sound bar situated below the narrow aluminium frame that houses its Quantum Dot technology display. The flagship offers an unmatched brightness of 2 200 nits, which means every detail of the screen is illuminated for a superb viewing experience.

If 75" is too much screen to handle, the 65" 65N8700 is perfect for the living room, sporting a variety of noteworthy design features. These include a frameless, ultra-slim 8.9 mm body, along with Dolby Digital audio functionality, all of which sits on a centrally mounted aluminium stand for a sophisticated aesthetic. Coupled with its sleek design, the 65N8700 delivers peak brightness of 1 000 nits.

When it comes to backlight control and algorithm optimization, Hisense is the industry-leader. The backlight in the TVs has been engineered such that it's divided into hundreds of zones, which minimizes the impact from each zone by controlling them individually. This means that blacks can be darker, and whites can be brighter, without being influenced by backlight of adjacent areas. More zones, more accurate contrast performance. This year Hisense has even divided the backlight into up to 560 individual zones in the new ULED - which is 320 more zones than last year.

As with most of Hisense's ULED TVs, the 75N9700 and 65N8700 boast breath-taking 4K displays, each serving up a rich 3840x2160 resolution and wider colour gamut compared to normal LED TVs. Added to this is HDR (High Dynamic Range) Supreme, which enhances the brightness and contrast of the televisions' picture quality across the board. With high-end gaming consoles all favouring HDR to showcase their newest titles, having this feature is essential in delivering a more immersive experience for gamers.

On the Smart TV front, Hisense has integrated the new VIDAA U operating system on both models. Designed to turn the television into a home entertainment hub once connected to a Wi-Fi network, they present users with an easy-to-navigate interface and a variety of apps to enjoy.

It is worth noting that both the 75N9700 and 65N8700 are proudly manufactured locally by the Hisense factory, located in Atlantis in the Western Cape.

On the horizon 

With the breakthrough ULED technology introduced a year ago, Hisense South Africa's Television Product Manager, Serena Lee, notes that when designing the two new ULED offerings, the company listened to feedback from consumers to improve the viewing experience. "New market trends constantly emerge in a rapidly changing television industry. With our new additions to the ULED range, both colour and contrast have been enhanced with the introduction of HDR Supreme for unparalleled brightness and deeper colours," explains Lee. "Both the 75N9700 and 65N8700 will provide Hisense consumers with an amazing 4K viewing experience," she concludes.

Apart from pioneering ULED on a global scale, Hisense continues to innovate in the television sector, having recently showcased its Laser TV technology. Laser TV was developed to ensure Hisense's next wave of offerings remain lightweight and cost effective, while delivering premium picture quality. Hisense South Africa looks forward to introducing this new technology soon to local shores. 

Five steps to motivate your staff at work

Helping employees to find more meaning in their work is simple and does not cost much – if anything at all. Here are tips on how to have employees feel valuable in the office.

"Employees are no longer content with just a pay cheque and good benefits. There is a soul-searching epidemic afoot in the workplace where they want meaning and passion," says Mias de Klerk, professor in Human Capital Management and Leadership Development at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB).

As a boss you should try to:

1. Sit with every employee in your team and ensure they know and understand the importance of their job and the reason for doing it properly. The security guard who understands that she/he is the face of the organisation to customers will act differently and with meaning.

2. Ensure that every person, across all levels, know and understand their contribution to the success and future of the team and the organisation. This is similar to the anecdotal story of the broom sweeper at NASA who claimed that his job was to put a person on the moon.

3. Make sure that every employee understands how the organisation contributes to building a better society and a future for society – and that it is not just about the money.

4. Instil and embed spiritual values in your organisation, such as care, respect, integrity, dignity and generosity. This will enhance engagement and performance significantly.

5. Embed a culture of self-transcendence in which the organisation and employees do not only take care of themselves, but also reach out to each other and the community to help and assist where there is a need.

Want to cook up a storm? Try these awesome #Android apps

Whether you're keen to amaze guests at your next dinner party with your celebrity chef skills or wanting to whip up a nutritious, delicious family meal, you'll find a helpful app to take your cooking to the next level. Here are some of Alcatel's favourite recipe and cookery apps for Android devices.

 

Jamie's 20 Minute Meals

Cook like Jamie! Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver presents 65 mouth-watering recipes to try, each taking around 20 minutes to prepare and they all feature a step-by-step photography tutorial too.

Get it here: Jamie's 20 Minute Meals

 

Italian Food Recipes

Some say that no one can cook better than an Italian Nonna! So why not dive into thisextensive selection of recipes to try outcook Nonna's dishes with these delightful, deliciousand traditional Italian recipes.

Get it here: Italian Food Recipes

 

South African Braai App

Have you ever wished you knew how to braai delicious lamb chops? Or crispy braai bread?  Well, this straight forward application will help you to develop these skills. A braai is a very sociable event in South Africa but it's  also acommon way of simply cooking a meal. In other words, mastering the art of braaing could come in very handy.

Get it here: South African Braai App

 

NutriBullet Recipes

Blend up healthy, tasty smoothies for breakfast or a post-workout lift with this app from NutriBullet.

Get it here: Nutribullet Recipes

 

Tasty Recipes & Cooking Videos

Check out these inspiring ideas for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks for the foodie home chef. 

Get it here: Tasty Recipes & Cooking Videos

 

Vegan Recipes Free

If you have never tried Veegan food – now is your chance! Tantalise your taste buds with incredible vegan recipes for every occasion.

Get it here: Vegan Recipes Free

 

Chinese Food Recipes

Most of us only ever have Chinese food at a restaurant or via take aways but why not learn the secrets to making traditional Chinese dishes, and you can do it in your own home. 

Get it here: Chinese Food Recipes

 

Mexican Food Recipes

Tacos, burritos, nachos or quesadillas – they all seem complicated to make - find out how to cook Mexican food with ease, following this app's step by step recipes.

Get it here: Mexican Food Recipes

 

Dessert Recipes

Create decadent desserts to tempt your family's and friends' sweet tooth with these recipes.

Get it here: Dessert Recipes

 

Pizza Recipes

Pizza is fun for all ages! And it makes for an interactive dinner. Master the craft of making great pizzas that kids and grown-ups will love. 

Get it here: Pizza Recipes

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Gold as a long term investment

Gold as an asset class is generally considered as a safe haven because its value generally does not fall during times of uncertainty in the market.

Chantal Marx, Head of Research at FNB Securities, says "Gold is a precious metal and as such its value is not influenced by the same factors that impact other asset classes. Gold could be held along with other asset classes such as equities, bonds, property and cash as a means of diversifying."

Beyond just being a safe investment vehicle, gold also offers protection against a weakening local currency. For example, if you are invested in Krugerrands and the rand depreciates, you are protected against any losses because gold is US Dollar denominated, in essence its value increases when the rand falters.

Krugerrands protect the value of money because they are traded close to the bullion contained in the coin. However, like any other investment, it's important to invest long-term in order to see favourable returns from your investment. The price of gold appreciates over time; therefore holding it for longer may be beneficial.

Marx says, "If you have a well-diversified portfolio, which includes gold, you will be buffered against adverse market movements because prices of different asset classes rarely move together. If for example, equity prices fall, bond prices may move up, property prices would not be impacted as much, and gold could end up being stable."

"Through the FNB Share Investing platform, FNB has made it easy to invest in gold via its Online Banking or the FNB Banking App where prospective investors have an option to invest in gold by purchasing Krugerrands or through Exchange Traded Funds. However, it's also important to seek advice regarding your exposure to gold so that you do not end up with an overly conservative portfolio," she adds.

This is an opportunity for South Africans to look outside the normal investment vehicle and buy into something that is designed to preserve wealth. In a low growth economy, measured diversification could help you to stay on track towards realising your financial goals.

Nomzamo Mbatha announced as L'Oreal Brand Advocate

Its hard imagining that actress and television personality Nomzamo Mbatha started off small but her she is now hitting the big time. What a year she is having. 

Having recently hosted the BET International Awards ceremony and straight after that hosted a session at the recent Essence Festival, her strides seem to be taking her even further. 

Zamo, as she is affectionately known as on the entertainment scene, was yesterday announced as a Brand Advocate for L'Oréal.

"We are so excited and proud to introduce to you our NEW brand advocate and #lorealista @NomzamoMbatha #Curlpride," the brand said in a Tweet.

Her remarkable journey has indeed been an inspiration to several South Africans! Congrats Zamo!

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Jeep, Coca Cola, Jack Daniels, Ford all make America's patriotic brands list

As the US gears up to celebrate the 241st anniversary of its independence on July 4, research consultancy Brand Keys released its 15th annual survey of US brands and said it has seen a "dramatic shift in consumers' perceptions of brand patriotism" this year.

Jeep, Disney and Levi Strauss continue to top what Brand Keys called an otherwise dramatically re-drawn list, which now includes Fox News, Tesla, MSNBC and Twitter.

The 2017 list also includes Coca-Cola, Ford, Hershey's, Ralph Lauren, Jack Daniels and Sam Adams. The full list can be found here.

Not surprisingly, Brand Keys said politics has made itself felt more dramatically this year, particularly when it comes to how consumers see brands through a patriotic lens.

"Our most recent presidential election and its political aftermath has created higher levels of political debate and has raised more contentious issues," Brand Keys said. "It has divided political parties and it has divided consumers and their brands. And it has also dramatically shifted what drives the perception of patriotism."

Per Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, that includes drivers like pride, which has moved closer to self-importance, as well as inclusion, which has shifted to marginalization.

"Courage has morphed into convenience and freedom has actually become the vice of extremism," Passikoff added.

Despite these shifts, Brand Keys said brands should still focus on establishing meaningful emotional connections with consumers, noting believability and authenticity are key.

"If you can make that connection, consumers will not only stand up and salute, more importantly they'll stand up and buy," the firm said.

In fact, Brand Keys said consumers are six times more likely to believe and behave positively if a brand can establish real emotional connections.

Brand Keys surveyed 4860 consumers ages 16 to 65 and said it balanced the list for political party affiliation.

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Birth control pill linked to breast cancer

Frightening new research has found a link between birth control pills and breast cancer.

Cancer is one of the diseases people fear the most and it's estimated that 38.5 per cent of men and women will be diagnosed at some point in their lives.

Experts from the University of Michigan wanted to find out how much the oral contraception affects hormone levels in women, because certain hormones increase the chance of breast cancer.

The team, led by professor Beverly Strassmann, looked at 12 previous studies which measured the amount of hormones oestrogen and progesterone over the menstrual cycle in women who were not taking the pill. The two hormones are produced by the ovaries, but the pill replaces these naturally released ones with synthetic versions.

This information was then compared to women taking one of seven common birth control pills.

It was found that four of the oral contraception pills more than quadrupled the levels of progestin, the synthetic version of progesterone.

And one pill raised exposure to ethinyl estradiol, a synthetic oestrogen, by 40 per cent. Ethinyl estradiol has been linked to breast cancer.

Professor Strassmann pointed out that the aim of her study wasn't to scare people off of taking the pill, but rather change the way the birth control is designed to minimise the risk of cancer.

"Not enough has changed over the generations of these drugs, and given how many people take hormonal birth control worldwide – millions – the pharmaceutical industry shouldn't rest on its laurels," she commented.

"It is critically important to know whether hormonal contraception further exacerbates (the) risk (of cancer)."

Findings were published in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

© Cover Media

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