Facebook is experimenting with a new feature called "Things in Common" that highlights details you have in common with your friends' friends.
It's not clear how long the company has been testing the feature or if it plans to make it more widely available, but it offers an intriguing look at how Facebook is looking to boost users' interactions with one another.
The feature appears in a small box underneath a friend's friend list on desktop, along with a prompt to "see what you have in common with" that individual's friends.
After you click in, it opens a full-screen window where you can flip through that person's friend list. As you flip through, it shows some basic profile information and highlights details you may have in common.
Mutual friends, hometown, employers, and current city were a few of the "things in common" highlighted to me. It also surfaced pages we had both liked.
Here's what it looked like when I looked at my colleague Brett Williams' friend list.
It's not clear how Facebook ranks which friends you see first in this view. The first few profiles I saw were people with whom I had other mutual friends besides Brett, but who I don't actually know. Then, perhaps not surprisingly, I started to see Mashable colleagues, which makes sense because we have a high number of mutual friends and follow several of the same pages.
Interestingly, it also showed me the profiles of people who I am also connected with on Facebook, so it didn't discriminate whether or not we were already connected. It also highlighted mutual friends with whom I had very little in common with. I didn't try, but it seemed like I could flip through his entire 1,000+ friend list in this view, which doesn't seem particularly useful.
It also felt a little creepy to spend so much time lurking on the friends lists of my friends — isn't this part of why I deleted the Facebook app from my phone in the first place, I wondered.
"'Things In Common' is a section we're testing that contains information that you share in common with someone else, such as mutual friends, page likes, and others. These respect the privacy setting that the profile owner set when entering them," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
It's no secret Facebook is always looking for new ways to get people to interact with each other, so it's not surprising they'd be exploring yet another avenue for connecting people who aren't yet friends.
Mark Zuckerberg himself has made it clear this is an area he is intently focused on.
"I think there's something to this idea that your relationships shape your path more than we realize," he wrote earlier this year.
"We've built AI systems to recommend 'People You May Know.' But it might be just as important to also connect you with people you should know — mentors and people outside your circle who care about you and can provide a new source of support and inspiration."
Of course, identifying basic things you have in common with mutual friends is hardly the same as Facebook helping you find someone outside your circle who actually cares about you, but it could be one step toward helping people identify new people they might want to connect with.
'One of my juniors in secondary school, a young promising girl who was traveling to Abuja alongside her mum to get their visas and head back to the U.K. was shot dead by the trolls on Elele road and some insensitive clowns here are telling me to not raise alarm on the high rate of insecurity on East west road in other not to paint Rivers State bad, are you kidding me? Where is your conscience? Instead of you to lament, stage protest and demand that the security personnels at state and federal level do their jobs, you are there talking plenty! God have mercy on you.
Rest In Peace Faith Chuku! Sail on Hallel instrument'
May God grant her mum and other members of the family the fortitude to bear this loss. So sad!
A student who received a staggering £850,000 (N392million) instead of her usual £85 monthly university food grant is in hot water after going on a massive 73 day spending spree with the millions.
According to Sun UK, the Accountancy student identified as Sibongile Mani, 27, who was on benefits to allow her to study was said to have undergone a Cinderella like transformation overnight after the cash blunder.
It was gathered that student leader Sibongile usually receives £85 each month in her bank account in food and book allowances at Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa before the sad error saw her account blow to a staggering N392 million.
But people started raising eyebrows when her neat corn-row hairstyle was replaced with £180-a-time Peruvian weaves and she began wearing designer outfits and bought a brand new i-phone 7.
She began flashing the cash kitting out her closest friends with new outfits and drinking £50-a-time bottles of whisky and jetting herself and her pals round the country to wild parties.
Suspicions grew when a till receipt from a local SPAR shop was leaked showing that she had £810,000 in her account and her wild spending became more lavish and talked about.
She was finally outed by Samkelo Mqhayi, deputy branch secretary of the South African Students Congress (SASCO), who reported her to the National Students’ Financial Aids Scheme.
He told Herald Live: “She threw surprise birthday parties for her friends and showered them with expensive gifts and flew them to events where she bought the best seats.
“When the SPAR receipt was leaked showing a balance of R13.6-million (£810,000) in her account I called NSFAS and they checked their records and confirmed that the initial amount was R14-million (£850,000)".
By the time they reigned her in after her two-and-a-half-month spending spree they discovered she had been blowing £666 a day which is a staggering amount in South Africa.
The total amount missing from the account is £50,000. A fellow student said: “She went from a hard up, humdrum run-of-the-mill student to one who was leading a lavish lifestyle and seemed to have no bottom to her purse and lived the high life.
“She became very glamorous in beautiful dresses with all the accessories and we thought she must have won the Lottery. She must have thought she had won it too when she got that cash!”.
In a Facebook post Miss Mani claimed she had reported the error to the authorities.
She said: ”Today my personal life has become a social media scandal. I have been named and shamed in public. Today, I am a bad person, a person who stole the money of students.
“With that being said, and being named a thief, but as we all know in every story there is truth and there are lies with the very same story”.
She said she was not denying anything but would tell her side later but she has fled the campus and gone into hiding.
The authorities say, “She will have to repay the money”.
Intellimali chief executive Michael Ansell said: ” Legal action will be taken against the student. A forensic investigator had been appointed”.
Nollywood actor, Ramsey Nouah has revealed his real nationality because of the speculations among movie fans in the country that he is a foreigner.
The actor cleared the air while fielding questions as a guest of Classic 97.3 FM radio.
Ramsey Nouah said he would prefer to be called a Nigerian and not an Israeli or Lebanese. I am Nigerian. Although I am also partly Israeli and Lebanese, I carry only the Nigerian passport.
“I was born and raised in Nigeria. All my life I have lived in this country and I have never been to either Israel or Lebanon where my paternal grandparents come from. Basically, this is my home and where I have found myself.”
Nouah also said he should not be judged by his role in his recent movie, “My wife and I”,adding that, apart from being happily married, he is blessed with three children, two daughters and a son. He said he cherishes his family so much, while describing his wife as the ‘power-house’ of the family. My wife is the power- house of my family. If it were not for her, I would not have been able to keep a family together. She is such a wonderful woman. I always price her above other women.
A bus conveying FC Ifeanyi Ubah team players and some officials to to Ijebu Ode to honour the NPFL Matchday 36 fixture with Sunshine Stars billed for this Sunday, 3rd of September, 2017 has been involved in a road accident.
Two of the players became unconscious while some others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Below are other photos from the incident...
A major problem that many top phone manufacturers are encountering is the cloning of their brands. This trend continues despite the painstaking efforts to make cloning difficult. Despite this, the counterfeiters are having a field day faking these brands and it has made it hard for users to differentiate between counterfeit and original phones.
Below are ways to identifying a fake device.
(1). Packaging Manufacturers of counterfeit products are sometimes careless with packaging. Phone makers will always take care of the smallest details of design and packaging of their own goods. So, take a close look at the package, paying attention to the print quality ensuring consistency. In addition, ensure nothing should be loose inside.
(2). Look at the wires and plugs The quality of the wire is an important sign of a counterfeit product. If it is original, a plugged-in cable will sit firmly and evenly, while in a fake, you will see loose parts.
(3). Check the user manual The user manual is one of the easiest ways to identify a fake gadget. Every relevant information about the device must be there in the language of the country of purchase. If it’s written in some other language and you cannot read it, then it is a cloned brand.
(4). Look at the fonts All fonts and symbols on the gadgets must be similar, readable and regular. If this is not the case, it means the phone is fake or counterfeit.
(5). Pay attention to the material The material used for making a phone can either be high or low-quality. Popular brands don’t cut back on materials. The plastic covering the phone must be smooth, without any creases.
Nigeria's Super Eagles will face one of their toughest challenges in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as they host the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday.
There is no doubt that the two football power house in Africa need to dig out the maximum points or atleast a point to avoid been completely left behind in the race for the automatic slot in Group B.
Already, the three-time Africa champions sit top of the group table with six points after beating Zambia 2-1 and Algeria 3-1. While the current Africa champions have managed two points having drawn 2-2 against Algeria and 1-1 against Zambia respectively.
Friday's encounter will be the 20th meetings between the two teams. In 19 previous encounters, Nigeria have been winners 11 times, with Cameroon winning four times and four matches drawn.
Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, whose only defeat has come against South Africa in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo, will be desperate to seal the three points in a bid to consolidate and extend the team's lead on the table.
Despite losing Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi to injury, Rohr will be banking on the full compliments of his European based players to condemned the Indomitable Lions to another defeat at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
When the two teams last clashed, at the Edmond Machtens Stadium in Brussels in October 2015, the Eagles ran away 3-0 winners. Efe Ambrose rose highest in the Lions’ box to nod home a Mikel John Obi free –kick, before Moses Simon rounded the goalkeeper for the second goal and Odion Ighalo headed the third after a splendid pull–out by Elderson Echiejile.
Meanwhile, Rohr has stated that the team the team would focus on their tactical approach in a bid to outsmart their Cameroonian counterpart.
"The players know what it means to face Cameroon in the World Cup qualifier. It is a big match and we are fully focused and committed. The players know what it means; they need little or no reminding of how important this match is. I am happy we have almost the full house now and can concentrate on our tactics for the game,” said Rohr.
In the same vein, Super Eagles midfielder and Captain, Mikel Obi has reiterated the team's committment to brush aside the threat made by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon ahead of Friday's 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
“These three points will go a long way in our qualifying campaign. We have got a very good team . We have got a very young team with a lot of quality ,” Mikel said.
“We are on top of the table on Six points and we want to win . Cameroon also want to win , so it’s really going to be a do- or- die affair . We are looking forward to the game and we want to make sure we qualify and hopefully we will do that. We need to make sure we qualify first. There is a big task ahead of us”
President Buhari has directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to immediately mobilise personnel and resources to come to the aid of the victims of the flooding that has displaced over 100,000 persons in 12 local government areas of Benue State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has received with great concern reports of the flooding in Benue State, which, according to early estimates, has affected thousands of homes and displaced more than 100,000 persons in 12 local government areas.
“Consequently, the President has directed the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately mobilise personnel and resources to come to the aid of the victims of the flooding.
“The President is closely monitoring the situation, and will be receiving regular updates on the scale of the disaster, as well as the Federal Government’s humanitarian response.
“The President extends his sympathies to the Government and people of Benue State, and assures that the Federal Government will make available any assistance needed to enable the state government and the affected communities to cope with and surmount the impact of the flooding.”
Super Eagles midfielder and Captain, Mikel Obi has reiterated the team's committment to brush aside the threat made by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon ahead of Friday's 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
The three-time Africa champions, are top of group B with six points having beating Zambia 2-1 and Algeria 3-1 while Cameroon are second on two points after drawing against Algeria and Zambia respectively.
As both teams will be desperate for three points, the former Chelsea midfielder, stated that the team will pick the maximum points against Cameroon at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
“These three points will go a long way in our qualifying campaign. We have got a very good team . We have got a very young team with a lot of quality ,” Mikel said.
“We are on top of the table on Six points and we want to win . Cameroon also want to win , so it’ s really going to be a do- or- die affair . We are looking forward to the game and we want to make sure we qualify and hopefully we will do that. We need to make sure we qualify first. There is a big task ahead of us”
The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Thursday, said two of its members of staff had been dismissed from service while 32 students were expelled from the school.
The Registrar of the school, Hezekiel Fehintola, said in a statement that the members of staff were dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct by various committees set up to investigate allegations against them .
He added that the action of the institution was in line with the terms and condition of service set by the polytechnic’s management.
Fehintola added that the expelled students were found guilty of examination malpractices during the first semester examinations in the school.
He said the students were found culpable after appearing before a disciplinary committee of the school.
The registrar urged members of staff to be committed to their work, warning that the school would not condone any act of indiscipline from the workers and the students.
“We also appeal to parents and guardians to continue to cooperate with the management of the institution by playing appropriate roles in the development of their children so that they can imbibe the spirit of hard work, industry and uprightness,” the statement added in part.
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said it is too late for Nigeria to break up, calling for dialogue to resolve various agitations in the country.
Fayose said this while reacting to Wednesday’s meeting the governors of the South-East states had with the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
He said the meeting had provided a veritable platform, which all Igbo must key into otherwise they would remain guinea pig in Nigeria.
The governor, who appealed to the Federal Government to allow political solutions to agitations by Nigerians as against the use of brute force said, he remained “committed to the call for full and total restructuring of Nigeria through dialogue and negotiation because it is too late for Nigeria to disintegrate.”
According to a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Thursday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said he was “particularly glad that South-East governors have come to the realisation that they cannot ignore their own in times like this as agitation is normal and must not be ignored, although the approach should be handled with caution.”
Fayose blamed the actions and utterances of President Muhammadu Buhari for the agitations going on in the country.
“The father figure of this country is President Buhari and if his language does not represent unity, there will be agitations like we are witnessing now.
“A father figure rallies even the bad boys in his house. The utterances and actions of Buhari when he became President were against the unity of this country.
“How can a president say that he will only attend to the needs of those who gave him 97 per cent vote and neglect others who didn’t vote for him?
“For Nigeria to move forward and in unity; there must be no sectionalism, there must be no oppression and there must be justice and equity.”
The governor commended the northern leaders for standing up to ensure that the Arewa youths’ quit notice against the Igbo in the North was resolved and withdrawn without necessarily arresting and detaining anyone.
Saying that the same could be achieved by the Igbo leaders, he warned that arresting or re-arresting Kanu “may be counter-productive as it may be perceived as vilification of the entire South-East geopolitical zone, not necessarily Kanu as a person.”
It was a pathetic scene. Suddenly, a young man full of life, and without any sign of sickness was lying lifelessly like a smoked goat, burnt to death.
That was the case of Mr. John Emeka Obodoechina, a 36-year-old man whose life was brought to a painful end allegedly by the lady he had wanted to marry.
It was gathered that the lady, identified as Blessing, who has since passed on, burnt her lover to death because the latter decided to quit the relationship. The Sun learnt that John had dated Blessing for over a year, and she had moved in with him. Close sources informed that at a point, John introduced Blessing to his siblings.
He was advised to study the lady for some time and decide if the family should formally go to Blessing’s family for dowry payment. John was said to have intimated the girl of his intentions to meet with her family, but the meeting was suspended at the instance of the lady’s family.
A relative of John’s, who pleaded anonymity, informed the reporter that over time, John started noticing some unacceptable behaviour from Blessing. Some of the couple’s neighbours also reported that at the slightest misunderstanding, Blessing would lock the door, pull a kitchen knife and threaten to stab John.
John’s elder brother, Chief Obodoechina snr, explained that John told him that he had met Blessing in his office, and that he had been helping Blessing in the business she was doing with the company from where they became intimate.
“After about three months, Blessing started taking some of her belongings into John’s place. At that time Blessing did not know whether anyone was John’s sister or colleague in the office, so any calls from a female caller was seen as a taboo.
That was when John started introducing Blessing to his sisters and colleagues. But when all that also failed to guarantee peace, John felt that marriage between Blessing and himself might be disastrous, so he decided to end the relationship. He therefore informed Blessing that both of them should part ways in peace. But Blessing, apparently didn’t like the idea.
There was a day John came to my house at an odd hour and complained bitterly about Blessing. I advised him that if they were not compatible, they should go their separate ways before something dreadful would happen.
It was gathered that when John couldn’t bear it any longer, he called Blessing and told her to relocate elsewhere, promising to give her some money to help her get another apartment.
The situation climaxed on August 1. That was the day John gave Blessing N100,000 to help her secure an apartment, it was gathered. One of the neighbours who pleaded anonymity said John returned from work that morning and, while washing his clothes, would intermittently shout ‘Jesus.’ He said he heard him scream like that up to three times. Another neighbour also said he overheard John and Blessing talking after he had given her N100,000.00 to enable her relocate.
John’s sister, Angela Ibrahim who lives in Badagry, said that morning, she was invited to John’s office by the management of the African Fertilizer &a Chemicals (Big) Ltd in Agbara, Ogun State. She said she was aware that since the previous week, John had been going to the wharf to clear the company’s goods and would always stay there overnight. He would then come home in the morning and to observe some rest before proceeding to the office.
She said the invitation surprised her, and she quickly raced to the office. She said further: “There, I was told that Blessing Ohare Ukhurebor, a girl from Edo State, who John had wanted to marry, burnt him alive. I could not understand that because it was not up to four days that the girl left my house and did not show any signs of an impending violence.
That was when I started calling my brothers. When we got to John’s house, we saw John bent on the bed, totally burnt. There was no electricity and the gas cooker in the kitchen was not affected. The two phones were there. There were no signs that the gas cooker or phone caused the fire. It was only John and the area he was sleeping that was burnt.
The neighbours that we met told us that some people had taken Blessing out, as she was also affected. But they said she was not dead. The neighbours went and reported the incident to the Baale of the area who ordered some of the palace chiefs and John’s neighbours to report the incident to the police.
“On getting to the Police Station in Agbara, the police said they could not do anything unless a relation of the deceased was around. When my brothers came, initially they could not hold themselves to follow the processes of investigation. After some logistics and protocols at the police station, the corpse was taken to the Badagry General Hospital for preservation in the morgue.
All our efforts to get to see Blessing to know how she was affected and find out what happened were rebuffed by Blessing’s uncle who was rather threatening us. A few days after John’s interment, we got a call from the same Blessing’s uncle, telling us that Blessing had also died.”
Angela also said Blessing was a very violent woman while the lady dated John. She informed that John confided in her that since he made his intentions known to her she became agitated.
“She had her chance on August 1, by 7:45am, while John was sleeping, That was when Blessing, who already had her plans worked out, poured fuel on John and lit the match. Unfortunately, because fuel is inflammable, she was also affected,” Angela lamented.
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