Is Google Plus overtaking Facebook?

In a word; probably.

But this certainly comes as no surprise. A lot of the social networking crazes die down with time, like MySpace and Digg did, with people losing interest in them as they run their course and fizzle out. The Google Plus and Facebook debate isn’t a new one, with experts having said that Facebook will run its course and be overtaken by Google Plus from about two years ago. And their prediction is slowly coming true.

Fewer and fewer people are signing up for Facebook and many of those who already have it have deactivated their accounts for various reasons. There was a time when Facebook was all the rage and it led without competition in the social network arena, with Twitter not even coming close to its popularity.

One of the major pros of Google Plus is its customizable news feed which allows you to select the news that you want to see – so you don’t have to see someone post a pre-workout selfie if you don’t want to. Since its launch in 2011, Google Plus has been through countless layout changes to arrive at what it is now. By choosing who you want in your circles, you are able to filter the content that you receive.

Facebook, however, is definitely not going to go out without a fight. Although its users have drastically declined over the past few years, its loyal fans don’t seem to desire any other site for sharing their lives with others. But when Facebook switched from having user Profiles to Timelines, many of its users lost their faith in the site.

It does basically come down to one’s own preferences though. Some think that Facebook is easy and simple to use and allows access to a huge user database. But others think that Google Plus is the better social medium, for its neater interface and simply because it is run by Google – which many consider to be less malevolent than Facebook in terms of privacy and security.

There are immeasurable comparisons between the two social sites. Experts are also now saying that Facebook could lose 80% of its users by 2017, which isn’t too far away. Facebook is losing is popularity with youngsters especially for its privacy risks and its tendency to evoke unwanted social drama. Many feel that it has become a bit of a burden to have. Google Plus was reported by Forbes to be trailing very closely to Facebook last year at number 2 of the most used social platforms, with YouTube at number 3. So only time will tell now as to whether Google Plus is really the next big thing in social networking.

Miranda Kerr shines in GQ Magazine

There’s no doubt that Victoria’s Secret knows how to pick their Angels; they’re beautiful, blessed with amazing genes, and know how to make headlines by never holding back. Although Miranda Kerr is now a former Angel, she has proven to fit the description. She’s feisty and honest in interviews yet almost normal enough for folks like us to relate to. But the mother to a three-year-old son with actor, Orlando Bloom, still holds an alluring air of mystery which has proven to make her fans love her even more.

Now that she’s single again and has stepped down from Victoria’s Secret – much to everyone’s disappointment – she’s never been more emancipated than she is in her interview and photo-op in UK’s GQ May 2014 edition and she’s probably never looked more confident and beautiful.

The 30-year-old was one of the longest running and most loved Victoria’s Secret Angels before she chose not to walk the 2014 fashion show because of her hectic schedule and other modelling commitments. She is currently the face of clothing label Mango, having taken Kate Moss’s place in 2013. She was also ranked 2^nd in Forbes’ 2013 list of the world's highest-paid models, with estimated earnings of $7.2 million. Miranda was chosen as the face of Austrian crystal house Swarovski for their fall 2013 campaign. In February, she also replaced Gisele Bundchen as the face of Swedish clothing brand H&M. And she then featured in high-profile campaigns for Reebok and Wonderbra. Miranda is nothing short of a supermodel on a roll and shows no sign of slowing down.

Miranda stripped down for her latest shoot for UK’s GQ May edition shot by leading fashion photographer Mario Testino, showing off her glowing skin and amazing physique that no doubt requires strenuous work and dedication, showing no suggestion of her age or motherhood.

Her interview with the magazine is also making several headlines for her openness regarding her sexuality. But as with many other world-famous supermodels, controversy has always followed them but Miranda definitely leaves little to the imagination in her GQ shoot as to why she is one of the most sought after models in the industry.

Arianna Huffington – The woman behind The Huffington Post

Women in business have always been an inspiration, especially those who have become successful in their enterprises. Arianna Huffington is one such woman. The 64-year-old is the chair, president, and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group; a nationally syndicated columnist; and the author of 14 books. In May 2005, she launched the now thriving Huffington Post, a news and blog site, that fast became one of the most widely-read and referred-to media platforms on the Internet in less than a decade.

Arianna has been on a winning streak so far. In 2009, she was cited as number 12 on Forbes' first-ever list of the “Most Influential Women in Media”. She has also moved up to number 42 in The Guardian's “Top 100 in Media” list. And in 2012, a writer from The Huffington Post went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for the site, making it the first commercially run U.S. digital media venture to win the coveted award. Arianna was also listed as number 56 on Forbes’ list of the “Most Powerful Women in Business” in 2013 last year.

In 2011, AOL, the American mass-media multinational, acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million and gave Arianna her current positions at The Huffington Post Media Group, which umbrellas The Huffington Post.

Originally from Greece; Arianna moved to England when she was 16 years old, later graduating from Cambridge University with a Masters degree in Economics and at the age of 21, she became president of the well-known debating society, the Cambridge Union. Arianna was born Ariánna Stasinopoulos and met her now ex-husband Michael Huffington, from who she got her current name, in 1985 but they later divorced in 1997.

Arianna has been a key voice in journalism and politics since her career began in 1973 with the publishing of her first book, “The Female Woman”, attacking the Women's Liberation movement, and there’s no sign that she is going to be backing down soon. The Huffington Post might just be the pinnacle of Arianna’s career and has become one of the most notable and reliable online publications with pieces from bloggers and specialists that are insightful and often fascinating.

The guys who give us Google – Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt

The names Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin, Lawrence "Larry" Page and Eric Emerson Schmidt might not be familiar to you but the name Google definitely is. The Internet unquestionably changed the way we see the world, pun intended, but Google, one of the most profitable Internet companies, gave us access to that world.

Sergey Brin is a Russian-born computer scientist and Internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google. As of 2013, his personal wealth was approximated to be $24.4 billion. Presently Brin and Page own about 16 percent of the company. He emigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union as a child and later obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps by studying Mathematics and Computer Science. After graduating, he enrolled in Stanford University, one of the most-renowned universities in the States, to acquire a PhD in Computer Science. There he met Larry Page, not knowing that their friendship would give the world one of the best inventions of all time.

Larry Page was born in Michigan, in the U.S. A lot like Brin, Page’s father, Carl Page, earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1965 when the field was still new and being built. Today he is considered a pioneer in computer science and artificial intelligence. Both he and Page's mother, Gloria, were Computer Science professors at Michigan State University. Page obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan with honours and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University. As of 2013, Page's personal wealth is estimated to be $20.3 billion, ranking him number 13 on the Forbes 400 list of the 400 richest Americans.

At university, Brin and Page had filled their dormitory room with cheap computers and used a system created by Brin to build a superior search engine. The program became extremely popular at Stanford and they put their PhD studies on hold to start Google in a rented garage. Google began as a privately held company in 1998 with their mission statement being "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful", and its unofficial slogan being "Don't be evil". Brin and Page were really legends from the very beginning.

Eric Schmidt came onto the Google scene a little later. He is an American software engineer who is currently the Executive Chairman of Google. Forbes ranked Schmidt as the 138^th richest person in the world with an estimated wealth of $8.3 billion in 2013. He attended Princeton University where he started as an Architecture major but switched majors to earn a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1976. Initially, Schmidt was recruited by Brin and Page as Google’s CEO but in January 2011, Google announced that he would step down but continue as the Executive Chairman of the company and act as an adviser to co-founders Page and Brin. Page replaced Schmidt as the CEO of Google in April 2011.

These guys, who have given the world something that most people would not be able to live without, started off with a dream and lots of hard work. Page had said in an interview that from a very early age he realized that he wanted to invent things. So he became really interested in technology and business. And from when he was 12 years old, he knew that he was going to start a company eventually. Who could’ve known that that company would be Google? Today, Google is perhaps one of the largest and most important Internet corporations and probably will be for a long time to come. It offers online productivity software including email (Gmail), an office suite (Google Drive), and social networking (Google+). Desktop products include applications for web browsing, organizing and editing photos, and instant messaging. The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system and the browser-only Chrome OS for the netbook known as a Chromebook. A small start in a rented garage became all this. Never curse the day of small beginnings.

Dream Shoot(s)

I was recently thinking if I could shoot any 3 people in the world today. Who would they be? 

3. Nelson Mandela

I think shooting a man such as this at this current stage of his life would be an unforgettable life experience. The shots would be iconic and spending time with this legendary world figure would be priceless.

2. Lana Del Rey

My favourite female vocalist at the moment.  Not only for her good lyrics but also her unique look and feel. She is fresh and unusual. She would be used to produce images of timeless beauty. 

1. Candice Swanepoel

South African model best known for her Victoria Secret work embodies the commercial beauty appeal. Her strongest work has her in lingerie and swimwear. Last year she came in at 10th place on Forbes Top earning model list. Not bad for this KZN lady.  

Who would make your list and why?