Mashable! |
- Rumor Alert: Apple Tablet Manufactured by Foxconn, Coming in Q1 2010?
- Do You Go to Google.com?
- Bar Code: Google's Logo Celebrates Its Anniversary
- AggreTweet: ComScore for Video Game Tweets [invites]
- Kindle Gets Price Cut, Goes International
- Gmail Tries to Help Users Avoid Phishing Scams
- Facebook Testing Yet Another Homepage Redesign
- Netflix Down; Users Search for Alternative Entertainment
- TweetMeme Analytics Show You How Retweets Spread on Twitter
- AP Considers Charging Publishers to Get News Earlier
- Verizon Ad Slams AT&T Coverage: "There's a Map for That"
- George Lucas Talks Movies, Business, and iPhone
- Xbox Signed by Sarah Palin Will Only Set You Back $1.1 Million (Plus Shipping)
- Tap Tap Revenge 3 Arrives in iPhone App Store
- 5 Ways to Write Retweetable Tweets
- CONFIRMED: AT&T Announces VoIP Over 3G for iPhone
- TouchCube: $150 Touchscreen Rubik's Cube Can Solve Itself
- Socialite Takes On Your Mac's Social Media Life
- SNL Skit Mocking Obama's Accomplishments Is Season's First Viral Hit [Video]
- More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace
- Google Attempts to Explain What a Web Browser Is [VIDEO]
- Facebook Is the Most Valuable Source of Traffic [Stats]
- Google Voice to Be Supported on Verizon's Android Phones
- HOW TO: Integrate Facebook With Your Blog
- 20,000+ Gmail, Yahoo, AOL Accounts Compromised [ALERT]
- SlideShare Takes On Whitepaper Industry With New Ad Platform
- Google and Verizon Share the Android Love
- CONFIRMED: Telus and Bell to Sell iPhones in Canada
- More Proof Dual-Screen Laptops Are Coming
- Google Overpaid YouTube by $1 Billion … Was it Worth It?
| Rumor Alert: Apple Tablet Manufactured by Foxconn, Coming in Q1 2010? Posted: 07 Oct 2009 04:00 AM PDT 
According to their sources, Foxconn Electronics (the company that produces the iPod and the iPhone) will manufacture the device; it'll launch in the first quarter of 2010, and initial shipments will be in the 300,000-400,000 range. Furthermore, the device will have a 10.6-inch display (negligible change from the 10.7 inches, which is what we heard before), it will be more of an e-book reader than a music-oriented device (quite logical, since iPod and iPhone already fulfill that role quite successfully), and it'll have a long battery life, quick net connection, and an easy to use interface. No real surprises here, let's just hope that all these sources pointing to a 2010 Q1 launch date aren't wrong, or else we'll probably have to endure another round of rumors claiming a summer launch.
|
| Posted: 07 Oct 2009 01:44 AM PDT 
However, I'm not asking whether you're using Google; I'm asking whether you actually open the Google homepage, and search from there. Because I don't. Until a while ago, occasionally – perhaps out of habit – I'd open it and search from there, but lately I never do it. Searching directly from Firefox or Chrome is one step less, and I'm not going to do something the hard way if I don't have a good reason. I don't think it's just me. You don't really need to ever type Google.com into your browser; regardless of what device or software you're using, you can almost invariably skip that step. And yes, many users are probably still opening Google.com for various reasons, but when there's an easier route available, it's only logical that more and more people start taking it. What tipped me off is the recent onslaught of Google logos. A couple of years ago I'd get a bunch of tips from friends about it: hey, have you seen Google? It's really cool. Lately, I get less and less of those; since Google's doodles don't appear in the search results [*edit: they don't show up in search results on Google versions for individual countries], people obviously don't see them [*edit: as much] any more. Which also makes me wonder about Google's frequent logo changes and their plans for the homepage. Today, I have a reason to open Google.com: there's a bar code instead of the Google logo there. Maybe Google has realized that people simply aren't that interested in visiting Google.com, and they're spicing it up with different logos every couple of days. Logo changes, I'm afraid, won't be enough to keep user interest. Once, it was really cool to see a company as big as Google pay someone a tribute by changing their logo (most major companies would never, ever, change their logo, even as a joke). Now, it's happening too often. Today, Google's logo is completely incomprehensible (unless you can read bar code), but the stunt isn't as impressive as it once was. What'll Google do with the homepage when logo switching stops being news? Even if people completely stop opening Google.com directly, Google won't lose much traffic, as everyone is still conducting Google searches and opening the result pages. But having people actually visiting your site – which, in Google's case, is notoriously devoid of all advertisements, and any superfluous elements – has certain benefits; brand recognition and better connection with your users come to mind. It's tough to predict; after all, Google's changes to the homepage were so minute that it's almost identical to the original version presented in 1998. For Google, "redesign" means moving something a couple of pixels to the side; anything more than that would be a revolution. While it'll be interesting to see if Google has any radical plans for the homepage, I'd like to hear your opinion. Do you actually go to Google.com and conduct searches from there, or do you do it from a third party application? Would you notice the new Google logos if you hadn't read about them somewhere? Please, share your thoughts in the comments. Reviews: Chrome, Firefox, Google Tags: Google, google.com, logo
|
| Bar Code: Google's Logo Celebrates Its Anniversary Posted: 06 Oct 2009 10:55 PM PDT 
The bar code (or barcode, another acceptable spelling) is a representation of data that is machine-readable. You've probably seen them close to everywhere, on almost every product you can buy that was mass-produced somewhere.
The classic bar code consists of parallel lines at different widths and spacings, which Google's logo depicts. Other patterns including squares, dots and other patterns can also be referred to as bar codes. US Patent 2,612,994 owners Joseph Woodland, Bernard Silver, and Jordin Johanson would undoubtedly be proud to see their invention up in lights on the internet's veritable information hub. What's your favorite Google logo so far: Bar Code? Confucius? Gandhi? The cryptic H.G. Wells series? Let us know in the comments. Reviews: Google Tags: bar code, barcode, Google, google doodle, google logo
|
| AggreTweet: ComScore for Video Game Tweets [invites] Posted: 06 Oct 2009 10:24 PM PDT 
Quick Pitch: AggreTweet is a Twitter-based web app which captures all the video game tweets in real-time from around the world. Genius Idea: AggreTweet's goal is basically to be ComScore for gaming buzz on Twitter. It offers an aggregated real-time stream of game-related tweets, but also offers metrics for comparing topics against one another and ranks the most discussed platforms and games by what's being discussed right now and over recent intervals including the past day, week and month. AggreTweet also lists and ranks the most active gamers on Twitter.
AggreTweet is powered by Aggregame.com which is a larger portal and social media platform for gamers. Aggregame aggregates the latest gaming news (in a style very similar to sites like Alltop) and also has a Digg-style story face-off. What makes the AggreTweet component so compelling is that not only can you watch realtime tweets and see the latest discussion trends, but if you click on a specific game or platform you can see and search the specific tweets in that topic category. AggreTweet also has a live chat room for each topic (you can turn this off if you don't want to be bothered), which means you can chat with other people in real-time about the game or system. AggreTweet integrates with Twitter using OAuth, so you can retweet or reply to Twitter messages you see on AggreTweet from within the app. Get a Beta Invite AggreTweet has been kind enough to offer Mashable readers access to its beta. Simply e-mail mashbeta@aggregame.com for an invite token. The first 5,000 Mashable readers will get access. I love seeing companies that utilize Twitter for specific users and use cases. As a broader gaming news aggregator, Aggregame is interesting, but the Twitter component of AggreTweet is unique in how quickly it collates and organizes information. If you're a fan of video games or you like to keep up on the latest gaming trends, AggreTweet and Aggregame are a great resource. Do you discuss video games on Twitter? Let us know! Spark of Genius Series Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the "new CloudApp()" contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines)." Reviews: Digg, Mashable, PHP, Twitter Tags: aggregame, aggretweet, bizspark, twitter, video games
|
| Kindle Gets Price Cut, Goes International Posted: 06 Oct 2009 09:32 PM PDT 
The new device shares the same form factor as the current Kindle, but has the extra internal hardware needed to connect to AT&T's global wireless network in over 100 countries including the U.S. Pre-orders begin today with a ship date of October 19.
The current Kindle has made use of Sprint's cellular network to handle wireless connectivity for the device. The new partnership with AT&T to handle the international version of the device is surely a great boon to AT&T, who is getting slammed by customers and competitors alike for its 3G service in the U.S. A price cut for flagship U.S.-only version of the Kindle comes at a strategic time, right before many gear up for the holiday shopping season. Many would-be customers have cited the high price of the device as being a limiting factor, and a bit more than 13% drop might sway a number of personal buyers and gift-givers alike. Would you consider picking up a Kindle at the lower price point? Is the international version still attractive at the slightly higher $279 price point? Let us know in the comments. Tags: 3g, amazon, att, e-ink, ebooks, ereaders, GSM, Kindle
|
| Gmail Tries to Help Users Avoid Phishing Scams Posted: 06 Oct 2009 09:04 PM PDT 
Half the battle is being alert for signs of phishing — a method hackers use to trick people into sharing personal information including account passwords. The other half is starting with a strong password, and changing it to another smart password regularly — particularly if you have any suspicion your account might have been compromised.
To many of you these are probably old hat by now (and some of them are plain common sense), but in light of the recent successful scams that saw as many as 30,000 account details posted online, it might be worth a periodic review:
What steps do you take to ensure the security of your online logins? Do you have any password or security tips to share? Let us know in the comments. Tags: email, gmail, Google, passwords, phishing, security
|
| Facebook Testing Yet Another Homepage Redesign Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:03 PM PDT 
The real-time homepage underwent major changes earlier this year, but the updates we're seeing this time around look to be minor, albeit intriguing. Upon inspection of the images (included below), you'll notice two interesting changes: the Facebook Publisher has been drastically minimized and there's a new prominent filter for News Feed stories, called Top News.
The screenshots clearly depict a user homepage where the Facebook Publisher, the status update box that currently resides at the top of your home page, is surprisingly absent. It's where you can share text, photos, videos, URLs and the like on Facebook. But in a rather strange move, it appears as if the Publisher has been minimized and pushed to the side of a page, as a less intrusive button. The addition of a Top News filter, on the other hand, would be a new and useful feature. It appears to take top billing atop your News Feed, meaning that you could quickly click on the "View Top News" option to filter for activity in your Facebook network that is popular amongst friends. Top News reminds us of FriendFeed's Best of Day feature, and it looks as if you'll be able to toggle between real-time recent stories and the rising hot stories with comments and likes. The experimental homepage design seems like a logical next step for the site as they continue to test new ideas, like Facebook Lite, and evolve towards a more user-friendly interface. Do you like the redesigned homepage? Share your thoughts in the comments. Facebook Homepage Photos
 Screenshots from The Next Web Reviews: Facebook Tags: facebook, homepage, redesign
|
| Netflix Down; Users Search for Alternative Entertainment Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:02 PM PDT 
Twitter search confirms the outage, and also tells us what people were attempting to watch when the lights went out. No official word yet from Netflix on what's responsible for the outage or when service might be restored, but we'll post an update when we hear something. Reviews: Twitter Tags: netflix
|
| TweetMeme Analytics Show You How Retweets Spread on Twitter Posted: 06 Oct 2009 05:17 PM PDT 
We've always thought it would be fascinating to get more insight into how retweets spread, in part to understand what works with Twitter users. While there are existing analytics tools and packages, TweetMeme has launched their own service as a complementary tool to their existing offering for deep insight into Twitter retweets. TweetMeme Analytics offers insight into the anatomy of your retweeted stories, with a high-level dashboard view, and deeper data on all tweets, retweets, clicks, domains, users, and locations. It's akin to Google Analytics, but with a very narrow focus on Twitter data, which could prove key to measuring social media ROI or understanding how and why stories perform well. While all the data around a particular story is interesting, we especially like the insight provided in the retweets and users tab. In regards to the latter, you can see the highest possible visibility of a story based on Twitter user follower numbers, the most influential Twitter, resulting retweets from original tweets, and most visible users. Regarding retweets, TweetMeme will show you total tweets of the story URL, originating tweets, retweets, and actual retweet trees. The retweet trees provide a unique view at how stories get passed around. You can also use the tool to export data to CSV, and optionally select to generate future reports. The TweetMeme Analytics service comes with limited access during a free 30 day trial and is designed to get you to upgrade to a $50/mo per domain package, or unlimited access at an undisclosed price.
Reviews: Google Analytics, Tweetmeme, Twitter Tags: analytics, tweetmeme, twitter
|
| AP Considers Charging Publishers to Get News Earlier Posted: 06 Oct 2009 03:48 PM PDT 
The AP apparently knows this too, and is now considering charging publishers to get a head start on the competition with breaking news. According to an AP story (fitting) about the idea, publishers could have a story exclusively for up to 30 minutes, giving them a major advantage in terms of the inbound links, social media sharing, and search traffic that online news sites depend on. In principle, this doesn't sound like a bad idea, as there's clearly a lot of value in having a big story first, and the AP still breaks its fair share of big stories. But it seems like a logistical nightmare, as news would need to be created, sold, and published, all before it breaks elsewhere – not an easy task in today's ultra competitive media landscape. There's also the issue of how the AP would implement something like this in a way that doesn't cannibalize the hundreds of publishers that rely on it for news, but could in turn get outbid on the big stories that drive most of their traffic. In any event, we'll have to wait and see if this evolves beyond the concept stage. The AP is also reportedly working on a plan to dominate Google rankings by developing pages around hot search terms that are linked from its publishers' websites. In a nutshell, the company's strategy seems to be to continue to find new ways to make more money from the same content. Tags: ap, Associated Press, online news
|
| Verizon Ad Slams AT&T Coverage: "There's a Map for That" Posted: 06 Oct 2009 03:34 PM PDT 
The ad leverages a litany of feedback about dropped calls, poor coverage, and slow speeds on AT&T, with a money quote about browsing the web and downloading content at 3G speeds "in five times more places than the nation's number two wireless carrier."
Given that iPhone owners tend to be big data users, they are also perhaps the most vocal critics of AT&T's network as a result of its lackluster 3G coverage. Certainly as compared to Verizon, there's no contest — which the latter company points out directly in the ad with a play on Apple's signature tagline for the iPhone: "There's a map for that." The 3G coverage maps of the two companies are displayed above the heads of two college students passing each other, with Verizon's dense red contrasting starkly with AT&T's spotty blue. iPhone Exclusivity Ending?It's a timely direct hit, as AT&T is expected to lose its iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. sometime next year (it just happened in Canada as well). Analysts predict iPhone sales could double as a result. The company is pushing hard to get consumers to consider network coverage and speed as a higher priority than hardware: "Before you pick a phone, pick a network." Plus, with Verizon and Google getting together to bring Android handsets to the best 3G network in the U.S., they're hoping to make the available hardware more attractive as well. Check out the video below and let us know what you think: cheap shot, or fair fight? Verizon is hitting AT&T where it hurts — does it make any of you think twice about renewing your AT&T contracts? Or would VoIP over 3G help to keep you loyal?
Reviews: Android Tags: 3g, android, apple, apple iphone, att, Google, iphone, Mobile 2.0, verizon
|
| George Lucas Talks Movies, Business, and iPhone Posted: 06 Oct 2009 03:10 PM PDT 
He utilized boundary-pushing graphics and CGI technology to create multiple blockbuster franchises and companies, including LucasArts. And, he just had a long interview on the stage of the Radio City Music Hal for the first day of the World Business Forum. He chatted a great deal about moviemaking, building technology, Star Wars, his hatred of writing, the iPhone, and who he thinks is the next big director. Here are the highlights:
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia. Reviews: Wikipedia Tags: George Lucas, Star Wars
|
| Xbox Signed by Sarah Palin Will Only Set You Back $1.1 Million (Plus Shipping) Posted: 06 Oct 2009 02:37 PM PDT 
After three separate attempts to list an Xbox 360 reportedly signed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin were thwarted by eBay, Morrill is back at it for a fourth try. But this time, he's dotting his "i"s and crossing his "t"s. Morrill believes that he's finally satisfied eBay's requirements, and that the Xbox in question, which has a starting minimum bid of $1.1 million (plus $15 for shipping), will not be delisted again. To comply with eBay restrictions, Morrill's completely reworked the listing with more photos, changed payment processing companies, altered the category, and even added a disclaimer to satisfy eBay's terms. Whether or not his efforts are sufficient, remains to be determined. As for the Xbox 360, itself, Morrill insists, with photographic proof, that the "infamous Sarah Palin XBOX 360 was autographed at the governors picnic on July 24, 2009, in Wasilla, Alaska, just two days before her resignation as governor of that state. You can own this 60GB, perfect-condition, one-of-a-kind item before her expected run for president of the United States of America in 2012." While we'd never shell out that kind of money for a Palin signed Xbox (even if we had it), we're curious to see if the original $1.1 million bidder will step up to plate again, and whether or not there will be any challengers. Tags: ebay, sarah palin, Xbox 360
|
| Tap Tap Revenge 3 Arrives in iPhone App Store Posted: 06 Oct 2009 01:56 PM PDT 
Tap Tap Revenge 3 [iTunes Link] has the same premise of its predecessors: tap the notes, keep the beat, and become the ultimate iPhone music master. However, as you might expect, the third version expands on the gameplay of its predecessors. Tapulous, the makers of the Tap Tap series, is also boasting a new look, stronger online play options, the ability to start/resume/reply games, and more challenges. Oh, and one other change compared to its predecessors: the app isn't free. It will cost you $0.99. Still, Tap Tap is one of the best-known apps on the iPhone, and we expect hundreds of thousands of people to download the app when all is said and done. We're curious about whether iPhone owners will pay for songs, though. This could be a big test for the viability of creating businesses based on in-app purchases. Tags: iphone, tap tap revenge
|
| 5 Ways to Write Retweetable Tweets Posted: 06 Oct 2009 01:34 PM PDT 
You've heard about "sticky content." Back in the days of Web 1.0 it was what made folks stick around on your website. The idea was they would stay a while, read every word and then buy whatever you were selling. (This turned out to be a fallacy, but that's a different post.) Microblogging demands that you create a different kind of content. Let's call it "slippery." That means 140-character bursts that are so compelling they slip away immediately and are repeated by those following you. And as everyone knows, the more you are retweeted, the more followers you get, as your bon mots are passed along from one person to another. If you're using Twitter for business as a way to promote your brand, products or services, it's even more important that you write retweetable tweets. "Me, me, me" never works. People care about how you can provide value, so how can you be interesting or provocative, and stand out in the increasingly cluttered Twittersphere? Here are five simple ways to make your 140-character pronouncements highly retweetable. 1. Always Include a LinkLink to a blog post, a news article, a video, or a photo – something that expands on what you're saying. In other words, learn to tell the whole story by pointing with a link to an important missing piece. You'll want to use a URL shortener like bit.ly or ow.ly so you don't use up too many characters. Here's an example: Darren Barefoot retweets nonprofit guru Beth Kanter's link pointing to a list of the 20 most retweeted words. By saying "great stuff," Beth adds value to the link. She also builds suspense: she makes you want to click to find out what the words are. Interestingly, the most retweeted include phrases like "please retweet," "how to" and "follow."
 Note that there is a lot of reverberation in this one tweet: Darren is retweeting a well-known Twitterer, which catches our eye. And while Darren doesn't tell us that the "20 most retweeted words" are from a blog post written for Fast Company about a study by Dan Zarrella (another well-known Twitter user), we learn that instantly when we follow the link. All those little bits of information, which we soak up in a nanosecond, make this tweet retweetable. So think credibility. Back up your assertions with links that prove what you're saying. 2. Don't Use Up All 140 CharactersThis is a trick that the pros use. Mashable's Pete Cashmore is a great example. His tweets are always well under 140 characters. Why? To make it easier to retweet them, of course. He's already done the editing for you, so u don't have 2 struggle 2 condense w/ abbrevs.
 Short tweets leave room for the @name of the retweeter and allows them a bit of space for additional commentary. 3. When Retweeting, Add Something OriginalThis is another trick. You may have to fool around with the wording of the tweet you're retweeting to make your comment fit (i.e., take out the "the's," turn "and" into "&," and so forth). You can almost always pare down someone else's tweet in order to add your observation or qualification before the retweet. This makes you look smart, which in turn makes other people want to retweet you — either now or in the future. And by putting your words in front of the tweet, you get credit for saying something yourself. However, while it's a good thing to retweet others, you don't want to be known only as a retweeter. It's always better to add to the conversation. 4. Build Credibility With Your Bio and URLJust as the "About Me" page on a blog is key to establishing a blogger's credibility, the tiny space you get on your Twitter profile page is equally important. First, be sure to spell out your first and last name (even if your Twitter handle is @cool_tweeter), then insert a link to somewhere that will build your credibility. If you don't have a website or blog, use your LinkedIn page. You must provide a link that visitors can click on to instantly check out your bonafides. Finally, compose your little Twitter bio in the first person. Be truthful, be interesting, and if you can bring yourself to do it, be a little different. Here is one of my favorite Twitter bios, on @ssmirnov's page:
5. Combine the Personal With the ProfessionalIt's too much to expect any of us to write haiku every time we tweet, but it is possible to articulate a snippet from your daily life that offers a tantalizing glimpse of who you are and what you care about. Dave Weinberger gets this combination spot on in this tweet about a trip to the museum.
 He breaks rule #1 by not including a link, but he is well known enough that that he already has credibility as an author and blogger since 2001. Note that he adds a twist: not only is he telling you, in real time, that he's visiting the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, but he makes a cogent observation about Monet's paintings: that they're so lovely you want to be in them. It's a sentiment he has repeated in later tweets, building on the personality he has established for his followers.
 More Twitter resources from Mashable:
Twitter bird image courtesy Graphic Leftovers. Reviews: LinkedIn, Twitter, bit.ly, blogger Tags: Lists, retweet, retweeting, twitter
|
| CONFIRMED: AT&T Announces VoIP Over 3G for iPhone Posted: 06 Oct 2009 01:14 PM PDT 
Tomorrow marks the start of CTIA, a wireless conference in San Diego. In attendance will be key AT&T executives, two of which are slated to give keynote speeches. So, what will they announce? Rumor has it that AT&T may use the event to reveal that their 3G network will now support Google Voice and Skype for all AT&T phones, including Apple's iPhone. While we already know that AT&T blames Apple for the original rejection of Google Voice, should AT&T announce support for VoIP applications on their wireless network, it will be a landmark moment. The rumor implies that AT&T and Apple would finally allow Google Voice as a native application in Apple's iTunes App Store, a decision that could be the result of heat both companies received surrounding a recent FCC investigation of the matter. It also means that VoIP applications, like Skype, which already works on the iPhone via WiFi, would actually be able to be used on-the-go, via AT&T's 3G network. While we await official word from AT&T, tell us what you think of the potential Google Voice for iPhone announcement in the comments. UPDATE (1:48ET): AT&T confirms that its network is ready for VoIP. In a statement, they write, "AT&T* today announced it has taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on iPhone to run on AT&T's wireless network. Previously, VoIP applications on iPhone were enabled for Wi-Fi connectivity." The ball, it would seem, is now officially in Apple's court. Reviews: Google Voice, Skype Tags: apple, att, CTIA, Google Voice
|
| TouchCube: $150 Touchscreen Rubik's Cube Can Solve Itself Posted: 06 Oct 2009 12:58 PM PDT 
If you're anything like us, you've tried your hand repeatedly at solving the classic puzzle and found it to be an enigma. Now an electronic version is here to save the day. Dubbed the Rubik's TouchCube, the $150 touchscreen version of the puzzle includes an accelerometer for quick swiping action, can solve itself, and can even teach you to become a master of the cube.
Though we've yet to get our hands on the device, the product demonstration videos lead us to believe that the next-generation toy, that you can swipe much like an iPhone, adds a whole new level of fascination to the original.
Here's are some other features of the updated puzzle:
Sure, purists may find no charm in the modern Rubik's Cube, but we think it has just the right qualities to make an impression on consumers, if only as a great talking-piece. [via Wired] Tags: accelerometer, rubiks cube, rubiks touchcube, touchscreen
|
| Socialite Takes On Your Mac's Social Media Life Posted: 06 Oct 2009 12:41 PM PDT 
Today, Brighton, England's Realmac Sotware (makers of some of my favorite Mac apps including LittleSnapper and RapidWeaver) have announced that they have acquired EventBox and will be relaunching it in November as Socialite.
Socialite is similar to other multi-purpose social media clients like Seesmic Desktop and Tweetdeck in that you can track and update your Facebook and Twitter accounts. But Socialite goes a little bit further, offering support for Google Reader (syncing and sharing items), Digg, Flickr, Identi.ca, Reddit, OneRiot, and RSS Subscriptions. Plus, Socialite will let you manage multiple user accounts. As a Mac user, I often grow frustrated that the most robust social media clients are all built on Adobe AIR. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that AIR exists as a platform, but it can really be a performance killer and slow down a system — especially if you use it for long periods of time. Socialite is a native Mac app, designed for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and even in the EventBox betas, the performance has been really spectacular. I can't wait to see how Socialite develops. The app will be released in November and it will be $20 US. If you already bought an EventBox license, don't worry, Realmac will send you a new serial for Socialite as soon as it is released. If you tried EventBox as part of MacHeist last winter, Realmac will offer discount pricing. If you want to follow the development of Socialite, you can check out Realmac's Socialite Twitter account @socialiteapp for more details and beta release information. Mac users — what are you favorite social media clients? Reviews: Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Google Reader, LittleSnapper, Seesmic Desktop, TweetDeck, Twitter, adobe AIR Tags: digg, eventbox, facebook, flickr, google reader, mac apps, Socialite, twitter
|
| SNL Skit Mocking Obama's Accomplishments Is Season's First Viral Hit [Video] Posted: 06 Oct 2009 11:53 AM PDT 
This year's first smash hit appears to be this past Saturday's opening sketch, where SNL's Obama (played by Fred Armisen) addresses the nation and declares "it's very clear what I've done so far and that is nothing. Nada. Almost one year and nothing to show for it." On Hulu, the skit is currently the site's most popular today (three days after airing), while on NBC.com, they're counting some 45,000 views so far. Considering Hulu gets considerably more traffic than NBC.com (plus embeds), it's safe to assume the Obama sketch has already been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. We've requested some more specific stats and will update when we hear more. In the meantime, here's the sketch if you haven't seen it yet:
Reviews: Hulu, YouTube Tags: hulu, nbc, obama, snl, video
|
| More Than Half of Employers Now Block Twitter, Facebook, MySpace Posted: 06 Oct 2009 10:46 AM PDT 
According to a new survey of 1,400 CIOs of companies with 100 or more employees, 54% now completely block employees from accessing social networking sites at work. Only 10% of those surveyed let employees use social networks however they please, while the remainder all impose at least some restrictions on usage, like limiting it to business purposes only.
 It seems we're still in the early days of employers trying to find a policy that works – perhaps being over restrictive in the interim – and employees learning from the mistakes of others. What restrictions does your employer place on social media usage? Share your experience in the comments. Tags: facebook, myspace, social media, twitter
|
| Google Attempts to Explain What a Web Browser Is [VIDEO] Posted: 06 Oct 2009 10:11 AM PDT 
Moreover, many don't even know the difference between a browser, a search engine, and an operating system. Google has taken on this issue previously with their "What is a Browser?" man-on-the-street style interviews, but today they've gone a step further, launching WhatBrowser.org. It was probably a bit of a pride swallowing task for a Google employee to put this all together, but below, the company's attempt to explain the very basics of what we take for granted. As a bonus, Google's rather amusing interviews from earlier this year.
Reviews: Google Tags: Google, google chrome, web browsers
|
| Facebook Is the Most Valuable Source of Traffic [Stats] Posted: 06 Oct 2009 09:00 AM PDT 
That's the subject of a new study by ad network Chitika, who analyzed the browsing habits of 33 million unique users over the course of September. According to their findings, Facebook provides the most loyal visitors, with 20% of those that originate from the social network in turn visiting the site they landed upon four or more times in a week. Among other social media sites, Digg traffic produced loyal users 16% of the time, while Twitter traffic was only good for 11% loyalty.
 The finding that social sites provide stickier traffic isn't surprising, but what implications do the loyalty rankings for Facebook, Digg, and Twitter have, if any? Perhaps that in the long-run, encouraging your visitors to share on Facebook might have the most value, even if it doesn't provide the most short-term traffic. That said, it's easy enough to provide sharing options for a multitude of social media sites (case in point, this post!), so you can probably file this under the "nice to know" category of statistics and use your own analytics to gauge what is and isn't working. Reviews: Bing, Digg, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo! Tags: bing, digg, facebook, Google, statistics, twitter, Yahoo
|
| Google Voice to Be Supported on Verizon's Android Phones Posted: 06 Oct 2009 07:44 AM PDT 
"A device is open or it is not. This is an open device," McAdam said. "Google Voice will be coming to market with the first device." Openness was a big part of the announcement, where Google CEO Eric Schmidt also commented on the new partnership, revealing that Verizon and Google first started talking about working together on mobile devices 18 months ago. Verizon's remarks regarding Google Voice are important in the wake of the Apple-Google controversy, which ended up with its very own FCC query. Verizon customers, are you excited by the potential for Android devices on your network? Reviews: Android, Google, Google Voice Tags: android, Google, Google Voice, verizon
|
| HOW TO: Integrate Facebook With Your Blog Posted: 06 Oct 2009 07:43 AM PDT 
It's easy to forget sometimes that there was an Internet before Facebook and many of us have existing blogs or websites. Integrating with Facebook is a great way to get additional exposure for your content, whether you re-publish your blog content directly on Facebook, or you use something like Facebook Connect to add the Facebook login/profile experience to your own site. Here are some great ways to integrate your website or blog with Facebook. Custom CMS or XHTML site
 Although using something like WordPress to power a site or blog is becoming increasingly common, many people have sites using either a custom CMS or something coded in XHTML/PHP, Ruby, Django, etc. If you fall into this category, the Facebook Developer Wiki is a great source of information. Even better, last week, Facebook introduced the Facebook Connect Wizard and Facebook Connect Playground that makes implementing Facebook Connect into your site easier, and also offers up sample code and widgets for comment boxes, Facebook Connect buttons, and more. WordPress
 WordPress is undoubtedly one of the most popular publishing platforms out there. Given WordPress's vibrant community, you'd think that integrating Facebook into your WordPress site would be a breeze. Well, it is and it isn't. There are a number of plugins available but getting everything set-up can still be a bit complicated. Never fear, here are some great resources and tools for integrating your WordPress blog with your Facebook page:
I would be remiss if I didn't point out Tim Marsh's excellent Dummies Guide to Integrating Facebook into WordPress. I ran across this in my research and was impressed with the level of thought and care that went into the post. Tim also released a free 40-page eBook (PDF link) that you can download with even more information. Movable Type/TypePad
 Six Apart has two blogging platforms, the self-hosted MovableType and the hosted TypePad. Last December, Six Apart released the Facebook Connect Commenters plugin for Movable Type. This will let users log in with their Facebook credentials, leave a comment, and then share those actions on Facebook (so comments show-up in mini-feeds, etc.). On the TypePad side, they've built Facebook compatibility into the newest release (and are taking it even further with TypePad Motion) — letting you post to your blog from Facebook, show your updates on Facebook, and let users comment using Facebook or Twitter IDs. Drupal and Joomla
Drupal in particular is often used when creating larger community sites. Because many of these sites might already have existing user profiles or logins, adding Facebook connectivity can be attractive for users — because who wants to sign up for another account — and for site owners who want to build a broader and more robust community. There are a number of Facebook plugins for Drupal, but these are a few of my favorites:
On the Joomla front, jwFacebook Comments 1.5 allows site-owners to add a Facebook comment box to the bottom of Joomla entries. Comment Systems
 If your primary focus is just letting users leave comments using their Facebook login, you might want to look at some of the third-party commenting systems that integrate with a variety of platforms and sites. At Mashable, Disqus is our commenting system of choice. Disqus added Facebook Connect support last December and you can link your Facebook and Disqus profiles together. Disqus also lets users log in with Twitter credentials. Similarly, JS-Kit's Echo system lets you log in with a number of different identities and also choose where you want your comment published (on the site and to your Facebook friends, to your Twitter followers, etc.). Third-party commenting systems like Disqus and Echo, which take some of the stress and mess of OpenID and Facebook Connect out of the equation, can do a lot to encourage more people to comment on your site. Share on FacebookYou know that awesome "Share on Facebook" button we feature here at Mashable? You can get your own here, and there is even an easy plugin for WordPress users. So site owners — how do you integrate Facebook with your blogs and sites? What are some of the best practices you can offer to others? Did we miss your favorite plugin or tool? Let us know in the comments! More Facebook resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Disqus, Drupal, Facebook, Joomla, Mashable, PHP, Twitter, TypePad, WordPress Tags: drupal, facebook, facebook connect, how to, joomla, List, Lists, moveabletype, Wordpress
|
| 20,000+ Gmail, Yahoo, AOL Accounts Compromised [ALERT] Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:43 AM PDT 
Unfortunately, Hotmail was only the beginning. Google has now confirmed that thousands of Gmail accounts were compromised by an "industry-wide phishing scheme." According to the BBC, the login data of over 30,000 Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Comcast, and Earthlink accounts have been posted online. Remember to protect your email accounts: change passwords frequently, check for any odd behavior, and never use the same password on multiple web apps. Reviews: Gmail, Google Tags: aol, email, gmail, Google, hotmail, microsoft, Yahoo
|
| SlideShare Takes On Whitepaper Industry With New Ad Platform Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:42 AM PDT 
The two components of SlideShare Business are LeadShare and AdShare. LeadShare is designed as a way to capture leads (potential customers) without making it overly complicated for users to get information. AdShare lets businesses or users promote their own content to the SlideShare community with contextual and geo-targeted ads.
 LeadShareLeadShare lets businesses find leads using their documents and presentations. A company can embed a whitepaper or presentation onto a site and offer the user the chance to download the information before filling out a contact form. This is pretty much the opposite of most whitepaper campaigns, which require users to fill out information just to get the whitepaper. LeadShare charges only for leads generated, so you only pay for the users that actually want more information, not for every person who views your presentation. LeadShare also lets businesses specify what kind of information they want to capture in order to target to the most likely audience. AdShareAdShare basically lets businesses or users promote their own content on SlideShare's existing community. More than 20 million visitors a month visit SlideShare and now businesses can promote their content alongside relevant content. Pricing starts at $0.25 per click. SlideShare says its AdShare algorithm favors quality content, so if something is clicked through often, it will be promoted more. I like LeadShare's method of getting information out without requiring information to begin with — and I think that might aid businesses who are trying to target specific customers. Tags: slideshare, slideshare business, whitepapers
|
| Google and Verizon Share the Android Love Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:41 AM PDT 
That looks like it will be changing. Google and Verizon Wireless announced a partnership to bring Android devices to the Verizon network.
Details on the partnership are relatively scarce right now, but the two companies are holding a joint press-conference at 10 am EDT, which should give us some more details on the plans. What we do know is that the two companies are planning on co-developing several devices using the Android platform to take advantage of both Android and Verizon's infrastructure. The first Verizon Android handsets should be released in a few weeks. This is a big win for Android, which is often discussed in terms of potential and not actual results. Having a strong partnership with such a large US carrier could really propel the platform forward and make it a real — rather than theoretical — contender to RIM's BlackBerry and the iPhone. There are still a lot of unanswered questions: How open will Verizon will be about Android's software platform (especially given Verizon's reputation for control)? Will having Android on Verizon finally offer some competition and innovation in the smartphone space? Will the new partnership lead to more innovation in the mobile market? We want to know what you think. What do you think about Android as a platform? Are you more interested in giving it a try on Verizon? What mobile platform leaves you most excited? Let us know. Reviews: Android, BlackBerry Rocks!, Google, iPhone Tags: android, Google, iphone, verizon
|
| CONFIRMED: Telus and Bell to Sell iPhones in Canada Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:18 AM PDT 
Another Canadian telecom, Telus, has also confirmed they'll be bringing the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to Canada this November. This means that Rogers Wireless is no longer the exclusive iPhone retailer in Canada; regardless of which mobile operator you prefer, having more options is always good for the end user. The days of iPhone exclusivity are slowly becoming a fact in history books; let's raise glasses for competition (and, hopefully, lower prices)! Tags: Bell, Canada, iphone, Telus
|
| More Proof Dual-Screen Laptops Are Coming Posted: 06 Oct 2009 06:00 AM PDT 
First, it was the Alaska-based gScreen's prototype, whose pictures only left us pining for more. Now, the folks at Engadget caught another one of these beauties at the CEATEC conference, a prototype created by Kohjinsha. While gScreen's idea of a dual-screen laptop was basically a standard-sized laptop with two screens, Kohjinsha has something much more netbook-like (that's a lot of hyphens in one sentence, I know) in mind. The prototype in the picture has two 10.1 inch LCDs with either a 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 resolution; you can choose between using them both at the same time, or simply hide one screen and use the device as a standard laptop. Inside, there's an AMD Athlon MV-40 processor, 4GB of DDR2 memory, and it's all powered by Windows 7 Home Premium. See a video of the device in action over at Engadget. Tags: Dual-Screen Laptop, Kohjinsha
|
| Google Overpaid YouTube by $1 Billion … Was it Worth It? Posted: 06 Oct 2009 05:06 AM PDT 
Today, we can get a clearer picture of why, exactly, Google had spent that kind of money on a video sharing site, and what their internal valuations were for YouTube. According to CNET, back in May, during a deposition given as part of the copyright lawsuit Viacom had filed against Google and YouTube, Google CEO Eric Schmidt estimated the value of YouTube somewhere between $600 million and $700 million. Why, then, did Google decide to pay almost thrice that amount? It's simple: if they hadn't done it, someone else would. Here's what Schmidt told Viacom's attorney Stuart Jay Baskin:
So, was it worth it? As always, you can find analysts on both sides. James McQuivey from Forrester Research claims that the deal "ensures that these millions and millions of viewers are coming to a Google-owned site rather than someone's else's site" and that even "if it never makes its money back, its still going to be worth it." On the other hand, research analyst Josh Martin claims that "it was a bad business decision for Google." From our perspective – and here at Mashable we focus on the users – it's a no brainer. Three years after the deal, there's only one important social video sharing site out there, and it's YouTube. Somewhere along the line, YouTube may lose its luster, but as it stands right now, it's one of Google's most important assets, and that alone says a lot. What do you think? Has Google overpaid for YouTube? Was it a good deal? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, tforgo Reviews: Google, Google Video, Mashable, YouTube, iStockphoto
|
Apple-related rumors may be annoying and tiresome, but at a certain point they usually start converging towards the truth. Lately, we keep 
It's a serious question. I know Google is more ubiquitous than ever, and despite some solid efforts by Bing, it's still, by far, the 
Another day, another Google Logo (or "
This post is part of Mashable's Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details 
Name: 
Amazon just announced a couple of major developments for its digital book reader line: the Kindle will 
Perhaps in light of 
From the looks of a few screenshots shared with 
An apparent Netflix outage is putting a wrench in many user's Tuesday evening plans, as both the website and its Instant Watch features are inaccessible as of 9:30et/6:30pt.
TweetMeme has proved to be a powerful tool for online publishers. Those recognizable green retweet buttons have popped up all over the blogosphere, to help publishers spread their stories across Twitter. 
Anyone that works in online news can tell you that being early to a story can make a huge difference in terms of the traffic and attention an article receives. 
During last night's Monday Night Football broadcast, 
George Lucas may be synonymous with Star Wars and sci-fi nerdom, but he is also known as one of the great pioneers of cinema, filmmaking, technology, and even gaming. 
eBay's 
The third edition of one of the iPhone's most popular games has made its debut in the App Store.
Debbie Weil is author of 
UPDATE (1:48PT): AT&T 
The original Rubik's Cube is an iconic mechanical puzzle game that dates back to 1974, with production and retail distribution starting in 1980. By some reports, it's the 
Back in June, we published a round-up of 
In the age of online video sharing, a clever TV sketch can quickly amass millions of views. That's been the case for some of Saturday Night Live's political commentary, perhaps most notably last year's 
Can't check Facebook or Twitter from the office? You're not alone. In fact, you might be in the majority. 
Although Google Chrome is starting to gain some adoption in the Web browser market, it faces a fairly significant challenge in becoming the leader: many Internet users simply don't care what browser they use (see: 
Between search engines and social media, there are a lot of different ways that people can get to your website. But which of these sources provides loyal users that come back to your site multiple times? 
Love it, hate it, or mildly tolerate it, you can't dismiss 
Drupal and Joomla are two of the more popular open source content management systems. Both offer lots of robust features that are especially useful for large sites and communities.
Yesterday, it was revealed that 
The first 
We wrote yesterday that 
The rational person inside you says: you don't need this. The nerd inside you says: you need to spend your 3-month salary on one of these. Regardless of which one you'll listen to (I've already made my choice; food is for the weak), we feel it's our duty to inform you that there's more and more proof 
Remember when 
No comments:
Post a Comment