Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “10 Best Spoof Twitter Accounts of 2011” |
- 10 Best Spoof Twitter Accounts of 2011
- Instantly Turn Video Clips Into Movies With V.I.K.T.O.R
- Sports and Social Media: Our Favorite Stories of 2011
- The Very Best of YouTube in 2011 [VIDEOS]
- Top 10 iOS Apps of 2011
- 8 Hilarious Internet Jokes, Memes and Parody Accounts of 2011
- How One Author Found Success With Digital Books
- Facebook Photo of Stolen Ring Leads to Man’s Arrest [VIDEO]
- 5 Steps for Finding New Customers
- Meet the Writer Being Sued for His 17,000 Twitter Followers
- Where Do Your Elected Officials Stand on SOPA?
- 2011: The Year of Reversal
- Apple’s First iPhone Was Made in 1983 [PICS]
- Samsung Shipped 1 Million Galaxy Note Devices in Two Months
- Where Do Browser Bugs Come From? [COMIC]
- Verizon Kills $2 Fee Plan Amid Consumer Outrage
- What Are Your Predictions for 2012? [OPEN THREAD]
- Just Did It: Nike Finally Opens a Twitter Account
- Kelly Clarkson Album Sales Rise After Ron Paul Twitter Flap
- Amazon’s Cloud: A Supercomputer Anyone Can Rent
- 4 Ways Small Business Websites Can Drive More Sales
- Facebook Messenger for Windows 7 is Official
- How to Follow the Times Square Ball Drop on Social Media [VIDEO]
- No Surprises Here: RIM Continues to Lose Market Share [VIDEO]
- Teen Prodigy Recognized by Microsoft Now in Critical Condition
- Verizon: Future 4G LTE Outages Won’t Affect the Whole Country
- Google Reveals 2012 New Year’s Doodle
- 2011′s Biggest Winners and Losers in Ecommerce
- 8 Amazing Emerging Technologies From 2011
- It’s Time to Cut Go Daddy a Break
| 10 Best Spoof Twitter Accounts of 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:57 PM PST      If laughter is the best medicine, Twitter certainly kept us in tip-top shape this year with its crop of spoof accounts. We’ve rounded up 10 of the best spoof accounts for you to follow to ensure your healthy merriment doesn’t cease in 2012. Below, check out the embedded tweets from each of our top 10 as well as a few bonus galleries of additional accounts to put on your radar. SEE ALSO: The 21 Most Memorable Tweets of 2011 1. @NotZuckerbergThis account parodies Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Here, he likens a rival service to exercise equipment.
These other spoof handles from the worlds of tech, social media and the web also will put a smile on your face. 1. Android PR Who knew that cute little green bot had a wicked streak? If you're a fan of the Android platform -- heck, even if you're not -- then follow this account for some Google-centric fun. Click here to view this gallery. 2. @OldHossRadbournBaseball pitcher Charles Gardner Radbourn died in 1897, but his spirit sort of lives on … on Twitter.
3. @FakePewResearchThe Pew Research Center fills our brains with stats. This spoof takes a slightly different approach.
4. @BettyFckinWhiteActor Betty White is still chugging along at 89. @BettyFckinWhite amplifies her awesomeness.
Celebrities are easy targets to parody. Here are a few that have gotten the spoof treatment. 1. Not Burt Reynolds Not Burt Reynolds has less followers then most accounts on this list, but with tweets like "When I lose a follower, I just assumed they died. Because let's face it, it's hard not to love me," and "You can call it a mustache, or a hairy set of angel wings," the account's sure to catch fire. Follow this account for tweets documenting what you imagine Mr Reynolds' life would be like. Click here to view this gallery. 5. @God_Damn_BatmanItching to see The Dark Knight Rises in 2012? Get your fill of Batman with this aggressive account.
6. @Lord_Voldemort7He who shall not be named pokes fun at current events, social media and, of course, Harry Potter.
7. @Edgar_Allan_PoeLiterary great Edgar Allan Poe comes to life again in poetically written, jaw-dropping tweets.
Poe is not alone. Spoofs of other famous authors also pen entertaining Twitter missives. 1. Jonathan Swift You might expect some tales of merry adventure from Gulliver's Travels author Jonathan Swift, but this Swift is more concerned with where his next gin is coming from, the antics of his whippet and the unseemly behavior of his constant companion Stella. Written in olde English, following this account will bring such vocab delights as "periwigtastrophe" to your stream. Click here to view this gallery. 8. @NYTOnItThe bio says it all: “Because sometimes stories in newspapers are just *that* obvious.”
9. @Jesus_M_ChristThis version of Jesus Christ weaves together biblical references and current events.
10. @BronxZoosCobraThe king of Twitter’s animal kingdom this year was @BronxZoosCobra, which was created and became famous in March after its real-life counterpart escaped from the Bronx Zoo.
The web really, really likes animals, sometimes even more so than media outlets. 1. Sockington vs. ESPN The Internet may be chock-full of cats, but only one can be its king. @Sockington is a normal cat that belongs to Internet archivist Jason Scott, but he has somehow recruited more than 1.48 million people into his "Socks Army." Compare that to @ESPN, which attracted 20,000 fewer sports fans to follow its account. Litterbox maintenance beats out the leading sports network. Go figure. Click here to view this gallery. Which parody accounts were your favorite this year? More About: features, Lists, parodies, Social Media, spoof, trending, Twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| Instantly Turn Video Clips Into Movies With V.I.K.T.O.R Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:40 PM PST   The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Quick Pitch: V.I.K.T.O.R. is an automatic video-editing app. Genius Idea: The free iPhone app makes movie making and sharing mobile clips quick and easy. Built-in cameras on smartphone and tablet devices make it easy to record videos of experiences anywhere we go. But how often do we go back to watch these videos or share them? V.I.K.T.O.R., an automatic video-editing app, provides a simple and convenient way to cut and edit video clips and turn them into short movies. The app allows users to make short movies — either 20 seconds, one minute or two minutes long — that actually look professionally edited. For now, it’s free to create a movie, but in the future, the company plans to charge $0.99 for 1-minute movies and $1.99 for two-minute movies. “We all have special moments that we want to remember,” Evgenia Bogdanovich, co-founder of V.I.K.T.O.R., told Mashable. “This video editing app offers a way to recollect your memories and turn them into a video presentation that feels emotional and looks professional.” Developed in June, the idea of V.I.K.T.O.R. was inspired while two of the four co-founders of the app were traveling in Hong Kong. Sergey Nurmamed and Alexander Didenko saw tourists taking pictures and recording videos with their phones, and wondered how often people actually go back and look at these memories. When Nurmamed and Didenko returned to Russia, the V.I.K.T.O.R. team decided to create an automatic-editing app to make it easier for people to create movies from their experiences and share them with friends and family. To start making mini-movies, download the app onto an iPhone and choose one of the following video-editing options: After you select an option, users can also add in their own themes and soundtracks. Browse the list of categories (travels, sports, family, events, lifestyle or moods) and select a theme that suits your movie. Then create a movie title and select the mobile clips that you want to include.  Select an unlimited number of video clips to include in your movie. Finally, click the “Magic Up!” button to see your own personal edited movie and instantly share it on Facebook, YouTube or via email.  Hit the “Magic Up!” button to see your personal mini movie. “V.I.K.T.O.R. is a new way of communication because it makes it easier to have a presentation of your experiences to share with your friends and relatives,” says Bogdanovich. “Sharing your own movie is much more emotional than sharing a photo.” Unlike video sharing site TwitVid, V.I.K.T.O.R. automatically edits your videos, does not allow you to include your own songs in the soundtrack and does not have an option to directly share your videos to Twitter. V.I.K.T.O.R. currently has over 400 users and will soon be available for Android devices. Image courtesy of V.I.K.T.O.R. Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, 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. More About: apps, bizspark, iphone, iphone app, V.I.K.T.O.R., video editing, videos For more Business coverage:
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| Sports and Social Media: Our Favorite Stories of 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:17 PM PST   The past year was a wild one in the sports world, full of salacious scandals, poignant moments, new records, the passing of old legends and the forging of new ones. But digital and social media also shaped — and were shaped by — some of the year’s biggest moments in the NBA, NFL, international soccer, college football and nearly every other sport humans play. Sometimes the stories were inspiring. Sometimes they were sad, or repugnant. Sometimes they were funny. But they were almost always interesting. Here, we look back at 15 of our most memorable sports moments from the year that was. Scroll through the slideshow below, and let us know what you think in the comments. What are your favorite stories from this list? What would you have added? What do you predict for 2012? Jay Cutler's Twitter Evisceration While pro athletes are used to criticism from fans via social media, digital hate doesn't usually come from fellow players. But that's what happened when Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler missed more than half of a crucial NFL playoff game with an injured knee in January. As the Bears lost with Culter watching from the sideline, current and former NFL players including Maurice Jones-Drew (left) sounded off on Twitter, eviscerating Cutler for a perceived lack of heart. Click here to view this gallery. More About: Social Media, sports, technology
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| The Very Best of YouTube in 2011 [VIDEOS] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:33 PM PST Nicki Minaj - Super Bass By Sophia Grace BrownleeChristina Warren: 8-year-old Sophia Grace doing the most amazing cover of "Super Bass" that the world has ever seen. A half-pint rapping powerhouse who is not only cute, but is GOOD. Click here to view this gallery. Here at Mashable, we love YouTube videos. We love YouTube videos so much that we bring you one every day in our YouTube Video of the Day series. Instead of just bringing you one video today, we decided to look back on a wild year of widely viewed uploads. In honor of the end of the year of Rebecca Black, our staff rounded up some of our favorite viral videos of this year. Although none of us selected the auto-tune viral hit, you will find two cameos by Sophia Grace Brownlee, some cute babies and, of course, a cat. What was your favorite YouTube video of 2011? Let us know in the comments.
More About: viral-video-of-day, Year End 2011, YouTube For more Social Media coverage:
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| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:02 PM PST 1. Tweetbot After Twitter acquired Tweetie, it was easy to think that the need for a third-party iPhone Twitter client largely disappeared. When Tweetbot came out in April, it proved that even the most crowded markets can still find room for a great app. Tweetbot quickly started to rival the official app in terms of beauty, ease of use and features. With a customizable shortcut bar as well as advanced gesture support, Tweetbot is an all-around great Twitter client. Twitter revamped its official app earlier this month and Tweetbot became a saving grace for users who hate the new app and want faster access to the features they like most. Click here to view this gallery. 2011 was a great year for iOS apps. The App Store officially passed the 500,000 app mark, and with iOS 5, developers are continuing to push the boundaries of what it means to make a mobile app. We’ve already highlighted 15 of the best mobile apps, but with so many great apps available for the iPad and iPhone, we had to pick ten more. The only rule with this list was that an app needed to be released in 2011. What was your favorite iOS app of 2011? Let us know. More About: airport utility, features, Grand Theft Auto 3, HBO GO, Infinity Blade 2, instacast, iOS apps, iphone apps, mixel, songza, Super 8, trending, tweetbot, welder, Year End 2011
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| 8 Hilarious Internet Jokes, Memes and Parody Accounts of 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:38 PM PST Photoshop Looter After a wave of riots hit Britain over the summer, this Tumblr started featuring photoshopped images of looters stealing ridiculous items, like pandas. Click here to view this gallery. Whenever one of us here at Mashable finds a new joke, meme or parody account, it quickly makes its way around the office. We really get a kick out of hilarious Tumblrs, fake Twitter accounts and memes. They’re a type of humor that brings digital geeks like us together for a laugh whether we’re Apple fans or Windows users, Android owners or iPhone addicts. Internet humor bridges these gaps and unites all of us for a smirk, giggle or full-on laugh. In the past year, we’ve seen so many great jokes pop up online. They’re often a response to something happening in the news, like the Pepper Spraying Cop, or in pop culture, like the Ryan Gosling Hey Girl meme. They can also be a way for the digitally-savvy among us to have fun at the expense of others less familiar with technology, like @oldmansearch. Sometimes they’re completely out of the blue, like the Sexy Sax Man. We thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite web funnies we’ve come across this year. Here’s to a great 2012 in web humor! What were your favorite Internet memes or parodies this past year? Share them in the comments below. More About: funny, internet memes, jokes, Meme, trending, Year End 2011, YouTube For more Social Media coverage:
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| How One Author Found Success With Digital Books Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:19 PM PST   It’s said that print is dead — and not just newspapers or magazines, but maybe short stories too. After 20 years working in print, former Chicago magazine editor Dick Babcock found the perfect platform for his short story: Kindle Singles. Babcock’s short story tops the best sellers list on Kindle Singles. The 5,000-word piece titled, “My Wife’s Story,” has sold 24,000 digital copies. It sells for $0.99 a copy — not much money for most writers — but it provides a place to publish works and the opportunity to build a brand. Kindle Singles’ appeal: the stories are much less expensive than regular-sized ebooks. When the program was announced, writers and bloggers speculated that it could help new and unknown authors gain notoriety. Instead of many small works ending up in an anthology, Kindle Singles could give authors their own spotlight. Although small, the Singles store so far has shown to be a place for unknown, as well as famous, authors to publish short stories. Writers can work with editors, or self publish their stories. Such stories often have a quick turn-around time from publishing to selling. Babcock sat on his story for 20 years while he edited the magazine. “I would wake up at 5 a.m. and write before going to work,” he explained. He made a limited attempt to get the short story published and then forgot about it. That is, until he retired from the magazine earlier this year. Kindle Singles have been able to showcase fiction and provide exposure and sales for authors, says Kindle Singles Editor David Blum. “We’ve had great short stories from well-known novelists like Stephen King, Lee Child and Tom Rachman, as well as emerging authors like Matthew Ducker, a young MFA graduate from the University of Virginia — and now Dick Babcock, in his return to fiction after a distinguished career in magazines. All have been among Kindle Singles’ top-selling authors,” Blum said in an email. “Most of our authors have been published before, but Kindle Singles has allowed many writers — both in fiction and nonfiction — to reach a wider audience of readers than ever before." Babcock enjoyed a successful career as a publisher and writer. He retired in April. Early in his career, he said, there were many more literary magazines with long stories, but not so much anymore. He said he saw major potential in online publishing of short stories, like the ones on Kindle Singles. Babcock has published two novels and is working on a third, which he said, he would love to have published for the Kindle. What do you think of Kindle Singles — as either a reader or writer? Please tell us in the comments. More About: amazon, authors, ebooks, Kindle Singles For more Entertainment coverage:
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| Facebook Photo of Stolen Ring Leads to Man’s Arrest [VIDEO] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:02 PM PST Police in Vermont recently arrested a man for stealing a $3,200 engagement ring. They were tipped off after the man’s fiancee posted a picture of the ring on Facebook. Social media has become a legitimate tool for crime-solving. Earlier this year, the NYPD used Twitter to shut down a gang meeting, and the FBI used social media to track down a wanted fugitive. Check out the video above to learn more about the stolen engagement ring. More About: crime, Facebook, mashable video
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| 5 Steps for Finding New Customers Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:36 PM PST   Ronald Brown is a successful startup CEO with an extensive background in technology and consumer marketing. His new book, Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success is available via iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. The subject of finding customers is one of the most mysterious in business development. I'm often asked how the most successful companies do it, maybe in the hope that there’s a secret or shortcut to success. Sorry to say, no silver bullet exists. Even with large budgets, customer discovery is more art than science. Below are the five basic steps. The most important aspect of this process is to be very methodical in your approach. Knowing where you've been is the only way to improve and repeat successes. Pay close attention to the details and record everything in a consistent format. 1. Classification StructureThe first step is to decide on a classification structure, better known as segmentation. You might have a product in mind, or a general concept, but sometimes, you might just be fishing — looking for a problem to solve in a market that seems attractive. That's OK. Market segmenters are detectives. What makes a market attractive? Maybe you see alignment with your idea or product. Or, maybe something about a segment strikes a chord and gets your creative juices flowing, knowing what you know about your company's capabilities. Also, segment size is important: Why waste time if long-term financial gains aren't possible? The segment selection process can be intuitive, based on personal experience, or it can be driven by highly sophisticated segmentation tools that carve up the total market into standardized groups. (Lots of companies start with Standard Industrial Classification codes (SIC codes), a system for tracking the entire economy, managed by the U.S. Census Bureau.) Either way, at this point, you are simply making educated guesses about which ones might be a fit. You have no idea if the fit will materialize. In emerging industries, segmentation can evolve quickly. When the iPad was first introduced, tablets were tablets. Then ereaders became a distinct category vs. general purpose. Then pricing tiers emerged. Now, industry analysts are breaking the market up into broad stroke vertical applications — education, health care, etc. — which will get subdivided further very soon. 2. Hypothesis TestingWith your evaluation structure in place, you now need to determine, one segment at a time, if there is really an opportunity you can address. You dig deeper from a research standpoint, paying particular attention to competitive offerings. Again, there's a range of tools you can use. A consumer products company might do a formal, quantitative study, and a company selling to enterprises might set up personal meetings with senior executives. Major consulting firms, like McKinsey & Co. or the Boston Consulting Group, rely heavily on in-depth, one-on-one interviews in all of their projects. I'm working on a project in the tablet business right now, and you'd be amazed at how much you can learn from resellers. What are you looking for? You're identifying customer problems. They should be big ones — "pain points." If a problem isn't urgent and important, it'll be difficult to create a meaningful competitive advantage. At the same time, you're looking to see how your solution solves the problem. Is it dramatically better? Is it "demonstrable" (a very helpful ingredient when it comes to being socialized)? If you've found a pain point in a large market you can address and there are no competitors (yes, it happens), you've stumbled upon an "unmet need," one of the holy grails of new product development. Segment by segment, you are testing a hypothesis related to fit or alignment: that you have something of value to offer a customer group. You are not just collecting information. You'll discover all kinds of things at this point, from a particular segment being a complete miss, to essential product features that must be added. Hypothesis testing never stops, even after you introduce your product. In fact, the best is yet to come. Once a product is in the market, learning based on actual usage will flow in. That's why many in the new products field go to market with a "minimally viable product." 3. Nuance TestingHere's the step that's easy to overlook. All problems have context. In other words, when customers solve problems, they are affected by circumstances associated with timing and physical surroundings, and by the nature of the task itself. As a marketer, you won't understand context by doing a survey, conducting a focus group, or talking to senior executives. You understand context by experiencing customer problem solving yourself. To do that, you turn to customer immersion techniques. Did you know dairy farmers use tablets? To elegantly solve their problems, you better be willing to get up at 3 a.m. on a freezing morning. Some consumer goods companies even live with customers in their homes for a short period of time. Procter & Gamble, considered one of the best marketers in the world, uses such an immersion program called "Living It." 4. Customer StoriesHypothesis and nuance testing findings get captured as stories. They’re much more descriptive than use cases in that they focus heavily on problem/solution decision making. 5. Solution IterationTight product alignment with a customer is a matter of iteration. You put something out there (an idea, a prototype, an actual product), and you get feedback, and you go away and improve and refine. Your customer stories get more refined as well. It's highly unlikely that you'll identify a pain point and address it perfectly in one fell swoop. In fact, to even try is highly risky, especially if you're building hardware. Most of the time and money wasted in new product development is related to late-stage rework, but you can avoid it by developing in small steps, ever tightening the alignment. This is what agile development is all about, and why it's gaining so much in popularity in and outside Silicon Valley. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pixdeluxe More About: Business, contributor, customers, features, Small Business For more Business coverage:
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| Meet the Writer Being Sued for His 17,000 Twitter Followers Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:15 PM PST   At any conference, product launch or other event where the top tier of tech reporters gather, Noah Kravitz is easy to pick out of a crowd. He’s the affable guy with glasses, earring and a cue-ball head; a supersmart cellphone-loving thirtysomething with a finely tuned sense of the absurd. Online, Kravitz often goes by the handle “Kravy Krav,” an homage to hip-hop legend Flavor Flav. KravyKrav was also the name of his very first (and now inactive) Twitter account. And if that had been the only Twitter name Kravitz ever went by, he wouldn’t have made news this week. But his subsequent Twitter account was @Phonedog_Noah, and that has led to an eyebrow-raising lawsuit from his former employer. The reviews website Phonedog claims Kravitz’s Twitter account, now renamed simply @NoahKravitz, is the equivalent of a corporate customer list that the writer upped and left with. The site wants $2.50 for each of Kravitz’s 17,000 Twitter followers over an eight-month period, which adds up to $340,000. “I would do it differently now,” Kravitz told Mashable this week, “but at the time, calling the account Phonedog Noah made all the sense in the world. That’s where all my online efforts were going, and I was all about ‘let’s make this thing as big as we can.’” “Not to blow my own horn, but I was Phonedog Noah for many years,” he added. “People would recognize me [from the popular YouTube videos that Kravitz filmed for the site] and call me Phonedog.” At the time the account was established, Kravitz was the site’s only editorial person, if not an actual staffer — a freelance editor-in-chief, as he puts it. “We weren’t equipped to have policy on this stuff,” Kravitz says. “It was all brand new. The lines were blurred.” Phonedog President Tom Klein demurs, saying the site had a social media policy in place from the start. “When creating the account, PhoneDog management permitted and directed Noah to establish the account using the PhoneDog_Noah naming convention,” Klein wrote in an email. “PhoneDog is a personality-driven brand, and we realized that expanding Twitter, YouTube, and other social media mediums would allow us to better engage with our fans.” When he and Phonedog parted ways in October 2010, it was on amicable terms, Kravitz says. He contacted Twitter to change the name on his account. A dummy account was set up under the name Phonedog_Noah, so that no one else could grab it. And Kravitz agreed to tweet occasionally on Phonedog’s behalf. (He now works as editor-at-large for the website Technobuffalo, which just posted a lengthy defense of his position.) Indeed, emails obtained by Mashable show Phonedog staffers asking Kravitz to send out tweets about promotions long after his departure, and Kravitz agreeing to do so. Things only soured after Kravitz filed suit for back pay he says he was owed, plus a percentage of Phonedog’s ad revenue he was allegedly promised. Phonedog actually filed its countersuit over the Twitter followers back in July; it’s making waves this week after the New York Times noticed it and published a story on Christmas Day. The suit, if it goes to trial, could establish a number of precedents in the online world. “This seems to be the first case of someone legally trying to put a valuation on a follower,” notes Kravitz. And that valuation, $2.50, is significantly higher than you might expect — given that you can buy Twitter followers on eBay for less than a penny each. Still, Phonedog’s attempt to put a value on Twitter followers could well backfire. No one particularly cares to hear that they’re worth $2.50, even if that is well above the going rate. The site’s Facebook wall is already filling up with comments to that effect. “I just unfollowed you guys on Twitter,” writes one commenter. “You can put my $2.50 directly in my PayPal account.” Meantime, Kravitz is in good spirits. He’s settling in for a long legal battle, but taking time to enjoy the absurdity of his situation — especially the fact that his often random personal tweets, which dominated his feed before and after the association with Phonedog, are now being analyzed by the world at large. “I like the whimsy of it,” he says. “All this hullabaloo over a guy who tweets about what the bathroom smells like, and posts pictures of himself in front of unicorn paintings.” More About: legal, Top Stories, trending, Twitter For more Media coverage:
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| Where Do Your Elected Officials Stand on SOPA? Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:59 PM PST
Users of the website can look up elected officials by state or get more focused results by using a street address. After searching, the site displays a list of your Congresspeople in the Senate and House of Representatives. SOPA Track will tell you if your elected officials have expressly stated their support or disapproval of SOPA/PIPA along with the amount of money they’ve raised from pro and anti-SOPA organizations. An office phone number and links to each Congressperson’s social media profiles are also included.
The site was designed and built by Randy Meech of Brooklyn, NY. According to Meech, he was following the SOPA story very closely on news sites and on Reddit. Meech found SOPA/PIPA and the deliberation in Congress surrounding the bills “upsetting.” “The debate felt rushed, sneaky and forced,” said Meech. Meech said he liked the idea of an app which showed where local politicians stand on the issues that citizens care about. SOPA Track does exactly that. Will SOPA Track be expanded any further? Not yet. “The site’s basically done until a vote happens,” said Meech. “It’ll be a pivotal moment, and it’s been interesting to be a part [of it].” Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DHuss More About: congress, SOPA, SOPA Track, stop online piracy act, US Congress
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| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:44 PM PST   You could call it the year of humility; 2011 saw its share of epic shakeups in the technology world, but it also saw an unprecedented number of them shake right back and go away almost as soon as they happened. From Verizon to HP to Netflix, the biggest names in tech made big decisions that were ultimately — and often almost immediately — reversed. You can thank social media for playing a large part in the speedy course changes. With Twitter and Facebook leading the charge, negative reaction to a public decision now skips the murmur phase and goes straight to ear-splitting viral roar. Comments on web pages, blog posts and bad press all combine to create a torrent of indignation that few companies can endure. Occasionally social media itself was the offender, with services at times clumsily rolling out new features that its users rebelled against. Various networks almost cannibalized themselves in this way, as they struggled to find their footing as viable businesses. Big, public reversals by corporations are nothing new of course. Probably the most notorious one in modern history was the introduction of new Coke in 1985, which the company stubbornly stuck with at first, then soon relented. New Coke was actually around in one form or another until 2002, when it was permanently discontinued. Reversals aren’t necessarily more common now, but they sure happen a lot faster. Tech companies are probably the most vulnerable because of the connected nature of their customers. With the touch of a button, consumers can “Like” anything. But that same ease can turn anger into full-fledged movements in minutes, and no company is immune. Here are Mashable‘s picks for the most notorious reversals by tech companies in 2011. Let us know in the comments of any we missed. Verizon Kills the $2 Fee Just after Christmas, Verizon announced it would start charging customers $2 for processing payments online. Although there was some precedent for the fee (Sprint has one), it was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as its customers were concerned. It was hard to find a reaction that couldn't be described as anything less than outrage, and thousands threatened to leave the provider -- contract or no contract -- if it didn't reverse course. Which it did, not much more than 24 hours later. Click here to view this gallery. More About: apple, HP, netflix, New Coke, Qwikster, trending, verizon
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| Apple’s First iPhone Was Made in 1983 [PICS] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST   The first iPhone was actually dreamed up in 1983. Forget that silly old touchscreen, this iPhone was a landline with full, all-white handset and a built-in screen controlled with a stylus. The phone was designed for Apple by Hartmut Esslinger, an influential designer who helped make the Apple IIc computer (Apple’s first “portable” computer) and later founded Frogdesign. The 1983 iPhone certainly fits in with Esslinger’s other designs for Apple. It also foreshadows the touchscreens of both the iPhone and iPad. Images of the 1983 iPhone have been circling the web for a while but there has been renewed interest in Apple’s early designs and history thanks to a peak inside Stanford University’s massive trove of Apple documents. The archives are a close-guarded secret but Stanford is starting to grant access to select journalists and organizations. The archives were donated in 1997 after Steve Jobs rejoined the company and document much of the design and personnel changes that took place in the 1980s. The 1983 iPhone is just one of many prototypes buried in Apple’s past. There’s even a device that looks eerily similar to an iPad. Despite the phone’s age, it actually looks like a cool concept that could easily be updated into a modern consumer product by replacing simple stylus screen with an iPad-like interface. Mashable has reached out to Stanford to get a private look into the material. Stay tuned for more, but in the mean time, take a look at some pics of the iPhone that never was.   More About: apple, iphone, Mobile, trending
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| Samsung Shipped 1 Million Galaxy Note Devices in Two Months Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:00 PM PST
Just two months after Samsung released its Galaxy Note tablet-phone, the company announced it has shipped more than one million units of the device worldwide and that it's coming to the U.S. in the near future. In October, Samsung unveiled its 5.3-inch, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) smartphone, which doubles as a tablet. It also comes with a stylus pen for drawing and note taking. It's expected to receive an upgrade to Android 4 or Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012. Samsung noted in a press release that sales of Galaxy Note are on the rise in Europe and Asia, particularly in France, Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “The rapid global sales of Galaxy Note are notable since it is creating a new market for something between smartphone and tablet PC,” the company said. “The speed of the global sales is expected to accelerate further next year when it will be available in the US.” We should note, however, that Samsung has shipped 1 million devices to retailers and other partners. Samsung has not revealed actual sales numbers. “One million global shipping of Galaxy Note means it has well positioned itself as a market creator,” Samsung said. “Samsung will continuously strengthen its leadership in the global smartphone market as well as create new markets with innovative devices.” More About: Galaxy Note, samsung, tablets
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| Where Do Browser Bugs Come From? [COMIC] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:38 PM PST   Mashable Comics are illustrated by Kiersten Essenpreis, a Chicago-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com. More Mashable Comics:1. The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered
Click here to view this gallery. More About: Browsers, bugs, comics, humor, internet explorer, mashable comics, Web Development
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| Verizon Kills $2 Fee Plan Amid Consumer Outrage Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:45 PM PST   The public has spoken and they don’t want to pay fees. Verizon is the most recent company to announce a fee, in this case a $2 fee to pay your bills online, and back-out less than a week after it was reported. The public has proven that if a strong consumer backlash is instigated, companies will respond. The interwebs got word of the fee on Thursday. Soon after, many on Twitter were tweeting their outrage about the proposed “convenience fee.” Then, to make matters more sticky for Verizon, the FCC got involved. FCC officials would not comment on the exact nature of their investigation but did say in an email shortly before Verizon backed out of the fee plan, “On behalf of American consumers, we’re concerned about Verizon’s actions and are looking into the matter.” A Verizon spokesperson soon thereafter issued a statement on their website saying they were not going forward with the fee. “The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan, which was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions,” the statement read. More About: consumer, fcc, trending, verizon For more Business coverage:
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| What Are Your Predictions for 2012? [OPEN THREAD] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:18 PM PST   With just over one day left until 2012, the Internet is chock full of digital thought leaders sharing their predictions for the coming year. Now, we want to know: What do you think will be the biggest tech and social media trends of 2012? For some inspiration, check out Mashable Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff’s tech predicitions post. He cites augmented reality, micro-payment, UltraBooks, mobile chip wars and social/digital exhaustion as this year’s top stories. Editorial Director Josh Catone recently shared where he believes Facebook is going, and Business Editor Todd Wasserman gave his take on whereTwitter is headed. We also recently held a Google Hangout to see what the Mashable community on Google+ predicts for the coming year. There they talked about and played around with augmented reality, and discussed the future of social networking and Google+. Here are some of of our favorite moments from the Hangout: What do you think will be the movements that define and change technology in 2012? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. More About: technology, Year End 2011 For more Social Media coverage:
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| Just Did It: Nike Finally Opens a Twitter Account Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST   One of the world’s biggest brands, Nike, just opened its first Twitter account under that name on Thursday. As of Friday afternoon, the account had around 14,000 followers, including big name athletes like Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Steve Nash. Simply Measured has tracked some of the biggest followers in the chart below. In just over 24 hours, Nike has more followers than its chief rival, Adidas. Nike’s first tweet was an Instagram featuring company founder Bill Bowerman (see image above) and his quote: “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” Nike spokesperson Heidi Burgett told Mashable that Nike decided to launch its Twitter feed now because it’s close to New Year’s. “The timing around @Nike has a bit to do with starting off the year the right way — both for Nike and the athletes we aspire to inspire,” she says. Nike already has several Twitter feeds for various sports including football (both the American version and soccer), baseball and tennis, to name a few. “We’ve learned a lot from those accounts and the two-way dialogue has been very beneficial in helping us deepen our relationships with athletes of all levels around the world,” Burgett added. What do you think? Is Nike late to the game or the brand hitting Twitter just at the right time. Sound off in the comments.
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| Kelly Clarkson Album Sales Rise After Ron Paul Twitter Flap Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:35 PM PST “Miss Independent” singer Kelly Clarkson endorsed GOP hopeful Ron Paul on her Twitter page earlier this week and it's costing her the support of some of her long-time fans. But sales for Clarkson’s album “Stronger” have skyrocketed since news of the incident spread across the Internet. In fact, sales for the album jumped up over 400% in just 24 hours on Amazon. Although some of her fans on Twitter have stopped following the singer, she’s picked up new followers along the way too. “I love Ron Paul. I liked him a lot during the last Republican nomination and no one gave him a chance. If he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he's got my vote. Too bad he probably won't,” she tweeted on Wednesday. Her message received backlash across Twitter, as some accused the American Idol winner of supporting racism (newsletters published in Paul’s name in the 1980s and 1990s included some racist sentiments — he has recently deemed the comments “terrible” and said someone else wrote them), as well as the death penalty and opposing same-sex marriage. As one tweet put it: "Now THAT is how you get someone to unfollow you on Twitter … and in your career. Good luck — you'll need it," wrote @cibuloid. Clarkson later clarified on Twitter that she does not support racism and the death penalty, and took to her WhoSay page to address the controversy. “Man, my eyes have been opened to so much hate tonight,” Clarkson wrote. “If y’all ever disagree with something I say, please don’t feel the need to attack me. I will listen to what you say and any articles or viewpoints you have when you say it with respect. Being hateful is not a healthy way to get people to see or hear you.” “If you don’t agree with me simply unfollow me,” she added. “It’s really that easy.” However, Clarkson is getting some support from the Twitter community, including country singer Blake Shelton. “@kelly_clarkson I love you!!!! I’ll listen to your viewpoints anytime. And I really wouldn’t mind throat punching someone for you either!!” Shelton tweeted. Other Clarkson supporters have left comments about the endorsement on the Amazon page for her album: “I’ve always thought you were a great talent, but never bought any of your music before,” one commenter said. “I am doing it to say thank you for your support of Ron Paul and the liberty movement.” Should celebrities tweet about politics or should they be more cautious about divulging their personal views on Twitter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. More About: celebrities, mashable video, ron paul, trending, Twitter For more Entertainment coverage:
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| Amazon’s Cloud: A Supercomputer Anyone Can Rent Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:12 PM PST   Amazon has one of the world’s fastest supercomputers. There’s something unusual about it, though — it’s not real. That is, it’s not real in the way other supercomputers are, in a huge room filled with glowing, humming racks of processors and storage. It’s in the cloud. Cloud computing gets a lot of attention, and deservedly so. Harnessing the processing power of multiple machines in different locations to attack a single, complex task that would usually be completed by a machine in a single location is an impressive engineering feat. But as promising as the idea is, it’s not known for high performance and reliability. At least not until now. Amazon’s cloud-computing service is now putting other supercomputers to shame. The service is based on the company’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), the backbone of Amazon Web Services, which many digital businesses, including Foursquare and Reddit, use instead of building and maintaining their own services. EC2 also helps the Kindle Fire’s silk browser run quickly. Unlike your typical supercomputer, the EC2 is spread out over multiple locations worldwide. It was designed to give virtual computing power to several clients at once, not attack large, singular tasks. Amazon first rolled out EC2 in August 2006, but it was made to be massively scalable, and it started ranking among the top 500 supercomputers in the world in 2010, in the 233rd spot. After dropping down to place 451st in June this year, it shot up to the number 42 spot in November. The high ranking is even more incredible when you consider the EC2 has to run the virtual servers of thousands of businesses while also acting as a supercomputer. Clearly, Amazon has put some effort behind its supercomputing service to improve performance Just how fast is EC2? It can rocket through computations at 240 teraflops, or 240 trillion calculations per second. By comparison, the fastest supercomputer in the world, Fujitsu’s K Computer, runs at 10 petaflops — about 40 times as fast. It might not beat the K Computer, but EC2 is plenty fast, and even better, you can rent it on the cheap. The company said in the fall that a client it would only describe as a “Top 5 Pharma” used the service for seven hours at a peak cost of $1,279 per hour. That’s peanuts compared to building your own supercomputer — and probably a cheaper option even if you had to run it 24/7 for a year. Other companies, such as T-Platforms, lease supercomputing time, of course, though it’s doubtful customers would get a machine as fast (there are only 41 in the world, after all). Although Amazon has proved the viability of the concept, cloud supercomputing may not replace those room-filling clusters completely. Some have pointed out that computing performance isn’t the same as how fast the machine (virtual or otherwise) communicates the data. EC2 isn’t equipped with the machine interfaces in many standalone systems, so some applications may not be suitable to run on it. Regardless, cloud computing — and its brainier brother, cloud supercomputing — appear here to stay. Might Amazon see competitors rise in the coming years? Facebook, with its colossal social network running on millions of computers worldwide, may have more cloud services in the making. 2012 could be the year the field of supercomputing gets permanently overcast. [via Technology Review] More About: amazon, Amazon EC2, amazon web services, cloud computing, supercomputer
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| 4 Ways Small Business Websites Can Drive More Sales Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:55 AM PST   Aaron Sperling is CEO and co-founder of vFlyer, which provides online marketing solutions for small businesses and independent service providers. You can follow Aaron and his team on their Facebook page, Twitter and on the company blog. A scenario: You envision a phenomenal idea, put all of the necessary pieces into place, and now run your own successful business. You've got a functioning website, but you're struggling with 60% bounce rates, and users don't seem to be completing the necessary conversion processes. You don't have the resources to invest in a web designer or consultant, so how do you go about optimizing your website on your own? Try the following tips. 1. Keep Content FreshGive current and potential customers a reason to revisit your website. Think about the websites you visit regularly and what attracts you to them. How can you tweak those attractive elements to be more appropriate for your website and your industry? Start by integrating your blog, Twitter stream, Facebook profile, and other feeds that will automatically update your website when you post content elsewhere. Publishing white papers, podcasts, videos and other content related to business trends can help establish you as a thought leader in your industry. Encourage visitors (read: make it easy for them) to comment on your content, and start building relationships with current and potential clients to spur engagement. In this new era, it's all about providing your users with relevant information. Doing so will help drive new and continued traffic to your website. 2. Integrate With Social MediaEngaging users and providing relevant information via social media channels is an important factor in driving traffic to your website. The more your content is shared via social media, the better your website will rank in search engines, and the more referrals you will receive. The ultimate goal is to build relationships with your site visitors, thus creating long-term customers and brand advocates. So you need to make it as easy as possible for visitors to find and share your content and refer your services to others. Include social media toolbars on your homepage so visitors can easily find all of your profiles. Add sharing buttons to content and to your website, and encourage people to use them. Share your content on social profiles and content aggregators such as Slideshare, and do your best to bring the conversation to your website. 3. Make Ecommerce Easy
The massive amount of information on the Internet has shortened our attention spans and made it easier than ever to "shop around" for lower cost competitors. Because of this, you need to make it as easy as possible for visitors to purchase what they want, when they want. It is extremely important to evaluate all possible "purchase scenarios," meaning the different routes a visitor could take in order to complete a purchase. For example, a visitor coming in through a paid search advertisement may land on a different page than a visitor who was referred from a Facebook link. Making it as easy as possible for these visitors to start and complete the purchase process will have a positive effect on your conversion rate. Popular ecommerce companies like PayPal and Google Checkout provide free JavaScript and HTML widgets that you can add to your website. After evaluating all of the purchase scenarios, determine where to add these widgets to make it easy and timely for visitors to complete a purchase. 4. Use SEO to its Full PotentialSearch engine optimization (SEO) is a huge topic, far too vast and complex to address succinctly. That said, I can recommend three relatively straightforward steps that will likely increase your website's search engine rankings, and thus make it easier for people to find your business.
SEO is an ongoing process, so it’s essential that you monitor your keywords, stay on top of Internet trends, and adapt your strategy accordingly. Tackling these four activities might not be quick or easy, but once you begin updating your content more frequently, making ecommerce simple and easy for visitors and utilizing social media and SEO to their full potentials, you'll be well on your way to improved lead generation and more visitor conversions. When optimizing your own websites, what have you found to be the most important area of focus? Leave your thoughts in the comments section. Images courtesy of iStockphoto, IdeaMomentLight, Flickr, Ernst Vikne More About: content delivery, contributor, ecommerce, features, SEO, Social Media, trending, web For more Business coverage:
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| Facebook Messenger for Windows 7 is Official Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:37 AM PST   Facebook has done it’s darndest to take over your digital life. The massively popular social network has your photos, videos, a news feed, apps and games and even instant messaging. Seeking further ubiquity, Facebook is bringing its Facebook Messenger IM feature to Windows 7 as a desktop download. While Facebook Messenger may play second fiddle to chat services such as Google’s Gchat, Facebook Messenger has amassed a horde of dedicated users — not to mention the millions of people that use Facebook every day. Of course, the software isn’t entirely surprising. Facebook Messenger for Windows 7 was recently leaked to the interwebs as a private, unauthorized download. Facebook is fighting fire with fire by releasing an official version of the download which you can get here through a direct download. Facebook Messenger has been available as a mobile app for some time but this is the first (official) release for a Windows desktop. The Windows app looks almost identical to the chat bar on Facebook.com. Users can permanently dock the chat bar on their home screen or access chat via the Windows system tray. Users get notifications when friends want to chat. Friend activity is also shown, however clicking on these items will take you to a web browser. The same goes for messages in your Facebook inbox. The chat bar is meant as a chat client and as such many of Facebook‘s features are disabled. For example, you can accept pending friend requests but if you want to search for new friends or check profiles you’ll need to go to Facebook.com. Facebook says the chat bar is a trial application so expect updates and changes (it is Facebook, after all). The download currently doesn’t support video or voice calling though these features will have to be added if Facebook wants to stay competitive. Does Facebook Messenger have legs? Let us know your thoughts below.  More About: App, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Social Media, trending
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| How to Follow the Times Square Ball Drop on Social Media [VIDEO] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:10 AM PST Since all eyes are on the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball each year, it's only natural that the high-tech device would inspire some digital initiatives surrounding the big event. From TV networks rewarding viewers for watching certain shows to following the ball on Twitter, there's various ways to ring in the New Year with a very digital twist. The ball in itself is a stunning piece of technology, boasting more than 32,000 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs with each bulb lasting a whopping 30,000 hours – or 1,250 days. Weighing in at nearly 12,000 pounds and measuring 12 feet in diameter, the ball even remains lit throughout the year and changes color depending on the holidays. Although the ball drops at midnight, you can follow @timessquareball on Twitter to keep track of news and its sentiments: “Dang, my request for tomorrow off was declined. Sigh,” it tweeted on Friday. Can’t be in Times Square for New Year's Eve? You can live stream the big drop via the official Times Square Ball App for Apple and Android devices. Powered by Livestream, the app streams six-and-a-quarter-hours of commercial-free coverage from its always-on webcam, including musical performances throughout the night. The app also allows users to upload photos to the app and Toshiba — the Times Square New Year's Eve official countdown sponsor – will select some to appear on its Toshiba Vision billboard featured directly below the ball. Kodak is offering a similar treat with its Kodak Gallery mobile app – uploading pictures through a special New Year’s Eve group album via the app might land you on its JumboTron billboard in Times Square. FeedMagnet — a social media agency that has worked with popular brands such as GE and Sephora — is also getting in on the Times Square action by allowing visitors to send Instagram photos to its billboard and it will display real-time check-ins from everyone packed in the area. For those staying in for the night, eight TV networks will be rewarding fans at home that check-in on GetGlue — a social network for entertainment — with peel-off stickers for various shows. When TV viewers check-in through the platform while watching episode marathons and specials on certain networks, including NBC, ABC, CNN, MTV, Nickelodeon, TeenNick, AMC & BET, they are rewarded with exclusive physical stickers. For example, ABC will award a sticker for those who tune-in to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012. But New Year's Eve-themed shows aren't the only ones offering incentives. AMC will be ringing in the night with an all-night zombie marathon, also rewarding fans who check-in with stickers — maybe even with a Zombie sticker. And to help bring a little extra New Year’s cheer, check out this brand new video from the @Nyan Cat, this time decked out in 2012 glasses. More About: Facebook, mashable video, new years eve, Newsy, trending, Twitter
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| No Surprises Here: RIM Continues to Lose Market Share [VIDEO] Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:49 AM PST RIM‘s mobile market share fell from 7.1% to 6.5% between September and November, according to a recent report. During the same time period, Apple’s share increased 1.4%, coinciding with the iPhone 4S launch. When it comes to the smartphone market, RIM performed even worse, with its market share dropping from 19.7% to 16.6%. according to a recent comScore study of 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers. Aside from RIM, Android now has 47% of the smartphone market, Apple has 29%, Microsoft has 5.2% and Symbian has 1.5%. More About: android, apple, mashable video, RIM, smartphone
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| Teen Prodigy Recognized by Microsoft Now in Critical Condition Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:32 AM PST   A 16 year-old girl who was once deemed one of the youngest Microsoft Professionals in the world, is in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest on Dec. 22. Arfa Karim Randhawa, who received that recognition at age 9 after meeting Bill Gates, is currently on life support in a hospital in Pakistan. Doctors there say there’s no hope for her survival, according to a report in The Express Tribune. Arfa’s father, Lt Col (Retd) Amjad Karim Randhawa told the publication that that the cardiac arrest was caused by an epileptic attack, which also damaged her brain. “Only a miracle will allow my brilliant, genius daughter to live now,” he told the paper. Arfa, who began showing an interest in computers at age 5, passed Microsoft’s rigorous certification in 2004. To attain the credential, applicants had to show technical proficiency .Net, Visual Studio 6.0 and Windows Server 2003. "Everyone thought the result was wrong," Randhawa told The Tribune. Afterwards, when Arfa returned to Pakistan, she became a national celebrity. In 2006, Arfa also took part in the keynote session in the Microsoft Tech-Ed Developers conference in Barcelona. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. More About: Arfa Karim Randhawa, microsoft
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| Verizon: Future 4G LTE Outages Won’t Affect the Whole Country Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:09 AM PST   Verizon‘s been having a lousy month. On top of the PR disaster of introducing a new $2 service fee for paying bills online, the wireless carrier with the reputation for having the best service suffered no less than three outages for its ultra-fast 4G LTE data network. Now the company has finally come forward and explained itself. Each of the outages was caused by an separate bug, Verizon says, though none as serious as the one that took down the entire network for an extended period in April. Now Verizon says it’s taking a key step to prevent nationwide LTE outages: geo-segmentation. By partitioning the network by area, the carrier can isolate problems before they spread and take down the whole system. The April überbug was caused by a bug in the very core of the network, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Verizon vice president of network engineering Mike Haberman revealed to GigaOm. All of this month’s outages also involved issues with the IMS, though none were quite as fundamental to the system’s operation as the one in April. The first outage this month happened on Dec. 7 when an IMS backup database failed. The second, on Dec. 20, was caused by a key network element not responding properly. And for the third, which occurred this past Wednesday, two network elements weren’t communicating right. Although customers’ phones should automatically switch to 3G signals when LTE isn’t functioning, that didn’t happen for some customers. That was because of the nature of an IMS failure — the network is still transmitting radio signals just fine, it just can’t recognize devices running on it. Verizon was eventually able to force those phones to switch to 3G, but not right away. Although Verizon says it take outages seriously, it makes no guarantees that more of them won’t occur. Verizon’s 4G LTE network is the world’s largest, and the carrier says these kind of outages are simply par for the course when you’re pioneering a next-generation wireless network. LTE is a generational shift in data networking technology, and Verizon was the first carrier to deploy it in the United States. AT&T has since followed with its own LTE network, and Sprint plans to debut the tech in 2012. Were you affected by Verizon’s disabled LTE service? Has it changed your thoughts on the carrier in any way? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of Eric Hauser, Flickr More About: 4G, LTE, outage, verizon For more Mobile coverage:
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| Google Reveals 2012 New Year’s Doodle Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:25 AM PST   Fans of Google Doodles — the charming illustrations and re-imaginations of “Google” that appear on the site’s main page — can get an early look at the company’s New Year’s doodle with a little smart thinking and a foreign domain URL. Google has posted its 2012 New Year’s doodle on international landing pages where, due to time zone differences, it’s already New Year’s Eve. The doodle, shown above, can be found on sites such as google.co.kr (South Korea) or google.co.nz (New Zealand). Google is known to create a variety of doodles on its multiple homepages for major events, but it looks like this one could be a global doodle. We’ll all find out soon enough as we all creep closer to New Year’s Eve and 2012. The doodles, originally created in 1998 as a sort of “out of office” notice when Google’s founders left for Burning Man, have become an online phenomenon in their own right. They have been made to celebrate international holidays, historical landmarks, famous birthdays and just about anything else you can imagine. The doodles have also become something of an art form, with noted artists and designers submitting doodles on special occasions. Is the 2012 New Years Google Doodle a hit? Do you think the U.S. or U.K. will get something entirely different? BONUS: Google Doodles: 12 Years of Holiday Magic |
| 2011′s Biggest Winners and Losers in Ecommerce Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:29 AM PST    In-demand products, unparalleled site design and usability, competitive search engine marketing, continuous innovative, exciting holiday specials — these are just some of the variables that make up a successful ecommerce business. On the other hand, some of the top pitfalls for Internet retailers include lousy service, uninventive products, confusing corporate messaging and ineffective advertising. We’ve seen a little bit of everything in 2011. As the year wraps up, it’s the perfect time to recount the ecommerce wins and fails of 2011. Some strong houses continue to dominate this year, while previously lauded companies fell a bit from grace (cough, Netflix). Let’s take a look at the winners and losers in online commerce for 2011. 1. Winner: Amazon
As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon has been making great strides for years, and 2011 was a fun year to watch the company do its thing. First and foremost, Amazon released a refreshed line of Kindle products, including the Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G and Kindle Fire tablets. Kindle devices continued to fly off the shelves all year — the company announced last week that it was selling “well over 1 million Kindle devices per week,” outpacing the launch of the original iPad in early 2010. Though it has been met with criticism (and a software update to appease frustrated customers), Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet is the retailer’s bestselling item ever, having only launched three months ago. It’s not just the devices that are making waves in the market. Kindle books are a big deal for the company too. As of April, Kindle electronic books began outselling physical books on Amazon. For every 100 print books Amazon has sold, it has sold 105 Kindle books. Amazon also celebrated a number of other milestones this year, including the introduction of Amazon Deals, Cloud Player, the Android App Store, MyHabit.com, the ad-supported Kindle 3G and the Mac Downloads Store, along with the acquisitions of The Book Depository and LOVEFiLM. 2. Loser: Barnes & NobleWith the weight of its brick-and-mortar stores, Barnes & Noble looks like it’s fighting a losing battle. This year, its ecommerce site performed tremendously well. The Nook ereader drove digital sales. But the website’s increasing sales are no match for the total decline in revenue the company is facing. Barnes and Noble’s November launch of the Nook tablet, the successor to the Nook Color, was a positive event for the company — the device received celebratory reviews and online buzz. But one can’t overlook the fact that BN.com and the house of Nook are severely impeded by the retail stores’ extreme losses. Although I’d like to declare Barnes and Noble a winner this year for its feats in the tablet and ereader markets, I just can’t bring myself to reward mediocrity. 3. Winner: Apple
Apple introduced the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S this year, basking in the glory of a full-fledged hype mill at each launch. The iPad 2 helped drive sales of the iPad to 40 million units, since the original was introduced. While the world would have preferred to see the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S was received well, with record weekend sales of 4 million devices. Thanks to the iPhone 4S release, the company is on its way to selling a record number of iPhones this quarter. Apple also set a new record for Mac sales in Q4 of 2011, having sold 4.89 million units. 4. Loser: HPWhat is up over at HP? I can’t even begin to explain all of the horrible problems that company is facing. It holds top market share in the PC market, with Dell and Apple following suit, yet it has no idea where it’s going. To WebOS or not to WebOS? Furthermore, to PC or not to PC? Those were the questions Meg Whitman finally helped the company answer after taking over for confused HP CEO Leo Apotheker. After the failed HP TouchPad launch, the company is now out of the tablet business, but hopes to be back in the game by 2013. I’m sorry, that’s just sad. 5. Winner: Walmart
In August, Mashable‘s Christina Warren declared Walmart’s recently purchased online movie service Vudu a “bonafide hit.” For the first half of 2011, Vudu had 5.3% of the U.S. market, putting it in third place after behemoth iTunes and Microsoft’s Zune Video Marketplace. Vudu even eclipsed Sony PlayStation Store and Amazon. Although it shut down its seven-year-old MP3 music store, Vudu, along with a few other Internet wins, places it on my winning list. The retail giant is trying its hand at Facebook giving this holiday season, divvying up $1.5 million of holiday grants via the world’s largest social network with its 12 Days of Giving campaign. And speaking of social media, Walmart’s social media strategy is top-notch when compared to other large retailers. It provides on-message, utility-focused videos on YouTube and showcases a team of 15 specialized tweeters via its Twitter channel. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of Walmart’s animated Frank the Fruitcake Facebook spam, but its social strategy is going in the right direction otherwise. And while we all love to dote on Amazon, Walmart is still the largest retailer in the world by a long shot, if you count offline business; and it ranks in the top 10 for online retail. Walmart still needs to work on diversifying its online audience, though — a recent comScore report illustrated that 83.4% of Walmart.com’s visitors came from North America in June. 6. Loser: NetflixMuch of 2011 went quite well for Netflix, but all hell broke loose after the company implemented its 60% price hike in September. Shortly thereafter, CEO Reed Hastings apologized and announced that the company would be splitting its streaming video and DVD business, rebranding the DVD-by-mail service as Qwikster. Of course, Qwikster sounded like a stupid idea to everyone in the community, so that idea was qwikly abandoned in October. As a result of all of the madness and confusion, the company’s stock plummeted and the company disclosed a loss of 805,000 subscribers in the third quarter. Hopefully for Netflix this huge snafu will be forgotten in the new year — but that’s unlikely. 7. Winner: Gilt Groupe Although it was only founded in 2007 and focuses solely on ecommerce, Gilt Groupe ranks in the top 50 Internet retailers, beating out household names like J. Crew, Scholastic, Crate and Barrel and American Eagle Outfitters. Gilt Groupe has even broken the record for highest grossing revenue in Silicon Alley history. This year has seen announcement after announcement from Gilt, showcasing the company’s ability to innovative quickly and to build upon its pioneering flash sale site model. In May, Gilt raised $138 million in a round of funding, bringing it to a total of $240 million to date. From there, it introduced its online culinary magazine Gilt Taste, an exclusive Facebook commerce offering and the relaunch of Gilt Home. In November, Gilt Groupe began shipping to more than 90 additional countries (beyond its U.S. and Japanese operations), making it more global than ever. Gilt also introduced its full-price men’s retail site, Park & Bond, in 2011, though performance is yet to be determined. 8. Loser: SonyThis year was difficult for electronics and entertainment giant Sony. The company is forecasting a $1.1 billion full-year loss, which would make its fourth straight annual net loss. So, what’s going on? For starters, the strengthening yen, the unfortunate and lengthy PlayStation Network hacking affair, and declining LCD TV sales put the company in a bad place. Besides these more predictable problems, Sony also faced two natural disasters that hit its business badly, including floods in Thailand and the Japanese earthquake. Sony, like its competitors, is facing difficulties adjusting to the ever-changing consumer electronics sector, and this year counts as another addition to its losing streak. Your ThoughtsThis post outlines some of the most buzzed about ecommerce stories of 2011. I could get into the nitty gritty of other companies — after all, there are hundreds of other Internet retailers out there in the green and red. But I’d rather get your thoughts on the industry. Let me know your thoughts about this year’s biggest ecommerce winners and losers in the comments below. Images courtesy of iStockphoto, desifoto, Flickr, Noelas, Walmart Stores More About: amazon, apple, ecommerce, features, gilt groupe, HP, Kindle, netflix, nook, Opinion, sony, Year End 2011 For more Business coverage:
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| 8 Amazing Emerging Technologies From 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST 1. Networking via LED Wi-Fi jammed? It won't be a problem if you're networking through your room lights. You heard right — scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications in Germany worked out a way to transmit data via normal LED light bulbs. Best of all, you can still use them for lighting, since the lights blink on and off too fast for the naked eye to see. How fast? Quick enough to spew out 800 megabits per second (Mbps) — an impressive spec by home-networking standards. Only a few components are needed to upgrade a typical LED to become a networking illuminator (a term sure to be trademarked any second), which can reach an area of 10 square meters. One drawback: anyone walking between the light and your device will kill the connection. In another category breakthrough this year, GiiNii also introduced a light bulb that doubles as a speaker.Click here to view this gallery. Big-ticket product launches like the Galaxy Nexus and Kindle Fire got gobs of attention this year. But between the marquee product unveilings there were even better stories — telltale hints of what kind of tech might be in products five, 10 or 15 years out. The field of emerging technology let us sneak a peek at the wonders of the future. It’s just a potential future, of course. One with lots of promise, but a lot of things need to happen for a breakthrough in a lab to become a mainstream product. Quirks need to get ironed out, money needs to be spent, and early adopters need to buy it — among a host of other variables. If even a single one of them doesn’t happen, it’s kaput for any tech, no matter how good. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to much of the future technology glimpsed in 2011, because it’s been a fantastic year for breakthroughs. From ultra-convenient wireless networks to superior batteries to gadgets you can bend, many of the emerging technologies from the past 12 months have the potential to change entire industries, if not the world. We’ve culled from the long list of contenders to highlight our favorites from the most promising emerging tech of the past year. Besides sheer impressiveness, a truly bleeding-edge tech has to have at least some modicum of attainability, and one of the best qualities of some of the candidates on our list is that they use existing systems. No tech is so great that it’s worth any cost. Here are Mashable‘s picks for the top emerging technologies of 2011. Social Cloud Computing image courtesy of iStockphoto, alexsl More About: breakthrough, emerging tech, research, trending For more Tech coverage:
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| It’s Time to Cut Go Daddy a Break Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:50 AM PST   First, the obvious: Go Daddy runs horrible, sexist Super Bowl ads. PETA members and others who think animals should be treated kindly are fully justified in canceling their Go Daddy accounts because of founder Bob Parsons’s elephant shooting this past spring. In addition, those who believe, as I do, that Go Daddy was on the wrong side of the SOPA issue, should also have no qualms if they cut their ties with the company before it changed course. All of that is fine. What’s troubling, however, is the anger against the company for not fully internalizing the opposition to SOPA. It seems as if nothing short of a North Korean-style show of emotion will convince Go Daddy haters at this point and that’s just weird. People even got ticked off that it took Go Daddy a full four days — and this was over the Christmas weekend mind you — to get off the House’s list of SOPA supporters. SOPA, as most of you know, is a bill that Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced in the House in October. The intent of the law is to block websites from distributing copyrighted content they they don’t own. There are probably many who believe that even this is going too far, but I think most reasonable people would agree that those who create content should be paid for their work and shouldn’t be ripped off. Website operators who are up in arms about the bill should also take a moment to consider whether they themselves would want their content to be plagiarized or pirated elsewhere. For many, myself included though, SOPA methods for combatting piracy go way too far. Simply put, it seems to put the onus on website operators, rather than law enforcement. It’s a “shoot first, ask questions later” type of bill that would disrupt the web’s economy and give the government too much power. The backing of the bill by a Republican illustrates the overpowering influence of money on politics — the GOP is supposed to be against a government-imposed solution like this. Despite this fact, Go Daddy was within its rights to support SOPA. If you run a company and your beliefs run counter to the majority, you should be able to voice your opinion. Go Daddy did and suffered the consequences, including widespread anger on the web and a call for a boycott. In fact, the opposition worked so well that Go Daddy completely reversed its decision. End of story? Unfortunately not. Now that Go Daddy has unequivocally opposed SOPA, haters are still up in arms because the company seems to have only done it because its business was at risk. Wasn’t this the point? As it stands now, people seem to be angry at Go Daddy for not succumbing to groupthink. It’s as if just thinking differently than the majority is some sort of crime. This, unfortunately, is a common phenomenon of the social media age. For instance, on Thursday, Kelly Clarkson was called to the carpet for tweeting her support of GOP candidate Ron Paul. Most of the criticism involved newsletters that were published under Paul’s name in the 80′s and 90s. Paul has disowned the content in those newsletters and whether you believe him or not, the truth is that there’s plausible deniability. Clarkson should be able to offer her opinion on Paul without getting excoriated on Twitter. Speaking of Paul, I believe a libertarian philosophy should rule on the web. People should be able to say whatever they want and deal with the consequences. But there should also be some respect for other people’s opinions. Otherwise, one of the things that makes Twitter great — unfiltered access to your favorite celebrities’ thoughts — will become a thing of the past as publicists take over. Similarly, all of us will suffer if entrepreneurs feel that they can’t take unpopular stands from time to time. In their heart of hearts, the people who run Go Daddy may have a different opinion about SOPA than you do, but, at this point, they’re not going to do anything about it, so who really cares? Punishing the company for a thoughtcrime is very 1984. Let’s not carry that into 2012. For more Business coverage:
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