Mashable: Latest 12 News Updates - including “Mashable Weekend Recap: 29 Stories You Might Have Missed” |
- Mashable Weekend Recap: 29 Stories You Might Have Missed
- LG Optimus LTE Tag Customizes Itself Using NFC Stickers
- Latitude Leaderboard: Does Google Want to Be the New Foursquare?
- Travel the World With These 10 Time-Lapse Videos
- 20+ Online Networking Opportunities for Job Seekers
- Driverless Cars of the Future Are Here Now [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Pinterest or Porn-terest? What the Social Network Is Doing to Keep It Clean
- Is This Our First Peek at the iPad 3? [PICS]
- After 16 Months, ‘Don is Back’ in Mad Men Teaser [VIDEO]
- What New Yorkers Think of the Samsung Galaxy Note [VIDEO]
- How an African Chief Uses Twitter to Keep the Peace
- 10 Most-Followed Users on Pinterest
- How to Create Animated GIFs With Your Smartphone
| Mashable Weekend Recap: 29 Stories You Might Have Missed Posted: 20 Feb 2012 04:26 AM PST      Social media and technology had a great weekend, thank you very much. Even though it got off to a somber start with the funeral of pop superstar Whitney Houston, things picked up with tons of great news and cool tech coming down the pike to our Mashable door. If you were busy all weekend with all your fun and frolic, we have you covered here at the Weekend Recap, gathering all the stories we posted and placing them all in one tidy, handy place just for you. So have at it — go ahead, it’s Presidents Day, giving you plenty of time to enjoy all we had to offer over the weekend. And if you’re starting your workweek off on Monday, this ought to help you ease into things. Either way, make it a good one! News & Opinion Essentials
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| LG Optimus LTE Tag Customizes Itself Using NFC Stickers Posted: 20 Feb 2012 02:09 AM PST   LG has upgraded its LG Optimus LTE Android smartphone with NFC and a very interesting feature, which automatically changes the device’s settings depending on the context. LG calls this new feature LG Tag+ (hence the name of the new device, LG Optimus LTE Tag), and it’s similar to Sony’s programmable SmartTags. It uses NFC (Near Field Communication) to communicate with special stickers or “tags” which you can stick pretty much anywhere – on your desk or the dashboard of the car, for example. Then, you can program the phone to change its settings depending on the tag it last communicated with. For example, you could swipe the device over a tag on your car, and have it automatically turn on Bluetooth and GPS. The rest of the specifications place this device in the upper echelon of Android phones. It sports a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, a 4.3-inch, 800×400 IPS display, a 5-megapixel camera and 16 GB of memory. Surprisingly, all of this runs on now ancient Android 2.3 or Gingerbread, but an option to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich is promised for later. LG will launch the device in the Korean market, but the date and price have not been revealed yet. More About: LG, LG Optimus LTE Tag, nfc, stickers, Tag For more Mobile coverage:
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| Latitude Leaderboard: Does Google Want to Be the New Foursquare? Posted: 19 Feb 2012 03:29 PM PST   Google is expanding its reach across social media — first with Google+, now with Leaderboard, a new feature allowing users to earn points for checking in to a location via Google Latitude. Last week, Google launched an updated version of Google Maps for Android, equipped with the new feature similar to Foursquare. The company hasn’t officially said it wants to compete against Foursquare. Leaderboard’s addition to Google Latitude has been kept hush-hush. Google doesn’t even list Leaderboard as being a new feature on the Android Google Maps update. It only says it fixed bugs and has “improved battery performance for Latitude and Location History users.” Leaderboard is only available on the latest version of Google Maps, and not everyone has access to the feature yet. We tested the new version of Google Maps with the Latitude Leaderboards on an Android smartphone. It is only accessible after a user checks in somewhere using Google Latitude. Maps users can share their location — as they have for the past year — with Google’s Latitude app. After check-in, the user earns points and is navigated to the Leaderboard page, which ranks the user and his or her Google+ friends. There is also a global page that ranks all users based on points from check-ins. The person with the most points earns a crown above his or her No. 1 ranking. Leaderboard doesn’t have a mayor, like Foursquare. Do you use check-in apps? Would you leave Foursquare for Google’s Latitude Leaderboard?  Graphic courtesy of Engadget More About: foursquare, Google, google latitude, Google Maps
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| Travel the World With These 10 Time-Lapse Videos Posted: 19 Feb 2012 03:04 PM PST 1. Lake TahoeThis shot of Lake Tahoe by user tlapse is a beautiful capture of Sierra Nevada. Click here to view this gallery. You don’t need a passport to travel around the world — you can travel the world right at home! Ok, watching videos from your laptop is not quite as fun as the real thing. But if you’re waiting for your next big adventure, or at least for your passport to come in the mail, we’ve rounded up ten beautiful time-lapse videos on YouTube from around the world. From New York City all the way to Moscow, there are time-lapse videos from hundreds of cities all over the world. According to YouTube, New York’s time-lapse video is most viewed by people in Eastern Europe, especially Russia. Vancouver City is most-viewed by Canadians and the U.S. prefers Las Vegas and Crater Lake. Where are you going on your digital vacation? Let us know in the comments. Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, Fatty Tuna More About: features, time-lapse, travel, YouTube For more Social Media coverage:
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| 20+ Online Networking Opportunities for Job Seekers Posted: 19 Feb 2012 02:10 PM PST   Mona Abdel-Halim is the co-founder of Resunate.com, the world's only resume builder to score and tailor your resume for every job. You can find Mona and Resunate on Facebook and Twitter. Social networking for career enrichment is on the rise. With online networking, you have access to more professionals — and will inevitably make faster connections — as your connections expand throughout your industry. Online networking also gives you the opportunity to put your personal brand on display — a type of communication that may feel like bragging in face-to-face meetings. We've all heard of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and how to use these platforms to find a job, but it's time to look beyond "the usual suspects." What other networking websites might be beneficial for your professional life? Here’s a roundup of 20 unsung Internet resources that could help you land your dream job. Some are general and others pertain to certain industries, but all are valuable options to boost your social networking (and your career prospects). Niche Social Websites with Networking Potential1. Elixio Elixio is a private online community for professionals. This site is invite-only, but you can be sure if you get an invite, you will have the chance to make awesome connections. Because it’s a community of less than 14,000 (mostly business) professionals, Elixio hosts networking opportunities for the cream of the crop. 2. Stroome Stroome is the foremost online video collaboration hub. Launched in April 2010, the site connects journalists, filmmakers, travelers and anyone else with a video camera — allowing them to upload their films to the Internet and then collaborate with other users to create new video, audio, and photo mashups from all corners of the world. 3. Ryze Ryze is an online business network founded in 2001 and now operating with 80,000 members. You can make a free networking-oriented homepage and connect with professionals (or re-connect with old contacts). The site, which initially focused on the high-tech community, now appeals to CEOs, entrepreneurs and home-based businesses. 4. Ning Ning’s industry connections span many categories, including politics, entertainment, consumer brands, small business, non-profits, education and more. It connects more than 74 million people around the globe with the topics they are passionate about, making it a great foundation for professional networking. You can use Ning to create and design your own free social network. For instance, there's a social community for the band Linkin Park, the Peace Corps and Classroom 2.0. 5. Quora Quora connects you to everything you want to know about, and gives you leverage to interact with high influencers in any industry. You can create your own profile, share content and ask questions. Also, the site itself is organized by people and their interests, so you can easily find like-minded individuals. One way you can think of it is as a cache for research: When you see a link to a question page on Quora, you can feel good that it will have information you need. 6. Ecademy Ecademy is a membership organization aimed at business professionals.The site boasts an online network, blog and boardrooms for collaboration over the Internet. It's for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to belong to a community that connects, supports and collaborates with each other to produce new ideas. Those who want to take a more passive approach to networking, however, may find less use for it. 7. Ziggs Ziggs is a site that will allow you to create and manage your personal brand. You can also join groups and make contacts on the network. Ziggs is for the Internet user who proactively wants to market himself on the web — to be discovered by recruiters, to find a better job or just to be found. The platform is also for folks who want to develop or participate in private online communities with colleagues, friends, club members or charity teams. 8. Tweako According to its website, Tweako is a "user-powered community website and social network, specializing in all aspects of computing, technology and the Internet." Tweako.com is a place to learn and share information and knowledge about computer and technology topics. For those interested in keeping a pulse on cutting-edge technology and IT concepts, Tweako also keeps tabs on startups and company business to see who’s hot in the field — a great resource for those looking to get job leads. 9. Your Personal Blog While a personal blog will be a networking opportunity on its own, you can use the blog to get your name out there. Post your blog's URL when you comment on industry articles and share it with people on your networking profiles. You never know — someone might like what they see on your blog and start up a conversation that could be beneficial to your career or job search. There are many options available for creating a blog, but you can create a free one easily on WordPress. 10. Tumblr Tumblr has several advantages over other blogging options for building your brand. If you are a recent graduate or in the younger job-seeking demographic, you’ll benefit from Tumblr’s youthful user base. Plus, you’ll find a breadth of business blogs that are hosted on the platform that can easily be followed, helping you stay knowledgeable about brands you might want to work for. However, while Tumblr will allow you to quickly and easily share your personal brand, the site doesn't offer as many features or formatting options as other blogging platforms. 11. Brazen Careerist This site was created for college students and young professionals to "meet new people, find a job and build relevant relationships" to advance their careers. A smart option for those entering the market for the first time, Brazen Careerist also offers a connection to Facebook — an easy way to see who in your current circle of friends is also using the service. Communities Categorized by Industry and InterestIf you’re interested in a particular industry, you can find a hub in which you can meet like-minded individuals. Here are some examples:
Do you have a favorite networking website that's not listed? Share it in the comments below. Social Media Job ListingsEvery week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, alexsl More About: Brazen Careerist, care2, DeviantArt, job search series, jobs, multiply, professional networking, tumblr, Ziggs
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| Driverless Cars of the Future Are Here Now [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 19 Feb 2012 01:02 PM PST Driverless cars? That’s some kind of futuristic fantasy, right? Think again. Driverless car technology has taken giant leaps in the past few years — in fact, you might see one driving right next to you any day now. This tech won’t come a moment too soon, either. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), distracted driving killed 5,474 people in the U.S. in 2009, and that number is only going to get bigger and scarier. As you can see in the infographic below, help is on the way. Even though ingenious autonomous cars are in the research stage right now, within the next few years you’ll be able to buy one for yourself. In fact, a lot of that technology is already finding its way into today’s cars. You’re already familiar with GPS, and many cars now have lane-departure warning systems and can park themselves. The autonomous vehicle sounds spectacular, with the potential to almost eliminate accidents. But the key question: Will people accept the technology? Maybe not at first, but within a couple of decades, I predict we’ll look back at the days of human driving and wonder how we subjected ourselves to such horrific dangers every day. Think about it. This is exciting. Soon, you’ll be able to sit in the driver’s seat and read your iPad on the way to work (oh wait, you’re already doing that?). Or you’ll call your car to pick you up at the airport, just like cowboys used to do when they’d whistle for their horses. Dive into this infographic, and look forward to our driverless future:   Infographic courtesy DanielRosen.com, Google autonomous vehicle pic courtesy Wikipedia Commons
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| Pinterest or Porn-terest? What the Social Network Is Doing to Keep It Clean Posted: 19 Feb 2012 12:24 PM PST   If you've browsed Pinterest's “Everything” categories, you may have come across a scandalous photo or two. And some of you aren't happy about it. The question is: Is the highly public nature of the publishing network itself making this issue problematic? On Friday, we published a poll that asked our community whether they forgave most of Pinterest's nudity as art, or whether they were offended by nude images in general. We found that the majority of people who have encountered such content consider Pinterest's nude content art. Turns out, however, that's not the point. Pinterest's section on Pin Etiquette states, "We do not allow nudity or hateful content." Period. Furthermore, Pinterest's terms of service prohibit “any content that…is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, vulgar or offensive.” Pinterest community manager Enid Hwang elaborates, "Photographic images that depict full-frontal nudity, fully exposed breasts and/or buttocks are not allowed on Pinterest." That pretty much covers all the bases, right? However, Hwang says, "This does not apply to sculptures, paintings, and other mediums." For some, Pinterest's highly artistic space blurs the lines between acceptable and prohibited content. Many Pinterest users share images of nudity that they consider art, not pornography, whether that's a photograph of a woman resting in a bathtub, revealing her breasts, or an abstract painting of a person's back and buttocks. However, Pinterest insists that all content should be kept appropriate for general audiences. "Taste is personal and everyone’s definition of art and pornographic content is subjective, so our policy is based on a purely objective standard." The TOS of social networks such as Pinterest and Facebook are are fairly standard, and modeled after those set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for broadcasters, which restricts publication of "obscenity, indecency and profanity."
Again, according to its TOS, Pinterest strives to restrict all obscene and offensive content. The decision is due to many factors, one of which likely has to do with Pinterest's inherently public nature: Most anyone can create a Pinterest profile and immediately start browsing to her heart's content — that is, if she's over the age of 13. Still, people are concerned that younger children may be able to create a Pinterest account, and subsequently, view nudity on the network. (A Consumer Reports survey estimated that 7.5 million Facebook users are under 13, despite an identical age policy.) That's not all Facebook and Pinterest have in common in terms of censorship. Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities states that users "will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence." Hwang addresses the similarities between Facebook's and Pinterest's policies, and the two networks' subsequent processes for removing offensive content. "Our flagging system is similar to Facebook’s: We rely on users to report content by using the Report button available next to each Pin. After a user selects a reason for the flag and submits the report, the Pin is removed from general views such as our 'Everything' feed. The Pin remains on its designated board unless removed by an administrator. "Flagged Pins are automatically sent to our review-queue and from there, they’re manually reviewed. If a Pin is removed, the original Pin and all Repins are taken down and the Pinners involved are sent a notification about the deletion that contains a link to the source for their personal use." So, if you're wondering whether that “artistic” photo of your boyfriend in the shower is going to cut it, chances are, not for long. "The majority of pins are flagged correctly and community-policing is effective for us," says Hwang. "We also have internal tools we’re iterating on to make review more efficient." And while it remains to be seen whether the site will soon explode into pornographic mayhem and be subsequently firewalled at the office, for now, things seem relatively under control. On the other hand, if "art" is in the eyes of the beholder, does that mean "porn" is too? More About: Facebook, features, pinterest, porn, terms of service, trending
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| Is This Our First Peek at the iPad 3? [PICS] Posted: 19 Feb 2012 11:25 AM PST   Chinese blog Apple Daily claims to have leaked pictures of the iPad 3 before Apple officially planned to give its own sneak peek in early March. The unconfirmed photos of the iPad 3 look similar to the iPad 2, but Apple Daily reports the iPad 3 will have a quad-core Apple A6 processor and 4G. The iPad 2 has 3G connectivity and a 1 Gigahertz dual-core Apple A5 processor. Here’s Apple Daily’s comparison of the three iPads:
Apple Daily says the iPad 3 will have a 9.7-inch Retina Display — the same size as the iPad 2′s screenbut with 2048×1536 resolution instead of 1024×768 — and the case allegedly has an 8-megapixel camera on the outer corner. MacRumors confirmed the Retina Display last week. The case has been improved and the screen resolution is the same as the screen on the iPhone 4S. We’re not sure if these iPad 3 pictures are real, but take a look for yourself. We will find out the truth on March 7 when Apple shows off the new tablet. Bonus Gallery: Inside the iPad 3 Back Casing: iPad 3 vs. iPad 2 This photo allegedly shows the back of the iPad 3, which suggests more room for battery, a different camera and a new LCD. Credit: Repair Labs Click here to view this gallery. Photos courtesy of Apple Daily More About: apple, ipad 3, leaked, trending
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| After 16 Months, ‘Don is Back’ in Mad Men Teaser [VIDEO] Posted: 19 Feb 2012 10:45 AM PST
It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen Don Draper in action. Due to contractual negotiations between series creator Matthew Weiner and AMC, Mad Men season 5 will premiere on March 25th — nearly a year and a half after the Season 4 finale. Mad Men won its fourth Emmy Award for “Best Drama” at the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in September. Mad Men is set in the 1960s and tells the story of Don Draper, a secretive and morally ambiguous advertising executive. Image courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment More About: mad men, television, Video, YouTube For more Entertainment coverage:
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| What New Yorkers Think of the Samsung Galaxy Note [VIDEO] Posted: 19 Feb 2012 10:06 AM PST In the dreamworld of a Super Bowl commercial, the Samsung Galaxy Note isn’t just a hot new phone — it’s pure gadget ambrosia, inspiring legions of everyday people to abandon their iPhones for the Note’s extra-large screen, speedy 4G LTE connection and “awesome” stylus. It’s fantasy, of course, but does it even have a kernel of truth? We checked out the Galaxy Note earlier this week, yet somehow we weren’t moved to scream from the rooftops how it changed our lives. But that could be just us. We decided to take to the streets of Manhattan to give the Samsung Galaxy Note a chance to recreate its Super Bowl glory. Could the Note melt through the built-in skepticism of New Yorkers and persuade them to smile, cheer and perhaps break into song? Or would it provoke feelings of confusion or even disgust at its massive size and retro stylus? The video above reveals all. If, after watching, you want to try out the Samsung Galaxy Note for yourself, just head over to your nearest AT&T store. The Note goes on sale today for the tidy sum of $299 with a two-year contract. Hey, the biggest smartphone ever — with an incredibly fast mobile Internet connection — doesn’t come cheap. At least they throw in a stylus for free. Enjoyed the video? Love, hate or are indifferent to the Galaxy Note? Discuss in the comments. Video shot and edited by Brandon Smith More About: 4g lte, Galaxy Note, LTE, mashable video, samsung, Samsung Galaxy Note, smartphones, stylus, Super Bowl For more Mobile coverage:
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| How an African Chief Uses Twitter to Keep the Peace Posted: 19 Feb 2012 09:04 AM PST   An African administrative chief uses Twitter to help solve problems and maintain order in his Kenyan village, showing another example of how social media has evolved beyond wired metropolises to reach even the most previously unconnected corners of the globe. Chief Francis Kariuki — or, @Chiefkariuki, as he’s known online — tweets to defeat thugs and thieves, locate missing children and farm animals, and organize village logistical matters, according to the Associated Press. In one example reported by the AP, criminals were raiding a school teacher’s home at 4 a.m. until Kariuki intervened via Twitter. After receiving a phone tip, Kariuki sent a tweet that mobilized village residents to gather outside the teacher’s house and scare the robbers away. In another example, Kariuki used Twitter to organize a rescue operation after a man fell into a latrine pit. "There is a brown and white sheep which has gone missing with a nylon rope around its neck and it belongs to Mwangi’s father," Kariuki tweeted recently in Swahili to help locate a wayward sheep, in another instance the AP cites. Chief Kariuki lives in Lanet Umoja, about 160 miles west of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Kariuki tells the AP that, although he has just over 400 followers, his messages are able to reach thousands of the area’s 28,000 residents. Many of those citizens are subsistence farmers who access his tweets via forwarded text messages or a third-party mobile application that works without a smartphone, Kariuki says. "Twitter has helped save time and money. I no longer have to write letters or print posters which take time to distribute and are expensive," Mr. Kariuki tells the AP. He says his Twitter activity has helped decrease the crime rate to virtually nil in recent weeks, compared to prior reports of break-ins nearly every day. Here are a couple of examples of Kariuki’s tweets:
Kariuki also uses Twitter to spread upbeat, inspirational messages such as this one:
With Kariuki’s smart and effective use of Twitter, it appears to be a new day indeed in Lanet Umoja. What are the most interesting or unexpected examples of social media use that you’ve heard of? Let us know in the comments. BONUS GALLERY: Twitter’s Most Remarkable Tweet Stories of 2011@Ghonim Online activist and Google executive Wael Ghonim became a hero for Egypt's anti-government movement after he sent a tweet that would forever change his life: "I said one year ago that the Internet will change the political scene in Egypt and some friends made fun of me." Ghonim was later blindfolded and detained for 12 days for organizing protests against the Mubarak government. His disappearance became a main focus of the protests in Cairo. After he was released he said, "If you want to liberate a government, give them the Internet." Click here to view this gallery. More About: Mobile, Social Good, Social Media, Twitter For more Mobile coverage:
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| 10 Most-Followed Users on Pinterest Posted: 19 Feb 2012 07:56 AM PST 1. Jane Wang   2,389,154 Followers Click here to view this gallery. Zoomsphere has released a list of the 10 most-followed users on Pinterest. The most popular user? Co-founder Ben Silbermann’s mom, Jane Wang. Although Pinterest has not been able to confirm that the account is in fact run by Silbermann’s mother, we do know that is his mother’s name. A look at her Facebook profile, which is linked to her Pinterest profile, further indicates Wang’s identity: She is friends with several other members of the Silbermann family, including Ben, and is a fan of just about everything Pinterest on Facebook. Interestingly, the profile had made its way onto a number of “top users to follow on Pinterest” lists, all apparently unaware of Wang’s biological tie to the founder. Beyond Wang and Pinterest’s two co-founders, the rest of the top 10 are a little more diverse. Five identify themselves as designers of various stripes, one is a style blogger and one is a marketer. We were impressed with the number of followers these users were able to attract, particularly because 1) many users prefer to follow individual boards, rather than users; and 2) Pinterest offers few user discovery options compared to other social media services. Users usually have to do a fair bit of clicking through to locate and then follow the original source of a pin, and the service doesn’t yet offer up recommendations on whom to follow. Zoomsphere CEO Jakub Mach says the data was compiled with the aid of web crawlers, since Pinterest has not yet made an API publicly available. See above for a preview of the top 10 accounts. We also encourage you to check out some of our favorite Pinterest users. More About: features, pinterest, Social Media, trending For more Social Media coverage:
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| How to Create Animated GIFs With Your Smartphone Posted: 19 Feb 2012 07:11 AM PST 1. GifBoom   The free app we're using is "GifBoom: Animated GIF Camera" from TapMojo. It is available for both the iPhone and Android phones. Click here to view this gallery. Did you know you can whip up tasty animated GIFs on your iPhone or Android handset, in seconds, free? We’ve found a superb app that will help you animate photographs and GIF-icize video. Whether you want to join in with a popular meme, give a social avatar a bit of motion enhancement or just create something that will make your friends laugh, we have a super-simple way to do it. Take a look through the gallery for our easy-peasy walkthrough. Just remember to use your newly-found, GIF-making superpowers wisely! More About: android, Android apps, apple, features, iphone, iphone apps, iphotography, photo editing, photography, trending
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