Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Acer Launches Sleek Iconia Tablet With Beautiful HD Display”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Acer Launches Sleek Iconia Tablet With Beautiful HD Display”


Acer Launches Sleek Iconia Tablet With Beautiful HD Display

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 05:02 AM PDT




Acer Iconia Tab 700


PC manufacturer Acer launched on Wednesday its latest Android tablet to hit the market, boasting an HD display and a series of powerful specs.

The 32GB Iconia Tab A700 tablet -- which is currently available for pre-sale in U.S. and Canada for $449.99 -- runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google's latest mobile operating system.

Available in black and silver, the tablet features a 10.1-inch full HD 1080p backlit display that produces beautiful images and HD video, with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution that's 55% higher in pixel density than many other tablets on the market.

Powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, the sleek device caters to fast web-browsing. Other spe… Continue reading...

More About: Acer, android, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Mobile, tablets


Twitter’s Tailored Trends and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 04:43 AM PDT




Social Media News


Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Twitter Announces Tailored Trends

Twitter has announced it has improved its algorithms to display tailored trends to users, based on their location and who they're following on Twitter.

The tailored trends will appear to users by default on Twitter's web site as well as Twitter's mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Users who want to revert back to the "standard" trend list can do so by changing their location on twitter.com.

This new feature will gradually be rolled to u… Continue reading...

More About: features, first to know series, mashable, Twitter


Apple Introduces ‘Radical’ MacBook Pro in New Ad [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 04:06 AM PDT




Apple Introduces ‘Radical’ MacBook Pro in New Ad [VIDEO]


It's been a while since Apple devoted a TV spot to a Mac product, but the company has now decided to give the star treatment to its new MacBook Pro with Retina display.

The ad, by longtime Apple ad agency TBWA|Media Arts Lab, features the usual product-as-hero theme common to many Apple ads. "The radical new MacBook Pro with Retina display," narrator Peter Coyote says over a shot of the MacBook Pro displaying high-res photos of waves and other colorful images. Then the camera reveals the laptop's thin silhouette to set up the double-entendre: "Innovation in every dimension."

Interested? Well, first you'll have to get at least $2,200 together. We're sure that that won't be a proble… Continue reading...

More About: Advertising, apple, Macbook Pro


GPS Bracelets Keep Track of Seniors with Alzheimer’s

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:46 AM PDT




GPS Bracelets Keep Track of Seniors with Alzheimer’s


Last summer, an elderly woman in Brookline, Mass. disappeared overnight. When she was found, the 60-year-old resident was wandering in her bathrobe and slippers in a front yard 6 miles away in neighboring West Roxbury. Incidents like this one have helped spark the Brookline Homesafe Program, a new initiative by area police which will make it easier to find residents with Alzheimer's or dementia who have become separated from their families.

For $30 a month, residents receive a GPS bracelet that can be tracked remotely. Families can give the bracelets to elderly relatives who might wander off. If the wearer is reported missing, the police can use th… Continue reading...


Apple to Retire Ping With the Next iTunes [REPORT]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:11 AM PDT





Apple's social network Ping will be gone in the next release of iTunes, All Things Digital reports citing sources close to the company.

Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that Apple has all but given up on Ping in May, though he didn't precisely say whether Apple will kill the service.

"We tried Ping and I think the customer voted and said this isn't something I want to put a lot of energy into," said Cook.

Unlike Apple's hardware and software products, most of which have been tremendously successful in the last couple of years, the company's social network has been poorly received from the very beginning.

Besides the fact it was available only to a limited subset of iTunes users… Continue reading...

More About: apple, Ping


Tay Zonday Sings ‘Call Me Maybe’

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 10:31 PM PDT




Tay Zonday Sings ‘Call Me Maybe’


Well, it's happened. The Internet has swallowed itself.

Tay Zonday of "Chocolate Rain" fame has finally thrown his hat into the ring with a cover of the meme-tastic Carly Rae Jepsen single "Call Me Maybe."

Kudos, Mr. Zonday, on three-and-a-half fresh minutes of YouTube magic.

Be sure to check out these other great versions in this week's YouTube Cover Song Face-Off:

Via Reddit.

More About: Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen, funny, tay zonday, viral, viral videos, YouTube


Samsung TecTiles: Wireless Stickers With Secret Phone Powers

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 09:05 PM PDT




samsung-tectiles-640


Near-field communication (NFC) is joined at the hip with the concept of mobile payments, or buying things via cellphone. But the tech actually has many more applications, and Samsung wants owners of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone to discover -- and perhaps even create -- some of those novel uses of NFC with a product called TecTiles.

TecTiles are tiny little stickers with a simple NFC tag inside. Although they look identical, each one is unique, letting users "program" the sticker to have a specific response whenever any device with an NFC chip is floated over it (NFC only works at extremely short ranges).

How does one do that? Users can program TecTiles via an app th… Continue reading...

More About: nfc, samsung, Samsung Galaxy S III, TecTiles


5 Re-Commerce Sites That Will Buy Back Your Old Mac

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 08:37 PM PDT


1. Gazelle




Got an old MacBook that's ready to meet its next owner? You could be looking at a fresh $635 in your pocket. That's the average trade-in value for MacBooks of all generations, models and conditions. If you've got a newer model or have kept your computer in killer mint condition, you could receive even more. Gazelle payments can be made by check, Amazon gift card or PayPal. Following the announcements at WWDC, Gazelle saw a 1,400% increase in MacBook trades over the previous week and a 90% increase in average trade-in value (most likely due to later model MacBooks being traded in). There was also a 581% increase in MacBook trades on Gazelle from the hour before the announcement to the hour thereafter. In other words, get in there! All the cool kids are doing it! Other products that Gazelle will trade include gadgets from Apple, Blackberry, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG and Nokia.

Click here to view this gallery.




5 Re-Commerce Sites That Will Buy Back Your Old Mac


Did your mouth water, your jaw drop and your eyes bulge over the beautiful new retina display MacBook that Apple announced at Monday's Worldwide Developer's Conference? Yeah, us too. As for the $2,199 starting price point? Well, pixels are pricey, especially when there's 5 million of them.

But there is hope. Supplement your purchase of a stylish new gadget with money you've earned from selling the old ones.

First of all, don't bother with eBay — the site is overloaded with used tech. At last check, there were 51,000 listings for MacBook Pros and 15,000 listings for MacBook Airs. Your gadget might get overlooked in the clutter.

SEE ALSO: 5 Re-Commerce Sites That Will Buy Back YouContinue reading...

More About: apple, features, ipad, lifestyle, macbook, resell, Tech, wwdc


120 Hilarious Seconds of Models Falling on Runways [VIDEO]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 08:14 PM PDT




120 Hilarious Seconds of Models Falling on Runways [VIDEO]


We all know Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down. Runway models sure do, though.

Comedy engine Worldwide Interweb rounded up the most epic tumbles in the above video and used Joe Crocker's "You Are So Beautiful" to set the mood.

You'll see models falling into a pool, stumbling and face-planting. You'll even see one model from TV show America's Next Top Model -- which recently added online voting for season 19 -- get whacked by a pendulum.

SEE ALSO: Augmented Reality App Lets You Wet Models' Clothes [VIDEO]

Try NOT laughing during the two-minute clip. We dare you.

More About: humor, models, trending, viral videos


100 Billion Popped Bubbles Later: Zynga’s Bubble Safari Tops Facebook Gaming Chart

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 07:44 PM PDT


Zynga launched Bubble Safari a little over a month ago, and now 100 billion popped bubbles later it has earned the title as the fastest-growing Facebook game out there based on monthly active users according to AppData.

The game has an astounding 14,800,000 monthly active users, and gained 10.6 million of those users over just the past week.

Bubble Safari is the first game to debut from Zynga San Diego, and the first Zynga game that launched simultaneously on Zynga.com and Facebook. The game falls under Zynga's new arcade umbrella, and is a bubble shooter game with an arcade twist.

"Bubble Safari is new turf for Zynga. It's our first pure arcade game," Mark Turmell, senior cre… Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, Zynga


The Beginner’s Guide to Social Media

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 07:20 PM PDT

Whether it's keeping up on the latest web memes on Reddit or Tumblr, following your favorite comedians on Twitter, profesionally networking on LinkedIn, or staying in touch with college friends on Facebook, social media has become an integrated and constant part of our everyday lives.

To digital natives, it may be difficult to imagine a world where these tools aren't at our fingertips, but the fact is, new users join these services every day. For the uninitiated, check out our beginner's guides to get started on Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn and Facebook.

1. The Beginner's Guide to Tumblr





This micro-blogging platform brings together bloggers, brands and tastemakers. Wheth… Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, linkedin, reddit, Social Media, tumblr, Twitter


HTC Will Acquire S3 Graphics, Improve Its Patent Portfolio

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 06:43 PM PDT





HTC has reportedly decided to complete its purchase of S3 Graphics, an acquisition that will help it better its position in its patent fight with Apple.

HTC's general counsel, Grace Lei reportedly announced company's plans to acquire S3 Graphics during the company's annual shareholders' general meeting.

"We think S3's patent portfolio is valid and strong, and we have decided to complete the purchase of S3 after cautious assessment," she said.

S3 currently owns around 270 patents, some of which are licensed out to other companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. The acquisition will give HTC control over those patents, which will better its position in its patent-based lawsuits,… Continue reading...

More About: apple, htc, S3 Graphics


Will Anyone Actually Watch the Olympics Online? [STUDY]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 06:10 PM PDT





The 2012 Summer Olympics will be more socially and digitally connected than any before -- there's no question there.

But will sports fans take advantage of the surfeit of streaming video options available this July and August? One recent study predicts online viewing engagement will actually be quite low.

According to research by the sports media group Perform, just 16% of American sports fans plan to watch the action online via PC, and just 7% plan to do so by Internet-enabled mobile device. This despite the fact that NBCOlympics.com will stream every event from every sport as well as every medal ceremony -- 3,500 hours all told.

71% of Americans plan to watch the Games on TV the… Continue reading...

More About: olympics, streaming video, YouTube


Turn Home Devices On and Off Remotely With Plug-Connected App

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:54 PM PDT




Turn Home Devices On and Off Remotely With Plug-Connected App


Think you left the coffee machine on when you left the house? Now you can turn it off with a simple plugin and mobile app that syncs and controls your home devices.

A new Kickstarter project called Elphi aims to help you keep control of appliances when you're not around. The device plugs in to any electrical outlet and syncs with appliances via its iPhone and Android app. Not only can you turn devices on and off, you can also check power activity. This means if you're monitoring an elderly grandparent, you can see when they turned on the light in the morning.

The products you want to control must be plugged into the Elphi plug, so if you want to… Continue reading...

More About: android, iphone, Mobile


The Oatmeal’s Viral Lawsuit Fundraiser Surpasses $120,000

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 05:18 PM PDT





The battle of copyright infringement between FunnyJunk and the Oatmeal has turned a potential lawsuit into a philanthropic campaign that's raised more than $120,000 in less than 24 hours.

The fundraiser sparked from a public dispute that started almost a year ago. Matthew Inman, Oatmeal comic artist, publicly complained on his blog about FunnyJunk and other image hosting sites that allow uncredited ad-serving images of his work.

"It's kind of a new business model where you just collect images from the Internet, submitted to a blog by users or you, then make a living from the ad revenue," Inman said. "None of the work on there belongs to them."

FunnyJunk responded by sending Inman a… Continue reading...

More About: comics, indiegogo, lawsuit, The Oatmeal


6 Hot Trends Driving Men’s Ecommerce

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 04:36 PM PDT





When it comes to ecommerce categories like grooming and fashion, the women's market has long been the focus of marketers. And who can blame them. Women historically make upwards of 80% of the purchase decisions in the home, they're statistically more active online, and tend to maintain longer session times on websites. Plus, they're natural 'window shoppers' -- in the physical and virtual world.

That said, in the past year, the men's ecommerce market has seen more than a half dozen ecommerce launches, including Mr. Porter, Birchbox Man, and Dollar Shave Club. Here are the six major trends driving this growth.

1. Purchase Power
Five years ago, the number of male-focused… Continue reading...

More About: contributor, e-commerce, features, Marketing, trending


Bronx Zoo Monkey Protests Budget Cuts With iPad

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 04:14 PM PDT




Bronx Zoo Monkey Protests Budget Cuts With iPad


Don't give the apes a reason to rise against mankind.

A video released by the Bronx Zoo depicts Chewy, one of the zoo's pygmy marmosets, appealing to viewers to sign a petition to prevent City Hall from slashing its allotted budget drastically this year. The 58% budget cut would also affect the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. The video was posted to the Wildlife Conservation Society's YouTube page, as well as the Bronx Zoo website.

The Bronx Zoo is no stranger to scrimping and saving. In 2009, the zoo closed three exhibits and laid off 186 employees. (As they so eloquently put it at the time, "We don't have the luxury of firing the walrus"). The current budget reduction was initi… Continue reading...

More About: ipad, new york, new york city, viral videos


FTC Issues First Internet Data Fine

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:52 PM PDT





The Federal Trade Commission slapped data collection firm Spokeo with an $800,000 fine on Tuesday for collecting details about people's lives and selling them to would-be employers without protecting those individuals' privacy.

It's the first FTC fine involving personal data collected online and sold to potential employers.

The FTC argued in the case that Spokeo was running as a "consumer reporting agency" that violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by not checking if the data it collected was accurate or would be used for legally permissible purposes.

Spokeo also violated the FCRA by failing to notify people who were rejected from a potential job because of data it sold to… Continue reading...

More About: data collection, Marketing, privacy, US


Hands-On First Impressions of iOS 6

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:24 PM PDT


iPad Siri




The iPad has Siri!

Click here to view this gallery.




Hands-On First Impressions of iOS 6


At WWDC 2012, Apple unveiled the next generation of iOS. iOS 6 sports more than 200 new features and upgrades -- including the new Apple Maps, deep Facebook integration and improvements to Siri.

Although iOS 6 won't be available on compatible devices until sometime this fall, the first beta build is currently available to developers. We've installed iOS 6 on our new iPad (64GB Verizon LTE model) and poked around with the new features.

While it is clear that this is a beta -- certain features aren't fully baked, and there is some crashing and inconsistency with a few existing apps -- it's equally clear that this is a solid OS update.

SEE ALSO: iOS 6: Everything You Need to KnowContinue reading...

More About: apple, apple maps, Facebook, features, iOS 6, ipad, iphone, siri, trending


First Look: Huffington Post to Launch Weekly Longform Magazine

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:10 PM PDT





The Huffington Post is exploring beyond its free, ad-supported content model with the launch of a weekly longform tablet magazine Thursday.

Huffington magazine will debut exclusively on the iPad with both a free preview issue (pictured right) and a first issue, which costs $0.99. Future issues will be released on Fridays and can be purchased for $0.99 apiece, or through a $1.99-per-month subscription following a one-month free trial.

The issues, which I inspected at AOL's headquarters in Manhattan Tuesday, contain two to three longform features authored largely, proportionately speaking, by writers poached over the last year from The New York Times, including Peter Goodman and Lisa BelContinue reading...


Why Sweden Was Right to Hand Over Its Twitter Account

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:06 PM PDT





Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

On the Internet, as the famous New Yorker cartoon put it, no one knows you're a dog. But if you're a nutcase, that's another story.

For instance, it became apparent pretty quickly this week that Sonja Abrahamsson is either a little unhinged or aspires to be a Sarah Silverman-style shock comic. Some evidence: a stream of controversial and ignorant statements about Jews, her photo of "strawberries with milk and urine" -- and quotes such as this one:

People say all kinds of weird things on Twitter. But Abrahamsson did so in the voice of @sweden, that country's official Twitter account.

Last week, few people noticed what @sweden was tweeting about. But a June 10 New York TimContinue reading...

More About: Marketing, sweden, Twitter


Which City Is Most Stressed Out?

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 02:43 PM PDT





Los Angeles, not New York, is truly the city that never sleeps -- at least according to the digital evidence.

In a recent analysis of social media and search behaviors, Los Angeles Internet users were the most likely to mention that they "can't sleep" or are "tired."

The analysis, which was conducted by mattress-maker Beautyrest, tallied activity around about 50 keywords related to sleep, physical health and mental health for one year. It then adjusted for city population to make a fair comparison.

Los Angeles may sleep least, but Las Vegas is the worst-off when it comes to needing a break overall. The overall runner-up is Miami, followed by Austin, Atlanta and Durham.

New York… Continue reading...

More About: stress, Twitter


Heat vs. Thunder: The NBA Finals of Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 02:14 PM PDT




Heat vs. Thunder: The NBA Finals of Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC]


The 2012 NBA Finals tip off Tuesday night with a hugely intriguing matchup between LeBron James's Miami Heat and Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.

The series may go seven games before we know who deserves the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, but the pre-series results are already in as far as the Twittershere is concerned -- and the Heat win in a rout.

Over the course of the playoffs, the Heat have been mentioned about 750,000 times compared to about 285,000 mentions for the Thunder. Heat players, meanwhile, count about twice as many cumulative followers as the Thunder.

The social media analytics company PeopleBrowsr recently pulled this data and more using its Kred influen… Continue reading...

More About: NBA, sports, trending, Twitter


Zynga Brings ‘Draw Something’ to China, But Will It Help?

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 02:01 PM PDT





Social game company Zynga announced Tuesday that Draw Something was being made available in 12 new languages, including simplified and traditional Chinese, on all platforms.

The announcement comes as Zynga tries to fight against dramatically declining use of the app. While Draw Something's rise was meteoric, hitting 50 million downloads in 50 days, its popularity hasn't proven to have staying power.

Zynga has decided to open the app up to a much wider audience though. Draw Something is now available for these languages in the App Store and on Google Play: French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, simplified and traditional Chinese, K… Continue reading...

More About: Draw something, mobile apps, mobile gaming, sina weibo, Zynga


Magazine Cover Saying Rachael Ray Cooks Dog Goes Viral — But It’s Fake

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 01:51 PM PDT




Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog


An image of a Tails magazine cover featuring celebrity chef Rachael Ray and a jaw-dropping teaser -- "Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog" -- has gone viral on Facebook.

Many people thought Tails forgot to use commas in the blurb.

The magazine cover is fake, though, Tails assured in a blog post Tuesday:

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and we do love a Tails cover gone viral! However, the circulating cover from October 2010, featuring our friend and all-time animal lover, Rachael Ray, was indeed Photoshopped. We want to assure anyone who has stumbled upon the cover, that the image being circulated is in fact an unauthorized ALTERED… Continue reading...

More About: animals, family, humor, magazines, Media, pets, trending, viral


Spotify’s Upgraded Android App Now Available in Google Play

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 01:40 PM PDT




Spotify Android App - 480


Music streaming service Spotify has rolled out a series of updates for its Android app, including a faster, sleeker user interface and greater social integration.

The news comes two months after Spotify first announced the redesign of the revamped Android app was as a preview app. It officially hit the Google Play store on Tuesday and is available for free download.

The new app features slide-out navigation, the ability to check out friends' profile pages and playlists on the go and a significant upgrade in sound quality. It also comes with full support of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Spotify Android app also includes artist imagery in high resolution and a related arti… Continue reading...

More About: android, apps, Google, Google Play, Music, smartphones, spotify


Zynga Stock Drops Below $5 — Facebook Gaming Decline to Blame? [POLL]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 01:26 PM PDT





Nasdaq halted short-sales of Zynga stock Tuesday after shares of the company dropped an astounding 11.8%, falling below $5 a share for the first time.

The stock price drop is thought to be due in part to a decline of interest in Facebook games.

The news came from a report published by an analyst at Cowen & Co Tuesday morning that claims the market for Facebook games has hit a "negative inflation point." Cowen says gamers are turning to smartphone apps, rather than playing via Facebook.

Zynga has a strong mobile presence, with apps such as Draw Something and Words With Friends. However, its core business is still in Facebook games such as Farmville.

SEE ALSO: Zynga Wants ToContinue reading...

More About: Facebook, Gaming, Zynga


iPhone with Built-In Facebook: Will it Lead to Oversharing?

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 01:14 PM PDT




Apple iOS Facebook Integration - 600


Apple's forthcoming software update for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will make it a whole lot easier for Facebook members to post to the site. But does that put you (or your friends) in danger of oversharing?

During Apple's keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall announced that the company's mobile iOS 6 software -- in beta now -- will feature deep Facebook integration.

Here's how it works: After upgrading an iOS device to the latest software, Facebook will appear as a setting inside iOS 6. Users who sign-in to Facebook via iOS will have access to the social network within many most-used apps including c… Continue reading...

More About: apple, Facebook, iOS 5, iOS 6, Mountain Lion, os x mountain lion


How ‘Uncle Drew’ Went from Viral YouTube Hit to NBA Finals Ad [VIDEO]

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 12:50 PM PDT




How ‘Uncle Drew’ Went from Viral YouTube Hit to NBA Finals Ad [VIDEO]


Basketball fans watching the first few games of the NBA Finals this week will probably see a familiar character pop up during commercial breaks. His name is Uncle Drew, and he's an old geezer whose crossover dribbles break ankles, and whose powerful dunks rattle rims.

But here's what fans who see the ad on ABC probably don't know: The video was never intended for broadcast in the first place. Pepsi had little choice but to buy some prime ad time after seeing its short spot go mega-viral online, gaining nearly 10 million YouTube views in three weeks.

Here's the premise of the original five-minute ad: A young basketball player in New Jersey brings his ancient, bespectacled and grey… Continue reading...

More About: Advertising, Marketing, NBA, sports, viral, YouTube


Why Fans Share and How Brands Can Capitalize On It

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 12:38 PM PDT





At fMC 2012, Facebook's first conference for marketers, Facebook global head of brand design Paul Adams presented one of the most important talks of the entire event. In the session, "What People Share and Why," Adams suggested that people are not necessarily predisposed to this behavior. "If you look at likes, comments and shares, there are a lot more likes and comments," Adams said. "This is because sharing isn't natural. Talking is much more natural and brands should focus on talking: why we talk, how we talk, who we talk to, and what we talk about."

Adams then outlined four main reasons why people share. They are: to make life easier, to build relationships, to h… Continue reading...

More About: brands, contributor, features, Marketing, online marketing


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