Thursday, June 14, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Sick of Video Buffering Over Wi-Fi? This Router Can Do Something About It”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Sick of Video Buffering Over Wi-Fi? This Router Can Do Something About It”


Sick of Video Buffering Over Wi-Fi? This Router Can Do Something About It

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:13 AM PDT




Have you ever been watching a Hulu video on your iPad when someone in your house starts downloading a big file, reducing your weekly dose of Hell's Kitchen to a paralyzed "buffering" screen? That's a problem Western Digital aims to solve with its My Net Wi-Fi routers -- the first networking products from the company -- which can prioritize video traffic.

WD calls the tech FasTrack, and it analyzes your data stream in real time to ensure that specific entertainment sources get to be first in line in your Wi-Fi network. Besides Hulu, the router can identify video traffic from Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, Xbox Live, Skype and others. And it's not just video -- games are given the VIP treatmen…
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More About: hulu, netflix, routers, Western Digital, wi-fi, YouTube


Acer Reveals Details About World’s Thinnest Ultrabook

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:04 AM PDT




PC manufacturer Acer revealed more details on Thursday about its razor-thin, elegantly-designed Aspire S5 ultrabook device, which will become the world's thinnest ultrabook computer.

Weighing in at just 2.65 pounds, the Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook is just 0.44 inches at its thinnest spot and 0.59 at the thickest. Ultrabooks — which are ultra-slim laptops typically under 0.8 inches thick – have become increasingly popular among manufacturers and consumers, giving on-the-go users a lightweight, full-computer alternative.

Although the Aspire S5 was first announced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January, details about the device's configurations have been limited. The device…
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More About: Acer, android, smartphone, smartphones, Tablet, tablets, Ultrabooks


Digital Dads Are Plugging In, Getting Social [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:51 AM PDT




Do you consider yourself to be a "digital dad?" If you use social media to connect with your kids or other parents, count yourself as part of this savvy group.

With Father's Day around the corner, Euro RSCG Worldwide asked 1,000 dads across the U.S. how the Internet and social media has affected their parenting style, dividing the respondents into groups of "digital dads" and "Average Joes."

The survey shows dads are plugging in just as much as their teens. In fact, 62% of digital dads say they're more tech-savvy than the average 15-year-old. Similarly, more than three-quarters of digital dads and 57% of Average Joes use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other sites to monitor their kid…
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More About: Facebook, parenting, Twitter


Restaurant Industry Is Leading the Pack in Mobile Adoption [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:36 AM PDT




The restaurant and food industry is embracing the mobile movement more than other business sectors, according to a new infographic.

DudaMobile, a service that makes websites mobile ready, found that 28% of small to medium-sized businesses in the restaurant and food industry have a mobile-friendly site, from pizzerias and bakeries to food trucks.

This category is far more advanced than other industries looking to reach out to smartphone users, including professional services such as locksmiths and attorneys (16%), health and wellness including spas and salons (10%), travel and tourism such as hotels (8%) and automobile/transportation (6%). Retailer was number six on the list (5%) for s…
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More About: Business, ipad, iphone, Mobile, smartphones, technology


Nokia’s Restructuring and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 04:11 AM PDT




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.

Nokia Sells Vertu, Announces Major Layoffs

Nokia has announced it will close its factories in Finland, Germany and Canada and lay off up to 10,000 workers before the end of 2013.

The company has also shuffled a couple of its key executives, and sold its luxury phone brand Vertu to private equity group EQT VI.

Amongst all these cuts, the Finnish giant managed to find the funds for an acquisition. Nokia will acquire specialists, technologies and intellectual property from…
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More About: features, first to know series, mashable, microsoft, Nokia, samsung, yammer


Computers Won’t Rot Your Brain — Just Make Sure to Exercise [VIDEO]

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:54 AM PDT




Staring at a computer screen for hours on end won't rot your brain -- if you get enough exercise. A recent Mayo Clinic survey of nearly 1,000 people between the ages of 70 and 93 showed computer use combined with regular exercise actually keeps the brain sharper than just exercise or computer use alone.

"36% were cognitively normal, while only 18& had MCI," reported the Atlantic. The group that said they neither exercise nor use a computer showed greater decline of cognitive abilities with 20% having normal cognition, and almost 37% having mild cognitive impairment.

SEE ALSO: Internet Overuse Could Cause Structural Brain Damage [STUDY]

This g…
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More About: computer, health, internet


Mobile App Lets You Document and Report Police Stop-and-Frisk Abuse

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:40 AM PDT




The New York Civil Liberties Union is arming city residents and visitors with an app called Stop and Frisk Watch that records video, audio and GPS data. The civil rights defender group urges citizens to chronicle illegal stops, racial profiling and inappropriate searches by police officers.

The Stop and Frisk Watch is available for free on Google Play. The iOS app will be available by the end of July, says the NYCLU.

The app was developed by Brooklyn-based Jason Van Anden, the creator of the I'm Getting Arrested Android app inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement last year.

The NYCLU was inspired by the I'm Getting Arrested app and its ability to connect protestors, in the mid…
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More About: Mobile, new york city, Social Media


This Machine Will Print You An Edible Burrito [VIDEO]

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:22 AM PDT




Internet, meet Burritob0t. The creation of Tisch School of the Arts student Marko Manriquez, the BurritoB0t is a machine that prints burritos.

Part of Manriquez's master's thesis, the system allows you to place your order via iPhone. Orders can be customized down to how much salsa you'd like on your meal. Customizations are done using slides that can be slid up if you want a ton of something such salsa, or slid down if you want less of an ingredient.

Currently still in beta form, the Burritob0t isn't ready to hit your kitchen or college dorm just yet.

The next step in Manriquez's thesis will look at food as a gastronomic data represntation --…
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More About: 3d printing


Nokia Sells Vertu, Prepares to Lay Off 10,000 Workers

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 01:28 AM PDT




Nokia has announced it will close its factories in Finland, Germany and Canada and lay off up to 10,000 workers before the end of 2013.

In this "sharpening of strategy" Nokia will focus on "products and experiences that make Lumia smartphones stand out and available to more consumers," invest in location-based services (Nokia Maps) and improve the competitiveness and profitability of its feature phone business.

On the cutting side, besides closing the R&D facilities in Ulm, Germany, Burnaby, Canada and the manufacturing facility in Salo, Finland (the R&D efforts in Salo will continue), Nokia plans to prioritize its key markets, streamline IT, corporate and support functions and reduce…
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More About: Nokia, trending


Businesses: Find, Reward Your Influencers With Yamana

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 08:36 PM PDT




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.

Name: Yamana

Quick Pitch: Companies: Target your most influential fans on Twitter.

Genius Idea: Yamana is the latest product from Twtrland that helps companies pinpoint which Twitterers would be the best fit to promote their products.

Is a viral tweet the modern day smoke signal? Startup Twtrland thinks so. The company just launched a new product called Yamana to work in conjunction with their original service. The product is named after the indigenous people of Tierra del…
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More About: bizspark, Twitter


Apple’s Insanely Great 1986 Clothing Line [PICS]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 08:03 PM PDT




Back in 1986, Apple designers took their talents to the closet creating a catalog full of extra short-shorts and trucker hats with rainbow-shaded Apple logos.

They called it "The Apple Collection."

The idea is far from the modern, sleek, minimalist and timeless design that make Apple products the sensation they are today.

It's hard to imagine the black-turtleneck-loving Steve Jobs sporting these neon tracksuits.

What do you think of these Apple get-ups? Would you wear them? Tell us in the comments.

Images courtesy of Imgur, rickh3255

More About: apple, gallery, steve jobs, viral


Top-Level Domains We Would Love to Own

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 07:39 PM PDT




If you could choose a personalized top-level domain, what would it be?

While big players like Google slug it out for popular potential domains such as ".docs" and ".lol," even forking out $185,000 to the Internet governing body ICANN for each name, others might opt for something a little less mainstream.

We asked members of the Mashable Facebook community for suggestions; they came up with a list of entertaining (and unlikely) domains. After all, who can forget something as quaint as ".iuseapigeonformymail?"

Here are some of our favorites so far. What top-level domain would you like to see on a website? Let us know in the comments.

 

More About: contest, Domain Names, Google


Trololo Meets Metal In this Head-Banging Cover [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 06:26 PM PDT




In response to Eduard Khil's recent passing, Internet users have found creative ways of showing their appreciation for Mr.Trololo's memetastic song.

SEE ALSO: Watch This Drummer Tear Through Pop Music History [VIDEO]

Guitarist Eric Calderone created this metal cover of "Trololo" after receiving a blast of emails last week from fans who were familiar with the song's cameo in his "Rock Me Amadeus" cover.

Although the original song is far from the metal genre, Calderone's impressive cover does it justice.

More About: trololo, viral, viral videos, YouTube


Retina MacBook Destroys Regular MacBook: 15 Eye-Popping Examples

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 06:03 PM PDT


Optimized Images




The images on the Apple website have been optimized for the retina display, and much more detail is visible when you view them on the new MacBook Pro.

Click here to view this gallery.




The new MacBook Pro is here, and by far the most compelling feature is its pixel-rich retina display. The new MacBook packs more than 5 million pixels into a 15-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 screen.

Big numbers -- but just how much do they change what you're looking at? Quite a lot, actually.

Like the iPad before it, the MacBook's jump to retina resolutions makes for a much better visual experience. You can, however, only really tell the difference when you put the Retina MacBook Pro next to an identically sized MacBook Pro from the previous generation.

Luckily, we happen to have one of both here at Mashable for a side-by-side comparison.

The results are palpable. After firing up Safari…
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More About: apple, Macbook Pro, retina display, trending


Facebook to Let Advertisers Bid on Ads Using Your Browser Data

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 05:18 PM PDT





For a company less than ten years old, Facebook has developed some surprisingly sophisticated ways to sell your information to advertisers.

Each time you Like a band, book, restaurant or service, Facebook uses that information to tailor ads that would appeal to you. Now the company is helping its advertisers tune into your external Internet behavior as well.

According to a Bloomberg report Wednesday, a new service called Facebook Exchange will allow advertisers to target users based on their browsing history.

Your computer already remembers your history via cookies. The Facebook Exchange program will place cookies on third-party sites, usually when a user has shown an intent to…
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More About: Advertising, Facebook, facebook exchange, trending


Windows Phone 8 Screenshots Leak, Show Skype Integration and More [REPORT]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 04:53 PM PDT




Microsoft is expected to show off Windows Phone 8 at a developer event next week, however, a few screenshots of the mobile operating system have leaked out a little early.

Acquired by Nokia Innovations, the screenshots show a new camera user interface for Windows Phone with a slider on the left side of the frame for zooming and a button for toggling between the front and rear-facing cameras.

The screenshots also show Windows Phone 8's Skype integration. Skype calls can be answered with or without video, and Skype is integrated into the People Hub, so you can dial a contact using Skype just as you might send a text message or place a traditional phone call.

A DataSmart feature also m…
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More About: Apollo, microsoft, Windows Phone 8


Angry Birds Join NFL’s Eagles in First Team Partnership

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 04:34 PM PDT




The video above shows a cartoon of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid introducing some "very special" new additions to the team. Their names? Red Bird, Bomb Bird, Yellow Bird and "Big Brother Red Bird" Terence, as well as one more mysterious forthcoming bird.

Confused? Here's the deal: Rovio's hit game Angry Birds has joined with the Eagles in its first partnership with a professional sports team. The deal includes an upcoming Eagles-themed version of the game, social media marketing pushes and Angry Birds themed Jumbotron replays, says a Wall Street Journal report.

According to Ari Roitman, the Eagles' senior vice president of business, partnering with Rovio is a key way for…
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More About: angry birds, sports


Is Crowdsourcing the Secret to Creating Innovation in Government?

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 03:51 PM PDT




Are competitions and crowdsourcing the path to bringing government into the 21st century?

The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy certainly thinks so. It hosted an event this week to discuss prize-based contests and recognize successful examples of their use to spur innovation in the government sector -- not a place typically known as being a haven for early adopters.

The idea is simple: If a government agency is presented with a certain challenge (such as, "what do we do with all this data?"), they turn that problem over to the public and say "help us achieve this goal, and win a prize." Prizes can vary, but they're usually some amount of cash to help cover the cost…
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More About: crowdsourcing, innovation, open data, open government, Politics, todd park, US


New App Bridges Communication Gap Between Devs and Small Biz

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 03:26 PM PDT




Small businesses today have many useful sites and products to help them get started with mobile app development, but this information might still feel useless if you don't understand JavaScript or HTML5.

Tiggzi is a new app that hopes to level the playing field between highly experienced developers and tech-savvy business owners -- and save companies tons of money in the process.

Exadel, the creative force behind Tiggzi, is a mobile software application development company that counts Fortune 500 companies among its list of clients. What started as a resource for major corporate companies has provided Exadel with the knowledge to create software for like-minded developers and small bus…
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More About: android, app builder, blackberry, iOS, mobile development, open forum, tiggzi


What Would You Do With a Real-Life Portal Gun? [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:59 PM PDT




Say you and your friends got yourselves a handheld portal device (from the Portal video game franchise). How would you use it?

Filmmaker Jason Craft explored this scenario by making his own Portal fan video. While it's been attempted in the past, we think this video is the most technically compelling.

Craft said his goal was to use his artistic skill to make something that seemed much more realistic.

"I kinda wanted to put the viewer behind the camera, as if they themselves were actually there, seeing this portal gun really work," he tells Mashable.

The result is three minutes of skilled videography, as the camera is put through the same rigors as Portal's protagonist Che…
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More About: Gaming, portal, viral, YouTube


Klout Updates Mobile App With iPhone-Like Swipe Feature for +Ks

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:47 PM PDT




Klout infused some Apple flavor into its mobile app, adding a swipe feature akin to unlocking an iPhone on Wednesday.

The swipe feature allows users to distribute +Ks to vouch for people's expertise or knowledge on a certain topic (see gallery below). With the update -- Klout's first since releasing the iPhone app in April -- users now can also switch between their multiple accounts and search for people's Klout scores.

"+K is one of the most popular features on Klout.com, and when we released Klout for iPhone a few weeks ago, users immediately began requesting it," Klout spokeswoman Lynn Fox told Mashable in an email. "+K was already on the road map, but by popular demand we accelera…
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More About: apps, klout, Mobile, mobile apps, Social Media


Twitter’s Expanded Tweets Now Show More Interactive Content

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:24 PM PDT




Twitter updated its "expanded tweets" feature on Wednesday, allowing users to see more interactive content -- such as news stories, video galleries and audio clips -- inside tweets via a desktop or mobile browser.

For example, when people expand a tweet containing a news article from the "growing group" of Twitter partner sites, people will see a headline, introduction and sometimes the Twitter accounts of the publisher and writer (see right).

"People can preview articles from news sources like The New York Times, see images from websites like WWE and play dynamic content from broadcasters like BET," Twitter's Robert Weeks told Mashable.

Partner websites listed in the announc…
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More About: Media, News, Photos, Social Media, trending, tweets, Twitter, Video


Apple Will Let You Geo-Fence Your Friends

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 02:16 PM PDT




Got an iPhone? Need to keep tabs on people? Want to your spouse or boss or pals be notified when you leave work, say, or arrive home? Then the upcoming version of Find My Friends is for you.

The updated app, which will launch with iOS 6 this fall, comes with a geo-fencing feature -- that is, you can designate an area around yourself, as small as a building or as large as a state. When you arrive or leave that area, your friends can be notified.

As with all notifications in Find My Friends, this can be set for a limited time only. But we hear some Apple employees are already using this feature to let their bosses know when they're arrived at the office -- and even when they've left…
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More About: apple, Find My Friends, ios6, iphone


Announcing a Live Chat With Startup Weekend Founder Marc Nager

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:57 PM PDT




Streaming live exclusively on Mashable at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) tomorrow, June 14, Startup Weekend founder Marc Nager will take questions from readers. As part of the Young Entrepreneur Council's program, YEC StartupLab, Nager will be addressing you live via video chat broadcast exclusively on this site.

Marc Nager (pronounced "Naw-ger") is the CEO of Startup Weekend. With a degree in international business from Chapman University in Southern California, Marc left his MBA program after the first semester to pursue new direction. Itching to learn how to launch a startup, Marc found the opportunity to acquire Startup Weekend, LLC and to transform it into a non-profit with the help of co…
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More About: Business, features, Live Chat, Startups


Website Generates Absurd Twitter Bios

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:34 PM PDT




We found your time-wasting website for today: Silly Twitter Bios. And just as the name implies, it features really, really weird bios for the fake Twitter account of John Doe.

Give it a shot. With the click of a button the tool creates gems like these:

Feminist, Alcoholic, Social Entrepreneur, Community Celebratoire , Vampire Slayer. Battery low, gotta use my phone strategically now.
Compiler, Filmmaker, Powerful Multitasker, Food Afcionado, Mitt Romney's Family Dog. I find uncooked beef patty *very* seductive.
Believer, Environmentalist, Happiness Seeker, Travel Junkie, Troll King. I own 25 hoolahoops.
Compiler, Gambler, Wine Connoisseur, Gender Activist, Small Solar System.…
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More About: humor, Social Media, trending, Twitter, websites


Facebook Quietly Tests Shareable Ad Units

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:24 PM PDT




Facebook is testing a new feature with a select group of marketers that will allow users to share offsite ads on Facebook, Mashable has learned.

Traditionally, marketers and advertisers have had to purchase ad units or Sponsored Stories within the Facebook ad platform. The new unit, however, allows marketers to make advertisements that aren't on Facebook shareable through Facebook's Open Graph.

We discovered this new unit after seeing "Featured Partner" post on BuzzFeed.com for Hidden Valley Ranch. Unlike BuzzFeed's other featured partner posts, this one had a Facebook Share button.

Clicking that button brings up a new dialog box that sports a "via Hidden Valley Ranch on Bu
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More About: buzzfeed, Facebook, facebook ads, trending


MGM Films Coming to Amazon’s Streaming Video Service

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:18 PM PDT




Amazon's catalog of online streaming videos keeps growing. On Wednesday, the company announced a licensing agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios.

Subscribers to Amazon's $79-per-year Prime service will now have access to "hundreds" of classic movies and TV shows from the studio, the company said in a statement. Amazon didn't disclose the full list of titles, only noting that The Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man, The Terminator and Stargate were included in the deal.

Amazon's last streaming deal was signed with Discovery Communications in March. The company also has licensing deals with Fox, CBS, NBC, Sony Viacom and Warner Bros., among others.
SEE ALSO:
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More About: amazon, amazon instant video, MGM


‘Obama Boy’ Has a Crush on the President [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT




Election Day isn't until November, but it looks like President Obama's got at least one confirmed vote -- Obama Boy, the truly supportive musical artist who put together this hysterical video.

In the video, a riff on 2007's "Obama Girl," Obama Boy -- whose real name is Justin Brown -- admits his affection for the president, leaving him voicemails and shooting hoops with a cardboard cutout of Obama.

"I can't wait for my soulmate, Barry you're the finest candidate," sings Brown.

While singing about the president, Brown drops several references to Obama's gay rights record, including the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and his support of gay marriage.

"You let us serve openly in…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, barack obama, Politics, Video, viral, YouTube


Pong That Uses Your Brain, Not Your Hands [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT




Thanks to "Hack Manhattan," Pong has become a game of intense brain power. Thirty years after its auspicious debut, this new version of Pong keeps the game's fondly remembered premise, with a remarkable twist.

Hack Manhattan's futuristic Brain Pong Jumbo game employs a headset that detects specific brain wave frequencies associated with high levels of concentration to move the paddle toward the ball. If a player's attention level drops, the headset detects different brain frequencies, alerting the paddle to stop moving and ultimately giving the opponent a chance to score a point.

SEE ALSO: Robots Play Ping-Pong: The End is Near [VIDEO]

Playe…
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More About: Gaming, Hack Manhattan, kickstarter, pong


Mass Relevance Gets Sporty With TaylorMade, MLB

Posted: 13 Jun 2012 12:29 PM PDT




Major League Baseball and golf brand TaylorMade both introduced powerful Twitter curation tools this week designed to assemble relevant tweets for baseball fans and golf fans following the US Open.

MLB's 140 Club tracks and compiles fan and player tweets relevant to the sport's hottest topics, and provides a feed from the official @MLB account. TaylorMade's US Open social destination similarly aggregates fans tweets for the tournament that begins Thursday and includes some more explicitly marketing oriented features.

Both tools are the result of collaborations with Mass Relevance, Twitter's official social curation and integration partner. Mass Relevance CMO Matt Corey tells Mashable
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More About: sports, Twitter


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