Friday, July 20, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “President Obama ‘Shocked and Saddened’ Over Batman Shooting”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “President Obama ‘Shocked and Saddened’ Over Batman Shooting”


President Obama ‘Shocked and Saddened’ Over Batman Shooting

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 04:49 AM PDT




President Obama is "shocked and saddened" by the shooting at the Batman movie premiere in Aurora, Colorado, in which 14 people were killed and 50 wounded.

"We will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family," said Obama in a statement.

"All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come," said Obama, promising he would do everything in his power to bring those resp…
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More About: barack obama, batman shooting, obama


YouTube Video Captures Terrible Aftermath of Batman Shooting

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:35 AM PDT




A video taken with a smartphone at the cinema in Aurora, near Denver, Colorado, shows the chaos and horror right after the Batman shooting took place.

Fourteen people were killed and 50 were wounded after a gunman opened fire during the premiere of the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

The 2:45 minute video shows people exiting the cinema in disarray, some covered in blood and escorted by the police.

More About: YouTube, batman shooting, trending


Witness to Batman Shooting Describes Chaos [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:22 AM PDT




A man gives his harrowing account of the shooting during the screening of The Dark Knight Rises. More than 14 individuals are confirmed dead with another 50 wounded.

KUSA, the NBC affiliate at 9news.com was able to interview the man, who was at the theater where the shooting took place.

More About: The Dark Knight Rises, batman shooting, trending


14 Killed in Mass Shooting at Batman Premiere in Colorado

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 02:06 AM PDT




Fourteen people are confirmed dead and 50 have been wounded in a shooting at the premiere of the new Batman movie in a movie theater in Aurora near Denver, Colorado, according to numerous reports.

According to reports, a gunman opened fire at the theater, killing ten people and injuring a minimum of 36, which have been admitted to a hospital. Four more individuals died at area hospitals.

Witness and police reports indicate that the suspect threw a smoke or gas bomb into the theater and started shooting from the front of the screen. Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson said "the scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time."

One suspect is in cus…
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More About: The Dark Knight Rises, batman, shooting, trending


Creepy Robot Will Be Your Kiss Messenger [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:54 AM PDT




Long distance relationships just got a little easier, or a little odder, depending on your feelings about a make-out session with "Kissinger." The part kissing-, part messenger-, part blob-creature -- created by Lovotics (love + robotics) -- lets users send virtual interactive kisses.

The lips are made up of pressure sensors and motors which take an imprint of your kissing style. The lips then wirelessly transmit the kiss, in real time, to your significant other, reproducing the same motions and movements your mouth made on the robot.

SEE ALSO: 10 Dating Apps to Help You Find True Love

"People have found it a very positive way to improve int…
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More About: dating, dating gadgets


Here’s What Social Networks Know About You

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:30 AM PDT




A read through most online privacy policies is enough to make your stomach acid curdle. And social media companies have more access to personal data than most.

Some collect information you expressly give them, like your credit card and telephone numbers. Others gather data based on how and where you use their services. This might include anything from device and browser information to location intel. And some of it gets really specific -- think about your last search query or ad click. It's probably all "fair" game.

Depending on the type gathered, social networks use data to enhance location services and target advertising (now you know why that sunglasses website you visited three m…
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More About: Facebook, Google, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube, data, infographics, pandora, pinterest, privacy


Without Social Media, 18% Of Teens Would ‘Stop Communicating’

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT




18% of teens would stop communicating altogether if their favorite social networks shut down. That's according to a recent survey of American high school and college students by email marketing company AWeber.

According to the survey, 90% of teens are on Facebook, and an astounding 93% of teenagers use mobile phones -– the same amount that use email. 74% of teens are YouTube users, and 47% use Skype to keep up with others.

Facebook and Email own almost equal parts of teens' hearts. With teenagers going for both when they wake up in the morning, while they're in class, and even while they're on vacation.

6% of teens thought they might replace their cell phones with a landline or…
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More About: Facebook, Twitter


Chick-Fil-A Faces Gay Marriage Backlash on Twitter, Facebook

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 06:44 PM PDT




Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy sparked a social media firestorm among gay marriage supporters and opponents after taking a public stance on the divisive issue this week.

Speaking to Christian news site Baptist Press, Cathy called Chick-Fil-A "guilty as charged" in response to past criticism of its position on same-sex marriage; he said the company is "very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit."

Cathy later added: "We intend to stay the course. We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."

Many customers and offended observers too…
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More About: Facebook, Twitter, gay marriage, trending


Portable Solar Power Kits for Africa: Now in the U.S., via Kickstarter [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 06:06 PM PDT




There's a widespread informal energy market in Africa. Electricity sockets can be difficult to find and people walk (sometimes far distances) to charge their cellphones with diesel generators. San Francisco-based company Fenix International developed the ReadySet Solar Kit three years ago to help solve Africans' energy problems -- and now they're trying to bring it to the U.S. by using a Kickstarter campaign.

"The Fenix ReadySet is an intelligent battery system that can be charged from solar, electric grid, and even a bicycle generator to charge mobile phones, tablets, WiFi hotspots and other devices," the company says.

It's a valuable technolog…
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More About: kickstarter, solar


Marissa Mayer the Right Choice for Yahoo? 88% Say Yes

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 05:32 PM PDT




Marissa Mayer announced she'd be moving into two tough jobs this week -- taking the helm at Yahoo on Wednesday and becoming a mom in October.

While it's rare for news of two such events to break in unison, 88% of people feel Yahoo made the right decision in choosing Mayer as its new chief, according to a Mashable poll. While our polls are not scientific studies, this one received more than 7,500 responses.

Among the opinions voiced by our community this week, half (49%) of respondents think Mayer's strategy should target AOL, rather than her former employer Google (39%). Just over half (52%) of people think Yahoo will be relevant in five years.

Some 61% say they think of Yahoo…
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More About: Business, Google, Yahoo, flickr, marissa mayer, poll


Zombie Cats! Hunt Them Down to Unlock Rob Zombie Song

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 05:10 PM PDT




Universal Music wants you to know that not all kitties are zombies. Keep that in mind when you head over to FindThe13.com, a website set up to give Rob Zombie fans a fun way to earn a free download.

People must hunt for 13 zombie cats amid regular cats, Rob Zombie faces and scantily clad women.

SEE ALSO: Dead Cat Comes Back to Life as Morbid Helicopter [VIDEO]

FindThe13.com also promote's Rob Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65" single, which be on his forthcoming remix album -- Mondo Sex Head -- that drops Aug. 7.

BONUS: 15 Best Cat Memes Ever [MEOW]

More About: Entertainment, Music, animals, cats, celebrities


Fan Booted From Concert for Negative Tweet [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:45 PM PDT




Freedom of speech came at a high price in the case of a man who was kicked out of an MC Chris concert for tweeting something negative about the performer's opening act.

On Tuesday, the fan was at the Powerglove and MC Chris show at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. He admittedly didn't like the opening act and tweeted, "Dear nerd rapper opening for Powerglove/mc chris. You're not good enough to pander to me. Better luck next time."

Here's what transpired after that, according to the fan's Reddit post:

I walked out to the lobby, grabbed a soda and was sitting there when I heard the crowd went nuts and mc chris started talking, and I heard hi…
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More About: Twitter, reddit, trending


The World Will Soon Have More Phones Than Humans

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 04:21 PM PDT




There are more than 6 billion mobile subscriptions today. But that number "will soon exceed that of the human population," according to a new World Bank report.

It was only 12 years ago that there were less than 1 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Today, three-quarters of the entire population has access to a mobile phone.

Subscriptions in low and middle-income countries increased by more than 1,500% between 2000 and 2010 -- from four to 72 per 100 inhabitants. (Keep in mind that in many countries, it is common to have more than one SIM card.)

While voice is still the primary use for mobile device, texting comes in at a close second. Nearly 5 trillion text messages were sent i…
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More About: developing world, internet access, mobile phone use, world bank


Reddit Code Mystery May Never Be Solved [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:50 PM PDT




More than a week after a cryptic note was deciphered by Reddit users, followers of this mystery gathered on Thursday at the New York City meeting spot referenced in the code.

About 15 people were on the scene looking for answers -- a far cry from the 150 or so that flocked to a nearby spot just a few days earlier when an Internet user claiming to be the original code-giver changed the date and location.

For those just catching up, here is the back story: Reddit user delverofsecrets sought the Internet's help when a "homeless looking man" handed him an encoded message and a $50 bill on a New York City subway. It was later deciphered by Reddit user…
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More About: Viral, reddit


After Linsanity: Experts Weigh In on Lin’s Future in Media

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:34 PM PDT




Linsanity as we know it is over. But what will come next?

The broad outlines are known: Jeremy Lin, the underdog Harvard graduate point guard for the New York Knicks who shockingly catapulted to NBA and social media stardom in February, is leaving the Big Apple after the team declined to match a lucrative contract offer from the Houston Rockets this week.

So ends one of the most exciting, unexpected and in some ways bizarre chapters of American sports history since the dawn of the social networking age.

Lin became a superstar under the scrutinizing -- or, in his case, largely adoring -- lens of New York City media hype. As he dominated the NBA for a brief stretch, Lin exponential…
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More About: Jeremy Lin, NBA, Social Media, Sports, Twitter


Newt Gingrich Meets Snooki – And Yes, There Are Photos

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT


Newt, Snooki, Callista and a stuffed elephant




Stuffed elephants: You can't explain that.

Click here to view this gallery.




"Who should we get for Wednesday night?" asked Jay Leno. "How about Newt Gingrich and Snooki," responded the greatest scheduler to ever work in entertainment television. And so it was written.

Newt Gingrich and Snooki were in fact Jay Leno's guests on The Tonight Show Wednesday evening. They apparently hit it off -- there was even an exchange of stuffed animals (Newt, you animal lover, you).

On the way to snooki and jay! Callista and I both look forward to what should be a fascinating show. Tonight show is always a class act— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 18, 2012

Just taped leno-great fun-snooki jay and I had a great chat-callista enjoyed it— Newt Gingrich (@newt…
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More About: Politics, Snooki, US, newt gingrich, pics, the jersey shore, watercooler


Mayer’s Compensation at Yahoo Could Top $50 Million

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 02:48 PM PDT




Yahoo's new CEO Marissa Mayer will take home a base salary of $1 million.

Yahoo filed its employment offer for the its new CEO -- and expectant mother -- with the SEC on Thursday.

While Mayer's base salary will start at $1 million a year in 2012, the former Googler can earn a maximum of 400% of that salary in bonuses in 2012, assuming she exceeds targeted milestones.

In addition to her base pay, Mayer is also walking away with $12 million in Yahoo stock and an additional $14 million for the stock she was unable to vest at Google.

Moreover, the letter states that Yahoo will offer Mayer a big incentive for staying on for five years: $30 million in stock, $15 million of which will b…
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More About: Yahoo, marissa mayer, pay, trending


‘Dark Knight Rises’ Dominates Already, With 91% of Fandango Sales

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 02:21 PM PDT




The Dark Knight Rises hasn't opened yet, but the third installation in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is already killing it at the box office, representing 91% of all ticket sales on Fandango Thursday.

Batman fanboys and fangirls attacked online pre-sales, racking up a $25 million take for the film before it hits a single silver screen.

Fandango polled more than a thousand ticket-buyers earlier this week, and discovered why they're crawling out of their pleather Batsuits with excitement over the midnight opening.

SEE ALSO: Fanboys Rage Over Negative 'Dark Knight Rises' Reviews

Among ticket-buyers surveyed, 97% say the darker tone of the film makes them more interest…
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More About: Entertainment, Film, batman, box office, dark knight rises, fandango, movie


Internet Defense League Launches With Mission to Protect the Open Web

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 02:02 PM PDT




The Internet Defense League, a grassroots coalition of thousands of web activists, online businesses and tech-savvy politicians, officially began on Thursday its campaign to protect the Internet.

The goal of the Internet Defense League? Keep opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act organized so the next time they feel threatened by legislation they're already prepared to act -- and act quickly.

"The Internet Defense League is about taking the network that beat SOPA and turn it into a full political force, said Tiffiniy Cheng, co-founder of Fight for the Future, an Internet advocacy group that organized the league. "Users feel passionate attachment to the sites they use every day, and…
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More About: Politics, US, World, internet, internet defense league, open web, stop online piracy act, technology


Which Films Earned the Most Social Buzz at Comic-Con?

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:52 PM PDT




Last week's Comic-Con continues to generate buzz in the entertainment industry (although these days, it has to compete with The Dark Knight Rises). Specifically, let's take a look at most-discussed films at Comic-Con 2012.

Iron Man 3 reigned victorious, following its presentation late Saturday afternoon -- and would Tony Stark have it any other way? Although Robert Downey Jr. entered Hall H like a rockstar, the real showstopper was Sir Ben Kingsley. Exclusive footage confirmed that he will be playing the Mandarin villain in the last installment of the Iron Man trilogy.

Superfans of the comic book were also pleased to hear Shane Black, who takes the helm from John Favreau for this last…
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More About: Entertainment, Facebook, Film, Movies, Social Media, Twitter, comic-con, infographics


Microsoft Reports First Loss in History

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:41 PM PDT




As expected, Microsoft reported a quarterly loss for the first time in its 26 years on the market on Thursday afternoon. The tech giant had warned previously that it would be taking a $6.19 billion write-down its 2007 acquisition of aQuantive, which Microsoft once hoped would help it break into the display market that continues to be dominated by Google.

Total losses for the quarter amounted to $492 million, or $0.06 per share -- a far cry from the $5.9 billion in net income, or $0.69 per share, the company reported for the same period a year ago.

Still, it wasn't all bad: Revenue increased 4% year-over-year to $18.06 billion. That figure might have been higher, if declining PC sales w…
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More About: microsoft, trending


Fluffy Clouds Animation Comes With Smile Guarantee

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:41 PM PDT




The cute-o-meter just exploded. Take cover from flying kittens, babies and bunnies with the release of an animated short titled "Cloudy." The sky's puffiest residents mingle with raindrops and pass the days away floating around the atmosphere.

Your thundercloud of a day just got a little sunnier.

More About: Video, YouTube, viral videos


iPhone App Lets You Live Inside ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:26 PM PDT




The creators of The Dark Knight Rises released a new iPhone app on Thursday that immerses fans into the world of Gotham City like never before.

Using a combination of audio technologies and Hans Zimmer's amazing score, this free app lets users feel like they are living inside the world of The Dark Knight Rises

Here's how the app -- dubbed The Dark Knight Rises Z+ [iTunes link] -- works. Put on your headphones (it works without them, but to get the full experience you really need headphones) and start up the app.

Immediately, you are engulfed in sounds of Gotham City. Punctuated by Hans Zimmer's score, what you hear and how you hear it is augmented by what is happening around you, wh…
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More About: batman, dark knight rises, hans zimmer, iphone, iphone apps, trending


Flickr Tells Internet to ‘Help Make Us Awesomer’

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:26 PM PDT




The Internet sounded the alarm and, so it appears for now, Flickr has answered the call. The photo-sharing site responded on Thursday to a campaign crying out for a revitalization of the once-great service.

On Tuesday, the website DearMarissaMayer.com published eight simple words its creator hoped would catch fire -- "Dear Marissa Mayer, please make Flickr awesome again."

The target in question, of course, is new Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who takes office amid hopeful buzz that she can turn around the ailing Internet giant.

Her background at Google -- and as a developer -- seems to be giving the masses hope for Yahoo's survival. Flickr users, in particular, seem to be crying out…
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More About: Yahoo, flickr, marissa mayer, photo sharing


Louis C.K.’s Online Special Nabs 4 Emmy Nominations

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:15 PM PDT




Comedian Louis C.K. just proved you don't have to make content for television to be in the running for a television production award.

The 64th Prime Time Emmy Awards nominees were announced on Thursday morning, and C.K. walked away with seven nods -- four of which were for his former online-only special, Live At The Beacon Theater.

C.K. and the special are up for "Outstanding Directing," "Outstanding Writing" and "Outstanding Picture Editing" for a variety special.

It also received a nod for "Outstanding Special Class Programs" -- going up against the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Oscars and the Tonys.

SEE ALSO: Louis C.K. Talks About Comedy and Hair Loss on Reddit

Origi…
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More About: Emmys, Entertainment, comedy, louis ck


8 Tools to Create an Irresistible Ebook

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:15 PM PDT




Writing and selling informational ebooks can be a great way to boost your brand, provide value to your community, and even make some money.

But like any entrepreneurial experiment, creating ebooks requires trial and error to figure out a process that works best for you. These eight tools will make the experience of creating your first ebook painless and even fun.

1. Scrivener
Scrivener is a game changer for organizing a first draft of any writing project. It's particularly helpful if you tend to write in pieces, adding paragraphs and chapters whenever you come up with them.

Just watch one of Scrivener's tutorial videos, and you'll be able to import your Word documents, se…
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More About: contributor, digital media, ebooks, features


Larry Page to Miss Google’s Earnings Call

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:03 PM PDT




Google CEO Larry Page won't be on Thursday's call with analysts, marking the second time in the past month he's taken a pass on a major company event.

Page skipped Google's I/O developer conference in June claiming that he lost his voice. Shortly after, The Wall Street Journal reported that Page had sent an email to staffers stating, "There's nothing seriously wrong with me."

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt announced last month that Page would not be on the company's second-quarter earnings call, which is set for 1:30 p.m. PT. Schmidt told attendees at a June meeting that Page had "lost his voice," according to reports. Schmidt also wished Page a "quick recovery" and joked that c…
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More About: Google, larry page


Major League Soccer Wants to Be First ‘Smart League’

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 01:01 PM PDT




Major League Soccer announced on Thursday that it will add a high-tech data-tracking system that could potentially change the face of the game by providing coaches and trainers metrics in real-time about player performance, speed, heart rate and power.

MLS said it will become the world's first "smart league" when it embraces the Adidas Micoach Elite System starting in 2013. All 19 club teams -- some of which have been testing the system since 2010 -- will have access to the data.

"The technology is entirely customizable to each player, so they can meet specific and unique goals during training based on their strengths and what they need to improve," Paul Gaudio, VP of adidas Intera…
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More About: Sports, ipad, trending


Facebook Tests Pinterest-Like Design for App Activity

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:47 PM PDT




Facebook is testing a new layout for Open Graph app stories that look reminiscent of one of the most popular apps out there: Pinterest.

The new design gives app stories a little more face-time on your News Feed, and gives you the ability to do things like comment or like a particular element of a story.

For instance, one example we found of the new design showed a number of items a friend had recently liked on Etsy. Photos of each are displayed in a Pinterest-like grid on the screen, and buttons below each allow you to comment of or like each individual photo.

App-specific actions can also be incorporated into the process. Inside Facebook noticed the feature on a Foodspotting p…
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More About: Facebook, pinterest


USA Network Eyes Programming for Multiple Screens

Posted: 19 Jul 2012 12:35 PM PDT




It's one thing to watch television, but to actually experience it is a whole new ballgame.

If you include smartphones and computers, viewers are already using multiple screens while simultaneously watching television. In fact, 50% of cellphone owners use their devices while watching TV, according to a recently published study.

The difference is that connected viewers use these screens without direction.

On this episode of Revolution, Jesse Redniss, SVP Digital of USA Network, explains how the company is drafting a blueprint for a multi-screen experience that spans from the TV, to laptops, to tablets, smartphones and the social networks that…
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More About: Video, cable tv, revolutiontv, social tv


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