Thursday, September 20, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Be an Agent in Interactive Campaign for James Bond Film, Skyfall [VIDEO]”

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Be an Agent in Interactive Campaign for James Bond Film, Skyfall [VIDEO]”


Be an Agent in Interactive Campaign for James Bond Film, Skyfall [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:12 AM PDT


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Fans of 007 get the chance to live vicariously through their favorite British spy in a new digital campaign.

Launched to coincide with the release of upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall, the interactive campaign features Daniel Craig (in the title role) and new Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe (as Sévérine).

Called "Crack the Case," the mini film takes viewers on a train through snowy Siberia, challenging them to complete several tests while dodging Soviet-esque villains.

Die-hard fans will notice that replica James Bond film props, such as the Spectre ring from Dr. No and the Faberge egg used in From Russia with Love and Goldeneye, make ca…
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More About: Heineken, James Bond, Skyfall


Would You Sign Up for a Website Just Because It’s Exclusive?

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:41 AM PDT


Will people sign up for a website they know nothing about, just because it's exclusive?

That's a question that the 11K Club aims to answers. On its official website, the secretive group warns, "You are applying to join a club of which you know nothing about and trust we will make appropriate use of the information provided by you."

The premise is this: There are only 11,000 spots available in the club -- hence, 11K -- which advertises "one exceptional benefit" of being a member. Hopefuls, who must apply before the Oct. 31 deadline, are asked personal information like their name, email address and location, as well as reason for joining. On Nov. 11, they will find out whether or not…
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More About: 11k Club, trending, website


HP’s Envy M4 Laptop is Light and Stylish

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:13 AM PDT


HP has launched the Envy M4, a lightweight, 14-inch laptop with an aluminum framework.

It comes with a choice of Intel Core i3 and i5 CPUs, up to 8GB of RAM and an HDD, capped at 1TB, with the possibility of getting a 32GB mSATA SSD cache.

The screen resolution is 1,366x768, but unfortunately, there is no discrete graphics option.

It's not quite as thin as your regular ultrabook, but the Envy M4 makes up for that with a relatively low price, which starts at $899.

HP also launched two colorful Pavilion laptops -- the Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15. The smaller, 14-inch model comes with AMD processors, while the 15.6-inch model has Intel processors and a number pad on its key…
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More About: Envy M4, HP, Pavilion Sleekbook


Apple’s Maps App: Just How Bad Is It?

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:16 AM PDT


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

Apple's iOS 6 update is almost a day old, and for iPhone and iPad users, there's much to love about this newborn. Despite a few odd glitches, it's a solid update. Everything seems to run faster, use less battery life, and there are all sorts of easter eggs (such as the delightful Panorama feature) waiting to be uncovered.

But if you're still waiting to upgrade, chances are it's for the one reason I heard over and over from iOS users Wednesday: you're reluctant to let go of the Google Maps app.

Google Maps is replaced as the default in iOS 6 by Apple's own Maps. (Google has indicated it will bring out its own iOS app, though it doesn't seem to be in a hurry to release it.)…
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More About: Google, Google Maps, apple, maps app, trending


4 Shared Calendar Apps For Team Efficiency

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:13 AM PDT


Long hours and hectic schedules are integral components of startup culture. Along with the fun perks, office pups and ubiquitous passion, startups are also known for countless team meetings, working lunches and out-of-office events.

Forgetting an obligation with a client or partner could be disastrous for a business (not to mention, embarrassing). That's why small businesses and startups should embrace open calendars.

Shared calendar apps, accessible by mobile or desktop device, can help individuals manage assignments and appointments, or teams manage tasks and meetings. When calendar changes do occur, these apps save us time by eliminating the need for back-and-forth phone calls a…
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More About: Startups, open forum, productivity, small businesses


Referrals to Facebook Spike 1000% After Twitter Cuts Off LinkedIn [CHART]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 10:41 PM PDT


After severing ties with LinkedIn, Twitter inadvertently helped opponent Facebook snag 1000% more page referrals from the professional social network.

PageLever, an analytics tool for Facebook pages, points to Twitter's June 29 decision to stop syncing updates with LinkedIn as an explanation for the spike.

"The spike happened because without Twitter, there is now a significantly lower volume of content in the LinkedIn News Feed, and therefore less competition for clicks and attention," Brendan Irvine-Broque, PageLever's director of growth, tells Mashable in an email. "So any non-Twitter content (including links to Facebook Pages and Page Posts) is performing much better than before…
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More About: Facebook, Twitter, linkedin, trending


Verismo Coffee System Brings Starbucks Into Your Home

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 09:17 PM PDT


You've spent a good deal of money on tech for your home office and personal gadgets such as tablets and smartphones, but what about your home? More specifically, your kitchen.

The K-Cup system from Keurig is widely popular in households and offices, offering a line of 14 systems. What if you're more of a Starbucks fan? Maybe you just want an espresso.

Starbucks' answers that hankering with its Verismo system, a single-cup coffee and espresso machine. Steamed milk? Yes, please.

Similar to Keurig's design, cups are placed under a spout on the front of the machine before water is filtered through and the brew flows into your mug. The Verismo system lets you make them just like you w…
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More About: Coffee, K-Cups, home brewing, keurig, starbucks


Contently Adds Tools to Help Writers Showcase and Track Their Work

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 09:01 PM PDT


Contently unveiled a new feature on Thursday called Portfolio+ that is designed to help writers build up their own brands.

More About: contently, journalists


This Jacket Will Silence Your Unruly Phone [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:40 PM PDT


Constantly getting dirty looks for letting your phone ring off the hook in meetings and at the movies? Then it's time to invest in a new jacket.

U.K. designer Victor Johansson has created the Escape Jacket, which silences your phone when it is placed in the jacket's inner pocket. Check out the video above to see the jacket's design.

SEE ALSO: High-Tech Threads: Can Your Clothes Do This?

The jacket is based on the principles of a "Faraday cage," Johansson says.

A Faraday cage or shield is an enclosure that is formed by conducting material; this enclosure blocks external static electrical fields. The cage causes any charges to redistribute,…
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More About: fashion, mobile phones, trending


5 Mashable Readers With an Eye for Fashion

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:14 PM PDT


Hipstercrite




"Every day is Annie Hall day," said reader Hipstercrite, who paired a bold lip color with her icon-inspired outfit.

Click here to view this gallery.


Another New York Fashion Week has come and gone. Of course, just because it's no longer Fashion Week in name doesn't mean the models and stilettos disappear all together. Thanks to the large presence of sites like Facebook and Instagram, you don't have to live in New York City to share your fashion sense with the world.

In honor of Fashion Week, we asked our readers to submit photos of their Outfits of the Day. We saw all kinds of style, such as trends suited to cooler weather, striped tops and layers. The submissions from readers across the globe blew us away, proving that fashion bloggers are a force to be reckoned with.

SEE ALSO: 5 Digital Highlights from New York Fashion Week

C…
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More About: Mashable Photo Challenge, community, fashion, photography


The Spam-Stopping App Trusted by 5 Million Android Users

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:59 PM PDT


The Mr. Number Android app lets users make a social network out of their phone and texting contacts. The app also lets users directly block telemarketers and unknown numbers.

More About: android, spam, trending


How to Shoot and Share Panoramas in iOS 6

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:09 PM PDT


Everyone knows the iPhone 5 comes with a nifty new panoramic photo shoot mode. What they may not realize is that feature is a function of the mobile OS, not some sort of Apple camera hardware magic. If you have an iPhone 4S and update to iOS 6, you can start shooting awesome panoramas today.

[Click and drag to look around the image. Use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in.]

To share them with the world, however, you might need a little guidance. We've got you covered.

I took an iPhone 4S out to one of the coolest New York City location I know: the Flatiron District. It's home to the iconic Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park, and offers spectacular views of the New York…
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More About: apple, iOS, iPhone 4S, iphone


MLB Hops on the iOS 6 Passbook Express, and It’s a Smooth Ride

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 06:49 PM PDT


Apple's iOS 6 literally just dropped, but ticketing purveyors including Major League Baseball are already taking advantage of Passbook, the operating system's digital ticket storing system.

MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) on Wednesday announced that Passbook is immediately available for the remainder of the 2012 season for the remaining regular season home games of four pro ball clubs: the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.

At right is a screenshot of what a Passbook ticket looks like; MLB provided a group of media with a preview experience for Wednesday night's game in San Francisco between the Giants and Rockies. Passbook was exceptionally smooth…
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More About: Major League Baseball, ios6, online ticketing


Facebook Testing Automatic ‘Photo Syncing’ Feature For Android Phones

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 06:35 PM PDT


Facebook is testing a new feature that automatically syncs the photos you take with your Android phone to your Facebook account.

Appropriately called "Photo Syncing," the feature syncs your photos and stores them privately, allowing you to later go into Facebook and decide which pictures you would like to share.

Similar to a feature already available in Google+, on a Help page for the service Facebook says that the feature is currently only a test, and is available for some people who are using the newest Facebook for Android app.

Facebook syncs the pictures you take "as soon as you take them," however, the app also takes into account the battery level on your phone and…
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More About: Facebook, android, trending


Disturbing Celebrity Emoticon Facelifts [PICS]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 06:07 PM PDT


Psy, "Mr. Gangnam Style"




Click here to view this gallery.


In honor of the 30th anniversary of the emoticon, we are giving them a moment in the spotlight -- on the faces of celebrities.

More About: celebrities, emoticons, humor


ESPN Adds Twitter-Style News Feed

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 05:48 PM PDT


ESPN debuted a web app called the SportsCenter Feed on Wednesday, and the tool bears a striking resemblance to the service where many sports fans consume news and information these days: Twitter.

Instead of presenting ESPN.com visitors with the traditional format of splashy images and a small handful of clickable headlines, the SportsCenter Feed offers and alternate experience that streamlines content with a heavy emphasis on quick bursts of information and the most recently posted content.

As seen in the screenshot above, a scrollable feed of headlines takes center stage. Clicking on a story displays content at the right of the feed, while another column on the lefthand side lets yo…
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More About: ESPN, Media, Sports


iOS 6 Upgrade Has Its Share of Troubles

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 05:18 PM PDT


Apple customers around the world got their first taste of iOS 6 on the iPad and iPhone Wednesday -- and as with any major upgrade, there were headaches as well as delights in store.

The new OS had its share of teething troubles, most notably a Wifi login bug that Apple quickly and mysteriously resolved. Other users saw ongoing problems with accessing music on their iPhones.

The troubles started with the process of downloading the massive update itself, which clocked in at a hefty 2.5 GB. iOS 6 is an "over the air" upgrade, meaning no connection to iTunes is required. It also meant that millions of early adopters were all trying to grab the file at the same time when it first appea…
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More About: apple, iOS 6, ipad, iphone


AT&T’s ‘It Can Wait’ Campaign Urges Drivers to Stop Texting

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:58 PM PDT


AT&T has bypassed the phone and taken to social media in it's effort to help stop distracted driving. The company proclaimed today "No Text on Board Pledge Day" as part of its "It Can Wait" campaign. The idea is to encourages drivers across the nation to pledge to never text and drive again.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, in commemorating "No Text on Board Pledge Day", urged Americans to make a lifelong commitment to never text and drive again.

"A text can wait. This message can't," said Stephenson. "In the United States, someone is killed or injured once every five minutes on average in a crash that happens while a driver is te…
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More About: att, distracted driving, texting while driving


Hands On With iOS 6 [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:33 PM PDT


Apple released iOS 6 on Wednesday to eager iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users.

The new version of the OS adds lots of new features and enhancements, including Facebook integration, Siri on the iPad and Apple Maps.

We've got some larger iOS 6 stories in the works where we'll go in-depth with some of the new features like Passbook and some of the new camera settings but for now, we wanted to give a brief overview of some of the newest features and changes.

SEE ALSO: iOS 6: Everything You Need to Know

Much of what we wrote back when we went hands-on with the iOS 6 beta back in June remains true today. The ability to create public or private…
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More About: apple, iOS, iOS 6


First Look: HTC Windows Phone 8X Has a Great Front Camera [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:10 PM PDT


HTC's new Windows Phones, the first devices from the phone maker that run Windows Phone 8, are very pretty. As the company emphasized at its event Wednesday, they have a nice curved design that feels great in the hand, and they come in some fun colors.

As pretty as the phones are, it's the pretty people who own the HTC 8X (HTC Windows Phone 8X, formally) that will really benefit from its standout feature: a souped-up front-facing camera. The 8X's front cam can capture stills with 2.1 megapixels, record video at 1080p resolution and has a large f/2.0 aperture for better performance in low light.

All that adds up to better self portraits and improv…
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More About: Windows Phone 8, htc, microsoft, windows phone


Ricky Gervais Unleashes App That Adds Voices on Social Media

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:03 PM PDT



You won't hear The Office creator Ricky Gervais pitching his new app at a party because, frankly, he'd rather "get drunk." Outside that setting, though, he's shouting out details about his digital venture.

Gervais on Wednesday launched Just Sayin', a voice-centric audio app that lets users share any combination of voice, text, photos and video on Facebook and Twitter. He created the app with voice-technology company CloudTalk -- but just how much sway did Gervais have in how Just Sayin' turned out?

"I love Californian techies, but they are so easy to impress," he tells Mashable. "I told them I had a girlfriend and they were putty in my hands. Then I said, 'I'm Ricky Fucking Gervais;…
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More About: Ricky Gervais, Social Media, Tech, apps, mobile apps, social networking


Twitter’s Advice to Journalists: Tweet Your Beat, Use Hashtags

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 03:48 PM PDT


It's been a little less than three months since Mark Luckie left The Washington Post to become manager of journalism and news at Twitter, and now he's got some advice for journalists using the microblogging network.

Working in conjunction with Twitter's Platforms and Analytics team, Luckie combed through thousands of tweets sent by journalists and news brands towards the end of 2011 to find out what behaviors generated spikes in retweets, replies and follower growth. Most of his findings were predictable, but a few -- like the fact that sharing others' tweets in full using the automatic Retweet button rather than quoting their tweets generated triple the engagement -- were surprising.…
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More About: Media, Twitter, journalism


6 Tips To Successfully Develop and Launch New Features

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 03:12 PM PDT


In the world of cloud computing there are no longer "mega-releases" shipped to customers on a CD. Instead, new features are launched into the cloud for user consumption as they are ready. At the same time, getting end users to fully utilize your new features is more mission critical than ever. Why? Because in the absence of perpetual license models, when end users stop using your product they will also stop paying sooner or later.

So, how do you get new features used and adopted? Here are six tips on how to solve this.

1. Ask Customers to Vote on a Feature Before Building It
Salesforce.com was one of the first to allow the customer community to suggest and vote on new features in…
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More About: contributor, developers, features, online marketing


Send a Message With the World’s Cutest Four-Legged Font

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT


Got a message for someone special? Instead of saying it with flowers or diamonds, why not say it with puppies?

Puppy Text spells out a message using images of multiple puppies aligned in the shape of each letter or number.

Symbols such as hashtags or asterisks are not available, because -- as the site states when you try -- "puppies don't bend that way."

Once the message is complete, users can share it on Facebook, via email or copy and paste a preview link anywhere else. There's also an iPhone app available for $1.29, for sending puppy texts on-the-go.

The site claims that no puppies were harmed in the making of this service.

BONUS: 12 Adorably Clumsy Dogs Wearing S
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More About: Viral websites, Watercooler, humor, puppies


60% of Smartphone Owners Would Cast Their Ballot on a Mobile App [STUDY]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 02:29 PM PDT


Would you cast your Election Day ballot on a mobile app? Then you're among the 60% of smartphone owners who think it's a good idea, according to a new study.

Internet radio smartphone app Stitcher surveyed 2,129 American adults, 1,024 of whom are smartphone owners, and found that more than half of smartphone owners would make their Election Day choices on an app if it were possible to do so (it's not).

Breaking down the numbers, Stitcher found that Democrats are more willing to vote with an app than Republicans, 54% to 47%. As might be expected, younger voters are more likely to approve of mobile voting. Men are also more likely than women to be willing to vote with an app by a sl…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mobile, Politics, US


Announcing a Live Chat With Unigo Founder Jordan Goldman


Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:53 PM PDT


Streaming live on Mashable, Unigo founder Jordan Goldman will be answering questions from readers at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) tomorrow, Sept. 20. As part of the Young Entrepreneur Council's program called YEC #StartupLab, Goldman will appear live via video chat broadcast on this site.



As an 18-year-old applying to college, Goldman asked students across the country to send him emails explaining what their schools were really like. He turned the results into the best-selling Students' Guide to Colleges series of guidebooks, released in five annual editions from Penguin Books.  

After graduating from college, Goldman founded Unigo, which The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg cal…
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More About: Live Chat, Startups, Unigo, education, features, yec


Facebook Stock Closes at 7-Week High

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:46 PM PDT


Facebook shares ended the day up 6.5% at $23.30, the first time the company's stock has closed above $23 since the end of July.

More About: Facebook, stocks


How to Prepare for Interviews at Technology Companies

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:34 PM PDT


If you think the best thing you can do to prepare for an interview with a technology company is to memorize brainteasers, like Google's, "Why are manhole covers round," think again. In the height of their popularity, tech interview brainteasers were meant to test a candidate's reasoning ability, overall intelligence, and ability to keep cool when thrown off guard. But as a whole, the major technology companies are moving away from these types of questions.

"The reason is twofold," says Gayle Laakmann McDowell, former Google, Microsoft, and Apple engineer and author of Cracking the Coding Interview. "One is that a lot of brainteasers rely on this 'aha moment,' where y…
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More About: contributor, features, technology


NFL Player Hit By Twitter Death Threats

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:25 PM PDT


An NFL player whose fourth-quarter penalty crippled his team's chance of a last second win on Sunday says he has since received death threats from fans on Twitter.

Washington Redskins receiver Joshua Morgan (pictured above) threw the ball at an opposing defender after a play late in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams, drawing a costly penalty in the fourth quarter and drastically hurting his team's chances for a game-tying field goal. The Redskins lost 31-28, and Morgan said on Wednesday that fans on social media have cut him no slack.

''I heard everything, especially when they get you on Twitter and are sending you death threats and wishing you bad things and your firstbor…
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More About: Sports, Twitter, nfl


Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard Re-Invents Backspace [REVIEW]

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:02 PM PDT


Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard




The Sculpt Comfort keyboard ($59.95) has a unique feature: It splits the space bar in two and creates another Backspace key on the left side of it (in blue). Since 90% of typists hit the space bar with their right thumb, according to Microsoft, the new positioning could make typing more efficient — in theory.

Click here to view this gallery.


I've been using Microsoft's new Sculpt Comfort keyboard for a few days now, and so far it hasn't revolutionized my typing. But that's just what it promises -- to change one of the fundamental parts of modern keyboards: the backspace key.

The Microsoft Sculpt Comfort keyboard ($59.95, available "soon") splits the space bar in two different size parts: a larger key that works normally, and a slightly smaller portion that can be configured to behave as Backspace. (Yes, the regular Backspace key still works the same). You have to enable the feature; out of the box, both keys work as the space bar.

Although the Sculpt asks you to change your core typing habits, its rationale actually makes…
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More About: QWERTY, keyboard, microsoft, reviews


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