Thursday, September 27, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “New Foursquare iPhone App Brings Personalized Search Categories”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “New Foursquare iPhone App Brings Personalized Search Categories”


New Foursquare iPhone App Brings Personalized Search Categories

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:06 AM PDT


Foursquare is on fire: Shortly after it introduced the new "Always on" notifications, it has updated its iPhone app with a simpler design and personalized search categories.

Users can now see where their friends check in, explore places they haven't yet visited and monitor popular destinations. They can also toggle the map so it only displays previously visited places, as well as "Saved" locations -- that is, place you've added to your to-see list.

The new app should also be faster, and its design should work better with the iPhone 5's screen.

Foursquare's app is compatible with iOS 6; you can get it here.

More About: foursquare, iphone


Happy 14th Birthday, Google, And Thanks For All the Doodles

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 01:37 AM PDT


Google, the world's biggest Internet company, celebrated its 14th birthday Thursday.

Google's birth date is the subject of some controversy. According to some accounts, the company was created on Sept. 4; but in the last couple of years, Google itself has been celebrating its birthday on Sept. 27, which lands on a Thursday this year.

Since 2002, Google has been celebrating with special birthday doodles. Today's doodle is an obvious one: an animated cake with 14 candles for you to "blow" out.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Animated Google Doodles | 10 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Google

Check out all of Google's birthday doodles in the gallery above, and let us know which one is…
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More About: Doodle, Google, trending


Download All Your Original YouTube Videos With Google Takeout

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:57 AM PDT


Google expanded its Takeout service Wednesday to include all the original videos a user has uploaded to YouTube.

Before, users could only download individual transcoded videos from their YouTube Video Manager; now, Google Takeout lets users retrieve original videos they've uploaded to the service all at once.

What's more, Google Takeout makes this process really simple -- a couple of clicks and you'll get your original videos back.

Google Takeout is a service that lets users take back their data from various Google services, including Buzz, Drive, Picasa, Profile, Stream, Voice, YouTube, as well as +1s, Circles, Connections and Streams in Google+.

More About: Google Takeout, YouTube, trending


Can Gaming Help Kids Learn? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:59 PM PDT


Gaming gets a bad rap a lot of the time. It rots kids' brains, turns them into vegetables; it makes kids' socially isolated and neglect their studies -- those are the most common charges, and are certainly based in reality.

Used responsibly, however, gaming can become a force that actually helps mold young minds for the better. The use of electronic games in education is on the rise, and many teachers are finding that it helps students not only retain information, but remain engaged and motivated as well.

How? According University of Bristol neuroscientist Paul Howard-Jones, there's some serious science behind the theory. Electronic games, the thinking goes, stimulate the brain to pr…
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More About: Gaming, infographics, trending


‘Gangnam Style’ Impersonator Dances Across University Campus [VIDEO]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:05 PM PDT


Donning a pair of shades and bow tie, one "Gangnam Style" impersonator spread his smooth moves across campus for students -- and all of YouTube -- to see.

A video showcases the Psy lookalike performing the Korean singer's infamous invisible horse-riding dance in what seems like every nook and cranny of Toronto's York University.

Viewers can watch Psy 2.0. dance on escalators, on countertops, on car hoods, in crowded common areas, near policemen, near urinals and -- to the shock of York students -- in packed lecture halls. (Also, note the cameo appearance made by another impersonator: the cowboy-hat-wearing man who does pelvic thrusts while straddling "Psy" in an elevator).

So fa…
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More About: York University, YouTube, gangnam style, trending


Is This the Second-Screen TV App That Finally Goes Mainstream?

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:00 PM PDT


Everyone knows people love to use a "second screen" -- be it smartphone, tablet or laptop -- while they watch TV, but no one has created an app or experience that's become the go-to place for live shows. In short, the second screen doesn't yet have its Facebook.

Zeebox could be it. Debuting today in the U.S., the app has already found a sizeable audience in the U.K. at 1.5 million users since first launching in November. The app's done due in large part to its partnerships with broadcasters, who can both push their own content to the app and get real-time audience metrics from it. For the U.S. launch, both Comcast's NBC Universal and HBO are on board.

For viewers, Zeebox starts as…
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More About: Zeebox, hbo, nbc universal, second screen, second screen apps, trending


Breaking Up With Overly Attached Girlfriend is Hard to Do [VIDEO]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:42 PM PDT


Breaking up is hard to do -- especially when you're dating Overly Attached Girlfriend.

Laina Walker, the bug-eyed YouTube sensation who inspired the meme, makes a creepy cameo in fellow YouTuber Jimmy Tatro's latest video.

Entitled "Breaking Up With Overly Attached Girlfriend," Tatro makes several failed attempts to dump Walker -- after going on one date -- but she remains smitten with the frat boy.

"I just want to live in your socks, so that I can be with you every step of the way," she tells him. "I love you, Jimmy, and you're going to love me too."

The video has attracted 1.3 million views since being uploaded on Monday. Check it out, above, and tell us what you think in…
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More About: memes, overly attached girlfriend, trending


New App Remakes the Tamagotchi for the Smartphone Era

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:39 PM PDT


This new app prompts users to snap pictures and feed them to their Photogotchi, a digital creature inspired by the Tamagotchi.

More About: Startups, bizspark, games, trending


Students Are Choosing Colleges With Social Media Clout [STUDY]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:51 PM PDT


Efforts by higher education institutes to gain Twitter followers, Facebook likes and YouTube views, while connecting with students on blogs and message boards, are paying off.

A recent survey of 7,000 high school students by Zinch, an online college resource, reveals university social media accounts are influential to students who are deciding between colleges and universities.

Admissions counselors are actively recruiting students on the popular social networks. The survey reveals schools that are smart with social media -- engaging students in video chats, Facebook contests and Twitter conversations -- are most influential online. About two-thirds of survey participants said the…
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More About: colleges, students, trending


iExpander Gives Your iPhone Extra Features

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:15 PM PDT


Not satisfied with your iPhone 4S or even with your new iPhone 5? Wish they had added that extra feature you were really hoping for? Enter the iExpander.

As its name suggests, this iPhone case on steroids expands a lot of your phone's capabilities. The iExpander adds an extra battery that doubles your phone's life. It also has a Micro SD card slot compatible with cards of up to 64 GB. To improve the phone's camera, the iExpander has a LED flash that makes videos and pictures in low light look much better.

The drawback is that the iExpander will make your phone thicker by 6.3 millimeters. But you have to give up something for all those improvement…
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More About: iphone, kickstarter


Facebook Bug Creates Wall Posts That Can Never Be Deleted

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:21 PM PDT


A recently found Facebook bug lets you to post un-deletable messages to friends' walls.

Here's how it works: Once you've blocked a person on Facebook, he or she can no longer see content you've posted on the social network, including posts you've made to their own wall. Since the content is no longer visible, it can't be deleted. The only way either party can see the post again is if the block is removed.

In a way, Facebook lets you know that's going to happen when you block someone in the first place: "Blocking means you won't be able to see or contact each other on Facebook," reads a message that pops up when you decide to block someone (see screenshot below). However, it's…
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More About: Facebook, trending


‘Unmanned’ Plane Makes Third Launch Next Month

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:06 PM PDT


The U.S. military's secretive, un-manned plane, the X-37B, will make its third test launch next month.

More About: Tech, U.S. Military, videos


Libratone’s Zipp Portable Speaker Looks Small, But Sounds Big [EARS-ON]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:43 PM PDT


At first glance, the Libratore Zipp doesn't look like it's going to be all that powerful -- but turn it on and prepare to be amazed.

"It looks small, but it sounds big," Libratone's Soren Pedersen said as he pulled out the company's latest creation on Mashable's San Francisco roof deck last week.

Big doesn't even begin to describe the sound this pint-sized speaker is able to produce.

Using a "FullRoom technology" that disperses sound in 360-degrees surrounding the speaker, you get the same experience listening to tunes on one side as you do on the other, and are literally surrounded with sound. There's no "sweet spot" with the Zipp like you find with ot…
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More About: Libratone, iphone, speaker


A Gold-Plated iPhone 5: Insanely Great or Just Insane?

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT



Sure, the iPhone 5 is the most sought-after new phone on the planet right now, but for some it just doesn't have enough bling.

For those high flyers, Gold & Co. of London has created a 24-karat gold-plated iPhone 5, which will go on sale at the Collector's Palace in Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates. The price of the item hasn't been disclosed. A top-of-the-line iPhone 5 with 64 GB retails for $849 without a contract. Gold-plated iPhone 4S devices run as high as $1,224 while a gold-plated iPad from Gold & Co. fetches around $4,600.

Of course, investing in a gold plating may not be such a crazy idea, given the iPhone 5's propensity to scratch.

Image courtesy of Gold &a
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More About: iPhone 5, luxury


Siri Refuses Romantic Advances From Duet Partner [VIDEO]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:38 PM PDT


Siri is the Cher to Jonathan Mann's Sonny. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way, the twosome comes together over an iPhone 5 to make sweet, sweet music.

Mann warbles about his love for the gentle-voiced robot, but Siri keeps things professional.

Stay tuned for the inevitable country music-style sequel titled "Siri Broke My Heart and Now I'm an Android Man."

BONUS: In-Depth Look at the iPhone 5

More About: Watercooler, iphone, siri, viral videos


Want to Run Code on the ISS? There’s a Competition For That

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:19 PM PDT


Any high school-aged coders with a love for space and NASA out there? Read on.

Zero Robotics, a robotics programming competition set up through MIT, is entering its fourth year -- and there's still a day left to register.

Here's how it works: Students can sign up in teams for free on the website. Over the course of the semester, they compete head-to-head with other teams in writing programs -- sort of situational, scenario-based challenges. Gradually, the challenges get more difficult. Then, after several phases, finalists are selected to compete in running code for the International Space Station (ISS) -- which is broadcast live by an astronaut on board the ISS.

Since 2009, the…
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More About: NASA, mit, programming, robotics


‘Replacement Google’ Imagines NFL’s Sub Refs Ruling the Internet

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:03 PM PDT


The NFL's crew of replacement refs has drawn avalanches of criticism both online and off for getting things wrong while the league has been mired in a labor standoff with its regular officials' union this season. Now the website Replacement Google expresses officiating angst in an appropriately web-based way for Mashable readers -- by imagining if the current NFL situation applied to the search engine.

The site caused a brief sensation among the Twitterati when it first popped up Tuesday, and its premise is simple: Enter a search term and get some results that are completely wrong. My name, for example, turned up returned results for "Lunchables." Give the site a whirl for yourself and l…
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More About: Watercooler, nfl


‘Nekci Menij Show’ Parodies Pop Stars With Crude Animations

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:48 PM PDT


YouTube series and web sensation "The Nekci Menij Show" does an intricate job of parodying Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and today's biggest popstars.

More About: Lady Gaga, Music, YouTube, humor, parody


Flaw in iPhone 5 Camera Reveals a Purple Haze [PICS]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:32 PM PDT


The iPhone 5's camera might have a flaw. If you point the camera toward the sun or bright lights, a purple halo appears around those light sources, and in some cases, purple lens flares also appear within the frame.

We took three similar shots in the same conditions to create the picture below, using the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 and the high-end Nikon D300 digital SLR as a control. As you can see, the iPhone 5 is the only one producing this somewhat undesirable special effect in this instance. In addition to that huge purple blowout around the sun, you can also see a lens flare that looks like a purple rainbow lower in the frame.

Comments on tech site AnandTech's forum mention the pre…
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More About: Purple Haze, apple, camera, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5


Would You Buy a Nook HD+, Kindle Fire HD or iPad? [POLL]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:22 PM PDT


The tablet market got another shakeup today, with Barnes & Noble unveiling its new Nooks: the HD and the HD+. They come just a few weeks after Amazon showed off its new Kindle Fire HD line, which set a new standard in tablet value and performance. But which will buyers prefer?

Just like the Kindle Fire HD tablets, the new Nooks emphasize media consumption (including a new B+N video service), sport high-resolution displays and pack well-performing processors. However, the Nook line doesn't include any cameras (so no video chatting), although the devices are thinner and lighter (Here's a full spec comparison).

Amazon shocked many with the $299 starting price for its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire…
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More About: Nook HD, ipad, kindle fire, kindle fire hd, nook, tablets


Zombie Horde Attacks in ‘Black Ops II’ Trailer

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:06 PM PDT


If you get tired of shooting other soldiers in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops II, you can instead take out the world's real threat: the living dead.

Activision released a graphic trailer for the Zombie mode in the latest Call of Duty game Wednesday. It shows off the expanded mode, and the horror of the undead trying to board your train by brain-thirsty force. While these zombies look fierce, it's not clear why they have glowing blue eyes.

The game will feature a variety of modes that incorporate the zombies, including Grief mode in which two teams of four battle amidst waves of attacking undead.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be out Nov. 13 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360…
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More About: Call of Duty, YouTube, zombies


Sorry iPhone Users, Google Maps ‘App’ on iOS 6 Isn’t Great Either

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:43 PM PDT


I lost all patience with Apple's Maps app when it directed me to the middle of a state park when it should have been taking me home.

The turn-by-turn directions, supposedly the saving grace of the troubled iOS 6 Maps app, work wonderfully -- but they're only as good as the information you put in them. And Maps, in conjunction with Siri, had decided "home" was in a park with the same name as my street, six miles away. (Bafflingly, it got the directions right on the second try.)

It was time to test the emergency backup option -- maps.google.com on the iPhone's browser. Ever helpful, Google has started telling everyone who visits that site how to turn it into an app-like shortcut on y…
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More About: Google Maps, ios6, maps


NFL Player Gains 90,000 Followers After Profane Viral Tweets

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:27 PM PDT


NFL player T.J. Lang wrote two tweets on Monday night after his Green Bay Packers lost under dubious circumstances to the Seattle Seahawks and the messages instantly went viral.

How viral? This viral: As of Wednesday morning one tweet had garnered in excess of 68,000 retweets and 17,000 favorites. More than 55,000 of those retweets came in the first 45 minutes after he shared the message. A second tweet he posted shortly after now has more than 95,000 retweets and 27,000 favorites.

Lang's profane and, ahem, rather direct tweets may lead to a substantial fine by the NFL's corporate enforcers, but he'll still have something to show for them beyond just cred on the street and in the loc…
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More About: Sports, nfl


Graph Databases: The New Way to Access Super Fast Social Data

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:09 PM PDT


Until the NOSQL wave hit a few years ago, the least fun part of a project was dealing with its database. Now there are new technologies to keep the adventuresome developer busy. The catch is, most of these post-relational databases, such as MongoDB, Cassandra, and Riak, are designed to handle simple data. However, the most interesting applications deal with a complex, connected world.

A new type of database significantly changes the standard direction taken by NOSQL. Graph databases, unlike their NOSQL and relational brethren, are designed for lightning-fast access to complex data found in social networks, recommendation engines and networked systems.

Pancake, for example, w…
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More About: contributor, data, databases, features, nosql, social graph


Announcing a Live Chat With Contently Founder Shane Snow

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:57 AM PDT


Streaming live on Mashable, Contently founder Shane Snow will answer questions from readers at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) Thursday, Sept. 27. As part of the Young Entrepreneur Council's program called YEC #StartupLab, Snow will appear live via video chat broadcast on this site.

Shane Snow is a New York City-based tech journalist and co-founder of Contently. A Mashable contributor, he also writes about technology for Wired and Fast Company, and was recently named one of Inc. Magazine's 30 Under 30 list of top entrepreneurs.

#StartupLab is a free virtual mentorship program created by The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of over 500 of…
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More About: Live Chat, Startups, contently, features, yec


10 Reasons to Smile From Mashable Readers

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:27 AM PDT


Woman of Mystery




Reader Rimz snapped this intriguing smile.

Click here to view this gallery.


Just one smile can brighten up a room. A smile is a universal symbol: It's one of our first means of communication as babies and requires no translation across cultures. Although smiling may seem like a uniquely human trait, it's not uncommon to see smiles from animals -- or even inanimate objects. Thanks to the proliferation of Internet communication, smiles have even become a part of our written language.

SEE ALSO: 5 Mashable Readers with An Eye for Fashion

Last week for the Mashable Photo Challenge, we honored the 30th anniversary of the emoticon by asking our readers to submit photos that represented a smile.

Our creative community responded with pictures of smiling skies, grin…
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More About: Mashable Photo Challenge, community, photography


The History of Scrollbars [PIC]

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:17 AM PDT


Scrollbars help gadget users pinpoint their location in the vast computer sea. Are you at the top of the page or the middle of a document? The trusty scrollbar will let you know.

SEE ALSO: Listen Up: Here's a Brief History of Headphones

Twitter user Ivan Listes offers a look back at the history of scrollbars with a simple graphic that probably won't have you pining for the days of clunky red scrollers.

Image courtesy of @ilistes

Image courtesy of iStock, mvdc

More About: Gadgets, Watercooler


Slim, Intelligent Accessories to Match Your Ultrabook

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:09 AM PDT


An Ultrabook's super powers lies in its portability, responsiveness and long-lasting battery. Students, journalists and business travelers gravitate toward the Ultrabook's thin design and high function.

Frequent flyers and busy commuters need to be able to work, study and connect from just about anywhere. It only makes sense that the accessories you pair with these ultra machines are as multi-functional, slim and reliable -- at least that's what California-based manufacturer Targus believes. This week, Targus debuted Ultralife, a line of smart and sleek accessories that provide "big power" in small packages.

Most of the wireless instruments only weigh a few ounces, but are tough…
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More About: Ultrabook, accessories


Want Politicians to ‘Show You the Money?’ Try This App

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:39 AM PDT


Wondering where Barack Obama and Mitt Romney's campaign donations are coming from?

Politicash 2012, a new mobile app from non-partisan research organization MapLight, aims to track money's influence on this year's presidential election in an easy-to-read way.

When you open Politicash, you're greeted with a series of screens showing the money raised by either candidate, whether that money was raised by their campaign or an affiliated SuperPAC, totals raised per month and other crucial data.

Select the next option, and you're shown the top five biggest donors to either campaign as well as SuperPACs. You can also see the biggest most recent donations as filed with the Federal…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Mobile, Politics, US, barack obama


‘World’s Best Father’ Turns to Kickstarter to Fund Calendar

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:15 AM PDT


We'll go ahead and spoil it. Dave Engledow might not be the World's Best Father. But we're pretty sure he's in the running for the World's Most Creative Father.

Everything started in 2010, when his daughter Alice Bee was born. Dave started painstakingly documenting her life from behind his camera lens, confident that one day she would treasure all those pictures he was taking.

But here's the twist. These are not your usual "look-my-daughter-walks!" Facebook pictures. Dave staged funny, paradoxical and ironic pictures, making fun of himself for being the World's Best Father while strapping his daughter to the top of his car or using her as a ladder to reach a ceiling lamp.

SE
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More About: Watercooler, family, kickstarter, parenting, trending


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