Thursday, October 25, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “New Foursquare for Android and Two Other Stories You Need to Know”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “New Foursquare for Android and Two Other Stories You Need to Know”


New Foursquare for Android and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 03:44 AM PDT


Social Media NewsWelcome 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.

New Foursquare for Android Brings Better Facebook, Twitter Integration

A new version of Foursquare for Android is out, bringing a refreshed check-in UI, an easier way to mention friends in your updates and faster update sharing on Facebook and Twitter.

New Foursquare for Android is available at Google Play.

Amazon's Lovefilm Arrives on Kindle Fire

Amazon-owned European film subscription service Lovefilm is now available on the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Fire HD.…
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More About: Kindle, amazon, android, features, first to know series, foursquare, lovefilm, mashable


T-Mobile to Preload Android Devices With Anti-Malware App

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 02:43 AM PDT


virus-malware-death-skull-600

T-Mobile is ramping up protection against malware and viruses by preloading select Android devices with a free security app.

Most of its smartphones and tablets are slated to come with Automatic App Security next year, the wireless carrier announced Wednesday. The app was developed by mobile security firm Lookout, which partnered up with T-Mobile to launch the "exclusive service."

"T-Mobile wants our customers to enjoy the full benefits of the smartphone or tablet experience, including worry-free access to applications, which is why we are taking extra measures to protect their devices, privacy and data," Ian McKerlich, T-Mobile USA's vice president of product management, said in a…
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More About: Google Android, T-Mobile, malware, viruses


RunPee App Ensures You’ll Never Miss Big Scenes at the Movies [VIDEO]

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 02:27 AM PDT


The beauty of watching a movie in your home is that you can pause it at any time -- to make a trip to the bathroom, maybe have a snack, or take a phone call. A free app will make your movie theater experience more convenient, kind of like it is at home. While you can't pause a movie in a theater, this app tells you when you can make a break for the bathroom or snack bar.

The aptly named RunPee will definitely come in handy if you're a theater-goer -- although you may not want to announce the name of it too loudly. It tells you the best time to take a bathroom break during a movie without missing any major scenes. The app will also fill you in on wh…
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More About: Movies, apps


Skype 6.0 Unveils Microsoft, Facebook Integration in Update

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 01:45 AM PDT


Skype has released a new version of its desktop VoIP client, Skype 6.0, for Mac and Windows.

The latest version includes integration with Facebook and Microsoft accounts, which means users can now log onto Skype using their Facebook or Microsoft credentials.

Users can now also instant message their Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook.com contacts using Skype. Audio and video calls to Windows Live Messenger contacts via Skype is not yet available, but Skype promises that it's coming "soon."

Skype for Windows adds six more languages to its repertoire: Thai, Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian, Catalan and Slovak. It also introduces a refreshed UI and improved telemetry.

The Ma…
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More About: Skype, Skype 6.0, Windows, mac


New York Street Cam Captures Slice of Hipster Life

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 01:21 AM PDT


New York City is the city that never sleeps, home to every kind of grease truck imaginable, Times Square and, of course, Broadway. But there's one thing that hasn't been so prominently displayed -- hipster culture.

Until now.

Styleblaster is a quasi-creepy, completely stalker website that "fills a need for live fashion information," the site says. A camera situated on Bedford Avenue off the L train snaps a photo every time a person walks into the frame. Then the photo is immediately uploaded to the blog, which refreshes automatically.

SEE ALSO: 10 People You'll Only See in New York City

Although we're not quite sure who needs such information, we can tell you there are ple…
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More About: NYC, fashion


NYU Professors Develop Real-Life Star Trek Tractor Beam

Posted: 25 Oct 2012 12:31 AM PDT


Tractor beams, devices that use energy to move objects, are no longer the stuff of Trekkie dreams.

Two New York University professors developed a technique for harnessing "Bessel beams" to attract a particle towards a source, according to science website Phys.org.

SEE ALSO: Hey Space Geeks: Help This Guy Build a Real Starship Enterprise [VIDEO]

In a paper entitled "Optical Conveyors: A Class of Active Tractor Beams," David Ruffner and David Grier describe how they were able to pull 30 micrometer-sized silica spheres suspended in water, towards a laser source, the site reports. Check out the video above to see how the Bessel beams work.

Whi…
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More About: New York University, Star Trek, tractor beam


College Football Coach Bans Players From Twitter

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 11:46 PM PDT


Washington State football coach Mike Leach has banned his Cougars from tweeting. And not only that, he's soliciting enforcement help from fans and media.

"Twitter's now banned around here, so don't expect anything on Twitter," he told the Spokane, Wash., Spokesman-Review. "Twitter's banned and quite frankly, if after today you see anything on Twitter from our team — and I don't care if it says, 'I love life' — I would like to see it, because I will suspend them."

He offered few details on the decision, telling the local paper, "Because I decided to, that's what prompted that." Athletic director Bill Moos, however, said that a series of inappropriate tweets by playe…
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More About: Sports, college sports


Internet Raises Money to Buy Jort-Sportin’ Joe Biden a Trans-Am [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 11:00 PM PDT


Take your mind off the Washington D.C.-ified version of Joe Biden for a moment, and think back to a time when Joey B. cruised the streets of Scranton in a bitchin' TransAm. The crisp Pennsylvania air whipping through his lush locks, drivers swerving to avoid the blinding glare of his sparkling white teeth -- it was a simpler time for the son of a used car salesman.

Farkers hope to get Joe back in his jorts and behind the wheel of a muscle car by launching an Indiegogo campaign that's raising funds to buy the veep a Trans-Am. Since launching on Oct. 11, the campaign has raised nearly $15,000 -- just $10,000 short of its goal with 36 days to go.

Of course, legal mumbo jumbo prevents…
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More About: Joe Biden, Watercooler, indiegogo


Feeling Down? The ‘Emergency Compliment’ Website Will Cheer You Up

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 10:17 PM PDT


Those suffering from the blues can now get a quick pick-me-up, thanks to EmergencyCompliment.com, a website that generates praise with the click of a button.

Visitors to the the bare-bones site are greeted by a compliment in bold white letters on a neon-colored background.

A sampling of the pseudo-kudos include: "Your cousins refer to you as 'the cool cousin,'" "You've never had morning breath. I swear," "Everyone was cool with that time you peed in the shower," "You're the best at making cereal" and "Your pet loves you too much to ever run away."

Users can select two options at the bottom of the page. Click on "I still feel crappy," and EmergencyCompliment.com generates another…
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More About: Emergency Compliment


Veteran Game Journalists Unite to Launch Vox’s ‘Polygon’

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 09:22 PM PDT


What happens when you bring game journalism talent from big sites like Joystiq, Kotaku and The Escapist together to launch something completely new?

You get Polygon, a gaming website from Vox Media, the brains behind The Verge and SBNation. Polygon launched Thursday morning, after spending months with its content housed in the gaming section of The Verge, a training wheels period for their editorial team.

The game journalism field is a crowded one, so Vox and Polygon's editorial team, headed by former Joystiq editor-in-chief Christopher Grant and managing editor Justin McElroy, have to differentiate their new site. McElroy says they'll do this by making the coverage more about who…
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More About: Feature, Gaming, video games


The Philosophy Behind Windows 8, From One of Its Creators

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 09:00 PM PDT


Windows 8 machines

Microsoft will officially release Windows 8 to the public on Friday, and although company executives would never say so, they must be at least a little bit nervous about it. After all, the user interface (formerly known as Metro) is the most radical redesign of the operating system since Windows 95.

The risk, of course, is that customers will respond with confusion, or worse: outright terror. The new Start screen looks entirely different from the traditional desktop (though that interface still exists), with floating, blocky tiles instead of files and folders. And it's almost entirely chrome-less -- even basic things like the battery indicator and clock are hidden from view until you…
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More About: Windows 8, microsoft, user interface


Cellphone Heart Test’s Young Inventor Doesn’t Own a Smartphone

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 07:57 PM PDT


catherine-wong

Catherine Wong is a 17-year-old student (with a perfect SAT score) and the inventor of the first cellphone-compatible electrocardiogram (ECG) test. The New Jersey Morristown High School student's cellphone ECG system could give nearly 2 billion people living in the world's most rural and impoverished countries access to this basic test.

We recently caught up with the engineering wiz at an industry event, where she told us some surprising facts about herself.

While Wong is an award-winning designer of the Bluetooth-enabled heart exam, she doesn't own a smartphone. It may be surprising that a high school student does not have the latest iPhone or Android device by choice. She says…
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More About: Google Science Fair, catherine wong, cellphone


ESPN Radio Host Loses Job After Tweeting Death Wish

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 07:15 PM PDT


Sports talk host Scott Torgerson is gone from Columbus, Ohio, ESPN radio affiliate 97.1 The Fan two weeks after tweeting a death wish about former University of Michigan star and current college football analyst Desmond Howard.

Torgerson tweeted on Oct. 13, "I wish Desmond Howard would get fired or die so I can watch Gameday again," before later deleting his @myguythetorg Twitter account. He was suspended indefinitely by The Fan until the station posted this message Wednesday morning:

Scott Torgerson is no longer employed by our company as of today. We appreciate his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.— 97.1 The Fan (@971thefan) October 24, 2012

Torgerso…
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More About: Sports


Facebook Barely Beats Twitter, Trounces Google+ Among Teens [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 06:30 PM PDT


It came as little surprise that Facebook was the social network of choice in a recent survey of 7,700 teens across the U.S. But now that the study's authors have revealed its numbers, we can see just how much -- or indeed, how little -- Facebook won by.

The teenagers in the survey, conducted by Gene Munster and Douglas Clinton at analyst firm Piper Jaffray, were asked to rank social networks in order of preference, from 1 to 3. Alternatives to Facebook included Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

Facebook was the first choice for 3,280 of the teens, followed by Twitter with 2,118 and Instagram with 928. Google+ won the he…
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More About: Facebook, Twitter, teens


Facebook’s Final Price Tag for Instagram Falls Far Under $1 Billion

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 06:09 PM PDT


Facebook is paying well under the $1 billion price tag originally agreed upon for Instagram back when it acquired the mobile photo sharing app in April.

The final price tag -- $715 million -- was revealed in a quarterly investment report, filed Wednesday. According to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook added 11 million shares -- valued at $194 million -- for Instagram employees at the close of the deal in September. The deal already included $521 million, consisting of $300 million in cash and 12 million shares of stock for non-employee stockholders.

SEE ALSO: Facegram FTW! How Facebook Could Actually Improve Instagram

Facebook's overall performanc…
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More About: Facebook, instagram


How Kids’ Pics Are Going From Social Networks to Porn Sites

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 05:42 PM PDT


Teen Girl Texting

Technology has made things a whole lot easier for child predators and pornography sites. It turns out they're getting much of their material straight from kids' online accounts.

A new study found that 88% of sexual or suggestive images -- taken and uploaded to social networks by children and young people themselves -- are ending up on porn websites.

The Internet Watch Foundation spent 47 hours (over four weeks) monitoring sexually explicit images and videos uploaded to the Internet by children and young adults. During the period, the Internet safety organization logged 12,224 images on 68 various "social network sites."

Before long, almost 11,000 of those photos had been mine…
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More About: child pornography, kids privacy, online safety, pornography


This Could Be James Bond’s Next iPhone 5 Case [REVIEW]

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 05:13 PM PDT


Behold the Sector 5 First Edition by Element, a lightweight and intricately engineered aluminum iPhone 5 case that's sophisticated enough for 007 to carry.

More About: Element Case, iphone 5 cases, reviews, trending


Students Build and Fly 3D-Printed Plane

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:53 PM PDT


The sky's the limit for 3D printing. Two students at the University of Virginia 3D-printed and assembled a plane. When it successfully took off, their unmanned plane became just the third 3D-printed drone to ever fly.

3D printing is a revolutionary technology, which some speculate could have an impact similar to that of the personal computer. In fact, new potential applications for 3D printers seem to be appearing every week.

The technology has been used to design artificial legs, wounded animals are getting plastic beaks, and even meat could be soon 3D printed.

Steven Easter and Jonathan Turman, two third-year engineering students at Univ…
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More About: 3D printers, drone, popular science


Bruno Mars Debuts ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’ Album Cover on Instagram

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:57 PM PDT



Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars posted his first Instagram photo Wednesday, using the photo-sharing service to debut the cover art for his forthcoming Unorthodox Jukebox album.

The cover, of course, quickly made its way onto other social platforms, but the artwork premiered on Instagram.

"Just like the music video for 'Locked Out of Heaven' it's been his approach to go directly to his fans," Thanh Nguyen, digital marketer at Mars's label, Atlantic Records, tells Mashable. "There's definitely a charm with spontaneity and as he mentioned in a recent interview, the Internet gives you that luxury."

Other musicians have been finding fun ways to leverage Instagram, whether it be for crow…
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More About: Bruno Mars, Entertainment, Music, celebrities, instagram


45% of iPad Owners Not Happy About iPad 4

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT


About 45% of iPad owners are not happy about the timing of Apple's new iPad 4 launch, which comes just seven months after the debut of the iPad 3.

More About: Mobile, Tablet, apple, iPad 4, ipad 3, ipad mini


Ballot Error Has Voters Electing President of the ‘Untied’ States

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:16 PM PDT


This presidential election just started to unravel.

Voters in Jefferson County, Wash. have eagerly been casting their ballot for the president and vice president of the Untied States of America -- a country made up solely of shoelace-dangling citizens.

The spelling error made it onto 22,596 ballots, according to the Peninsula Daily Times. County Auditor Donna Eldridge said the mistake won't effects votes and votes already cast will still be counted.

SEE ALSO: Obama's 'Horses and Bayonets' Zinger Sinks Twitter Battleship

"With many words, it doesn't matter as long as you have the first letters and the last letters spelled right, people know what you mean," she tel…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Watercooler, weird news


How NBA Star Roy Hibbert Wins the Internet

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:59 PM PDT


Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert isn't just an NBA All Star -- he's an Internet All Star too. The seven-foot two-inch baller gets digital culture and social media as well as any pro athlete.

For proof, look no further than #GangnamRoy, a YouTube video that's gone viral this week. The clip shows Hibbert and his Area 55 fan club performing a flash mob dance to the Psy opus "Gangnam Style" for a gaggle of stunned shoppers at an Indianapolis mall. Hibbert was the driving force behind the stunt and has also successfully lobbied for a cameo appearance on Parks and Recreation and an internship at Adult Swim -- both hits with denizens of the web. On Twitter, he's arguably the NBA's funniest, mo…
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More About: NBA, Sports


9 Things You Didn’t Know About Microsoft Surface

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:43 PM PDT


Microsoft Surface is now a known quantity. It's sold out on pre-order and has been tested to the hilt by tech pundits across the U.S (including this one). The Surface is an exceptional Windows tablet that, with its Touch Cover, can masquerade as a touch-screen Ultrabook. We know so much, but not everything. Here are nine behind-the-scenes secrets about the new Microsoft product, which I learned from those who built it.

1) It Really Was a Secret

Secretive Sign

Microsoft's Surface team worked in secret at the company's Studio B building in Redmond, Washington. Word has it that many at Microsoft had no idea what this team was doing. When I took a special tour of the building and all the r…
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More About: Microsoft Surface, microsoft, tablets, trending


If Zombies Used Pinterest to Plan Halloween Parties

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:06 PM PDT


There's a lot of pressure that comes with throwing the perfect party. Even the undead don't want a shindig that will bore them back to life, which is why Pinterest is used so heavily to plan an event.

The most organized zombies use the social pinboard to keep from losing their heads over small details -- though it doesn't really help for all of the other times.

SEE ALSO: 10 Zombie Foods That Taste Better Than Brains

Looking to pin these for your own zombie-themed event? Here's the pinboard to bring inspiration to your braaaains.

More About: Halloween, Watercooler, pinterest, zombies


Howl Like a Wolf With This Animal-Inspired Headphone Hat

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:06 PM PDT


Animal-inspired winter hats are easy to come by, but how often can you look like a silver coyote and listen to music via built-in speakers at the same time?

More About: Gift of the Day, MP3 player, Mobile, Music, Tech, fashion, features, holidays 2012


Zynga Beats Q3 Revenue Estimates; Stock Rises 15%

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:47 PM PDT



Zynga beat analysts' estimates and announced a $200 million share buyback plan, a combination of events that prompted a 15% jump in the company's stock price in after hours trading.

The gaming company posted revenues of $317 million for the quarter, beating estimates of $256 million. Net losses were 7 cents a share and adjusted earnings per share were zero, which was what analysts expected.

The buyback plan is intended to boost Zynga's stock price, which has fallen as low as $2.10, by cutting the number of outstanding shares. Zynga's stock price has fallen 77% since the company's IPO.

"While the last several months have been challenging for us, Zynga remains well positioned to ca…
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More About: Zynga


Get The New YouTube Design With This Google Chrome Extension

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:42 PM PDT


If you can't wait for YouTube to roll-out their latest redesign, there's a hack to get the new version now.

OMG!Chrome! found a Google extension that can be installed in your browser in under 30 seconds and will update the site's entire design.

The site's upgrade will feature a Google search bar at the top of each page, a video counter for subscriptions along the lefthand column, and profile pictures next to users' comments.

SEE ALSO: How to Edit Video on YouTube

Check out the video above for the full instructions on how to install the extension.

And if you see any glitches with the site after the hack, OMG!Chrome! says using this al…
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More About: google chrome, google chrome extensions, how-to guide, youtube tips


Know What ID to Take to the Poll With This Online Map

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:18 PM PDT


Changes in voter identification laws are happening in states across the country this election season, sewing widespread confusion among would-be ballot-casters. If you're not sure about what you'll need to have your voice heard on Election Day, HeadCount has the resource for you: an online map clearly explaining voter ID requirements in every state.

(The above is a screenshot, access the full map right here).

The map is simple: click your state and you're presented with clear language about what you'll need to bring along to the polls on Election Day. It's constantly updated with the most recent rules and regulations, and also has a list of Frequently Asked Questions about voting a…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, US


Study Reveals Android Apps Leak Personal Data [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:17 PM PDT


The security of Google's Android operating system has been under scrutiny in the last few months. Now, a study by German security researchers reveals that some apps in the Google Play market are vulnerable and leak personal data.

Researchers at the Leibniz University of Hanover in Germany studied more than 13,000 Android apps and, specifically how they responded to attacks targeted at their Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. These are tasked with encrypting data when it's moved across networks to avoid the so-called "man in the middle" attacks, when an intruder can snatch data as it's moved around networks.…
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More About: android, cybersecurity, malware


iPad Mini Smart Cover Beats its Big Brother [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:06 PM PDT


Apple's smart cover for the iPad was one of the most innovative tablet accessories out there -- until Microsoft revealed its Touch Cover with built-in keyboard for the Surface tablet, that is.

Still, the magnetic smart cover has much to recommend it. Not least of which is its ability to fold up into a triangular Toblerone-like shape, allowing you to prop the tablet up in viewing mode or raise it slightly for optimal typing.

So how does the iPad Mini smart cover stack up? Better than its elder brother, actually. It removes the annoying metal strip on the regular iPad smart cover, which can sometimes flip around so the magnets are facing away from…
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More About: Smart Cover, apple, ipad mini


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