Friday, August 31, 2012

Top Stories of the Day // August 31, 2012

TechCrunch

Today's Top Stories // Aug 31, 2012

Facebook To Roll Out Email- and Phone Number-Based Ad Targeting Next Week

Facebook will be launching new features next week that allow advertisers to target their ads to customers based on contact information that the advertiser has... read more

This Is The Best Look At The New iPhone Yet

Ah, the next-gen iPhone. What more can we say? Almost sadly, we already know the screen will be bigger, the connecting port is smaller, and the design will be... read more

Hello Beautiful! Nokia's Windows Phone 8 820/920 PureView Smartphones Leak

Another day, another leak -- this time, a set of new images that purportedly depict Nokia's next set of Lumia smartphones have begun to make the rounds. Coming... read more

Nokia + Microsoft Kick Off $23M AppCampus Incubator: Over $1M Going To 36 Startups

Next week Nokia and Microsoft are expected to unveil the first handset(s) running on Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform, and today comes news about the apps... read more

How Twitter Uses Open Source

Twitter's Chris Aniszcyk gave the keynote this morning at CloudOpen and talked about how Twitter uses open source.... read more

Chomp-Inspired iOS 6 App Store Redesign Could Impact Long Tail Of App Developers

It appears that at least some of the innovations found in early 2012 Apple acquisition Chomp, a mobile app search and discovery platform, have made their way... read more

Smart TVs Fail To Score With Consumers In U.S. And Other Western Markets: GfK

Here's one reason why Apple may not be producing a television with its name blazoned on it in the near term: it doesn't look like people have, so far, shown... read more

ShoutEm Launches Development Platform To Make HTML5 Mobile Apps Look Native

When ShoutEm was first launched back in 2008, it was focused on helping users to build their own social networking platforms. Well, the world has changed, and... read more

Watsi Is Using Crowdfunding To Treat The 1B+ Worldwide Without Access To Medical Care

Entrepreneurs are inherently risk-takers. But, the tech industry today needs more of the type of risk-takers who go against the grain by actually tackling big,... read more

With $275M In Capital Deployed To Main Street Businesses, On Deck Raises $100M Of Its Own

We make a lot of noise about the venture capital and angel funding startups raise to help grow their businesses. But there are a lot of mom-and-pop shops out... read more

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This 84-Year Old Just Put You to Shame With Her First iPad Self-Portrait”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This 84-Year Old Just Put You to Shame With Her First iPad Self-Portrait”


This 84-Year Old Just Put You to Shame With Her First iPad Self-Portrait

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 04:51 AM PDT


Think you're a pretty talented artist? Think again. This 84 year-old woman created an amazing self portrait in thirty minutes -- and she's a newcomer on the iPad.

The woman's grandson, Reddit user Oxide42, claims to have purchased the iPad for her.

SEE ALSO:

More About: Watercooler, artwork, ipad, pics, reddit


Back-to-College Clothing Is More Important Than Tablets, Survey Shows

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:51 AM PDT


If you're a college student, it's likely you've purchased some new fall wardrobe staples rather than a tablet this school year.

This latest inforgraphic from social media agency MRY titled, "Back-to-College 2012" shows us how today's college students shop for back-to-school items and how they've prioritized their purchases. Students spend an average of $900 during this time of year (this figure comes from research conducted by shop.org which is the digital/e-commerce division of the National Retail Federation.)

Students lean toward buying must-have items like laptops, software and books, but above all, fall clothing (61% of purchases). Only 13% of college students say they spent their…
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More About: college, shopping


Amazon’s New Kindles and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 03:22 AM PDT


Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Amazon to Launch Kindle Touch With 'Paperwhite' Display

Amazon is about to launch a new version of Kindle Touch with a new "Paperwhite" display, which reportedly features "higher contrast, high resolution, integrated lighting, and eight weeks of battery life."

Furthermore, the Verge reports the company is about to launch a new version of Kindle Fire, though another source claims the image in the original article is not the device in question.

If the reports are true,…
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More About: amazon, features, first to know series, kindle touch, mashable


Watch More Than 100,000 Balloons Fall on Mitt Romney

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 02:38 AM PDT


It's a time honored tradition in political conventions -- thousands of balloons and ticker tape strands fall from the ceiling as the presidential nominee finishes his address.

Mashable was up in the stands as Mitt Romney concluded his acceptance speech Thursday evening. Here's a video of more than 100,000 balloons raining on Romney, Ryan, their family and other attendees from our vantage point.

What would you do with 100,000 balloons?

Read more of Mashable's coverage of the Republican National Convention:

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, EdStock2

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Politics, US, republican national convention


Texas A&M Wins ‘College Gameday’ Ad Contest [VIDEO]

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 01:20 AM PDT


Providing the setting for a quirky ad for ESPN's College GameDay show has become a badge of honor of sorts in the gung-ho and image-conscious world of college football fandom. The spots validate national stature, and guarantee an audience of millions for school colors and traditions.

Texas A&M stars in the most recent promo after its fans won an online voting contest powered in large part by social media.

The contest called on fans from more than 100 schools to vote via the GameDayVote.com site or a special Facebook app -- the first time fan input has decided an ad shoot location for the college football season staple of highlights and analysis.

Texas A&M fans proved the most…
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More About: ESPN, Sports


FDA Approves Wearable Electrotherapy Device for Back Pain [VIDEO]

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 12:07 AM PDT


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved over-the-counter sale of the Hollywog WiTouch device, targeting back pain. The WiTouch Pro model, with advanced features, is available with a doctor's prescription.

The WiTouch device offers a drug-free solution for lower back pain. The wearable device with replaceable gel pads is flexible and discreet.

SEE ALSO: Why Sitting Too Much Is Dangerous

The lightweight product utilizes Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) to target pain. The wireless therapeutic device stimulates the area's nerves and muscle fibers. Relief can be felt immediately and several hours after use, according t…
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More About: health, office, sitting


Obama Tweets Response to Eastwooding Meme: ‘This Seat’s Taken’

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:45 PM PDT


It didn't take long for President Obama to respond to Clint Eastwood's "Invisible Obama" routine, which took place at the 2012 Republication National Convention on Thursday night and became a meme that spread like wildfire across the Internet.

Obama tweeted a picture -- sent from the @BarackObama account, run by his campaign -- of him sitting in a chair marked "the President". His caption: "This seat's taken."

This seat's taken. OFA.BO/c2gbfi, twitter.com/BarackObama/st…— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 31, 2012

The tweet came not long after actor, director and former GOP politician Clint Eastwood made a rambling speech that featured him talking to an empty chair.…
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More About: Politics, Social Media, Twitter, Viral, barack obama


Watch Clint Eastwood Talking to a Chair [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 09:21 PM PDT


Without a doubt, it was the most iconic visual moment of the 2012 Republican Convention -- and one of the more surreal moments in American politics.

Clint Eastwood, Academy Award-winning actor and former GOP politician, took to the stage Thursday night and spoke to an empty chair as if it contained President Obama.

"So I've got Mr. Obama sitting here ... Mr. President, how do you handle promises you've made?" he asked the chair.

Over the course of his meandering speech, Eastwood berated the President for "thinking Afghanistan was okay," called Air Force One a "big gas guzzler," and described the president as "crazy, absolutely crazy."…
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More About: president obama, rnc


Eastwooding! Clint’s ‘Invisible Obama’ Routine Inspires Meme

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:37 PM PDT


Eastwood/Chair 2012




Image courtesy of @zdroberts

Click here to view this gallery.


"Clint Eastwood Talks to Empty Chair." That might just be the biggest headline to come out of the final night of the Republican National Convention.

Eastwood's ten-minute conversation with an "invisible Obama" had social media buzzing and meme generators working overtime.

Despite rousing speeches from Florida senator Marco Rubio and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook could not stop talking about Eastwood's exchange with the chair.

The speech -- or stand-up sketch? -- even inspired a Twitter account with the handle @InvisibleObama. Within an hour of its creation, the account had more than 20,000 followers.

Someone should tell Marco Rubio he's s…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Meme, Watercooler, trending


Amazon Launching Kindle Touch With ‘Paperwhite’ Display [REPORT]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:41 PM PDT


Amazon is holding an event in Los Angeles next Thursday. Now pictures have emerged on the web of what may be the subject of that announcement.

After an earlier leak brought us pictures of what appears to be an updated version of the Kindle Fire (just as the device sold out on Amazon), now The Verge has gotten its hands on some promotional photos of what appears to be an updated version of the Kindle Touch -- dubbed "Paperwhite."

The screen offers an improved experience over the e-ink fidplay Amazon currently uses in the Touch line, with "Paperwhite" lighting included likely an answer to Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight.

In the leaked images Amazon tou…
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More About: amazon, kindle touch


Clint Eastwood Makes the GOP’s Day [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:25 PM PDT


Actor and director Clint Eastwood took to the Republican National Convention stage tonight to endorse Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, to talk to an empty chair (where he insisted President Barack Obama sat) and to make the delegates very happy by saying "Go ahead, make my day" -- a line from one of his "Dirty Harry" films -- just one more time.

Actually, Eastwood did not say the whole line. Watch the short clip to see how it plays out.

Read more of Mashable's coverage of the Republican National Convention:

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Republican, presidential race


Stuff at Target Just Needs Better Names [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:48 PM PDT


Jeff Wysasky decided that some products need better names -- or at least names that provide a more accurate description.

So Jeff went to his local Target and swapped a selection of merchandise signage with more precise names for things.

Hilarity -- and probably a bit of customer confusion -- ensues. But the staff seemed to have a sense of humor about it.

YouTube commenter JacketBadMascohist, a Target employee, had this to say about the video:

More About: YouTube, viral videos


Google Maps for Android Adds Half a Billion Meters of Bike Paths

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:27 PM PDT


If you're an avid European biker with an Android smartphone, you're in luck.

Google Maps announced Wednesday it's adding mobile biking directions and navigation for 10 European countries -- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

"Mount your device on your handlebars to see the turn-by-turn directions and navigation, or use speaker-mode to hear voice-guided directions," Larry Powelson, software engineer for Google Maps, wrote in a blog post.

SEE ALSO: Bike Attachment Charges Your Phone Using Pedal Power

In July, Google added desktop mobile biking directions for those 10 countries. This allowed user to research b…
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More About: Google, Google Maps


Romney Campaign is First to Buy a Twitter Trending Topic

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:44 PM PDT


Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is becoming the first in history to buy a national trending topic on Twitter on Thursday, the last night of the Republican National Convention. #RomneyRyan2012, the official hashtag of the campaign, will appear as a trending topic throughout the night.

As of 8:52 p.m. ET, the #RomneyRyan2012 hashtag has seen nearly 10,000 unique tweets (not retweets).

Twitter trending topics start appear on the platform's homepage as hashtags. The company has sold local and national trending topics to businesses since December 2010, and they start at $120,000.

The Romney campaign has also been live tweeting speeches at the Republican National Convention fr…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Twitter, US, republican national convention, trending


Internet Cat Video Film Festival Underway in Minnesota

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:50 PM PDT


We know what you're thinking: Why am I not in Minneapolis right now at the first Internet Cat Video Film Festival watching the best clips of cats chasing laser pointers, purring and ignoring the camera?

Attendees will get to watch the 79 finalist videos, selected from a field of 10,000, in high-quality, on a large outdoor screen -- and for free. The winner will be announced Sept. 8 on Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell."

Lucky for you, the Walker Art Center will post a playlist from the festival online after it ends. We'll bring you that the moment it's released. It's the next best thing to being there.

BONUS: The Most-Viewed Cat Videos of All…
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More About: Entertainment, cat videos, cats


Is This the Worst Brand Page on Facebook?

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:09 PM PDT


Facebook brand pages, when they aren't managed well, can get a little annoying -- and are ripe targets for satire.

Now an anonymous Facebook user has created the ultimate parody: Condescending Corporate Brand Page.

SEE ALSO: 8 Hilarious Tech Parody Accounts on Twitter

"We're a big corporate brand using Facebook," reads the description on the account's About page. "So look out for us asking you to like and share our stuff in a faintly embarrassing and awkward way."

The "company" just joined Twitter as well. The content posted is equally familiar in an "ugh" kind of way. The bio reads: "This is the twitter account that simply tweets from a linked Facebook page with an annoy…
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More About: Watercooler


Sheryl Sandberg Offers Women Career Advice in Upcoming Book

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:25 PM PDT


Facebook's chief operating officer and second-in-command Sheryl Sandberg has penned her first book. It's about an issue near and dear to her heart: helping women get ahead in the workplace.

Sandberg will release a book called Lean In, which collects research, tips and anecdotes from her experience and others highlighting what women need to do to climb the company ladder, according to AllThingsD.

"I believe that the world would be a better place if half our institutions were run by women, and half our homes were run by men," Sandberg told AllThingsD in an email. "The book contains practical advice for women — and the men who want to help them — on how to lean in and clo…
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More About: Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, books, careers


12 Classic Movie Quotes Clint Eastwood Can Use at the RNC

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:34 PM PDT


Gran Torino (2008)




Click here to view this gallery.


GOP: Your day is about to made.

News outlets have confirmed that Clint Eastwood will be tonight's "mystery speaker" at the Republican National Convention.

The multiple Oscar-winning actor and director will grace the stage to speak and sling support behind presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Eastwood's tough-talking, no nonsense reputation means his appearance has the potential to resonate with booming acclamation beyond the Tampa stadium.

Barack Obama may have a way with words, but Eastwood's bountiful library of memorable movie quotes could trump the POTUS' oratory wizardry.

SEE ALSO: 10 Hilarious Guesses at the GOP Mystery Speaker

We collected 12 quotes (abov…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Movies, Watercooler, trending


Etsy Announces Gift Cards

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:34 PM PDT


Next time you're buying a funky hand-stitched pillow or one-of-a-kind print on Etsy, you'll also be able to buy a gift card at check-out.

On Thursday, Etsy announced it will begin selling gift cards in October. You can just buy a gift card by itself or purchase one with your order of items from the site. For the time being, the cards will only be digital and have a max value of $250.

"You can email the gift card directly to a friend or print one out to give in person," writes Etsy's Product Marketing Manager Natalie Schwartz in a blog post. "The gift card credit will be in the form of a code, which buyers will use towards purchases at any shop accepting direct checkout."

This is t…
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More About: Etsy, gift cards, online shopping


Did a Duck Just Make the Funniest College Sports Video Ever?

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:17 PM PDT


What's better than a giant Duck performing a cover of the oddly alluring "Gangnam Style" viral music video? Not much. The University of Oregon athletic department posted this parody to YouTube Thursday morning and the video wasted no time finding viral success of its own among Internet-obsessed sports fans.

It's got to be in the running for funniest college sports promo ever, but click play and check it out for yourself.

More About: Marketing, Sports, Watercooler, viral videos


You Can Now Bing Search Your Friends’ Facebook Photos

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:16 PM PDT


Bing's social search integration with Facebook just got deeper. You can now search your Facebook photos and those of your Facebook friends after authorizing the Bing app.

When you use the Microsoft search engine to search photos, you'll see the results arranged in the now-ubiquitous Pinterest-style waterfall layout, as shown above.

The new Bing search feature also introduces something you can't even do on Facebook itself: Search for specific keywords in photo captions or album titles. For example, if I search for "Italy" on Facebook, there's no way to find my friends' photos with related captions. But on Bing search, I can see all the photos of my friends in Italy.

"With more t…
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More About: Facebook, bing, social search


Bruce Lee Bobblehead Kicks Major Butt in Hilarious Promo [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:04 PM PDT


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The San Francisco Giants will host "Bruce Lee Tribute Night" on Sept. 4. They're going to give away some sweet bobblehead dolls of the martial arts legend as part of the event. But Thursday afternoon, the team's marketing department released this extremely creative and slightly frightening video to promote the special evening.

The clip immediately went viral among the sports Internet crowd, and it's easy to see why: a fierce Bruce Lee bobblehead laying waste to legions of attacking dolls including Manny Pacquiao before its ultimate showdown agains Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Click the play button for some pure, unadulterated awesomeness.

Appro…
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More About: Major League Baseball, Marketing, Sports, Watercooler, viral videos


5 New Ways to Improve Your Facebook EdgeRank

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:45 PM PDT


Brands have learned that success with a Facebook page isn't just about fan numbers, but also about how many fans see their posts. Facebook's news feed algorithm -- called EdgeRank -- controls that visibility.

Of course, optimizing a news feed so that it bumps up your EdgeRank is a complicated recipe that varies with each brand, the kind of content it posts, and its fans. There have been hundreds of blog posts written about this subject, but here are five completely new ways to get better results.

1. Post Photos
The Facebook news feed algorithm appears to be calculated both per fan and per type of post. That means a person might see Coca-Cola's photo posts, but not the compa…
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More About: Facebook, contributor, features, online marketing


Awkward or Adorable? A Proposal at the Republican National Convention [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT


Romance and politics go together like -- well we're not sure what. But apparently Republican National Convention staffer Bradley Thompson thought they were a winning combination for a proposal.

Wednesday morning, Thompson led girlfriend of two years (and fellow staffer) Laura Bowman on stage. Gigantic screens -- usually reserved for the faces of GOP candidates -- displayed pictures of their dog and the words "Laura Bowman will you marry me?"

SEE ALSO: This Adorable 'Lip-Dub' Marriage Proposal Is Worth Watching Now [VIDEO]

Bowman said yes immediately and the crowd cheered while they kissed.

RNC chairman Reince Priebus even tweeted a congrats to the couple:

Congrats to…
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More About: Watercooler, election 2012, republican national convention


Will.I.Am Says Coders Are Today’s Rock Stars

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:04 PM PDT


Earlier this week, will.i.am became the first artist to have a song broadcast on another planet. Tuesday afternoon, the Curiosity Rover on Mars played the song "Reach For The Stars," which was audible here on Earth at a NASA event at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Mashable caught up with the former Black Eyed Pea via phone after his appearance at the song premiere to talk about his interest in science, his work promoting STEM education, and how important this career milestone is.

How did it go today?

Today went great. It's a great moment. I had all the kids from the community center that I'm building in Boyle Heights in partnership with La…
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More About: Mars, Music, NASA, space


Virgin Airlines Will Give Its Most Frequent Flyer a Free Trip Into Space

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:48 PM PDT


Forget about upgrading to first class. Virgin is offering frequent fliers the chance to upgrade to a flight into space.

The passenger who earns the most frequent flyer points from booking flights on Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America and Virgin Australia from now through August 7, 2013, will win a free trip on the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo shuttle.

The starting price for a trip into space on one of Virgin's shuttles is $200,000.

As part of the contest, Virgin will give the second most frequent flyer a free zero-gravity flight. Customers can use their frequent flyer points for other flights during this time without counting against their chances for scoring the free trip in…
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More About: space, virgin america, virgin atlantic, virgin group, virgin-galatic


‘Madden NFL 13′ Has Record First-Day Sales and Social Media Chatter

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:47 PM PDT


It's the retail version of a touchdown: Electronic Arts says it sold 900,000 units of its Madden NFL 13 video game in the 24 hours following its release Tuesday, a new company record for first-day game sales. In addition, EA reported record day one online usage.

People are talking about the game, too: The gamemaker said that since Madden launched, there have been 665,464 game-related social interactions on Facebook and Twitter in sum. The game has been mentioned every six seconds on Twitter on average.

Overall sales on HD platforms are up 7% year-over-year, EA added.

So why is this year's upgrade of the franchise dong so well? Anthony Stevenson, EA Sports's director of ma…
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More About: madden, online retail, record sales


China Knocks Off iPhone 5 Before it’s Released

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:31 PM PDT


If you simply cannot wait until the next Apple release, reported to take place next month, you can get you hands on the latest iPhone now. Here's the stipulation: It wasn't made by Apple.

Chinese company Goophone is advertising a device, the Goophone I5, that bears a striking resemblance to an iPhone. The difference? It runs a version of Google's Android software.

SEE ALSO: Parody iPhone 5 Promo Teases Cutting-Edge Features

While we can't tell much about the Goophone, it doesn't seem to boast the rumored larger screen some of us are hoping to find in Apple's next release.

BONUS: LiquidMetal iPhone Concept

More About: apple, china, iPhone 5, mashable video


This Is Your First Day of School [GIFS]

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:15 PM PDT


Are you ready for the first day of school? Don't worry; you're not alone. Most students dread the thought of Labor Day because it means the last days of summer are here, and it's time to hit the books. Though there's no single GIF that will complete your education (yet), we've summed a day in the life of a student with the Internet's favorite format.

SEE ALSO: Relive High School in a Time Lapsed 4 Minutes [VIDEO]

Got a school-day GIF to contribute? Share the link in the comments below. Happy learning.

First You Wake Up

Then Realize It's the First Day of School

So Get Up and Make Some Breakfast

And Hurry to Get Out the Door

Then You Run Into Your Frien…
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More About: GIFs, Watercooler, school


7 Fantastic Calendar Apps To Keep You on Schedule

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:14 PM PDT


1. CalenGoo




CalenGoo integrates with Google Calendar and displays events in the same colors you've chosen on Google Calendar. Plus, it recognizes visible and hidden calendars. Compatible with iOS and Android, the app lets you make changes to your calendar, even when you're not connected to the Internet, and then syncs when you are.

The app also allows you to invite people to events, and integrates with Google Tasks for creating task lists.

Price: from $5.99

Click here to view this gallery.


Most of us maintain calendars, and most of us end up struggling with them. Whether you use a calendar to keep up with schoolwork or important business appointments, you can use apps to help keep track of everything, from organizing your schedule to showing up on time to important meetings.

We scoured the web to find some of the best Android and iOS schedule management apps out there. One displays calendar information on your phone's home screen; another plays a custom sound to remind you of important calendar events. If you need deadlines to get things done, we even found an app that counts down the days before a particular event takes place.

SEE ALSO: How to Organize Family Plans Wi
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More About: Google Calendar, Mobile, android, apps, features, iphone, lifestyle, productivity