Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “PayTango Lets You Pay With the Touch of a Finger”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “PayTango Lets You Pay With the Touch of a Finger”


PayTango Lets You Pay With the Touch of a Finger

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 07:13 PM PDT

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The Launchpad is a series that introduces Mashable readers to compelling startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: PayTango

One-Line Pitch: PayTango lets you pay by scanning your fingerprint instead of a card so you can leave the plastic behind.

Why It's Taking Off: The startup aims to provide universities and gyms with a special scanner that connects the customer's fingerprint with a credit card, debit card or loyalty card.

Forget paying with credit cards or even your phone, a new service is aiming to let you pay with just the touch of your finger. Read more...

More about Startups, Business, and The Launchpad

5 Tech Brands Made in America

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 06:52 PM PDT

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According to recent reports, Google will manufacture its newest gadget, Glass, in Silicon Valley

The "Made in America" label has drawn new focus recently as the U.S. seeks to regain some of its lost manufacturing power. Both the branding and Glass' buzz have coalesced for the launch of this new product, so we wanted to highlight some of the other tech brands who do their manufacturing on American soil.

These aren't all the tech brands by any means, but they're setting a good example. Think we should have included a specific tech brand? Let us know in the comments. Read more...

More about Us, Features, Tech, America, and Gallery

Robots Mimic Ant Colony Behavior

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 06:12 PM PDT

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Robot swarms can mimic how ant colonies navigate complex mazes relatively mindlessly, researchers have found — knowledge that could help to improve designs for manmade transportation networks.

Scientists are fascinated by ant colonies because they can form collectives called "superorganisms" that function as single organisms do. Investigation into how ants behave has revealed more about how such group behavior arises, and some researchers are using that knowledge to help build smarter robot swarms, said Simon Garnier, a scientist who studies animal behavior at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Read more...

More about Robots, Transportation, Science, Tech, and Dev Design

This Bra Dryer Makes Lingerie Laundry Easier

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PDT

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Drying bras is more complicated than you think. Pop them in the dryer and ruin the delicate pieces. Hang them on a line and you'll have to wait for hours. Luckily, one man has found the solution to our intimate first world problem with Ricasol, a bra dryer that solves your undergarment woes

Using an infrared light to warm up the fabric, Ricasol evaporates moisture and preserves the garment's shape. To help maintain form, the warm air is close to human body temperature. The breast-shaped device dries your bra in 20 to 30 minutes on a flat surface and comes in a range of sizes

Read more...

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Tumblr Back Up After Network-Wide Outage

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 05:35 PM PDT

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Update: The issue appears to have been resolved:

Network issues that affected certain Tumblr users have been resolved. Thanks for your patience.

— Tumblr (@tumblr) March 30, 2013

Tumblr was experiencing "network issues" that prompted a system-wide outage Friday night

The company, which recently announced that more than 100 million blogs were using its platform, provided an update on the situation via its Twitter feed:

Tumblr is still experiencing network issues. We’re working very hard to remedy them. Thanks for your patience.

— Tumblr (@tumblr) March 30, 2013

Read more...

More about Tumblr, Business, and Media

8 Reasons Easter and Children Don't Mix

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 05:28 PM PDT

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Easter has had a strong hold as a kid-friendly holiday. Sure, it's well advertised with its bunnies and chocolate and pastel colors, but in its truest form the holiday is quite dangerous to children

Just ask the kids in these eight videos who have been scared hare-less by these hopping mammals or had their parents plot cruel Easter eggs tricks on them. There is no holiday cheer for them, especially when they're forced to take pictures with a creepy bunny

The Hot Commercials has compiled the most epic Easter fails in a round-up that might influence you to skip the egg-dying and bunny costumes this year and opt for something less terrifying to kids — perhaps an Easter pony? No one is scared of ponies Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Easter, Cute Kids, Share As Post, and Watercooler

How to Set Parental Controls on In-App Purchases

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 05:14 PM PDT

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Apps have become an important part of many kids' lives. There are educational apps that lend a hand in teaching math and history skills, apps for staying in touch with parents, and apps that just read you a story when no one else is around. But when no one else is around is when some kids get into trouble — racking up huge charges from in-app purchases from free apps and games

There have been numerous stories in the past few weeks of kids making in-app purchases while playing a free game on their parent's iPad. Some adults call the added costs deceptive, others say it's too difficult to monitor. One parent went so far as to report his son for fraud so he could try to recoup the charge from his credit card company. Read more...

More about Itunes Store, In App Purchases, Parental Controls, Gadgets, and Lifestyle

Doctors Use Big Data to Improve Cancer Treatments

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 04:24 PM PDT

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology is looking to further personalize and improve cancer care by tapping into data from millions of patients around the nation

The organization completed the prototype for CancerLinQ, a "learning health system" that collects and analyzes anonymous patient information to provide immediate feedback and guidance for physicians

Very little is known about most people's experiences with cancer because information is locked in unconnected servers and paper files, says Sandra M. Swain, president of ASCO. Only 3% of cancer patients participate in clinical trials, but that small percentage isn't reflective of patients doctors see every day Read more...

More about Health, Data, Cancer, Lifestyle, and Health Fitness

Band Hijacks Google Street View Car for Music Video

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 03:47 PM PDT

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Gunnar & the Grizzly Boys may be the first folks to create art out of a Google Street View taping.

Unless they're lying to you. In which case they'd be just another band in the back of a pickup truck.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., sextet, an outlaw country outfit that likes "Fishing, Hunting" and "Ridin' in the Hillbilly Hummer and the Hummer Deluxe," just dropped a new music video for their Nashville name-dropping anthem "Could Be Me." In it, the band reportedly puts a friends' access to a Google Street View car to good use.

The video tracks the Grizzly Boys and a big group of their friends as they cruise down a snowy road in Michigan on the backs of three pickup trucks. Rather than appearing in standard video form, the camera's focus fades in and out, as if someone's pushing the forward arrow on a Google Street View map. Read more...

More about Youtube, Google Street View, Music Video, Entertainment, and Music

Android-Powered PC Lets Parents Monitor Kids' Online Activities

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 03:07 PM PDT

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When it comes to digitally-inclined children, a parent's biggest concern is safety. Kids' constant connection makes it difficult to keep track of how much time they're spending online or what content they're coming across — but one Kickstarter project is giving parents back the control

MiiPC, a compact personal computing device, connects with most computer monitors or TV screens and lets parents track use from a mobile app. The device runs on Android's OS and each family member can utilize a separate desktop account. Check out the video, above, for more

If your child is playing Angry Birds instead of researching a book report, you can keep them on course by specifying which apps and websites they can access. You can even log them out remotely or prevent future logins. Parents can also review a history of users' online use, and each account is personalized and can be controlled in real-time Read more...

More about Video, Android, Parenting, Gadgets, and Lifestyle

Marissa Mayer Tells Inside Story of How Yahoo Wooed Her

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT

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Marissa Mayer was originally planning a six-month maternity leave, but shortened that to two weeks after she got the CEO job at Yahoo, she revealed in a blog post on Friday.

Mayer's contribution, on Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In blog, tells the inside story of her frame of mind when Yahoo came calling:

On June 18th, I got the call.

“I’m doing a CEO search. It’s a Fortune 500 company. It’s in the consumer Internet space. It’s in Silicon Valley — you wouldn’t even have to move. It’s the perfect job for you. The board is asking for you by name. Are you interested? It’s Yahoo.”

Mayer writes that she had gotten similar calls before, but was intrigued because she was a Yahoo fan: Read more...

More about Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, and Business

Justice League Cars Will Make You Geek Out

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 02:27 PM PDT

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NEW YORK — The 2013 New York International Auto Show brought the shiniest new car models to the Big Apple this week, but none are as much fun as the Justice League-inspired vehicles from Kia Motors.

From the Superman Optima Hybrid and the Batman Optima to the Wonder Woman Sportage and Green Lantern Soul, Kia featured a series of cars with intricate details related to each superhero.

For example, Batman's Kia car has the bat symbol in the headlights, as well as his ammo hidden in the arm rest. Cars have its own custom paint and trims based on costumes and color schemes too.

Read more...

More about Cars, Batman, Auto, Marketing, and Film

Follow These 10 Twitter Accounts for North Korea News

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 02:08 PM PDT

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Tension across the Korean peninsula is rising: bellicose rhetoric coming from the North has gotten increasingly menacing and South Korea, along with the United States, hasn't backed down

The American military conducted Thursday a test along with the South Korean army, flying B-2 stealth bombers and carrying out mock bombing exercises. The United States' drills were intended to show North Korea that they're ready to support South Korea in case of war. Friday, North Korea announced Kim Jong-un has ordered its missile units to be ready to strike.

Read more...

More about World, North Korea, South Korea, Twitter, and Us World

Marriage Equality Campaign Causes 120% Increase in Facebook Pic Swaps

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 01:46 PM PDT

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If you thought you were seeing all your Facebook friends swap their photos to red equality signs Tuesday, you were right. Facebook reported a 120% increase in profile picture swaps, as compared to an average day

According to a post from Facebook data scientist Eytan Bakshy, 2.7 million more users swapped their photos Tuesday, March 26, than on the previous Tuesday, due to the viral marriage equality Facebook campaign started by the Human Rights Campaign

The HRC kicked off its call to action Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. EDT, in anticipation of the two gay marriage cases argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday and Wednesday. Read more...

More about Facebook, Us, Social Good, Gay Rights, and Supreme Court

UFO Memo Tops FBI's Most-Viewed List

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 01:23 PM PDT

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The most popular file in the FBI Vault has been viewed nearly a million times over the past two years. Yet, it is only a single page, relaying an unconfirmed report that the FBI never even followed up on. The file in question is a memo dated March 22, 1950 — 63 years ago last week.

It was authored by Guy Hottel, then head of our field office in Washington, D.C. Like all memos to FBI Headquarters at that time, it was addressed to Director J. Edgar Hoover and recorded and indexed in FBI records.

So what is this document that has so many people talking? It’s a short memo titled “Flying Saucers, Information Concerning,” and begins: “An investigator for the Air Forces stated that three so-called flying saucers had been recovered in New Mexico Read more...

More about Ufo, Fbi, Hoaxes, Aliens, and Us World

Nick Offerman Break Dancing Is Best Thing You'll Ever See

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 01:05 PM PDT

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Add break dancing to Nick Offerman's list of many talents

The Parks and Recreation actor got jiggy with it on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, after recalling his childhood days on the soybean fields. Turns out Offerman needed a way to keep himself busy while killing weeds, so he turned to the fine art of break dance (as one does)

At the time, he dubbed himself "Tick Tock" and busted some sweet moves. And, after all these years, he proved to Fallon that he hasn't lost the beat

But really, did any of us doubt his ability to get down and get funky? Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Tv, and Share As Post

Chances Are You've Been Resetting Your Router Wrong

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 12:44 PM PDT

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The first line of troubleshooting for any Internet issue is always to restart the modem and router - annoying, but usually effective

But did you know that there's actually a precise optimal sequence for powering down and rebooting those devices? A new Kickstarter project is betting that you didn't —or that if you did, you'd still like the process to be streamlined

Enter The Amazing Jellybean - a device that "reboots your connected devices in the correct order to solve connection problems," according to its description

Plug your router and modem into The Amazing Jellybean and then plug the device into the wall. When you need to reset, simply press one button and the rest of the process will take care of itself. Read more...

More about Gadgets, Troubleshooting, Routers, Tech, and Dev Design

Kung Fu Grandpa Will Kick You to Easter Sunday

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 12:12 PM PDT

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While some people prepare for Easter inside of the grocery store, one man makes use of the space right outside of it.

A man in Richmond, Va. was practicing some Kung Fu moves in a Food Lion parking lot when a bystander couldn't help but cheer him on from afar. The enthusiastic commentator — known as Rev. Aamon R. Miller on YouTube — sets an imaginary scenario for what was happening outside of his car

SEE ALSO: This 84-Year-Old Is No Match for Video Games

Was this man really whipping nunchucks next to his pickup truck in preparation for Easter Sunday? Probably not, but it's fun to pretend. One thing is for certain — no one is going to mess with this guy Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Humor, Watercooler, Videos, and Youtube Video Lead

The First Ever Honest Cable Company Ad

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 12:10 PM PDT

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Hey, you. Yes, we're talking to you. The person who is getting scammed by their cable company

You're probably paying $300 a month for "high-speed cyber hyper double turbo speed extra secure Internet and premium cable" — aren't you? That company promised you it was the latest and greatest of packages that would save you billions of dollars over the course of a lifetime, so you opted in

After all, how else are you going to stream Game of Thrones while simultaneously using Pinterest?

But your cable and Internet has been out since last June and you're still waiting for that repair guy, right? Well, here's the cable company you should be investing in. They are honest, they are reliable and, unlike the rest of them, they'll tell you straight up how they are cheating you out of your paycheck Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Parodies, Watercooler, Videos, and Youtube Video Lead

Vine Grows the Ability to Embed Videos

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 11:53 AM PDT

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Vine, with its easy way to create short GIF-like looping videos, has been a hit for Twitter, but its fans long for more features and functionality. Vine is answering that call a little bit today by adding the ability to embed Vine videos.

Previously, Vine users could embed tweets with vines, but now they'll be able to embed the Vine videos themselves, at full 600 x 600 resolution, on any website. Like so:

When you click on the Embed button on a Vine link, you can choose between a standard embed (above) or a "Postcard," which puts the Vine user's profile picture and the caption for the Vine in a white frame that surrounds the video (for standard embeds, that info appears via mouseover). For both standard and postcard embeds, you can choose between 600, 480 or 320 pixels for the resolution. Read more...

More about Vine, Twitter, Tech, Apps Software, and Animated Gifs

5 Inspiring Speakers From the United Nations Youth Forum

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 11:49 AM PDT

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Youth representatives and young leaders in social media gathered Wednesday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss what the future holds for young innovators

The U.N. Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, sponsored a series of panels centered around the campaign for Youth to "Innovate Your Future." Check out five out five of our favorite speakers in the gallery above

The U.N. also announced the new Thunderclap campaign for youth to share their voices to inspire the world to improve lives with science, technology, innovation, and culture.

Homepage image by Trevor Gowan/Mashable Read more...

More about World, Social Good, Youth, United Nations, and Us World

Voyage to 10 'Game of Thrones' Cities on Travel Site Kayak

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT

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Much like the millions of people who are eagerly anticipating the March 31 return of Game of Thrones, the folks at travel service Kayak.com can't wait for the Season 3 premiere

To hold fans over until then, Kayak has hidden Easter eggs on its website, the company exclusively told Mashable. People can now plan trips to and from 10 cities in the Game of Thrones continents of Westeros and Essos

Fans can type the name or "airport code" of the fictitious cities in Kayak's flight search to see how much it would cost and how long it would take to travel to and from those cities.

Read more...

More about Entertainment, Tv, Kayak, Easter Eggs, and Hbo

Spring Clean Your Gadgets With These 10 Weird Products

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 11:26 AM PDT

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At this time of year it's traditional to partake in a little bout of spring cleaning. Here at Mashable, we think that annual ritual should be extended to your gadgetry.

We have found 10 products that will help you spring clean your laptops, smartphones and other gizmos

Take a look through our selection of weird and wonderful products that can help you keep your tech world tidy. Share in the comments below any tips, tricks and cleaning gadgets you swear by

Image courtesy of Aroma Home Read more...

More about Gadgets, Tech, Home, Cleaning, and Accessories

Solar-Powered Plane to Make Cross-Country Flight

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 11:13 AM PDT

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Solar impulse, an ultra-lightweight plane powered completely by the sun is set to fly coast-to-coast this spring, researchers announced on March 28 at Moffett Air Field at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif.

The plane requires zero fuel and relies solely on solar panels and battery power.

The two Swiss pilots of the plane, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, want to complete a flight from Moffett Field to New York City. Along the way it will stop in Phoenix, Ariz., Dallas-Ft. Worth, Washington, D.C., and either Nashville, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga., or St. Louis. The plane will embark on May 1 and will arrive in the Big Apple by early July. Read more...

More about Space, Nasa, Airplane, Solar Power, and Us World

7 Easy and Slightly Evil Pranks

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 10:56 AM PDT

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Plotting April Fool's Day success doesn't require going all out. Sometimes, keeping the plans simple provides the biggest prank punch.

YouTube channel HouseholdHacker details seven easy-to-execute pranks that will have your friends and coworkers praying for April 2 to arrive. Fair warning: These tricks will make you the target of revenge, so stay vigilant

What's the best prank you've ever pulled off? Come on and 'fess up in the comments.

Image courtesy of Flickr, yurusanai Read more...

More about Viral Videos, April Fools, Pranks, Watercooler, and Videos

Sorry, A Facebook Phone Doesn't Make Sense

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 10:40 AM PDT

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Mashable OP-EDFacebook is holding an Android-related press event next week and already the Internet is in a tizzy. Could this be the rumored, mythical, magical Facebook phone?

The truth is, I don't know. For nearly 18 months, rumors of a Facebook phone — developed by HTC and running a customized version of Android — have continued to persist. And for nearly 18 months, Facebook has publicly denied its interest in building its own phone.

Last September at TechCrunch Disrupt, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg went on at length about why a Facebook phone wasn't right for the company.

He said:

"Let’s say we build a phone. We’re not, but if we did, we could maybe get 10 to 20 million people to use it … It doesn’t move the needle for us."

"The strategy we have is different from every other tech company [like Apple] that’s building their own hardware system — we’re going in the opposite direction.." Read more...

More about Facebook, Android, Smartphone, Opinion, and Ios

'BeFree' Text Shortcode Helps Victims of Human Trafficking

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 10:21 AM PDT

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Human trafficking victims and concerned citizens across the United States can now send quick and discreet text messages for help, thanks to a new joint initiative to end modern slavery.

Polaris Project and Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children — formerly known as the Demi and Ashton (DNA) Foundation — have teamed up with communication API service Twilio and Salesforce Foundation, providing an SMS-based program that instantly connects people to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline.

As of Thursday, the new system is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through which victims or people with knowledge of a trafficking situation can text "BeFree" (233733), and NHTRC call specialists will respond via text to address each individual’s needs. This could include immediate crisis response, referrals to nearby shelters and emotional support. Read more...

More about Mobile, Text Messages, Texting, Social Good, and Us World

China's Anti-Apple Smear Campaign Backfires

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 10:11 AM PDT

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The government of China launched a smear campaign against Apple in order to curb its popularity in favor of state-run companies. However, the Chinese people aren't biting, mocking these strategies on the Internet. In the last few years, Apple has doubled its Chinese sales

Homepage image courtesy of NowThisNews Read more...

More about China, Iphone, Apple, Ipad, and Smear Campaign

The Strategy Behind the Viral Red Marriage Equality Campaign

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:44 AM PDT

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The Human Rights Campaign's Director of Marketing Anastasia Khoo didn't decide to change the organization's equality sign logo from blue to red on a whim

The team at the HRC, the largest lobby organization dedicated to fighting for LGBT rights, knew that the two cases the Supreme Court heard this week on marriage equality were major, that Monday and Tuesday were moments of historic significance. The organization also foresaw that people would want to show their support for marriage equality. During the planning process, Khoo had the idea to turn the iconic blue and yellow equality sign logo red. Read more...

More about Facebook, Us, Features, Social Good, and Gay Rights

Docked! Soyuz Takes Shortcut to Space Station

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:09 AM PDT

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A Russian Soyuz capsule arrived in record time at the International Space Station on Thursday, shaving the standard two-day flight down to less than six hours.

The shortcut required some very precisely timed steering maneuvers, all of which occurred without problems. That positioned NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and his two Russian crewmates, Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, to reach the station at 10:28 p.m. EDT, just five hours and 45 minutes after liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

“Everything is going good,” Vinogradov radioed to flight controllers as the Soyuz capsule neared the station. Read more...

More about Space, Nasa, Russia, International Space Station, and Us World

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