Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Play Director With Arcade Fire’s ‘Sprawl II’” |
- Play Director With Arcade Fire’s ‘Sprawl II’
- HBO GO Coming to Time Warner Cable
- How the NFL Plans to Go High Tech
- Max Payne 3 Full of Bullets, Bullet-Time and Grit [PREVIEW]
- House Delays Taking Action on SOPA Until Dec. 21
- Cloth App Organizes Your Wardrobe on Your iPhone
- Amazon Sells 1 Million Kindle Products Each Week
- Facebook Threatens to Sue Mark Zuckerberg — No, Not That One
- Does Zynga’s IPO Fizzle Signal the End of the Social Media Bubble?
- Spotify Radio: Pandora’s Biggest Nightmare? [REVIEW]
- Windows 8 Tackles Password Fatigue With Pictures
- Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 Offers Comfort and Portability [REVIEW]
- Use an iPad to Play With Real Pigs — Without the Mess [VIDEO]
- Swedish Citizens Now Control @sweden Twitter Account
- Now Recognized as a Word, ‘Tebowing’ Meme Spreads Worldwide
- Which Republican Debate Got the Most Social Media Buzz? [CHART]
- Apple Rumored to Release ‘iPad Mini’ in Late 2012 [VIDEO]
- What Is Anonymous? [VIDEO]
- Daytime Fireworks Are More Beautiful Than You’d Expect [VIDEO]
- Why Recognizing Your Employees on Social Media Is Great for Business
- Malls Send Geo-fencing Texts to Lure Shoppers to Stores
- Whatever Happened to Ringtones? [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Hubble Telescope Reveals ‘Snow Angel’ in Space [VIDEO]
- The Louvre’s Got Game, Replaces Audio Tours With Nintendo 3DS [VIDEO]
- Understanding Zynga: A Post-IPO FAQ
- Zynga Stock Price Dips After Nasdaq Debut
- Bing Now Ties With Yahoo as Number Two Search Engine in America
- Why Your Business Needs a Mobile Website Right Now
- It’s the Last Day to Vote in the Mashable Awards
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
| Play Director With Arcade Fire’s ‘Sprawl II’ Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:28 PM PST Indie rockers Arcade Fire are capping 2011 with “Sprawl II,” an interactive music video that lets viewers direct the content — including zombie-like characters — by using a webcam or mouse. “There are no specific moves, just dance with your hands,” says instructions for the interactive version. “The camera will detect the movement you are making. The crazier you get, the faster the video will go.” If you prefer to experience music videos the traditional way — by just using your eyeballs — watch the non-interactive version of “Sprawl II” below. Arcade Fire, which won the Album of the Year Grammy for The Suburbs in February, first took a stab at interactive videos last year with "We Used to Wait." That video used HTML5 and Google Maps. Viewers typed their childhood home address and then Google Maps worked its magic to create a multi-browser personalized experience with images of the area surrounding that address. More About: arcade-fire, Entertainment, Music, music videos For more Entertainment coverage:
            |
| HBO GO Coming to Time Warner Cable Posted: 16 Dec 2011 08:15 PM PST      Time Warner Cable customers who subscribe to HBO or Cinemax will soon get to use HBO GO and MAX GO, the premium cable networks’ instant-streaming services. TWC announced the deal Friday night, saying subscribers will be able to access movies, documentaries, original series and more on any computer, iPad or other mobile devices. On HBO GO, viewers will have access to 1,400 titles such as Game of Thrones, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos Sex and the City and Deadwood. They’ll also get to watch HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries, specials and blockbuster theatricals. MAX GO offers 400 titles including movies, indies, cult favorites, the MAX After Dark series and primetime series. Most new content uploads to both services as the content premieres on the networks. Viewers also will get the “Watchlist” that keeps track of bookmarked content for later viewing; bonus content including interviews, recaps and behind-the-scenes extras; and customizable views showing titles in slideshow, grid or list format. Once the services launch, Time Warner Cable customers can access them at HBOGO.com or MAXGO.com using their TWC usernames and passwords. Earlier this year, HBO released HBO GO apps for Android and iOS. HBO GO launched in February 2010 and already is available to HBO subscribers of AT&T U-verse, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network, Google TV, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FIOS. More About: Cinemax, hbo, Movies, streaming movies, television, time warner cable For more Entertainment coverage:
      |
| How the NFL Plans to Go High Tech Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:06 PM PST   Imagine a futuristic NFL where computer chips embedded in players’ equipment measure and track how fast receivers run, how tired linemen get and how hard safeties hit. Quarterbacks call plays without a huddle, using wireless communication tools built into helmets. On the sidelines, coaches instantly watch digital video of previous plays to scheme their next moves. Referees carry handheld screens to immediately replay the toughest calls. And a chip in the ball combines with a laser on the goal line to eliminate the tedious debate over whether a player actually reached the endzone. All that and more could soon become reality, according to The Wall Street Journal. League officials are reportedly pow-wowing with forward-thinking tech and communications companies to bring cutting edge electronic devices and measurement tools to the NFL. “Every technological advancement you can imagine is on the table,” the article says. A couple of NFL teams have on their own transferred play books and game film to iPads for players to study and review, but so far most of the tech innovation in football and other sports has come on the marketing side of operations rather than the field. In the NFL, players still review plays on the sideline via expensive and wasteful photo printouts, and the league essentially bans computers and other devices from players and coaches before and during games. Major League Baseball imposes a similar ban, and the NBA only recently began to relax its restrictions. NFL executive Ray Anderson tells WJS that tablets will likely soon be allowed for coaches, to replace physical play sheets and to provide digital video for in-game planning. Anderson also says game officials will likely become wirelessly connected to one another soon. At least one NFL player seems optimistic about the league’s potential move into the future, and many others likely share his feelings. “Football is a beautiful sport, but why stop evolving?” New York Giants defensive back Corey Webster tells WJS. “Technology is going to change. The game has got to change with it.” What do you think? Should the NFL adopt these changes, or is there a value to keeping traditional sports low-tech? What kind of tech innovations would you like to see in other sports? More About: nfl, sports, technology
      |
| Max Payne 3 Full of Bullets, Bullet-Time and Grit [PREVIEW] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:03 PM PST   Max Payne drifts into his New Jersey apartment with fellow ex-cop Raul Passos to swig some liquor and forget about the child he accidentally shot in the field when mafia thugs swarm his place, guns ready. Payne and Passos are about to shoot their way out of trouble. So starts Mashable‘s preview of Max Payne 3, the newest game in the gritty, noir-shooter series. Rockstar gave us a look at the early build of two levels that showed off the gun-play, game mechanics and new story. Max Payne 3 finds its eponymous hero some years after the previous game. Payne is now an ex-cop and travels to Brazil to work in private security for a Brazilian real estate mogul. Payne is tasked with finding the mogul’s missing wife, though all is not what it seems. Game creator Rockstar Studios also hinted that the game’s timeline will be fluid, meaning there very-well may be later levels that take place in and around New York. Deceit, betrayal and backstabbing have always been themes of the Max Payne series, which previously had Payne exploring the seedy underbelly of New York’s mafia and crime scene. In Max Payne 3, our anti-hero has shaved his head for warmer climes but many of the trademark features are the same. Payne can still use “bullet-time,” which briefly slows time much like in The Matrix. While the graphic-novel style has been partially scrapped, Rockstar is using “motion comic” cut scenes, which feature quick cuts, sliding panels and even overlay text. It’s an overall update on the series, but does it work? The Hoboken scene was an early build, but the graphics already look top-notch. Payne shoots his way through the hallways of his apartment buildings even getting some help from a bomb-strapped, pantless conspiracy theorist who lives on his floor. The game is dark, but there is also a sly humor to the proceedings. Payne can dual-wield different handguns though he now has a limited inventory and has to pick up and discard weapons as he runs out of bullets. Rockstar said this was to make the game more realistic and a to harken back to the John Woo bullet-fest movies from which the games draw inspiration. The second level of the preview had Payne already in Brazil trying to escape from a local paramilitary group along with Passos’s sister. The game is the first to incorporate a cover system though the emphasis is still on running and gunning. Max Payne 3 has a “morale” system for its enemies: If you are aggressive and efficient, enemies will get scared and shy away. More passive players will run the risk of getting flanked or outnumbered by emboldened foes. Also new is a “final bullet cam,” which activates a slow-motion bullet tracer whenever the final enemy is killed in an area. The graphics look great, but the real gem of the game is its physics and animations engine. Max Payne 3 uses the euphoria engine, which allows for realistic human reactions to the environment, damage and injury. Rockstar also sunk time and money into performance motion-captioning, building mock sets and recording multiple takes for every action. For example, Payne will automatically adjust his body while mid-jump to prevent damage to himself. When on the ground, he will spin, twist and re-adjust his legs depending on the angle of his fall and any elevation around him. None of these are pre-made animations but instead real-time reactions based on character input, momentum and his environment. This philosophy permeates the entire game. Rockstar has modeled every bullet fired in the game, gun chambers slide back with every shot and you can see Payne physically pull the trigger on ever weapon he fires. Payne will also sweat, bleed and get dirty during missions — all of which are unique depending on the player’s actions. The team also has big plans for multiplayer. Bullet-time will join a list of “bursts,” or abilities, that can be triggered by building up an adrenaline bar. Max Payne 3 doesn’t launch until March 2012, but the preview left us wanting more. Mashable should have a chance to go hands-on with the game in January. Take a look at some of the screens and videos in the meantime and stay tuned for more news and info. Max Payne 3 Payne finishes off a bad-guy. Click here to view this gallery. More About: Gaming, preview, video game For more Entertainment coverage:
      |
| House Delays Taking Action on SOPA Until Dec. 21 Posted: 16 Dec 2011 05:03 PM PST   The House Judiciary Committee on Friday postponed debate on the contentious Stop Online Piracy Act until Wednesday. Initial reports indicated that voting on the measure — which if passed would create a "blacklist" of websites that infringe on copyrights — would be pushed back to 2012. However, Rep. Darrell Issa has since confirmed via a tweet (below) that talks regarding SOPA will continue Dec. 21, right before lawmakers depart for holiday break.
In its heated two-day debate about H.R.3261 so far, the House Judiciary Committee has been deciding whether to pass the provision to the House floor. The debate unsurprisingly has pitted copyright holders such as Disney, the Motion Picture Assoication of America and the Recording Industry Association of America against Internet freedom organizations as well as companies such as eBay, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo. Rep. Lamar Smith introduced the bill on Oct. 26. More About: House of Representatives, internet, public policy, SOPA
      |
| Cloth App Organizes Your Wardrobe on Your iPhone Posted: 16 Dec 2011 04:18 PM PST   The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: Cloth Quick Pitch: Create an easily accessible catalog of your favorite outfits. Genius Idea: In the App Store, there are more than a few solutions for snapping, saving and sharing your outfits with others. None, however, offers as clean a user experience as Cloth [iTunes link], nor (in most cases) as many privacy options. Unlike Fashism, Pose or Go Try It On, Cloth has no built-in social network and no registration is required. By default, any photos you take of your clothing are saved in the app alone — ideal for those of us who want to remember and organize our outfits, but don’t always (or ever) want to broadcast them to the world. Still, those who would like to share your ensembles can: The app lets you cross-post your images to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. You can also send your photos to ClothApp.com to be featured on the site. (Sharing via email would be a welcome addition.) Images can be allotted to one of several categories (such as work or evening) and tagged (I tag my outfits by season, color and designer), although there’s currently no way to browse looks by tag. You can also leave notes and save images to your device’s photo album.  Photograph enough outfits, and you’ll have an easily accessible thumbnail catalog of your entire wardrobe. You can also go back and edit your uploads at any time. Cloth was developed by Maxim senior editor Seth Porges and his girlfriend, fashion designer Wray Serna. As the story goes, Porges recognized a need for the app after watching Serna use her iPhone to take photos of outfits she was packing for a trip. Cloth costs $1.99 in the App Store, a price Porges hopes people will be willing to pay because the app doesn’t require them to fork over their personal details or view ads. “We’ve seen a huge trend towards free, ad-supported business models online, and I think people are so burnt out on always having to sell their souls to use anything,” he observed in an email to Mashable. “[I think] there may be a movement towards people willing to pay a few bucks for a no-strings-attached utility such as this.” Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. More About: bizspark, cloth, fashion, iphone app, mashable, spark-of-genius
      |
| Amazon Sells 1 Million Kindle Products Each Week Posted: 16 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST   Amazon shoppers have purchased more than 1 million Kindle devices for the third week in a row, the company announced this week. It's no secret that the Kindle line has been wildly successful for Amazon, and its Kindle Fire tablet — which debuted just 11 weeks ago — is the company's bestselling item ever. Although Amazon hasn't released details on sales figures, the Kindle Fire is priced at $199, so it's not hard to guess how much the company is raking in. Other popular devices in the line include the Kindle Touch 3G ( $149), the Kindle ($79) and Kindle Touch ($99). Although the Kindle Fire has been selling at unprecedented levels, the tablet has also been met with criticism about its less-than-stellar performance. In fact, the company recently confirmed with Mashable that it is planning a major software update to help improve the user experience. “As with all of our products, we continue to make them better for customers with regular software updates — in fact, in less than two weeks, we're rolling out an over-the-air update to Kindle Fire that will improve performance, touch navigation and give customers the option to choose what items display on the carousel,” the Amazon public relations team says. Although the company hasn't commented on when next-generation hardware for the device will be unveiled, some industry experts expect it to debut in the spring. The Kindle Fire has been met with some harsh reviews out of the gate. Last week, a study from the Nielsen Norman Group found that a panel of mobile phone users called the device's user experience "poor," noting an error-prone browser and a touchscreen too small for fingers. "The most striking observation from testing the Fire is that everything is much too small on the screen, leading to frequent tap errors and accidental activation," Nielsen Normal Group founder Jakob Nielsen said. Other complaints from the group include that the Fire is too heavy and that it takes too long to load pages. Do you think the Kindle Fire has the potential to truly compete with the iPad? Is it the closest iPad competitor? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. Amazon Kindle Fire: Main Bookshelf Interface
Click here to view this gallery. More About: amazon, Kindle, kindle fire
      |
| Facebook Threatens to Sue Mark Zuckerberg — No, Not That One Posted: 16 Dec 2011 03:13 PM PST   Facebook has threatened to sue Mark Zuckerberg, an Israeli entrepreneur who recently took the social network founder’s name. The new Zuckerberg, born Rotem Guez, legally changed his name Dec. 7. Zuckerberg II’s website, MarkZuckerbergOfficial.com, states that he first filed a lawsuit against Facebook in January, after the social network refused to give him access to his profile, which it had shut down. Zuckerberg (all further mentions refer to the Israeli entrepreneur) co-founded Like Store, a social marketing company, which sells companies Likes for their brand pages. The site states (translated), “Are you sad no one’s visiting your Facebook Page? We have a solution! Need 1,000 Likes? We’ll get them for you. Need 5,000 Likes? We’ll get them for you. Need 10,000 Likes? We’ll get them for you.” In September, Facebook’s law firm Perkins Coie threatened to sue against Zuckerberg, claiming the Like Store violated the social network’s Terms of Service, by selling brands fans. The threat instructed Zuckerberg to shut his company and never return to the social network for any reason. Zuckerberg officially changed his name Dec. 7. In the below video of his trip to the Interior Ministry to make the switch official, he says he plans to change his family’s names as well. One week later, Facebook again threatened a lawsuit against Zuckerberg’s still existing Like Store. Little did they know, they were threatening someone with the name of their own founder. Though legally Facebook can, of course, sue someone named Mark Zuckerberg, it makes for quite the funny tale. Perhaps anticipating the media attention he would receive, Zuckerberg has set up an Internet campaign for his new persona, including a Facebook Page and Twitter account, @iMarkZuckerberg, suggesting that he’s ready to make a splash with his new identity. His Facebook Page includes photos of his new identification card and passport. Do you think the new Zuckerberg was ridiculous to change his name or has he pulled off a brilliant marketing stunt for his startup? Let us know what you think. More About: Facebook, mark zuckerberg
      |
| Does Zynga’s IPO Fizzle Signal the End of the Social Media Bubble? Posted: 16 Dec 2011 02:37 PM PST   Game over? Zynga‘s IPO may have ended the social media IPO era with a whimper, rather than a bang, as its stock closed at $9.50 — down $.50 from its asking price. The lackluster performance contrasted with other recent social media IPOs, including LinkedIn’s debut in May, in which the company’s stock price doubled and Groupon’s, which rose $6 from the asking $20 asking price, on Nov. 4, the day the company went public. Is this a sign that Wall Street is over its infatuation with social media IPOs? Kevin Pleines, an analyst at Birinyi Associates in Westport, Conn., thinks that may be case. Pleines says that investors have learned their lesson from recent social media IPOs and are curbing their enthusiasm, in this case, at least. “People are a little more skeptical,” Pleines says, noting that Zynga’s valuation of around $9 billion is absurd when compared to rival EA’s $6.9 billion. Jeffrey Sica, owner of Sica Wealth Management in Morristown, N.J.,agrees. “It’s a very telltale sign of how people feel about social media IPOs in general,” Sica says, adding that he likes Zynga as a company, but feels the market is too spooked at the moment. “They have become very shortsighted,” Sica says of investors. “There’s a lot of fear in the market right now.” The fatigue, however, may be justified. Pleines’s research shows that 60% of social media stocks that have gone pubic since 2010 are below their asking price. If you aggregate all those social media stocks, the average price is down 32% from their IPO price. That said, Zynga’s debut on Nasdaq could have been worse. The stock opened at $11, which is 10% above the asking price. It didn’t hold on to that gain, but it didn’t fall very far, either. Still, Zynga’s IPO’s fate seems less a reflection on the company itself than on past social media debuts. After all, Zynga is profitable, boasts 227 million active users and is expanding into platforms beyond Facebook, like Google+. “People are focused on the valuation rather than the story,” Sica says of Zynga. “Zynga has a very upbeat story to tell.” Meanwhile, Pleines says, the other big social media, Facebook’s, may not be subject to the same investor malaise that dogged Zynga. Says Pleines: “They’re a different animal because of their sheer size and scope.” More About: Facebook, ipo, Zynga For more Business coverage:
      |
| Spotify Radio: Pandora’s Biggest Nightmare? [REVIEW] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 02:16 PM PST   The new Spotify Radio started its broader rollout on Friday, giving premium and free users unlimited access to custom radio stations, each with unlimited skips. The big news with Spotify Radio is that stations can be created around not just genres — but artists and songs as well. This puts Spotify Radio on more equal footing with music-discovery juggernauts such as Pandora. Spotify Radio is powered by The Echo Nest. The Echo Nest’s Playlist API powers the stations, using Spotify’s library of 15 million tracks — along with The Echo Nest’s recommendation technology — to create a rich and customized radio experience. The Echo Nest has spent much of 2011 making deals with various companies, including iHeartRadio, the MTV Music Meter and eMusic’s new radio stations.  The net result is that you can get a more granular, customized radio experience. For instance, in my tests, I was impressed that creating a radio station around the college a cappella group, The Dartmouth Aires, included tracks from other college (and even a few post-collegiate) groups, as well as some symphony takes on modern pop songs. As a category, a cappella isn’t well tagged within Spotify, which is why I chose this as a test subject.  Right now, the only feature that Spotify Radio is missing is the ability to “unlike” or “ban” a track. After all, if I’m listening to a “Singer-Songwriter” station and I start to hear a lot of John Mayer, pressing skip until Josh Ritter or Jose Gonzalez comes on can be an annoying part of an otherwise pleasant experience. The big advantage that Spotify Radio has over Pandora is Spotify’s unlimited skips. This gives users an enormously powerful way to find just the right sort of jam.  I do wish I could save a certain Spotify Radio set as a playlist for future listening. With The Echo Nest powering the stuff behind the scenes, Spotify Radio might just be enough to make me give up my premium Pandora account and just use Spotify full-time. What do you think of Spotify Radio? Let us know. More About: Echo Nest, pandora, spotify, streaming radio For more Entertainment coverage:
      |
| Windows 8 Tackles Password Fatigue With Pictures Posted: 16 Dec 2011 01:58 PM PST   Microsoft is talking a lot about passwords lately. Earlier this week the company posted on its Building Windows 8 blog a lengthy post detailing the problems with current passwords, and how Windows 8 will solve them. Then Microsoft published another lengthy post Friday outlining why one of those solutions, Picture Password, is so great. It’s a fairly convincing argument, even if it’s laced with many assumptions. The essence of Picture Password is to use one of your own personal photos as a key to the device. It’ll only work for a touchscreen device — a smartphone, tablet or touchscreen PC — since it involves tracking finger gestures on the screen. Once you pick a photo to use, Picture Password records three gestures that you “draw” on the screen. Each gesture must be either a tap, a drawn line between two points, or a circle. Once you’ve entered them, the device will call up the photo at login, prompting you to duplicate them. If you get them all correct, in the right order AND in the right direction (for lines and circles), you have access. Why just the three gestures instead of free-form movements, which would probably be more secure? Time. Microsoft found in its testing that people took much longer to duplicate free-from gestures than simple shapes, making the tool a chore. It turns out that taps, circles and lines are secure enough, and Microsoft presents the math to prove it. Comparing PINs, typical alphanumeric passwords and gestures, Microsoft shows that its Picture Password trick is harder to crack than common login methods — by several orders of magnitude. Lest you think you’ll need to duplicate your gestures precisely, Picture Password is more forgiving than that. An algorithm detects how dead-on your movements are, and if you’re close enough (90%), you’ll get in. The more important things to get right are the order and direction of the gestures. If you’re still suspicious, Microsoft says Picture Password is meant as a companion to a text password, not a replacement. On non-touchscreen machines, text would be the only option anyway. (Tip: Do not choose one of the 25 Worst Passwords of 2011.) The new feature is also just one of several ways the company says it’s making the next version of Windows more secure and easier to use. Besides photos, Windows 8 can sync your login across several devices via Windows Live. It also provides a way for developers to create apps that remember passwords the same way Internet Explorer does. On top of that, apps will all be able to use highly secure public/private key logins — a kind of “virtual smart card” — which are immune to things like keyloggers and phishing. One thing Microsoft doesn’t mention is using a device’s camera to recognize the face of the person trying to log in, a security feature Google promotes in the latest version of Android, “Ice Cream Sandwich.” Considering the feature didn’t work properly when Google first unveiled it and that users have subsqeuently showed it can be defeated with a photograph, it’s probably just as well. Do you see any weaknesses in Picture Password? And would you use it if you had the option? Let us know in the comments. More About: microsoft, passwords, Windows 8
      |
| Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 Offers Comfort and Portability [REVIEW] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 01:46 PM PST   The Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 works with any Bluetooth-equipped laptop, but it really shines when used with an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android tablet or smartphone, giving you a comfortable keyboard that’s truly portable. So what’s this mean for you? Instead of hunting and pecking on the keyboard of that iPad or Android tablet, you can use an ergonomically designed keyboard that’s so slim and compact, you’ll be tempted to take it with you wherever you go. And, if you want to use it with a laptop, it won’t hog a USB port. The keyboard is the same as the Microsoft Mobile Keyboard 6000 that I tested last year, but this one comes at a lower price, $49.95 instead of the $89.95 of the Mobile Keyboard 6000. Why the price difference? The 6000 includes a separate number pad, but that’s just another thing to lug around with you, and we found it to be of marginal usefulness. Kudos to Microsoft for offering the keyboard at a lower price without that occasionally useful keypad, but shame on the company for not making it perfectly clear that this is not a new product. However, even though it’s a year old, that doesn’t make it any less useful. Just keep in mind that you’re not getting brand-new technology here. The best part of the Mobile Keyboard 5000 and its 6000 brother is the fact that the keys are full-sized, and they press down even farther than most laptop keys. In my testing, it paired up easily and instantly with my iPad 2, and gave me typing comfort that far surpassed that of typing on a glass screen. A downside to using this keyboard with an iOS device is the weird way its “Delete” key works, holding onto the Apple convention — you’ll need to use the “Backspace” key if you want to get rid of any text. And, to skip around between words, your PC keyboard shortcuts won’t work either — you’ll need to hold the “Alt” key as you move around between words instead of the Control-D you might be accustomed to with PCs. This won’t matter much to Mac users, but PC users might need to take a little time to get used to it. Another downside to using this keyboard is the bane of all Bluetooth devices — they tend to drain the batteries of laptops, tablets and smartphones, which might be a consideration if you work long hours and want to type long missives on your portable gadgets. Summing up, if you’re one who likes to place a keyboard in your lap, but don’t want the heat and weight of a laptop sitting on you all day long, this keyboard will be ideal. Beyond that, if you like Microsoft’s “comfort curve” design often find yourself needing to type on an iOS or Android device, this well-designed keyboard is worthy of your $49.95. Keyboard with iPad 2 Hey, it's almost like a laptop, but smaller. Click here to view this gallery. More About: android, iOS, keyboards, microsoft, Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000, reviews
      |
| Use an iPad to Play With Real Pigs — Without the Mess [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 01:32 PM PST A Dutch gaming company is testing a game called, Pig Chase. It will connect users to real live pigs that they can interact and play with on their iPads. How does it work? Check out the video above to see it in action. Would you play with pigs if this game makes its way to the App Store? More About: ipad, ipad app, mashable video
      |
| Swedish Citizens Now Control @sweden Twitter Account Posted: 16 Dec 2011 01:15 PM PST   Sweden’s people have officially taken over the @sweden Twitter account — and with the blessing of the Swedish government. One Swedish citizen will control the handle each week, tweeting about whatever they’d like, as part of a new project called Curators of Sweden. “No one owns the brand of Sweden more than its people. With this initiative we let them show their Sweden to the world,” says Thomas Brühl, CEO of VisitSweden, the tourism ministry that had been updating the @sweden account since January 2009. Curators of Sweden is based around the idea that no single voice can represent the country, so a slew of guest Swedish curators will do the best job to portray the national character. First to get behind the @sweden helm is Jack Wermer, a writer and marketer, who started his stint on Dec. 10. “I've always enjoyed to show tourists my Sweden and to be able to do it on Twitter feels like a fun and natural step,” Werner says. VisitSweden says it chose the curators because they represent the country’s values and skills, such as gay rights, fashion, design and innovation. In the coming weeks, @sweden followers can expect tweets from an ad agency founder who owns a farm, a suburban writer, a priest, a teacher and a coffee-drinking lesbian trucker . In addition to VisitSweden, the Swedish Institute has contributed to the @sweden account in the past year. What do you think of this idea? Is this Twitter account a great way for the country to express its character or is it merely a bizarre curation-sharing experiment? Should other countries follow suit? Let us know in the comments.  More About: sweden, Top Stories, tourism, Twitter
      |
| Now Recognized as a Word, ‘Tebowing’ Meme Spreads Worldwide Posted: 16 Dec 2011 12:53 PM PST   “Tebowing,” the campy Internet meme inspired by lightning rod NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has, like its namesake, refused to fade away quietly. In fact, according to at least one source, Tebowing is now an official part of the English language. “The rapid rise of the word has seldom been equaled,” the Global Language Monitor said in a statement this week that anointed Tebowing as an official word. The official Tebowing.com website defines it as a verb: “To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone around you is doing something completely different.” Photos of regular people mimicking Tebow’s signature gesture have gone viral online, with Tebowing.com alone receiving more than 15,000 submissions in the past several weeks, according to its founder Jared Kleinstein, who coined the term. As the newly starting quarterback Tebow continues to lead his Denver Broncos team to improbable comeback victories, the rookie word Tebowing has spawned a small business for Kleinstein and been covered this week by establishment media outlets including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. It’s also sparked a global movement of sorts (please see slideshow, below). For those unfamiliar with Tebowing or its namesake, Tim Tebow is an unorthodox football player who has simultaneously attracted widespread admiration and ridicule for his relentlessly upbeat personality, irregular throwing motion and fervent Christian faith. Despite a superstar college career, expectations for Tebow’s professional career were low until he started his first game of his second season for the Broncos Oct. 23. Kleinstein, a Denver native and lifelong Broncos fan, watched that game with friends at a Manhattan bar as Tebow led the team to an overtime comeback win. On television, Kleinstein watched Tebow lower himself to one knee and strike a serene, prayerful pose while the players and fans around him went nuts. Leaving the bar, Kleinstein copied Tebow’s pose “to pay tribute” and, as a friend snapped a photo, deemed the act “Tebowing.” Later he posted the photo to Facebook and Googled his new word, finding that no one else had previously used it. A couple days later he bought the Tebowing.com domain name for $10. “I just thought it would be cool to start a site of all our friends doing it different places,” Kleinstein told Mashable in an interview. But, two days later, the site had 350,000 unique visitors. The site has since received submissions from more than 75 countries. By the end of the first week, Kleinstein had been sent photos of people Tebowing in front all of world’s major man-made wonders except for one — Machu Picchu. “So I put up a post asking for that,” Kleinstein said, “and within the day got three photos from Machu Picchu.” The site now incudes more than 2,000 photos in total (story continues after slideshow). Tebowing Stonehenge
Click here to view this gallery. Kleinstein said his site’s rapid momentum is “a testament to how our social media works and how quickly things can grow,” but also has depth. “Some see it as humor, but some see it as a way to inspire hope and say that it’s okay to pray in public,” said Kleinstein, who is Jewish. “It’s something you can do without being absurd, without looking like you’re even trying to make a fool of yourself or be goofy.” Kleinstein also sells shirts and other apparel through the on-demand clothing service Spreadshirt.com. Within 18 hours of launching he had sold 200 shirts. Spreadshirt executive Mark Venezia told Mashable that his company typically uses about three rolls of orange flex polymer per month to create shirts but had to order 36 to fill last week’s orders alone. As Tebow continues to win on the field — he’s now 7-1 as a starter — the Tebowing meme continues rolling strong as well. (In fact, it’s not the only Internet trend Tebow has inspired; when he briefly faltered as a player, a negative fill-in-the-blank Tebow-themed meme briefly gained momentum, as well.) Kleinstein has posted less than 15 percent of the submissions he’s received, and now has separate tabs for holiday, celebrity, toddler, global and patriotic Tebowing sections. There’s even a “Tebowing vs. Tebowing” option, where visitors can choose winners from pairs of dueling photos. It’s that level of widespread acknowledgement that inspired the Global Language Monitor to deem Tebowing an actual word this week, after tracking millions of references from random corners of the Internet and the world’s largest media outlets. Chinese search engine Baidu had hundreds of Cantonese references to Tebowing, Paul Payack, the Global Language Monitor’s president and “chief word analyst,” told Mashable. “It takes a lot to become a word,” Payack said. “But Tebow himself and Tebowing as a phenomenon just keep getting bigger and bigger.” All photos courtesy of Tebowing.com. More About: Broncos, football, Meme, nfl, Tebowing, tim tebow
      |
| Which Republican Debate Got the Most Social Media Buzz? [CHART] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 12:40 PM PST While the race to the GOP primary has been a long one, the candidates are in the home stretch and frequently taking the debate stage. And as we’ve seen for some time now, live TV lights up social networks like a Christmas tree. Lots of news has been made at these debates — from contentious sparring matches to significant gaffes. But how did the social media buzz curve line up as the action went down? And which moments garnered the biggest reaction from Twitter and Facebook commentators? We’ve got the top five nationally broadcast debates as measured in social buzz, and the chart below may surprise you. The data is compliments of our friends at Trendrr, who measure social activity (mentions, likes, checkins) related to TV broadcasts. The data spans across Twitter, Facebook, GetGlue and Miso. To see daily rankings, check out Trendrr.TV.   More About: 2012 election, data, features, Politics, republicans, Social Media
      |
| Apple Rumored to Release ‘iPad Mini’ in Late 2012 [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 12:16 PM PST The latest Apple iPad rumor making the rounds: a 7.85-inch iPad Mini will be available in late 2012. Could this be Apple’s response to Amazon’s Kindle Fire? Check out the video to find out more. Do you think Apple should make a smaller iPad? Would you buy it? 1. Air Video   The iPad is a great media player. The size of the screen coupled with the quality of the display really makes it a great way to catch up on lots of content. Although you can use iTunes to transfer movie and music files to your iPad, converting and transferring can be a complicated and tedious process. This is why Air Video is so great -- it makes it extremely simple to stream video from your Mac or PC to your iPad. Just install the free Air Video server client on your PC, tell it what folders to watch or include and then fire up the app. Now select your computer and feel free to go through your lists of available content and watch it in great quality on the iPad! Air Video does a really terrific job of "live conversion," meaning your video is converted as it plays, which saves time and makes it really easy to enjoy your video collection on the couch. Click here to view this gallery. More About: apple, ipad, mashable video
      |
| Posted: 16 Dec 2011 11:35 AM PST Every now and again, the Internet gets all flustered about the latest hack attack by the mysterious group known as Anonymous. The media reports it, online communities take sides, but it’s hard to get a handle on exactly what Anon is, and where their ultimate agenda lies. How do they pick their targets? Who’s in charge? Can anyone join? In an effort the alleviate some of these burning questions, our friend Jeremiah Warren put together this explainer video that dissects the origins of the hacker collective and their increasing blip on the radar of law enforcement and public attention. Where do you stand? Does Anonymous fight for a free and open Internet, or are they destructive hacker trolls? Have your say in the comments below. More About: anonymous, features, hackers, mashable video, Video
      |
| Daytime Fireworks Are More Beautiful Than You’d Expect [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 11:10 AM PST
Everyone loves watching fireworks illuminate dark skies, but did you ever wonder what they would look like during the day? Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang put on this enormous daytime explosion event at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar. Guo-Qiang shows that just as nighttime fireworks are engineered to create mesmerizing light patterns, so can the chemical combustibles form unforgettable spectacles in the sun. Guo-Qiang’s computer-controlled designs of black smoke clouds are individually calculated to resemble images such as “drops of ink splattered across the sky” and a pyramid floating above the desert. Do you think daytime fireworks could become mainstream, challenging the traditional nighttime displays? BONUS: 10 Explosive iPhone Fireworks Photos [PICS] |
| Why Recognizing Your Employees on Social Media Is Great for Business Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:53 AM PST   Curt Finch is the founder and CEO of Journyx, where he helps companies with time-tracking and resource management software. Connect with him and Journyx on Facebook and Twitter. Social media has opened countless new avenues for promotion of all kinds. As a result of blogs, Twitter, Facebook and more, it's as if we all have access to a bullhorn, and thus, the ability to promote ourselves whenever and to whomever we choose. Within your company, surely you've grappled with the use, disuse and even misuse of social media. But have you thought about using it for employee recognition? Communicate your staff appreciation by employing social media as a positive acknowledgement tool. It’s a highly visible and yet low-cost way to show your support. Zoomerang interviewed 1,180 small to mid-sized business decision makers and 500 consumers for its study, "Marketing in a Digital World." They found that the three most important reasons small businesses leverage social media are:
It’s time to add employee appreciation to the mix. Employee Recognition Reflects Well On Your CompanyPublicly recognizing your employees' accomplishments also shines a positive light on your company. For example, a Best Western hotel used social media to highlight one of its top employees, Wallace Pope, who was nominated to receive a "Stars of the Industry" award from the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. To help Wallace's campaign, his employer created a Facebook Page and asked guests of its downtown Chicago hotel to visit the page and share their experiences and thoughts as to why Wallace should receive this award. Guests flocked to the page and posted stories about Wallace’s helpfulness during their stays. They had also been interacting with Wallace virtually through his Best Western River North Hotel blog called "Where's Wallace?" No doubt the Facebook page with all the customer testimonials helped influence the judging process. Plus, it was great advertising for the hotel itself. Boost Company Morale In Real-TimeThe reason why social media is so ideal for employee recognition is not because it's free (although that certainly doesn't hurt); it's because many, if not all, of your employees are already on social networks. Recognizing your employees where they already "hang out" has a more meaningful effect. Keep in mind that the average age of Facebook users is 38, for Twitter is 39, and for LinkedIn is 44. So don't use the youth excuse! Recognition through social media helps executives reach their employees. It also encourages peer-to-peer acknowledgement: friends leave comments, retweet and continue to share news. Whether publicly through popular social media platforms or privately through internal networking sites, sincerely acknowledging your employees through social media is an incredibly effective tool to reward your staff and boost company morale. What Are the Best Ways to Recognize Employees on Social Media?So, how do you go about recognizing your business’ top performers? Here are some tips.
One Word of CautionBefore you fire off that tweet, do remember that not everyone loves the limelight. "Be careful to reward people in any sort of public forum unless you’re absolutely certain that they would welcome that kind of attention," warns Linda Pophal of Strategic Communications, LLC. "A number of years ago I supervised a graphic designer who was going to be recognized at an 'all-employee' meeting. She got wind of it and came to my office extremely agitated because she did not want that kind of public attention. Social media is just another form of public exposure – on steroids. Yes, it can be a good thing, but it can also backfire." What are your best tips for acknowledging via social media? More About: contributor, features, jobs, Social Media, workplace For more Business coverage:
      |
| Malls Send Geo-fencing Texts to Lure Shoppers to Stores Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:36 AM PST
Retailers aren't the only ones pulling out the stops this year to lure more foot traffic into stores – shopping centers nationwide are doing the same by embracing geo-fencing technology. Retail real estate company DDR Corp., which owns hundreds of U.S. shopping centers, is using a location-based mobile marketing service at its 27 open-air malls across 16 markets to text deals from the retail tenants within those malls. But the real value of the program called ValuText is that it's giving smaller businesses that don't typically have the marketing budget the opportunity to compete against the bigger retailers. ValuText powered by Placecast features geo-fencing technology, which is a virtual perimeter for a geographic area. DDR picks up when shoppers enter a mall's border and those who have opted-in to the service receive text messages about sales and promotions happening in real time. The shopping center doesn't charge its tenants for the service. Since geo-fencing technology is compatible with 92% of U.S. mobile phones – and doesn't require downloading or activating an app – the initiative is reaching a broad audience. Geo-fencing technology is becoming increasingly popular in retail. For example, previous Placecast efforts have shown that 53% of participating shoppers have visited a specific retailer after receiving a location-based alert and 50% who stopped by a store prompted by a text said the visit was unplanned. Although sales result metrics aren't yet available for DDR's ValuText program, small businesses are enjoying the successes of the service. Dana Robinson, an owner of the Pure Posh Salon at DDR’s Village at Stone Oak shopping center in San Antonio, said the salon had previously tried using Groupon to offer deals to customers but has had greater success with ValuText. “The new service does not force [her] customers to buy offers in advance, and the salon is able to update its offers for products or services as many times as needed,” DDR said in a press release. Should more shopping centers implement geofencing tools? What are some other ways small businesses can stand out in a crowded marketplace? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. More About: geofencing, holiday shopping, Mobile, mobile phones, Small Business, text messages
      |
| Whatever Happened to Ringtones? [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:20 AM PST When was the last time you downloaded a ringtone? 2008? For many of us, downloading our favorite pop song du jour feels as dated as choosing a buddy icon our AIM profile. However, somewhere, people still download ringtones. The mobile call alerts still make up one-third of the online music industry. This Music Production School infographic takes a look at the still-kicking ringtone ecosystem. As of November 2011, Lil Wayne dominates the ringtone charts, having the number one tune, “6 foot 7,” and being featured in the number two and five tracks (Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” and Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation”). The rapper’s five-time (ringtone) platinum hit “Lollypop” is the most popular tune of all time. Overall, rap is the most dominant ringtone music genre, although when it comes to free downloads, iPhone users have more diverse tastes than their Android counterparts. Though not a download, Nokia’s classic ringtone is the world’s most popular call alert, heard two billion times around the world each day. What was your best ringtone you ever had? No judgement if you say Crazy Frog’s “Beverly Hills Cop.”   More About: Mobile, Music, ringtone For more Mobile coverage:
      |
| Hubble Telescope Reveals ‘Snow Angel’ in Space [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:04 AM PST NASA and ESA’s Hubble Telescope has sent home stunning pictures from the region S106 where a young star is forming. Astronomers say the images are colorful, but reflect a violent scene in outer space. Watch the video above to see the “snow angel.” More About: mashable video, NASA, space For more Tech coverage:
      |
| The Louvre’s Got Game, Replaces Audio Tours With Nintendo 3DS [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:48 AM PST The world’s busiest museum is getting an upgrade. Starting in March, the Louvre will offer visitors Nintendo 3DS hand-held game consoles instead of the typical audio players most museums use. The Louvre is getting the 5,000 3DS devices through a partnership with Nintendo. This summer Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said the company was exploring the possibility of offering the handheld to deliver “realistic experiences” when visiting museums worldwide. Those efforts are clearly now bearing fruit, and Nintendo isn’t wasting time with small fish — as museums go, it doesn’t get any bigger than the home of the Mona Lisa. The Louve attracts 8.5 million visitors every year, Agence France-Presse reports, although just four percent of them opt for the audio tours, which cost 6 euros each. With the 3DS, that number might go up. At least that’s the plan, says Agnes Alfandari, the Louvre’s head of multimedia. “We are the first museum in the world to do this,” Alfandari told AFP. “People’s habits have changed. But that offers us a huge opportunity to extend the museum’s territory, and build a lasting relationship with our visitors.” When visitors choose to tour the museum with a 3DS, they’ll have access to themed itineraries and commentaries, including child-appropriate ones, in seven languages. It’s not clear how the console will use the 3DS’s glasses-free 3D display to enhance the experience, but it’ll no doubt figure prominently in the experience. (For a creative take on how 3D tech could enhance classic paintings, check out this Samsung ad.) Nintendo is developing the tour material, though the museum has editorial control. Around the same time as the consoles’ debut, the Louvre will also update its smartphone and iPad apps as part of an overall digital makeover. Perhaps one day we’ll see QR codes on every Renoir. What do you think of the 3DS as a museum aide? Does Does it make you more inclined to take a tech-enhanced tour than a regular audio player? Let us know in the comments. More About: Gaming, Louvre, mashable video, nintendo 3ds
      |
| Understanding Zynga: A Post-IPO FAQ Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:28 AM PST   Zynga started trading under the symbol ZNGA this morning. Although early results show a slight dip in the $10 share asking price, Zynga remains one of the most promising IPOs in the tech sector. At Mashable, we’ve actively covered Zynga for the past several years. We decided to breakdown the company, its games and its business model. Understanding ZyngaIn this video for CNN International, I discuss the craze behind Zynga and the company’s various business opportunities. The GamesZynga is known for its games. The games run the gamut from farming, poker, Sim-like city planning and word games. The most successful games are often variations of games that have already existed in a pre-social gaming world. CityVille, Zynga’s biggest game, is described by the company as “Monopoly Meets Main Street” — but it’s also very similar to SimCity. Words With Friends, which Zynga acquired in December 2010, is basically a socialized, online version of Scrabble. Zynga’s top games include:
The top games by monthly active users, according to AppData.com are:
Keeping Users ActiveA core part of Zynga’s business is keeping users engaged and coming back for more. On that front, Zynga’s S-1 shows that the company has 227 million active monthly players who play 2 billion minutes a day of play. Growth in Zynga games is actually flattening. When Zynga first filed its S-1, the flattening user figures were a concern to some potential investors. It’s true that active monthly users as of this month are down from where they were in December 2010. This means that Zynga is under pressure to keep users more engaged and to bring new players into the fold. To keep users coming back, the company frequently does promotional marketing with celebrities, musicians or movie properties. This week, we reported on Zynga’s plans to bring Michael Buble to CityVille. The BusinessAccording to Zynga’s S1, the company has generated over $1.5 billion in cumulative bookings since 2007. The company became profitable in 2010, earning $90.5 million in profit on $597.5 million in revenue. For some, the biggest potential problem with a Zynga investment is the company’s reliance on Facebook. Zynga and Facebook have a mutual love-hate relationship. Zynga relies on Facebook for its social graph and user interaction — and Facebook generates a lot of revenue from Facebook Credits and other Zynga payments. Still, the two sides don’t always see eye-to-eye. Zynga has veered into other platforms, including Google+ and iOS. The company also plans on launching its own broader Zynga-based platform for game play.  More Coverage of Zynga and Its IPO
More About: ipo, social games, Zynga For more Entertainment coverage:
      |
| Zynga Stock Price Dips After Nasdaq Debut Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST  Zynga‘s long-awaited IPO finally occurred Friday morning, but the stock looked a bit wobbly out of the gate, dipping below its $10 asking price at one point. Upon its Nasdaq review, Zynga (ticker symbol: ZNGA) was trading at $11, but then fell to around $9.50 before hitting $10 at press time. The reception to the offering, designed to raise about $1 billion, was a stark contrast to recent social media IPOs, including LinkedIn, whose stock price doubled on its IPO day in May and Groupon, whose shares jumped as much as 40% after the company went public Nov. 4. The reason for Zynga’s comparatively weak performance so far wasn’t immediately apparent. Zynga, which derives the vast majority of its income from games on Facebook, had filed to go public in July, but postponed the event when the market soured over the summer. The Nasdaq hasn’t regained the ground it has lost since July, but has recovered a bit since its six-month nadir Oct. 11. Meanwhile, the index, like the Dow, was slightly up in trading Friday. More Coverage of Zynga and Its IPO
For more Business coverage:
      |
| Bing Now Ties With Yahoo as Number Two Search Engine in America Posted: 16 Dec 2011 08:59 AM PST   Microsoft’s Bing is slowly eclipsing Yahoo as the number two search engine in the U.S., according to the most recent statistics from comScore. Both sites now have about 15% of the market, although that’s just a 0.2% rise from last month for Bing. Of course, Bing (15%) and Yahoo (15.1%) take a distant second place to Google, which has a beyond-dominant 65.4% market share. The data doesn’t include searches from phones or tablets, nor does it take into account queries from Google’s Instant feature, which shows results as you type (Bing and Yahoo don’t offer a comparable service). That could be partly why the numbers are somewhat different when you look at other sources. StatCounter, an analytics company, clocks both Yahoo and Bing with about 9.5% market share, and Google with almost 80%. Net Applications paints a similar picture, with Google leading strongly at 76%, Bing a distant second place at 11% and Yahoo with 10%. Microsoft’s race against Yahoo is a little ironic since Bing powers Yahoo search. The two companies partnered up in 2010 in a 10-year deal that sees Bing handling the back end of Yahoo search, with Yahoo managing the advertising side for both companies. Although closing in on a competiting site (even a partner) is good news for Bing, no matter whose numbers you look at, they all show the search engine’s market share as generally flat over the last year. That’s despite Microsoft pouring a great deal of money into the service. In the last fiscal quarter, Microsoft lost almost $500 million from its online services division, which is generally synonymous with Bing. Microsoft has a plan to bring Bing out of the red and potentially grow its market share, though. At a recent meeting of the company’s analysts, reported by CNN, Microsoft president of online services Qi Lu said the software company had to “change the game fundamentally.” By integrating Bing into more products and partnering with companies like Facebook and RIM (Bing is the default search engine on BlackBerry phones), Microsoft plans to evolve search queries to become more like natural speech. Bing already has other differentiating features, like integration with Bing Travel when users search for flights, and highlighted recipe results when searching specific dishes. What search engine is your favorite and why? Let us know in the comments. [via Search Engine Land] More About: bing, Google, search engines, Yahoo
      |
| Why Your Business Needs a Mobile Website Right Now Posted: 16 Dec 2011 08:31 AM PST
If you’re worried about this, you’re not alone. Just as companies realized, circa 1996, that they needed to create a website to remain relevant to consumers, history is repeating itself in mobile. By 2013, more people will use mobile phones than PCs to get online, according to Gartner. In mid-2011, we also reached the point at which consumers were spending more time on their mobile devices than on their PCs. In such an environment, a site designed to be viewed on a desktop PC comes across as woefully lacking. Say you’re accessing such a site from the Safari browser on your iPhone. The first thing you’re likely to notice is that it takes a relatively long time to load. The second thing is that the type on the page is pretty small. It might take a lot of zooming and pinching to navigate the site as well. If you have Flash on your site, it’s not going to come across at all on an iPhone. At that point, your potential customer may start looking around. According to a recent survey from Compuware, 40% of users have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience. Yet currently, most businesses haven’t optimized their sites for mobile. Jesse Haines, group marketing manager for Google Mobile Ads, says the company canvassed its large advertisers early in 2011 and found only 21% have launched a mobile site. If you’re among the other 79% or so, take heart. Optimizing your site for mobile or creating a mobile site from scratch isn’t a big deal. In part, that’s because Google has stepped in. The company is eager to expand its online advertising empire further into mobile. With an eye towards “growing the mobile ecosystem” as Haines puts it, Google last month launched GoMo, an initiative that aims to help businesses go mobile. Google’s howtogomo.com is a clearinghouse of information on the topic and even includes a feature that lets you see how your site looks on a mobile device. For those looking for a quick fix, Google provides a list of companies that will build your mobile site for you, and you can specify what you want to spend. Haines says that you can get up and running for as little as $100 a year. Dennis Mink, VP of marketing at DudaMobile, one of the vendors Google lists on GoMo, says he thinks the average price for a decent mobile site is more like $200 to $500. If you’re comfortable with website design, though, DudaMobile offers DIY tools as well, which are just $9 a month. While the company’s web-based software is free, the fee goes toward hosting and site analytics. (Yes, if you’re running a mobile site, you have to pay two hosting fees — one for your traditional website and one for mobile.) One recent DudaMobile customer is TriStar Automotive, a Santa Rosa, Calif., repair shop. Jim Dadaos, the owner of the shop, says his web developer told him a few months back that he needed to get a mobile site “because that’s where everything is going.” Dadaos’s developer contacted DudaMobile, which created the site “within a very short time” and it’s been up and running for six months. During that time Dadaos says he’s seen a 20% spike in business. “During these times, the auto repair business is sucking, so that’s significant,” he says. Mink and Haines offer a few tips for building a good mobile website. One thing to consider is whether your site is what Haines calls “thumb-friendly.” What that means in practice is lots of big, fat buttons. Another thing to keep in mind is font size and navigation. The first should be fairly large, and the second should be fairly intuitive. Haines says one site that renders especially well on mobile is 1-800 Flowers, which, as you see below, is both thumb-friendly and intuitive.  Another site Haines singles out is from PacSun, the teen-focused clothing brand:  Incidentally, if you’re considering a mobile app rather than a mobile website, Haines says to go for the website. “It really depends on the brand,” she says. “We think a mobile website is a must-have.” Haines says that for some brands, like news sites for instance, a mobile app makes sense, but otherwise, most users are going to look for you via their browser. Mink agrees: “If you’re going to search for any type of business, you’re going to search the mobile web, not an app store,” he says. “People don’t look for apps that will give them information.” Series supported by HubSpot  The Digital Marketing Series is supported by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA, that makes a full platform of marketing software, including lead generation tools. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, contrastaddict More About: Digital Marketing Series, features, Google, mashable, Mobile, websites For more Business coverage:
      |
| It’s the Last Day to Vote in the Mashable Awards Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST   Today marks the last day of the voting period for the 2011 Mashable Awards. Both Mashable and the Mashable community have come a long way since this year's nominations. We received hundreds of thousands of nominations and narrowed them down to the top seven finalists in all 28 categories. This year is the Fifth Annual Mashable Awards, and it’s the largest one yet. The awards are held each year to recognize individuals, businesses, and gadgets for the innovation and creativity they bring to the digital space. This is not only a way of recognizing the current digital community, but also a way to discover new tools and brands. Tonight, at 11:59 pm EST, voting for Mashable Awards 2011 will officially close. This means you have the rest of the day to cast your votes for you favorites, whether it is in the Tech, Business, Social Media, or Entertainment categories. After the voting ends tonight, the Mashable team will tally up the votes and announce the winners on Monday, Dec. 19. Those lucky winners are invited to join the Mashable team at MashBash 2012 at CES in January. Remember to vote one last time before it is too late! The Mashable Awards Are Presented by Buddy Media Buddy Media is the social enterprise software of choice for eight of the world’s top ten global advertisers, empowering them to build and maintain relationships with their consumers in a connections-based world. The Buddy Media social marketing suite helps brands build powerful connections globally with its scalable, secure architecture and data-driven customer insights from initial point of contact through point of purchase. More About: mashable, mashable awards, mashable awards 2011, Social Media For more Social Media coverage:
      |
| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST
Advertise with us and get noticed.Mashable is seeking site sponsors for our large, diverse audience — social media users, venture capitalists, early adopters, developers, bloggers and many more. You’ll receive hundreds of thousands of views per day in addition to weekly recognition as part of our “thank you” to our premium sponsors. Are you interested? Contact us for more information and to receive our media kit and rate card.
Fedex supports Mashable’s Commerce With a Conscience Series.
Smart supports Mashable’s Tech Trendsetters Series.  MessageMaker Social is the social media management system (SMMS) that lets you publish and manage targeted content across a large number of social interaction points while generating actionable intelligence. This smart, simple SaaS solution elevates your company's social presence among thousands of social Pages and accounts, helping you meet compliance regulations, maintain brand consistency, maximize engagement and generate actionable intelligence — without adding additional human resource costs. MessageMaker Social supports Mashable’s Social CEO Series. Follow MessageMaker Social on Twitter.
Lenovo supports Mashable’s Tech Innovators Series. Follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.
BMW i supports Mashable’s Global Innovation Series. Follow BMW i on Twitter and Facebook.
IDG supports Mashable’s Modern Media Agency Series.
Oneupweb supports Mashable’s Behind the Social Media Campaign Series. Follow Oneupweb on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow SoftLayer on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Clickatell on Twitter and Facebook.
BizSpark supports Mashable’s weekly Spark of Genius Series, which showcases promising startups. Follow Microsoft BizSpark on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Eventbrite on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, thanks to the following partners for making Mashable happen:
Intridea has created the official Mashable apps for platforms including Android, iPad, and the Mac App Store. Follow Intridea on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Webtrends on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow W3 EDGE on Twitter.
Mashable.com is hosted on Rackspace, and Rackspace sponsors Mashable’s Web Development Series. Check it out here, and follow Rackspace on Twitter.
Mashable sources many of its photos from iStockphoto. Follow iStockphoto on Twitter and Facebook.
Mashable provides exclusive content on Dyn.com. Check it out here, and follow Dyn on Twitter and Facebook.
Concentric Sky is the only App Developer officially endorsed by Mashable. Learn more here, and follow ConcentricSky on Twitter. We can get your name out there.Contact us for more information about supporting Mashable’s growth and development. Alternatively, visit our advertise section for more details about:
More About: mashable, Sponsors
      |
First, the good news: If you have a website, then you have a site that can be accessed by any mobile device with a browser. Now, the bad: Chances are, that site looks pretty crappy on said mobile device.
With the explosion of mobile devices, advertising dollars will begin to shift to mobile for tech marketers this year. 
Reach the world with 
Since 2007 
| You are subscribed to email updates from Mashable! To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment