Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “HootSuite Reaches 3 Million Users, 700 Million Sent Messages [INFOGRAPHIC]”

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• HootSuite Reaches 3 Million Users, 700 Million Sent Messages [INFOGRAPHIC]
• Apple to Introduce ‘GarageBand for Ebooks’ [RUMOR]
• Farfetch.com Raises $18 Million to Bring High-End Fashion to the Web
• Twitter’s Take on the 2012 Golden Globes [INFOGRAPHIC]
• Charting the CES Chatter, Week-in-Review [STATS]
• Facebook Gets a Public Square in MingleWing [EXCLUSIVE]
• Meme-Based Board Game Uses Kickstarter For the Win
• Finished Angry Birds? 8 More Games to Keep You Busy
• Wikipedia Going Dark to Protest SOPA
• This Headgear Puts Your Moves On-Screen [VIDEO]
• Sanyo Protest in Shenzhen: Sign of Things to Come for Workers in China?
• Cheap Eats: 5 iPhone Apps for Frugal Foodies
• Steve Wozniak: Android Is Better Than the iPhone in Some Ways [VIDEO]
• CES 2012 Recap: Everything You May Have Missed [PICS]
• Martin Luther King Jr Quotes: 12 Inspirational Excerpts on Tumblr
• Birds and Mice Come to Life on Your Plate With Augmented Reality App [VIDEO]
• Want Half-Off Facebook Ads? Keep Users On-Site [VIDEO]
• NYC to Open Its First Software Engineering High School
• The White House & SOPA: Reading Between the Lines
• Rupert Murdoch Goes on Twitter Rampage Targeting Obama, Google
• Hacked Zappos Customers: Beware Phishing Scams
• Tablets Will Transform the Classroom [OPINION]
• Beepl Adds a Personalized Twist to Q&A
• 9 Tech Millionaires Under Age 30 [INFOGRAPHIC]
• New Tech Could Protect Your Phone From Death by Toilet Bowl [VIDEO]
• Meme Machine: ‘Hitler’ Skewers Google’s Social Search Plus 4 More Viral Topics
• How to Pick the Right Name for Your Business
• Ashton Kutcher Swears Revenge On His Twitter Hacker
• Twitter to Play Crucial Role in South Carolina Republican Debate
• 5 Useful iPad Apps for Doctors, Patients and Med Students

HootSuite Reaches 3 Million Users, 700 Million Sent Messages [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 17 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST A new HootSuite user in Brazil has just become the social media management dashboard’s 3 millionth user. The tool, which launched in December 2008, previously hit 2 million users in July 2011 and signed up another million individuals and brands in six months. The accelerated growth since July came as HootSuite integrated more social networks such as Facebook groups, Google+ pages and LinkedIn company pages and groups. HootSuite also launched its App Directory, which allows all users to share content to Constant Contact, Flickr, Formulists, Get Satisfaction, Summify, Tumblr and YouTube. Users already had the ability to distribute content on Facebook (and FB Pages), Foursquare, LinkedIn, mixi, MySpace, Ping.fm, Twitter, and WordPress. Additionally, HootSuite unleashed Social Analytics in March. The infographic below highlights where people are signing up to use HootSuite, which platforms they’re using the service on and what amount of messages are sent daily and in total (700 million), among other stats. More About: hootsuite, infographic, Social Media, social media management For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Apple to Introduce ‘GarageBand for Ebooks’ [RUMOR] Posted: 17 Jan 2012 01:48 AM PST Apple is scheduled to host an education-related event Jan. 19 — shrouded with a veil of mystery, as always. A new report from Ars Technica says the company is about to unveil a set of tools to create interactive ebooks. Previous rumors said Apple will show no new devices, and that the event will center around Apple’s new partnerships with textbook publishers. If this new report is true, the event might turn out to be much more significant. Ars Technica‘s sources say Apple’s about to present new authoring tools described as “GarageBand for ebooks,” making it easy for everyone to create interactive digital books. The company also plans to expand its platform to distribute these ebooks to iPhone and iPad users. Apple, who currently supports the ePub 2 ebook standard (with some additions) is also expected to announce support for the ePub 3 standard for iBooks. This venture is described as the pet project of Steve Jobs, who – according to Walter Isaacson‘s biography – believed the textbook industry is ripe for “digital destruction.” According to Ars Technica‘s sources, Jobs was very closely involved on the project and has worked on it for several years. Mashable will be reporting from the event at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City on Jan. 19. [via Ars Technica] More About: apple, e-books, GarageBand, textbooks, trending For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Farfetch.com Raises $18 Million to Bring High-End Fashion to the Web Posted: 16 Jan 2012 06:20 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: Farfetch.com Quick Pitch: Shop the inventories of more than 200 high-end designer boutiques worldwide. Genius Idea: Eliminates geographic barriers inherent in boutique shopping. High-end boutiques — think Dover Street Market in London, or L'Eclaireur in Paris — tend to offer, from the perspective of discerning shoppers at least, some of the best product selections in the world. Yet few of those boutiques, lacking the resources or initiative to develop robust, international ecommerce offerings, have made their goods available for purchase on the web. Enter Farfetch.com. To date, the four-year-old, London-based startup has made the inventories of some 200 boutiques in 12 countries available for purchase through its website. Its catalog of more than 35,000 products draws from well-known names at the luxe end of the fashion spectrum, including Balenciaga amd Yves Saint Laurent, as well as up-and-coming designers (Alexander Wang, Mary Katrantzou) and contemporary staples (Marc by Marc Jacobs, True Religion). The company has a current run rate of $60 million, up 200% year-over-year. Its customer base is geographically diverse. Fifty percent of buyers come from new or emerging markets, says CEO José Neves. (Neves, interestingly, has a background in both fashion and technology, having founded a software company and a high-end suitwear business in his home country of Portugal while still in school.) The U.S. accounts for about 25% of sales, followed by the U.K., Australia, Brazil and France. Farfetch.com announced Monday that it has raised a second round of funding of $18 million from Index Ventures, eVenture Capital Partners and existing investors Advent Venture Partners. The company plans to use the funds to continue to expand operations in Europe, North America, Asia and Brazil. Neves says he’s also working to build Farfetch.com’s brand so that the company can rely more on direct traffic, rather than on paid and natural search, to attract customers. 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: farfetch.com, fashion, retail, spark of genius series For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Twitter’s Take on the 2012 Golden Globes [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 06:05 PM PST The 69th Golden Globe Awards were a relatively mild affair — even with Ricky Gervais as host — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t still a ton of activity surrounding the awards on social media. Twitter was the most dominant social network for the Golden Globes with a peak of 6,162 Tweets per second. As Mashable’s Brian Hernandez notes, that would easily put the ceremony on the list of top tweets per second. What moments really connected with Twitter users? Networked Insights ran some analysis and came up with some overall trends. According to Networked Insights: 62% of the conversation was about the winners 48% of the conversation was about the Red Carpet 12% was about upsets — that is, unexpected winners 9% was about Gervais Gervais’s monologue was well received, but nearly 32% of the tweets about the comedian were about how he wasn’t making enough jokes or on-screen enough, according to Networked Insights. Meanwhile, TweetReach worked with mhCarter Consulting and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to track and analyze tweets. It came up with this infographic: Zooey Deschanel had the most re-tweeted post of the night when she flaunted her Prada dress and specially painted fingernails. According to TweetReach, the second biggest spike of the night came with discussion of Tina Fey’s photobomb of Amy Poehler. We know that was our favorite moment. Despite a lack of breakout moments, television ratings for the 2012 Golden Globe Awards were virtually the same as in 2011. But networks such as Twitter added to the fun this year. Social media was definitely one of the reasons I continued to engage and watch the ceremony, even after it became apparent that Gervais was going to be kept away from the microphone as much as possible. Did you stay tuned-in because of the online discussion? What moments were the most discussed in your social streams? Let us know in the comments. Photo courtesy of @RickyGervais More About: award shows, golden globes, Ricky Gervais, Twitter For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Charting the CES Chatter, Week-in-Review [STATS] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:45 PM PST What topics, trends and websites dominated the conversation last week at CES 2012? Tablet devices and ultrabook laptops were the hottest technologies in Las Vegas. Microsoft rode an early high as Twitter‘s most-mentioned brand but tailed off later in the week. Motorola, meanwhile, started slow but finished strong. And tech news and social sharing sites ruled the list of top-tweeted domain names. Mashable‘s CES recap comes via Simply Measured analytics. The statistics provide a quantified analysis of who and what caught the tech world’s attention at one of its most important annual expositions. Here, we offer Simply Measured’s comprehensive findings for the CES week that was, but you can also look back at our daily reports on what had people buzzing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. How Did 2012′s Overall Twitter Chatter Compare to 2011? The #CES-tagged Twitter conversation showed the same overall trend in 2012 as it did in 2011: a boatload of tweets at the beginning of the week, peaking during Monday’s keynote address, then a gradual decline with each subsequent day. But the volume of tweets was much higher this year than in 2011 — no surprise, considering Twitter’s explosive growth in use and popularity since last January. (Note on graphics: CES officially ran Tuesday through Friday, so Monday is referred to as "Day 0,” Tuesday is referred to as "Day 1," Wednesday is referred to as “Day 2,” Thursday as “Day 3″ and Friday as “Day 4.”) What Were the Most-Mentioned Brands Each Day? Microsoft had by far 2012′s biggest peak in #CES-tagged Twitter mentions on Monday evening in anticipation of CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote speech to kick off the company’s final official appearance at the event. As the week wore on Intel and Motorola were able to generate the next-biggest spikes in buzz. This was likely spurred by their announcement of a multi-year deal to create a series of Intel-based Motorola phones and tablets. Motorola was able to ride the wave for longer, though, sustaining a relatively significant amount of attention throughout the second half of the week. What Were the Top Tech Trends at CES 2012? People couldn’t stop tweeting about tablet devices and ultrabook laptops all week. Techies mentioned the word “tablet” more than 6,000 times and the word “ultrabook” some 4,000 times with the #CES tag. It’s clear that quick, mobile and connected is where tech is headed in 2012. In a separate sphere, OLED display technology — which LG dazzled us with on Monday — was an another hot topic. Which Domains Did People Tweet Most? It’s no surprise that news and social sharing sites dominated the list of most-tweeted domain names during CES week, because those are the tools that the tech community uses to find and spread information. Still, it is interesting to see who ended up where in the rankings. The two most popular domain names on the #CES hashtag were by far the news sites CES.CNET.com and Mashable.com. Next came Twitter.com and Youtube.com, while photo-sharing sites also had a strong presence. The Final CES 2012 Brand Leader Board Microsoft and Motorola were the brands that attracted the largest overall share of the #CES-tagged conversation for the entire week, at 5% each. But they followed differing trajectories; Microsoft grabbed a whopping 12% on Monday but had a steep drop-off after that, while Motorola started slow then ended the week with three days at 5% or higher. The average Microsoft-mentioner, however, had nearly four times as many followers as the average person who mentioned Motorola in a tweet, so the Seattle giant still got more overall value per post. But people who mentioned Samsung, Google, Blackberry and Panasonic had the most followers on average among the top 12 brands of the week. But enough from us. What does all this data tell you about CES 2012? Let us know in the comments. More About: CES, CES 2012, data, infographics, Simply Measured, stats, trending, Twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Facebook Gets a Public Square in MingleWing [EXCLUSIVE] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:30 PM PST Do you get tired of the same dozen or so friends commenting on your photos, links and videos? A new service aims to put your Facebook shares in front of a whole new audience, inviting comments and discussion from — shock! — people you might actually not know. MingleWing is a separate site that takes anything you share on Facebook and puts it on a public page that other “minglers” can view or comment on (you retain control of exactly what appears there, of course). The site organizes posts into various topic sections — Tech, Current Events and Cute, for example — in a visual interface similar to Pinterest so anyone visiting is encouraged to browse and comment. The aim: starting conversations between Facebook users who wouldn’t normally interact. “The only people who see see [my Facebook updates] are my friends and people who subscribe to me,” says site creator Dmitry Shapiro. “But here I can go to a centralized area based on topics and communicate with people I wouldn’t normally interact with because they wouldn’t see me.” It’s no coincidence that Shapiro is the same person who brought us Anybeat, the so-called social network for taboo topics. Anybeat was made in the spirit of AOL chat rooms — a place where anyone can stop in and talk about anything with anyone. MingleWing is that idea writ large on the Facebook community. Describing it as a sister site to Anybeat, Shapiro uses Facebook’s Connect and Commenting services to do the sharing. Users don’t need an Anybeat account to start mingling, though Shapiro says there are plans to hook up the two services in the future. The site also takes a page from Digg and Reddit in how it presents content. Everything shared on MingleWing has its own page, each of which includes the now familiar thumbs-up and -down icons. As users vote up or down pages, the more popular ones get shunted to the site’s main page, in theory fueling ever more discussion. “You can think of this as Reddit for Facebook,” says Shapiro. “But Reddit is very text-heavy, so it appeals to a certain craft, mostly nerds. This is soft of for the rest of us.” So if your Facebook circle is getting too comfortable for your taste, you might like the idea of sharing with a different crowd. What do you think of MingleWing? Is a forum for Facebook shares something you want, or is your desire to “go public” served by other services like Twitter? Let us know in the comments. More About: Anybeat, EXCLUSIVE, Facebook, MingleWing

Meme-Based Board Game Uses Kickstarter For the Win Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:12 PM PST The interpipes are leaking thanks to For the Win, a new, meme-based board game that’s hit Kickstarter in the hope of getting funded. The game, created by Michael Eskue and developed by Tasty Minstrel Games, is a tile-placing game featuring lite memes such as zombies, pirates, ninjas, monkeys and aliens. The game is pretty simple: Get cards featuring the five different characters to touch each other and you win. Each of the cards has a special ability: ninjas can teleport to open spaces, monkeys can flip cards face-down. And, of course, you have to deal with the player sitting opposite you. For the Win is looking for funding on Kickstarter after more than a year spent in development. The bigger question is why should you buy the game at all? The team behind For the Win has posted the entire rulebook online and basically given you templates for what the characters should look like. Why shell out cash for something you could make at home with your printer? (The final game will come with specially-printed plastic tiles.) It’s a testament to the nature of crowd-sourcing, and perhaps a pure example of the honor rule, that people are willing to pay cash to the team to make their game a reality. So far, For the Win has more than half of its $15,000 goal with more than 22 days still left in the project. The game also shows that memes aren’t just limited to the Internet. To be fair, the game uses the term “meme” pretty loosely. Don’t expect cards featuring Rebeca Black, Sad Keanu or the Forever Alone Guy. Still, it’s clear meme themes and Internet lingo are major selling points of the board game. Do you think For the Win will get to production? Do you want to see memes in other board games such as Monopoly, Risk or even a quiz game like Balderdash? Sound off in the comments. More About: memes, Social Media

Finished Angry Birds? 8 More Games to Keep You Busy Posted: 16 Jan 2012 04:58 PM PST 1. Stupid Zombies Most similar to Angry Birds, this game features the aim-and-shoot method in order to pass each level. With more than 600 levels, you control the shotgun that guns down a series of bloody zombies. While the bullets have the capability to bounce off the walls countless times, the effect makes it trickier to find dynamic ways to eliminate the enemy. Click here to view this gallery. You finally beat Angry Birds — for now, at least. At 300 levels and counting, with more features added on each update, you’re probably ready to look at something other than those high-flying, bulldozing, squawking birds. Fortunately, there is a wide range of games equally as challenging and fulfilling. To boost your game cred, try out a few of these options that will have you gripping and yelling at your screen more than you thought possible. More About: angry birds, features, games, iphone, mashable, mobile gaming For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Wikipedia Going Dark to Protest SOPA Posted: 16 Jan 2012 04:32 PM PST Wikipedia will go offline Wednesday to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), according to Co-Founder Jimmy Wales. Wales made the announcement via a series of tweets. “This is going to be wow,” reads one tweet. “I hope Wikipedia will melt phone systems in Washington on Wednesday. Tell everyone you know!” This is going to be wow.I hope Wikipedia will melt phone systems in Washington on Wednesday.Tell everyone you know! — Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) January 16, 2012 Wales has been mulling the idea of a blackout on his user talk page. Wikipedia joins other major websites, such as Reddit, where a very active anti-SOPA community exists. Wales tweeted that the decision was made by community consensus among Wikipedia users: @dmonniaux The emerging consensus of the community seems to be for a global blackout of English Wikipedia. — Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) January 16, 2012 According to another tweet by Wales, Wikipedia English receives approximately 25 million visitors every day. Wikipedia’s decision means those millions of visitors will be greeted not with the usual digital tome of knowledge, but with a screen explaining the company’s stance on the bill and information on how to take action against SOPA. The blackout will only effect the English language page. “Student warning! Do your homework early,” joked Wales in another tweet. “Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!” Student warning!Do your homework early.Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday! #sopa — Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) January 16, 2012 Late last week, the authors of both SOPA and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) announced they would be removing the DNS blocking provisions from both bills. The DNS acts as a kind of “phone book” for the Internet, and many in the tech community warned that interfering with DNS would have catastrophic consequences for the stability and security of the Internet. However, many – including Wales – have responded with a whole-hearted “that’s not good enough.” An anti-SOPA Twitter, tweeted today that “closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish,” perhaps an indication that Twitter will not be following in the footsteps of Wikipedia and Reddit. Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation, went on a Twitter diatribe lambasting the Obama administration for failing to support SOPA. Do you think Wikipedia made the right choice? Let us know in the comments below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, gmutlu More About: Jimmy Wales, PIPA, SOPA, stop online piracy act, trending, wikipedia

This Headgear Puts Your Moves On-Screen [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 04:13 PM PST LAS VEGAS — Motion control was a pretty hot topic at this year's CES, and though the buzz centered around Microsoft, Samsung and Tobii, they aren't the only companies with ideas for how you can use your body to guide on-screen activity. Enter AikenLabs. Its new technology can motion-enable virtually any interface. Its Immersive Motion Sensory System makes you look, admittedly, a little silly when you wear it. It consists of a headband with a small plastic box on the front and two smaller, similar bands and boxes — one for each hand (you can actually wear up to eight of these sensors). Inside each box is a collection of motion sensors, including a magnetometer, accelerometer and gyroscope. They combine to read the exact position and movement in space of your head and hands. All deliver their readings to a special, wireless server box, which is then connected to your PC. Using AikenLabs’ software, programmers and users can connect any number of pre-defined real-world actions to on-screen activity. I used it to play a rudimentary PC game. When I looked around in the real world, my view on screen changed. I could look left, right, up and down in the CES show hall and my on-screen view looked all around in the virtual world, as well. With the two sensors on my hands, I targeted virtual trees with one hand and pushed them over with the other. It made me feel just a little bit like a Jedi Master. AikenLabs will be selling the Pro Server, two wireless sensors and the programming software for $499 sometime this spring. They're also offering a desktop version for consumers and $149 Bluetooth-enabled motion sensors for use with smartphone games. Do you want to control your computer and with your body or are you satisfied with a good-old-fashioned mouse and keyboard? Tell us in the comments. Bonus: The 30 Most Memorable Highlights of CES 1. Sony Crystal LED TVs Sony announced its new Crystal LED TVs, which boast some of the brightest, crispest displays. Click here to view this gallery. More About: CES, CES 2012, motion control For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Sanyo Protest in Shenzhen: Sign of Things to Come for Workers in China? Posted: 16 Jan 2012 03:47 PM PST Media outlets in China reported on Monday that between 3,000 to 4,000 people staged a protest over the weekend at a Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. plant in Shenzhen, China. The protest was spurred by the joint business venture between Sanyo and Panasonic as well as growing concerns among workers about job security and compensation. Reuters reported an interview in the Sing Tao Daily in which a Sanyo employee said workers suspected they would not receive payment after the two companies’ integrated their business earlier this month. Four people were arrested during the protest after clashing with police, reports People.com.cn. Reuters also reported that a spokesperson for Panasonic in Tokyo said it was not clear what exactly the workers were demanding, but that negotiations were still being made. The factory employed 3,400 people as of December 2010. This is the latest protest by laborers in China’s industrial city of Shenzhen, where most of the world’s tech products are assembled. Just last week, Foxconn closed deals with protestors after some threatened mass suicide. The workers claimed they were moved to a new facility and given less than one-third of the pay they were promised. Shenzhen is larger than New York City and “is the place where almost all of your crap comes from,” storyteller Mike Daisey said in an hour-long segment of This American Life . Several big stories over the past few years have reported on deplorable working conditions in Chinese factories that manufacture the vast majority of tech gadgets. Daisey employed investigative reporting techniques and went to China for a segment that spotlighted the Foxconn factory’s conditions. In January of this year, Apple released a list of the companies that build its products. That list typically is released in February. In a response post on This American Life , Producer Brian Reed wrote they don’t know if the release of Apple’s suppliers was spurred by their show, but they did give Apple credit for initiating some positive changes. Apple hired an independent auditing service, Fair Labor Association, to monitor working conditions during unannounced audits of Apple factories and allow transparency into Apple’s manufacturing process. The company will post the review on its website without giving approval from Apple. Apple is the first tech company to allow this. However, some have been critical of this plan, saying it is nothing more than a public relations move by Apple, because if a factory is found in violation of working standards, the auditing company doesn’t name which factory location it is. “This makes it impossible to learn anything new about what is going on in Apple’s supply chain, to verify anything, or hold anyone responsible,” said Daisey during his segment. In the 1990′s, shoddy work conditions in China at clothing retailers such as Nike sparked protests and eventually caused Nike to partner with the Fair Labor Association (FLA). Will increased public attention on tech manufacturers in Shenzhen hasten positive change for workers? At the end of the radio show on which Daisey’s segment aired, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof makes a guest appearance. Kristof and his wife spent time in southern China and observed the boost factory work provided for the Chinese economy and the quality of life for local people. Clearly, there’s a lot of gray area with this issue. Ultimately, consumers will keep demanding gadgets at reasonable prices and factory work will only continue to grow. Maybe in the future, however, more factories will use robots to do tedious, repetitive and dangerous tasks. Do you consider where your device came from? And, what do you think about the future of Shenzhen factories? Tell us in the comments. Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, BreatheFitness More About: apple, china, Panasonic For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Cheap Eats: 5 iPhone Apps for Frugal Foodies Posted: 16 Jan 2012 03:24 PM PST Being two weeks into the new year, maybe it’s time to stop downloading all those iPhone diet and calorie-tracking apps. It’s time to embrace a good, hearty meal again. And every meal tastes better when it’s free (or really cheap), right? These days, entertainment and going out can be expensive — and we appreciate all the help we can get. That’s why we sought out these free food and restaurant discovery apps to help you get the most for your cash. You’ll never believe the great meals you can have on the cheap, discovering other great foods all along the way. Think Cuban grilled corn smothered with cotija cheese and chili mayo, Ethiopian seasoned chickpeas with berbere sauce, rosemary olive oil ice cream (not as bad as you think) and let’s not forget the pumpkin ravioli with parmesan fondue and caramelized balsamic sauce. Salivate. Now, wipe the drool off your face and download your very own stash of frugal foodie iPhone apps that will help you find great food and discounts. 1. Scoutmob Scoutmob is the first on our list of iPhone apps for frugal foodies. Eat for free or try new restaurants in your area using 50% off deals. Every restaurant we’ve been to per ScoutMob reviews has been a delicious experience. What we like about the app: This application gets points for its funny and well-written content, but also for its consistent, daily 50% off deals. Sometimes you’ll even find a 100% off deal or two. Past free deals we have taken advantage of include free belgium fries from Pommes Frites and a free hot dog from Crif Dogs — both NYC staples. Another bonus, you don’t need to pre-pay for the deal before eating your meal. Extra features: Within the app, Stache Cam lets you pick a mustache and smile for the camera. Available cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. What is available: 50% off and 100% off deals. 2. BlackboardEats What we like about the app: BlackboardEats has some real classy deals. Plus, it’s well-designed and easy to operate. BlackboardEats emails and delivers deals for “hot spots and hidden gems” in your city. The app’s reviews and deals are by food editors and writers who know what they’re talking about. One of this week’s deals was one of the most expensive we’ve seen on the app: a very exclusive pre-show dinner at ellabass and a sold-out floor seat ticket to Coldplay’s concert at the Meadowlands. Extra features: The Tip Calculator makes the arrival of your (discounted!) check a little less stressful. Enter discounted total, pre-discounted total, tip percentage you want to leave and how many people will split the check. Available cities: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. What is available: Free deals, for instance, a complimentary bottle of wine and guacamole alla toscana at Matilda. Plus, regular 30% off restaurant deals, access to secret menu items and pre-fixe package deals. 3. Poggled What we like about the app: We love Poggled drink and food deals. You can search deals with the geolocation feature and view the most popular deals of the day. You’ll find $10 for $20 beverage deals, $15 for $30 food and drink deals and classy wine tasting packages. Extra features: Through the All Events tab, you’ll be able to search by day and deals by category — bar night, bottle service, brunch drink deals and more. Yelp reviews are also available. Available cities: Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee and New York City. What is available: Daily drink and food specials. Plus, pre-admission packages to parties and events. 4. Tweat.It Tweat.It is the coolest thing we have ever seen. If you love food trucks as much as we do, download this app now. It will track your location and tell you which food trucks are closest. Right now, my options are: Milk Truck, The Treats Truck, Taim Mobile, along with a couple others. The best part? You’ll know about the secret discounts and daily specials first. What we like about the app: It sends real-time food vendor locations, which are very accurate, to your phone. The trucks appear as little labelled square icons on an interactive map of New York City. Available cities: Manhattan What is available: Food Truck tweets and illustrates locations on a handy map of NYC so you can find your lunch easily. 5. Daily Gobble What we like about the app: The Daily Gobble‘s graphics are funny, and the app makes the process easy to understand. Daily Gobblers made this app for people who hate using coupons for fear of presenting the coupon and receiving inferior service. So, they completely remove that step. Find a deal you like, eat your meal, then upload a photo of your check to get your money back afterward — whether it be 10% to 50% off via PayPal, within the hour. There are literally hundreds of deals available at a time. Available cities: New York and San Francisco. What is available: The app has a built-in camera and “My Gobbles” tab to track your meal deals. Honorable Mentions — We also think Yelp — a social networking and review site available in most of the U.S. states and Puerto Rico — is a convenient way to look up restaurant addresses, dining details and really great deals. A lot of the time, you can find discounts to unlock once you check into a place. Same goes for Foursquare — a popular location-based social networking website — which also lets you check-in at different venues, earn points, badges and deals! Now, start downloading! All these apps are free. Let us know details about your latest food tour — or meal — in the comments section. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, webphotographeer More About: foursquare, iphone, iphone apps, List, Social Media, Twitter, yelp

Steve Wozniak: Android Is Better Than the iPhone in Some Ways [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 03:05 PM PST One of the co-founders of Apple has some love for Android, it turns out. "My primary phone is the iPhone," Steve Wozniak says. "I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do." Check out the video above to learn more. via The Daily Beast More About: android, apple, mashable video, steve wozniak For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

CES 2012 Recap: Everything You May Have Missed [PICS] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 02:37 PM PST 1. Sony Crystal LED TVs Sony announced its new Crystal LED TVs, which boast some of the brightest, crispest displays. Click here to view this gallery. Last week thousands of exhibitors, journalists, marketers and electronics aficionados hopped on planes to Las Vegas for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Mashable‘s own team covered all the events leading up to and happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian Hotel. While many agreed that CES didn’t hold a candle to the glory of previous years, there was still plenty to see and be impressed by this year. While one single gadget or announcement didn’t steal the spotlight, in general CES toys were bigger, faster, lighter and brighter. Images on brand-new OLED TVs from companies like Samsung, Sharp, LG and Sony seemed to pop out at you, and speaking of, 3D technology — both with goofy future glasses and without — became widely available. There were also gadgets that could detect motion, similar to Kinect, and some with face detection. TVs averaged 55 to 84 inches, sure to dominiate even the most opulent living room. Even without Apple’s direct presence at CES, the company’s technology still made waves. Other companies hopped onto the two big bandwagons Apple pioneered: tablets and extremely thin, powerful laptops. Intel devoted a massive booth to Ultrabook technology, which included offerings from Acer, Dell, HP and convertible tablet-PC hybrids by Lenovo. But CES was also home to concepts and innovations, including concept cars, iAccessories galore and toys for the young and old. Along with the devices on display, there were plenty of celebrities in attendance, as well as parties to attend. Mashable hosted its own MashBash on Jan. 11 at the 1OAK Nightclub in the Mirage Hotel and Casino. The event sold out several days before, in anticipation of dancing the night away with mashup DJs and enjoying plenty of digital distractions. Click above to see our most important moments of CES in pictures. More About: CES, CES 2012, features, Gadgets, MashBash, trending

Martin Luther King Jr Quotes: 12 Inspirational Excerpts on Tumblr Posted: 16 Jan 2012 02:05 PM PST Many in the United States got the day off work Monday in celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader and minister credited with bringing equal rights to African Americans, and tangentially, many other minority groups. Even after his assassination in 1968, his legacy as well as his moving speeches have inspired people to follow in Dr. King’s path. In honor of today, we collected some of the most widely shared MLK quotes from Tumblr, where they have been posted as uplifting messages to others. Click through the slideshow to see them all. Did we miss your favorite inspirational quote by Dr. King? Please tell us in the comments. Quote from King's poem, Where Do We Go From Here?, published in 1968. Posted by d-roth. Click here to view this gallery. More About: features, martin luther king day, MLK Day, quotes, trending, tumblr For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Birds and Mice Come to Life on Your Plate With Augmented Reality App [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:54 PM PST Ever imagine a bird hopping around your plate or a mouse walking across it? A new augmented reality iOS app makes wall plates painted with flora and fauna appear to come alive. AR apps are becoming more and more popular among brands — including Royal Winton Fine Bone China — who want consumers to interact with new products. SEE ALSO: Starbucks Holiday Cups Come to Life With Augmented Reality App Unanico Group animation studio created the 3D app called English Hedgerow for well-known UK ceramic designer Andrew Tanner’s new Chintz plate design. Watch the video above to learn more and see the app in action. iOS users can download the app and a picture of the plate for free to view the animation and hear flies buzzing and birds chirping. More About: apple, Augmented Reality, mashable video, Video

Want Half-Off Facebook Ads? Keep Users On-Site [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:42 PM PST Facebook offered advertisers a discount of as much as 45% on cost-per-click rates if they directed users to other Facebook destinations rather than to external websites during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a report by marketing agency TBG Digital. The significant incentive for advertisers to help keep Facebook users on-site appears to reflect a push by the social networking giant to solidify its status as a web within the web, with Facebook as the nexus for the majority of people’s online activity. But, one TBG executive tells Mashable, the reduced rate also shows the potential success for brands advertising within the platform. “Though one could suggest that Facebook is rewarding advertisers for keeping people in the Facebook environment, it also indicates that keeping ads within Facebook is more effective,” Patrick Toland, director of TBG’s North American operations, said in an interview. Because only ads users click on make Facebook money in the cost-per-click market, it serves the network’s interest to facilitate advertisements with a higher success rate. And ads that integrate more smoothly with the Facebook experience have a set of built-in advantages, said Toland. “If you’re there trying to catch up with old friends and suddenly an ad wants you to leave Facebook and change your path, that’s much less effective than an ad that just asks you to ‘Like’ Spotify, for example,” he said. The overall cost-per-click ad rates rose by an average of only 1% between the third and fourth quarters in the major territories of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Canada. In the cost-per-impression market, meanwhile, Facebook ad rates increased by 8% from the third to fourth quarter and 23% since the year’s first quarter in those same countries, according to TBG. Toland said that the rate increase for cost-per-impression ads combined with the relative stability of Facebook’s cost-per-click market is another indicator of its apparent advertising success. The TBG fourth-quarter report also showed an overall improvement in user engagement over the course of 2011. In the five major territories mentioned previously, the overall click-through rate increased by 18% from Q1 to Q4. The average increase from the third to fourth quarter was 7%. Toland said that TBG’s findings show that advertising based around social connections and social sharing — key to the success of Facebook’s impending IPO, which could come as soon as May — appears to be catching on with consumers and advertisers alike. “People seem willing to participate in that process of sharing what they’re doing, whether it’s watching movies, reading articles or liking major brands,” he said. “The willingness of advertisers to participate in social-by-design advertising will enable Facebook to continue to succeed on that platform, which is unique to Facebook.” The TBG report studied more than 326 billion ad impressions by 266 clients in 205 countries. To see the entire report, click here. What do you think? Will Facebook’s advertising platform ultimately be as successful as the company hopes? Let us know in the comments. More About: Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, mashable video

NYC to Open Its First Software Engineering High School Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:25 PM PST New York City is taking another step toward becoming Silicon Alley — the East Coast’s own tech hub — with the grand opening of the city’s first software engineering-specialized high school. Class at Software Engineering Academy will be in session for 400 to 500 ninth graders this September. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the new school in his 2012 State of the City Address. It will open in the heart of Union Square, within a growing tech community that includes companies such as Yelp and General Assembly. “Those are the kinds of companies we want our students to work for or to start,” Bloomberg said. A computer science teacher named Mike Zamansky, who taught computer coding at Stuyvesant High School when other schools hadn’t considered teaching the skill, dreamt up the concept. The school aims to fill a void for computer software engineers in the United States’ workforce. Computer science is one of the fastest growing industries in the country and will add more jobs than any other between 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about 295,000 jobs. The public school will, in hope, churn out a new crop of computer engineers that will eventually go to work for NYC’s technology companies, joining an industry where the middle 50% of workers make between $67,790 and $104,870. The top 10% earn more than $128,870. Software Engineering will be sponsored by Fred Wilson, principal at Union Square Ventures, and Bloomberg L.P. SEE ALSO: NYC Startup Scene Celebrated in 2012 Calendar [PHOTOS] Anyone who wants to apply for the school will be able to — grades and attendance will not be considered. Usual school application metrics aren’t the most important criteria for promising programmers, explained Joel Spolsky, the co-founder of Fog Creek Software and a member of the new school’s board of advisors, in a blog post. There are middle schoolers with so-so grades who will make great software engineers. There are also immigrant children who will be great software engineers but have not overcome the language barrier yet. “They’re still looking for qualified computer science teachers and a principal,” Spolsky wrote. What you think about NY’s tech school support? Will this help create a tech boom in the city? Let us know in the comments. Images courtesy of iStockphoto, dem10, Alsos More About: computer engineer, jobs, new york city, silicon alley, Tech

The White House & SOPA: Reading Between the Lines Posted: 16 Jan 2012 01:11 PM PST The White House has finally given a detailed explanation of its stance on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). In a blog post responding to a petition posted on the White House’s website, the Obama Administration clearly laid out what it would – and would not – support in any new legislation designed to combat online piracy. "While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response," said the note, "we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet." Taken at face value, that sounds like a check in the “win” column for the opponents of SOPA/PIPA. But if the White House agrees that online piracy is a significant problem, what will they support to fix it? The White House’s post was chock-full of little details on what the administration wants from any future legislation on the issue. No Excessive Censorship or Curtailing of American Innovation “Any effort to combat online piracy,” read the post, “must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small.” Given the importance of the tech industry to the overall American economy, it’s no surprise that the Obama administration wants to be careful not to stifle digital innovation happening in the U.S. Later, the post goes on to say that any provision dealing with online businesses such as advertising companies, payment processors or search engines “must be transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage startup businesses and innovative firms from growing.” On one hand, this language could help assuage the fears of the tech industry, which has coalesced together around its near-unanimous disapproval of SOPA/PIPA. On the other, the White House is not suggesting that online businesses (like the payment processors or search engines mentioned above) should be exempt from digital piracy legislation. Owners of those kind of businesses may find that unsettling. Scope of Legislation The Obama administration said it will only accept a law which solely targets websites operating “beyond the reach of current U.S. law.” On first pass, that could be read in two ways: 1. Current law can’t target websites operating out of the U.S., so a new law should address foreign websites only. 2. A new law should address domestic websites which aren’t targeted by current American law. However, the White House goes on to explain that a new law should only cover “activity clearly prohibited under existing U.S. laws.” That means the language about sites outside the reach of current U.S. law is more likely a call for legislation to combat infringement on foreign sites, not for sweeping new legislation to replace currently existing laws like the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). Precision & Understanding The White House doesn’t want a legislative sledgehammer that could be used to play “whack-a-mole” with reckless abandon against potentially infringing websites. Instead, it calls for a law that is “effectively tailored,” has regard for due process and is focused solely on outright criminal activity. That suggests a desire for more precise punishment mechanisms than those called for in SOPA/PIPA. It also demands of Congress a more intimate understanding of the Internet in general. That echoes a major complaint of the anti-SOPA crowd, who have found Congress to be less than adequately knowledgable about technology issues. Internet Security & Stability The White House is adamantly against interfering with the Doman Name System (DNS), a sort of “phone book” for the Internet. It cites cybersecurity as a major concern, while noting that attempts to stop piracy through DNS mechanisms would fail outright. “We must avoid creating new cybersecurity risks or disrupting the underlying architecture of the Internet,” reads the post. “Our analysis of the DNS filtering provisions in some proposed legislation suggests that they pose a real risk to cybersecurity and yet leave contraband goods and services accessible online.” Removing or rerouting infringing sites’ DNS requests was originally one the main punishment mechanisms in SOPA/PIPA, and the part of the bills considered most onerous by many in the tech community. However, the authors of both bills announced late last week that they would remove any provisions related to DNS. Non-Legislative Solutions The White House believes that online piracy isn’t just a matter to be dealt with in Congress. Instead, it feels that content creators and Internet businesses should figure out methods to deal with the problem on their own. “We expect and encourage,” said the post, “all private parties, including both content creators and Internet platform providers working together, to adopt voluntary measures and best practices to reduce online piracy.” What “voluntary measures” and “best practices,” exactly? That’s left up to those with a stake in the issue to decide amongst themselves. Into The Future The White House rounds out the post by calling for public and open dialogue between the public and Congress on the issue of digital piracy. They invited the organizer of the petition and a few of its signees to a conference about online piracy. “Rather than just look at how legislation can be stopped, ask yourself: Where do we go from here? Don't limit your opinion to what's the wrong thing to do, ask yourself what's right.” And later in the post, “Washington needs to hear your best ideas about how to clamp down on rogue websites and other criminals who make money off the creative efforts of American artists and rights holders.” The administration also calls for any future legislation to have vast bipartisan support. Where is SOPA now? Currently, SOPA sits on the legislative sidelines. The House resumes session this week, but according to The Guardian, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) told an anti-SOPA colleague that there would be no vote on the matter “unless there is consensus on the bill.” An anti-SOPA rally in New York is still being planned for Wednesday. Many popular websites, including Reddit and Wikipedia, will join in with a blackout in protest of SOPA. Mashable will be reporting from the scene. The MPAA, Hollywood’s lobbying organization, released a statement Friday in which it reaffirms its belief that neither SOPA nor PIPA infringe upon Americans’ freedom of speech. The White House statement was signed by Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget Victoria Espinel, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator for National Security Staff Howard Schmidt. Do you agree with the White House’s requirements for digital piracy legislation? Let us know in the comments below. More About: barack obama, PIPA, SOPA, stop online piracy act, trending, White House

Rupert Murdoch Goes on Twitter Rampage Targeting Obama, Google Posted: 16 Jan 2012 12:57 PM PST Well, Rupert Murdoch, you’re officially a Twitter celebrity now. Going down the road well trod by the likes of Charlie Sheen and Kevin Smith, the News Corp. CEO let loose a multiple-message Twitter rant over the weekend, targeting President Obama and Google over antipiracy legislation that the White House said it would not support. Google responded to the multi-tweet barrage, calling Murdoch’s stance “nonsense.” Murdoch was apparently responding a White House statement that amounted to hedged opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, which proposes to give the government the power to cut off pirate sites from services like Google searches and PayPal as well as alter how the Internet recognizes those domains so even users manually typing in the URLs won’t find them. While the White House admitted piracy was a “serious problem,” it said it would not support legislation that “undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.” The rant began early Saturday evening, when Murdoch posted the following tweet: So Obama has thrown in his lot withSilicon Valley paymasters who threaten allsoftware creators with piracy, plain thievery. - — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) January 14, 2012 Murdoch, as the head of a major media company, clearly has a large stake in the realm of online content and piracy. Murdoch has said or implied on many occasions that he considers even aggregating or linking to stories to be piracy, which is exactly what he did when he lumped Google into his pile of perceived piracy enablers with a subsequent tweet: Piracy leader is Google who streams movies free, sells advts around them.No wonder pouring millions into lobbying. — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) January 14, 2012 Google responded yesterday with a statement to CNET, saying, “This is just nonsense. Last year we took down 5 million infringing web pages from our search results and invested more than $60 million in the fight against bad ads… We fight pirates and counterfeiters every day.” There’s also the question of exactly what Murdoch is talking about. As many (including journalism professor Jeff Jarvis) have noted, saying that Google “streams movies free” is twisting and oversimplifying many facts. Google streams lots of content for free via YouTube, of course, but it’s aggressively policed for pirated content. As revealed in his next tweet, Murdoch appears to be equating streaming with having links turn up in a Google search: Just been to google search for mission impossible. Wow, several sites offering free links.I rest my case. — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) January 15, 2012 In a tweet the next day Murdoch sounds as if he realizes his error (or had it pointed out to him by various Twitter users) but stands by his overall position. Sure misunderstand many things, but not plain stealing. Incidentally google blocks many other undesirable things. — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) January 15, 2012 Murdoch rounded out his Twitter blast with an odd message, which appears to be giving a snapshot of the entertainment industry, ostensibly what online piracy threatens. More pirates.Whole entertainment ind employs 2.2 million ave salary 65 g. Good jobs and expanding foreign earnings. Made in America, too! — Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) January 16, 2012 What’s your take on Murdoch’s outburst on Twitter? Does he have a point that Google and others should not link to pirated content, even if he is flimsy with his facts? Or does he simply fundamentally misunderstand online content? Let us know in the comments. BONUS: 8 Celebrity Social Media Meltdowns Ashton Kutcher Kutcher got into hot water last month when he fired off a tweet defending Penn State coach Joe Paterno after Paterno was implicated in a scandal related to assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's alleged history of sexually molesting children. "How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste," the tweet said. Later on, Kutcher tweeted, "Heard Joe was fired, fully recant previous tweet!" and "Didn't have full story. #admitwhenYoumakemistakes." Shortly afterwards, Kutcher announced that he was turning over the management of his Twitter account to Katalyst Media, a firm he co-owns. Click here to view this gallery. Photo credit: Alec Baldwin at the premiere of “Evelyn” at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Ca. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002. Photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect. More About: Google, rupert murdoch, SOPA, stop online piracy act For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Hacked Zappos Customers: Beware Phishing Scams Posted: 16 Jan 2012 12:43 PM PST As hacks go, Zappos’s attack over the past weekend could have been a lot worse. If you’re one of the estimated 24 million affected Zappos or 6PM.com (an affiliate site) customers, you can take solace in the fact that only the last four digits of your credit card number have been compromised. Likewise, as Zappos CEO Tony Hseih explained in an email to customers on Sunday, hackers stole a cryptographically scrambled version of users’ passwords, not the actual password. But even though the damage sounds pretty benign, security experts caution that affected customers may still see some fallout, including becoming the target of phishing scams and possibly still worrying about those compromised passwords. Robert Siciliano, a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert, says he expects whoever hacked Zappos’s site will now sell the data to people who run phishing scams. “They’ll sell it 10,000 accounts at a time, short money, like $100,” he says. While hackers don’t have complete credit card numbers, Siciliano says there’s enough information for a hacker to approach affected users as either Zappos or the credit card company and then ask them for more data — the classic phishing scam — which might be supplemented with a voicemail “vishing” attack as well. Siciliano warns users who got Hseih’s email to avoid clicking on links that purport to be from either Zappos or their credit card firm over the next few months. Phony emails and voicemail messages typically ask users to “update” their info, giving hackers access to more potentially damaging data. That said, Siciliano says he can’t be sure how many people are likely to be targeted. “I was a PlayStation user and I didn’t get [targeted by phising schemes],” he said, referring to an attack on attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network last April. “But that doesn’t mean nobody was.” Chester Wisniewski, a senior security advisor at Sophos, says another danger is that the hackers were able to decipher users’ passwords. Depending on the level of encryption, Wisniewski says this process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. “You can typically crack millions of [passwords] within hours with a single powerful computer,” he says. However, if Zappos employed password salting, then deciphering its passwords will take a lot longer. A Zappos rep declined comment on the level of encryption the company uses for its password. If the hackers do decipher user passwords, it won’t necessarily be dangerous in itself. The problem is that most people use the same password for multiple accounts. If a hacker knows what password you used at Zappos, he’ll probably be able to figure out how to hack your Facebook account as well. Meanwhile, if the past is any guide, the damage to the Amazon-owned Zappos brand is likely to be short-lived. The chart below, compiled by YouGov’s BrandIndex, found that the PlayStation brand’s image took a hit after the attacks, but has rebounded since then and even hit a new high in brand perception over the holidays. BrandIndex’s data is based on a daily online survey of 5,000 Internet users. The score is based on an average of positive perceptions (+100) and negative (-100). Zappos’s score just before the attacks was at around +7. While that will probably take a dip, Wisniewski says he expects Zappos’s damage from this latest attack to be similarly ephemeral. Says Wisniewski: “Most companies I see going through take a deep brand hit for a short time and then people move on.” Image courtesy of iStockphoto, esolla More About: passwords, phishing, security, trending, Zappos

Tablets Will Transform the Classroom [OPINION] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 12:29 PM PST Neil Johnston is managing director at Store Van Music. Neil is an award winning young entrepreneur and composer who specializes in a breakthrough link between the music industry and education. You can find out more about his pioneering work by following him on Facebook and Twitter. Apple released the original iPad to consumers in April 2010, sparking the tablet computer frenzy that we see in full-swing today. Twenty-one months later, we’re facing the potential launch year of the much-rumored iPad 3, not to mention numerous competitor tablets from all of the major device manufacturers. Alongside these changes, forward-thinking educators are taking risks by distributing tablets in schools, in the hopes that the glimpses of efficiency we have seen to-date can continue to evolve for the long-term, changing classroom education for the better. Many schools across the world are well on their way to integrating tablet technology into their daily routines. I receive hundreds of emails every week from teachers, schools and even businesses that are integrating tablets into their working environments. Some schools are choosing to scrap textbooks all together in a pioneering pledge to remain at the forefront of technology. For the first time, schools have the opportunity to no longer be years behind with their classroom technology, but actually to be at the starting line, as the interface continues to evolve into a respectable tool for work purposes. The blogosphere continues an ongoing discussion: how tablets can change education for the better, how technological change can be both beneficial and problematic for the challenging task of literacy or the art form of handwriting, to name a couple. A recent New York Times article said that teachers in Idaho achieved 75,000 signatures in the hopes of abolishing a new initiative to bring further technology to schools. Some people are worried that technological advancement will cause teacher layoffs and funding cuts, which is understandable. However, putting the political debates aside, what about the benefits to the classroom environment and to the teacher? Teachers are under more and more pressure from governments to create vibrant, engaging lessons for every learner in their care. How can this technology help? My answer would be enormously. I believe these advancements to be monumental. Many great minds across the world believe our current 18th century way of educating is broken. People like Sir Ken Robinson are strongly pushing for more creativity in schools. I agree fully with the principle; my pledge is to bring refreshing change to music education. But what about the immediate term? The system is still stuck in its ways, and current government reform is still too insignificant to change the model for good. Right now in 2012, I believe tablets to be a significant creative breakthrough that will help teachers across the world do their jobs better. Class sizes vary enormously. Some are small, around 12 to 15 students, but in the UK, some classes enroll up to 32 students. How on earth does a teacher create an engaging lesson for 32 different learners, especially when each learner carries his own individualized learning style? It's at this very point that tablet integration gets exciting. Tablets can be the breakthrough that allows teachers to pursue individualized learning curriculum more easily, freeing the teacher to produce a more effective learner experience for the class as a whole. And in classrooms full of diverse learner abilities, almost every group contains students of lower abilities who are learning alongside students with higher levels of understanding. Therefore, often a few learners become disengaged with the lesson at hand. We've found in music education that the lower-ability learner who would normally retreat to the periphery of the class, struggling to keep in time playing a triangle, is now engaged in his lesson, playing the Smart Guitar function on GarageBand for iPad. Not only does this involve that specific learner in the classroom activity, but its also halts classroom segregation and, often, conflict. This is not just true for music and arts-related education. When the correct apps are applied to the appropriate subject on a creative touchable interface, learners are free to work at different paces, in the same class and with the same teacher. The teacher then becomes free to work with the different ability groups, and to focus on developing the day’s curriculum. Furthermore, think of the prospects cloud-based services could bring to tablet education. Competent teachers who are already composing excellent lessons can now share tools across the world, made accessible to all. Soon Apple will hold its next media event; rumors are circulating that the company may introduce further advancements to iTunes U, or launch a new textbook distribution model. These moves will only serve to champion great teaching using improved technology, and ultimately to evolve the education model of today. It’s up to the development community to continue developing apps that can contain entire curriculums. When we see those apps in place, tablet-based education will finally live up to its hype as an engaging, creative way to learn math, science, literacy, art, geography and so on — what more could educators want? Government education departments must also begin to support the move to digital. We’re already witnessing a successful transition in digital publishing, and in early adopter music labels, for example. I'm hoping that teachers continue to welcome the forthcoming opportunities in digital education. The tablet interface and app potential is a great step forward for the brilliant educators across the world. These advancements are not intended to replace their skills, but rather, to assist their teaching roles in the most successful way possible. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, arakonyunus More About: contributor, education, features, ipad, Opinion, tablets

Beepl Adds a Personalized Twist to Q&A Posted: 16 Jan 2012 12:14 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:Beepl Quick Pitch: Beepl is a Q&A site that automatically surfaces relevant questions for each user. Genius Idea: Applying semantic analysis to Q&A. Another Q&A site is arguably one of the last things the Internet needs. Formspring directs questions to individuals. ChaCha will ping you an answer from one of its guides within minutes. Yahoo Answers and Ask.com have the forum-style answers covered. And Quora has become a haven for expounding on esoteric topics. But when former TechCrunch blogger Steve O’Hear traded pontificating on tech to instead help create it, he noticed an unoccupied corner of the Q&A space (which I guess would make that space a hexagon). “On most Q&A sites you sign up and declare what you're interested in,” O’Hear told Mashable. “In real life, your interests spike and change all the time…A smarter system where topics follow you, rather than you following them, would essentially make Q&A scale better.” The product of this observation, Beepl, launched on Monday. Using semantic technology, it analyzes users’ connected LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts to determine what they’re interested in. Then it presents them with questions that fit those interests. As with Formspring, Beepl users can also ask each other questions directly. A browse tab sorts out popular and “interesting” questions, and there’s a search bar for users with specific curiosities in mind. But Beepl, which ran a three-month-long private beta with less than 1,000 members, is not going to compete with established Q&A sites as a database or reference. Its point — and only chance to claim a corner of the Q&A hexagon — is to automatically aggregate questions that fit each users’ definition of interesting, creating better-quality answers in the process. "If you have to go to browse all time,” O’Hear says, “then we're not doing our job right." 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: Beepl, bizspark, q&a For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

9 Tech Millionaires Under Age 30 [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST For those of us who weren’t born with prerequisites for professional sports or rockstardom, entrepreneurship is probably the best bet for becoming fabulously wealthy before hitting our mid-life crises. Just take a free idea, mix in some free time and possibly free Internet (depending on whether you like coffee), and poof! You’re on you’re way to an astronomical net worth. At least that’s how H&R Block, which created the infographic below, estimates the situation. The company compiled a list of nine entrepreneurs for whom this recipe has seemed to do the trick. Mark Zuckerberg, who at age 27 has an estimated personal net worth of $17.5 billion, tops the list, followed by Groupon founder Andrew Mason ($1.3 billion) and Firefox founder Blake Ross ($150 million). Of course, we suspect creating a successful startup might be a bit more complicated than collecting the raw materials. What else do you think these successful young entrepreneurs have in common? Let us know in the comments. More About: Andrew Mason, entrepreneurs, mark zuckerberg, Matthew Mullenweg, Startups, trending For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

New Tech Could Protect Your Phone From Death by Toilet Bowl [VIDEO] Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:52 AM PST No more rice to the rescue for these gadgets. We’ve seen a tablet that can be immersed in water and one kind of tech that can protect smartphones from a watery grave, too. Here’s another: HZO, which was demoed at this year’s CES. This technology creates a barrier that repels water, protecting gadgets’ insides. One report indicates that HZO could soon be coming to smartphones and headphones. Check out the video above to learn more and see it in action. Do you want waterproof gadgets? More About: apple, CES, CES 2012, mashable video, samsung For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Meme Machine: ‘Hitler’ Skewers Google’s Social Search Plus 4 More Viral Topics Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:28 AM PST The Mashable Meme Machine is a daily look at five hilarious viral topics spreading across the web right now. Monday’s medley of memes latches onto several of January’s hottest topics: Google’s Search Plus Your World, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s newborn, Blue Ivy, and the Golden Globes. Stumble upon any funny memes lately? Let us know. Feel free to contact Brian Anthony Hernandez (@BAHjournalist), Christine Erickson (@christerickson) or Lauren Hockenson (@lhockenson). 1. Google's Social Search Gets Hitler Meme Treatment The latest rendition of the evergreen Hitler Downfall parody takes jabs at Google's Search Plus Your World and name-drops social media and tech heavyweights such as Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Tom Anderson, Robert Scoble, Vic Gundotra and Matt Cutts. "Hitler" also mentions Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Facebook, Google+, Klout, TechCrunch and Twitter. The captioned video pokes fun at the highly public tiff between Google and Twitter. And who knew Hitler had a place in his heart for Britney Spears and Katy Perry? "I just want my old search results back. When I search for Katy Perry I expect to get her Facebook Page and latest Tweets, not her empty Google+ page." Click here to view this gallery. More About: features, golden globes, Google, lolcats, Meme Machine, Search, Twitter For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

How to Pick the Right Name for Your Business Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST Abstract or dead simple? Clever irony? Cute and playful? There are endless paths to take when brainstorming your new business name. But for many small business owners and entrepreneurs, the naming process is fraught with uncertainty and doubt. Yet, the stakes couldn't be higher. A business begins with a name — the cornerstone of company identity that shapes branding, company tone and first impressions. Whether you’ll be name-brainstorming yourself or have hired a branding firm, here are a few tips to help you pick the right name for your new business. 1. Set the tone. Your business name sets the tone for all that follows. Think about what's important to you and your business. What's the first thing you want a customer to think in regard to your business? For example, a young company breaking into the financial advising field may be more concerned about credibility, and thus forgo the edgy, attention-grabbing name. Your own tone can be playful or academic, edgy or professional. Just make sure it reflects what your business is and what you want it to be in the future. 2. Simple is strong. A powerful name is easy to spell, pronounce and remember. After all, what good is word-of-mouth if your customer tells a friend, "You really should look up my caterer for your next event. I think their name begins with an A…" If you need to explain a business name, you've failed to make an impact. One creative marketing consultant selected a variant of the name Agora for her business, loving the connection to the ancient Greek word agora, meaning marketplace. She quickly abandoned the name when a colleague's first reaction was "I get it. Sometimes I feel agoraphobic when I've got a big project too." 3. Do not use initials! We all know the business landscape has an affinity for acronyms, but try to avoid using initials for your company name. A random collection of letters doesn't inspire an emotional connection. And you can run into legal and branding headaches by juggling two different business names (the initials and the name spelled out). 4. Opt for a descriptive name. A descriptive name helps frame your company better than a generic one. For example, consider Speedy Electronics vs. Speedy, Inc. Adding this qualifier instantly tells potential customers what your business is all about. 5. Don't box yourself in. While descriptive is good, you don't want your name to be too descriptive, in case you end up expanding your offerings down the road. Imagine if Target still went by its original name, Dayton Dry Goods Company. You need to consider where your brand is today, as well as where you want to go in the future. 6. Watch out for language pitfalls. A word in English may have a negative meaning in another language or culture. And enthusiastic business owners can be blind to awkward puns and double entendres. The best way to avoid creating an embarrassing or damaging brand situation is to test your name on your target audiences; they may see something you missed. 7. Give any new name time to sink in. It can take some time for a new name to feel right, and you may need to use your name for several months before it starts to feel natural. This is particularly true when a name is off the beaten path, which is often the case for some the industry’s most memorable and impactful names. Just imagine the initial reaction to the name “Google.” Along these lines, a strong brand or product can overcome a potentially ill-conceived name. When Apple first unveiled its tablet, I was skeptical of the choice in name. I was far from alone. Yet fast forward a few years and the word “iPad” is a natural part of my daily vernacular (and I never think of feminine hygiene). 8. Don't finalize too soon. The most important lesson is not to get too attached to any one name during the brainstorming process. When inspiration strikes, it's all too tempting to start envisioning your company logo, web design, signage, business cards, etc. But you've got to make sure that perfect name is legally available for you to use — no one wants to be on the wrong end of a trademark dispute. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 More About: Business, features, How-To, Launching, mashable, name, Startups For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Ashton Kutcher Swears Revenge On His Twitter Hacker Posted: 16 Jan 2012 10:24 AM PST There’s more trouble in Kutcher-ville. Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter account was allegedly hacked and Kutcher has sworn digital revenge on the culprit, he said late Sunday night. Kutcher’s account was hacked over the weekend by someone looking to get the new Two and a Half Men star into romantic hot water. The Mirror reports that the tweets were about friend Lorene Scafaria whom Kutcher is rumored to be dating. One of the fake tweets from Kutcher’s account read: "First official sleepover with my girl @lorenescafaria so maybe breakfast with everyone next time! (@ Lorene’s House)" Kutcher got wise to the hack and took down the tweets from his feed, which is followed by more than 9 million people. That’s when things got interesting. The hacker also broke into Kutcher’s Foursquare account, however, and in doing so the hacker also revealed his or her own location. Kutcher responded with the tweet, which includes an image of the hacker’s Foursquare account: I’m coming for you my friend…. #hacker twitter.com/aplusk/status/… — ashton kutcher (@aplusk) January 15, 2012 Kutcher is known for two things: Being hugely tech-savvy and pranking the bejeesus out of people (and acting, we know). It looks like Kutcher has his sights set on the hacker, and so far responses to Kutcher have been mostly positive with some fans tweeting: “go get’em A.K.,” “go. Teach him a lesson,” “Wow, what a failure” and “maybe u shouldn’t post this….. ur gonna send 100 people over there and shits gonna go down.” It’s probably not a good idea to hack Kutcher, but is Kutcher’s vow of revenge an overreaction? Sound off in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, jdlasica More About: celebrity, foursquare, hack, hacker, Social Media, trending, Twitter For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Twitter to Play Crucial Role in South Carolina Republican Debate Posted: 16 Jan 2012 10:20 AM PST Televised Republican debates are about to heat up — not only between the remaining five party presidential candidates — but between viewers using Twitter. Fox News hopes to open up the digital floor for comments during Monday’s Republican debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with a live Twitter debate. Viewers are encouraged to share their thoughts over Twitter in real-time during Monday’s 9 p.m. ET debate. They can use the debate’s official hastag #scdebate as well as #answer and #dodge to convey sentiments about individual candidates. Simply attach a candidate’s name to #answer — if he has answered the question well — or #dodge — if he has diverted from the topic completely — and the Twitter data analysis system will do the rest. The results will be displayed on FoxNews.com. Fox News Digital’s Vice President and General Manager Jeff Misenti told The New York Times that questions or concerns attached to these tweets will be incorporated into the conversation. Fox’s Bret Baier will moderate the debate between former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul from Texas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The debate follows former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s withdrawal from the presidential race and announcement that he will funnel support he’s seen during the race toward Romney. SEE ALSO: Fox News, Google Join Forces for New Hampshire Primary Twitter has stated that the use of social media during political debates gives the U.S. people a way to direct the conversation to topics of interest. The hot topic of the debate tonight may be South Carolina’s 10% unemployment rate. Will that be the center of the digital conversation? We’ll be waiting to find out. Twitter has also set up a list of politicians, journalists and U.S. election staff for viewers to follow so they never miss a beat The list features Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, Fox’s Greta Van Susteran, Bret Baier and CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin. This is not the first time the social media world has meshed with the political sphere on TV. Fox News and Twitter tracked live reactions during the Iowa debate on Dec. 15. NBC and Facebook also teamed up last week to host an online stream and conversation with a comment widget and digital polls. Will you be tuning into Monday night’s Fox News debate and contributing your thoughts on Twitter? Let us know in the comments below. Image courtesy of Flickr, IowaPolitics.com More About: Fox, Media, Mobile, Social Media, social networking, television, TV, Twitter

5 Useful iPad Apps for Doctors, Patients and Med Students Posted: 16 Jan 2012 09:22 AM PST The days are gone when a doctor walked into a patient’s room and grabbed the paper chart at the end of his bed to check his medical history. iPads and tablet computing have revolutionized the way many companies do business, and the medical field is no different. The sharp, intuitive displays and interactive content of tablets naturally make doctor’s visits a more collaborative process. Currently, a competitive market is emerging for both software and hardware companies. Recently Apple hired a director of medical marketing, so it’s game on in this burgeoning sector. Plus, with $44,000 available in economic stimulus incentives via the HITECH Act, it’s no surprise that doctors are beginning to make the switch to digital. Here’s a look at some apps that are being used in doctor’s offices and hospitals around the U.S. Have you seen any cool apps being used by your doctor that we missed? Share them with us in the comments. 1. Interactive Anatomy Step one in becoming a medical practitioner: Learn all the names of the body parts. What better way to demonstrate that knowledge to a patient than by sharing an intricate 3D model on a tablet? Since these apps are great learning tools, they're already appearing in medical classrooms. Software developer 3D4Medical has developed apps that feature detailed images of the body. Two such apps -- including the pictured Skeletal System app -- made it into the top 5 medical apps on iTunes in 2011. Click here to view this gallery. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, eliandric More About: apple, apps, features, iOS, ipad, medical, medicine, trending

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