Saturday, July 21, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Clothes Horse Wants to Help You Find Clothes That Fit”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Clothes Horse Wants to Help You Find Clothes That Fit”


Clothes Horse Wants to Help You Find Clothes That Fit

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 07:18 PM PDT




Name: Clothes Horse

Quick Pitch: An embeddable widget that helps shoppers pick the right clothing size.

Genius Idea: Bolsters shopper confidence, driving an increase in sales.

Between 15% and 40% of clothing ordered online is returned, according to various retail reports, and poor fit is the number-one reason. It's also the reason shoppers inflate their orders, ordering each garment in two sizes, or, overwhelmed with uncertainty, abandon their shopping carts altogether.

Clothes Horse is out to change this. The New York-based startup has gathered a trove of human and brand-garment measurements and combined them with algorithms to help shoppers order garments in the ri…
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More About: bizspark, clothes horse, fashion, retail, shopping


University of Kentucky Football Tweets Become Billboards [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 06:27 PM PDT




The University of Kentucky is known for its successful sports program, most notably the basketball and football teams. Now the football program has launched #Weareuk, a crowdsourced initiative that places tweets on billboards and puts fans in the official poster.

Anyone who uses the #Weareuk hashtag will have their tweet or Instagram photo linked to the site. From there anything posted can, and many already have been, used in billboards across the state.

Visitors to the site also have the option to share any of the posts via Facebook or Twitter. Once shared, their their avatar will drop into the background of the site.

Should other teams sho…
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More About: Advertising, Newsy, football


Man Finds Long-Lost Son, Ex-Wife via Facebook

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 06:20 PM PDT




It took 21 years and the invention of the world's largest social network for a family parted for two decades to reunite.

A father located his ex-wife and long-lost son through Facebook, after years of searching using various people finder sites and even a private detective.

US airman Don Gibson met Chrissie in her native country, the U.K., more than 20 years ago. They married in 1989 before she gave birth to their son, Craig, now 22. According to Chrisse, Don was turned down for Air Force service until he moved back to the U.S. Chrisse already had two sons from a previous marriage and didn't want to leave them behind in the U.K. Eventually, Chrisse and Don lost contact with each othe…
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More About: Facebook


Kickstart Project Attempts To Bring Public Transit Maps Back to iPhone

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 06:05 PM PDT




With iOS 6 Apple is dropping Google Maps from the iPhone and consequently removing public transportation maps from the built-in maps application on the handset as well.

Intrigal for many city-dwellers to get around, the company OpenPlans has started a Kickstarter project to help fund a solution.

Called OpenTripPlanner, the open-source application will offer a number of features that were not available in Google Maps. Directions can be made using different transit methods –- such as walking, biking, public transit and bike-share – and will find the fastest and efficient way to your destination.

OpenTripPlanner will be initially available i…
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More About: App, iOS, iphone


12 Small Touches That Will Make ‘Borderlands 2′ a Big Hit

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 05:25 PM PDT


1. The Stash Is Persistent




If you were a serious Borderlands character, you know the game's epic loot drops were worth fighting for. The downside of having so many guns available? Finding a weapon with one character that'd be perfect for another. Now your stash is persistent across all characters, meaning you can share weapons and loot with every character you're playing.

Click here to view this gallery.




In less than two months, Borderlands 2 will release to eager gamers. The sequel to Gearbox Software's massively popular cooperative shooter has sold 4.5 million copies since its release in 2009.

Mashable recently got some playtime with the game. And to sum up, it really shines. So many small touches to the game will improve the experience for series fans, as well as help enrich the game for new players.

SEE ALSO: New 'Borderlands 2' Trailer Has More Action, More Claptrap

Take a look at what we found most exciting about Borderlands 2, due out Sept. 18 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Are you excited for the game, too? Let us know in the comments.

More About: 2k games, Entertainment, Gaming, borderlands 2, features


ArduSat Reaches Funding Goal, Prepares to Launch Satellite July 2013 [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 05:07 PM PDT




A team of developers based in San Jose wants to let the average person put their ideas in space via an open-source satellite. And the public apparently loved that concept.

The ArduSat project called for funds on Kickstarter and reached more than three times their goal of $35,000.

The team wants to put an Arduino satellite in space to make "space exploration affordable to anyone," says Peter Platzer, the project's physicist, on the Kickstarter page.

"Once launched, the ArduSat (Arduino satellite) will be the first open platform allowing the general public to design and run their own space-based applications, games and experiments, and steer…
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More About: arduino, developers, satellite, space


‘Dark Knight’ Director Nolan Calls Shootings a ‘Senseless Tragedy’

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 04:25 PM PDT




In what should have been a triumphant day, Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan issued a statement about the mass killings during the film's premiere in Aurora, Colo., early Friday.

Nolan's statement reads as follows:

Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The…
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More About: Batman shootings, Christopher Nolan, dark knight rises


10 Emmy-Nominated Shows You Can Watch Online

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:57 PM PDT


1. Girls (Outstanding Comedy Series)


Never before has Hollywood (or anyone, for that matter) been so inclined to talk about loathsome 24-year-old girls living in Brooklyn. But Lena Dunham's biting wit has turned things around with arguably the most buzzed-about show this season. If you haven't seen it yet, watch the 10-episode first season of Girls on HBO GO to form your own opinion about this contentious show.

Click here to view this gallery.




The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are airing later in the year than usual, giving you ample time to catch up on nominated shows before the big night.

We figure that, like us, you've got some pretty well-established opinions about who should be taking home those coveted gold statuettes. While watching each of the nominated shows might not change your stance, it will definitely give you a sense of the competition (and an excuse to trash talk at the September 23 viewing party).

SEE ALSO: Stars Celebrate Emmy Nominations on Twitter

As television junkies have come to expect, HBO is once again the academy's darling. However, it earned comparatively few nominations, 81 in total, its f…
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More About: Emmy, Emmys, Entertainment, Nominations, TV, features


Warner Bros. Pulls ‘Gangster Squad’ Trailer from Internet After Shootings

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:40 PM PDT




Warner Bros. has pulled the trailer for a movie called Gangster Squad from the Internet after the Dark Knight Rises shootings early Friday morning because the former film contains a shootout in a movie theater.

A scene from the trailer of the film -- which was set to premiere on Sept. 7 -- featured four men in trenchcoats walking towards an audience and shooting at them with automatic weapons. The preview was set to run in some theaters before The Dark Knight's showing, but the studio pulled it out of sensitivity to the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo.

However, the trailer was still available on the Internet for much of Friday. By Friday afternoon, the clip had been pulled from th
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More About: batman shooting, dark knight rises, warner bros


Zuckerberg’s Facebook Picture Hints at Walmart Partnership

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:05 PM PDT




Mark Zuckerberg posted a picture on Facebook on Friday while visiting Walmart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., furthering speculation that the social network is looking to grow its partnership with the retailer.

The photo shows Zuckerberg and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg meeting with Walmart executives in what looks like a board room.

SEE ALSO: Congrats, Internet: Pitbull Is Going to Alaska

The news comes as Walmart and Facebook is rumored to make an announcement as early as Saturday regarding its partnership.

"Wal-Mart is an important partner for Facebook and we look forward to working together to deepen that relationship," Facebook said in a statement to The
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More About: Facebook, WalMart, e-commerce, mark zuckerberg


Popular Personalities Send Fans Video Texts with Audingo

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 02:47 PM PDT





Want to feel more connected to in-the-know radio and TV personalities? Mobile messaging service Audingo sends users audio or video messages via text, email or phone call.

"Audingo is about belonging to the inner circle of select personalities and organizations," said Matt Merritt, Audingo co-founder and president, in a statement. "Audingo's vision is for subscribers to connect with their chosen personalities and organizations on a deeper level than other social media platforms allow – like having a few close friends, versus many acquaintances."

Consumers can subscribe to personalities' Audingo accounts via the personality's website or their company's website. Users enter…
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More About: Audingo


Vermont Follows @Sweden’s Lead With @ThisIsVT

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 02:28 PM PDT




Sweden's official tourism agency has made waves across the social web ever since it started giving the country's official Twitter account to a different Swede every week. Now, the U.S. state of Vermont is trying to replicate Sweden's success with a Twitter account of its very own.

@ThisIsVT will feature a different Vermonter at the helm every week. The idea is simple: turn the state's most socially savvy residents into digital ambassadors with the hope of bringing in tourists or those looking for a new home.

Real-time, real-life #Vermont scenes tweeted by Vermonters & #Vt visitors. A new author assumes this handle weekly. Kicks off 7/23.— THISISVT (@THISISVT) July 17, 2012
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More About: Social Media, Twitter, sweden, tourism, vermont


Kim Dotcom Compares Himself to MLK in New Song [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 02:13 PM PDT




Alleged copyright infringer and Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom compares himself to Dr. Martin Luther King in a new song, "Mr. President."

The German-accented Dotcom (nee Kim Schmitz) sings/raps over a Kraftwerk-esque track delivering an indictment of the current administration: "The war for the Internet has begun," Dotcom begins. "Hollywood is in control of politics. The government is killing innovation. Don't let them get away with that." Dotcom then mentions that "I have a dream, just like Dr. King" as a shot of MLK is displayed.

The chorus continues, "What about free speech, Mr. President? What happened to change, Mr. President? Are you pleading the Fifth, Mr. President?"…
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More About: Kim Dotcom, Politics, viral videos


Obama Gives Thumbs-Up to New Cybersecurity Bill

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:59 PM PDT




President Obama stressed the need for the Senate to pass "comprehensive cybersecurity legislation" in an op-ed published hours after a revised cybersecurity bill was introduced in the Senate.

"We need to make it easier for the government to share threat information so critical-infrastructure companies are better prepared," wrote Obama in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

"We need to make it easier for these companies—with reasonable liability protection—to share data and information with government when they're attacked. And we need to make it easier for government, if asked, to help these companies prevent and recover from attacks."

The president has not always been kind to…
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More About: CISPA, PIPA, US, World, barack obama, congress, cybersecurity, cybersecurity act of 2012, stop online piracy act


‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Screenings Go On

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:42 PM PDT




As more details regarding the mass shooting at a movie theater in Colorado emerge, national movie chains have no plans to cancel screenings of The Dark Knight Rises or other films.

Although all showtimes have been cancelled at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colo. -- the location of the shooting -- the show will go on in other parts of the country.

The two largest theater chains -- Regal Entertainment and AMC Theatres -- will continue to screen films as scheduled.

There may, however, be some caveats. In a statement, AMC Theatres told us, (emphasis ours):

At this time, our show schedules circuit-wide will not change. We will not allow any guests into our theatres in costume…
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More About: The Dark Knight Rises, amc theatres, batman shooting


CelebBoutique Misguided Aurora Tweet Sparks Twitter Outrage

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT




CelebBoutique, an online store that lets people fashion themselves after their favorite celebrities, learned an important social media lesson the hard way today -- always check the reason for a Twitter Trend before making a joke about it.

The tweet above was in response to the Twitter hashtag #Aurora, which was trending because of a mass shooting that occurred at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo.

CelebBoutique, which is based in the United Kingdom, left the Tweet up for about an hour, during which time it was retweeted hundreds of times. A Facebook group calling for a boycott of the company has already sprung up.

The incident has a great deal in commo…
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More About: Marketing, Twitter


See Ashton Kutcher Dressed as Steve Jobs For New Movie

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:28 PM PDT




New pictures of the bow-tie wearing Ashton Kutcher dressed as a young Steve Jobs on the set of a new movie have been making the rounds online, with many noting the uncanny resemblance to the former Apple CEO.

Students at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles have been tweeting pictures of Kutcher filming Jobs, which is currently under production at the school.

Student Jackie Nolasco tweeted a picture of Kutcher, while other pictures having been popping up on social media sites and outlets such as TMZ.

SEE ALSO: Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs: Uncanny Resemblance [PICS]

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern and written by Matt Whitely, t…
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More About: Entertainment, Movies, apple, celebrities, steve jobs


YouTube Updates Platform for Social Good

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 01:12 PM PDT




YouTube announced two updates to its non-profit program on Friday, streamlining how non-profits and viral philanthropists can use the social video-sharing platform to turn views into action.

Starting July 31, members of the YouTube for Good team will host "YouTube 101" trainings via Google+ Hangout. These live trainings, which will take place on the last Tuesday of every month, are for non-profits that recently joined the non-profit program or created a YouTube page. The live feed will be available on the YouTube for Nonprofits channel for those who want to watch and listen without being recorded.

YouTube also officially announced the integration of annotations that can link to fou…
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More About: Social Good, Social Media, YouTube, YouTube for Good, crowdfunding, non-profits


Syrian Rebels Post Victory Footage to YouTube

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:54 PM PDT




After anti-government fighters in the Free Syrian Army took control of several border crossings between Syria and its neighboring countries on Thursday, some of them posted celebratory footage to YouTube, seen above. According to The New York Times, this particular crossing connects Syria to Turkey, but other reports indicate rebel activity at crossings between Syria and Iraq as well.

In the video, rebel fighters can be seen shooting sub-machine guns into the air and defacing a poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It's unknown if the rebels held the border crossing for long.

With few foreign journalists working in the country and state media serving largely as a propaganda m…
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More About: Arab Spring, Syria, Video, World, YouTube, middle east, turkey


3 Things Facebook Must Improve to Succeed

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:43 PM PDT




Yes, we need to talk more about Facebook. That's largely because if the company plans to do well in the post-IPO world it has to become more innovative about how it's going to grow its ad revenue.

So Mark and company, here's some free advice. Execute on three things to make shareholders happy: video, mobile, and analytics. Here's why.

1. Video
Facebook doesn't guess if you're a man or a woman. It knows. Facebook doesn't guess your age. It knows. Facebook doesn't guess your interests and psychographics. It knows. It has the ability to target and scale. But where's the video? Facebook's announcement that it will let advertisers bid on ads is interesting, but more ban…
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More About: Facebook, contributor, features, social media marketing


Internet Shows Support for Theater Shooting Victims

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:27 PM PDT




The Aurora, Colo. movie theater shooting that left 12 people dead and wounded at least 38 has sparked several Internet campaigns to show support for the victims and their community.

The shooting occurred during the midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises," so many of the images have incorporated a Batman theme.

Praying for #Aurora. twitter.com/SSICompany/sta…— Alan Lamar (@SSICompany) July 20, 2012


Update: As of 4:24 p.m. EST, police have reported that 71 people were shot, 12 of whom died and 59 of whom were injured.

Mashable's Coverage of the Colorado Theater Shooting

More About: 'dark knight' shooting, Twitter, Viral, batman shooting, dark knight rises, theater shooting


10 Etsy Shops for Covetable Fashion Accessories

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:17 PM PDT


1. Chick Lit Designs




If you're a fan of Olympia Le-Tans book cover clutches, but not their $1,200+ price tags, pick up a much more affordable version at Chick-Lit Design's Etsy shop. In addition to $165 clutches made out of vintage editions of Catcher in the Rye and Pride and Prejudice (some of which have a pocket big enough for your Kindle), the Gilbert, Ariz.--based designer also makes a range of e-reader and iPad covers in the same style.

Click here to view this gallery.




I have been shopping on Etsy for years, and am frequently inspired not only by the products themselves (not to mention, their affordability) but also by the people who make those items.

Take Behida Dolic, a milliner born in a small community of crafters in Bosnia, who now sells beautifully hand-draped cloches on Etsy and in her own shop in Hudson, New York. Or browse the shop of husband and wife team Doug Switalksi and Beca Lewis Skeels, who together produce made-to-order wood veneer wayfarer sunglasses from their Tennessee studio.

SEE ALSO: How Etsy Turns Artists Into Entrepreneurs [INFOGRAPHIC]

I've gathered a few of my favorite shops for fashion accessories here. If you have any…
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More About: Etsy, Small Business, ecommerce, fashion, features, lifestyle


Kayak Shares Jump 30% on First Day

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:09 PM PDT




Shares of Kayak Software Corp. (KYAK) were in strong demand its first few hours on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Shares, which began trading late morning, were trading around $34 early Friday afternoon.

Kayak helps consumers compare prices on airlines and vacation packages online. It priced its initial public offering at $26, above the $22 to $25 range it intended to open at. The Norwalk, Conn.-based company is selling 3.5 million shares -- less than 10% of its total shares -- in a $91 million offering.

In its last fiscal year (2011), Kayak brought in $224.5 million in revenue, up 32% from fiscal 2010. Net income grew 21% in that period to $9.7 million.

Kayak competes in a crowded spa…
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More About: Kayak, kayak ipo


DirectTV and Viacom Bury Hatchet, Bring Back Channels

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 12:04 PM PDT




Media giants DirecTV and Viacom have resolved their very public dispute, reaching a long-term agreement to bring back access to many popular channels to DirecTV subscribers.

The satellite programming provider's customers had lost access to Viacom channels -- such as MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and Comedy Central -- on July 10 after the two companies argued over fees and failed to strike a deal.

DirecTV says 17 channels were affected by the blackout, while MTV reports 26 channels went dark.

"It's unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end, it's clear our customers recognized that tactic for what it was," Derek Chang, DirecTV's EV…
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More About: Entertainment, TV, directv, social tv, viacom


If Neil Armstrong Had Instagram [PICS]

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 11:36 AM PDT


Lunar Module Approaches Moon for Landing




Filter: Amaro with Lux

Click here to view this gallery.




Forty-three years ago, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Six hours later, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first men to step foot on the lunar surface. To celebrate this year's Moon Day, we re-imagined what the moon would have looked like had our intrepid astronauts had smartphones in hand. Check out these Instagrammed versions of some of history's most iconic photos.

SEE ALSO: How to Choose the Best Instagram Filter for Your Photo

Can you think of other photo ops the might enjoy the Instagram treatment? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Images courtesy of NASA History Office and the NASA JSC Media Services Center

More About: NASA, apollo 11, astronauts, features, instagram, moonwalk, space


Google Acquires Sparrow, Team To Focus on ‘New Projects’

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 11:12 AM PDT




Google has acquired iOS and Mac email client Sparrow, with the team behind the popular app heading to Google to work with the Gmail team.

"We care a lot about how people communicate, and we did our best to provide you with the most intuitive and pleasurable mailing experience," Dom Leca, CEO of Sparrow, said in a statement on the company's website. "Now we're joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that we think we can better achieve with Google."

In the note on Sparrow's site, Leca also thanked the app's users who have provided support and feedback and said, "While we'll be working on new things at Google, we will continue to make Sparrow availa…
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More About: Google, gmail, iOS, mac, sparrow


Theater Shooting Suspect James Holmes Studied Neuroscience

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 11:10 AM PDT




More details about James Holmes -- the suspected shooter in Friday's tragedy in Colorado -- are starting to emerge.

Though Holmes's online personality remains a mystery, we now know more details about the alleged gunman.

Holmes is 24 years old and until recently, was a graduate student at the University of Colorado, Denver, studying for a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Holmes withdrew from the school last month. The University of California, Riverside confirmed that a person named James Eagan Holmes graduated from the university in the spring of 2010 with a BS in neuroscience.

After he was arrested, Holmes insinuated to police that he had explosives at his apartment. When the Aurora Police…
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More About: James Holmes, The Dark Knight Rises, batman shooting


Digg Is Being Rebuilt From Scratch And Needs Your Help

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 10:51 AM PDT




More than a week after news surfaced that the once popular site Digg was purchased for $500,000 by Betaworks, its new parent company said it will be rebuilding it from scratch in the next six weeks. And it wants your help.

"We are a startup team with ambitious principles and we need to move quickly," according to the post on rethinkdigg.com. "The old Digg infrastructure was expensive and it afforded us little latitude to innovate and build at a fast clip. So four weeks ago, we set an a aggressive goal to move to a new infrastructure by August 1. We are starting with a fresh code base — it's modern, it's fast and it's shiny and new."

The team -- made of 10 engineers, designe…
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More About: digg


10 Tips for Job Seekers in the Digital Era

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 10:36 AM PDT




What does it take to land your dream job? In this digital era, job candidates have a plethora of tools at their disposal to help them ace the interview, including advice websites, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

SEE ALSO: 7 Cool Jobs to Score at the Mashable Online Career Expo

But how exactly should someone use these to their advantage? Here are ten tips for landing the gig of your dreams.

1. Research, Research, Research
A likely first question any interviewer will ask is, "what does our company do?" This seems like an obvious one, but you'd be surprised at the number of people that have no clue. If you're not prepared to discuss the company, they probably don't…
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More About: Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, contributor, features, jobs


How to Host a Google+ Hangout on Air

Posted: 20 Jul 2012 10:09 AM PDT




While some critics have called Google+ a social networking fail, one of its features has emerged as a clear winner: Hangouts.

The video chats not only connect small groups, but have also become an important broadcast platform with Hangouts on Air. Available to select accounts in early 2012, Hangouts on Air has been gradually rolling out to all users since May.

Household names from Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama to Tyra Banks and the Muppets have connected with fans via Hangouts on Air.

SEE ALSO: 9 Google+ Power Users Still Going Strong

Now, even users who haven't logged years of on-camera experience are getting ready for Google+ prime time. And the question is: How do you…
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More About: Google, Google Hangouts, Social Media, community, engagement, features


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