Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This Technology May Replace Your Remote Control”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This Technology May Replace Your Remote Control”


This Technology May Replace Your Remote Control

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:24 AM PST


Ketan Banjara's living room isn't cluttered with remote controls. To shush the music, he simply holds a finger up to his lips. And when he gets up from the couch and leaves the room, his TV screen pauses automatically.

Banjara is a cofounder of PredictGaze, a startup that combines gaze detection, gesture recognition, and facial-feature recognition to create more natural ways to control everything from your TV to your car.

While many people are just getting their hands on their first touch-screen gadget, PredictGaze is one of a slew of companies betting that touch-free controls will be the next big thing. With front-facing cameras being embedded in all sorts of gadgets, it's n…
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Organizers Set Up Amazon ‘Wedding Registry’ for Sandy Victims [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:56 AM PST


A group of organizers called "Occupy Sandy" have registered for a wedding on Amazon -- except no one's getting married.

The group of Brooklyn residents have registered for a wide array of supplies to be donated to victims of Hurricane Sandy, using Amazon's tool for couples planning weddings. The group requests that gifts be shipped to Brooklyn's Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew, from where the volunteers will distribute the items.

Instead of china patterns and guest towels, there are flashlights, generators and diapers. Similar to other registries, however, the items are divided into "love to have," "like to have" and "nice to have." The "cou…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, Social Good, amazon, new york


In the Future, We’ll All Be Working on the Road

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:19 AM PST


Bentley Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept

The Bentley Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept is brimming with digital hyperbole.

Lets get down to brass tacks. Built into this car (which, despite its concept label, will be a made-to-order version of the ultra-upscale Mulsanne) you've got:

Built-in mobile Wi-Fi.

Two iPads and keyboards that fold up from a tray table. It should be noted that, in this context, they feel and work more like super-slim laptops that are built into the car. The tray tables electronically fold out for maximum futuristic-ness.

A 15.6-inch high-def TV screen that is, as the company's marketing material puts it, "backed by the processing power of both an onboard hard drive and an Apple Mac c…
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More About: car tech, cars, ipad


Apple’s Lightning to Micro USB Adapter Comes to the U.S.

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 02:26 AM PST


Lightning adapterPreviously available only in Europe, Apple's Lightning to Micro USB adapter is now available in the U.S. as well.

The adapter, which costs $19 in the U.S. Apple Store (as opposed to £15 in the UK and €19 in rest of Europe), lets you connect an iPhone, iPad, or iPod with a Lightning connector to a Micro USB cable and use it to sync and charge your device.

Apple's Lightning connector is the new power connector used in the latest generation of iPod, iPad and iPhone devices. It replaced Apple's previous 30-pin dock connector, and is incompatible with cables and devices created for that connector.

Most other smartphones on the market use the standardized Micro USB connector, and in…
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More About: Lightning, apple, usb


Exclusive Look at ‘Awakening: The Art of Halo 4′ [PICS]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:47 AM PST


Awakening: The Art of Halo 4




Click here to view this gallery.


For all the fangirls and boys who have yet to snap up Halo 4 since its Tuesday launch, here's something to whet your gaming appetite: never-before seen concept art, sketches and character designs from the first-person shooter.

We have the world exclusive look at Awakening: The Art of Halo 4, which details the process behind creating the Halo universe -- everything from its characters to its locations.

The book features concept art that guided Halo 4's design team, providing "the basis upon which the game itself is made," editor Paul Davies told Mashable in an email.

Created by artists at video-game developer 343 Industries, they include early ideas that didn't even make it into the…
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More About: Halo 4


Apple Looking to Drop Intel Chips From Mac Computers [REPORT]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 01:12 AM PST


Apple Logo

Apple may drop Intel chips from Mac computers, in favor of chips similar to the ones used in the iPad and iPhone, sources say.

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple's engineers think its own chips will one day be powerful enough to run laptop and desktop computers, but this change likely won't happen in the next few years.

Apple's 2005 switch from PowerPC processors to Intel x86 processors was one of the most surprising moves that year, as the Cupertino, Calif. company has long maintained that PowerPC processors are better than Intel's.

But it's currently tablets and smartphones, which use tiny, low-power chips, that are dictating where the industry is heading. Apple is k…
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More About: apple, intel, mac


What’s Wrong With Ohio Voting Machine Software?

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 12:38 AM PST


In the state that is likely to decide the leader of the free world Tuesday, an 11th hour "experimental software patch" is causing consternation, confusion and a lawsuit.

Ohio, regarded as the "tipping point" swing state in Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. President Barack Obama's quest for 270 electoral votes Tuesday, uses electronic voting machines. A large portion are provided by ES&S, the nation's largest e-voting system manufacturer.

Late last week, a leaked work order revealed that John Husted, Ohio's secretary of state, had installed something called EXP on central tabulation machines in 39 of Ohio's 88 counties. EXP is either an "experimental software patch", according t…
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More About: barack obama, election 2012, voting


Power Nap at Work in Zen-Like CalmSpace [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 12:31 AM PST


A tiny, immersive sanctuary lets users step away from the daily grind by offering an "optimized" environment for power naps.

CalmSpace is a "power-nap microspace" for work that helps drowsy employees take brief, but refreshing naps, according to its official website.

SEE ALSO: Power Nap With This Head-Consuming Ostrich Pillow

Created by Paris-based artist Marie-Virginie Berbet, the pod provides 10-, 15- and 20-minute nap sequences, and incorporates sound and light technology that aids sleep. At the end of each sequence, a blue light wakes users "in an energized manner."

Would you use CalmSpace to nap at work? How do you usually re-energize…
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‘Sh*t Girls Say’ Creators Talk New Book and Hollywood Hobnobbing

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:52 PM PST


Internet fame often blossoms out of seemingly mundane moments. For the duo behind the web phenomenon Shit Girls Say, that moment happened while watching television on the couch.

"We were watching The Simpsons or something," Graydon Sheppard and Kyle Humphrey told Mashable. "And one of us asked 'Can you pass me that blanket?'"

After the initial giggling about asking such a "girly" question subsided, the pair realized they might have stumbled on something big -- like, Internet big.

SEE ALSO: Get Giggling With Return of Original 'Sh*t Girls Say' [VIDEO]

What started with asking for a blanket on a chilly evening grew into a collection of lady-like quips abo…
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More About: Watercooler, books, shit people say


Man Climbs 103 Floors Using Thought-Controlled Bionic Leg [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:03 PM PST


Fitted with a "thought-controlled bionic leg," amputee Zac Vawter climbed 103 floors of Chicago's Willis Tower -- accomplishing a task that would intimidate even seasoned athletes.

But the 31-year-old, whose right leg is amputated, had help from a neural-controlled prosthetic leg. The device, which has a powered knee and ankle, can anticipate Vawkter's actions. For example, when he pushes on the leg to stand up, it "reads his intent," and pushes back, propelling him up, according to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

"One of the biggest difference(s) for me is being able to take stairs step-over-step like everyone else," Vawter said in a s…
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More About: Chicago, bionic


Rock Your Way To A Charged iPhone With This Chair [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:15 PM PST


Looking for a way to rock out while rocking the baby to sleep? We've got the chair for you.

Meet iRock, a rocking chair with a built-in iPad dock and speakers for listening to tunes and surfing the web, while rocking your day away -- literally.

The fun doesn't stop there. A generator on the chair harnesses the rocking movement, and transforms it into power. A 60-minute rocking session, for instance, is enough to charge an iPad 3 to 35%. You can also use the chair to charge any of your other Apple devices, including the iPhone 5 and the newly launched iPad mini.

Hand-built out of pine, the iRock is only available now in white, but there are pl…
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More About: apple, ipad, iphone


Students Create a Jacket That Can Send Messages [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 09:31 PM PST


A group of students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has created a wearable communication jacket for first responders in emergency situations.

Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians, for example, need to communicate with each other in an emergency, but smartphones are uniquely unsuited to the task. The mobile phone requires both hands and the attention of the person holding it - a liability when you're dodging hazards.

"Crews therefore need devices with a much simpler user interface. That was the basic idea behind making the jackets," says Babak Farshchian of SINTEF ICT, a research organization in Norway.…
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More About: Social Good, designer/developer


Youtube Tops List of Tech Brands With Highest Social Media Engagement This Week [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:43 PM PST


YouTube dethroned Facebook as the hottest tech brand in the social media world last week, according to data aggregator Starcount.

Another tech giant, Google, ranked third; its high placement is due to the many views on its YouTube channel, likely driven by the launch of the new Nexus lineup. Yahoo also had a good week, gaining three positions, thanks to almost 230,000 new Facebook fans.

Windows also benefited from the recent debut of its newest tablet, the Surface, which has received positive reviews.

SEE MORE: Top 10 Airlines With Highest Social Media Engagement This Week

Outside of the Top 10, Nintendo showed the biggest improvement, gaining 11 positions up to 39. The company'…
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More About: Social Media, Starcount, brands, chart


Can Campaign Websites Be Trusted With Your Money?

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:16 PM PST


Many political campaigns in this current election have a nifty "donate now!" button on their websites. While they're convenient for the candidates, it's not clear if these buttons are secure for the donors.

Websites and retailers who collect credit-card numbers, both online and offline, are subject to rules regarding how the financial data is stored.

Those rules are laid down and enforced by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, commonly referred to as PCI, a global body that won't hesitate to yank the credentials of any organization not in compliance.

However, campaign websites are generally not considered retailers, and are usually transitory in nature, not las…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, online fundraising, political campaigns


Yumani’s Online Marketplace Makes Sellers Compete for Your Business

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:57 PM PST


Yumani reverses the traditional model for an online marketplace by asking sellers to compete to offer the best price to consumers.

More About: Startups, The Launchpad, yumani


Princess Leia Learns to Be a Disney Princess [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:38 PM PST


Now that Princess Leia is a Disney Character, she's going to need a little training.

While not an official princess -- yet -- it seems that's simply semantics to these Princesses.

SEE ALSO: Star Wars Just Got a New Lease on Life

The princesses embrace their stereotypes and ask Leia one important question: How did she get her hair like that?

BONUS: Star Wars Memes, You Will

More About: Star Wars, Watercooler, viral videos


With This Flex-Neck Lighter, You Won’t Get Burned

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:29 PM PST


Burned fingertips and singed hands are no fun, but sometimes incurring those minor injuries are unavoidable when we're lighting candles or barbecue grills -- especially with small lighters or matches.

The Zippo Flex Neck Utility Lighter ($19.95) is a new product from the Zippo Manufacturing Company that's bigger than the traditional Zippo windproof lighter. It looks like a small torch you might use in the kitchen to caramelize creme brulee, but it has a lot more dexterity. The movable neck can twist in various directions to light candles deep in hurricane vases, or light your broiler, hot water heaters, fireplaces and other areas that are hard to reach with matches or even typical lo…
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More About: Gadgets, Zippo, lighters


Hang on Tight! Presenting the World’s Fastest Electric Vehicles [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:05 PM PST


This infographic runs down the world's fastest electric vehicles -- and you'll be surprised who's number one.

More About: electric cars, electric vehicles, infographics


When Will the Networks Call the Election? [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 06:53 PM PST


Yes, the question of who is going to occupy the White House for the next four years is vital to our nation and our planet. But just as important, for those watching on election night, is this: When can you go to bed?

The closer the election is, the more likely it is that states are going to be too close to call for a significant portion of the night -- and that the networks are going to be wary of calling them early. Given the current state of the polls, we could be in for a very long wait before either candidate gets 270 electoral votes.

So if there's all this effort going in to statistical poll-based prediction, can't someone make an educated call-time prediction? We've got you c…
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More About: election 2012


NowThisNews Delivers a Premium iOS News Watching Experience

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 06:16 PM PST


NowThisNews -- the new news-focused startup from Huffington Post co-founder Ken Lerer -- just launched its iOS app and, with it, a brand new way to watch and share the news.

The startup's goal is to disrupt the cable news industry. It's tactic is to create news content that was designed to be shared and experienced through mobile. Putting news clips on mobile devices isn't difficult. Creating content specifically for mobile devices and audiences, however, is.

NowThisNews started creating video content in earnest last month. Until now, its content has spread through its various social channels -- NTN has accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr -- as well as a video partnership with…
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More About: ken lerer, mobile platforms, nowthisnews


Facebook’s iPhone App Now Lets You Send Friends Real-World Gifts [HANDS-ON]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 06:04 PM PST


Facebook updated its iOS app Monday, adding the ability to send real-world gifts to your friends directly from your iPhone.

Facebook launched Gifts on the web in September. The product of its acquisition of Karma earlier this year, the feature allows Facebook users to give real-world gifts to their friends on the social network without having to know that friend's physical address.

Gifts range from cake pops to Uber rides, and can be sent along their way in less than a minute –- perfect for last-minute gift giving.

SEE ALSO: Facebook Rolls Out Charitable Gifts in Wake of Sandy

Along with gifts, Monday's app update also added the ability to upload multiple photos to Fa…
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More About: Facebook, apple, iOS, iphone


Watch 60 Fascinating Years of Campaign Ads in Less Than 5 Minutes [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:43 PM PST


From Obama to Eisenhower, this expertly edited montage takes material from 1952 through 2012 to provide a captivating perspective on campaign ads.

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Advertising, viral videos


Punk Band Bad Religion Blurts ‘F**k You’ in Google+ Hangout

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:09 PM PST


Broadcasting live Monday in a Google+ Hangout, members of punk rock band Bad Religion revealed the name and release date of their 16th studio album, True North, and unleashed a series of F-bombs in the process.

Why the expletive? "F**k You" is the name of that album's first single. First, front man Greg Graffin blurted the title, followed by drummer Brooks Wackerman and guitarist Brian Baker.

Bad Religion also answered fans' questions in the 27-minute Hangout, which you can watch in the above video.

SEE ALSO: Peter Gabriel Asks Facebook Fans to Recreate 'Sledgehammer'

After the Hangout, the band streamed the first cut of "F**k You" (below). True North comes out Jan. 22.

More About: Entertainment, Google, Google Hangouts, Music, Video


Tumblr Reaches 20 Billion Monthly Pageviews

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:41 PM PST


Tumblr, the microblog known as a GIF artist haven and a home to memes like Texts From Hillary Clinton, is one of the top 20 most visited websites in the U.S.

In an announcement made today, Tumblr CEO and founder David Karp confirmed that the site now collects 20 billion pageviews a month, up from about 13 billion in September, GigaOM reported.

"This started pretty modestly as something I wanted for myself," Karp told GigaOM. "I remember very vividly that moment where I was like, it wouldn’t be much more work to add a column to the database that [asked] which user posted this post and maybe make it something other people can use."

Karp credits Tumblr's growing smartphone ma…
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More About: pageviews, tumblr


Who Spent More on Online Ads This Election? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:18 PM PST


The election is finally here -- after tomorrow, the candidates' online ads that have chased you around the Internet will disappear. In review of the months spent campaigning and advertising, an infographic from ReTargeter shows exactly how much each campaign spent on online ads compared to the 2008 election. The numbers are staggering.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Memorable Moments of the 2012 Election Season

Overall funding for online ads grew 251% which speaks to the digital nature of this election. Barack Obama spent $52 million, in comparison to his opponent, Mitt Romney, who only spent $26.2 million.

See the infographic below for more and tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Election 2012 Digital Campaign
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Advertising, Politics, US, infographic


Hands-On With Instagram’s New Profile Pages

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST


Instagram Profile




The Instaram Profile is a smart mixture between the Instagram mobile app and Facebook's Timeline.

Click here to view this gallery.


Earlier today, Instagram started rolling out new web profile pages for its users. The profiles bear a striking resemblance to Facebook Timeline and act as a great way to explore the digital snapshots of Instagram brands and users.

Profiles won't be rolled out to all users until later this week but Mashable got early access and decided to take the new profile setup for a spin. Looking at my own profile page, I couldn't help but be struck by how nice it was to have the ability to browse through my past photos from the comfort of my web browser.

The top header is a rotating array of photos and clicking on any photo opens up a modal view similar to the existing standalone photo view. From…
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More About: Facebook, instagram


Don’t Fall for This Fake Tim Tebow Election Tweet

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:58 PM PST


A partisan 2012 election tweet came from an obviously fake Tim Tebow account on Monday, yet many on Twitter took it as real.

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Sports


Music Monday: Election

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:44 PM PST


Tomorrow, Americans will head to the polls to select their next president. Some have already voted, while others have found their usual plans altered in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. And even if you don't live in the United States, it's likely that the headlines wherever you are will mention the final showdown between President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Regardless of who wins this election, two things are guaranteed: the winner's victory speech will be accompanied by thunderous applause from supporters and a signature song will play over the speakers as he walks onstage. In 2008, Barack Obama's victory was scored to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder…
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More About: 2012 Presidential Election, Mitt Romney, barack obama, music monday


Typeface Change Reduces Political Bias [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:31 PM PST


When reading an opinion or editorial you either agree with its stand or not. But are you basing your judgements off of the subject matter, or is it the font? Researchers at the University of Illinois found that a harder-to-read typeface slows readers down and reduces preconceived political bias.

SEE ALSO: A History of Western Typefaces [INFOGRAPHIC]

The study looked at reader fluency and how easily a reader can digest information. When presented with a document in normal typeface, liberals and conservatives took a definitive stance on either side. But when shown a document in a harder-to-read typeface their stances were more moderate when engagi…
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More About: election 2012, font, typeface


Facebook Helps Voters Get to the Polls On Election Day

Posted: 05 Nov 2012 03:17 PM PST


Facebook is hoping their site can guide people in the United States to the polls this Election Day. The social network has built a polling place locator tool, so on Tuesday, users can easily figure out where to head to cast a ballot.

The map is already live at Facebook's U.S. Politics page, but will be available at the top of news feeds on Election Day.

Like past elections, Facebook will feature a header at the top of the page reminding users it is Election Day, and allow them to click on an "I voted" button that will show photos of their friends who have also clicked on the button. When a Facebook user clicks on the "I voted" button, the locator map will become available for the…
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More About: Facebook, Mitt Romney, U.S. presidential election, election 2012, president obama


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