Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Kim Dotcom’s Mega Loses Web Domain Before Debut”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Kim Dotcom’s Mega Loses Web Domain Before Debut”


Kim Dotcom’s Mega Loses Web Domain Before Debut

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:16 AM PST


mega

Kim Dotcom's announced online file sharing service Mega will not be available at the web address me.ga, Stuff.co.nz reports.

The .ga top level domain belongs to Gabon and, as it turns out, its government is not too happy about hosting Dotcom's service.

Gabon's communications minister Blaise Louembe has instructed that the domain be suspended, commenting that his country "cannot serve as a platform or screen for committing acts aimed at violating copyrights, nor be used by unscrupulous people."

Dotcom's answer came via Twitter. "Don't worry. We have an alternative domain. This just demonstrates the bad faith witch hunt the US government is on," he tweeted.

Dotcom was arres…
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More About: Kim Dotcom, Mega, megaupload


Your Cocktail is Served: Ordering Drinks is Hassle-Free With Coaster App

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:05 AM PST


Good news San Franciscans -- we have (another) reason to go to happy hour -- an app called Coaster makes the mob scene at the bar a thing of the past.

The app is currently available in 14 bars and clubs in the city by the bay -- but the founders are looking to expand its reach.

With Coaster, when you and your crew go out for cocktails, you will calmly find a place to sit, peruse the drink menu and order beverages from the app. The bartender, using his or her iPad will see your order, make the drinks and let you know (through the app) when they're ready. You pay for the drinks through the app (even tip).

What will make the bartender turn their attention to the iPad when they hav…
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More About: apps, cocktails, drinks, happy hour


Experts Agree: These Are the Best Space Photos Ever

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:24 AM PST


The wonder of the cosmos.The beauty of the heavens. Such phrases come easily to mind when contemplating space, which is just such a photogenic place.

Looking up at the night sky has inspired humanity for eons, and the first photographs taken of space changed our relationship with the sky forever. Then, the first photos taken from space, both of distant galaxies and of our own planet, revolutionized our understanding of our place in the cosmos again.

Many seminal images stand out in the history of astrophotography, with some pictures universally adored and others special to individuals for personal reasons.

We asked scientists, photographers, authors and historians for their favo…
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More About: Hubble, NASA, space


Scientist Says Used Car Tires Could Prevent Future Hurricanes [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:09 AM PST


As natural disasters like hurricane Sandy become more frequent due to climate change, scientists have started working on solutions to prevent them, some of them very original.

Stephen Salter, an emeritus professor of engineering design at Edinburgh University, wants to use a cluster of used car tires that support giant tubes that extend as deep as 100 meters into the ocean. Salter has patented this idea with the help of Intellectual Ventures, a company that holds a large number of patents, founded by Nathan Myhrvold and backed by Bill Gates.

SEE ALSO: One Proposal to Cool a Warming Planet: An Umbrella Made of Asteroids

Through this device, d…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, hurricanes, oceans, popular science


Now You Can Add Interactive Images to Your Tweets

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:25 AM PST


Twitter introduced Cards this summer, enabling media publishers to include quick synopses and article photos in tweets, and allowing the rest of us to view linked pictures and videos without leaving Twitter at all.

But that experience just gained a lot more potential on Monday with the added ability to include interactive images powered by ThingLink in tweets.

If you're not familiar, ThingLink enables users -- you, me, big national brands -- to spruce up images with several links to other pieces of digital content. Icons pop up when users hover over the image then, with a click, open up YouTube channels, audio clips, Facebook or Pinterest profiles, home pages, contact forms or an…
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More About: Twitter, thinglink


Google Search Unveils New Results Pages [PICS]

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:08 AM PST


Google has redesigned its search results pages, shifting its toolbar from the side to the top of the screen.

The bar lets users search under different categories, including "Web," "Images," "Maps," "News" and more.

"With the new design, there's a bit more breathing room, and more focus on the answers you're looking for, whether from web results or from a feature like the Knowledge Graph," the search engine said Tuesday in a blog post.

The goal, it explained, was to create a "simpler, cleaner" interface, and to create a "consistent search experience" across many devices and screen sizes. Google already debuted a consistent layout for tablets and mobile phones, and is now rolli…
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More About: Google, google search


Obama’s ‘Four More Years’ Tweet is Most Popular of All Time [REPORT]

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:30 AM PST


President Barack Obama's celebratory tweet after winning the U.S. election surpassed 500,000 retweets, making it the most retweeted post of all time, according to reports.

More About: Twitter, barack obama


How to Charge Your iPad Mini Faster

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:46 AM PST


If you bought an iPad Mini, you might have noticed that it came with the same 5-watt charger that Apple ships with the iPhone. The iPad 3, 2 and 1 comes with a 10-watt charger, while the iPad 4 has a 12-watt charger.

Using the 5-watt charger that came with the iPad Mini, we've found that it takes around 3-3.5 hours to charge from 0-100%. So, what happens when you use the higher wattage charger? Well, it charges faster!

By using the 10-watt iPad 3 charger, we were able to charge the iPad Mini from 0-100% in about 2.5 hours, a difference of around 25%. Note that it's not a best practice to regularly juice up your tablet using a charger with a higher wattage than the device's origin…
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More About: Apple iPad, chargers, ipad mini


Never Lose Your iDevice Cord Again With These I.D. Labels [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:19 AM PST


Apple's ever-growing reach means you're sure to encounter iDevices anywhere and everywhere. But despite shared affection for the Mac maker, there's a downside to seeing fellow fanatics: cord confusion.

San-Francisco-based designer Sativa Turner aims to solve this problem by creating vinyl identification labels called "Whooz" for iPhone, iPod and iPad cords.

"How many times have you left a cord somewhere because you thought it wasn't yours, or taken a cord because you thought it was?" Turner said on Whooz's Kickstarter page. "In the beginning white cords were cool, but now there are a million bazillion of them and we got issues."

Each $10 pac…
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More About: Whooz, ipad, iphone, ipod


10 People Distracted by #FlagInHairLady During Obama Speech

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:52 PM PST


Joe American: "Hey, did you hear Barack Obama's victory speech?"

Bob American: "Wha? Nope. I couldn't take my eyes off of that woman sitting behind him with a flag in her hair. U-S-A! U-S-A!"

Television viewers tuning in to the president's rah-rah speech on Election Night found themselves distracted by a woman, seated behind Obama, who had an American flag stuck in her hair. The Twitter hashtag #FlagInHairLady made the mystery woman's locks the most-talked-about follicles of the 2012 race -- narrowly edging out Joe Biden frosty 'do.

SEE ALSO: Yes, We GIFed: Obama's Animated Election Victory Celebration

We gathered 10 tweets that show that even the POTUS can't compete wit…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, barack obama


Watch Barack Obama Deliver His Acceptance Speech [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:19 PM PST


Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech at approximately 1:40 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, shortly after Mitt Romney delivered his concession speech.

During the speech, Obama thanked his supporters, wished goodwill towards his now-former opponents and laid out his plan for the next four years, while painting a picture of a bipartisan, united America.

"We are not as divided as our politics suggests. We are not as cynical as the pundits believe," said Obama during the speech. "We are not red states or blue states, we are the United States of America."

SEE ALSO: Watch Mitt Romney Deliver His Concession Speech [VIDEO]]

More Coverage of Election 2012


Special Report: Politics Transformed E-Book

Mashable explores the trends changing politics in 2012 and beyond in Politics Transformed: The High Tech Battle for Your Vote, an in-depth look at how digital media is reshaping democracy.

Read a few of the top posts from the series:

Take it with you, buy Politics Transformed: The High Tech Battle for Your Vote on e-book and get access to four exclusive interviews!

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, US, barack obama


Triumph of the Nerds: Nate Silver Wins in 50 States

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:08 PM PST


Nate Silver

Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

Barack Obama may have comfortably won re-election in the electoral college, and squeaked a victory in the popular vote. But here is the absolute, undoubted winner of this election: Nate Silver and big data.

The Fivethirtyeight.com analyst, despite being pilloried by the pundits, outdid even his 2008 prediction. In that year, his mathematical model correctly called 49 out of 50 states, missing only Indiana (which went to Obama by 0.1%.)

This year, according to all projections, Silver's model has correctly predicted 50 out of 50 states. A last-minute flip for Florida, which finally went blue in Silver's prediction on Monday night, helped him to a perfect game.

A caveat: Flor…
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More About: barack obama, election 2012, nate silver


Karl Rove Refuses to Accept Obama’s Election Win [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:50 PM PST


Political pundit Karl Rove seemed to have a hard time accepting the election results, as the video, above, shows.

While other news networks began calling the election based on President Barack Obama taking Ohio, Fox stumbled on the announcement. At first, the network went along with the predictions that called Obama's re-election, but soon its correspondents started backtracking.

Chris Wallace claimed he received an email from Mitt Romney's team that said they had yet to concede. Rove then jumped on Wallace's argument, and said it was too early to call it a night. Meanwhile, other networks were affirming Obama's victory.

Since Rove and Wallace weren't ready to throw in the tow…
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More About: Mitt Romney, Politics, U.S. presidential, barack obama, election 2012, president obama


Watch Mitt Romney Deliver His Concession Speech [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:26 PM PST


Gov. Mitt Romney gave his concession speech at 12:55 p.m. ET Wednesday morning, following his loss to President Barack Obama.

In the speech, which clocked in at approximately five minutes, Romney wished goodwill on Obama and his family, while calling for a bipartisan American future.

"I believe in America. I believe in the people of America," said Romney, who reportedly didn't have a concession speech planned before the results came in. "This election is over, but our principles endure."

SEE ALSO: Barack Obama Tweets Victory in 2012 Presidential Election

Romney called Obama on the phone minutes before the speech to deliver his congratulations directly.

[wp_scm_election_20…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Politics, US


Election Celebration and Sadness in Photos

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:02 PM PST


Chicago




Via andrewjenks

Click here to view this gallery.


Americans and viewers all over the world reacted to President Barack Obama's win in the 2012 election.

Many shared their images through various hashtags. As news spread, the hashtag #4MoreYears became popular on Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Politicians, Pundits React to Obama's Victory on Twitter

We've gathered images of celebration and defeat in the gallery above. How did you react to the news? Share in the comments below, or tweet us a photo and we might add it to the gallery.

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Watercooler, barack obama, election


Politicians, Pundits React to Obama’s Victory on Twitter

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:45 PM PST


Politicians and pundits can't help saying they were right -- or rather, we can't resist hearing them say they were wrong. Throughout the evening, they took to the Twitterverse to make predictions, provide analysis and congratulate victors.

And when President Barack Obama won the election, they broke the Internet.

Some were happy, others thankful, several worried and a few smug (those were the best). Nonetheless, their tweets helped chronicle Obama's victory against Gov. Mitt Romney on social media.

This happened because of you. Thank you.— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012

Congratulations PRESIDENT Barack Obama - again!— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) N
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More About: 2012 Presidential Election, Mitt Romney, Politics, Twitter, U.S. presidential election, barack obama, election 2012, president obama


Use Your Voice to Drive This Race Car

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:31 PM PST


Always wanted to be a race car driver? Nissan makes it easy for anyone to be the fastest driver on earth with the new game Voice Driver Cup.

Created to promote the new Fairlady 370Z, the 2013 version of the two-seater sports car, the game pits drivers against each other using only their voice.

Instead of driving a remote controlled car with an electric controller, voice volume becomes the controller. Drivers can yell into an iPhone app or into their computer microphone to alter the speed of their car -- the louder their voice, the faster the car wil drive.

Nissan hosted the first Voice Driver Grand Prix on Nov. 1 at its company headquarters in Japan, where fans flocked to the…
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More About: Nissan, racetrack, voice control


Obama’s Victory Tweet Is His Most Retweeted Ever

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:04 PM PST


Barack Obama's celebratory messages on Twitter and Facebook rapidly went viral Tuesday evening, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes, shares and retweets in short order.

One of Obama's three tweets immediately following the victory quickly became his most retweeted ever, per @gov. As of this post, it has 267,410 retweets.

Four more years. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012

Minutes after winning re-election for a second term, @barackobama has his most retweeted tweet ever. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…— Twitter Government (@gov) November 7, 2012

Over on Facebook, the same photo already has more than 857,000 likes and…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Facebook, Politics, Twitter, US, barack obama


Donald Trump Freaks Out on Twitter After Obama Wins Election

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:58 PM PST


Shortly after President Barack Obama was announced the winner of the 2012 election, Donald Trump had what some might call a melodramatic freak out on Twitter. He condemned America's democratic process, said the Electoral College should get out of town and called for a revolution.

But Trump is still OK with the concept of freedom of speech and told the Twitterverse just how he felt.

He lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012

The phoney electoral college made a laughing stock out of our nation. The loser one!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7,
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More About: Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Politics, Twitter, U.S. presidential election, election 2012, president obama, presidential election 2012, trending


Yes, We GIFed: Obama’s Animated Election Victory Celebration

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:45 PM PST


Barack Obama probably just wants to snooze it up in the Lincoln Bedroom after winning a hard-fought election, so we'll let GIFs celebrate the victory for him.

Take a nap, Mr. President -- the GIFs will party all night.

Image courtesy of gifwich

Image courtesy of gifwich

BONUS: "I'm Moving to Canada"

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, GIFs, Mitt Romney, Watercooler, barack obama


Barack Obama Tweets Victory in 2012 Presidential Election

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:21 PM PST


Barack Obama has won the 2012 presidential election, announcing his win on Twitter at 11:14 p.m. ET Tuesday evening:

This happened because of you. Thank you.— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012

Obama then posted a tweet written by himself with the signature "-bo" at the end:

We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you. -bo— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012

He followed that with another at 11:16 p.m. ET:

Four more years. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012

That photo tweet quickly became the single most-retweeted message in Twitter history:…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, US, trending


Election Night Hits Record High: 20 Million Tweets

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:54 PM PST


Twitter election

More than 20 million tweets have already been sent about the election Tuesday night, Twitter's government team revealed. That makes it by far the most tweeted political event in U.S. history.

The number was announced at 10:16 p.m. ET, with the election still in the balance -- suggesting that the final tally would be much larger before the night was over.

With 20 million tweets, Election Day just became the most tweeted about event in US political history. #election2012— Twitter Government (@gov) November 7, 2012

Meanwhile, President Obama -- whatever else he wins tonight -- was on course to have the most retweeted tweet in history. This tweet, sent out at 10 p.m. ET, h…
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More About: Twitter, barack obama


Teardown Reveals iPad Mini Costs $188 to Manufacture

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:42 PM PST


Although Apple's iPad mini retails for $329, a teardown of the tiny tablet shows that it actually costs $188 to build.

A base model with Wi-Fi and 16 GB of NAND flash memory has a "bill of materials" of $188, plus an added manufacturing expense of $10, for a total of $198, according to a preliminary estimate from the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service. At $80 to manufacture -- that's 43% of the BOM -- the mini's 7.9-inch display and touchscreen is its biggest cost.

Based on the ratio of cost to retail price, IHS found that the iPad mini is "slightly more profitable on a percentage basis" than the iPad 3, which launched this March.

"With the iPad mini, Apple is sticking to the…
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More About: apple, ipad mini


NPR’s 8-Bit Election Site Is Awesome

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:24 PM PST


A college professor and his student developed a CSS jack that applies an 8-bit treatment to NPR's Election Night Scorecard.

According to creator Jeremy Gilbert, NPR supported the NES-style project that was developed to "best enjoy the night's election results the way they are meant to be seen."

To activate the hack, simply drag the bookmarklet button on Gilbert's website into your bookmark bar. Open NPR's Election Night Scorecard and click the bookmark again for instant 8-bit fun.

SEE ALSO: Watch Obama and Romney Duke it Out, 8-Bit Style [VIDEO]

While the CSS jack was created specifically for NPR's election website, you can technically use it on any web page, albeit with…
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More About: 2012 election, 2012 presidential campaign, 8 bit, CSS, NPR, election 2012, trending


Twitter’s Best Election Night LOLs [UPDATED]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:04 PM PST


Lol Election Map

If watching the blue and red map on TV for hours is making you feel like the nation is cracking apart, try following the presidential election on Twitter -- it'll have you cracking up.

Twitter comedians have been practicing for months. They've had three debates to warm up and test material and tonight is their night.

It could be hours until we know who will be president of the U.S., but Twitter users have been raining droll zingers all night. Here's a recap of the ridiculousness thus far.

Let's start at the intersection of elections, video games and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air:

On your ballot, enter OBAMA-OBAMA-ROMNEY-ROMNEY-DOWN-DOWN-PAUL RYAN-START-SELECT to vote for the…
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More About: 2012 election, Mitt Romney, Twitter, Watercooler, barack obama, comedy, trending


Elizabeth Warren Twitter Rumor Briefly Dupes News Sites, Journalists

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:47 PM PST


A rumor that NBC News projected Elizabeth Warren as the winner of the race for Massachusetts' open Senate seat went viral on Twitter Tuesday evening, duping some news sites into publishing stories about the news. NBC News hadn't projected her to be victorious at the time of the rumor, which came about at approximately 9 p.m. ET. NBC actually projected Warren to be the winner at 9:42 p.m. ET, and other networks have since done the same.

Smoke signals from NBC say Liz Warren wins.— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) November 7, 2012

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ... wins Ted Kennedy's seat.— Steve Weinstein (@steveweinstein) November 7, 2012

NBC: Warren Wins Senate Seat thebea.st/
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, Twitter, US, debates 2012, elizabeth warren, trending


Talking Politics Can Be Good for Workers [STUDY]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:40 PM PST


Companies that discourage political talk at work may want to rethink their position. New research has found that political give-and-take in the office can strengthen job satisfaction and commitment to an organization.

However, the research only holds true if political discussion is allowed to be free-flowing between both sides. The researchers also found that when supervisors pressure workers to accept their political views, employees experience negative effects in the workplace, which can in turn lead to deviance directed at supervisors and revenge on co-workers.

Overall, 40% of respondents said that they had been pressured to accept their supervisors' political ideas, while 55…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, office politics


The 20 Cutest Voters in America [AWWW]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:25 PM PST





Via allisonwashko

Click here to view this gallery.


Election Day is almost over. Are you tired of all the electoral votes and percentage points yet? OK, remove your serious hat and look at these 20 Instagram shots of the cutest Americans that made it the polls today.

This decision day, we found toddlers with pinchable cheeks, puppies with permanent smiles and, of course, cats that we assume lean towards Barack Obampurrr. And yes, they all earned their "I Voted" stickers -- because, let's face it, those kids definitely had to wait in those long lines too.

SEE ALSO: 10 Patriotic Pets Who Are Ready for Election Day

So take a break from all the other election noise and flip through these aww-worthy shots. Try not to smile, we dare you.…
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More About: 2012 election, Kids, cats, cute animals, cute kids, dogs, trending


A Look Inside the Obama and Romney Headquarters on Election Night [PICS]

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:07 PM PST


1. Obama HQ: Food Court




Photo by @johanneswberg

Click here to view this gallery.


As polls on the East Coast close, results start trickling in, and the Obama and Romney campaigns have set their headquarters in Chicago and Boston, respectively, awaiting the results.

Obama's camp is located at McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. The Republican candidate's headquarters tonight is the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Members of the press, campaign volunteers and candidate staffers are sharing tweets and pictures from both locations.

We are collecting the best ones from both camps. Take a look at the gallery above to see them. Keep coming back, because we'll update this post as the night goes on.

More Coverage of Election 2012

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More About: Mitt Romney, U.S. presidential election, barack obama, election 2012, trending


Track the Spread of Flu With These Apps

Posted: 06 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PST


No one likes having the flu -- body aches, fever, laying in bed all day, but not everyone does something to prevent it. The Centers for Disease Control recommend people over the age of six receive a vaccine, especially those with compromised immune systems, pregnant women and the elderly. Flu season begins in October and spikes in February, so you still have time to get a vaccination.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent the flu. But keeping abreast of influenza in your area, and what to do to prevent getting sick, are smart ways to stay healthy this flu season.

You're especially vulnerable to the flu if you work in healthcare, with children or are around lots of peopl…
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More About: CDC, apps, illness, influenza, medicine


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