Saturday, December 15, 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Internet Explorer Vulnerability Allows Hackers to Track Mouse Movements”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Internet Explorer Vulnerability Allows Hackers to Track Mouse Movements”


Internet Explorer Vulnerability Allows Hackers to Track Mouse Movements

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:29 PM PST


A vulnerability in different versions of Microsoft's widely used browser Internet Explorer can allow hackers to track the movements of your mouse.

This can potentially reveal sensitive data introduced via virtual keyboards, which are used precisely to avoid data theft via another online threat: key stroke loggers. Spider.io found out that Internet Explorer versions 6 to 10 are vulnerable to this kind of exploitation. What's worse, hackers could potentially track your movements even if the I.E. window is minimized.

This vulnerability is also apparently very easy to take advantage of. All a hacker needs to do is buy a display ad on any webpage and wait until a user visits it. If the tab…
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More About: cybersecurity, exploits, hackers, internet explorer

Kickstarter Transit App Refunds Backers

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:23 PM PST


OpenPlans, the group behind a transit app called Joyride, is ending production and reimbursing its Kickstarter backers.

More About: Newsy, iphone, kickstarter, refunds, videos

5 Traits of an Advanced E-Commerce Site

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:56 PM PST


There are basic features that every great e-commerce website has: product sorting, add to cart, guest checkout and order tracking.

More About: UX, UX design, ecommerce

Google Homepage Offers Solemn Vigil for Newtown, Conn.

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:26 PM PST


In the wake of the Friday shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., Google quietly sent its own thoughts to the victims, with a subtle single candle on its homepage.

"Our hearts are with the families and community of Newtown, Connecticut," says text as you hover over the candle.

A gunman, identified as Adam Lanza who was reportedly dead at the scene, opened fire in the school, killing 27 people, including 20 children. The photo above shows mourners inside St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church during a vigil service for victims late Friday.

Andrew Gombert/Pool/Getty Images

More Coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

More About: Connecticut, Google, shooting

Cop Busted for Buying $15 iPhone From Another Officer

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:51 PM PST


A NYPD police officer fell victim to his own force's sting operation when he purchased an iPhone from an undercover officer.

More About: Newsy, iPhone 5, nypd, police, videos

10 Adorable Dog Outfits for the Holidays

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:50 PM PST


1. PetHoliday by Top Paw Reindeer Outfit




It's a rein-dog! Cost: From $8.49

Click here to view this gallery.


One of the many great things about the holiday season is that it's the perfect excuse to dress up your pets. We have found 10 utterly adorable outfits and accessories for festive Fido this Christmas.

SEE ALSO: 10 Geeky Stocking Stuffers Under $15

Take a look through our super cute slideshow for our seasonal selection. Let us know in the comments below if you'll be dressing up your dog this year -- and how.

Photo courtesy of Petsmart

More About: Christmas, Lifestyle, animals, fashion, features, holidays 2012

Leaked BlackBerry Handset Appears to Emulate iPhone’s Design

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:56 PM PST


Photos of RIM's first handset that will run BlackBerry 10 -- the company's next operating system, which is scheduled for release in early 2013 -- landed on a Vietnamese forum this week. If the 18 photos of the device on tinhte.vn are to be believed, the L-Series, codenamed BlackBerry London, looks quite similar to Apple's iPhone 5.

The BlackBerry-branded device in the photos has a rectangular touchscreen with a black bezel along the top and bottom of it, a la the iPhone 5. Watch the video above to learn more. In the photos, the device is powered off, so we don't get a peek at the OS, but you can see BlackBerry 10 running on a different touchscreen device, in the slideshow below.

RIM…
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More About: RIM, blackberry, iphone, mobile phones

Dropbox for iOS Gets a New Coat of Paint

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:29 PM PST


Dropbox For iOS




Dropbox 2.0 for iOS offers new features and a fresh new design.

Click here to view this gallery.


Dropbox updated its iOS app on Friday with a whole new look and feel.

The cloud-based file service -- which now boasts more than 100 million users -- has given its apps for iPhone and iPad a fresh coat of paint.
While the app hasn't gained many new features, uploading content into specific folders is now more streamlined.

SEE ALSO: 10 Things You Didn't Know Dropbox Could Do

Moreover, as Dropbox shared on its blog, users can now browse the photos they've automatically uploaded to Dropbox from a designated photos tab. This tab organizes photos in a date-based view.

Tapping on a photo shows it off in its full resolution glory.

As someone who quite literally could not do her job…
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More About: Dropbox, iOS, ipad, ipad apps, iphone, iphone apps

5 Ways You Can Help Sandy Hook Shooting Victims

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:14 PM PST


Friday morning's devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., took the lives of 27 people, at least 18 of whom are children under 10 years old. Watching the news unfold left many of us distraught -- even President Obama teared up during his afternoon press conference.

It didn't take long for many generous people to start online fundraisers for the victims and their families.

Here are five online campaigns you can contribute toward right away. If you know of other online efforts to help the victims, please share them in the comments.

Sandy Hook Elementary School Fund: Chris DeLetto of Champaign, Ill., started this fundraiser on Crowdtilt, hoping to raise…
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More About: Social Good, school shooting

Facebook Interns Probably Make More Money Than You

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:08 PM PST


Facebook has reclaimed the top spot of best place to work in the U.S., according to Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards, and it's got perks even for interns.

Facebook's interns make between $5,600 and $6,300 per month -- the equivalent of $65,000 to $75,000 per year.

Are Facebook's interns making too much money? Tech interns are among the highest paid in the U.S., but summer banking analysts rake in roughly the same amount. Large salaries are a way for companies to lure top talent from schools early on, although Facebook seems to maintain this post-internship; a software engineering job brings in $114,000 a year.


Facebook employees listen to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
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More About: Facebook, best workplaces, interns, top salaries

How Schools Communicate With Parents During a Crisis

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:34 PM PST


In the nightmare situation of Friday's shooting in Newtown, Conn., how did parents communicate? How did the school inform parents about what was happening, if their children were safe and what they can do?

Local police received a call from the school in Newtown around 9:30 a.m. ET Friday. A reverse 911 call was sent to parents informing them of the incident, according to USA Today. No word on exactly when the call went out to parents, but one parent told CNN she wasn't clear on which school the tragedy occurred at after hearing the phone message.

Parents rushed to the school to pick up their kids, as seen in a picture of cars lining up toward the school, Liz Dahlem, an NBC reporter i…
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More About: Children, Social Media, crisis, elementary, parents

New Law Prohibits Loud Commercials

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:15 PM PST


Lawmakers praised a new law that took effect on Thursday aimed at prohibiting commercials from playing at a louder volume than the programming they surround.

The rules have been a long time coming. President Obama signed the Calm Act in December 2010, and the Federal Communications Commission approved rules to implement the law a year later in December 2011.

"Loud TV commercials have been among the most common consumer complaints to the FCC for decades now," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a sponsor of the bill, said at a news conference. "While this is a small issue compared to the big challenges facing our nation, it is an unnecessary annoyance in the daily lives of many Amer…
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More About: fcc, tv commercials, volume

Police Use Social Media to Take Down Brooklyn Gang

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:47 PM PST


The New York City Police Department and Kings County District Attorney announced this week they took down 41 members of a Bushwick, Brooklyn, gang -- and social media helped them do it.

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, "Once again we have young gang members using social media to boast about murder and mayhem, and once again we have New York City Police officers 'friending' them to help end the violence. When young men plot to take their battles from tweets to the streets, the NYPD wants to be there to stop the bloodshed. The attention is paying off."

SEE ALSO: 8 Dumb Criminals Caught Through Facebook

Detectives involved in the operation created fake…
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More About: crime, new york city, police

‘Mass Effect’ Facebook Page Attacked Because Misidentified Shooting Suspect Liked It

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:35 PM PST


Facebook users attacked the official Page for the video game "Mass Effect" after media misidentified a Facebook user as a suspect in Friday's shooting that left 26 people dead at a Connecticut elementary school who listed the game in his interests.

Facebook user Ryan Lanza, 24, has said he is not the person accused at the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shootings, after several media outlets uncovered his Facebook page when police announced his name earlier Friday. According to recent reports, Ryan is the older brother of the actual suspect, 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

The comments below are a sampling of those left on the page:

Fans of the game have come on the Facebook page to…
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More About: Facebook, Gaming, mass effect

Washington Post Moves Social Reader Off Facebook

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:29 PM PST


The Washington Post Company has decided to move its Social Reader app -- which displays stories from Washington Post Co. publications and 90 other news organizations, including this one, on Facebook -- to a standalone site at socialreader.com, the company told Mashable Friday.

Beginning this weekend, those who click on stories in the Facebook app will be immediately relocated to socialreader.com.

A year ago, several major news organizations, including The Guardian, Yahoo News and The Washington Post Co., launched "social news apps" on Facebook. These apps leveraged Facebook's Open Graph technology to help users discover what their friends were reading and enjoyed rapid adoption. At its…
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More About: Facebook, Media, the guardian, washington post company

Covering Conn. Shootings: Let’s Be Right, Not First

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST


Stop. Listen. Think. I honestly believe there are no better words for today and for how we, as journalists, must approach the horrific elementary school shooting in Connecticut.

More About: US, newtown

Proposed Sandy Aid Package Would Help NASA, Smithsonian

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:09 PM PST


The Obama administration is seeking $60.4 billion in federal aid for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, which would include repairs at the National Air and Space Museum and NASA's launch facilities on the East Coast.

The White House's requests were outlined in a letter sent late last week to congressional leaders from Jeff Zeints, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The bulk of the proposed aid money would go toward efforts to repair homes and public infrastructure ravaged by the record-breaking superstorm and infuse cash into efforts to prepare for future storms.

But the White House also asked for $4 million to allow NASA to fix eroded dunes and berms that protect launch…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, NASA, Sandy, Science, Smithsonian, space

5 YouTube Videos to Help Winterize Your Home

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:55 PM PST


1. Caulk Talk


Westlake Ace Hardware gives a few basic steps, including caulking windows before the cold hits.

Click here to view this gallery.


Winter's coming. There's no turning back. But have no fear: these 5 videos will help you prepare your home for the cold.

More About: Lifestyle, YouTube, features, holidays 2012, home, winter

Origami Self-Closing Stroller Is a Slick Gift for Techie Moms

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:34 PM PST


Gift of the DayMashable's Gift of the Day series highlights cool, interesting and fun products for that special someone on your holiday list.

In addition to being sleek and stylish, the Origami self-folding stroller has every feature a gadget-loving mom would want.

The Origami stroller by 4Moms folds up with the touch of a button. The stroller has a weight sensor in the frame that detects when a child is inside. If the button to fold the stroller is accidentally pushed while that weight is detected, the LCD screen will flash an error message and will not fold. In addition, when you have the stroller open and your child is in it, you can always use the silver knob to lock the stroller so that it cannot fold or unfold.

The Origami toddler seat is meant for a child who can sit up on his own — one us…
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More About: Gadgets, Gift of the Day, Lifestyle, holidays 2012, stroller

Which Laptop Is on Your Holiday Wish List?

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:19 PM PST


The holiday season is a time for giving back to others; and a time best spent with family and friends. But it is also a time to get the gadget or device you have been dropping hints about for months.

For those who are looking to get a new laptop, there are a variety of options, separated not only by price, but functionality. The Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display, with a base price of $1,699, might be a better fit for someone looking for a high-end visual experience, while the Samsung Chromebook, starting at $249, could be the budget-friendly choice for a casual user. Or for those who want flexibility in a device, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, starting at $999, can transform from a lapt…
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More About: HP, Tech, apple macbook pro, chromebook, dell, laptop, lenovo, macbook air, samsung

Long Exposure Photos Capture Years in a Single Frame

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:01 PM PST


In today's digital age, it takes fractions of a second to snap a picture and capture a moment. But that is too quick for photographer Michael Wesely.

The Germany-based artist likes to use extremely long exposures in his work, capturing a place over time rather than a place at a specific time. Extremely long exposure is no exaggeration either, as it takes him up to three years to take a single picture. The result, though, is hard to argue with.

Using special filters, small apertures, an open shutter camera and a lot of patience, Wesely has been capturing urban development and building projects since the mid-1990s. By fitting years worth of visuals into a single frame, the creation…
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More About: artist, museum of modern art, photography

Conn. Shooting Instantly Ignites Gun Control Debate

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 12:46 PM PST


Following a tragedy like Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., a pattern of response has emerged on Twitter. As user The 47th articulates, media members (and other tweeters) express condolences for the dead to the victims' families, wait a bit and then debate gun control.

U.S. Media:1. Honor the dead.2. Respect their families.3. wait a little till emotions subdue4. Give us ur 2 cents on gun laws.— The 47th (@THE_47th) December 14, 2012

SEE ALSO: This Ryan Lanza Says 'IT WASN'T ME' on Facebook

Hoping to keep the national consciousness focused on the tragedy of the event, the White House has called for people to avoid discussions of gun control fol…
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More About: US, gun control, guns, school shooting

Why It’s Important for Electric Cars to Feel Familiar

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 12:34 PM PST


Mashable OP-ED

If you think about it, the electric car is an incredible act of deception. Sure, the vehicles may look pretty much exactly like the sedans that have filled our roads for the past hundred years, but once you scrape away the shell, their streamlined electric drivetrains and battery packs have almost nothing in common with the pistons and gears of a gasoline-powered car. At their core, electric cars are remarkable pieces of technology, masquerading as the unremarkable vehicles of decades past.

And this deception doesn't stop with appearances. You only need a couple of minutes behind the wheel of an EV to realize its designers did just about everything they could to make…
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More About: Superchargers, Tesla, Tesla Model S, electric cars, electric vehicles

Watch Obama’s Press Conference on Shooting in Connecticut

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 12:17 PM PST


President Obama made a statement on the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14. Watch the video from that press conference here.

More About: US, newtown

Microsoft Says You’re Getting Used to Windows 8

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 12:16 PM PST


Microsoft's Julie Larson-Green says data collected from Windows 8 users suggests people are adjusting well to the radical departure from previous designs.

More About: Julie Larson-Green, Microsoft Windows 8, microsoft

This Ryan Lanza Says ‘IT WASN’T ME’ on Facebook

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST


CNN Friday afternoon named Ryan Lanza as a suspected shooter involved in the massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. Immediately, journalists and others began sharing images from the Facebook account of a Ryan Lanza who was listed as being from Newtown and living in Hoboken, N.J. However, that Lanza has apparently begun posting new Facebook status updates denying any involvement in the attack.

This Lanza's Facebook privacy is set so those who aren't friends with him are unable to see most of his updates. The above screenshot was provided by Andrew Fletcher, who is Facebook friends with this Lanza.

Mashable chose to blur the photos of this Lanza to help protect his privacy…
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More About: Facebook, US, newtown

NASA Employees Share Inspiring Stories You’ve Never Heard

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:34 AM PST


We all know the historic space events that made headlines, but what happened behind the scenes? Five NASA employees share their favorite memories.

More About: Mars, Mars rover, NASA, space, venus

Map the Pounds of Bacteria Living on Your Body

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST


Ladies and germs: Trillions of microorganisms live in and on our bodies, outnumbering human cells nearly 10 to one. It might be hard to stomach, but we're made up of more microbes than human cells.

A biotech startup called uBiome is using online crowdsourcing to map the human microbiome, the complex ecosystems of bacteria living intimately with us.

"Think of yourself as a place where bacteria lives," said uBiome cofounder Jessica Richman. "By measuring what's there, we can learn what is going on in our bodies."

By crowdsourcing samples on Indiegogo, uBiome's biophysicists and cell biologists hope to build a diverse catalogue of the bacteria, viruses and microorganisms living o…
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More About: biology, citizen science, crowdsourcing, health, indiegogo

Return of the GIF: How Loops Conquered Social in 2012

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 10:52 AM PST


The Internet's little engine that could: the GIF. Many have claimed that this outdated animated loop of images has long outlived its shelf life. Yet the GIF is still looping through our social feeds, serving as punchlines, political statements and works of art.

Comparing the GIFs we see today to the 1987 CompuServe flame is like comparing a photo on Flickr to Polaroids -- or any other piece of technology that has been innovated or reinvented.

GIF was named word of the year in 2012, but it's achieved so much more than an honored place in our lexicon.

SEE ALSO: The History of GIFs

Web culture has (almost) wholeheartedly accepted the GIF on a number of different levels. One o…
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More About: GIFs, Year End 2012, features, tumblr

Texting and Walking Really Not a Good Idea

Posted: 14 Dec 2012 10:29 AM PST



We know you've heard over and over about the dangers of texting and driving. You've gotten yourself a fancy Bluetooth headset and now have a glowing blue light in your ear. Or perhaps you ask Siri to make phone calls for you, limiting the need to take your hands off the steering wheel.

But what about texting when you're just walking down the street -- did you know that's just as dangerous as texting while driving? According to a new study on the hazards of mobile technology, "texting pedestrians took 1.87 additional seconds to cross the average intersection (3.4 lanes), compared to undistracted pedestrians."

Researchers from the University of Washington monitored 20 of Seattle's bus…
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More About: distracted, safety, texting

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