Saturday, March 9, 2013

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “What Teens Get About the Internet That Parents Don't”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “What Teens Get About the Internet That Parents Don't”


What Teens Get About the Internet That Parents Don't

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 09:00 PM PST

Teenparentinternet
Feed-twFeed-fb

My 15-year-old daughter has been playing the viola since the fourth grade at school and she's been encouraged by her teachers to keep at it since, among other things, it's marketable for college. She has been contemplating a new instrument, guitar, more in line with her interests and what she listens to with her peers.

This is how the conversation goes about the guitar. Me: "Do you really want to add a new activity?" Her: "We already have a guitar. I can learn on my own and with my friends." Me: "It seems like you should get lessons for the basics." Her: "Mom, that's what the Internet is for." It turns out she's already been practicing with the help of YouTube tutorials.

Watch the Entire 'Matrix' Movie in 60 Seconds

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:38 PM PST

Matrix
Feed-twFeed-fb

You've probably spent years of your life decoding The Matrix. You've probably debated between taking the red or blue pill 'til your brain hurt. You've been down the rabbit hole for so long that that you don't believe anything Morpheus says anymore

It's OK to be confused and lost. Admitting it is the first step

Maybe watching this recap by 1A4STUDIO will help. It's short, animated, funny and, much like the original Matrix, it makes no sense

Click here to view this gallery

Cloud Parade Is Etsy + Pinterest for Wedding Planning

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:10 PM PST

Wedding-cake
Feed-twFeed-fb

Technology has changed the way engaged couples plan their weddings. So long, phonebook — hello, Internet!

Cloud Parade hopes to make the tedious planning process even easier. The website features Pinterest-style planning boards, but unlike Pinterest, it allows users to purchase items with just a click. Brides no longer have to scour the web hunting down the quirky cake stand they spotted a photo of online. On Cloud Parade, it's all ready to buy.

Think Etsy married Pinterest and made a Cloud Parade baby.

The site also gives service vendors the chance to spotlight their offerings and purchase ad space on the site's front page.

Inspiration Overload: High School Wrestler With No Arms or Legs

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:31 PM PST

Wrestler
Feed-twFeed-fb

Caleb Smith is a Minnesota high school wrestler with no arms or legs — but that hasn't stopped him from excelling at the sport and inspiring others

Smith was born with a rare meningitis-like blood disease. As a result, when he was just three years old, doctors amputated his arms below the elbows and legs below the knees.

Today he's a 120-pound wrestler for Harding High School in St. Paul, Minn. His coach says Smith is stronger than most wrestlers at his weight and, while having no arms or legs brings some obvious disadvantages, it also helps Smith in that opponents don't know how to attack his unusual style. Teammates and competitors alike are inspired by his fierce determination

Target's 'Tarcade' Evokes Nostalgia With Pac-Man, Donkey Kong

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:05 PM PST

Target-tarcade-image
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN — Geeks at SXSWi are having a blast at the "Tarcade" in Target's 8-Bit Bar. The activation hosts a handful of old-school arcade games, like Joust, Donkey Kong and Pac Man, which are activated by NFC-enabled cards that are replenished with Foursquare check-ins. Feeling competitive? There's a leaderboard, too

We spoke with Target CMO Jeff Jones about why Target decided to join the party in Austin, why it went retro for the occasion and what the future of marketing looks like. Check out the video above to see the whole interview.

Click here to view this gallery

This Is What It’s Like to Stand Under NASA’s Webb Telescope

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:44 PM PST

James-webb-telescope-replica
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN — After decades of service, NASA’s Hubble telescope has told us much about the universe, but as NASA and partner Northrop Grumman tell it, the story is only half told. Hubble’s amazing technology took us to the edge of our galaxy. The John Webb Space Telescope, which is making a special appearance, of sorts, at SXSW 2013, will take us all the way back to the beginning of time.

And perhaps reveal the secrets of the universe.

This giant of a telescope won’t launch until 2018, but when it does, it will do so on the back of a European-built rocket and fly a million miles out in space. That distance will help keep it from falling out of orbit (apparently the gravitational pull of various planetary objects will help keep it in position). This is obviously much further out in space than the Hubble, which had been retrieved and repaired by Space Shuttles. Once the Webb Space Telescope goes out into space, it’s on its own. While the Webb Telescope is out there, its giant 21-foot mirror will use infrared light to scan for the first light after the big bang.

SXSWi Day 1: Grumpy Cat, 3D Printing and Other Highlights

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:35 PM PST

Sxsw-recap
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN — Today marks the beginning of South by Southwest, the annual conference for music, film and interactive that's known for being the birthing ground for cool new apps as well as the place you're likely to meet fellow technologists or business partners you'd only interacted with online.

This year, Mashable brought along one such Internet "friend" with Grumpy Cat, who visited with fans in the Mashable tent (along with other favorites Scumbag Steve and the Nyan cat creator). Sure enough, #GrumpyCat was trending in the afternoon as SXSW-goers waited in line to get photos and Vines with a catnapping Grumpy Cat.

Robot Dinosaur Kickstarter Campaign Demands Your Awesome Money

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 05:56 PM PST

Screen-shot-2012-03-17-at-11.12.02-am
Feed-twFeed-fb

FAKEGRIMLOCK SAYS BUY THIS BOOK OR LOSE YOUR AWESOME.

The Internet's favorite startup trolling robot dinosaur is looking to Kickstarter users to help fund the launch of his book, ME, FAKEGRIMLOCK: THE BOOK OF AWESOME. The dinobot with a flair for caps lock and the word "awesome" launched the fundraising effort March 6 and has already raised more than $35,000, far surpassing its $10,000 goal.

Considering the tech scene's fondness for FAKEGRIMLOCK, it's not surprising to see the cash being tossed his way. And with book chapter titles like "STARTUP HIPSTER IDENTIFICATION CHART" and "WIN LIKE STUPID," it seems the people will get their money's worth. Or at least get something entertaining to talk about at networking events.

NASA Does the 'Harlem Shake'

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 05:40 PM PST

Nasaharlemshake
Feed-twFeed-fb

The "Harlem Shake" even has NASA dancing in Mission Control.

After rocketing to the top of the Billboard charts — thanks in part to its viral success on YouTube — the song, "Harlem Shake" by Baauer has now been spoofed by employees at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The video producers put their own NASA-like spin on the hit song.

"So you think you're having a nominal countdown when all of a sudden…" the NASA producers wrote as a teaser when it went live Monday (March 4)

The 35-second music video begins in a seemingly normal launch control room when a young woman in a spacesuit enters and starts dancing for the camera. When the song picks up, everyone is suddenly dressed in costume and dancing to the song, just as you'd expect in a "Harlem Shake" video.

Oz the Great and Powerful: Worth Your Time?

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 05:15 PM PST

Oz_the_great_and_powerful-wide
Feed-twFeed-fb

'Oz the Great and Powerful,' the 'Wizard of Oz' prequel directed by 'Spider-Man' honcho Sam Raimi, was certainly worth Disney's time and investment. Judging by the $2 million it just made at midnight showings, the movie appears headed for a stellar opening weekend of between $75 million and $100 million in ticket sales. Not bad for a $215 million film.

Disney has already hired a writer to pen a sequel to the prequel, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Which is a little odd, considering that this film ends by setting up the conditions for the 1939 Judy Garland movie; there seems little room for any more adventures.

6 Questions With LevelUp Founder Seth Priebatsch

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 04:54 PM PST

Mashable-house-day-1-4661
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN — Want to buy a concession at the Austin Convention Center? Just use your phone — mobile payments startup LevelUp is accepted at every kiosk during SXSWi 2013. It's an exciting time for the startup, which launched in 2011 and hit 1 million users just last week, only four months after hitting 500,000 users. We caught up with orange-adorned Seth Priebatsch at Mashable House to ask him six essential questions.

1. Mobile payments are exploding — what made you refocus your energies from SCVNGR and shift toward mobile payments? How did you know this would be a good road to go down?

So the honest answer is actually by doing something very wrong to start. LevelUp is the second product from SCVNGR, and SCVNGR is great but it's not great for driving transactions to local businesses. It is great for engagement and fun, but we ended up running these major promotions where we did drive millions of dollars of revenue but we couldn't prove anything.

Kim Jong-un and Rodman Dominate North Korean NBA Jam

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 04:36 PM PST

Nbajamkimjongun
Feed-twFeed-fb

NBA Hall of Famer and longtime odd duck Dennis Rodman recently wrapped up a bizarre junket to North Korea, where he and recently-installed dictator Kim Jong-un apparently hit it off quite well

As expected, Rodman's trip — undertaken with sponsoring Vice media company for part of an upcoming HBO series — included plenty of through-the-looking-glass moments. First there was the time he offended "the Gangnam Style dude" on Twitter. Then there was his surreal post-trip ABC interview, made all the stranger by North Korea's historically antagonistic relationship with the United States

But it took until this week for footage of North Korea's version of legendary video game NBA Jam to emerge

SXSW 2013 by the Numbers

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:55 PM PST

Sxsw-attendees
Feed-twFeed-fb

South by Southwest 2013 kicks into overdrive this week, as the annual festival welcomes hundred of thousands of visitors to Austin, Texas

But who are these music-obsessed, social media-savvy, startup-enthused foodies?

Digital marketing agency Sapient Nitro surveyed over 5,300 SXSW Film, Music and Interactive attendees to determine festival demographics, based on income, family size, education and more. This information, exclusive to Mashable, will be released in infographic form in the official SXSW newsletter

Are you at SXSW? What's your take on the crowd? What drew you to this year's festival?

Serve Shots With Your Smartphone and This Bartending Robot

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:43 PM PST

Bartendro
Feed-twFeed-fb

Those of us who have watched way too many episodes of The Jetsons probably always wished we had a Rosie the Robot to help make our meals, do the laundry and feed the dog. But Rosie probably couldn't mix a killer Mudslide or Cosmopolitan like this new robot designed by a California company.

San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based Party Robotics is raising funds on Kickstarter to further develop its open-source, cocktail-dispensing robot, "Bartendro." The bartending robot features open-source hardware and software, and can be controlled with a smartphone or tablet.

Creators Pierre Michael and Robert Kaye have combined experience with software, open communities and designing robot electronics. The team has previously designed a water-to-wine cooler.

6 Questions With Fashion-Forward Designer Kimberly Ovitz

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:37 PM PST

Open-house-sxsw
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN — During New York Fashion Week, womenswear designer Kimberly Ovitz made headlines with her 3D-printed jewelry line, created in collaboration with Shapeways. The edgy and futuristic feel of Ovitz's collection was inspired by her research into insects and animals' natural defense mechanisms and exoskeletons. When it came to producing her line, she figured there was no better way to evoke the future than by using the technology of the future.

We caught up with Ovitz at Mashable House and asked her six burning questions. Read on for her answers.

Chevy Unveils 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:36 PM PST

2014-chevrolet-corvetteconv-060
Feed-twFeed-fb

Two months after GM introduced the 2014 Corvette Stingray, the company revealed the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible at the Geneva Motor Show this week

The company says the car's electronic convertible top can be raised or lowered even when the car is moving at up to 30 mph.

Take a look at the picture above and in the gallery below, and you'll notice that the body of this new convertible is quite similar to its coupe brandmate. One missing design element will be the air intakes in front of the rear wheels that are present in the coupe, but not in the convertible.

One of the benefits of the Corvette's new rigid aluminum frame is the fact that it's 57% stiffer than its predecessor.

TaskRabbit's Furry Car Is King of the SXSW Road

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:30 PM PST

Taskrabbit-car
Feed-twFeed-fb

Whether it reminds you of the Shaggin Wagon car from Dumb and Dumber or of a motorized Muppet on steroids, TaskRabbit's rabbit-mobile is the clear winner of the drive-about SXSW 2103 marketing race.

Just another perfect example of how weird things can get in Austin. We'll do our best to hunt down the driving TaskRabbit to find out what kind of car is hiding under all that fuzz.

Photo by Mashable

Click here to view this gallery

MARS App Uses Augmented Reality to Help Identify Things Around You

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:23 PM PST

Par
Feed-twFeed-fb

AUSTIN— PAR Works launched its MARS augmented reality platform in November 2012, and is launching its first private beta at SXSW this year.

The company uses 3D augmented reality to allow users to retrieve customized, tagged information about any product, street scene, or object. For instance, a school might use the company's technology to create an augmented reality overlay over buildings, allowing a student to snap a picture of a building and instantly see where a classroom in located in it

The technology could also be applied to things like a picture of your car's engine, providing you step-by-step visual directions on how to jump start it

Ben Stiller Gets Schooled at Tennis by 9-Year-Old Girl

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:01 PM PST

Benstiller
Feed-twFeed-fb

When Ben Stiller hit the tennis court for the 2013 BNP Paribas Showdown in New York City on Monday, he figured his biggest threat would be the pro players. Never did he imagine that an even more formidable opponent would walk onto that court — an adorable little girl

Stiller got his chance to prove his tennis chops when Rafael Nadal invited him onto the court for a doubles match against Juan Martin del Potro. Del Potro, though, went with a far less flashy choice for his partner, picking 9-year-old Rebecca Suarez out of the stands

Clearly, del Potro's choice was the better one. Stiller had no chance against Suarez, who could backhand that ball better than anyone expected, even returning a shot from Nadal (just take a moment to process how ridiculously awesome that is)

Adults Photoshopped to Look Like Warped Toddlers

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 02:56 PM PST

Photoshopped
Feed-twFeed-fb

Retouch wizard Cristian Girotto transports grown-ups back to childhood with a wave of his Photoshop wand. But maybe we're not meant to go back.

Toddlers are so cute with their chubby cheeks, big eyes and playful dispositions. Adults, on the other end of the life spectrum, are hairy, lumpy and stomp around like yetis in brick shoes

Girotto brings the looks of young and old together in delightfully warped fashion for his "L'Enfant Exterieur" series

All images courtesy of Cristian Girotto

AT&T Says It Will Unlock Customers' Cellphones — With Caveats

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 02:52 PM PST

Att
Feed-twFeed-fb

AT&T reaffirmed Friday that it will unlock up to five of each of its customers' mobile devices provided they meet certain conditions

The company's Vice President of Federal Regulatory, Joan Marsh, outlined AT&T's unlocking policy in a blog post that comes amidst a heated debate over the legality of unlocking.

"As we make clear on our website, if we have the unlock code or can reasonably get it from the manufacturer, AT&T currently will unlock a device for any customer whose account has been active for at least sixty days; whose account is in good standing and has no unpaid balance; and who has fulfilled his or her service agreement commitment," wrote Marsh. "If the conditions are met we will unlock up to five devices per account per year. We will not unlock devices that have been reported lost or stolen."

Basketball Player Tweets Apology After Choking Teammate During Game

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 02:35 PM PST

Renaldo-balkman
Feed-twFeed-fb

As sports freak-outs go, this one's pretty epic

Our antagonist protagonist here is Renaldo Balkman, a former University of South Carolina star (as seen above) who spend a few years in the NBA and now plays pro basketball in the hoops-mad Philippines.

During a Wednesday night game Balkman, in the simplest terms, lost his mind completely. Upset when he didn't get a foul call, he began arguing with a referee and just yelling in general. Teammates tried to intervene. He shoved one, hard. He shoved another teammate. That one shoved him back. So Balkman grabbed him by the throat and squeezed for a second before a group of teammates intervened

Facebook Acquires Storytelling Site Storylane in Talent Grab

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 01:41 PM PST

Storylane
Feed-twFeed-fb

Facebook has acquired Storylane, a relatively young social network focused around telling stories, for an undisclosed sum.

Storylane announced the acquisition in a blog post Friday, noting that the service will wind down and the team will join Facebook. "After a lot of discussions with Facebook about how our teams might work together to have even greater impact, we are announcing today that the Storylane team will be joining Facebook," Storylane's founder and CEO Jonathan Gheller wrote in the post.

Facebook confirmed the acquisition in a statement provided to Mashable: "The team from Storylane will be an incredible addition to Facebook. Their previous work showcasing real identity through sincere and meaningful content will make them a perfect fit at Facebook."

Student Scores Playoff Buzzer Beater on Wrong Hoop

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 01:30 PM PST

Basketball-fail-1
Feed-twFeed-fb

If this had to happen to someone sometime somewhere, it could have at least happened 20 years ago, before everyone was on the Internet all of the time and shocking sports stories and video spread like wildfire on social networks. Right?

Wrong

Here's the scene: The Oklahoma 3A high school state playoffs, a raucous Thursday night quarterfinal match-up between Hugo High and Milton High. Hugo holds a one-point lead with just 2.9 seconds on the clock. They have the ball, too, and are inbounding from the sideline. A Hugo guard breaks free in the back court

But instead of dribbling out the clock or getting fouled to help secure the win, he does the unthinkable: scores a layup on the his own team's basket to win the game for Milton and end his team's season

Pranking People in Their Sleep Is a Nightmare

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:47 PM PST

Alarmclock
Feed-twFeed-fb

If you thought a blaring alarm clock was an unpleasant wake-up call, be glad you aren't these poor souls

Unsuspecting slumberers were trying to catch some Z's while their prank-loving friends and family decided to terrorize them in the worst ways possible. They line their beds with mouse traps, rouse them awake with blow horns, throw water balloons, and pretty much agonize their eyes open

We'd criticize them, but really who better to prank than someone so blissfully unaware of what's going on? But these pranksters better watch their backs (and their beds), because revenge is a dish best served drowsy

Hinge Helps You Find Dates Based On Your Mutual Friends

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:36 PM PST

Heartlove
Feed-twFeed-fb

Anyone who has tried online dating knows that it can be a challenge at timesHinge, one of the 2013 SXSW Accelerator finalists is one of several companies at SXSW this year trying to make that process easier. In the case of Hinge, the app helps you meet people to date through mutual Facebook friends.

“We’re like the best host at the biggest cocktail party you’ve ever been invited to ... every day,” Hinge CEO Justin McLeod told Mashable.

Each day at noon the app gives you a new group of friends of friends to check out on the service and rate. A profile picture is shown for each person as well as where they went to school, their job and what friends you have in common.

Website Shows Cyberattacks as They Happen

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:31 PM PST

Cyberattackmap
Feed-twFeed-fb

The Internet can be a dangerous place, and now you can see just how dangerous it gets — in real time, no less.

Deutsche Telekom, a German telecommunications company, has developed a website that allows users to monitor cyberattacks as they happen.

Sicherheitstacho.eu (loosely translated as "security tachometer") displays events as they happen, giving the time of the attack, country of origin and the intended target. While watching the site can be quite hypnotic, its relevance for the everyday user is limited (unless your website or network is currently under attack, in which case, the site still probably won't help much).

Show Us Your Best SXSW Swag

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:21 PM PST

Swag-mash
Feed-twFeed-fb

One aspect of SXSW is that everyone loves is the swag. Part of the fun of swag bags is you never know what will be inside. Will you find your new favorite T-shirt, or a cool gadget?

While you're at SXSW this year, be sure to document your favorite swag and send images to us. Take photos and tweet them to us with the hashtag #MashSXSW.

SEE ALSO: What Keeps Austin Weird? Share Your Best SXSW Vines

Tweet your thoughts along with your photos and tell us who had the best bag.

Mashable has been in Austin since Thursday to cover the latest happenings from the feature film lineup (including a new documentary on the rise and fall of Napster), to the gadget unveilings and the hottest social media trends.

'National Geographic' Shares Rare Photos on Tumblr

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:11 PM PST

National-geographic-tumblr
Feed-twFeed-fb

National Geographic is dipping its toes into social waters with its latest photography project

In honor of its 125th anniversary, the non-profit has joined Tumblr to showcase "FOUND," a collection of rare photos from the National Geographic archives

According to the site, most of the photos have never been published, and were rarely seen by the public until nowNational Geographic hopes digitizing the archive will also help identify the original date or location of the photos, since many are missing that information.

SEE ALSO: On Tumblr, The New York Times Opens Its Photo Archive

"This is just the beginning of a great adventure," the non-profit writes on its new site.

Makerbot Digitizer Will Let Anyone Scan and Print Physical Items in 3D

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PST

Makerthumb
Feed-twFeed-fb

Makerbot CEO Bre Pettis excitedly announced a new Makerbot Digitizer Desktop 3D scanner on stage Friday at SXSW in Austin. Currently a prototype, the next-generation scanner will allow anyone to scan a physical item, digitize it, and then print it in 3D, regardless of whether or not they have any design experience.

Sort of like a copy/paste for real-world objects, the Digitizer works using two lasers and a webcam. The webcam sees where the lasers are shining off of an item, and wraps all those points up into a plan for a 3D model that can then be printed.

To make the magic happen the lasers spin around the object, a process Pettis describes as “like Tron.”

No comments:

Post a Comment