Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “Amazon Launches a Kindle App for BlackBerry” |  |
- Amazon Launches a Kindle App for BlackBerry
- The E-book Price War Isn’t Over Yet
- Class Action Complaint Filed Over Google Buzz
- Facebook Overtakes Yahoo: Now the Second Most Visited Site in U.S.
- Sarah Palin Disses Twitter, Calls It “Little Twittering Thing”
- 4 Terrific Tools for Creating Business Web Forms
- Augmented Reality Makes for Great Beer Goggles
- The Recovery Act One Year Later Prompts Tech Parodies [VIDEO]
- Tiger Woods Press Conference to Be Broadcast Live on Ustream
- Google Acquires Mobile E-mail Utility reMail
- Facebook Launches New Privacy Settings for Facebook Apps
- Retweet.com Put Up for Sale
- Google Goggles to Translate Text in Photos
- Microsoft Will Charge Carriers for Windows Phone 7
- 4 Steps for Managing Social Media Attention
- Verizon FiOS Customers Get HBO’s Online Video Service
- 3 Tesla Motors Employees Killed in Palo Alto Plane Crash
- Augmented Reality Tattoo Makes Your Skin Come Alive [VIDEO]
- Palo Alto Plane Crash Takes Out Power at Facebook
- Google Open-Sources its Experimental News Format
- Who’s Playing Social Games? [STATS]
- 7 Superb Social Plugins for WordPress
- Are We All Asking to Be Robbed?
- Plan Multi-Stop Trips With Route4Me
- POLL: To Chatroulette or Not To Chatroulette?
- Salesforce Rolls Out a Facebook for Businesses
| Amazon Launches a Kindle App for BlackBerry Posted: 18 Feb 2010 04:41 AM PST  
Just like the company's application for iPhone and iPod touch, if you already have a Kindle, you're able to sync the BlackBerry app with it, meaning information like the last page you were on is consistent across devices. The download is free, though only newer BlackBerry models are supported – specifically Curve 8520 and 8900, Tour 9630, Bold 9000 and 9700, and Storm 9500, 9530, and 9550. In a statement, Amazon notes that they're currently developing both a Mac and iPad version of Kindle. The company launched a PC version back in November. Do you currently use Kindle on any platforms besides the device itself? Let us know in the comments. Tags: amazon, amazon kindle, blackberry, ebooks, Kindle
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| The E-book Price War Isn’t Over Yet Posted: 18 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST 
Soon, however, the big publishers such as Macmillan pressured Amazon into letting them sell books through an agency pricing model, which essentially means more money to them, but higher book prices – $12.99 or $14.99 – for the end users. Now, there’s another twist to this story, as the New York Times discovers that Apple may have a deal with publishers that ensures lower prices for bestsellers. A title that costs $12.99 would cost significantly less once it hit the bestseller list. Furthermore, Apple wants cheaper hardcover titles to also be cheaper in e-book form. If this is true, it means cheaper prices for the consumer. But it also means that the publishers (who hate the idea of a technology company controlling their prices) are betting big on the iPad, and are thus ready to give Apple a bit of a headstart at their own expense. Tags: amazon, apple, e-books, iBookstore, ipad
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| Class Action Complaint Filed Over Google Buzz Posted: 18 Feb 2010 01:27 AM PST 
The complaint, filed on behalf of a Florida woman called Eva Hibnick, claims Google have broken several electronic communications laws, with the plaintiff seeking both monetary relief and injunctions to prevent Google from taking similar actions in the future. This is not the first privacy-related stirrup Google Buzz has caused. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada had some doubts about Google Buzz; the issue then, as it is now, was the fact that Buzz automatically finds users to follow based on your e-mail correspondence. Google quickly announced some changes in the way Google Buzz handles private data, but that might even reinforce the case that Buzz’s original behavior was breaking the law. Google declined to comment on this new case, claiming they haven’t yet been served with the complaint. Tags: class action complaint, google buzz, privacy, social media
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| Facebook Overtakes Yahoo: Now the Second Most Visited Site in U.S. Posted: 17 Feb 2010 06:58 PM PST 
Yahoo for years was the world’s most popular website — its ubiquitous portal has dominated the web since the 90s. Two years ago however, Google vaulted past Yahoo and became the Internet’s most popular destination. Last month, it became Facebook’s turn to knock Yahoo down another peg. In December 2009, Yahoo garnered 133.45 million visitors in the U.S. Facebook wasn’t far behind with 132.13 million uniques. In the first month of 2010 though, there was a role reversal: Facebook’s traffic rose to 133.62 million visitors, while Yahoo shrunk down to 132.00 million.  Facebook’s shown no signs of stopping its meteoric rise, either. It recently celebrated its 400 millionth user and that number continues to rise in rapid fashion. Now the only website standing between it and web domination is Google.com. If Google Buzz is any indication though, the search giant isn’t going to give up its throne without a fight. Reviews: Facebook, Google, Google Buzz Tags: compete, facebook, trending, Yahoo
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| Sarah Palin Disses Twitter, Calls It “Little Twittering Thing” Posted: 17 Feb 2010 05:44 PM PST 
When asked what she felt the greatest threat to America is currently, audience members in the crowd piped up with cries of “Obama!” According to CBS, Palin was quick to respond with, “See, they said that, I didn’t. Just you watch now, too, because somebody will be here with their little Twittering thing, and it’s going to be on the Internet any minute now.” It was an odd off the cuff remark for Palin, who tweets as @SarahPalinUSA and maintains an active account on multiple social networking sites. What may have been an attempt at referencing the speed with which misinterpretation can spread thanks to tools like Twitter came across as a slam at the popular social network. “Little Twittering thing” is a diminutive reference that seems to recall more of a negative connotation than an endearing one. What do you think: is Palin’s comment being taken too seriously? What do you think she meant by her statement about Twitter? [via Huffington Post] Reviews: Twitter Tags: media, politics, sarah palin, social media, twitter
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| 4 Terrific Tools for Creating Business Web Forms Posted: 17 Feb 2010 03:43 PM PST 
Web forms can be a great asset on your business site. They let you collect pertinent data and contact information from your visitors without exposing your direct e-mail address to the world. They also set specific boundaries on the type of data you receive from customers so that the information fits nicely into a spreadsheet or database as needed. Building a web form used to require a bit of coding and "wiring" on the back end of your site. These days, there are some great free and low-cost resources on the web that make building and integrating forms into your business website a breeze. 1. Wufoo Wufoo is a great web-based form generator with a very intuitive interface. Forms are extremely customizable with simple drag-and-drop commands and many style options. The forms you create "live" on Wufoo, but they are fully embeddable into your own website or blog by pasting a bit of code. But what makes Wufoo especially useful is that your account on the site serves as a hub for all the data that flows into your forms. While you can download and configure your form to function with your own database, you may not want to when you see all the great looking reports and widgets you can generate just by logging into your Wufoo account. By hosting your data with them, everything is DIY, and easily accessible, with no need to hand your files over to a database expert to get your form up and running. In addition to viewing entries on the site, you can configure Wufoo to e-mail or text you when a user completes your form. A free Wufoo account allows one user to generate three forms with three corresponding reports. Additional forms, users and reports come at a few price points, starting at $9.95 per month. 2. Icebrrg Icebrrg has nearly identical features as Wufoo, and similar price points for paid accounts. You can host your own files or integrate the forms easily onto your business website and receive notifications when they are filled. A nice feature is that embedded forms are rendered in HTML, and will comply with the CSS styles of your website to match the look and feel automatically. Icebrrg no longer has a free account, but at $9 per month, you get 10 forms, 500 entries, and 100MB of storage for customers to upload files. 3. Formsite Formsite has a focus on a few more complex features that not every business may need in a form, but some will find extremely valuable, such as payment integration for credit cards, PayPal, and Google Checkout. They also offer multi-page and "skip/branch" surveys, which allow you to control the flow of questions based on certain rules and user responses. Formsite has all of the customization, embedding, hosting, and notification options as the sites mentioned above, and their free account lets you create five forms, with 50 items per form. 4. Google Docs If you’re already using Gmail, Calendar, and other Google Apps for your business, you may want to take advantage of the forms function within Google Docs. This form generator is pretty bare bones, but the dead-simple interface and integration with your existing Google account make it useful for internal employee surveys or even the daily lunch order. Once you create your form document, it’s tied to a spreadsheet and data summary that also live in your Google Docs. The data feedback, in the form of a response counter and various charts and graphs, is extremely detailed and easy to read (similar to Google Analytics), and the timestamped spreadsheet is exportable for whatever your database has in store. A Google form is embeddable in an external website, but its cumbersome formatting and limited customization means that it probably won’t agree aesthetically with your sites. For now, linking to these forms is a quick and dirty way to gather data on a simple, clean interface. More business resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Gmail, Google, Google Analytics, Google Docs Tags: business, contact, Google, google apps, google docs, List, Lists, small business, web apps, web design, Web Development, web forms
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| Augmented Reality Makes for Great Beer Goggles Posted: 17 Feb 2010 03:10 PM PST 
After downloading the free application, you can use it to discover nearby restaurants and bars that serve Tiger Beer. The application works like most other AR apps, which means you can hold it up and rotate it in different directions around Chinatown to see the venue spots superimposed over your camera lens. You can also preview venue offerings and read up on reviews.
Once your thirst for Tiger Beer is quenched, you can also try your hand at the Tuk Tuk Challenge. The game asks you to complete missions and avoid traffic as you navigate around Chinatown. The real functionality of the app can be seen in the GPS bar finder; it’s especially interesting to see a brand attempt to leverage augmented reality as part of a marketing campaign. The adventurous offering combines utility and practicality with the spirit of the brand in a way that we think most Tiger Beer fans will appreciate. To see the application in action, watch the video below. [img credit: Beverly & Pack] Tags: Augmented Reality, iphone, tiger beer
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| The Recovery Act One Year Later Prompts Tech Parodies [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Feb 2010 02:44 PM PST 
Personally, we think it’s fascinating that burgeoning technology has become so ingrained in our society that political parties are riffing on it. What do you think of this culture clash? [via Time] Tags: Google, iphone, Political, Super Bowl ads, video
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| Tiger Woods Press Conference to Be Broadcast Live on Ustream Posted: 17 Feb 2010 02:32 PM PST 
News of Tiger's first public appearance since admitting to transgressions back in December broke earlier this afternoon. The golfer's agent tells the AP that the event will consist of a “small group of friends, colleagues and close associates [who will listen to Woods apologize as he talks about the past and what he plans to do next]." With recent Ustream events attracting millions of viewers and the huge interest in the Woods story, we're confident the press conference will draw massive numbers, too. Plus, the fact it takes place during the U.S. work day means those that can't watch it via television will be looking for the live stream online. Ustream's social media integration, which broadcasts chat messages to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, will likely drive even more audience to the stream as viewers react to Tiger's statement. Reviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, news, ustream Tags: live video, sports, tiger woods, ustream, web video
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| Google Acquires Mobile E-mail Utility reMail Posted: 17 Feb 2010 02:18 PM PST 
Founder and CEO Gabor Cselle announced the acquisition on his blog earlier today. He is the former VP of Engineering for Xobni and also a former engineer at none other than Google. Silicon Valley seed funding firm Y Combinator is an investor in reMail. Don’t be fooled: This acquisition is entirely a talent acquisition. In the announcement, Gabor reveals that both companies have decided to discontinue the reMail iPhone app, and that Gabor will become a product manager for Gmail. While we lament the loss of the app (it’s quite useful), we understand that Google would rather dedicate its new talent’s abilities toward Gmail rather than an iPhone app. Recent acquisitions by Google include social search startup Aardvark, display ad tech firm Teracent and mobile ad network AdMob. Reviews: Gmail, Google, Xobni Tags: acquisition, gmail, Google, remail
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| Facebook Launches New Privacy Settings for Facebook Apps Posted: 17 Feb 2010 01:57 PM PST 
In an announcement on the Facebook Blog, the world’s largest social network revealed that it has added more “granular” control to content shared through apps. The changes are meant to allow users to change which of your friends see updates from certain apps, but it also extends to third party apps and Facebook Connect websites. Seesmic, for example, will soon offer more detailed privacy features, specifically allowing users to post status updates only to the friend lists you specify. From the Facebook blog:
As a result of the changes, you may see more prompts from apps asking you to change your privacy settings. Overall, this update seems legitimate and less controversial than December’s push to make more profiles public. We’ll wait to play around with the new settings to make a final judgment, though. Reviews: Facebook, Seesmic
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| Posted: 17 Feb 2010 01:28 PM PST 
Retweet.com launched six months ago, declaring war on its Twitter story aggregating competitor. The service did almost exactly the same things as Tweetmeme: discover the most retweeted and shared stories on Twitter while also providing website buttons for retweeting. Its controversial launch definitely turned heads. Now we’ve received an e-mail from Mesiab Labs, the owners of Retweet.com, declaring that it has placed the website and technology up for auction on Flippa. The current price is $20,000 after 27 bids, with a month to go before the auction closes. While the platform itself may not be anything special (Tweetmeme is, in our opinion, superior), both the domain and its current traffic are worth acquiring. Last month the site was able to garner more than 600,000 unique U.S. visitors, according to Compete.com. Still, that number is nothing compared to Tweetmeme’s 1.25 million U.S. visitors, which is probably why Mesiab Labs is putting the site up for sale in the first place.  We are including the letter we received in its entirety below. Let us know what you think of it, the Retweet.com platform, and the price it could sell for by the end in the comments below. Letter from Retweet.com
Reviews: Tweetmeme, Twitter Tags: retweet, tweetmeme, twitter
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| Google Goggles to Translate Text in Photos Posted: 17 Feb 2010 01:19 PM PST 
The prototype uses Google’s machine translation technology and image recognition capabilities to create an additional layer of useful context. So should the user take a photo from his Android device, the application can translate the text in that photo — though right now it only supports German-to-English translations. Here’s how Google describes the process:
You can’t get your hands on the updated application yet, and Google is being coy about when it will release an update, but you can expect the application to eventually support photo-to-text translation in each of the 52 languages supported by Google Translate. Once translation makes its way into Google Goggles we can only imagine how useful the application could become to travelers looking to quickly translate menu items, street signs and transit information. You can see the the prototype in action below: Reviews: Android, Google Tags: android, Google, google goggles, google translate, Mobile 2.0, MWC, mwc 2010, translation, trending
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| Microsoft Will Charge Carriers for Windows Phone 7 Posted: 17 Feb 2010 12:35 PM PST 
CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday that Microsoft won’t be leaving behind the old Windows Mobile licensing model, so Competing platform Google Android is free if handset-makers and carriers want to use it, while the other two biggies — Apple’s iPhone OS and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry OS — are only put on phones made by Apple and RIM, respectively. Competing with FreeAndroid is well-poised to become the Windows of smartphones in the coming months and years — the ubiquitous, default platform installed on the great majority of devices. Obviously, Microsoft wants the Windows of smartphones to be, well, Windows. But handset makers are going to be squeamish about taking $5, $10 or $20 out of the profits for each handset sold and giving it to Microsoft when it can provide its consumers with comparable features at higher profits by going with Android instead. Sure, Microsoft could hike up the prices of Windows phones so the consumers pay the license fee, but would consumers go for that, especially when Android has a head start in building a large library of useful apps? On the other hand, Microsoft has not had a lot of success with “free” in the past. If it can beat the competition in features then the cost is justified. For example, Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service charges an annual fee while Sony’s PlayStation Network does not, but there are enough extra perks that few people complain about it. We just haven’t seen any evidence that Windows Phone 7 has the same edge over Android as Xbox Live does over the PlayStation Network. Reviews: Android, BlackBerry Rocks!, Windows, iPhone Tags: android, microsoft, windows mobile, windows phone 7
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| 4 Steps for Managing Social Media Attention Posted: 17 Feb 2010 12:06 PM PST 
There have never been more things that call out for our attention: We have tweets to read, Facebook statuses to check, and now Google Buzz updates — not to mention text messages, e-mails, and cell phone calls. And the amount of data is growing each day. Recent reports estimate that the average American consumes 34 GB worth of content a day, including 100,000 words of information. While this access to information has numerous benefits, learning to live and work skillfully amidst an active social media lifestyle is an art in itself — one that will be increasingly challenging in the years ahead. When we do not manage our social media life, our attention (the essential element for any task) gets more and more divided, and we end up constantly busy, but not very effective. We find ourselves at the end of the day overwhelmed and fatigued, wondering, "Just what did I actually accomplish today?" Below are four lessons in staying sane and focused amidst an active social media lifestyle. 1. Know the External Reflects the Internal
One of the essential questions for those of us who live active social media lives is, "Where should I put my attention? How much of my attention should I give to Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, YouTube, or another site?" However, while the amount of our attention that we give to social media is important, so is the quality of that attention. It is hard to give our full attention to anything when internally we are feeling overwhelmed and unfocused. Our internal state gets mirrored in the external world, so even though we may spend a lot of time on social media sites, it may not be spent productively. Taking time to settle your mind when you notice yourself off balance or overwhelmed — whether it is through a walk, a visit to the gym, or whatever works for you — can shift the state of your internal world such that you have a greater chance of making your time on social media more effective. Lesson: Balance the internal before taking action in the external. 2. Do One Thing at a Time"When people try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way up, and it takes far longer — often double the time or more — to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially." — David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition, and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan I know this may sound counter-intuitive, but give it a try. Whatever you are doing, put all your attention on that. This means resisting the tendency to multi-task. In fact, a recent study at Stanford found that the more people multi-task, the worse they become at it. Yes, that's right — the more you do it, the worse at it you get. The illusion, of course, is that the busier we are, and the more we "do," the more we accomplish. The research, curiously, paints a different picture. Instead of checking Twitter or Facebook while also talking on your cell, finish one first, then do the next. Lesson: Put all your attention on whatever you are doing at any given moment. 3. Invite Instead of Force
The idea that the harder we try, the more we will get done, and the happier we will be is a myth. Of course, some effort is needed in any endeavor, but the real question is, "what kind of effort are we putting forth?" We have all likely met people who work like mad at their endeavors, including social media, yet consistently get very few results. Some time ago I interviewed George Mumford, the sports psychologist who helped Chicago Bulls players during the Michael Jordan era get “in the zone” (he later also helped Los Angeles Lakers players). He said that the first thing he often tells players is that "if they try to get in the zone, they can't." Instead, it involves an open alert attention, and the same applies to our social media lives. Trying too hard, whether it is to make a basketball shot, gather more followers on Twitter, or increase sales of a product, creates tension that impedes our work. We cannot force these things, but we can invite them through a balanced, steady effort. Lesson: Engage with a focused and open attention that invites instead of forces. 4. Know Where Your Attention is Most Needed"When players practice what is known as mindfulness — paying attention to what's actually happening — not only do they play better and win more, they also become more attuned to each other." — Phil Jackson, who has won a record 10 NBA Championships as a coach How many times have you been talking with someone, and the person's cell phone rings, and without even knowing who it was or if it was important, the person immediately vacated your conversation to take the call? It was not even a choice. He or she was attentive to you for one second, and then poof! The person was mentally gone the next. Of course, there are times to take calls and respond via text while with a friend, but if we are not careful in the age of social media, our attention can get bounced around like a ping pong ball, from this call, to that text message, to that tweet, such that by the end of the day we are exhausted. Mindfulness, or attention to the present moment, is lost. We spent our day "chasing," letting others determine our focus, not choosing for ourselves where to put our attention and attending to the tasks most important to us. Lesson: Ask yourself where your attention is most needed and direct it there. ConclusionIn the coming years, the amount information at our disposal is only likely to increase. When Google recently launched Google Buzz, their team addressed the challenges of this information era, saying, "we want to present some tools and techniques to help you manage your attention better." While this is partly a technological problem, it is also an internal and life balance problem. The challenge of our time is to live connected and use all the great social media available to us, while at the same time harness and direct our attention where it is most needed at any given time. After all, where we decide to put our attention is, essentially, how we choose to spend our life. Please let us know in the comments: how do you stay balanced and focused amidst an active social media lifestyle? More social media resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, webphotographeer. [Image Credit: Allan Reyes] Reviews: Facebook, Google Buzz, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto Tags: advice, buzz, facebook, google buzz, List, Lists, productivity, social media, social networking, texting, twitter
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| Verizon FiOS Customers Get HBO’s Online Video Service Posted: 17 Feb 2010 11:49 AM PST 
Another Link in the Broadband Video ChainHBO has actually been in the online content game for quite some time. HBO on Broadband has been available in select test markets since 2008, offering subscribers a way to access HBO content online via streaming video and download. In December, Comcast’s xfinity TV offered Comcast subscribers who also subscribe to HBO, Starz or Cinemax access to content from those premium channels via Comcast’s Fancast portal. This is essentially the same content available via On Demand, and users can stream it in “up to HD” quality. I’ve been using this service for the last few months — it’s pretty darn good. HBO GO, which is a separate initiative, offers up a similar idea. You can browse the HBO GO website for movies, documentaries, original series and more, and choose content to watch or add to watch lists. It’s very much like Hulu.  Right now, the content doesn’t appear to differ much from the offerings on Fancast (in fact, if you try to log in as a Comcast user you are redirected to Fancast), but in the future, HBO plans to offer “three times the content of what’s on HBO On Demand today,” according to a quote from The New York Times. Verizon Customers First… For NowAlthough Verizon FiOS customers are the first to gain access to this portal (again, Comcast users can access what appears to be an identical content selection via xfinity TV), there are clearly plans for it to open up to other cable operators and their HBO subscribers. This makes a lot of sense, as consolidating HBO’s existing online strategies will make for a more unifying experience. We hope that Comcast, for instance, will integrate into HBO GO soon. Whether or not HBO will ever offer consumers an option to subscribe to HBO online only (bypassing cable altogether) is unclear. HBO clearly benefits from the packaging deals that the cable companies put together (and in turn, customers can get a good deal on multiple pay channels) and bypassing cable operators would likely mean charging a higher rate for subscribers. The Future of Pay TV?We see online access as well as on-air broadcasts as the future of television — and pay television in particular. Although Ben argued against the HBO GO subscriber-only method yesterday, suggesting a Netflix or Hulu-esque approach, HBO is one of the rare cable networks (and even television networks) with original first-run content that subscribers are willing to pay for. Must-see original programming is what drives HBO subscribers — providing online access is a perk that will make people more inclined to tune in, but it’s the programming that is the big driver. For instance, during my freshmen year of college, my university’s apartments were only equipped with basic cable. When Sex and the City returned to the air that January, I made sure to call and set up a separate HBO account for my dorm. The show — and the network — was worth it. Offering easy online access to content might even offer an incentive for HBO to gain new subscribers — but this seems to be more of a recognition of the importance of digital, and adding that as an option to overall offerings, rather than trying another model. Whether or not the model itself needs to shift will be more clear in the future. As it stands, the more ways that HBO can bring content to its subscribers, the better. Let’s just hope HBO has an iPad app in the works. Reviews: Hulu, SEX Tags: hbo, HBO GO, Movies, television, web video
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| 3 Tesla Motors Employees Killed in Palo Alto Plane Crash Posted: 17 Feb 2010 11:35 AM PST 
Fox News has confirmed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also co-founded PayPal, was not aboard the plane. The company has not released an official statement and authorities have not released the names of the victims, however, the plane belonged to senior electrical engineer Doug Bourn.
We’ll continue to add details as this story develops. Our thoughts go out to the victims families and co-workers. Update: Tesla has provided us with a statement from CEO Elon Musk:
[img credit: jalopnik] Tags: elon musk, palo alto plane crash, tesla motors
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| Augmented Reality Tattoo Makes Your Skin Come Alive [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Feb 2010 10:48 AM PST 
The tattoo’s design is simply a square barcode marker on the skin, but when seen through a webcam an animated flying dragon appears to be hovering over the box. The Buenos Aires-based ThinkAnApp developed software that recognizes a barcode on a curved surface (like your body), making the flying dragon overlay possible. The below video demonstrates the effect. It’s an initial test for how the augmented reality concept could be used to power even more creative tattoo art. What do you think: Are AR tattoos too gimmicky? Is it too restrictive to require a webcam in order to get the full tat experience? Or should companies be working on other devices with which to view AR content so that one day we can achieve the futuristic cyberpunk dream of putting on sunglasses to see people’s skin spring to life? [via BuzzFeed] Tags: AR, Augmented Reality, tattoo, technology, wearables, webcam
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| Palo Alto Plane Crash Takes Out Power at Facebook Posted: 17 Feb 2010 10:36 AM PST 
Facebook is currently suffering from a power outage at its Palo Alto home office, and the outage appears to be linked to a small but fatal plane crash that occurred earlier this morning in East Palo Alto. Per local news outlets, a twin-engine Cessna with three people on board crashed into transmission lines 377 feet above ground in East Palo Alto. The plane exploded upon impact, the crash causing power outages in East Palo Alto and Palo Alto. The plane crash took place shortly after launch around 7:50 a.m. local time, and the accident is being attributed to fog. We can’t say for certain that the crash and the outage are linked, but it’s quite likely as tweets from Facebook and Brandee Barker confirm that the Palo Alto-based company is suffering from power outages. Facebook’s website, however, appears to operating without a hiccup. Update: It is now being reported that the three people killed in the crash were Tesla employees. It is not believed at this time that Tesla CEO Elon Musk was on the Cessna in question.  Reviews: Facebook
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| Google Open-Sources its Experimental News Format Posted: 17 Feb 2010 09:35 AM PST 
As it stands, Living Stories presents topic-based news, with stories bundled together in one living entity that dynamically updates as more news is published on a topic. Now that Google is making the source code behind the experiment available to developers, the alternative news format can be embraced by any publisher. The bonus for publishers is that the format is purportedly more viewer-friendly, and in Google’s eyes the trial run was a success. While Google isn’t releasing too many stats on its first test of the platform, it is claiming that “75% of people who sent us feedback said they preferred the Living Stories format to the traditional online news article.” Obviously the open-source initiative should get the Living Social format more exposure, and we’re curious to see how publishers and media organizations respond to the move. As it stands, the Google Labs hosted version of Living Stories is kaput, so if the Times and The Washington Post continue using the format it will be on their own sites. The same holds true for new publishers who opt to embrace the technology. Reviews: Google, Google Labs, iStockphoto Tags: Google, Living Stories, media
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| Who’s Playing Social Games? [STATS] Posted: 17 Feb 2010 09:33 AM PST 
Note that “social games” are web-based games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille that you play on social networks like Facebook, not Xbox 360 action games like Gears of War or Halo — young males still dominate that branch of the gaming hobby. The survey found that 55% of social gamers are female and 45% are male. Females are more avid gamers, too; 38% of females said they play multiple times a day, but just 29% males said the same. Women are more likely to play with people they know (68% vs. 56% for males), and men are more likely to play with strangers (41% vs. 33%) than women are. There were more insights in the survey beyond gender. Facebook is the most popular destination for online games, with 83% of respondents saying they have played games there. Twenty-eight percent have purchased in-game currency with real-world money. The average gamer has played six social games, and more than 50% of gamers started playing a game because a friend recommended it or because they saw a friend playing it in a news feed or other social stream. One hundred million people are playing these games and about $1 billion in revenue is expected this year. It’s no wonder folks like Flickr’s Stewart Butterfield are diving into the market. Reviews: Facebook Tags: facebook, games, myspace, online games, popcap games, survey, video games
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| 7 Superb Social Plugins for WordPress Posted: 17 Feb 2010 09:20 AM PST 
Whether you’re looking to easily share your content on social networks, make it easier for others to share your content, or simply make your own site more engaging, here are 7 great plugins that will make your WordPress site more social. 1. CommentLuv Reader comments can be the lifeblood of some blogs, and in many cases they foster an ecosystem of links that can generate a mini social network around a particular topic or community. With the CommentLuv plugin, you can encourage more comments on your posts by giving a bit of link power back to your readers. The plugin will pull in a link to the latest post from the commenter’s own blog, based on the URL he or she submitted when commenting. It’s a simple and clutter-free way for comment traffic to flow, and provides dynamic, up-to-date links that your readers can automatically share with the rest of your audience. 2. Add To Any The classic Add To Any menu incorporates over 100 social networks and bookmarking sites in a compact, drop-down list. You can customize the opening menu to display the most common or preferred sites. There’s even an option for users to easily bookmark your post in their own browser. Depending on your theme, it may not be the most elegant solution, but it’s a great catch-all that will enable users to spread your links around any corner of the social web. For a similar social bookmarking solution, also check out Bookmarkify. 3. GD Star Rating As we’ve noted before, user reviews are a great way for visitors to engage with your posts or products. The GD Star Rating plugin for WordPress can integrate a 10-star rating system into your site for posts and comments, and is highly customizable for advanced users. With some smart tweaking, this plugin might be a great social element for an e-commerce site, or even a blog that reviews products itself to determine which posts are most helpful to readers. For a great looking 5-star rating system, check out PollDaddy’s WordPress plugin. 4. Sociable  Sociable is a nice way to add social sharing options for your readers. With 99 different social networks and bookmarking services to choose from, you can easily integrate your readers’ favorites and provide them with one-click sharing. Styling options also ensure that your new sharing bar is aesthetically agreeable with your theme. In addition to WordPress, Sociable also comes in Blogger and standard HTML flavors that you can grab here. 5. WP Wall The WP Wall plugin harkens back to the days of ye olde guestbook, where visitors could leave public messages on a site or blog that didn’t pertain to specific posts. In the age of the Facebook wall, this widget adds a fun way for readers to leave general feedback and shout outs for all to see in the sidebar. 6. Tweetable Twitter If Twitter is your social network of choice, or the place where most of your blog traffic comes from, you may want to consider an integrated Twitter publishing tool. The Tweetable Twitter plugin is a versatile backend tool that connects WordPress publishing to your Twitter account with a multitude of features. You can set administrator privileges, use a variety of URL shorteners for links, incorporate a Tweetmeme button on posts, utilize auto-tweet functions (if desired), and integrate analytics campaigns. For another feature-rich Twitter publishing option, check out the Twitter Publisher plugin. 7. Google Buzz Buttons If you’re looking to tame the newest network on the block, Google Buzz, there are already a handful of great tools for WordPress integration. One of the best looking and most straightforward is the “Buzz This” button that we use here at Mashable. This simple Buzz implementation will send your links straight to a visitor’s Google Reader shared items, and thus his or her Buzz profile if connected. Series supported by Rackspace  Rackspace is the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why. More WordPress Resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Google Buzz, Google Reader, Mashable, Tweetmeme, Twitter, WordPress, blogger Tags: blog, blogging, BLOGS, buzz, google buzz, List, Lists, plugins, twitter, web design, Web Development, web development series, Wordpress, wordpress plugins
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| Are We All Asking to Be Robbed? Posted: 17 Feb 2010 08:31 AM PST 
It’s no secret that when you share your location via Google Buzz and Foursquare you’re exposing information that could put you at risk. Many of us location-sharers get so caught up in the novelty and bonuses associated with our behavior that we forget the implications of our actions. PleaseRobMe.com seeks to make us more aware. While the functionality of the site is minimal at best, the fact that you can view a livestream of check-ins — with data aggregated from Foursquare and Twitter — and filter by location or Twitter name is meant to be a bit jarring. The point is driven home with the site-wide terminology, which caters to hypothetical would-be burglars. Check-ins are referenced as “recent empty homes” and “new opportunities,” and the name of the site alone is sure to raise a few eyebrows. The site was created by three enterprising individuals who aren’t really out to get you robbed. Here’s how they describe the problem created by check-ins and the purpose of the site:
These guys have a legitimate point. Stories about status updates leading to burglaries are becoming commonplace. You may remember that video podcaster Israel Hyman was robbed after tweeting that he was out was out town, and there’s even evidence to support the notion that burglars are turning to social media to find their targets. So are Foursquare, Loopt, Google Buzz and all the others just sites that make us all easier targets? Location-sharing is becoming such a popular trend this year that it doesn’t seem likely that the site will do much to curb the behavior. If there is such a thing as safe location-sharing, however, we hope you practice it.
Reviews: Foursquare, Google Buzz, Twitter Tags: foursquare, location sharing, Mobile 2.0, social media, trending
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| Plan Multi-Stop Trips With Route4Me Posted: 17 Feb 2010 08:20 AM PST 
Quick Pitch: Route4Me is a free, online service that provides optimal routing for multi-destination trips. Genius Idea: With a nice web interface and a new iPhone app, Route4Me is a great way to create a route for trips that have more than one stop.  The web interface is pretty basic — just enter in your starting address and your destinations and you’re off. Be aware, if your addresses aren’t specific enough, you might have to change them. The system isn’t as forgiving as some mapping tools. We like that you can then download those routes into a file that will work with other navigation systems. This is nice for people with TomTom or other GPS systems. The new Route4Me iPhone app, which is $1.99, is designed to make turn-by-turn directions to multiple destinations really simple. The app has a solid interface, but be aware: If you just want to go one place, the app won’t create a route for you unless you enter it twice. A nice feature of the iPhone app is that it can use your Address Book for location information. This is handy if you are visiting friends and don’t want to have to manually type in each address. The Internet has made mapping and route planning easier on all of us and Route4Me is another tool that can help users save time and gas. What is your favorite mapping tool? Let us know! Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
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| POLL: To Chatroulette or Not To Chatroulette? Posted: 17 Feb 2010 07:37 AM PST 
The site, which racks up thousands of users a night, was founded by a 17-year-old high school student from Russia named Andrey Ternovskiy, according to The New York Times who conducted an e-mail interview with the boy. The wunderkind created the project for fun, using six years of coding skills gleaned from his father. He didn’t do much to promote the site — word just spread. (Personally, I’ve been seeing Facebook updates about the site for a couple of months now.) “Everyone finds his own way of using the site,” Andrey Ternovskiy told the Times. “Some think it is a game, others think it is a whole unknown world, others think it is a dating service.” In fact, the Missed Connections section of Craigslist now has scores of postings listing the place of meeting as “Chatroulette,” adding a whole new digital dimension to the realm of the wistfully romantic. However, the detached nature of the site — one can jump from stranger to stranger with the click of a button — makes it a kind of minefield. I mean, just think about the name, inspired by that old (fatal) game of chance: Russian Roulette. One moment you could be chatting with a group of frat boys, the next… well, you might see a group of frat boys doing something you really don’t want to see. But that’s the appeal of the game — and it is a game — for many a 20something. In the past, we had board games like the Ouija Board — manufactured thrills that simultaneously entertained us and creeped us out. Then, there were chat rooms — and I dare anyone in the 25-30 range to deny having trolled those at one time or another, fascinated by the concept of interacting with faceless strangers. Chatroulette just takes this concept of the semi-creepy thrill to the next level — face-to-face collisions with the unknown. Lowered inhibitions spawned by randomness. It’s like Mardi Gras 24/7, your mask being your computer screen and miles of computer cords. In all honesty, I have yet to try out this service — I personally avoid Skyping and videochatting whenever possible — but inevitably I will cave to curiosity. Hence the subject of this poll: Will you try out Chatroulette? Give us your reasoning in the comments. Reviews: Craigslist, Facebook, Missed Connections Tags: chatroulette, pop culture, video
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| Salesforce Rolls Out a Facebook for Businesses Posted: 17 Feb 2010 07:08 AM PST 
Today Salesforce.com has announced the private beta for Chatter, which will be rolling out to 100 companies now before officially launching later this year. I had a chance to talk to Salesforce.com and get a demonstration of how Chatter works. For businesses looking for a collaboration solution, this could be a big winner. Built on the Existing Force.com InfrastructureWhat makes Chatter such an interesting concept is that for Salesforce.com customers, it builds into the existing platform. So for businesses that use the SalesCloud or ServiceCloud applications, this fits right into that solution seamlessly. For small businesses — and for larger or more spread out operations, too — having your collaboration tools integrated into your CRM system makes a ton of sense. Works Like Facebook, Built for BusinessSalesforce.com’s Chatter has integrated a lot of Facebook’s elements into its layout and configuration. There are user profiles, status messages (where you can leave your status on a current project or make a request for information, for instance), groups and individualized streams that you can customize to pump in information. You can also share files and links in the same way you would share photos using Facebook. To be clear, the point of Chatter isn’t to create a social network, per se — it’s to take the way that social networks like Twitter and Facebook work and create a collaboration system for businesses using these types of interface paradigms.  Although users will be able to import some feeds from outside sources like Twitter into the Chatter system (which is good for monitoring information), nothing that takes place in Chatter will ever be published elsewhere. That’s an important distinction. Furthermore, who has access to what information can be granularly controlled. Is This the Future?We expect to see more and more products — cloud-based or not — integrating the new UI paradigms from social networks into collaboration tools. It just makes sense to use the real-time nature of communication — as well as more modern linking methods like hashtags — to address work collaboration and productivity. If your business already uses some of Salesforce.com’s apps, Chatter might be an ideal addition to your tool chest. What do you think of the ways that business and enterprise software are adapting social media ideas into their tools? Let us know! Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: chatter, cloud computing, SaaS, salesforce.com, software, web apps
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Amazon has launched a 
As Apple announced its iPad and iBookstore, there was a shift of momentum in the book publishing industry. Amazon’s strategy for selling e-books on the Kindle was to sell them at a discounted price, such as $9.99, but Apple, somewhat surprisingly, announced higher book prices for titles bought through the iBookstore.
When Google unleashed Buzz onto Gmail users, did it invade their privacy? Some folks definitely think it did, as a local class action complaint 
New data released earlier today by web analytics firm Compete.com reveals that there has been a major shift at the top of the web charts: Facebook is now larger than Yahoo in the U.S.
Oh no she didn’t! The former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential hopeful disparaged the popular social network during a Republican Party activist and Tea Party movement event in Arkansas yesterday.
If you were waiting for the next huge online video event, this is it. Tiger Woods is set to break his silence on Friday morning with a press conference that will be broadcast live at 11 a.m. ET on Ustream, via the company's partner 
Google’s massive acquiring spree marches forward today. The newest company to be enveloped by the search giant? 
Facebook has added new privacy options to give users more control over their Facebook applications and websites using Facebook Connect. The new changes follow December’s 
At the Mobile World Congress, Google CEO Eric Schmidt showed off a new 
Microsoft’s 
“The biggest (and hardest) lesson I’ve learned in life is that the external world is just a reflection of the world within.” — 
"Do or do not. There is no try." — Yoda
Yesterday, we wrote about 
It has 
We’ve seen some interesting augmented reality experiments emerging, from 
Update: 3 employees of electric car maker Tesla Motors were 
In December Google launched the 
Casual game-maker Popcap Games (famous for 
If you use WordPress for your website or blog, there are lots of ways you can connect it to social media, and connect social media to your site via those nifty plugins. The right plugins can make social content management easier and reduce friction when it comes to reader sharing.
A new website called 
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details 
Name: 
At the Dreamforce Conference in November, Salesforce.com | You are subscribed to email updates from Mashable! To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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