Mashable: Latest 23 News Updates - including “Google TV Dominates Apple TV in Reader Vote” |  |
- Google TV Dominates Apple TV in Reader Vote
- Amazon to Launch Thinner, Sharper Kindle to Compete with iPad
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
- Time Magazine Names Foursquare and Farmville Among Worst Inventions
- Travelocity Gnome Now Roaming on Foursquare
- PostRank Brings Real-Time Social Monitoring to Your Blog
- HTC EVO 4G to Get Video Calling… For a Price
- Mashable’s Ben Parr Discusses Privacy on Russian Debate Show [VIDEO]
- How Open Data Applications are Improving Government
- Meet the Cast of “If I Can Dream” [VIDEO]
- Create a Socially Integrated Online Shop in 60 Seconds
- SIRIUS XM Android App Brings Satellite Radio to Your Phone
- Opera Mini a Hit on the iPhone
- 5 Steps to Taking Customer Service Social
- Mark Zuckerberg Donated to Facebook Alternative, Diaspora
- The Muppets Celebrate Memorial Day with “American Woman” Cover [VIDEO]
- UK Postman Admits to Using Facebook and Bebo to Abuse Hundreds of Children
- Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: Brits, Biebs, Babies & More
- Facebook Testing Related Photos Feature
- Foursquare Nearing 1 Million Checkins Per Day
- HOW TO: Pick the Perfect Name for Your Startup
- SNEAK PEEK: The Popular Mechanics iPad App [SCREENSHOTS]
- Is a New iPhone-based Apple TV in the Works? [RUMOR]
- Opera Makes Fun of Google Chrome Speed Test [VIDEO]
| Google TV Dominates Apple TV in Reader Vote Posted: 28 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT  
Last week, Google launched Google TV in an attempt to seamlessly integrate the web into our living rooms. It looks like Apple is responding, though: there are rumors that Apple will launch an iPhone OS-based version of Apple TV, a product that has never taken off like the iPhone or iPad. With Google TV and Apple TV in the spotlight, we asked you, the readers, to choose between the two services in our weekly Web Faceoff. Did you want Google TV or Apple TV more? After over 2,500 votes… …Google TV won in a landslide! With 58.2% of the vote (1,674 votes), Google TV trumped Apple TV’s 21.5% (617 votes). 11.9% of you (341 votes) said you wanted neither, while a full 8.4% of you (242 votes) actually want both devices. Things are looking good for Google TV, although we’ll have to wait until the fall to know who really comes out on top. Tune in next week for the next edition of the Web Faceoff! Faceoff Series: Overall ResultsWeek 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Week 15: Week 16: Week 17: Week 18: Week 19: Week 20: Week 21: Week 21: Week 22: Week 23: Week 24: Week 25: Week 26: Week 27: Week 28: For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Bing, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim Tags: Apple TV, google tv, web faceoff
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| Amazon to Launch Thinner, Sharper Kindle to Compete with iPad Posted: 28 May 2010 06:57 PM PDT 
According to Bloomberg, Amazon will introduce a new version of its popular e-reader in August. It will boast a thinner build, sharper contrast, and faster page-turning. However, it will not be a touchscreen device, nor will it boast color. Apple is gunning directly for Amazon’s e-book business with its iBooks store, which publishers have embraced as an alternative to Amazon’s long-standing dominance in the e-book space. The iPad’s multitude of uses and starting price point of $499 are a threat to the Kindle, although the iPad’s LED screen isn’t as well suited as the Kindle for extended reading. The Kindle utilizes black-and-white e-ink technology to make reading on the device less strenuous on the eyes. While the upgrade should help Kindle stay relevant, we’re likely to see color and a touchscreen on Amazon’s e-reader device at some point. In February, the company acquired Touchco, a startup specializing in color touchscreen technology. It’s going to be some time though until Amazon is satisfied with a touchscreen interface that is also easy on the eyes. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: amazon, apple, ipad, Kindle
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| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 28 May 2010 06:16 PM PDT 
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Inspiration at a special price — only $149 if you register by May 21. Space is limited!  Bantam Live is a web-based collaboration workspace for small business teams that combines “Social CRM” with project/task management and microblogging communication – all centered within a real-time activity stream. Business teams can share an address book and track contacts and conversations, track prospects and sales pipelines and organize projects and tasks to get work done. With integrations to social networks, team members can search for keywords and reply to and import new contacts and their real-time profiles into Bantam Live.  Gist helps you build stronger professional relationships by bringing together information from across the web for all your contacts and their companies, giving you the right information at the right moment to get a first meeting, deliver an amazing pitch or just find a better way to make a connection. Gist does all the work for you by assembling a dynamic collection of all your contacts and their companies from your e-mail inbox, your social networks or even your CRM system, automatically building and updating their profiles as new content is published by them or about them.  Yield Software's Yield Web Marketing Suite optimizes paid search (PPC) natural search (SEO) and landing pages, all in one easy-to-use Web-based system. A simple, intuitive interface together with sophisticated algorithms work seamlessly to optimize SEM campaigns every minute of every day, enabling growing businesses and their agencies to lower costs, improve performance and increase profitability. Yield also offers a free SEO Analyzer, which delivers a report covering how well a site is optimized and suggestions for improvement. Yield Software—Web Marketing Made Easy.  Clickatell offers mobile social networks the opportunity to measure their return on investment. Not only does Clickatell offer an Interactive Campaign Manager tool that allows you to monitor and intervene in your customer campaigns in real time, it also generates and manages database integration and comes with additional marketing tools. Track the delivery status of your text messages and the responses; take the guesswork out of campaigning. Your valuable messages will always be delivered as our products allow for message escalation to alternative delivery gateways. Social networks are also, through the account management package, given control over network channels and connectivity options. All necessary tasks have been automated and our central interface allows you to manage multiple connections and projects at the same time. Which leading social networking companies have chosen Clickatell as a mobile messaging partner? Read our success stories here.  Influxis is an official Adobe hosting partner and resource for the Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server. Influxis provides Flash hosting plans for all levels of use – beginner to enterprise. With a reputation for exceptional customer service, Influxis provides an extremely reliable international network of FMS servers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.  BizSpark is a program which offers new software businesses and entrepreneurs access to Microsoft design, development and production tools with no upfront costs for up to three years. Members can also connect with a nationwide community of Network Partners – investors, incubators, service providers and entrepreneurial organizations – who are keen to help. For more information or to connect with a Microsoft BizSpark advisor, please visit MicrosoftStartupZone.com/BizSpark.  MailChimp is a powerful, easy-to-use e-mail marketing service. You design, me deliver.  If you’re working for a startup, Sun can help you get it off the ground fast. 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Thanks to ConVerdge for implementing our My Mashable social network.  Mashable would also like to thank AttentionPR for their PR support. AttentionPR proves that PR today is measurable, transparent and yes, social. Learn more about AttentionPR.  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.  iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of safe, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Using the most accurate search in the business, customers download a file at least every second from a collection of more than five million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out approximately $1.2 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images. Mashable readers save 10%.  Founded in 1998 as a free service, Dynamic Network Services Incorporated (Dyn Inc.) now operates two extremely reliable, “rock solid,” global DNS platforms; DynDNS.com for home/SMB users and the Dynect Platform for corporations and enterprises. As a leading provider of managed DNS services, Dyn Inc. plays a key role in keeping the Internet’s DNS infrastructure running smoothly, handling trillions of queries per day and servicing nearly four million active users. With a range of innovative solutions, from domain name and e-mail services on DynDNS.com, to failover, load balancing, traffic management and CDN balancing services with the Dynect Platform, Dyn Inc. remains committed to world class customer service and engineering excellence. Uptime is the Bottom Line. For more information about Dyn Inc., visit www.dyn.com, e-mail hello@dyn.com or call +1-603-668-4998.  With over 50,000 publishers serving more than 300 billion ads per month, OpenX is the world's leading provider of ad technology for web publishers. We offer our global community comprehensive and customizable ad-serving technology. OpenX Ad Server empowers more than 150,000 websites with the ability to take control of their ads and maximize their ad revenue. Our ad serving products are translated into 25 languages and used in more than 100 countries. By delivering world-class ad serving functionality along with ad revenue optimization through OpenX Market, OpenX helps publishers everywhere make more money.  ConcentricSky offers web development and strategic consulting services with a focus on emerging technologies such as Social Media and iPhone Apps. From simple websites to integrated web applications, we deliver innovative solutions that exceed your expectations – not your budget. We can get your name out there.Contact us for more information about supporting Mashable’s growth and development. Alternatively, visit our advertise section for more details about:
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| Time Magazine Names Foursquare and Farmville Among Worst Inventions Posted: 28 May 2010 04:58 PM PDT 
The list of “the world’s bright ideas that just didn’t work out” included both the location-based social game Foursquare and Zynga’s Farmville, among other items that ranged from tanning beds to spam e-mail. Foursquare, which Mashable’s Jennifer Van Grove just reported is nearing 1 million checkins per day, made the list for promoting narcissism. Time.com’s Kristi Oloffson acknowledges its potential for being useful with coupons, such as Starbucks’s recent promotion for its mayors, but dismisses it as “another layer onto a generation living virtually.” Farmville made the list for being a time-suck and an addicting game that Dan Fletcher says is “hardly even a game,” but instead a “series of mindless chores.” He’s quick to point out that the game has captivated the interest of millions. Farmville has 30 million farms created with 2 million in the U.S., according to Zynga. Because Farmville is quite popular and Foursquare is gaining steam, we’re curious if you agree. Let us know what you think in the poll below. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: farmville, foursquare, poll, social gaming, social networking, starbucks, Time.com, trending
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| Travelocity Gnome Now Roaming on Foursquare Posted: 28 May 2010 03:59 PM PDT 
The move rounds out the Gnome’s social media portfolio — which, in addition to Chatroulette, includes a very active presence on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can look for the gnome to check in at various locations across London over the course of the weekend, says Travelocity representative Joel Frey. Frey also tells us that the Gnome’s foray into Foursquare was timed with Virgin Atlantic’s first seasonal flight from Chicago to London yesterday. In fact, Gnome lovers can check out photos from the glamorous first-class trip on his Facebook Page. Which brings us to the bigger picture. Location-sharing isn’t exactly an activity that can be completed behind a desk. I asked Frey whether or not the Gnome would be open to meeting up with fans during his worldly treks, to which he replied, “We’d love to run into Fousquare friends and will also being do a tweetup on Tuesday evening.” “To have an icon like the Gnome at our disposal to engage with travelers on all of these new communication channels is an amazing opportunity and we’d be foolish not to play,” Frey concluded. We tend to agree and find social media to be the perfect vehicle for the Gnome to spread the Travelocity message. Bon voyage!  [img credits: Travelocity] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: foursquare, MARKETING, roaming gnome, travelocity
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| PostRank Brings Real-Time Social Monitoring to Your Blog Posted: 28 May 2010 03:25 PM PDT 
PostRank Analytics has always offered an aggregated report for individual articles, noting how many tweets, bookmarks or comments a post received, but now that data is displayed in real time in a single view on your PostRank dashboard. You can now see when someone shares a link on Buzz, comments on a post that has been shared to Reddit or bookmarks a post in Delicious. Rather than having to search through posts manually and filter by activity, you can see the activity as it takes place. This is a really compelling tool for publishers who are looking at measuring the types of engagement they are getting across social media channels. These sorts of measurements can be really helpful in identifying trends and figuring out where to focus your social strategies. For instance, if if a user sees that he is getting lots of interaction on Facebook or on Google Buzz, that might be an indication to be more active in those channels.  PostRank Activity Streams monitor Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, FriendFeed, Delicious, Reddit, Digg and more. The feature is still in beta and it will be improving over time, but it looks like a really great addition to the social publisher’s toolkit. If you don’t already have a PostRank account, you can sign-up for a 30-day free trial here. How do you monitor the social activity taking place around your content? Let us know! For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Delicious, Digg, Facebook, FriendFeed, Google Buzz, Twitter Tags: activity streams, postrank, postrank analytics, social media tools
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| HTC EVO 4G to Get Video Calling… For a Price Posted: 28 May 2010 03:05 PM PDT 
It might be a hard pill to swallow for some, considering Sprint is already going to charge a $10 “premium data” fee per month simply to make use of the phone’s data services in addition to whatever monthly voice and data package is chosen. Qik runs the risk of running afoul of the “feeling nickel and dimed” response from consumers who are already shelling out extra fees to capitalize on the “about 10 times faster” data speeds on Sprint’s 4G network. Meanwhile, although Skype had released a Skype Mobile Android client previously, its exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless means that Android users on other carriers can’t access the app. A PR representative from the company indicated that before the end of this year Skype will ship a direct-to-consumer app that will be available regardless of the carrier — although it can’t yet promise that the app will include mobile video calling as one of its features. In other words, it may take some time for mobile video calling alternatives to catch up if you’re not willing to pony up the extra $5 a month for that feature via Qik. Early tests with competitive app Fring have been so far mixed, with some garnering less than stellar reviews and others faring fairly well (see the video below for a demo). Still, the available options at launch could be a bit of a downer to aspiring HTC EVO owners eager to take advantage of its dual cameras for mobile video calls. What do you think: Is Qik asking too much for mobile video call service? Will we see reliable free alternatives crop up in short order? For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Fring, Skype, Twitter Tags: 4G, android, htc evo, HTC EVO 4G, mobile video calling, qik, Skype, sprint, verizon
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| Mashable’s Ben Parr Discusses Privacy on Russian Debate Show [VIDEO] Posted: 28 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT 
In the interview, Parr says that technology has changed the way the world thinks about privacy. He also gets into a somewhat heated debate with fellow guest Ann Cavoukian on the nature of societal attitudes toward privacy. The panel of guests also debates whether or not governments should regulate Facebook and other social networking sites, and discusses whether privacy should ultimately be Facebook’s responsibility or the user’s responsibility. The full interview is an interesting discussion on Facebook and online content sharing in general. You can check it out in its entirety below. For more perspective on Facebook and the new privacy controls, watch what Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore had to say yesterday on PBS. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: Ben Parr, facebook, privacy
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| How Open Data Applications are Improving Government Posted: 28 May 2010 02:05 PM PDT 
Open data is the big trend these days when people talk about “Government 2.0.” In reality, the open data movement has just begun, with governments finally starting to release data en masse in an effort to promote transparency. While projects like Apps for Democracy have received significant media attention, we are just at the dawn of the government open data app movement. “Open data apps are becoming ever-more effective, but insofar as they have actually had a dramatic ‘effect’ on the systems that most influence our lives, we still have a long way to go,” said Jake Brewer, engagement director for the Sunlight Foundation. “I always say that until my mom or dad in Middle Tennessee are actively using open data apps that our community creates, we haven’t gotten there yet. At this point, it’s clear open data applications are in their infancy from the relatively low number of new apps being produced and the usage stats of those apps once the initial buzz factor dies down.” Here’s a look at how public sector open data apps are evolving. Transparency Fosters Better Citizenship Citizens often get frustrated with their local, state and national governments, but they rarely understand how much demand the system faces. Lack of transparency into governmental departments and processes can leave the average American bewildered. Apps can change that with transparency. “This transparency makes it possible to track how well the city is keeping up with requests, their performance over time, which neighborhoods are getting help first, etc.,” said Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America. “[W]hen you see the other requests in the queue and realize that your issue is one of thousands in your community, it's not just the government who becomes accountable; you start to be held accountable as a citizen as well. “If you could see a list of all the lights that weren't fixed in your city, and see that a dozen people had complained that there had been a spike in crime under another broken light in another part of town and that people were really suffering because of it, you might you think to yourself ‘hey, it's more important to fix that light than my own,’” explained Pahlka. “This is a moment of citizenship, when the needs of the larger group take precedence over the individual's needs.” Improving Application Access Some apps, like SeeClickFix, have been wildly successful, but in general, open data applications don’t always make the impact that designers would like. Not every American has an iPhone — far from it. Ad Mob statistics show only 10.7 million units in the United States. Pragmatic accessibility for the average citizen can be a difference maker. “A lot of people started to make iPhone apps with this public data, which is great, but for many cities there isn’t a high overlap between bus ridership and iPhone use,” said Christopher Csikszentmihalyi, Director, MIT Center for Future Civic Media. “We are currently deploying a public/private initiative called LostInBoston which includes a cheap LED sign that shows real-time estimates of when the next MassDOT bus is coming. “If government were to do this, it would probably take many years and be incredibly expensive. We are looking at a couple of hundred dollars for a sign placed on private property, in the window of a restaurant or corner shop,” said Csikszentmihalyi. “Business owners get customers coming in because pedestrians know they have a few minutes … Bus drivers are excited because an informed rider is a less hostile rider.” While this is a relatively narrow application, it shows that not all open data applications have to be “Web 2.0″ for citizens to really benefit. The Secret Sauce for a Better App Given what’s already been released, some best practices are starting to emerge. For example, two-way engagement has become a critical success point for some applications. Pragmatic use for real needs is another important factor. “The best applications are those that are built with cross-cutting teams of data providers, community users, and app makers,” said Lucy Bernholz, president of Blueprint Research & Design. “Ecofinder in [San Francisco] is very cool — it solves the problem of knowing where to recycle various household goods at the point in time when you need that info.” “While much of the open data initiative has been about making government data public, getting citizen data to the government and to the rest of the public — whether complaints or other information — is also important,” said Csikszentmihalyi. “The state of Ohio has no online way to complain about a well that is leaking, nor does it keep a record of complaints by citizens. A new family can move into a house with a well on the property, but have no way of knowing if that well had previously blown out or exploded.” How Can Government Help? As local governments ban together to create data standards via Open311 and as the Federal Government’s data.gov initiative continues, we are seeing more data hit the market. Local, state and Federal Governments alike are early in the process of providing open data. One thing is clear — government’s role should be about enabling data application development and facilitating improved processes from the public sector to increase transparency and open data. “Government’s role really should fall on the ‘enabler’ side when it comes to apps, by releasing all their public data online and in real-time,” said Brewer. “Once data is released, citizen developers and designers — ‘civic hackers’ — can go to town with the released data, innovating and creating utility for the public.” “Think about how technology companies launch platforms,” said Pahlka. “They employ a small army of developer relations professionals who seed the market and enable an ecosystem around their technology. Developer relations isn’t a function government is used to providing, but they are learning how to do it.” For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore government and tech resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DHuss Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, data.gov.uk, iPhone, iStockphoto Tags: apps, citizenship, data, development, government, open data, public, social good, Web Development
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| Meet the Cast of “If I Can Dream” [VIDEO] Posted: 28 May 2010 01:44 PM PDT 
We had a chance to visit the Dream House — nestled in Beverly Hills and outfitted with more than 60 video cameras — and sit down with the show’s five Hollywood hopefuls. We’ve previously written about If I Can Dream as one of the more interesting projects at the intersection of entertainment, social media and the plugged-in landscape we now inhabit. The technology powering the show is notable enough in its own right (check out our exclusive tour of Dream Studios for a glimpse at behind-the-scenes production), and as all of the cast members discuss in the video below, the series is also a unique opportunity to allow an audience in on the process of becoming a successful artist. See below for the cast’s thoughts on what it’s like to live entirely in public at all times, their favorite aspects of social media integration with the show, whether or not the series represents their actual lives, and the lessons they’ve learned from the project thus far. And if you’re a fan of the show, stay tuned next week for our tour of the Dream House and the technology that makes the world’s largest 24/7 live event possible. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: entertainment, facebook, hulu, If I Can Dream, IICD, music, myspace, reality tv, Simon Fuller, social media, television, tv, twitter
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| Create a Socially Integrated Online Shop in 60 Seconds Posted: 28 May 2010 01:17 PM PDT 
Quick Pitch: Tinypay.me is the easiest way to sell virtually anything and is the world's first socially integrated e-commerce website. Genius Idea: If you are thinking of putting an old watch up for auction on eBay or listing your latest T-shirt design on Etsy, you may want to check out Tinypay.me first. Tinypay.me is an e-commerce service that enables users to create quick listings for their products or services. Simply fill out the name, price and a quick description of the good or service you’d like to sell, type in a few personal details and upload a picture. You can also opt to donate the proceeds of the sale to charity, and identify your product or service’s location on a map.You can then share your listing directly with your social networks or set up your own online store on your blog or website. The whole process can take less than a minute. The service only asks for your name and your PayPal e-mail address; you don’t even need to set up an account or share any of your bank information. You can also sync your listing with Facebook, Twitter and Google Product Search to share your listings instantaneously. While the service is great for selling your products and services quickly and easily, it lacks many of the benefits of e-commerce sites like eBay, Etsy and Amazon Marketplace. They are destination sites for buyers and drive most of the traffic to the listings of individual sellers via marketing and excellent search and recommendation engines. And although Tinypay.me allows visitors to leave comments on a product, it has yet to implement seller and product ratings. In other words, if you want to succeed with Tinypay.me, you’re going to have to depend entirely on your website and social networks to advertise and sell your goods. What do you think of Tinypay.me? Have you ever sold anything online? If so, what e-commerce service did you use? Find out more about the service in the video below. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
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| SIRIUS XM Android App Brings Satellite Radio to Your Phone Posted: 28 May 2010 12:51 PM PDT 
Already available for the iPhone and BlackBerry devices, the expansion to Android smartphones extends the reach of the country’s only satellite radio service to a wide new range of supported handsets. Subscribers have access to more than 120 channels of commercial-free audio programming from entertainment to sports to comedy and more, accessible over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks via the app. You can also mark channels as “Favorites” for faster retrieval, and of course the built-in multi-tasking on the Android platform allows users to listen to tunes while doing other activities like web browsing. There’s no extra charge for accessing SIRIUS XM content via your smartphone if you’re already a Premium Online subscriber, and non-subscribers can take advantage of a seven-day trial on their Android smartphones. What do you think of satellite radio as an entertainment service? Does it compare favorably or unfavorably with other music and entertainment options available for the Android platform? For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, BlackBerry Rocks!, Facebook, Twitter, favorites, iPhone Tags: android, music, radio, satellite radio, sirius xm
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| Opera Mini a Hit on the iPhone Posted: 28 May 2010 12:28 PM PDT 
This data was presented in Opera’s State of the Mobile Web report for April 2010. Opera’s report focuses on the most popular websites, based on Opera Mini users, and also showcases the demonstrable international impact that the iPhone has had on its data. Many were surprised when Opera Mini was accepted into the App Store, in part because Apple has historically blocked apps that “duplicate [the] functionality” of its native apps; in this case, Opera Mini competed with the iPhone’s native Safari browser. And while Opera Mini cannot be selected as the default web browser (meaning links opened in Mail or from other apps cannot open in Opera Mini) its success indicates that there is indeed a base of users who want an alternative web browser for the iPhone. Have you used Opera Mini for the iPhone? What are your thoughts? For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: App Store, Facebook, Opera, Opera Mini, Safari, Twitter Tags: Browsers, iphone apps, opera, opera mini
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| 5 Steps to Taking Customer Service Social Posted: 28 May 2010 12:08 PM PDT 
The debate over who owns the customer still looms in the shadows of company hallways and conference rooms. There is no one right answer because every department, team and employee owns the customer and takes part in shaping a positive customer experience. Customer service is no longer an area to triage customer complaints. It’s about anticipating customer needs at the right time and place. Organizations must relearn how to interact with their community, shed some of the heavily automated barriers, and get back to the basics of customer service. 1. Apply Your Current Service Strategy to Social MediaTo get where you’re going, sometimes it’s helpful to learn more about out where you’ve been. Most likely, your company has a customer service and response strategy in place to handle issues through e-mail, chat and phone. Avoid reinventing the wheel by creating new response strategies and processes. Take time to review how customer inquiries and outreach are currently being handled. What are the customer service goals? Do any current processes need to be updated? Can current strategies be adopted for social media implementation? Answer these questions, and you are not only improving your company’s customer service, but making it possible for any person in your organization to take on this task. 2. Put Human Relationships Back Into Your ServiceThe human element has been taken out of the customer service experience in many companies and replaced with automated messages and prompts. By the time a human operator is reached, their responses are often scripted and they do not have the authority or knowledge to solve complex issues. As elementary as it may sound, organizations need to empower their workforce to go beyond canned responses and develop a more relationship-building approach to customer service, as opposed to one-off interactions. Adding social back into the customer service mix does not involve throwing out processes already in place, but improving upon them. Begin by establishing customer engagement policies. Social media policies and guidelines can provide the education and structure for how to engage online, and empower your workforce to operate within accepted and encouraged boundaries with the freedom to be themselves. Next, coordinate a system of gathering information, categorizing, segmenting and analyzing customer engagement that is transparent within your company. Finally, establish workflows to distribute customer engagement responsibilities throughout the organization to ensure the right person is interacting with the right customer at the right time. 3. Establish a Knowledge BaseThe customer service department is often separated from the rest of the company, training and operating in a “silo.” Bring customer service agents out from the shadows and provide them with the training they need to engage customers on their turf within the social web. Establish a company wiki where all departments can contribute social media knowledge and lessons learned. Train agents beyond their role. Develop subject matter experts who can handle taking conversations to the next level and solve issues in real-time on the channel of the customer's choice. In turn, allow your customer service agents to be the teachers and share best practices from the trenches of phone, e-mail and chat support. What are the frequently asked questions? How do agents currently deal with sticky customer issues? What actionable insights can be gleaned from the types of issues and responses from inbound calls, e-mail and chat? Your customer service agents can illuminate new paths and caution you in areas they have already explored. 4. Set Expectations One of the goals and challenges of providing customer service through social media channels is to mine data for actionable insights that will enable highly personal and proactive service. Determine the channels where the bulk of your customer conversation is occurring. Avoid the trap of participating in all channels to serve all customers, which may only overextend your team. Pinpoint the channels your organization can afford to place resources and invest in community participation. Then, analyze these areas for broader trends. Online channel behavior is not indicative of your total customer base, but tying this data back to traditional CRM analysis can yield valuable insights for your response strategy. Further, just like your customer service department has set hours of business, so should your service in social channels. Conversations are 24/7, and issues may arise in off hours, but it is essential to set expectations of service up front. Your workforce may choose to handle issues off the clock within the framework of your organization’s social media guidelines, but you should clearly outline this capacity in your profile or bio. 5. Perform Quality AssuranceOnline interaction offers a glimpse into what your customers think about your company, workforce, products and/or services. Embrace this culture of feedback even though the majority of conversations may not occur in your own managed communities. Improve your online engagement by asking the community about your performance. Similar to a typical call center experience, after an agent or employee has an exchange on Twitter or another social channel, send the person a survey about their recent online customer service exchange. Use this feedback to assist in overall response strategies and evaluation of participation in social channels. Maintain patience and consistency by first establishing measurable goals and objectives of how your organization will engage in the social space. Align these metrics with overall business goals. Talk to the marketing, communication and sales departments to establish metrics that will measure your collective efforts and give a holistic view of the customer's online behavior. Benchmark your progress. Take time to reevaluate processes, take action on feedback and don't give up because of some rocky roads. There were rough times when e-mail and chat were implemented. Social media interaction will have growing pains just like any other business channel, but you have to make the investment. ConclusionEach company must forge its own path to integrating social into the customer service mix. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is how we got to this heavily automated customer service triage position in the first place. The companies that are embracing social media as a service solution are succeeding because they realize their employees are the best company evangelists and operators of front-line engagement. Those organizations that treat their employees as humans are also those who are treating their customers as humans, and not a faceless CRM number. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook
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| Mark Zuckerberg Donated to Facebook Alternative, Diaspora Posted: 28 May 2010 11:50 AM PDT 
His support for an idea that directly opposes the openness of Facebook is somewhat surprising, especially since Zuckerberg is intent on “making the world more open.” How much Zuckerberg donated to Diaspora’s Kickstarter fund is unknown, but he revealed that he’s motivated to help these college kids because he sees “a little of myself in them.” Zuckerberg also claims to welcome a different approach to sharing, and looks forward to seeing whether these NYU students can come up with a new solution for handling the trickier challenges Facebook has faced in dealing with privacy around content shared with friends of friends. We find the gesture to be quite benevolent, although it could be a more calculated maneuver to help paint the CEO in a more positive light. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: diaspora, facebook, mark zuckerberg
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| The Muppets Celebrate Memorial Day with “American Woman” Cover [VIDEO] Posted: 28 May 2010 11:24 AM PDT  It ain’t a holiday without a little musical accompaniment courtesy of the Muppets — or at least that seems to be the trend of late. The Muppets Studio has released a new video on its YouTube channel in honor of Memorial Day featuring Sam the Eagle’s take on The Guess Who’s “American Woman.” The furry puppets have been dominating the ‘net lately — they dropped in at Lost headquarters not too long ago, and even picked up a Webby for their rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s good to see that Sam & Co. aren’t taking the three-day weekend as an excuse to slack off, unlike you, Sir or Ma’am, currently surfing the web. Now watch this vid and get back to that spreadsheet! For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: humor, music, viral video
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| UK Postman Admits to Using Facebook and Bebo to Abuse Hundreds of Children Posted: 28 May 2010 11:06 AM PDT 
Michael Williams, a 28-year-old from Cornwall, used the sites to pursue and friend children, sometimes using false names and posing as a teenager, according to the BBC. With some of the victims, he used the sites to arrange meetings. The case comes at a time when social network users have grown concerned about their privacy while on such sites. In fact, 71% of 18-29 year olds limit the information they share with others on social networks, according to a Pew Research report. Williams’s charges included “inciting sexual activity, grooming and distributing indecent images” and more. Police worry that many more children have been abused and have yet to come forward because he used social sites to approach “hundreds.” Williams will be sentenced in three months after psychiatric reports are complete. How do you think social networking sites can prevent such atrocities from occurring? [img credit: lizzardo] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: bebo, cornwall, facebook, Pew report, social networking privacy, uk
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| Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: Brits, Biebs, Babies & More Posted: 28 May 2010 10:43 AM PDT 
The Mashable staff has gone wading in the stream that is the Internet to bring you a passel of the above. So nix that fifth cup of coffee, Joe Office Chair, and plug in those headphones. 2-year-old Ella Singing “Baby” — Justin BieberMatt Silverman: This little girl is only slightly younger than Justin Bieber but shows twice as much hustle. My only complaint? The missing battery cover on her remote control/microphone. Amateur. Confrontation Between Reporter And PR Guy Gets WeirdVadim Lavrusik: This reporter just doesn’t like being touched. It’s a video that just makes you cringe as you watch it. David Mitchell Writes – Dear America…Amy-Mae Elliott: What jolly fun us Brits have at America’s expense when it comes to the Queen’s English. UK comic Mitchell here highlights a few no-nos as far as American-English goes. You might think it’s “garbage*” but don’t throw your toys out of the “baby stroller**” in the comments please, we’re all “buddies***” here. *Rubbish Cat Holds Fox Hostage and Starts LickingBrenna Ehrlich: Can’t…look…away…too…cute… (I guess my heart hasn’t wholly turned to stone, yet.) Miles Fisher – “This Must Be The Place”Brett Petersel: I’m a huge fan of American Psycho, the film based upon Bret Easton Ellis’s book. Miles Fisher nails this cover of the Talking Heads song, maybe better than the original! Jew YorkLauren Rubin I’m moving to London in a month. When I think about leaving NYC, I want to remember the lifestyle I know and love. Minus the velour tracksuits. The Noid Dominoes 1980sChristina Warren: Man, claymation as a trend was so cool. The Noid, the California Raisins… For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter Tags: humor, viral video, youtube
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| Facebook Testing Related Photos Feature Posted: 28 May 2010 10:19 AM PDT 
Related photos appear in a right-hand sidebar adjacent to the photo the user is viewing. The product shows additional photos of friends tagged in the displayed photo, as well as photos from other albums by the Facebook user, according to reports from Inside Facebook. “This is a feature we're currently testing with a small percentage of users,” a Faceboook representative confirmed in a message to Mashable. The application feature addition is designed to drive users to explore additional photos that may be of interest based on the photo they’re currently viewing, thereby further personalizing the experience (and increasing page views). Inside Facebook also explains that “when it displays additional photos by the same author, the title line above the photo only shows the photo-owner's first name, giving the feature an intimate feel.” Photos of friends and family members tend to demand attention and suck people in, hence the popularity of Facebook Photos. We can certainly understand why Facebook would be experimenting with “Related Photos” as a way to increase user interaction time with photos on Facebook.  [img credit: Fati.m.a. Maria, Inside Facebook] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter Tags: facebook, facebook photos
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| Foursquare Nearing 1 Million Checkins Per Day Posted: 28 May 2010 10:10 AM PDT 
In fact, once Foursquare hits 11.58 checkins per second — a milestone foreseeable in the very near future — it will be processing over 1 million checkins per day. Foursquare is all the rage right now and has been growing at an astronomical rate of late. Earlier this month we learned that the location-sharing mobile game is adding around 15,000 users per day. The company has also seen the checkin rate shoot up from one per second in January to more than ten checkins per second today. We can attribute the company’s strategic allegiance with media companies like Bravo and retail corporations like Starbucks as primary contributing factors to Foursquare’s growth. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Foursquare has become a media darling — garnering mainstream attention for popularizing the location-sharing trend — in much the same way that Twitter did last year. Update: Foursquare Co-Founder Dennis Crowley says that the 10 plus checkins per second figure was on a Wednesday night, and that the company is averaging 700,000 checkins per day. He projects to hit the 1 million mark by mid to late June.  For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: checkins, foursquare, trending
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| HOW TO: Pick the Perfect Name for Your Startup Posted: 28 May 2010 09:37 AM PDT 
Anyone who has sat stymied with their cursor blinking in a "username" field knows that coming up with a name is harder than you'd think. How do you find that perfect Twitter handle or that ideal epithet for your blog, website or startup — one that's snappy and memorable, and that you won't hate by next year? We talked to bloggers, social media gurus, linguists and naming experts (yes, they exist!) to get the scoop on finding a name that will work on the web. 1. How Do I Start?Naming consultant Christopher Johnson, author of the The Name Inspector blog, says you should begin by brainstorming a list of keywords that relate to your blog, website or company. Then hit the reference materials; scan lists of synonyms and etymologies for more options. Friends are useful, too — find the best Scrabble player in your circle and get her involved. Try to think of all different types of names. You can compound words (Facebook, YouTube), blend together words (Microsoft, Netscape), add affixes (Friendster, coComment), make up words (Squidoo, Odeo) or use phrases (StumbleUpon, GoToMeeting). Once you've got a healthy list, start culling. Ask yourself: 2. Does It Mean Something? Names can be classified on a continuum based on how they communicate to consumers, says Nina Beckhardt, president of The Naming Group, an agency whose employees have crafted names for Walmart, Target and Puma. "There’s a spectrum from descriptive names which speak directly to a product benefit or attribute, to empty vessel names, where it doesn’t mean anything about the product that we’re talking about.” Descriptive names, such as Stuff White People Like or Blogging Basics 101, immediately convey information about what you do. They are simple, intuitive and help consumers easily identify the mandate of a blog or company. The downside? They can sound generic and boring, and the accompanying domain name is usually taken. They are also limiting in a fast-moving industry like tech, where what you do now might not be what you'll be doing in a few years. "A name can be a prison," says Michael Martine, the blogging and SEO expert behind Remarkablogger. "Take AT&T. There, the last T stands for telegraph." 3. Or Does It Mean Nothing? Beckhardt says that empty vessel names can be completely made-up words (Kodak or Squidoo), words in another language (Hulu, which roughly translates both to "holder of precious things" and "interactive recording" in Mandarin), or those whose meaning is so obscure that people interpret it as an invented word (Google is sparked from "googol," the name for the number consisting of a one followed by a hundred zeros). Empty vessel names can be fun to say, can separate you from the crowd, and can be subtler than descriptive ones. "Empty vessel names generate buzz in how different they are from the norm,” says Beckhardt. “They can also create phonetic impact.” But you may need to put in more money to get the word out initially, says Martine. "Generally, the more of a disconnect there is between the name of a blog and what the blog's about, the greater the chance it will not succeed." And a word to the wise: Check to see if the word means something in another language — you don’t want unintended meanings to make a mockery of your carefully crafted name. If neither descriptive nor empty vessel names appeal, try a suggestive name, which lies somewhere in between. Names like Apple or Yahoo all indirectly allude to the values for which the brand would like to be known. 4. Will It Work Online?Nothing kills a name faster than finding out someone else already has it — and in the online hunt for domain names, it sometimes seems like every possible option is taken. One solution, says Johnson, is to opt for misspelled, made-up or compound words, as in Flickr, Digg or Topix. He says that intentional Web 2.0 misspellings are “attempts to capture meaning and associations of a real English word without having to spend tens or hundreds of thousands on the domain name." Johnson also says that search engine issues have affected the style of names. People consciously try to create names with unique keywords so theirs will be the only result in targeted Google searches. Others incorporate popular keywords into the name in an attempt to improve their position in search results, though Martine believes this is a losing strategy from a branding point of view. "It's lifeless," he says. "A keyword is not a brand, where there's emotional connection with the words." Plus, since spammers rely heavily on popular keywords, names generated solely with SEO in mind can seem spammy. 5. Is It Sticky? Amidst all the search engine and domain name drama, consider that names are memorable when they sound good. "When you're creating a name, remember you're putting together syllables — a good design is going to be about pleasing contrasts between consonants and vowels, and consonants themselves," says Johnson. But don't get intimidated by the linguistics-speak. Humans are naturally pretty good at inferring whether a name is melodious or not. Just don't forsake that natural ability because you're so focused on domain names, SEO and empty vessels. You can also use poetic devices to ensure the names stick. Names based on rhymes (TopShop, T-Mobile HotSpot), repetition (Bebo, Lala), and alliteration (Firefox, BlackBerry) tend to be memorable. For the advanced namers out there, try what Beckhardt calls the "Part of Speech Test." Beckhardt argues that names that can be used in multiple parts of speech are stronger because people will use them in speech more often. LinkedIn, for instance, can be used as a noun ("We connected on LinkedIn"), as an adjective ("Did you look at her LinkedIn profile?"), and as a verb ("I am going to LinkIn with him"). When a name passes the Part of Speech test, Beckhardt says, it becomes pervasive. 6. Is It Simple?"The name should be easy to pronounce, easy to understand when you hear it, easy to spell when you hear it, and easy to know the pronunciation when you see it written," says Johnson. However, you can mitigate confusion by buying domain names with likely misspellings and redirecting users to your site. Punctuation is trickier. Although adding hyphens to domain names or underscores to Twitter handles may allow you to get the name you wanted, people are likely to accidentally leave them out, especially when typing on mobile devices. You're better off avoiding punctuation if you can. Finally, shorter is usually better (especially for Twitter handles if you want to be retweeted). If it must be long, the name should be simple and memorable; Postcards From Yo Momma, for example. 7. Forget the RulesIf a name is really meaningful to you, it might work even if it doesn't quite meet all the other criteria. "Name strength is evaluated on an individual basis," says Beckhardt. So don't be intimidated by the rules — just grab your thesaurus and get going. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore business resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, coton89 Reviews: Bebo, BlackBerry Rocks!, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Flickr, Friendster, Google, Hulu, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Yahoo!, YouTube, iStockphoto Tags: BLOGS, branding, business, Domain Names, domains, List, Lists, naming, small business, trending, twitter, websites
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| SNEAK PEEK: The Popular Mechanics iPad App [SCREENSHOTS] Posted: 28 May 2010 09:09 AM PDT   Mashable was given a sneak peek of Popular Mechanics’s iPad app this week — which is still in development — and an interesting look at the thought process that goes into translating page to pixel. Hearst, which distributes Pop Mechanics, got some flack for not jumping on the app bandwagon prior to the launch of Steve Jobs’s “magical” product. Still, Deputy Editor Jerry Beilinson and Senior Technology Editor Glenn Derene explained to us that they didn’t think it wise to start laying out the app without getting their hands on the goods first. Consequently, the magazine is also creating the app in-house, rather than shipping it out to developers who may be unfamiliar with the publication. This process will lay the groundwork for how all other magazine apps are created at Hearst. The attention to detail shows. Instead of just taking the magazine and cramming it — PDF-style — into an app, Popular Mechanics took stock of what its audience wants. It seems head-smackingly simple when you think about it: An app should appeal to the same demographic as the magazine appeals to, therefore not all apps should be created the same. Readers of Rolling Stone might be more into streaming music than, say, adherents of Guns & Ammo, for instance. The reader of Popular Mechanics — whose median is age 46 — is described by the magazine as “a curious mindset — that’s what drives the Pop Mechanics reader to explore, become knowledgeable and actively participate in a wide range of interests. He is today’s influential neighborhood adviser that friends, family and colleagues turn to for advice.” OK, so the average reader is older and maybe he’s a bit more into traditional forms of communication (i.e. text) than the younger set, but he’s still ahead of the run-of-the-mill digital curb. Beilinson and Derene found that readers dig video and interactivity, but test groups really wanted an app that facilitated reading. Consequently, the team set out to create a “lean-back” app that is truly easy to use. In Beilinson and Derene’s opinion, re-teaching someone how to read a magazine is rather ridiculous — the iPad reading experience should come naturally. Navigation is rather handy, allowing one to browse through the magazine itself with a simple gesture or toggle through a table of contents. There’s also a page-flow bar at the bottom of the app where one can pick and choose which page to read, and a color-coded bar that shows you where in the magazine you’re currently located. (You can also zoom in on each page to get a better view before visiting it.) What’s interesting about the stories themselves is that although — on first glance — they appear to look identical to those in the magazine, the page layout, font and design has been altered to fit the iPad’s screen. If you’ve ever visited a magazine’s offices before, you may have seen galleys for every page tacked to the wall — the same is true for this particular magazine app. In essence, the team had to lay out two magazines rather than one. Popular Mechanics also prides itself on being a utility for readers — it uses its DIY section in particular to teach readers everything from home repair to auto repair. The DIY section — in the iPad incarnation — is created for utility, with 3-D models of whatever it is you’re building that you can view from multiple angles, and dissemble. There’s also step-by-step photo galleries (not available in the magazine) that allow one to really get into the project. The team envisions readers taking the ‘Pad into the workroom, where it can serve as a handy guide. Interactive elements like this are scattered throughout the app — in addition to having bookmarking and sharing functionality, you can also send an e-mail, update Facebook and tweet from inside the app. There’s also a newsfeed that pulls in stories from the website. Perhaps the coolest addition — at least in this upcoming issue — is an interactive earthquake tracker, which shows seismic activity around the globe. This stands in for the traditional infographic, providing more value by updating constantly. Which means that the element will still have a function months after the issue comes out. It remains to be seen how readers will react to this app — it still needs to be approved by the App Store — but it definitely seems like the publication is taking advantage of the technology at hand. Pop Mechanics is not merely copy-pasting the magazine into an app, nor melding print and web content, but really creating a new reading experience. Of course, a couple of questions arise after viewing this product: 1). Will a magazine be able to create a print product and app every month (in addition to daily web operations) without significant costs/labor/strain on staff? 2). If iPad ownership continues to grow, and the app offers that much more functionality and utility, why even have a print product anymore? (Still no word on app pricing, by the way.) 3). How will magazines handle archiving issues when more and more digital versions are in the can? We’ll be excited to see how this all continues to pan out as both the Popular Mechanics app comes to light as well as future Hearst titles. In the meantime, we’re embedding a few screenshots of the app below. The Popular Mechanics iPad App  For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: App Store, Facebook, Mashable, Twitter
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| Is a New iPhone-based Apple TV in the Works? [RUMOR] Posted: 28 May 2010 08:46 AM PDT 
That’s what Engadget is reporting after receiving a tip and subsequent confirmation from sources “very close to Apple.” The new iteration of Apple TV, which reportedly will not be announced at the upcoming WWDC, will utilize the iPhone OS and depend on cloud — rather than local — storage. The new device will be based on the iPhone 4G architecture, meaning it will have an A4 CPU and a limited amount of flash-based storage — probably in the 16GB range — plus have the ability to display 1080p HD. The new version of the device will reportedly be priced at $99. Yeah, that’s right, $99. However, the connected TV space has actually really started to heat up over the last three and a half years, with companies like Boxee, Roku, VUDU and others actively seeking out methods to bring Internet content to viewers in a more seamless way. Last week at Google I/O, Google made a big splash with its official Google TV announcement. While Engadget’s sources say Apple started working on the next iteration of the Apple TV long before the first Google TV rumblings began, the rivalry between the two companies will likely still have an effect on Apple’s ultimate strategy. A leaner, cheaper Apple TV with a focus more on cloud content (which presumably might mean accessing iTunes purchases from the cloud — maybe, hopefully) is certainly a step in the right direction. Whether or not the product will be enough to lure in buyers will likely depend on how well it interfaces (or doesn’t interface) with non-iTunes content. If Engadget’s sources are accurate, we could see the announcement of the new Apple TV sometime this fall. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Boxee, Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter Tags: apple, Apple TV, connected tv, google tv, iptv
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| Opera Makes Fun of Google Chrome Speed Test [VIDEO] Posted: 28 May 2010 05:20 AM PDT 
Opera’s answer to the Chrome Speed Test comes in the form of two very silly individuals, who are trying to determine whether loading a web page in Opera is faster than cooking a potato. We’re not going to tell you if Opera passed the test, but we do agree that fighting one another with fish is a great way to pass the time when you’ve got nothing better to do. [via Engadget] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Opera, Twitter Tags: chrome, google chrome, opera, video
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There’s good news and bad news for future HTC EVO 4G owners: Skype should 
Mashable Co-Editor Ben Parr appeared on Russian TV network RT’s debate show, 
What’s it like to live on camera 24 hours a day? The cast of If I Can Dream, Simon Fuller’s direct-to-Hulu reality television series, is uniquely qualified to answer that question.
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 
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SIRIUS XM satellite radio subscribers can now access the service on yet another mobile platform with today’s launch of the 
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You there, lazily rolling about in your office chair, dreaming feverishly about how you plan to while away those three glorious days stretching before you like a verdant meadow — you know what would make this afternoon more tolerable? Some utterly delightful — yet utterly ridiculous — 
Facebook is testing an upgrade to its popular Facebook Photos application called “Related Photos” with select users.
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A couple of weeks ago, Google released a | 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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