Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Another Apple Leak: iPod Touch With 2-Megapixel Camera [VIDEO]” |  |
- Another Apple Leak: iPod Touch With 2-Megapixel Camera [VIDEO]
- Android and iPhone OS Pave The Way For Huge Smartphone Growth [STATS]
- Prince of Persia Comes to iPhone, Retro-Style
- GM Challenges Ford With Android Integration in the Volt [VIDEO]
- HTC EVO: Hands-On With the First 4G Phone [VIDEO]
- Finally: iPhone OS 4.0 Beta Includes AT&T Internet Tethering
- Playstation 3 Owners Get a New Service for Great Films
- “Draw” Your Own Music on the iPad [VIDEO]
- Another Microsoft Kin Ad Dubbed Creepy by Consumer Reports [VIDEO]
- ESPN to Launch Social Games for Sports Fans
- Can One Man Communicate Solely Through Social Media for a Month?
- Facebook Launches New Mobile Site with No Data Fees
- Create Collaborative Photo Books with Group Story
- Facebook to Simplify Privacy Options
- Add Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Info to Your Gmail Contacts [APPS]
- 5 Essential Facebook Privacy Tips
- Yahoo Acquires Associated Content
- Facebook Inks 5-Year Deal with FarmVille Parent Company
- 5 Tools For Integrating HTML5 Video in Your Website
- Google Chrome Version 6 in the Works
- Faux Ghostbusters Invade the New York Public Library [VIDEO]
- Which Company Has the Most “Social” Employees? [INFOGRAPHIC]
- 5 Innovative Websites That Could Reshape the News
- Best Buy Launches Online Video Store to Compete with iTunes and Amazon
- Join Us for MashMeet San Francisco This Thursday!
- Shazam’s One Billionth Song Identified Is…
- 21 Rules for Social Media Engagement
- Is Google Building a Skype Competitor?
- Conan O’Brien Shares His 5 Favorite YouTube Clips [VIDEOS]
- The Future of Musical Instruments [VIDEO]
| Another Apple Leak: iPod Touch With 2-Megapixel Camera [VIDEO] Posted: 19 May 2010 04:37 AM PDT  
Tinhte.com, the same Vietnamese site that brought us a hands-on of an iPhone 4G prototype, now has a device that seems to be an iPod Touch prototype, manufactured by Foxconn, with 64GB of memory and a 2-megapixel camera. It also seems to be running some sort of testing software or a diagnostic utility. Check out a video of the device below. It is unclear whether this device is an older prototype that never made it to the market, or something entirely new; in any case, we’re quite certain that Apple never meant for it to be announced like this. Either Apple’s secret police is not working as well as it did before, or maybe it’s just getting harder for everyone to keep information private in the age of Facebook and Twitter.   Tags: apple, iPod Touch, trending
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| Android and iPhone OS Pave The Way For Huge Smartphone Growth [STATS] Posted: 19 May 2010 04:25 AM PDT 
According to Gartner, which measures actual smartphone sales to end users, Google’s Android has surged to fourth place overall (see table below), groving from 1.6% to 9.6% market share in a year. Apple’s iPhone OS is in third place with 15.4% in Q1 2010, also a healthy increase from the 10.5% share it had in the first quarter of 2009. Symbian is still the top dog, but its market share experienced a dent, dropping from 48.8% to 44.3% in one year. RIM is at number two, with a small market share drop, but the way things are going, it might be surpassed by Apple’s iPhone OS in less than a year.  Looking at the entire mobile devices market, smartphones are still a relatively small blip on the radar. Nokia dominates, shipping 110 million units in Q1 2010 and holding 35% of the market; for comparison, Apple’s 8,3 million devices sold and 2.7% market share seems puny. Still, the smartphone grew an amazing 49% in the first three months of 2010. “In the first quarter of 2010, smartphone sales to end users saw their strongest year-on-year increase since 2006,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. This growth is a huge opportunity for well-positioned players such as Google and Apple; Nokia and Microsoft will have to improve their smartphone offerings soon in order to stay relevant. See Gartner’s entire report here. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookTags: android, apple, blackberry, Google, iphone os, Mobile 2.0, Nokia, RIM, smartphones, Symbian
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| Prince of Persia Comes to iPhone, Retro-Style Posted: 19 May 2010 02:03 AM PDT 
The original game now seems to be coming to the iPhone, under the name Prince of Persia Retro. The interesting thing about it? It’s one of the best games of all time. Back in 1989, when the game was first released, it boasted amazing animation, mind-boggling puzzles, addictive gameplay and an incredibly eerie atmosphere. It was also quite hard: one wrong step and you were severed in two or killed in some other gruesome way by one of the many traps sprinkled around the Sultan’s palace, in which the game is set. The game was due to be released by Ubisoft on 4/29/2010, but it’s still not available in the app store. Hopefully, it’ll appear there soon. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookTags: apple, iphone, Prince of Persia
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| GM Challenges Ford With Android Integration in the Volt [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 10:44 PM PDT 
With the Volt, Chevrolet’s new electric vehicle, the company is rolling out an excellent integration with the Android OS and OnStar that will allow for voice-activated features and mobile-to-car communication. Chevrolet added a navigation tab to its Volt mobile app for Android. From this tab, Volt owners will be able to see both their personal location and their car’s location in Google Maps. Maps is also used for voice-activated searches on the Android devices that then feed data to OnStar. Here’s a demo of the new features: We’re not sure when some these new features will be available, but at launch the Volt will include the ability to receive SMS messages for car battery charging notifications, remotely start the vehicle and more. The current OnStar mobile app is functional on the Droid and BlackBerry Storm. Volt Marketing Director Tony DiSalle said in a statement that the new Android-integrated features “add to the suite of mobile application features for Volt that gives Volt owners a personal connection to their car.” So, does the Volt’s mobile integration make the Fiesta’s voice-activated Pandora and Twitter capabilities look like parlor tricks? Or do you think Chevrolet still has a lot to do to catch up with Ford in the web-based technology area? For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Google Maps, Twitter Tags: android, chevrolet, ford, volt
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| HTC EVO: Hands-On With the First 4G Phone [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 09:06 PM PDT 
Google, Qik and other application developers have stepped in to develop versions of their apps customized for the HTC EVO 4G experience, including a YouTube client that will auto-detect your connection speed and serve up content in high-definition when on a 4G or fast 3G connection. The Qik application takes advantage of the phone’s two cameras — one 8-megapixel and one front-facing 1.3-megapixel — to provide on-the-go videoconferencing support. Sprint told us the HTC EVO 4G so far has garnered “the highest interest of any device we’ve ever announced,” and there are plenty of reasons why. Beyond the promised 10-fold speed boost from 4G, which Sprint will be the first to market in the U.S., the device can also act as a mobile hotspot, connecting up to 8 WiFi-enabled devices to the Internet. Add to that the overall hardware specs of the device, which render it a more powerful workhorse than even the Nexus One, and it’s no surprise that the HTC EVO 4G is one of the most hotly anticipated phones launching this summer. The phone will be available June 4 at retail partners Best Buy, RadioShack, and Wal-Mart as well as at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two year contract and after a $100 rebate (pro tip: picking up the phone at Best Buy Mobile nets you the rebate price on the spot). Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month, and the HTC EVO 4G will also carry a $10 per month Premium Data requirement. Use as a mobile hotspot is an optional extra at $29.99 per month — although at half the cost of the typical mobile broadband plan for devices like the MiFi or 3G broadband card, the portable hotspot cost is actually a good deal. Check out the video demo below and let us know what you think; we’ve included some still photos after the video as well. If you’re in the market for a new phone in the near future, does the HTC EVO 4G make the list of potentials?        For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, YouTube Tags: 4G, android, Google, HTC EVO 4G, MiFi, mobile hotspot, qik, sprint, videoconferencing
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| Finally: iPhone OS 4.0 Beta Includes AT&T Internet Tethering Posted: 18 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT 
Tethering was first revealed as a feature of the iPhone last year with the iPhone OS 3.0. However, while some international carriers supported Internet tethering, AT&T did not because its network couldn’t support the wireless traffic. The same concerns with the network’s durability delayed the rollout of MMS. Now it looks like AT&T is finally confident that it can support tethering for its data-hungry customers. Among the new options in the iPhone OS 4.0, beta version 4 is the option to set up Internet tethering with AT&T via phone or web. The inclusion of tethering in the iPhone OS 4.0 beta doesn’t necessarily mean that it will actually come with the final version of iPhone OS 4.0. However, it’s the best sign yet that AT&T is finally getting its act together and will soon support a feature that it should have supported a long time ago. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter Tags: apple, iphone, Tethering, trending
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| Playstation 3 Owners Get a New Service for Great Films Posted: 18 May 2010 07:57 PM PDT 
Although the larger MUBI service remains available throughout the world, the PlayStation 3 partnership will only be available in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Australia, New Zealand and the other countries where SCEE has dominion. The MUBI PS3 app will be very much like the Netflix app. Once downloaded, users will be able to browse available films and then watch them either à la carte or pay for an unlimited monthly subscription. Some films will also be available to watch for free. Individual rentals are available for seven days. The new MUBI blog has some pictures of what the interface will look like and promises that the service will have at least 300 films when it launches. The film selection will include classic films, independent gems, foreign films and film festival selections. In addition to viewing movies, users will also be able to interact on the MUBI network by making recommendations and connecting with other movie fans. As a longtime lover of The Auteurs, I’m excited to see the MUBI rebrand, though obviously sad that Europe gets the good stuff first. Hopefully MUBI will expand its PS3 option into other parts of the world. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Australia, Facebook, Twitter Tags: criterion collection, Movies, mubi, playstation 3, PS3, the auteurs
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| “Draw” Your Own Music on the iPad [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 07:26 PM PDT 
We recently gave you a look at the future of musical instruments. The iPad app in the video below is a stunning example of where the future is headed. Artikulator, as it’s called, allows users to simply slide their fingers across the iPad’s screen to create a new kind of music notation — something completely different from notes on staves, something exponentially more intuitive. While traditional sheet music is cryptographic for the uninitiated, Artikulator is as simple to understand as a child’s toy. A line that curves upward creates a higher-pitched sound. A line that is bigger makes a louder sound. Developers Mike Rotondo and Luke Iannini constructed the app in about 24 hours during a Music Hackday, an event that combines art and technology with fascinating results. They hope to release their creation in the App Store soon, and they won’t be charging for the initial version. We also saw the app running on an iPhone, for those of you who don’t have iPads. And yes, they’re aware this demo sounds like “dying cats,” in their words; more timbres and sounds will be available. We think this interface is a wonderful way to teach and learn about music and to express creative urges without getting mired down in the technicalities of making and producing music. What’s your take on it: Could you see yourself playing with an “instrument” such as this one? Reviews: App Store
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| Another Microsoft Kin Ad Dubbed Creepy by Consumer Reports [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 06:08 PM PDT 
After Consumer Reports covered the previous commercial — in which a boy takes a picture of his chest — Microsoft edited the spot. Why? CR thought it promoted sexting, and that it was "downright creepy." The new ad that CR is taking offense to features an “online flirt” named Matty Goldberg, who flirts with Rosa via Facebook chat even though they have never met (apparently, Rosa doesn’t know how to hit the “unfriend” button). Rosa goes to meet Matty, and ultimately decides that he’s an OK guy, even if he is extremely socially awkward, says semi-lascivious things and admits to using the Internet to pick up girls. CR thinks that the whole thing is dangerous and, well, creepy. Basically, they think it sends the wrong message: That everyone on the web is nice, and it’s OK to go hang with strangers. CR has yet to hear from Microsoft — we’ll keep you updated when they do — but we’ve embedded the clip below so that you can draw your own conclusions. Is this ad “creepy”? Does it encourage kids to engage in risky behavior? Let us know what you think. This whole Kin thing is shaping up to be a quite a hotbed. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter Tags: facebook, Kin, MARKETING, microsoft, social media, video
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| ESPN to Launch Social Games for Sports Fans Posted: 18 May 2010 03:55 PM PDT 
The sports brand has inked a two-year deal with social gaming company Playdom to build the games, the first two of which should launch in Fall 2010. Other platforms for the games will include Bebo, Hi5, MySpace and Tagged. In addition to launching on social networks, mobile apps will also be available. Raphael Poplock is ESPN Digital Media’s VP for games and revenue strategy and development. He said today in a statement, "Our deal with Playdom marks ESPN's first major presence into the social gaming space. The sports genre for this category of games has gone virtually untapped thus far, and through this agreement, we have an opportunity to be in front of a highly engaged audience and at the forefront of what is currently the fastest growing games category out there." ESPN Interactive has a long-time relationship with EA for developing and marketing console games. ESPN Arcade is the brand’s casual gaming arm, and it’s been growing and helping to increase users’ time on ESPN.com. Social gaming was the missing puzzle piece for ESPN, and we can’t wait to see what Playdom comes up with. What kinds of sports genre games would you want to play on Facebook or other networks? [img credit: prettywarstl] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Bebo, Facebook, Hi5, MySpace, Twitter, tagged
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| Can One Man Communicate Solely Through Social Media for a Month? Posted: 18 May 2010 03:37 PM PDT 
Harris started the experiment as a tribute to his mother, Ruth Harris, whose 10-year battle with cancer ended last February. Thinking back to a more traditional fundraising campaign he participated in in 2006, Team in Training Century Ride, Harris began “looking for a bigger challenge to accomplish in her memory.” How could a cause campaign in today’s social media-enabled world compare to a primarily direct mail campaign from only a few years ago? Soon the concept of SilentClark was born. “What better challenge for a guy who never shuts up than to not talk for a month?” Clark can communicate on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn and Google Chat; e-mail, talking, writing, text messaging, and sign language are not allowed — not with friends, not with colleagues, not even with Harris’s wife. We “met” @SilentClark through Twitter and caught up with him via Facebook to find out more about the Social Media Experiment, how the project is going, and what it’s like to speak only through social media for an entire month. The Challenges of Social Media Silence
So what’s been the biggest challenge thus far? “It sucks to lose something. Before I could just speak when I wanted to speak. Now, I have to find a phone or computer or I’m stuck. It makes being social in public more work.” As a result, a lot of thoughts that would otherwise be conveyed get dropped. “It’s too much effort to tweet a response to everything. My percentage of talking to listening has completely reversed.” Harris says that being involved in the technology world professionally has helped the project along significantly. Without an existing network there, “it would be nearly impossible to get through it. I’ve been able to chat, tweet [and] Facebook message with everyone because all the people I deal with are in that world now. Just a year ago, I don’t think this would have been possible.” The intense and frequent dependency on technology to mediate communication has been one of the major hurdles during the experiment, which Harris refers to as the Delay Factor. “The times I need to talk most are ones when the Delay Factor is really apparent. Times when my wife really wants to talk about something or when we both get frustrated and have to wait on the iPhone to load for me to be able to convey a response. We’ve just had to bite the bullet and flex our patience.” Reactions to the Social Media ExperimentFace-to-face silence introduces an inevitable wild card into every in-person meeting with a stranger. How would people react? How would friends and family deal with a month of social media-only communication? Harris says the reactions have by and large been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s amazing to see how quickly people adapt,” he marveled. Despite being shocked by the idea at first, friends, family and co-workers quickly grew supportive. “I’ve been pleased with the words of encouragement and with people telling me it’s an ‘honorable’ or ‘inspiring’ endeavor.” As the online world has learned of the Social Media Experiment, strangers have been supportive as well. “I’ve had a great response from people I don’t know. Some retweet me with personal messages, others send encouraging words, and some even donate.” In person, things get a bit more challenging. “At times they think that I am actually mute, so I have to tell them that this is a choice and not a disability. When I tell them it’s a fundraiser for leukemia in memory of my mother, it’s the same response as above, they are taken aback.” In the face-to-face world though, most of the encounters aren’t with social media natives, so even the nature of the experiment itself requires “a little more explaining.” He carries around a card for just such encounters that reads: “I CAN’T TALK! Why? www.socialmediaexperiment.com — How can we communicate? You talk. I respond via Twitter @SilentClark.”  How is Social Media Conversation Different… Or Is It?We wanted to know if the types of communication possible through social media made day-to-day conversations radically different, or whether the nature of a personal connection tends to foster a similar way of relating across different social media channels. “I have not seen a big shift from my friends to adapt to speaking to me,” says Harris. On the flip side, a month “may be too short” to spot those kinds of shifts. “Before the SMX, there were people that I would only Gchat with. Obviously those people have been the easiest to communicate with. I have found myself on Facebook Chat more than before, but that is because I check Facebook more often and crave conversation. Chat is really my only way to talk to people in a semi conversational way. Tweeting someone may or may not result in a timely reply.” Work, somewhat surprisingly, has changed very little: “My business partner and I chat more than we talk in our office, even though we are in the same room, so the SMX has not changed that at all.” Overall, “conversations on the whole, across all mediums, have gotten much shorter. I have not had a solid 30-60 minute ‘chat’ with anyone, including my wife since April.”  Social Media Versus Traditional Cause CampaignsHow has the Social Media Experiment compared to the 2006 direct mail fundraising campaign Harris completed just a few short years ago? “My reach is much wider by using social media. I’ve had people from Asia and Europe show their support through sending me encouraging words and spreading information about my endeavor to their followers. In 2006 I didn’t have any strangers offering their support.” Harris also hopes to maintain longer connections with some of the supporters he’s been able to meet through the Social Media Experiment. He’s since lost touch with the other members of the 2006 campaign. “It is yet to be determined if any of the relationships I’m developing here with the SMX will pass the test of time. I hope they will.” Financially, although the campaign is still ongoing through the month of May, it’s already eclipsed the 2006 direct mail fundraiser. “In terms of donations and raw dollars, the passive donations are crushing what I did in 2006. I didn’t have any strangers donate, and already I’ve had several people donate who I have no affiliation.” Harris credits much of this to the advent of social media tools and the establishment of an online identity. “Now I have a proper online identity and people have the ability to get to know SilentClark Harris far better than the 2006 Clark Harris.”  How You Can HelpThere are a number of ways to help SilentClark achieve his goals in the Social Media Experiment. He hopes to encourage 20,000 individuals to contribute a nominal $5 donation. Head over to the Ways to Help section of the SMX website and click the “Donate Now” button to add your contribution. You can also follow @silentClark on Twitter, friend SilentClark Harris on Facebook, and “Like” the Silence Cancer Page on Facebook. Whether or not you are able to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, do consider helping to spread the word about the Social Media Experiment. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube Tags: activism, cancer, interviews, leukemia, silentclark, SMX, social good, social media experiment
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| Facebook Launches New Mobile Site with No Data Fees Posted: 18 May 2010 03:20 PM PDT 
The new site, 0.Facebook.com, will be available in 45 countries through 50+ mobile and wireless network operators. It is a trimmed-down version of Facebook with most of the features of m.Facebook.com, including status updates, a newsfeed, Likes, wall posts and comments. 0.Facebook.com has a killer feature: Using it is free, regardless of data plan. The world’s largest social network got its 50+ launch partners to make 0.facebook.com a costless experience, except for photos. Operators such as T-Mobile, Digicel, Vodafone, and MTN all support the new Facebook initiative. Because of its partnership with mobile carriers, there are a few caveats. First, 0.Facebook.com is only available to people on networks and countries that support it. You can find a full list of them here, but you won’t find the U.S., the UK, Japan, China, Germany or any other nations with strong wireless data networks on the list. This mobile site is built for nations where wireless data is far more expensive to acquire.  0.Facebook.com reminds us of Facebook Lite, the company’s first attempt to build a stripped-down version of its website. That project was shut down, but clearly many of the principles of Facebook Lite made it into 0.Facebook.com. Getting carriers to make it cost nothing to use could be what makes 0.Facebook a bigger success than its predecessor. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, alekcey For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: facebook, facebook mobile, Mobile 2.0
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| Create Collaborative Photo Books with Group Story Posted: 18 May 2010 03:19 PM PDT 
Quick Pitch: Group Story lets users collaborate with others online to create multifaceted photo books. Genius Idea: If you’ve ever tried to get a collection of photos from a big group of people, you know that it can be a bit of a hassle. Group Story is based on the observation that since no one lives their lives in isolation, a group can tell a tale much better than an individual can. For example, if there are 12 kids on a soccer team, each one should have a voice in telling about the team’s big win. In Group Story, photos are uploaded from a user’s computer to a shared and secure workspace for the community. Each member of the community can upload and tag photos, and all images are viewable and usable by the whole group. Then, users can build a photo album — a physical one — from the images they’ve uploaded. They can choose single- or multi-photo layouts, change the background color, and add titles and text.
For team sports, family reunions, small companies, parties and conferences, Group Story provides a great way for individuals to collaboratively share and publish memories. Here’s a brief overview and demo: The downside is that there doesn’t seem to be an “online album” option for these images, and the app doesn’t yet integrate with Facebook or Flickr, two of the most popular repositories of event and group photos. It might also be convenient to have a native photo-editing option — perhaps a Picnik integration — for simple tasks such as cropping, adjusting exposure or correcting red-eye. Also, creating physical books for these photo collections gets pricey. For example, printing and ground shipping for 30 books with 20 pages measuring 8×8 inches each comes to a whopping $456. At that rate, it would be more economical to buy a high-quality printer and a binding machine. Finally, typography options are limited to a small collection of web fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman — hardly what one might expect from a print product. What’s your opinion of this app? Would you use Group Story to make a physical photo album for your group or event? Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines)." For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Flickr, PHP, Twitter, picnik Tags: collaboration, group story, Photos, sharing, startup
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| Facebook to Simplify Privacy Options Posted: 18 May 2010 03:07 PM PDT 
Tim Sparapani, Facebook’s chief of public policy, said in a radio interview today that because so many people have expressed frustration and confusion with the network’s granular sharing and privacy options, “We are going to be providing options for users who want simplistic bands of privacy that they can choose from and I think we will see that in the next couple of weeks." Debates around user identity and Facebook’s motives in taking over the web have gained force in recent weeks after the rollout of Facebook’s instant personalization features. There have even been user-led calls for a mass exodus from the network. Here’s a video of the interview in question: There have already been a string of highly publicized Facebook settings changes over the past year or so. Will you be excited, relieved, disappointed, wary or just indifferent when Facebook’s new privacy changes take effect? Do you think most users really need simpler choices when it comes to online privacy? [via: WIRED] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter
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| Add Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Info to Your Gmail Contacts [APPS] Posted: 18 May 2010 02:56 PM PDT 
This means that when you get an e-mails, you can also get links to the sender’s Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, see what updates he or she has pushed out recently to his or her blog, and also find out more about how often you connect with that person. After installing the Gist Gadget, we were really impressed with how well Gist worked in finding the correct details about our contacts. It also created a brand new Gist.com account for us, without requiring any new info or passwords. If you’re an existing Gist user, you can link to that account during the brief setup process. For instance, this e-mail from my fiancé brought up all of his information — even his Twitter and IM avatar — instantly. The RSS tab showed the latest posts from his blog and the Twitter tab exhibited his latest tweets.  Gist already has plugins for Outlook, Lotus Notes and the iPhone, but we think that it is an especially good fit with Google Apps. The integration at the bottom of an e-mail message or thread of conversation also makes it easy to access, and we like that it doesn’t get in the way of the Gmail interface with an extra menu. There are a number of tools available for linking together your e-mail contacts with their social profiles, but Gist is one of the first to bring that integration to Google Apps. How do you connect your e-mail contacts with their social networks? Let us know! Disclosure: Gist is currently a Mashable sponsor For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Gmail, LinkedIn, Mashable, Twitter Tags: gist, gmail, google apps, Google Apps Marketplace
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| 5 Essential Facebook Privacy Tips Posted: 18 May 2010 02:18 PM PDT 
The latest changes to Facebook have seen their fair share of criticism, with many users examining more closely the definition of "public vs. private." Some users have been turned off enough by Facebook’s envelope pushing when it comes to privacy to go so far as to contemplate a mass Facebook exodus. Whether or not the changes become the final blow to Facebook’s tenuous relationship with privacy remains to be seen. However, protecting your privacy is important on any social network, so while you’re still on Facebook, here are a few important privacy tips to keep in mind as you navigate the site’s newest incarnation. 1. Lists: Learn to Love ‘EmThe list function seems to be one of the most underrated privacy tools on Facebook. All privacy snafus aside, the past year has seen Facebook improve the granularity of privacy control settings by leaps and bounds. Users often forget that the tiny dial in the lower-right corner next to each post they share gives them an option to make that item visible to “Everyone,” “Friends Only,” or even particular lists. It's important to know that “Everyone” doesn’t just mean all Facebook users anymore. According to Facebook's own website, it means the entire Internet. This is a good thing to keep in mind if you select "Everyone" as a share setting for a post. A search for the term "soo drunk" with Facebook's "Posts by Everyone" option reveals some openly available results that were probably not intended for public consumption.  Lists can be extremely valuable for both privacy advocates and marketing professionals. The privacy cautious may want to use lists to restrict co-workers or professional contacts from knowing their relationship status, favorite movies, political views, etc. The marketer can use lists as a way to keep groups aware of products, announcements and events. And with “likes” now a very open cluster of data on the web, the list function is a more important privacy feature than ever. To create and edit lists:
To use lists:
 You can also use lists on every post and update you make on your profile. Just look for the “lock” symbol and follow the “customize” directions above.   2. When in Doubt, Just Log OutWhile the ability to "Preview My Profile" can be used to find out what specific people in your network can see, it still doesn’t give you the full picture of what the general public will find when they come to your page. Sharing personal information with friends is one thing, but it’s important to be aware of the content you present to the world from Facebook. A great way to check this is simply to log out of your profile, refresh your browser, and then visit your Facebook page. If you see something there that you don’t want available to the public, go back in and make the change. Another option is to completely remove your profile’s visibility outside of Facebook. To do this, simply:
 3. Audit Your “Likes”Many Facebook users are eager to “Like” (previously, “Become a Fan Of”) many brands, causes, entertainers, etc. But the recent privacy changes have shined a brighter spotlight on the issue of "oversharing" information through social networks. Unfortunately, the pages you “Like” cannot be masked through Facebook’s privacy settings, so anyone who has access to your profile can see them, and consequently make assumptions about your personality. While it may not be a big deal for people to see that I “Like” my employer’s Fan Page, or my favorite band, there may be things in your fan history that you’ve forgotten about — things you may or may not want the world to associate you with. To combat this, it’s a good idea to edit your "Likes." The easiest way is to do the following:
 4. Spring Clean Your Third-Party ApplicationsOne of the big changes to Facebook is the “Instant Personalization” feature, which allows several sites, including Microsoft’s docs.com, Yelp, and Pandora, to automatically connect to your feed by default. Facebook has allowed these trusted partners access to your profile information in an effort to “create a better user experience.” Those who aren’t interested in these auto-connections, or who have privacy concerns, are required to manually opt out — and it’s not a very straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
 While opting out will stop the flow of information to these partner sites, your Facebook friends who use them may still share information about you, unless you block the application altogether. To do that, you’ll need to visit the application pages for Docs, Yelp, and Pandora and click "block application." It’s probably a good idea to login to your accounts on these sites to make sure you have opted out on that end as well. Facebook organizes your applications in categories so you can easily see which ones have been granted access to your profile information. The trouble is, they also make it difficult to simply find a list of "all" applications that you can manage in one place. If you only do an audit on one "section" of applications, make it the "authorized" section, as these apps have access to more data and information than others. It's not that connecting to these sites through Facebook is necessarily a bad thing. It's just important to understand how your information is being shared, and make the decision yourself about how much you want to put out there. 5. Control What Friends Can Share About You Through ApplicationsIn December 2009, Facebook introduced a new privacy setting to control what information could be shared with friends through applications. This is a key privacy feature because it relates to not just information you post on your profile, but what your friends could offer up about you to an application or website they are using through Facebook. For example, your friend might use the “Give a Dog” application, which can access information you have made public including your name, gender, birthday, photos, videos, etc. Your information is used and collected by the app developer, even though you were not the one to actively share it. To manage these settings:
 This somewhat confusing section is really just asking you what information you want collected and shared by third-party applications using your friends’ profiles as a conduit. It will not affect how much your friends can see on your profile. If you want to be in control of all of your data, we advise that you uncheck all the boxes here. What other privacy settings have you found useful or important on the “new” Facebook? Be sure to share them in the comments. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore Facebook resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Pandora, Twitter, Yelp Tags: facebook, List, Lists, privacy, social media, trending
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| Yahoo Acquires Associated Content Posted: 18 May 2010 01:30 PM PDT 
Yahoo bought the company to bolster its content offerings, according to a statement from Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. “Combining our world-class editorial team with Associated Content’s makes this a game-changer,” she said. “Together, we’ll create more content around what we know our users care about, and open up new and creative avenues for advertisers to engage with consumers across our network.” In the past, Yahoo’s content strategy has been focused on creating high-quality, more expensive content, such as original online video programming from former NBC president Ben Silverman and news coverage from the Associated Press. While the user-generated media on Associated Content represents a marked step down from these other sources, it also represents a long-term strategy that will pump Yahoo’s network full of more content at much lower costs. Associated Content was founded in 2004 and generates around 50,000 unique pieces of media each month. The company has received a lifetime total of around $21 million in funding, including a $6 million Series C round just one year ago. Here’s CEO Patrick Keane talking about the company’s metrics back in February: What do you think: Will this move help make the Yahoo network a more valuable destination for web surfers? For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: Associated Content, content farms, Yahoo
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| Facebook Inks 5-Year Deal with FarmVille Parent Company Posted: 18 May 2010 01:29 PM PDT 
Facebook Credits, Facebook’s virtual currency system, will be an important part of the partnership between the two companies and its use will be expanded within Zynga games in the future. The announcement issued by the two companies doesn’t say exactly how, though. Further incorporation of Facebook Credits solidifies Zynga’s commitment to the Facebook Platform because players wouldn’t likely be able to transfer those credits should Zynga go off on its own. In the days preceding this announcement, some bloggers speculated that Zynga’s departure from Facebook was a sincere possibility. The concern was that Facebook’s decision to deploy Facebook Credits (from which it takes a 30% cut of all revenues) and remove or lessen the number of notifications in users’ newsfeeds from games could inspire Zynga to seek an alternative platform. GamesBeat noted that Zynga started using in-game features to fetch players’ e-mail addresses — a potential sign that the company was making sure it would be able to stay in touch with its customers outside of Facebook should the relationship go south. And let’s not forget that Zynga revealed plans to launch FarmVille for iPhone and other mobile devices. Maybe bloggers were reading too much into the situation, or maybe Zynga was doing all of that to secure a better bargaining position with Facebook. Either way, everything seems fine and dandy for the virtual farming and mafia warring communities on Facebook for now. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: café world, facebook, facebook credits, facebook platform, farmville, games, Mafia Wars, microtransactions, online games, social gaming, social networking, treasure island, Zynga
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| 5 Tools For Integrating HTML5 Video in Your Website Posted: 18 May 2010 01:04 PM PDT 
While it’s great that video hosting services like Vimeo and YouTube support HTML5 and that solutions for larger sites are available from places like Encoding.com and Brightcove, that still leaves users who want to host their own video content — but don’t necessarily use a platform like Brightcove — in a bit of a predicament. After all, in a perfect world, everyone who visits a website should be able to view video, whether they are on a desktop or on an iPhone. Fortunately, there are a number of great free tools available that will let you serve video via HTML5 and also support Flash, in the event that a visitor’s browser doesn’t support HTML5 (or in some cases, the video codec being used with your HTML5 code). Here are a few of the solutions currently available that we particularly like: 1. JW Player for HTML5 LongTail Video recently released a beta release for the JW Player for HTML5. The JW Player is currently one of the most popular open source video solutions on the web and the new version offers seamless fallback support for JW Player for Flash. This is important for developers or designers who want to make sure that no matter what browser is being used (even IE6), video will be watchable. JW Player for HTML5 uses jQuery and supports playback of H.264, Theora and FLV video. It also supports existing JW Player and PNG skins. JW Player for HTML5 is just entering beta but we expect that it will soon be integrated into a number of different platforms (like WordPress) and that it will continue to evolve quickly. 2. Kaltura HTML5 Video Solution Kaltura is another open source video solution with an HTML5 player and library. Already in use by Wikimedia (the Wikipedia people), the JavaScript library is built on jQuery and jQuery UI which means that the look and feel will be very easy to customize. Kaltura supports OGG, H.264, FLV and MOV formats and is designed to work across browsers and fallback to Flash if necessary. 3. Video for Everybody Kroc Camen’s Video for Everybody was one of the first cross-browser HTML5 video solutions on the web. Although more players have entered the ring, it remains a great contribution and is extremely useful. One of the unique aspects of Video for Everybody is that it does not use JavaScript. This is important for accessibility standards or for playback in applications, like RSS readers, that might not support JavaScript. The code is pretty simple — if a browser supports HTML5, that’s what is played. If a browser doesn’t support HTML5, Adobe Flash is used. You can locally host the Flash file or embed an existing file, like a YouTube clip, for instance. There is a deprecated version that can also try to fallback to QuickTime before playing Flash. Worst case scenario, a placeholder image and a video download link is shown. WordPress users can use the External Video for Everybody plugin by Kevin Wiliarty for easy integration with their WordPress blogs. 4. Open Standard Media Player The Open Standard Media Player (OSM) bills itself as an all-in-one media player for the web. It’s licensed under the GPL v3 and is written in jQuery to support HTML5 as well as Flash and Flash-based sites like YouTube and Vimeo. It can be used to playback OGG or H.264 files or to pull video from other video service streams. It’s customizable using jQuery UI’s ThemeRoller. 5. Degradable HTML5 Audio and Video for WordPress This WordPress plugin is similar to the Video for Everybody plugin but there are a few differences. While Video for Everybody encourages encoding video in both Theora and H.264 (as Firefox only supports Theora video via HTML5), if you just want to use one H.264 file, this plugin will force Firefox to fallback on Flash and play the H.264 video that way. Depending on how much video you use, it may not be worth trying to support multiple formats if the Flash player fallback is acceptable. BONUS: Sublime Video (Coming Soon) Another solution that is in the works is Sublime Video from Jilion. This is another JavaScript based option (although it uses its own standalone library) and offers full-screen playback, iPhone and iPad support, and fallback to a Flash player in unsupported browsers. I’m really excited about this option because it just looks so stunning. Obviously, we’ll need to wait for it to come out to compare performance and options agains the other solutions currently available, but this is still one solution to keep an eye out for. Your PicksAre you using HTML5 video on your websites? What tools do you use? Do you have any tips about encoding or offering Flash fallback? Let us know in the comments! For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookSeries 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. Reviews: Adobe Flash Player, Facebook, Firefox, Twitter, Vimeo, Wikipedia, WordPress, YouTube, video Tags: Flash, h.264, HTML5, List, Lists, ogg, video, Web Development, web development series
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| Google Chrome Version 6 in the Works Posted: 18 May 2010 12:27 PM PDT 
The move to a Chrome 6 branch for Chromium means that the final tweaks and polishes on Chrome 5 are almost complete. Chrome 5 is a big release — not only is it blazingly fast, it’s also going to be the first stable release for Mac and Linux users. So what can we expect in Chrome 6? Well, not too much right now. However, Download Squad found a new addition to the latest Chromium developer nightly build: predictive pre-connections. The inclusion of predictive pre-connections means that as soon as you type in a search query in the browser, it goes ahead and opens up a connection to a search engine. Thus your data will transmit faster when you press enter. The second area of this patch is equally cool. It “involves subresources, such as images,” the developer who submitted the patch explained. “When a navigation takes place, and we've seen navigations to that domain/port before, and the history-based probability that we'll need to make a connection to a second site (host/port) is sufficiently large, then we preconnect to that second site while we are still connecting to the primary site (and before we've gotten content from the primary site.” In other words, if you are searching for an image or something else that Chrome thinks you are likely to click on based on your searching history, the browser will go ahead and open up connections to the ports where the image resides. When you click on the image, the entire site will load more quickly. You can keep an eye out on the Google Chrome Releases blog and at the Chromium project page for more information on Chrome version 6. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Chrome, Chromium, Facebook, Linux, Twitter Tags: chrome, Chromium, Google, google chrome, software, web browsers
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| Faux Ghostbusters Invade the New York Public Library [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 11:41 AM PDT 
Last week, we brought you a video of an adorable dog skateboarding through the library via our weekly YouTube roundup, but the ghostly subject of today’s video is more likely to elicit an “Ahhhh!” than an “Awwww!” While these videos feature decidedly divergent subject matter, they were both made for the same purpose. The NYPL is currently dealing with some serious budget cuts, so they approached Improv Everywhere (of Pantless Subway Ride fame) to draw attention to the building’s plight. Although the library came to the improv group this time around, the jokesters have dropped in uninvited in the past — they held a faux protest there in 2002 for a fictional group called Writers Against Piracy. This time, a cadre of sheeted spooks invade the Rose Main Reading Room, followed closely by a troop of Ghostbusters. The whole thing was filmed by a group of operators with DSLR cameras, who blended nicely into the throngs of picture-taking tourists, who (unsurprisingly) were the most beguiled by the ordeal. The New Yorkers, for the most part, look utterly unimpressed. And can you really blame them? When your morning commute includes some break-dancing guy accidentally kicking you in the face on the L train, a pirate nonchalantly reading The New York Times and the occasional suspicious package, what’s one more dude in a costume? Check out the video below. We’ve added the original under that for your reference. Anyone else totally want to watch Ghostbusters now? Disclosure: Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere, will be speaking at the Mashable Media Summit 2010 For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: humor, viral video
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| Which Company Has the Most “Social” Employees? [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 18 May 2010 11:35 AM PDT 
Each company’s ranking is determined by its employees’ overall social media activity, including the average number of connections across various networks. Flowtown even ranked employees on Twitter by average number of tweets and followers, and compared male and female employees’ social scores. Do the deeds of employees who are active online have a trickle-up effect on a brand’s overall social media presence? Take a look at this information, and let us know what you think.
[img credit: webtreatsetc] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: amazon, apple, companies, employees, Google, microsoft, social media
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| 5 Innovative Websites That Could Reshape the News Posted: 18 May 2010 11:20 AM PDT 
The previous generation of sites that redefined the news birthed several household names — Twitter, YouTube and Digg, to name a few. It’s no secret that newspapers have struggled as blogs and social networking sites have grown in prominence, but in the rapidly changing worlds of mobile and web technology, the distribution methods for news information are once again shifting. It’s difficult to predict whether or not these newly noticed innovators will become as popular as their predecessors, but they are introducing new approaches to the consumption of information that few have tried or thought of before. 1. WikiLeaks Internet advocates love to say that information likes to be free. There are few greater examples of this than WikiLeaks, which has played an important role in several political scandals and controversies. Allegedly founded by a Chinese dissident and several volunteer associates, the site accepts submissions of confidential political documents, reviews them to verify accuracy and pertinence, then publishes them to the masses. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to protect its sources and data, using military-level encryption and setting up backup servers all around the world. The primary servers are hosted by Swedish host PRQ, which keeps few records of its clients. The host is also known for its association with the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay. WikiLeaks’ big breaks include hacked e-mails sent by 2008 U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, extensive documents from the upper ranks of Scientology, details on the United States’ Guantánamo Bay procedures, inappropriate disposal of toxic materials in Africa, and most recently, video of U.S. soldiers performing an airstrike that killed Reuters news staff. Despite its funding problems, harassment by authorities and legal pressures, WikiLeaks is a demonstration of the power the Internet has to ensure that secrets are nearly impossible to keep. 2. ChicagoNow Owned and operated by the “old media” outlet The Chicago Tribune, ChicagoNow drops traditional journalists and news reporting in favor of a large network of volunteer bloggers, all writing about the community, culture, politics, and everything else in the city of Chicago. Investigate the network and you’ll find evidence of the leading trend in the new web and mobile-based news networks: Local. The network cranks out 100 posts per day and thrives on comments and feedback from readers. Bloggers arrange in-person meet-ups at Windy City watering holes to further develop the community. Since urbanites like to get their news on the go, ChicagoNow has a fully-functional mobile website. Bloggers for the network range from political muckrakers to film critics to sex and relationship advice columnists, but they all put a local spin on their coverage. The news is built by the community, and the community is built by the news. 3. EveryBlock Another Chicago-based venture (though it serves many other cities), EveryBlock is one of the flagship products of the “hyperlocal” movement. It delivers news and information tailored to where you are — exactly where you are, within a few hundred feet. The past decade hosted an explosion of sites that track local businesses and events, and we’ve seen community blogs for cities, towns and neighborhoods pop up in abundance. That useful information used to be fragmented between different sites: Gothamist, Yelp, Craigslist and so on. EveryBlock and its competitors aggregate that data and filter it by your location. You can access EveryBlock on the web, but it’s arguably most impressive as an iPhone app, using the handset’s GPS to locate you and serve up a feed of nearby news. The items covered include Yelp business reviews, crime reports, real estate listings, street closures, and blog and news reports containing references to nearby addresses or venues. Much of this data originates from databases and submissions from users to various sites on the web, bypassing traditional media. EveryBlock isn’t about editorializing and interpreting events as much as it’s about providing raw information. Some of the more savvy folks on the block prefer it that way. 4. Fwix We noted this when we first covered Fwix: The spate of dying local newspapers has left a void that needs to be filled. Fwix takes an approach slightly different from those of ChicagoNow or EveryBlock, but it’s just as relevant and useful. Whereas EveryBlock automatically aggregates a wide range of raw data based on location and ChicagoNow produces original content about its host city, Fwix aggregates blog posts from local blogs and the mainstream news publications that still exist — and yes, ChicagoNow is among the sites represented there. While the ability to search curated aggregation of news based on location is useful on its own, Fwix is also notable for its integration with social media. Each time you click through to another site to read a news story, a Fwix toolbar lingers over the article. It includes buttons for commenting, liking, and sharing. Clicking “Like” likes the article in Facebook’s Open Graph platform. “Share” sends the article to friends within the Fwix network (you can find them by searching your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Facebook or Twitter contacts), and “Comment” drops you into the comment thread for the article hosted by Fwix — not the one on the source website. Those features make Fwix a social news site that builds a virtual community around the happenings in the physical community. Yes, it’s similar to ChicagoNow in some ways, but its social features put it more in sync with current web trends. 5. Spot.Us Spot.Us uses individuals in the community too, but it does so in a very different way. The site currently serves the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle communities, but expansion to more cities is coming. When a citizen is curious about something in his or her community, that person can use Spot.us to commission a journalist to investigate and write a story about it. Suspicious that the cops in your precinct are abusing their power? These guys will look into it for you. The community provides the funding; once a story has been pitched, Spot.Us’ journalists determine how much it will cost to investigate. Microdonations are made by individuals or organizations until the costs are met, then the investigation begins. The story that results is published under the Creative Commons license so anyone can use it. However, a news outlet may have the option to claim ownership of the material on a temporary basis if it contributes more than half of the cost of the investigation. This model is audaciously nontraditional, but it’s easy to picture the ways it could be a boon for communities where important stories are underreported. The Take AwayIf you take away one insight from this list, make it this one: The citizens in the community are the backbone of each site’s strategy. They each aim to make journalism a community project. Also note that all of these sites except WikiLeaks have some local or mobile component. The previous generation of news startups focused on national or even global news, but the web is now changing the stream of information and education in local communities, thanks in large part to mobile devices like cell phones. These services might not become the norm overnight, though. We checked in with journalist Paul Bradshaw, noted for his work at the Online Journalism Blog, about these trends. Few sites or apps stand out to him right now, so he had this to say: “The nature of most news is unlikely to change while most big publishers are still milking their old cash cows into shriveling hulks. Only when the majority of money moves online do I think we'll see genuinely social news, viral news and news as a platform that people can use to hold power to account.” It’s a fair point; two of the sites on our list are non-profits, one is an arm of a larger and more traditional news organization, and the other two are startups that have yet to prove their long-term viability. The money is still in old media, but that will change. “As more people get their news from specific apps I think we'll see expectations rise,” Bradshaw said. “People will expect things to be faster, to know where they are, to let them share things, and to let them interact.” Enterprising communities, a DIY culture, mobile devices, and better ways to sort through the flood of information (like semantic web) will be essential to the new ways in which we’ll stay informed each day. Series supported by Poynter Institute's Mobile Media blog  This post is part of a Mashable series providing analysis of how mobile use impacts journalism. The series is supported by The Poynter Institute's Mobile Media blog – your guide to the intersection of mobile and media. Sign up to receive our blog in newsletter format and be entered into a drawing to win an iPad. Learn more at Poynter.org/ipadgiveaway. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookImage courtesy of iStockphoto, ProfessorVasilich Reviews: Craigslist, Digg, Facebook, Gmail, HyperLocal Live, Internet, Twitter, Yelp, YouTube, iPhone, iStockphoto Tags: -local, apps, BLOGS, chicago now, everyblock, hyperlocal, iphone, journalism, media, Mobile 2.0, mobile media series, News, poynter, spot.us, wikileaks
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| Best Buy Launches Online Video Store to Compete with iTunes and Amazon Posted: 18 May 2010 11:18 AM PDT 
It’s “(sort of) new” because it’s actually CinemaNow, founded in 1999 and arguably one of the oldest online video distribution services. Best Buy purchased the CinemaNow trademark from Sonic Solutions and will use it instead of “Best Buy,” presumably in hopes that competing retail stores will be willing to carry devices with the service built in. Those devices will include select LG Blu-ray players with more consumer electronics devices to come, including some Samsung and Insignia gear. Devices will offer both standard and high definition rentals (some at 1080p) at the fairly standard prices of $2.99 or $3.99, and purchases at $9.99 – $19.99. According to BusinessWeek, Best Buy VP Chris Homeister says that a subscription service might show up in the future, too. It’s not odd that a traditional DVD retailer like Best Buy is investing resources in an online alternative to DVDs; these new technologies will help the electronics store push more electronics sales. Best Buy also purchased music downloading service Napster, though it hasn’t made a big impact on the digital music industry. Competing retailer Walmart purchased Vudu a couple months ago for many of the same reasons. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: amazon, best buy, cinemanow, itunes
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| Join Us for MashMeet San Francisco This Thursday! Posted: 18 May 2010 09:40 AM PDT 
We are hosting an informal open gathering at the Roe nightclub this Thursday starting at 8:00 PM PT, after Google I/O. Join Mashable Founder/CEO Pete Cashmore, Social Media & Tech Reporter Jolie O’Dell and me, Co-Editor Ben Parr, for some networking and fun. Admission is free, as are some of the drinks! We want to thank our two sponsors for the event: Meebo and Cisco. Interesting in joining us on Thursday? Just RSVP on our Eventbrite page or Facebook event page. We hope to see you there! Details:
Thanks to Our Sponsors Meebo socially connects over 100 million users across the web allowing them to instantly connect, share, and communicate with all of their friends. Because Meebo integrates all social network and communication channels into a single, simple-to-use interface, users can easily share content and communicate in real time with the people who matter to them. Meebo connects people to their friends on the thousands of websites that have installed the Meebo bar, on mobile devices, and with Meebo Messenger. Meebo was founded in 2005 and is a privately held company headquartered in Mountain View, CA. For more information, visit www.meebo.com.  Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com. Reviews: Google, Meebo, social media Tags: Announcement, announcements, mashable, MashMeet, San Francisco-San Jose
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| Shazam’s One Billionth Song Identified Is… Posted: 18 May 2010 09:16 AM PDT 
It seems that Shazam has reached critical mass thanks to the meteoric rise of smartphones like the iPhone and Android handsets. The one billionth song identified was “Gettin' Over” by French DJ David Guetta, featuring vocals by Chris Willis. It’s an electro house song that hit the airwaves last month. We’ve embedded a YouTube video below in case you aren’t familiar with it. Shazam has achieved this level of success with a suite of features that make it one of the best apps for identifying songs on the go. It’s easy to use; you just hold your phone out where its mic can hear the music, tap a button and wait a few seconds to learn which song is playing. It works for most popular music; the basic rule of thumb is that if it’s popular enough to be on iTunes, it’s probably something Shazam will recognize. The app also connects you to online stores where you can buy the song and gives you ways to tag and share tracks you’ve discovered. It can also hook you up with the artist’s upcoming concerts. It’s available on the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Nokia platforms, covering the majority of smartphones. The iPod touch is also supported, and Shazam’s iPad app just recently launched. Those are handy features, and it’s no surprise that Shazam is the most popular app for music identification. There are, however, other worthy alternatives. For example, Midomi will recognize a song that you hum into the microphone. For more options, check out the list of music identification applications we compiled last month. #1 Billion: “Gettin’ Over” by David Guetta feat. Chris WillisFor more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookImage courtesy of iStockphoto, Elerium Reviews: Android, BlackBerry Rocks!, Facebook, Shazam, Twitter, YouTube, iPhone, iStockphoto Tags: android, App, blackberry, ipad, iphone, music, shazam
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| 21 Rules for Social Media Engagement Posted: 18 May 2010 08:32 AM PDT 
Social media is reinventing marketing, communications, and the dissemination of information. While businesses now have access to these rich channels, the true promise of social media lies in the direct connections between people who represent companies and the people who define markets of interest. Today, many businesses approach this with the establishment of social media guidelines and policies. This is indeed an important step, and not one worth economizing. But it's also not enough. I highly recommend establishing official procedures that remind representatives of the importance and privilege of engagement. The openness of popular networks is trivial. Any business can join and create a profile. It’s the devices we employ, the intentions that motivate engagement, and the value we offer that dictate the significance of the brand-specific social graphs we weave. It's a simple investment in either visibility or presence. In social media, just like in the real world, presence is felt. Rules of EngagementAs social media continues to evolve, defining the "rules of engagement" will encourage thoughtful interaction that benefits the business, brand, customer, peers, and prospects at every touchpoint. In the end, we earn the attention, relationships and business we deserve. The following is an outline of best practices to help you craft a practical set of rules to guide representatives as they engage.
For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore social media resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, AndrewJohnson Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: business, engagement, facebook, List, Lists, MARKETING, small business, trending, twitter
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| Is Google Building a Skype Competitor? Posted: 18 May 2010 08:11 AM PDT 
A leader in the real-time VoIP processing space for both voice and video, GIPS doesn’t have any consumer-facing products; instead, it provides services that work on the backend for products like Yahoo! Messenger, Citrix and WebEx. This is an interesting acquisition for Google, who already has a number of consumer products that could benefit from GIPS technologies. Not only does GIPS provide voice processing for VoIP calls that could potentially improve gTalk and Google Voice, GIPS also has a large focus on real-time video transmissions, both on the client and mobile side. In a statement to its customers, GIPS said that following the completion of the offer, Google intends to continue servicing existing GIPS customers in accordance with their contracts. At the completion of the contract, those customers will have the opportunity to transition to “new offerings developed by Google.” That statement is equally interesting, as it positions Google to offer white label services to other companies. While Google does have some white label deals, most of what it does is more consumer or customer facing. While the official announcement about this deal says that it is “not currently expected to require approval by competition authorities in any jurisdiction,” the fact that Google’s competitors, including Yahoo and Baidu, use GIPS technology in their respective messaging clients might mean otherwise. [img credit: jblyberg] For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Google Voice, Gtalk, Skype, Twitter Tags: acquisitions, global ip solutions, Google, Google Voice, Skype, voip
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| Conan O’Brien Shares His 5 Favorite YouTube Clips [VIDEOS] Posted: 18 May 2010 07:56 AM PDT 
Coco — who recently conquered Facebook and Twitter — has a pretty interesting mix of YouTube content on his shortlist. He’s even got a coveted cat video (score). While we’re still pretty partial to our own weekly rundown, that’s about three days away, so we’d advise you to take a break from the Tuesday blues to watch O’Brien’s fave Internet flicks. Does he have any of your favorites on his list? Leeroy JenkinsPinky the CatCSI Miami - Endless Caruso One LinersWinnebago ManTrololo-Song[via Buzzfeed] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter, YouTube Tags: humor, television, viral videos, youtube
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| The Future of Musical Instruments [VIDEO] Posted: 18 May 2010 06:58 AM PDT 
Today, thanks to innovators such as Ray Kurzweil and Robert Moog, we have a wider range of digital music machines than the inventors of keyboard instruments could have ever dreamed. But innovation didn’t stop there. Drum machines, music-making software and even mobile phones now compose melodies, thanks in a large part to the men in this video. One of the creations included in these demos is the LinnStrument we told you about recently. Check out this showcase of futuristic instruments and the philosophies of those who make them, and let us know what you think about the future of musical instruments in the comments. Footage was shot at the SF MusicTech Summit. Special thanks to the Summit’s Executive Producer, Brian Zisk. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: iphone, music, musical instruments, touch
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Apple’s impenetrable information fortress is crumbling. After 
Research and advisory company Gartner has released its 
Right now, the words “Prince of Persia” probably make you think of 
We blog a lot about 
The 
Apple has just released the newest beta of iPhone OS 4.0, and it comes with a long-overdue feature: Internet tethering from AT&T.
Today at the Cannes Film Festival, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced that 
Most music fans have at some point wanted to create music, but most don’t have the theory training or instrument expertise to follow through on that desire. However, a new breed of musical instruments is making it possible for almost anyone, even the very young and the musically untrained, to pick up a touch-sensitive piece of hardware and start jamming.
First Consumer Reports took on the infamous 
Today, 
As 
When Clark Harris (pictured, on left) says he was looking to have his “normal life challenged,” he wasn’t kidding. For a guy with a self-professed love of gabbing, going silent except for social media for an entire month is no easy task. “I’m a talker — that’s my primary means of keeping in touch with people. My phone gets a workout while I am driving and I can happily talk for hours on end with various people. If I can’t talk in person, I’d like to do it over the phone.”
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: 
Following a drawn-out media and PR debacle, 
Relationship manager 
Yahoo has just closed a deal to buy Associated Content — a huge web farm for text, image and video media that is created by low-cost freelancers — for 
No matter where you sit in the 
Not one to rest on its laurels, the 
The New York Public Library has been a popular haunt lately when it comes to viral vid location scouting — literally. Public scene-maker 
Social profile research and discovery company Flowtown has 
Few industries are experiencing greater upheaval at the hands of technological progress than the news media. New ideas are popping up every day, so we’ve collected five of the most interesting ones for your consideration.
There are still two days left until Mashable’s MashMeet event in San Francisco, and already we have 600+ RSVPs on Eventbrite and Facebook!
Google announced today that it has made a cash offer to acquire Global IP Solutions (GIPS).
It’s official: Conan O’Brien basically owns the Internet. YouTube just celebrated its 
The intersection of music and technology is a wild, fascinating frontier. Ever since the first computer-synthesized sounds were created, people have struggled and succeeded — to varying degrees — to reshape how we think about musical instruments.| 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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