Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “New Flock Ditches Firefox for Chrome, Embraces Simplicity”

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• New Flock Ditches Firefox for Chrome, Embraces Simplicity
• iPhone 4 Pre-Orders Sold Out?
• Find Upcoming Wine Tastings Near You
• Suicide Girls Launches Galleries for iPad
• Cirque du Soleil Helps Unveil Kinect for Xbox 360 [PICS]
• Applegirl Releases First Official Music Video
• iPad/AT&T Hacker Arrested on Drug Charges
• Apple and Google Tied in Social App Use on Mobile Devices
• Redbox and Paramount Agree to Same-Day New Release Rentals
• Beautiful: Fiery Spacecraft Re-entry Goes Viral [VIDEO]
• New Droid to Debut the Day Before iPhone 4 Hits Stores
• YouTube Darlings OK Go Turn to Facebook to Spread Latest Video
• Twitter Errors and Downtime Likely to Continue
• Inside Gatorade’s Social Media Command Center
• iPhone 4 Pre-Orders Overwhelm AT&T Servers
• 6 Best FIFA World Cup Controversies of the Past 20 Years [VIDEO]
• Google TV Explained in Less Than Three Minutes [VIDEO]
• Foursquare Gear: Coming to a Closet Near You
• How the World Is Spending Its Time Online [STATS]
• 5 Ways to Build a Loyal Audience on YouTube
• Obama Speech on BP Spill to be Followed by YouTube Q&A
• E3: Live Updates from Sony’s PlayStation Press Event
• OpenTable Brings Restaurant Reservations to the iPad [PICS]
• Google Earth Arrives on the iPad [PICS]
• Gowalla Teams Up with USA Today for Travel Tips
• The Internet Loves/Hates the Vuvuzela [Randomly Viral]
• E3: Live at the Nintendo Press Event
• HOW TO: Rent Anything Online
• FarmVille Maker Zynga Has Now Raised a Whopping $366 Million
• Microsoft Office 2010 Hits Stores Worldwide

New Flock Ditches Firefox for Chrome, Embraces Simplicity Posted: 16 Jun 2010 03:34 AM PDT Social media and networking-oriented web browser Flock has become somewhat schizophrenic today: the official website’s front page features the stable, Firefox-based version, but the new beta has a completely different underlying browser: Chromium, the open source web browser that powers Google Chrome. Is this dichotomy a sign that Flock simply doesn’t know where to go next? Perhaps. Touted as “the social browser,” Flock is basically another web browser – previously Firefox, now Google Chrome – with a bunch of social networking features on top. And, approximately one year ago, when I reviewed Flock 2.5, it was aimed at social networking enthusiasts, trying to stuff every possible feature from Twitter and Facebook into the browser. Out With the Old, In With The New Features Compared to version 2.5, the new Flock beta is completely different. Gone are the (overly?) complex menus, Facebook chat, and the all-encompassing My World view. The new, Chromium-based Flock focuses on speed and simplicity, and it consists of little-changed Chrome with a lifestream sidebar, which brings you a stream of activity from your favorite social networks. Fortunately, it also touts a number of tiny but useful features which, overall, make Flock worth a try. You can choose which networks or groups of friends (you can manage those from a special menu called Groups) you want to see in the sidebar. You can also filter the sidebar for various types of activities, and you can post updates right there, from the sidebar. You can share web pages on social networks by clicking the icon directly in front of the address bar. And once you start typing an address or a search phrase into the address bar, a new option called “What your friends are saying” will pop out, enabling you to search for that term across your friend network. What’s It Good For? It takes a minute to set up, and it works out of the box, which is great. However, this simplicity has a flip side: the entire Flock project now boils down to a very good plug-in for Chrome. And if you’re used to an advanced social networking app such as Tweetdeck, Flock’s offering cannot compare in terms of features. This means that Flock might have a hard time finding an audience: advanced users will find it too simple, and others will probably won’t care about the extra features enough to switch to a new browser. Furthermore, many users (me included) are used to having both Facebook and Twitter open in the browser at all times, which makes Flock a lot less useful. Although this beta shows promise, Flock offers a unique set of features that will probably hit the mark with only a small subset of users, which means that Flock will probably stay what it was since its introduction in 2007: a niche browser. Check out some screenshots and a video introduction to the new Flock below. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Chrome, Chromium, Facebook, Firefox, Flock, Google Chrome, TweetDeck, Twitter Tags: chrome, Chromium, facebook, Firefox, flock, social media, twitter, web browsers

iPhone 4 Pre-Orders Sold Out? Posted: 16 Jun 2010 01:20 AM PDT Yesterday was both a very good and a very bad day for Apple and AT&T. The iPhone 4 became available for pre-order, but Apple and AT&T’s servers were so overwhelmed that many users weren’t able to actually complete the pre-order process. On the other hand, and despite these issues, it seems that the iPhone 4 was selling so well that the first batch of devices available for pre-order is now sold out. In Apple’s online store, the shipping date next to the iPhone 4 has changed to July 2nd, which is a week after the device will become available in stores. Furthermore, Gizmodo has a statement from AT&T, confirming the iPhone 4 has been sold out there as well: “Because of the incredible interest in iPhone 4, today was the busiest online sales day in AT&T history. As of Tuesday afternoon, customers who preorder iPhone 4 moving forward will receive their device on June 25 or later, depending on when the order is placed. We’ll email customers with confirmation once their order is placed, and again when it ships. In addition, we will have devices available on a first-come, first-serve basis in our stores beginning on June 24.” So, there you have it: if you want an iPhone 4 fast, you should prepare to wait in a long line on launch day. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 4

Find Upcoming Wine Tastings Near You Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:48 PM PDT 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 here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: Vinyou Quick Pitch: An online wine tasting calendar and social community. Genius Idea: Think of Vinyou as an events board for wine lovers. The site is set up so you can browse upcoming wine tasting events in your area and also post your own events to the community at large. While other social sites with a focus on wine and wine lovers — such as Cork’d — are more about sharing, rating and tracking wines you’ve tasted, Vinyou is more about finding other wine events to attend. You can search the site’s calendar by city or ZIP code to see upcoming events, what wines will be at that event, who is attending and other vital bits of information. You can also list your own upcoming events, including information on whether it is going to be strictly a wine event or if there will be other types of spirits or food involved, as well. Once you attend the event, you can use the site to rate the wines you found there and leave comments about the event. This makes Vinyou an end-to-end wine event guide. We like that Vinyou has a clean design and that it is easy to use. We do wish that it integrated with Facebook, Eventbrite or Twitter, however. This would instantly add a more social dimension and help grow Vinyou’s database of upcoming events. Right now, because the site is new, not a lot of areas have representation. We think that the event scorecard aspect is where Vinyou has a real opportunity to set itself apart from its competition. Add in a mobile-optimized website or a smartphone app so that food or wine can be rated on the fly, and Vinyou becomes even more intriguing. How do you find out about food and wine events online? If you’re a wine connoisseur, is Vinyou something you can see yourself using? [Img src: respres] Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. 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)." Reviews: Facebook, PHP, Twitter Tags: social calendar, vinyou, wine tastings

Suicide Girls Launches Galleries for iPad Posted: 15 Jun 2010 10:48 PM PDT Popular softcore, indie/alt porn site Suicide Girls has just revealed its latest foray into digital eye candy: iPad Galleries. The self-described “Apple nerd” and site founder Missy Suicide said today in a blog post, “You can now see the set photos full frame and pinch and zoom and swipe to your heart’s content in the gorgeous new iPad galleries.” Of course, this is all just a work-around to mitigate the sad fact that Apple won’t allow porn or porn-like applications in its App Store. As you may recall, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has famously stated his intentions to give Apple product users “freedom from porn”, whether they like it or not. This is the latest Apple-related offering from SG since the App Store unceremoniously dumped the brand’s no-nudity Flip-Strip iPhone app, which, while racy, was hardly X-rated. The app was downloaded 5 million times before it was pulled. The company’s other iPhone app, Seduce A SuicideGirl, is still alive and kicking; this $0.99 app lets you attempt to pick up a cute girl in a comic shop at the risk of receiving humiliating rejections. Given the companies’ history, we’re guessing that a native SG iPad app is likely not in the works; however, this full-screen gallery idea is a decent substitute. Call us crazy, but the App Store certainly is paying a high price for morality, considering how much more revenue could be generated from relatively innocuous app like the ones SG has put on the table so far. Needless to say, we’re sure the folks at Apple lose far less sleep over this fact than do the people behind sites such as SG. We can’t wait to see what the clever kids at Suicide Girls devise for Android tablets, though. As we all know, the Android Market gatekeepers have no such qualms about serving adult content to adults. The nine-year-old company boasts 5 million uniques a month (currently, the site gets as much or more traffic than Hustler.com, according to Alexa) and has hundreds of thousands of subscribers who dig the brand’s sex-positive approach and countercultural bent. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Android, Android Market, App Store, Facebook, Twitter Tags: App, app store, apple, ipad, porn, suicide girls

Cirque du Soleil Helps Unveil Kinect for Xbox 360 [PICS] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:55 PM PDT Last night, hundreds of people entered the University of Southern California’s Galen Center to see the public unveiling of Kinect, the controller-free video game device for the Xbox 360. They weren’t expecting it, but they entered an Avatar-esque jungle otherworld brought to life by performers from Cirque du Soleil and elaborate technological set pieces. Microsoft unveiled the Kinect to non-press attendees with songs, dances and performances that evoked the discovery of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kinect was portrayed as the next step in human evolution. Yes, it was hyperbolic, but the spectacle was impressive. We were there, and while nothing about the Xbox 360 was revealed there that we haven’t previously described, we did take several pictures of the elaborate performance. Have a look in the gallery below. The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque de Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil The Kinect for Xbox 360 Experience with Cirque du Soleil For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: cirque de soleil, dance, e3, E3 2010, kinect, microsoft, motion gaming, performance, project natal, theater, xbox, Xbox 360

Applegirl Releases First Official Music Video Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:32 PM PDT Kim Yeo-hee, also known as Applegirl002 on YouTube, gained overnight online stardom when she used a small collection of iPhones to accompany herself in covers of songs by Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Now that the young lady has a bona fide record deal of her own, she’s released this music video for a song called “My Music” from her homonymous EP [iTunes link]. The video features the young performer singing (rather well, if we so say so ourselves), playing guitar, hanging out at a mixing board and finally, singing on a large stage. The music is traditional, pleasant pop, and Applegirl is, as always, cute as a button. What do you think of Applegirl’s first professional music video? Does she have the chops to sustain a music career, or will this album be simply her 15 minutes of fame? [hat tip: Flowsionet] For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, beyonce, my music Tags: applegirl, Kim Yeo-hee, music video, youtube

iPad/AT&T Hacker Arrested on Drug Charges Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:03 PM PDT According to several reports, at least one of the people involved with the recent iPad/AT&T security breach has been arrested. Andrew Auernheimer, a 24-year-old Arkansas resident, was arrested when police acting on an FBI search warrant found cocaine, ecstasy and LSD, as well as unnamed schedule 2 and 3 pharmaceuticals, in his home. Auernheimer was part of Goatse Security; this organization, named after the Internet gross-out meme, recently sent Gawker a list of 114,067 e-mail addresses of iPad 3G customers. The list included well-known government officials, celebrities and high-profile media professionals, such as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Diane Sawyer of ABC News. Goatse Security obtained these addresses through a script on AT&T's website that returned email addresses associated with ICC IDs, which are used to link SIM cards on mobile devices with specific subscribers. The group didn’t release information until the security hole had been closed, and it only released the data on the condition that the subscribers’ personal information would not be compromised. However, Auernheimer told press last week that he and his colleagues had acted in the public’s best interest by exposing the security hole on AT&T’s part. However, AT&T claims the group carried out the hack entirely as a publicity stunt. Authorities refused to say what the warrant was for; we’re about 99.9% positive they weren’t searching Auernheimer’s house for drugs, though. We do wonder what police found aside from the narcotics and how Auernheimer managed to pull off the exploit while using substances like acid and ecstasy. What do you think will happen to Auernheimer, and do you think his group’s tactics fall more on the white-, black- or gray-hat side of hacking? For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter Tags: att, goatse, hacker, ipad, security

Apple and Google Tied in Social App Use on Mobile Devices Posted: 15 Jun 2010 07:19 PM PDT In recently gathered data from comScore, we see that Google and Apple are neck and neck — with Google showing the slightest of leads — in the percentage of users who access social media applications from their mobile devices. Ever since the advent of the smartphone and native mobile applications, using and enjoying social sites from a mobile device has been increasingly common and increasingly important to users. We look forward eagerly to new and better ways to access our Twitter and Facebook accounts while on the go. comScore’s stats show that 64.9% of Android OS smartphone users are accessing social networking sites from their mobile devices. This number dwindles slightly to 64.3% for iPhone users — a nearly negligible difference. These two leaders are trailed by RIM, whose BlackBerry users are as likely to access social services as not. Palm, Symbian, and finally, Windows Mobile phones round out the data set; each of these user groups showed numbers between 36 and 40%. Overall, 52% of smartphone owners are using their devices to access their social media accounts, while only 11% of feature phone users are doing so. Without doubt, the smartphone set will continue to increase their use of social sites on their phones as networks, apps and the services themselves improve and adapt for mobile use. What do you think gives Google and Apple their edge in the world of mobile social access and communication? Is it the apps? The data plans and networks? The devices themselves? Let us know your conjectures in the comments. [img credit: Jesus Belzunce] For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: android, apple, facebook, Google, iphone, Mobile 2.0, smartphone, social, twitter

Redbox and Paramount Agree to Same-Day New Release Rentals Posted: 15 Jun 2010 06:28 PM PDT In a victory for the movie renting population of America, Redbox and Paramount Home Entertainment have a reached an agreement to bring new release DVD and Blu-ray titles to Redbox kiosks on release date. No 28-day rental penalties to report here. Variety reports the decision was made following a 10-month trial period during which — contrary to previous reports — Redbox new release rentals did not negatively influence DVD sales. In fact, the company “has seen higher DVD conversion rates.” The new release movie rental appeared to be all but dead. In recent months, we’ve seen Netflix delay Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment new release rentals. Even rebel Redbox made a deal with Warner Bros. to delay new release rentals by 28 days. This agreement helps paint Paramount Home Entertainment as the patron saint of movie watchers everywhere. Plus, with new release titles available via Redbox, Paramount is guaranteed extra visibility in kiosks that have become increasingly popular outside of grocery stores and fast food chains. [img credit: TheTruthAbout...] Tags: Film, Movies, Paramount, redbox

Beautiful: Fiery Spacecraft Re-entry Goes Viral [VIDEO] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 05:16 PM PDT Two days ago, the Hayabusa, a Japanese unmanned spacecraft, finally returned from its seven-year, 1.25 billion-mile trip. It plunged to the earth in a beautiful blaze, which NASA astronomers captured on video. That clip has since become a viral hit on YouTube. The Hayabusa launched on May 9th, 2003. Its mission was to reach the Itokawa comet in order to gather samples from the comet and study the astral body’s characteristics, including its topography, trajectory, speed and composition. The spacecraft reached the comet in September 2005. The video, taken from a NASA DC-8 airborne laboratory, depicts the spacecraft’s re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, where the Hayabusa breaks apart into hundreds of beautiful, glowing pieces. Fortunately, the scientists only needed the sample return canister, which was successfully retrieved yesterday from its landing spot in South Australia. As of its publication, the NASA video has amassed more than 218,000 views. To check out more entities at the intersection of social media and “the final frontier,” take a look at Mashable’s other fascinating space-related articles. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube Tags: hayabusa, Japan Aerospace, NASA, Science, space, youtube

New Droid to Debut the Day Before iPhone 4 Hits Stores Posted: 15 Jun 2010 04:16 PM PDT Verizon and Motorola have announced they’ll be officially unveiling the latest, greatest version of the Droid on June 23, one day before the iPhone 4 is slated to appear in Apple stores around the U.S. We’re not entirely certain whether Verizon, Google, Motorola and Adobe execs at the June 23 press event will be showing off the Droid 2, a physical keyboard beauty with all the trimmings, or the Droid X, a big and bold iPhone killer if there ever was one. Who knows, we could be seeing both devices on the 23rd. The original Droid went gangbusters in terms of sales from in its first week onward, and Android devices in general are performing strongly. In fact, several handsets are becoming so popular that manufacturers can’t keep up with consumer demand. It’s a good problem to have. Still, attempting to steal Apple’s thunder is a gutsy move. The iPhone 4 already has rabid fanboy and fangirls trampling a wide path to pre-order the device, only to be greeted with disappointment as their massive numbers take down Apple.com and AT&T servers. What do you think: Will the new Droid’s well-deserved publicity be drowned out when the iPhone 4 arrives in stores the following day? Or have we all heard and seen enough iPhone news already to give the Droid X and/or Droid 2 our time and consideration? [img credit: laihiu] For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: android, droid, droid 2, droid x, iphone, iphone 4, Motorola, trending, verizon

YouTube Darlings OK Go Turn to Facebook to Spread Latest Video Posted: 15 Jun 2010 03:58 PM PDT At last night’s Webbys, OK Go’s five-word acceptance speech for Film and Video Artist of the Year went a little something like this: “Fight for net neutrality now!” Now they’re taking the principle of the open, free-flowing Internet to new heights by not only offering fans an embeddable version of their new jam, “End Love,” but a free download of the vid as well. You might remember that whole ordeal a few months back involving EMI and YouTube putting the kibosh on embeds of OK Go’s single, "This Too Shall Pass." This led to the band releasing another, embeddable version of the song — courtesy of State Farm — and eventually leaving their label to form their own, Paracadute Recordings. Well, with all that and a springy Internet trophy under their belts, the band is launching a pretty ambitious social media-driven campaign. Yes, they’re encouraging fans to share the new vid via embeds, but they’re also offering an incentive for their Facebook followers to spread the word. According to their Facebook Page, one winner will score an engraved iPad from OK Go — full of music and videos — simply for downloading the vid, sharing it on his/her wall and accruing the most comments. (Comments count as one point, “Likes” count as half a point). The contest ends at midnight PT on June 30, 2010. To offer fans an impetus to publicize and review the video is a brilliant idea. Still, judging by the success of their previous vids, one has to wonder why OK Go needs to tempt folks with an iPad to get views. Do you think OK Go has the steam remain at the top of the Internet heap? Or will the oft-repeated refrain "this too shall pass" ring true when it comes to their viral cache? Check out the video below and let us know. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter, YouTube Tags: celebrities, facebook, ipad, music, OK Go, viral video, youtube

Twitter Errors and Downtime Likely to Continue Posted: 15 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT Twitter’s been having a rough month keeping the service stable, and the micro-blogging service is willing to admit it. For the last few weeks, Twitter has been experiencing constant errors, fail whales and downtime, culminating in yesterday’s extended downtime and today’s high error rate. In a short blog post, Twitter’s Sean Garrett didn’t mince words: “From a site stability and service outage perspective, it’s been Twitter’s worst month since last October.” Twitter has been working on improving its system in anticipation of the World Cup, but according to Garrett, the company has uncovered deeper issues with its architecture — some so deep-rooted that they’ve caused unanticipated downtime. Several days ago, Twitter engineer Jean-Paul Cozzatti explained that the issues stem from several critical mistakes setting up and maintaining its internal network. I’ve spoken to members of the Twitter team about the issue, and for them the downtime really boils down to the tidal wave of Twitter activity surrounding the World Cup. Having issues from growth that surpasses all of your expectations is a good problem to have, but perhaps Twitter should have expected this level of activity given its large international userbase. To fix the issue, Twitter will likely take the service down during the next two weeks to make repairs and perform maintenance. The time frame — two weeks — makes us think that these issues aren’t simple fixes. Expect the high rate of errors and unexpected downtime to continue for a while longer. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: Fail While, twitter

Inside Gatorade’s Social Media Command Center Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:32 PM PDT In the realm of marketing, Gatorade is probably best known for splashy commercials featuring some of the world's most famous athletes. However, a new effort behind the scenes of the PepsiCo-owned sports drink maker is putting social media quite literally at the center of the way Gatorade approaches marketing. The company recently created the Gatorade Mission Control Center inside of its Chicago headquarters, a room that sits in the middle of the marketing department and could best be thought of as a war room for monitoring the brand in real-time across social media. Mission Control The room features six big monitors with five seats for Gatorade's marketing team to track a number of data visualizations and dashboards –- also available on to employees on their desktops — that the company has custom built with partners including Radian6 and IBM. Below are a few of the visualizations that we got to check out in an interview last week: This monitor is a visualization of tweets that are relevant to Gatorade; the company is tracking terms relating to its brand, including competitors, as well as its athletes and sports nutrition-related topics. This monitor measures blog conversations across a variety of topics and shows how hot those conversations are across the blogosphere. The company also runs detailed sentiment analysis around key topics and product and campaign launches. This video from Gatorade shows all of the different types of data being monitored from Mission Control. Mission Control in Action While certainly impressive visually, the first question that came to mind when being introduced to Gatorade Mission Control was how it's actually being used on a day-to-day basis, and if its lead to product and marketing changes at the company that might not have happened without it. Gatorade's Sr. Marketing Director, Consumer & Shopper Engagement Carla Hassan offered a few examples, starting with the company's monitoring of its "Gatorade has evolved" campaign. The commercials featured a song by rap artist David Banner, which, Mission Control quickly saw was being heavily discussed in social media. Within 24 hours, they had worked with Banner to put out a full-length version of the song and distribute it to Gatorade followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook, respectively. On a day-to-day basis, Gatorade's tools are also being used for more conventional marketing tactics –- like optimizing landing pages and making sure followers are being sent to the top performing pages. As an example, the company says it's been able to increase engagement with its product education (mostly video) by 250% and reduce its exit rate from 25% to 9%. The Future The goal of the project, says Hassan, is to "take the largest sports brand in the world and turn it into largest participatory brand in the world." To that end, the company's not only monitoring its brand on social media, but giving its fans increased access to its athletes and scientists. During the Super Bowl, for example, Gatorade let fans interact with a number of its NFL stars through Ustream as they tested out the new Gatorade G Series Pro. More recently, Hassan told me the company has been doing more regular small-scale live events, such as having a sports nutritionist answer questions from fans through Ustream and Facebook. If that strategy is successful, expect to see the Mission Control approach applied to other businesses within PepsiCo says Bonin Bough, director of global social media at the company. "We believe what we're building here is an example of a sandbox of tools and processes we can use across the organization," he said. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Radian6, Twitter, ustream Tags: customer service, gatorade, IBM, MARKETING, radian6, social media

iPhone 4 Pre-Orders Overwhelm AT&T Servers Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:22 PM PDT The iPhone 4 is now available for pre-order — in theory, anyways. We’ve been trying to pre-order and pay for an iPhone 4 since 9 a.m. ET and have been left with Apple.com time-outs, AT&T error messages, clueless customer service reps and reservations recorded at the wrong price. Checking Twitter and Facebook, we know we’re not alone. Fortunately, after nearly eight hours at this, we do have some tips for those of you still trying to get a pre-order or reservation. The main problem — from what we’ve been able to gather after phone calls to various AT&T and Apple customer service agents — seems to be on AT&T’s end. Quite simply, the servers that check for customer eligibility are being hit from all directions. If you’re at an AT&T store, good luck getting a pre-order to go through reliably. Online, the situation is similar, with error messages appearing after you enter in your mobile phone number and account password. At Apple.com, timeouts and error messages appear as soon as you select your iPhone and go through the AT&T eligibility screen. Occasionally you may end up at a “reserve at a local store” screen but in most cases, you either get a “session expired” message or a never-ending “waiting for authorization” screen. Earlier today, the new Apple Store app was working reliably for setting up an in-store reservation. However, because of high demand, the app has now stopped processing reservations. If you did manage to place an order using the app, be aware that because the app bypassed the AT&T eligibility servers, when you do get your confirmation e-mail from Apple, the price you see for the iPhone 4 will be either $599 or $699 depending on the capacity. In other words, the contract-free pricing is the default. We fully expect that issue to be cleared up by June 24. Bright Spots Best Buy, which is also accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 4, doesn’t go through AT&T’s activation system. The company seems to have its own line. So if you don’t mind getting your phone at Best Buy for a $50 deposit, it looks like this is the fastest way to do a pre-order on an iPhone 4 without having to deal with AT&T. RadioShack is also taking pre-orders and we’ve heard some positive reports via Twitter about its process too. Our advice for people who are still trying to pre-order an iPhone 4: Try the Apple Store app first. The pricing confirmation may be incorrect for now but you can at least you can reserve a phone. The app is currently NOT taking reservations at this time but that could change as things settle down. If there is a Best Buy in your area and you don’t mind putting down a $50 deposit, go to Best Buy. Chances are the retailer’s launch day lines will be way shorter too. Avoid going to any AT&T stores. Wait until tomorrow to see if the madness has finally dwindled. Have you been able to pre-order your iPhone 4? How long did it take? Share your experience in the comments. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Apple Store, Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, att, iphone 4, pre-order

6 Best FIFA World Cup Controversies of the Past 20 Years [VIDEO] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 02:10 PM PDT For continuous World Cup coverage, check out Mashable’s 2010 World Cup Hub, which will be updated throughout the games. Sometimes watching sports can be just as dramatic as watching a soap opera. Every four years the drama plays out on the football field as the FIFA World Cup Championship unleashes athletic chaos and rabid fans throughout the world. Between the players, the refs, the fans and FIFA there are a lot of characters weaving a tangled net of controversy that some might say is at times more enthralling than the actual game. In 80 years, there have been many moments that brought fans to the edge of their seats, and subsequently left them shaking their heads in disbelief. Here are the top six controversial moments. 1. 1990 1990 was a year of firsts, but not a good one for Argentina. Pedro Monzón became the first player ever to be thrown out of a World Cup final match following a controversial foul on Jürgen Klinsmann of Germany. A mere 21 minutes later, fellow teammate Gustavo Dezotti was booted as well. 2. 1994 Good sportsmanship is not just something we to teach kids so they’ll play nice. Chile learned that the hard way after it was banned from participating in the 1994 World Cup held in the U.S. During a qualifying match for the 1990 World Cup, goalie Roberto Rojas faked being hit and seriously injured by firecrackers hurled by Brazilian fans, and the team refused to play the rest of the match. Footage later showed the firework never hit Roberto Rojas after all. His lie lead to Chile being banned from the next World Cup, and Rojas was banned for life. 3. 1998 It’s considered to be one of football’s greatest mysteries. In the final match of the 1998 World Cup held in France, Brazilian superstar Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima’s name disappeared from the teamsheet, only to suddenly reappear in time for kick-off. The strange lineup flux sparked rumors of discord, talk that he was poisoned, and rumblings about his tumultuous love life. It had been reported that the striker had been dealing with an ankle injury and he had an upset stomach. Finally the team’s doctor revealed the player had been rushed to a hospital after he suffered a convulsion in his sleep. After a slew of tests Ronaldo was cleared to play, which proved not to be the best idea in the world. Unsurprisingly off his game, Ronaldo ended up injuring himself when he collided with French goalie Fabien Barthez, and Brazil lost the game 3-0 to France. 4. 2002 The 2002 World Cup was co-hosted by Korea and Japan and was rife was controversy from the beginning. Questionable calls by refs caused a stir as Italy and Spain were both ousted, losing to South Korea. Everyone loves a good conspiracy, especially rabid football fans. Some insisted that the game was rigged and some of the refs had been bought. FIFA denied the allegations but fans were not happy. 5. 2006 It may be the most controversial moment in World Cup history and it’s not pretty. French footballer Zinedine Zidane will forever be remembered for headbutting Italian player Marco Materazzi. Zindane claimed he was provoked after the Italian made some remarks about his mother. The incident was even more controversial as Zidane had already announced his retirement and that game would be his last. Italy beat France, and while he said he regrets the incident, recently Zidane was quoted saying he would never apologize. “But to him I cannot. Never, never. It would be to dishonor me. I’d rather die. There are evil people, and I don’t even want to hear those guys speak.” 6. 2006 Sometimes the controversy is just silly, but Dutch fans were willing to grin and bare it. At the 2006 tournament held in Germany, FIFA decided to play fashion police. The organization effectively forced an estimated 1,000 Dutch fans to watch the match against the Ivory Coast in their underwear after they were ordered to remove the patriotic orange lederhosen that carried the name of a Dutch beer. Since the brewery wasn’t an official World Cup Sponsor, FIFA decided the orange pants had to go. The devotion of the Dutch fans paid off as they watched Holland take their 2-1 victory. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More Sports resources from Mashable: - The World Cup's Social Media Evolution - HOW TO: Follow the 2010 World Cup on Twitter - 10 Best World Cup Goals on YouTube - 5 Amazing Android Apps for Baseball Fans - 5 Brilliant iPhone Apps for Baseball Fans - How the PGA Tour Uses Social Media to Connect with Fans Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Nikada Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: controversy, drama, football, sports, video, web video, world cup, world cup 2010, youtube

Google TV Explained in Less Than Three Minutes [VIDEO] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 01:57 PM PDT We’re been hearing word of Google TV since March, the excitement finally coming to a head at Google I/O last month when the ambitious project was revealed. Now, Google has a released a handy video that illustrates just how it works. The platform — which integrates TV and web content to create one, smooth experience — is said to be a possible foil to the Boxee Box. Boxee’s release date has been pushed back to November 2010 (Google TV will also be available in the fall). Looking at the video above, we have to admit that the experience looks pretty intriguing (even though whoever made the vid has rather poor taste in television shows). We’ve been privy to a lot of facts regarding Google TV, including its compatibility with Adobe Flash, its ability to search TV and the web simultaneously and to run Android apps, and its various form factors (external set-top box or integrated Sony TV). This video does a good job of simplifying the info. What do you think? Do you plan on getting Google TV? For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Android, Boxee, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: google tv, Hardware, video

Foursquare Gear: Coming to a Closet Near You Posted: 15 Jun 2010 01:09 PM PDT If you’re not content to flaunt your Foursquare flair in the digital realm (i.e. via badges), by summer’s end you could be wearing the location-based game on your sleeve — literally. That’s right, Foursquare is opening up an online store. Technically you’ve had the option of snagging physical badges via Nerd Merit Badges for about three months now, but the real deal with be available for your credit card-abusing pleasure soon enough. Oh, and according to Forbes, T-shirts and stickers will be on sale as well. Usually, when a social network or website starts hawking wares we begin suspecting a lack of funds, but we doubt this is the case for Foursquare — the popular service (which is now purportedly growing by 15,000 users per day) has made a slew of partnerships over the last few months with everyone from Bravo and Sephora to The Wall Street Journal. It remains to be seen what icons and images these products will feature, but we’re guessing lead designer Mari Sheibley has some interesting ideas in mind. Fingers crossed for the “Pouty Princess,” (real name: Sad Mayor). Would you wear Foursquare gear, or do you find the notion, well, square? [img credit: John Young] For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: foursquare, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, pop culture, social media

How the World Is Spending Its Time Online [STATS] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:54 PM PDT So… whatcha doin’ over there on that laptop, denizens of the world? Well, according to a new study from Nielsen showing Internet usage in April 2010, 22% of the time, you’re engaging with social media. Yeah, 22% might not seem like a mammoth percentage, but you have to take into account the fact that this finding is on a global scale. Also, a few more telling takeaways from the report: Currently, three quarters of Internet users worldwide visit a social network or blog when they go online — that’s a 24% increase over last year. Joe Average (the international version) spends 66% more time on these sites than he did a year ago — for example, your average user spent 6 hours on these sites in April 2010, while last year he spent 3 hours, 31 minutes. Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia make an appearance among the world’s most popular brands. We’ve seen ample proof of the burgeoning popularity of social media in the past — just two months ago, Nielsen reported similar growth — and it makes sense. Facebook has been giving Google a run for its money when it comes to traffic, and YouTube recently surpassed two billion views per day. We’ll have to see how social media usage shakes out as Facebook continues to accrue users, and YouTube dips its toe into the newsfeed business in an attempt to become a legit news source. In the meantime, check out a few more highlights from the study: Brazil boasts the largest percentage of Internet users visiting a social network –- 86% Australians spend the most time on social networking sites: an average of 7 hours and 19 minutes in April — the U.S. and Italy came in second and third with six and a half hours each. Facebook has the greatest share of the market in Italy in April 2010, garnering two-thirds of the active unique audience in April 2010. Australia, the U.S. and the UK came in on Italy’s heels with more than 60% of active users visiting the site. How much time do you spend on social networking sites? Has your hunger for social media contributed to this global increase? image courtesy of iStockphoto, ugurkoban For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Australia, Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, iStockphoto Tags: facebook, Google, News, social media, trending, wikipedia

5 Ways to Build a Loyal Audience on YouTube Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:42 PM PDT Vanessa Pappas is Vice President of Audience & Strategic Partnerships at Next New Networks, where she oversees key partner relationships, builds out audience growth strategies and advises programming of the networks which include Indy Mogul, Hungry Nation, and Barely Digital. Online video has moved from the niche to the mainstream and become a part of our regular media consumption. After five years, YouTube hit the milestone of serving one billion video views per day in October 2009, and just seven months later crossed the threshold of two billion view day in May. With online video viewing rivaling some of the biggest television ratings, how can you stand out in this sea of content on the world's largest video platform? Whether you're a Fortune 500 company, a media outlet, a small business, or an individual, the questions are the same: How do viewers find your videos online, and what keeps them coming back for more? Here are five guidelines to improve your video discovery rate and create a loyal audience on YouTube. 1. Create Meaningful Content Online viewers are fickle — they are always one click away from skipping over to the next thing. So while content is king, the key to having your video discovered is to create the kind of content that will add value to your defined community. Ask yourself key questions: Why would people want to watch your video? What relevance does it have to your target audience? Whatever creative format you chose to take, whether it be a vlog, how-tos, interviews, topical viral concepts, news-focused, or a scripted web series, you need to give people a reason to watch and share your videos. One brand that has done a great job of this is The Home Depot. The company's videos are not just repurposed commercials. Instead, they offer DIY expertise and insight on products and projects around the home. By creating engaging content that is valuable to the specific DIY community, Home Depot is able stay on brand and increase their chance of satisfied viewers seeing and sharing their content. 2. Package and Brand Consistently More than ever, the challenge everyone faces in building audiences online is getting viewers to come back after they've watched that initial video. A viral hit is a short-term success, but how do people know to come back? Did you give them a reason to? To this end, branding and packaging is crucial. Your brand will serve as a navigation marker in a sea of online content. Having a strong point of view within your content helps define your brand and position yourself as an expert and leader in your field — it’s a voice that they will know to trust and return to for specific content. Machinima, one of the leading channels for video game content on YouTube, has been the most consistent in this, and no doubt their branding and packaging has lead them to garner over one million subscribers. The packaging of your video refers to the branding expressed around your content. Here you can include graphic intros or end cards that reinforce the brand so that viewers don't have to guess what they are watching. It also establishes how people can find more of your content by giving them a name to search for. Additional branding and packaging within your video can include displaying your URL or YouTube channel name as well as using consistent channel and episode description and title conventions that reinforce your brand. These are all proven practices that can help viewers find their way back to your channel in the future. 3. Utilize the Platform — This Is Not TV YouTube is many things to many people, but above all it is a social medium. It’s where conversations happen, content is shared, and people engage in a very personal and direct way. By looking at some of the most successful YouTube channels, you'll quickly learn that being authentic in your videos is rewarded while brand marketing that is disingenuous or without value gets few results. Big companies like Zappos and Southwest Airlines understand this, and are excelling via engagement. To get the most visibility from YouTube, use all the tools at hand. People are not just watching content; they are “Liking” it, commenting on it, and sharing it through e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. By encouraging such activity through either specific calls to action within your videos or using advanced features like YouTube Annotations, you increase the chances of your videos being shared and discovered by a wider audience. Another main YouTube tool is the subscription feature. By asking your viewers to subscribe, you can convert many of them into repeat viewers and guaranteed audiences for future videos. Above all, by directly engaging with your viewers — through comments, responses, and replies to messages — you can effectively convert fans into a mobilized marketing team. Reward them by letting their voice be heard and including them in your content, and in turn you will find they will advocate on your behalf. To that end, no marketing dollar spent can match the value of personal endorsements and word of mouth from your biggest fans. At our company, we've seen the “pass-along” value and engagement metrics drive upwards of 40% of our traffic on top videos. 4. Optimize Your Video for Search Today it's all about SEO. In online video, the same rules that apply to making your blog or website discoverable apply to how people will find your videos. YouTube is the second largest search platform after Google, so when people visit YouTube they often search for something specific. Optimize your content by creating smart titles and descriptions and by tagging with relevant keywords. These steps will help viewers find your content in searches. A word of caution: Avoid spam-like tagging. This means you must avoid tagging everything under the sun or the latest pop culture icon or trend if that tag is not relevant to your content. Such practices will only create distrust among your viewers and keep them away for good. Remember, online video has a “long tail,” so your videos will continue to surface over time. Investing time in good metadata and paying attention to your archive will serve you well in the long run. 5. Partner with the Experts We talk a lot about creating good content, but that's no easy task. A lot goes into creating compelling and genuine videos that people want to watch. On top of that, building an audience takes time, and that’s a challenge for businesses that may not have skills in that area. This is when you should look to the experts. There are many successful YouTube channels that you could partner with that have already built large audiences. A quick browse on YouTube's “Most Viewed” channels reveals dozens of creators that are amassing millions of views per month with quality, original programming. Find a channel where the content is consistent, the community is engaged, and the subject matter (and therefore, audience) has relevance to your brand. These independent media studios and creators have dedicated untold hours to fostering a community that is loyal. Use this as an opportunity to work with those established leaders and tap into that audience to give your brand visibility. A couple of successful recent campaigns include GE's partnership with Howcast where they recruited key YouTube personalities such as iJustine, Smosh, Alphacat, and Rhett & Link to take a physical challenge and make original videos about getting healthy. So far, these videos combined have been viewed more than 9.5 million times, rated more than 250,000 times, and attracted more than 110,000 comments. Through such partnerships, brands can have instant access to a loyal following, and as long as they respect the guidelines above and trust the expertise of those who manage their own audiences, the results will provide great exposure to a targeted community. Conclusion The above strategies are some of the key ways to develop and build audiences online and specifically on YouTube, but they're by no means the panacea. Given the relative newness of online video, the mechanics are continually shifting. That said, these guidelines have proven successful for many who sought to reach beyond the hype of creating 'viral' videos to move toward building a consistent and genuine community around their brands or businesses. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More YouTube resources from Mashable: - 4 Tips for Producing Quality Web Videos - HOW TO: Make a Great How-To Video - 10 Killer Tips for Creating a Branded YouTube Channel - Top 10 YouTube Tips for Small Businesses - HOW TO: Boost Your SEO with a YouTube Channel Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Leontura Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto Tags: audience, branding, List, Lists, MARKETING, SEO, social media, video, web video, youtube

Obama Speech on BP Spill to be Followed by YouTube Q&A Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:08 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama will address the nation about the Gulf oil spill at 8 p.m. ET today. You’ll be able to watch the speech online at WhiteHouse.gov and on the White House YouTube channel. Fifteen minutes after the President’s speech, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will answer your questions on YouTube. You can submit your questions ahead of time at YouTube.com/WhiteHouse. You can then use Google Moderator to vote for questions you’d like to see answered. What do you think about the way that government is using social media and tools like YouTube to connect with voters and citizens? For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: government, gulf oil spill, oil, White House, youtube

E3: Live Updates from Sony’s PlayStation Press Event Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:03 PM PDT This week is all about E3, where the world’s biggest forces in gaming come to dazzle the gaming world with new hardware and amazing games. Yesterday, Microsoft took the stage to launch Kinect and earlier today, Nintendo revealed the 3DS. What will Sony do? We’re about to find out. The following is our live blog of the Sony press event: Note: All times below are in Pacific Standard Time. 11:58 a.m.: Sony PlayStation CEO Jack Tretton has taken the stage after a cool video showing off the Playstation 3 and its games. He’s providing a short introduction for the event. 12:00 p.m.: Tretton has introduced Kazuo Hirai, Group Chief Executive of Sony Computer Entertainment. He started off with taking up the PlayStation 3 and how Sony is at the cutting edge of 3D. 12:05 p.m.: Killzone 3 in 3D is being demoed by its developer, Guerrilla Games. Killzone is a first-person shooter series, and man do the graphics look good — 3D just is amazing. It’s a demo going in two parts. 12:12 p.m: Killzone 3 will be released in February 2011, and will be fully compatible with the PlayStation move. 12:14 p.m.: Sony’s really pushing the 3D. It’ll be on all PlayStations soon via system upgrade. Of course, you’re going to need the glasses in order to see it. They’re talking about games like Crysis 2 and Gran Turismo 5 as being part of the 3D push. 12:15 p.m.: It’s the 15th anniversary of the PlayStation and the 10th anniversary PlayStation 2. Tretton is now focused on the PlayStation Move, Sony’s new motion-based controller. 12:20 p.m.: Stats about the PlayStation Move, but it boils down to the same thing: the PlayStation Eye camera follows the ball of light on the controller on your hand. Now there’s a promotional movie being played that promotes that it “has buttons” and detect all ranges of motion — digs at the Xbox 360 Kinect and the Nintendo Wii respectively. 12:25 p.m.: First game demo with the PlayStation Move: Sorcery. Control the guy and his want with the Move controller, and then flick it to release the spell. There are some cool gameplay mechanics, such as creating lines of fire and using wind to turn that into firestorms. 12:32 p.m.: EA Sports is on stage to discuss PlayStation Move with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and how to use it for playing golf. The audience just says “oooh” or “aww” every time he hits it into the bunker. 12:38 p.m.: PlayStation Move functionality will be available fro Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 when the controller launches, via an update through the PlayStation Network. 12:39 p.m.: New game: Heroes on the Move. It combines several semi-known animal characters: Rachet, Jak, Sly Cooper, Bently, Clank, and Daxter. I was hoping for Spyro. 12:42 p.m.: Funny — they’ve trotted out “Kevin Butler,” a character from their advertising campaigns, to basically rail into Microsoft and Nintendo. He’s really riling up the fanboys. Nice job, Sony. Nice job. 12:47 p.m.: Europe gets the Move controller September 15th, U.S. on September 19th, and Japan on October 21st. The PlayStation 3 bundle with the Move controller costs $399.99, while the controller itself (without the camera) costs $50.00. 12:48 p.m.: Yet another promo video for the Move. As a bonus, I finally found the video from me playing with the PlayStation Move when it was first announced back in March (I was really concentrating on killing the bugs!): And from the demo video: 12:52 p.m.: Moving on to the PSP. They’re focusing on exclusive games such as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. 12:58 p.m.: Over 70 new titles by December. 1:05 p.m.: LittleBIG Planet 2 is being demoed. The game iutilizes social elements to creat a community that can create their own games and levels. We got a peek at it earlier this year. 1:10 p.m.: Focus on the PlayStation network 1:15 p.m.: Medal of Honor unveils a new character, who you can get through the PlayStation network. 1:20 p.m.: Medal of Honor multiplayer coming in October. Dead Space 2 demo is next. 1:24 p.m.: It’s Portal 2! 1:25 p.m.: Valve is on stage discussing Portal 2 on the PS3. Now the very first time, they’re showing off Portal 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the original smash hit where you solve riddles by jumping through portals. 1:29 p.m.: Final Fantasy XIV video promo. This version is a multiplayer game — an MMORPG. 1:33 p.m.: They’re wrapping up with a promo video that showcases the biggest games coming to PS3 this year. Everything from Socom 4 to LittleBIG Planet 2 to Madden 11 is included. 1:42 p.m.: This event is taking too long. These games look great, but we can only take so much promotional video of Gran Turismo 5. 1:44 p.m.: Okay, a guy just drove out in a bloody ice cream truck in a clown outfit. It’s for Twisted Metal franchise, and they’re announcing a new game. 1:47 p.m.: Twisted Metal Nuke: It’s their twist on objective-based multiplayer gameplayer. Deathmatches, combat, etc. 1:51 p.m.: It’s done! For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: e3, gaming, live, liveblog, playstation, sony, video games

OpenTable Brings Restaurant Reservations to the iPad [PICS] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:40 AM PDT OpenTable has finally brought its restaurant reservation services to the iPad, taking advantage of the screen’s additional real estate to improve upon its app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app [iTunes link] offers the same search functionality as the iPhone version, including the ability to to search by restaurant name, cuisine type, neighborhood and current location. Users can search for open tables for their party within a specified geographic and time range, pull up a restaurant’s location on a map, and peruse the menu and diner reviews before making a reservation. The app automatically bookmarks recently-viewed listings to make the browsing process even easier. On the iPhone and iPod touch, all of this functionality is available on separate screens. On the iPad, users can view restaurant information, reviews and related results at the same time; when searching by location, they can pull up a map right next to the list of search results (see preview below). The portability of the iPad device will also change the OpenTable app experience. “We believe people will use the iPad in different ways than they do the iPhone,” Josh Garnier, OpenTable’s mobile product manager, reflected in a blog post. “When the iPad is used in the home, it tends to be a communal device. Like the TV remote, it's something that is likely shared among friends and family while sitting on the couch.  Because most dining decisions are communal, the iPad, then, is a terrific platform for planning where to eat tonight (and every night).” What do you think of OpenTable for the iPad? What’s your favorite way to find and book dining reservations via your mobile device? Screenshots Video [img credit: U-g-g-B-o-y-(-Photograph-World-Sens e-)] For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: ipad, ipad app, opentable

Google Earth Arrives on the iPad [PICS] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:57 AM PDT Google has just updated its Google Earth iPhone app to work with the iPad. The free app brings the desktop Google Earth experience to Apple’s latest device. In addition to offering native iPad support, Google Earth 3.0 also adds a road layer for the iPad and the iPhone 3GS. Testing the app on our 3G iPad, we found that the built-in GPS unit worked quite well when determining our exact location, and that the optional tilt function was great for controlling the axis of the globe to pinpoint location and find out additional information. If you’ve never used Google Earth before, think of it like a giant scalable world map that has the added benefit of not only Street View and terrain indicators, but also pulls in information from Wikipedia, photos added by other users, and the locations of businesses and Google Places. Our only real complaint is that we got an “Out of Memory” message a few times while testing the app. This is the first time we’ve seen this message in more than two months of frequent iPad usage, and while we imagine it’s because the constant redrawing of satellite and Street View imagery is taxing on the iPad’s available memory, this is still something we hope Google can address in a future update. You can check out our gallery to get an idea of what the app looks like on the iPad. What do you think of Google Earth for the iPad? Let us know! Loading Screen Google Earth Globe Places of Interest Details Location Details Current Location Reviews from Other Sources Larger Area Map Places of Interest Basic City Info London London Streets For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Google, Google Earth, Twitter, Wikipedia Tags: apple, Google, google earth, ipad, ipad apps, software

Gowalla Teams Up with USA Today for Travel Tips Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:25 AM PDT USA Today has partnered with location-based social network Gowalla to bring its travel content to the network’s users. Gowalla users who follow USA Today and check in at major U.S. airports will receive airport and airline news and features from the news organization’s Travel section and online community. Users can also embark on one of USA Today’s Trips, highlighting eight to ten destinations in ten major U.S. cities — New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Boston, West L.A., Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. — curated by the company’s editorial staff. Those who complete a Trip will receive a Jet Setter pin for their Gowalla Passport. Later in the month, USA Today’s airport guides, which offer readers real-time flight information and information about the best places to park and how to get through security efficiently in 40 airports, among other things, will also be integrated with the service. In addition, users who check in at the “most unique” airports between now and Labor Day may receive an invitation to be profiled in USA Today’s online travel community. What do you think of the integration? What are your favorite travel apps for mobile? For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Gowalla, Twitter Tags: App, geolocation, gowalla, Mobile 2.0, travel, usa today

The Internet Loves/Hates the Vuvuzela [Randomly Viral] Posted: 15 Jun 2010 09:09 AM PDT Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world? Well, now you have a myriad of ways in which to do so, because the Vuvuzela — a stadium horn blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa — has gone certifiably viral. The World Cup kicked off last Friday, and with it came a torrent of protests and derision aimed at the instrument, which many find reminiscent of a swarm of bees on the move, or a herd of elephants trumpeting and trumpeting and trumpeting. The BBC is even looking into how it can provide Vuvuzela-free coverage of the Cup. Like many annoying things, the Vuvuzela, however, continues to grow in popularity, spawning a bevy of Internet tributes. We’re including our favorites below. But first check out this informational vid from Discovery Networks for more dirt on the controversial horn: @livevuvuzela Yup. This Twitter account is basically a lot of the above. I really enjoy how the Twitterer retweets other Vuvuzela imitators and switches from Twitter client to Twitter client — it cuts down on the droning monotony. The iPhone and Android Apps Oh, man, I just downloaded this handy app for my Eris, and let me tell you — the Mashable office LOVED it when I — with no warning whatsoever — fired up that baby and began shaking it about with glorious abandon. (You can choose from a virtual buffet of horns — 32 representing each of the teams in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa). I suggest snagging it for either your Android or iPhone [iTunes link] and following my lead — it’s gonna be a loooong day, fellow Mash staff… The Facebook App This app comes from the same people who brought you the above toys, but it just doesn’t have the same oomph. Maybe because you’re only really able to give the gift of aural irritation in effigy? The Parody Protest Vids It was inevitable that people would take to YouTube to express their ire, but the above vid is just weird. What’s your favorite Vuvuzela-inspired fare? Share the agony and ecstasy in the comments. image courtesy of iStockphoto, ManoAfrica For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook [sniplet name] Reviews: Android, Facebook, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube, iPhone, iStockphoto Tags: android, facebook, humor, iphone, pop culture, sports, twitter, video, youtube

E3: Live at the Nintendo Press Event Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:59 AM PDT We’re here at Nintendo’s E3 press event, where the video game giant will have to answer to Microsoft and Sony’s encroachment upon their motion control innovation with the Wii. Will we see new Wii hardware? Perhaps a brand new Zelda adventure? It’s anyone’s guess, so stay tuned to Mashable for our live coverage. Note: All times below are in Pacific Standard Time. 8:53 a.m.: The Nokia Theater is filling up and we’re being entertained by Nintendo trivia on the big stage screens. 9:01 a.m.: The countdown begins! And now Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage. 9:02 a.m.: He’s talking about the progression of technology in gaming: HD, 3D, button control, and no control at all (an obvious nod to Kinect). The best comes when technology and game design are perfectly matched. 9:03 a.m.: Showing a trailer for the new Zelda! Zelda: Skyward Sword, exclusive for Wii. Shigeru Miyamoto on video is talking about the new game: Wii Motion Plus will power the swordplay of the new title. You’ll use the nunchuk to raise your shield, and the Wii Remote is your sword. 9:07 a.m.: Demoing the new game. Shigeru Miyamoto comes out in the flesh to show it off. The idea is more natural control of your sword and shield, as if you were holding real objects. Link follows your actions in real-time. 9:09 a.m.: Hold your sword high to charge it up and unleash powerful attacks. Use a shield bash to send projectiles flying back towards your enemies. You can affect the environment: use your sword to cut the grass or cut down trees. 9:12 a.m.: Your items are in your pocket: hold down the B button to grab anything from your inventory via a radial menu. The slingshot: just aim it with your arm. Use bombs: raise Wii remote to throw it or drop your hand and roll the bomb. “If you’re good, you can put some spin on it.” 9:15 a.m.: Running into a little trouble with wireless interference in the demo, they make jokes about everyone in the audience using too much WiFi — funny reference to Apple’s keynote last week at WWDC. 9:17 a.m.: Using a whip, Shiggy can’t defeat the enemy, so he quickly switches to the sword: “Wii Motion Plus lets you switch objects much more quickly.” There’s more wireless interference now but they’re assuring everyone that gameplay is smooth and encouraging us to try it out on the show floor later. 9:19 a.m.: Development will continue through this year; Zelda: Skyward Sword will be available in 2011. 9:21 a.m.: Reggie back on stage. He’s talking about making games that appeal to a wide range of people. Next, we’ll look at sports, starting with NBA Jam. They’re showing a new exclusive version on the show floor here. 9:22 a.m. Showing a trailer for new sports game starring “Mario the sportsman.” It’s Mario Sports Mix, and it will be coming out in 2011. 9:25 a.m.: Reggie is talking about the “mistaken” impression that enthusiasm for the Wii is waning. He says 177 million Miis have been created, and a new titles Wii House Party will invite them all to play. 13 party games, 17 mini-games, and “all the Miis you can invite”. Reggie says this title will “drive social interaction.” 9:28 a.m.: Introduces Just Dance 2, sequel to the earlier full-body rhythm and dance title. 9:29 a.m.: Showing off a trailer for the new Golden Sun: Dark Dawn adventure title, arriving this holiday season. 9:31 a.m.: New Golden Eye 007 title: split-screen and online multiplayer. 8 classic Bond characters, 16 games modes including paintball, melee only and more. Stars Daniel Craig as James Bond. Exclusive to Wii, arrives in store this holiday. 9:34 a.m.: Disney: Epic Mickey also exclusive to Wii. Junction Point GM Warren Spector comes out on stage to give the details. “Welcome to Wasteland — it’s a world both familiar and strange.” It’s a darker version of the Magic Kingdom we know and love. 9:35 a.m.: Showing off the Venture Land quest zone. There are some recognizable locations: Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, for example. Core game mechanic: draw and erase, plus paint and paint thinner. Players can erase the environments or restore them — players can dynamically change the game world to save it. “Play style matters: how you change your world changes how other characters treat you, and how their story ends.” 9:38 a.m.: At the end of the day, we want each player to feel like she’s created a unique experience. Action Zones are a second location type, Travel Zone is a third. Finishing up demo and encouraging everyone to try it out on the show floor. 9:41 a.m.: Reggie is back up, talking about the first new Kirby title on a console in 7 years: Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Showing a trailer of a bright 2D platformer with a new art style Kirby made of pink string who can change his shape. It’ll be out this fall, exclusive to the Wii. 9:45 a.m.: Next up, he’s talking about adding a multiplayer experience to Dragonquest: Sentinels of the Starry Skies for the Nintendo DS. Coming to the U.S. July 11. 9:47 a.m.: Trailer for a new Metroid! 9:48 a.m.: Metroid: Other M arrives in stores for Wii August 31. 9:50 a.m.: A new Donkey title, Donkey Kong Country Returns, also available this holiday season. 9:52 a.m.: 3D play on Nintendo 3DS is on the way. But glasses are expensive — we think there’s a better way. With amply content available the first day on the market and no glasses. 9:54 a.m.: Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is out on stage, holding up the Nintendo 3DS. “I can’t wait for you to try this.” 2 screens, upper is 3.5″ widescreen display. There’s a 3D depth slider you can use to adjust the depth of field. Touchscreen only on the bottom, because touchscreen doesn’t go well with 3D, he says. 9:58 a.m.: Hardware control mechanisms: slide pad, motion sensor, gyro-sensor. There are 2 camera lenses on the outside — you can take photos and view them in 3D! It can also play 3D Hollywood movies. Disney, DreamWorks and Warner Brothers will be offering 3D content for the Nintendo 3DS. 10:01 a.m.: Showing trailer for Kid Icarus: Uprising, made specifically for the Nintendo 3DS. No release date, just “coming soon.” 10:04 a.m.: Iwata is talking about the impact of 3D: with height, depth and width you have better options for navigation. Now talking about how 3DS works differently with Wi-Fi for inter-console communications. Owners can communicate valuable information without having to do anything. New stages, quests, ghost data, and new rankings will be downloaded for you passively, whenever you get near a Wi-Fi hotspot — no monthly fee required. 10:07 a.m.: He says Miyamoto is working on a new version of Nintendogs for 3D. He’s also talking up all the third-party developers with intention to make games for the Nintendo 3DS: Level 5, THQ, Activision, EA, Capcom, WB Games, Ubisoft, Namco Bandai, Konami and more. Lots of popular franchises coming to the Nintendo 3DS. 10:10 a.m.: Showing trailer of testimonies from high-level execs at third-party developers about why they’re excited to develop for the 3DS. 10:15 a.m.: Wrapping up here — they’ve brought out a host of ladies bearing Nintendo 3DS’s and are going to give everyone hands-on time after the keynote ends. We’re off to get our mitts on the handheld and will be back with our impressions later today — stay tuned! Reviews: Mashable, mario Tags: e3, E3 2010, Nintendo, video games, Wii, Zelda

HOW TO: Rent Anything Online Posted: 15 Jun 2010 08:08 AM PDT As dumpster diving and extreme anti-consumerism edge their way into the mainstream, more and more renting seems like an easier way to "go green" while cutting costs. While not everything should be rented, (toothbrushes, underwear, I can go on) most things can be, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that you can borrow just about anything without having to leave your home, or office, or coffee shop – basically anywhere you use your computer. Log on to these sites and let the wonder of temporary ownership begin. Books People have been renting books since as early as fourth century BCE, but only recently have they been able get their lit fix without logging off the Internet or succumbing to the annoyance of a due date. There are a number of “Netflix for books" businesses that allow bookworms to read and return books at their own pace. Book Swim prices its plans depending on the number of books taken out at one time (a "devout reader," with 11 books rented at a time, pays about $60 per month). Books Free, which isn't actually free, offers similar plans but restricts the type of content you can order based on which plan you sign up for (starting at $10.99 per month for two-at-a-time paperbacks). Since the average college student spends about $1,100 on textbooks a year, it is not shocking that textbook rentals are becoming an increasingly booming business. Deciding between the myriad of sites that offer the service might come down where you'd rather direct your goodwill. Rent a book from Chegg and they'll plant a tree; rent a book from Book Renter and they'll donate a book to a low-income child. Movies Gone are the days of going all the way to a rental store to rent a DVD, then having to deal with late fees if you kept it for more than a specifically allotted amount of time. Thanks to Netflix, anyone can rent movies by mail with no late fees or due dates. Plans starting at $8.99/month also come with unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV shows over the web. Netflix users can stream movies over their computer or to their televisions via a connected device like the Wii, Xbox, PlayStation, Roku or any number of televisions and Blu-ray disc players. Many connected devices can also stream movies from Amazon Video on Demand, which offers 24-hour movie rentals starting at $0.99/per movie. Another option for streaming video rentals is Apple’s iTunes, which offers thousands of movies and television shows for rent starting at $1.99 ($3.99 for HD). iTunes rentals can be streamed via computer or via the Apple TV device. Soon, other media center devices and software like the forthcoming Boxee Box and Google TV should offer additional home streaming media rental options. Friends Your mother may have told you that money won't buy you friends, but your mama lied. There actually are firms that provide stand-in relatives, friends, boyfriends, and even groomsmen (complete with cheesy speeches about why you'll always be "bros"). It may sound like the gimmick in a less than stellar rom-com (ahem The Wedding Date), but it's a modest yet growing industry in places like Japan. So while renting your buds may be a less-established practice in the United States, there are still plenty of resources for those willing to admit their social circle is lacking and don't mind shelling out a few bucks for some company (not that kind of company, get your mind out of the gutter.) The website aptly named Rent A Friend charges a small fee to browse profiles by zip code. Would-be friends list what they're up for –- which could everything from being your date to prom, to spending a Sunday afternoon taking a hot air balloon ride (weirdly specific, no?). So just who are these people eager to be your pal-for-pay? Profiles include anyone who the site's "Party! Enjoy Life! Make Friends! Get Paid!" job description appeals to. Contact them to negotiate what your friendship is worth in an hourly rate. Rent a Local Friend is another friend rental option that is great for those traveling on their own. The site sets up travelers with locals who either join them for a day as guides, or offer a list of insider tips so you can get the most out of the city. It's a good way to get off the beaten path while traveling and the prices, which vary throughout the 15 available cities, are comparable to professional tours. Dresses Few women have $3,000 to spend on a dress, so many spend Monday nights coveting the wardrobe on Gossip Girl and wishing they could somehow afford a closet full of designer labels. All that wishing appears to have worked, and thanks to a slew of dress-rental sites, you don't have choose between paying your Internet bill and investing in a seriously amazing wardrobe. Typically these sites allow users to rent dresses for the price of about 10 percent their retail value. The dresses are delivered on a scheduled date, worn, and returned with minimal denting to the wearer's wallet. Some sites, like Rent the Runway, which has a wait-list to become a member, and Wear Today, Gone Tomorrow, only allow members to browse and rent. Other sites, like Girl Meets Dress, allow browsing before membership. Women's bodies are unique and it's frustrating because designer sizing is not. The sites have different strategies for dealing with fit. Rent the Runway allows renters to choose two sizes of the same dress so you can decide what fits best, while Wear Today, Gone Tomorrow has created a standardized sizing chart to guesstimate the right size. Girl Meets Dress actually allows its customers to schedule a date to try-on a dress before the big event. Renters ship the dress back the same day. If it fits, it's redelivered. If not, more try-on dates are scheduled. Keep in mind, if you are all about saving money while getting the best fit, for all of these sites you can hit up your local Bloomingdales and try on the fashions before you rent. Every woman knows that a dress alone is not enough. You need the shoes and the bag, and probably some jewelry too. Snag that Channel clutch you really can't afford but really want from sites like Bag, Borrow, or Steal — which will also loan you designer sunglasses, jewelry and watches, Rent Me A Handbag, which is more than happy to lend out some Prada pumps, or Hand Bag Club, which has a nice selection of arm candy, as well. Kid stuff The number of children per family in the U.S. is averaging at about two, so it doesn't make much sense for most people to buy kid things under the premise that they'll be reused several times by future spawn. Fortunately the birthrate and the number of kid-related rental sites seem to be inversely related. Cash-strapped parents will appreciate the rental packages at Rent Baby Toys, or Rent That Toy, a site that lets you rent specific toys, like the Kawasaki Ninja Tough Trike at $20 per month. New parents already dealing with maneuvering a stroller, and want to live as light as possible, may enjoy the Traveling Baby Company or Baby's Away for temporary baby supplies while traveling. More savings and recycling can be had at Wear and Share, to avoid having to buy new baby clothes as fast as your child outgrows them. Pets Did you have a dog growing up, and miss throwing around a ball with old Fido? Do you live a busy life and don't know if you can handle the responsibility of a full-time pet? Then maybe Borrow a Pet, is something to try. The organization facilitates pet lending in the name of "reducing the number of abandoned pets." The idea is that by doing the good deed of putting their pet up for lease, pet owners can give pet seekers a better idea of what they're getting into before it's too late. The number of participants is still pretty slim, but the site launched less than a year ago. Following a similar try-before-you-buy theory, many branches of the Humane Society, such as Marin in California, also have trial adoption programs that allow potential adoptive parents to take pets home for an extended period of time before committing to a full adoption. On a less altruistic note, a growing number of hotels, including select locations of the Ritz Carlton and Fairmont, rent dogs to guests as walking companions. Or there is always that old cliché of using a dog to pick up that "special" someone. FlexPetz, in New York, L.A. and London provides members with local access to dogs who were rescued or re-homed, but are fully trained. Members can choose to spend just a few hours or a number of days with each dog. After new members have completed an introduction session with a trainer, they can use the online reservation system to book "doggy time" for fun with their temporary canine pal. The company has plans to expand to San Francisco, D.C., Paris and Boston, if they get the Massachusetts 2008 ban on renting pets overturned. [What do you think of the concept of renting pets? Good idea or twisted? Sound off in the comments. -- Ed.] Everything Else Non-virtual rental shops are increasingly accessible on the web. Rentcycle makes it easy to find stores and search their inventory. All the rental shops listed are browsable by location and specialty, but if a rental shop nearby has chosen to sign up for Rentcycle, you'll also be able to browse their inventory and check availability online. For items like doughnut fryers, lecterns or Santa hats, there are several sites that allow you to target your neighbors for these less mainstream items. Zilok lists more than 100,000 searchable items from both rental businesses and individuals. Renters set a price per day, week, or month as well as a deposit amount. Browsers can book items online and contact the owner to set-up an exchange. Rent Instead and Rentoid are similar concepts with slight variations. Rent Instead offers a shipping option for out-of-area items, and Rentoid avoids bogus items by charging $4.00 per posting. If you can't find what you're looking for — say a competition figure skating dress — Zilok has a function that allows you to send a rental request to registered renters in your area, while Rentoid similarly hosts a "wanted" board for posting requests. Have you ever rented anything online? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook More Social Media resources from Mashable: - Group Buying: Should Small Businesses Jump In? - 10 Essential Accessories for the Fashionable Geek - Rentcycle Looks to Put Niche Rental Shops Online Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mbbirdy Reviews: Blu, Facebook, Internet, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: accessories, babies, books, clothes, dresses, friends, green, List, Lists, parents, pets, recycle, reduce, renting, reuse, social media, social networking, toys

FarmVille Maker Zynga Has Now Raised a Whopping $366 Million Posted: 15 Jun 2010 07:50 AM PDT Zynga, the creators of the blockbuster social game FarmVille, has raised another round of funding: $147 million, seemingly all from Japanese telecommunications and media conglomerate Softbank. According to Bloomberg Businessweek and Nikkei English News, Zynga and Softbank have joined forces to spread Zynga’s wildly successful suite of social games throughout Asia. The company will focus on mobile devices — a smart move, considering that many Japanese consumers use their mobile phones as their primary access point to the web. Just six months ago, Zynga raised an impressive $180 million from Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies, the same firm that invested $200 million in Facebook. Since then, Zynga has been rapidly rising in value; its most recently valuation placed it at over $4 billion. Zynga has raised a total of around $366 million in an angel and four subsequent rounds of funding. Softbank has been making some high-profile investments into U.S. companies over the last year. In November 2008, Softbank invested millions in RockYou, another social application developer. More recently, live video platform Ustream raised $75 million in a round led by Softbank in order to expand its Asia operations. Zynga will likely use the funds to accelerate its hiring spree and make acquisitions as it moves into Asia. Two weeks ago, the company acquired Challenge Games and its 35 employees for around $20 million. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: farmville, social gaming, softbank, Zynga

Microsoft Office 2010 Hits Stores Worldwide Posted: 15 Jun 2010 07:23 AM PDT After years of development and beta testing, Microsoft Office 2010 is now available for purchase by consumers worldwide. Microsoft Office 2010 hits stores today with three versions: Home and Student, Home and Business, and Professional. In stores, the versions will cost $149.99, $279.99, or $499.99 respectively, but by downloading the software and just purchasing a Key Card, the price drops to $119.99, $199.99, and $349.99 respectively. The newest version of Microsoft’s productivity software provides some major additions and upgrades to the 2007 version, including Outlook Social Connector and new multimedia editing tools. The biggest addition is Office Web Apps, a slim but very functional version of its desktop counterpart that allows for live document collaboration, online storage, and integration with Hotmail and other Microsoft products. The release of Office 2010 comes one month after Microsoft Office 2010’s upgrade release and two months after it was released to manufacturing. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: google docs, microsoft, microsoft office

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