Kamis, 08 Juli 2010

Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “8-Bit Cities Are The Geekiest Maps We’ve Seen”

Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “8-Bit Cities Are The Geekiest Maps We’ve Seen”

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8-Bit Cities Are The Geekiest Maps We’ve Seen

Posted: 08 Jul 2010 01:41 AM PDT


In March 2010, web developer and product manager Brett Camper designed a fully functional, zoomable 8-bit map of New York City. Pleased with his creation, he decided to raise crowdsourced funding on Kickstarter and create maps for 15 new cities. Now, half of that goal is finished, and eight new 8-bit city maps have been created: San Francisco, Washington D.C., London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Austin, and Detroit. Brett has also created a map of his home town, Seattle, sponsored by JetCityOrange and Azalea Software.

The maps themselves are amazing. They’re just like Google Maps, only in the eighties video game style – if you’ve ever played the original Legend of Zelda, you’ll recognize the style instantly. Navigating the maps can be tricky, but there’s a fully functional search engine for each city if you need to find something fast.

Brett plans to create 8-bit maps for several other cities; currently planned are Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Portland OR, Oakland CA, Boulder, Oklahoma City in the U.S., Rome, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Nijmegen in Europe, and Kyoto, Shanghai, Singapore in Asia.

[via Engadget]

Reviews: Google Maps

More About: 8-bit cities, design, maps

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Motorola Unveils a New Android Phone: Charm

Posted: 08 Jul 2010 12:08 AM PDT


Motorola today announced some specs, images and availability details for a new Android phone.

Dubbed the Motorola Charm, this oddly shaped device will ship to T-Mobile subscribers this summer with a 2.8-inch screen, the current Android 2.1 operating system (not Froyo), and a slew of social features.

If you’re thinking this looks and sounds a bit like the ill-fated Kin — small screen, square-ish shape, social emphasis, physical keyboard — we can’t really blame you for your déjà vu. But we won’t consign the Charm to the technological junk heap just yet; we still don’t know just why the Kin failed, so we aren’t convinced that similar features in another phone will lead it to the same demise.

In addition to its keyboard — a welcome feature for heavy texters and social media addicts — the Charm sports a touchscreen and a navigation pad. Called the “Backtrack” pad, this hardware feature is located on the back of the device and works like a laptop touch panel. Without having a review model, we can’t say whether this feature will be a blessing — saving space on a tiny touchscreen so you can actually see what you’re navigating around — or a curse — you can’t tell what you’re navigating around or accidentally use the pad while holding the phone. Another hardware perk is its two-microphone noise cancellation functionality for clearer calls in ambient noise-filled areas.

The phone’s social features will have customization and filtering options. Charm will also play nicely with Flash, and it’ll come pre-loaded with the usual suite of Google apps. Its 3MP camera might not compete with a more media-centric device like the Droid X, but this phone is aimed at a more social, less “artistic” crowd, we’re guessing.

And, like the Kin’s Studio feature, the Charm features browser-based access to all the device’s data, including media such as videos and photos. Data can be transfered via a USB port or WiFi connection.

We’re expecting to see the Charm hit shelves before the end of the summer.

As far as smartphones go, most of the big-name devices have launched on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. The former network has the blockbuster Droid, and Sprint is seeing plenty of buzz around the Evo, which it’s billing as the first 4G device on a 4G network. And of course, the iPhone 4 is selling like hotcakes, much to the delight of AT&T, with whom Apple still has an exclusive contract.

If the Charm turns into the high-volume, tween-friendly phone the Kin wanted to be, T-Mobile might have a winner on their hands. What do you think — is the Charm a device that interests you?

Reviews: Android, Google

More About: android, charm, Kin, Motorola, T-Mobile

For more Mobile coverage:

Facebook Credits Available Offline at Asian, Australian Retailers

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 09:29 PM PDT


Through a partnership with MOL – the online micropayment company that bought Friendster about 7 months ago — Facebook is making its virtual currency, Facebook Credits, available at a large network of retail outlets around Asia and Australia.

MOL has its own virtual currency — MOLPoints. In a few months, Facebook users will be able to buy Facebook Credits using their MOLPoints, trading one virtual currency for another. They’ll also be able to buy Facebook Credits outright at certain locations.

MOLPoints bought at half a million outlets throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia and New Zealand can be used to purchase Facebook Credits.

At some stores in some countries, users will be able to buy co-branded gift cards redeemable for Facebook Credits. You’ll also see Facebook Credits sold at MOL’s online banks, in Internet cafes and at 7-Eleven stores.

We’re told by a Facebook rep that in these parts of the world, many consumers use prepaid cards instead of credit cards for online purchases; the MOL partnership will make it much simpler for this group of people to buy and spend Facebook Credits, creating more invested users in Asia and more profits for the social network, itself.

Vaughan Smith is Facebook’s director of business and corporate development. In a press release, he stated, “We're investing in the long-term future of Facebook Credits, and we view this agreement as a major opportunity to broaden the availability of a simple, unified currency that can be used in games and applications across Facebook.”

Facebook Credits have already been shown to be a solid revenue stream for this site. And the mobile- and web-connected millions in these countries could provide a significant boost to this program if the MOL partnership takes off.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Facebook should work out more offline Credits-purchasing deals in the U.S., too? Let us know your opinions in the comments.

Reviews: Australia, Facebook, Internet

More About: facebook, facebook credits, MOL, virtual currency

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Pete Cashmore on How He Grew Mashable [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 08:26 PM PDT


Our CEO and founder Pete Cashmore recently sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Venture to talk about how Mashable has grown as a startup and a small business.

We’re a humble outfit, but — in Bloomberg’s words — we’re also one of the world’s most profitable blogs. Founded in 2005 as a one-writer blog, Mashable has now grown to include a staff of more than 30 people and has become a well-known source of great content and great events.

So, how did Cashmore do it? Aspiring bloggers and would-be media moguls, get ready to take a few notes! In this interview, our CEO discusses Mashable’s origins and how he’s managed to scale his small business into a thriving player in the larger world of technology and media.

We’re embedding the first in this four-part series. If your interest is piqued, check out parts two, three and four, as well.

Have a look, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Reviews: Mashable

More About: cashmore, interview, mashable, pete cashmore, video

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Chatroulette Spawns Art Gallery Exhibit, “Narcissus”

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 07:14 PM PDT


Fad or no fad, Chatroulette’s 15 minutes of fame isn’t up just yet. An art gallery is showing “a tableau of human reactions” gleaned from the viral video chat site; the exhibit is called the Narcissus Series.

According to the gallery’s curators, “The premise of the Narcissus Series is to recreate the conditions of the myth and capture that moment of self-recognition. Bespoke software was created to divert the incoming video feed, reflect it and feed it back so that each person was confronted with their own reflected image, in place of an expected remote random partner.”

In other words, instead of being connected to another human being, the Chatroulette user on the other end of this program would just see themselves upside down, which references the mythical character Narcissus seeing his reflection in a body of water.

Between February and May, several thousand people were captured for this art project. We don’t know whether these people have given their permission for the use of their likeness; still, the results are interesting.

“Narcissus Lament” is a 10-minute video grid (excerpt below) composed of 108 separate frames displaying still shots of Chatroulette users experiencing their own “moment of self-recognition.” The exhibit also includes “Regret,” “Redemption” and “Remorse,” three prints containing 576 images each.

The artist, Liubo Borissov, is an assistant professor at Pratt Institute’s Department of Digital Arts. His work lives at the intersection of science, technology and art. If Narcissus interests you, we recommend giving his Vimeo channel a gander, too.

So tell us, which kind of Chatroulette-inspired art do you prefer: the Narcissus Series or Merton the Chatroulette Piano Guy?

More About: art, chatroulette, exhibit, gallery, video chat

For more Social Media coverage:

Earthquake Rocks L.A., Celebs Go Twitter-Crazy

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 06:29 PM PDT


Twitter has been picking up steam among the celebrity set for months now. So when a 5.9 earthquake hit Southern California this evening, all the rock stars, TV demigods and film legends took to the web to tell the world all about it.

Alyssa Milano, Jordin Sparks, Wil Wheaton, Khloe Kardashian and Larry King were among the concerned Twitter-loving celebs to reach out to followers and friends in the minutes following the quake.

And of course, L.A.’s digerati checked in, as well. Social media-ite Alana Joy was fatalistic and profound, while MySpace VP Sean Percival and photog Jonathan Nafarrete were simply funny.

This quake, which originated in Borrega Springs and was felt in areas from San Diego to L.A. itself, was a fairly large one for the Los Angeles area, which sees its fair share of smaller rumbles throughout the year. Over the past decade or so, most residents have been relatively unaffected by earthquakes; in fact, most tremors have been small enough to sleep through for the more quake-calloused of Angelenos. There hasn’t been a truly devastating earthquake in L.A. since the 1994 Northridge quake.

Because of its immediacy and reach, Twitter is fast becoming a good medium for spreading the word about natural disasters of all kinds. Earlier this year, Twitter was used to locate a missing person after a Chilean earthquake. Twitter was the first source of information when a meteor hit Wisconsin recently, too. And who can forget the images spread via Twitter when earthquakes wracked Haiti and Baja California?

Ponder the meaning of and uses for Twitter as a disaster reporting and response mechanism while you check out these amusing tweets, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.


Hunter Burgan




This bass player (currently with AFI) chose to express his shock with a quotation from the musical Annie. Charming, don't you think?


Sean Percival




This MySpace VP thought taking cover was a good idea.


Demi Lovato




This tween queen stars in Disney's Camp Rock. She was apparently filming as the quake hit.


Larry King




As usual, you can count on King for the accurate 411!


Candace Cameron Brue




Don't be scared, D.J. Tanner! "There's a hand to hold on to."


Jordin Sparks




We feel for this girl -- no one wants to be that elevated during even a small quake.


Wil Wheaton




We'll always roll out the red carpet for you, Wesley Crusher.


Common




This considerate rapper is in Chicago but still wanted to check in with his L.A. peeps.


Alyssa Milano




We feel you, girl. Milano was also sent one of the first quake-related tweets in our stream.


Khloe Kardashian




This L.A. princess was sweet enough to ask how the West Coast was holding up.


Jonathan Nafarrete




Fat jokes go over well in L.A., especially self-deprecating ones. Lookin' good, Jonathan!


Alana Joy




This missy brings it home. We're grateful to be safe and sound, indeed.


Danny Sullivan




This fellow edits the stellar Search Engine Land and was one of the first to tweet about the quake.

Reviews: Twitter

More About: Earthquake, Los Angeles, trending, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

Mashable Interviews Bill Cosby [LIVE VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 04:53 PM PDT


Mashable is proud to present an evening with Bill Cosby and special guests live on Ustream at 8:00 p.m. ET, 5:00 PT tonight. The legendary actor and comedian will be premiering his new iPhone app, among other surprises.

Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow will be leading a discussion with Cosby and will be joined on stage by web entrepreneurs to discuss Cosby’s career as an entertainer and his involvement in social media, spanning Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, 12seconds, Ustream and more.

Submit Your Questions

We encourage you to participate in the live chat by submitting questions via the social stream. We’ll also ask Mr. Cosby some of your best questions submitted in the comments section of our previous post or on Twitter using the #cosbylive hashtag.

Reviews: Facebook, Flickr, Mashable, Twitter, ustream

More About: bill cosby, cosbylive, interview, Live Stream, trending, ustream

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Can YouTube Make the Jump to Your TV With Leanback?

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 04:01 PM PDT


YouTube is not only expanding its reach on mobile devices, but it has its eye on your living room, too. Today, the company is launching the beta version of YouTube Leanback, the company’s biggest attempt yet to dominate the TV screen and the living room.

YouTube Leanback was actually revealed back in May at the Google I/O conference as part of the announcement of Google TV. Now, the made-for-TV version of YouTube has made it into TestTube, the video site’s version of Google Labs.

While YouTube has already proven its popularity on mobile devices (100 million mobile video views per day), one giant question remains: Can YouTube Leanback compete with traditional TV shows and video games to become a mainstay of the living room?

The Leanback Experience


Leanback is a simplified YouTube experience designed for TV screens, especially ones equipped with Google TV. In a demo we received from YouTube Product Manager Kuan Yong and UI Designer Julian Frumar, we learned that pretty much all actions come in the form of four buttons: up, down, left and right. The down button opens up a navigation menu, where you can browse a collection of videos based on categories such as entertainment or music. You can also access your video playlists or just watch random videos. Hitting “up” opens up the quick search box.

As you would expect, the design is very simple and intended to allow users to “lean back” and watch YouTube videos one after the other. It was very simple for me to use and understand in my hands-on demo.

But Will Regular People Use It?

Leanback is just a part of Google’s larger strategy to dominate the living room, but it’s a very crucial part. If people aren’t interested in browsing YouTube on their TVs, then how interested can they be in surfing the web or checking their email from Google TV?

YouTube has addressed the TV screen in the past. Last year, the company launched YouTube XL, another stripped-down version of the live video destination optimized for bigger screens. According to Yong, Leanback is actually the evolution and successor to XL, although it will remain live for the foreseeable future.

Here’s the problem with YouTube in the living room: the site’s catalog is mostly composed of short clips. Most of these clips are just two to five minutes long. The average person doesn’t go to YouTube to be entertained for two-hour blocks; more often, people turn to TV, where hour-long episodes of House or Saturday Night Live keep them entertained with a single story. If you watched YouTube Leanback for an hour, you’d probably get 15-20 different videos with their own stories.

We’re not saying consumers won’t embrace Leanback; this product is the next logical step for Google. However, unlike YouTube’s mobile efforts, Leanback is a gamble — an assumption of risk based on the premise that YouTube can be more than a video destination, it can be an operating system for videos. It means that when you think of video, you think of YouTube. It becomes the central point for your video entertainment.

Will we be couch surfing YouTube a year from now? Or will the novelty of Leanback quickly die out in favor of the traditional TV viewing experience we have all come to know and love? Google has a steep hill to climb.

Reviews: Google, Google Labs, YouTube

More About: google tv, television, tv, video, youtube, YouTube Leanback

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iPhone App Helps You Gauge Your Sobriety Level

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 03:22 PM PDT


iDrunky [iTunes link] is an iPhone app with four sobriety tests that mimic U.S. police officers’ roadside DUI tests.

Each test comes with written instructions as well as stick figure diagrams in case you’re, ah, having a little too much fun to concentrate on those sentences.

Our favorite is the “Where’s Your Nose?” test, which challenges you to lean your head back and touch a point on your iPhone screen to your nose. “Try not to fall over,” the app advises (which, of course, you’re likely to do).

The design and the challenges are all simple — don’t expect to find any spectacularly innovative use of the iPhone platform here. But for $0.99, the app provides at least a few minutes of fun at your next house party.

“Our goal is to fill the party niche,” explained the app’s designer, Alec Brownstein (whose creative jobseeking skills we profiled a few months ago). “It’s not a serious app, just a fun one to play around with at a party for friends.”

Brownstein worked with designer Jon Stern and a developer in Croatia to produce the app, which took a little over a year. “We thought it would [only] take a few months to put out,” Brownstein said, adding that it was his first time developing a mobile application.

If you download iDrunky, let us know what you think — and how well you did on the tests.

More About: idrunky, iphone app

For more Mobile coverage:

11 Delicious TextMate Themes for Designers and Developers

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 02:33 PM PDT


This series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here.

TextMate is one of the most used and well-loved applications for Mac OS X-based designers and developers. Even if it does look like TextMate 2.0 is likely vaporware, the existing app (currently at version 1.5.9) still delivers the goods.

One of our favorite features of TextMate — and really, any modern text editor — is the ability to customize the look and feel. For designers and developers, this can be really fantastic, as we often spend the better part of our day in front of an open text editor and white on black text can sometimes get to be a little much. Likewise, having color schemes that can help highlight different elements of code that you frequently use can make the entire process much more enjoyable.

Here are 11 of our favorite themes for TextMate — note, these also work with Sublime Text and E Text Editor for Windows. For your designing pleasures, you can download all of the themes in this roundup on GitHub.


Clouds




Fred LeBlanc's Clouds and Clouds Midnight themes offer something for both fans of light and dark styles.

Clouds is a great fit for CSS while Clouds Midnight (see next) does some terrific work with PHP.


Clouds Midnight




Fred LeBlanc's Clouds and Clouds Midnight themes offer something for both fans of light and dark styles.

Clouds (see previous) is a great fit for CSS while Clouds Midnight does some terrific work with PHP.


Fluidvision




Bruce Clark created Fluidvision and it is one of my favorite light themes. What makes it nice is that the background, while light, isn't white, but rather a very light grey.


Freckle




Freckle is easy on the eyes and does a fantastic job with code highlighting.


IR_Black




Todd Werth calls IR_Black the last TextMate theme you'll ever need. We won't go that far, but it's one of the best dark themes around.


krTheme




Kenneth Reitz created krTheme to be readable and functional. It's awesome.


Monokai




For CSS and PHP work especially, Monokai is a really strong theme with a background that is dark, yet easy on the eyes.


Pastie




Like Freckle, Pastie is easy on the eyes, but the color combination is a bit more low-key.


Putty




We love the use of blue when highlighting PHP, it works really well against the dark background.


Railscasts




Railscasts is good for more than just Rails -- I often use it when writing in Markdown/HTML.


Tubster




Tubster is my favorite TextMate theme and I use it for almost all of my writing for Mashable. It's also very nice for PHP.

While some of these themes are available from their respective authors’ websites or the official TextMate wiki, time has made it more difficult to track down some of our favorites. On that note, we’ve pushed all of our TextMate themes, including those in this list, to GitHub. Just visit this page and you can download the entire collection in one folder. Just double-click on the themes you want to install, or copy them to your Themes folder in ~/Library/Application Support/TextMate/Themes.

What color theme do you use for coding and designing? Let us know!

Series supported by Rackspace

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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: TextMate, Windows

More About: designers, developer, developers, textmate, web design, web developer, web developers, Web Development, web development series

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HOW TO: Deal with a Real-Life Breakup Online

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 02:32 PM PDT

Facebook Broken Heart

So you’ve had your heart ripped from your chest, the left ventricle cleaved from the right and the aorta geysering blood across the bedroom floor where you are currently sprawled.

Congrats! You’ve been dumped! And being dumped is a learning experience! Or something. Or… it just sucks.

While grandmas, school guidance counselors and inspirational kitten posters would advise you sagely, “Time heals all wounds,” and leave it at that, it’s doubtful that that trio of treacle ever had to deal with their wounds being spliced open every time they signed onto the computer.

That’s right: Breaking up is hard in the digital age, especially when the world is spending around 22% of its time on social networks, according to a recent Nielsen study on Internet engagement.

It’s easy to pick at your emotional scabs when an ex is only a browser away, but it’s likely best for your sanity to stop itchin’ your stitches and let some scar tissue form. To avoid lifelong disfigurement, we suggest handling the following social networks thusly.

And so begins my Netiquette column — which I write with my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-blogger, Andrea Bartz — this week over at CNN. Pop on over and let the healin’ begin.


Check out the column at CNN.com >>

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, A1Stock

Reviews: Internet, iStockphoto

More About: apps, cnn, facebook, foursquare, Google, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

Apple Makes MobileMe More Cloud and iPad-Friendly

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 02:15 PM PDT


Apple has updated its MobileMe service to include a new calendar interface and an iPad-friendly version of its iDisk iOS app.

MobileMe, which is basically Google Apps meets Dropbox in a shiny wrapper, has been getting a visual overhaul over the last few months. Back in May, Apple re-designed the webmail interface for MobileMe, making it look very similar to the Mail app on the iPad. That update, along with a new Find My iPhone app for the iPhone and iPad, was released last month.

The new calendar interface, which is currently in beta, also takes major design cues from the iPad. The layout is almost identical to that of the Calendar app on Apple’s tablet device. Personally, I think the iPad calendar is absolutely brilliant, which makes the web update a welcome change.

Additionally, the new calendar will support sharing with family and friends who are also MobileMe members. You can also publish read-only calendars that can be viewed by anyone. Basically what this means is that MobileMe will now have the calendar sharing and publishing features that Google Calendar and other CalDAV based solutions have had for some time.

Because MobileMe will support CalDAV, you can also invite people to events within MobileMe and people can RSVP right back.

Because the web app was built in HTML5, it will work on your Mac or Windows desktop, as well as your iPhone and iPad. And since the events are all CalDAV, they will also work seamlessly with Google Calendar users.

Apple has supported CalDAV for a number of years in its desktop calendar app (its iPhone and iPad calendars are also compatible with CalDAV calendars and shared events), which makes it odd that this functionality was not already built into MobileMe. While MobileMe has always been able to synchronize calendars across devices, including iCal and Google Calendar files, you haven’t been able to share or synchronize calendars the same way you could with Google Calendar or with your own iCal server.

This is just one more sign that Apple is starting to take a more serious approach toward the cloud, using MobileMe as a catch-all for managing and synchronizing users’ data.

If you want to sign-up for the MobileMe Calendar beta, you can request an invite at me.com/calendar. You will get an e-mail when you are accepted into the beta. Apple will add users to the beta in order of request over the next few weeks.

iDisk Gets iPad Support

Apple has also updated the iDisk app [iTunes link] to support not only the iPad, but also multitasking and quick app-switching in iOS 4.

Having iDisk work natively on the iPad is a big deal because that means that sharing or saving files between devices is easier than ever. Although other applications like GoodReader have provided access to iDisk, having the app work natively on the iPad is great.

That said, the app still needs some work. Actually adding files that are already on your iPhone or iPad is still more difficult than it needs to be and while third-party apps like QuickOffice for iPad can save files directly to an iDisk, Apple’s own Pages app can’t.

The iDisk app is a free download for MobileMe members. MobileMe is $99 a year ($69 if you get it when you buy an iOS device or a new Mac).

Reviews: Dropbox, Google Calendar, MobileMe, Windows, pages

More About: apple, caldav, idisk, iOS, ipad, mobileme

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Internet Moguls Back Plan to Vuvuzela the Heck Out of BP

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 01:30 PM PDT


Babelgum and Ben Huh of The Cheezburger Network have thrown their financial support behind a Kickstarter project that aims to send hundreds of people to BP’s international headquarters to blow vuvuzelas in response to the oil giant’s handling of the Gulf oil spill.

At first the project’s leader, Adam Quirk, was only aiming to raise $2,000 — a goal he surpassed in less than two days — and now he’s aiming for $10,000 by 7 p.m. EST today. With nearly $7,000 in the kitty, he ain’t that far off.

The extra push came from the two viral content creators. Babelgum furnished $2,000 and will be sending a video production crew to cover the event in London next week. The footage will feature interviews with Quirk and the volunteers, as well as the people behind the Gulf Disaster Fund, which this whole thing is funding. Huh, for his part, is donating $1,000 — half of which will be sent directly to Quirk so the vuvuzela action can start ASAP.

Again, we wonder what effect this protest will have when it comes to BP’s get-up-and-go (aside from annoying the hell out of everyone working in the office), but we’re happy to see someone keeping up awareness about the plight, especially as interest seems to be waning in the Internet sphere.

Reviews: Internet

More About: Babelgum, bp, cheezburger network, gulf oil spill, humor, kickstarter, money, Political, pop culture, viral

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YouTube Revamps Mobile Experience [PICS]

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 01:00 PM PDT


YouTube has launched an updated version of its mobile website, complete with a redesigned interface, better touchscreen features and, most importantly, high quality (HQ) video streams.

At an intimate press event at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, California, the Google-owned video service demoed its newest mobile product, which will roll out to users starting today. The focus was not on any new apps for Android, iPhone or other mobile devices, but on m.youtube.com, the mobile browser version of the popular Internet destination.

The new YouTube for mobile provides an updated navigation and UI for easier browsing. The home screen is similar to what you find in the Facebook iPhone app — there are rows of icons for different options such as Browse, Favorites, Playlists, Settings and Home. YouTube Mobile Product Manager Andrey Doronichev told us that the product is designed for touchscreen devices especially, which make up the vast majority of YouTube mobile video views.

The biggest and most important change comes in the form of HQ streams. If you’ve ever watched YouTube videos on the iPhone app, you know that the quality isn’t that great. That’s because it utilizes an old stream format for second generation networks. The new YouTube mobile site is designed for today’s networks though, including the HQ streaming option that’s currently available in the Android version of the YouTube app. There’s a huge quality difference when you watch videos in both formats.

Here is a video and a few screenshots that demonstrate just how YouTube for mobile will be changing today. Let us know what you think in the comments:

Screenshots

For comparison, here is the old version of YouTube mobile:

Video

Reviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Internet, YouTube, favorites

More About: Mobile 2.0, Mobile phone, youtube

For more Mobile coverage:

More Content Creators Cashing in on Blip.tv

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 12:37 PM PDT


Blip.tv is sending out more checks to its content providers than ever. The New York-based independent web shows platform has increased the number of payouts to its content creators by 77% between Q1 to Q2 of this year, Co-founder Dina Kaplan told Mashable in a recent interview.

Blip.tv, which aims to be “the next-generation television network,” recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. It has seen substantial growth in the last year, attracting 96 million video views a month and increasing its payouts by 119% from Q4 2009 to Q2 of 2010 with a 50/50 split for content creators.

“We’re seeing more shows making more than $10,000 a quarter than ever before,” Kaplan said.

So what’s next for Blip? Kaplan said the company is focusing on design and functionality of the site. “We’re ramping up to do a lot more, all around,” Kaplan said. Some of this includes figuring out how to get Blip.tv in front of more eyeballs and making people aware of the site through strategic marketing, she said.

In a recent post, Blip.tv’s Co-founder and CEO Mike Hudack mentioned that the over the past year peak viewing time of web shows has moved from 12 p.m.-3 p.m. to 8 p.m.-11 p.m. (primetime) across time zones. What’s more, Blip.tv shows are capturing 10% of the audience of network TV shows from ABC, NBC and FOX combined, Hudack said in the post.

The company is about to “hit the magical number: one hundred million video views per month,” he said in the post. This is certainly an important milestone for a company that is scaling; however, the increased payouts to content creators suggest that the company is growing its revenue through ad sales and pro accounts, which is far more impressive. Nevertheless, Kaplan says the focus is still on improving and building out the product.

“Sometimes companies obsess on the funding at the expense of the product,” Kaplan said. “The funding isn’t the scarce resource. The scarce resource is good ideas, and more importantly good execution.”

Reviews: BLIP

More About: blip.tv, dina kaplan, web video

For more Business coverage:

40+ Essential Social Business Resources

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 12:14 PM PDT


Business and social media are becoming more and more inseparable. Most businesses, from big brands to startups, are expected to have an efficient, developed social media presence.

The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. We’ve collected a list of Mashable resources, published over the past months, that can help you start, manage, or grow your social networks.

Whether you need an app on the go, are looking for real-world examples, or want to expand your marketing online, this list of resources can help your business needs.

Social Media

Twitter City ImageBelow are some resources covering the most popular social media sites. Ranging from Twitter to LinkedIn to Foursquare.

If you’ve ever wanted to develop your business strategy on Twitter, manage B2B marketing on Facebook, or finally leverage Foursquare as a useful workplace tool, these resources will be right up your alley.

Check out these posts and then scroll on to see how you can take some of these resources with you on the go.

Mobile

Blackberry Business ImageThe social businessperson is a mobile one, and there are lots of smart ways to take your work with you when you’re on the go.

Here, we’ve narrowed down the mobile and business posts from the past few months to three of the most useful for managing your social presence in the palm of your hand.

Real World Success

While we’re all obviously fans of the digital world, it’s great to see when social media leads to real results.

Here we’ve collected some of our posts documenting the real ways in which social media has impacted several professions as well as some small businesses with great success stories.

Social media may take place in the digital world, but that doesn’t mean its effects are limited to your computer. Read on for some examples.

Starting Up

One of the hardest parts of a starting up a business is trying to own your social media presence, build a team, and raise funds for your new venture.

If you’re looking for some tips on what to name your company or are just looking for some ways to grow your market, we’ve got some great resources from the past few months to get you going.

After you’ve read through, continue on to our Business 101 stories for even more useful tips.

Business 101

Twitter Money GraphHere are some posts in which we sat down and did some deep thinking: How does data affect business relationships? What will Facebook’s changes really mean for your company?

These resources take a broad approach to the practical questions every business faces. Read through to get some insights (and advice) on the pitfalls and potential future of business in social media.

After you’re done, continue on to our tips and resources for networking online.

Networking

Regardless of what level of business you have, the one constant is networking. You’ll always need to meet new contacts, expand your network, and share with your community.

This list of a resources is a perfect primer for all the challenges you could face online and offline. If you need to become a savvier networker, need to manage your existing contacts, or even need tips on how to bring your social world offline, read through these resources as a start.

When you’re all set up to network, continue on to our resources for marketing your business using social media.

Marketing

Target Customer ImageMarketing and social media have always gone hand-in-hand, even before the days of Twitter and Facebook.

Of course, now with even more tools available to the social media marketer, we’ve come up with some good tips and resources for the well-rounded marketing team.

Whether you need help running a daily deal, want to take steps to improve your customer outreach, or are looking to include QR codes into your marketing strategy, these resources will set you on the right track.

Images courtesy of iStockphoto, style-photographs, Pablo631, hjalmeida, GodfriedEdelman, geopaul
[img credit: tsevis]

Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Mashable, Twitter, iStockphoto

More About: apple, blackberry, business, facebook, foursquare, linkedin, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, networking, social media, startup, strategy, twitter

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Dwyane Wade Lets Twitter and YouTube Know He’s Staying in Miami [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:50 AM PDT

This morning, news began to spread that Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade was staying with his current team – the latest twist in the NBA free agency story that is increasingly playing out through social media channels.

Wade has since directed his Twitter followers to a YouTube video that confirms the news and explains his decision to fans. In the video, he also lets us all know that fellow NBA free agent Chris Bosh – formerly of the Toronto Raptors – will be joining him in Miami (news Bosh also shared on Twitter).

This all follows yesterday's excitement surrounding LeBron James – the most coveted free agent of all – signing up for Twitter and becoming one of the fastest growing accounts of all-time.

It appears, however, that James won't be announcing his decision on Twitter, but rather on an ESPN special that will air at 9pm ET on Thursday night. In the meantime, he's using the wild amount of interest in the account to drive traffic to lebronjames.com (where he's integrated Bing search … savvy).

Reviews: Bing, Twitter, YouTube

More About: chris bosh, dwyane wade, lebron james, NBA, sports, twitter, youtube

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Ford Takes on Texting While Driving with Audible SMS

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:33 AM PDT


Ford Motor Company has announced a round of updates to its SYNC technology that promotes safer alternatives to texting while driving.

New MyFord Touch-equipped cars will let drivers block incoming calls and texts with a “Do Not Disturb” button, but the biggest addition is support for a new protocol (MAP) that will allow SYNC to read aloud incoming text messages over Bluetooth.

Future BlackBerry owners will be the first to benefit as RIM is working with Ford to make audible text messaging via SYNC possible. RIM has agreed to implement the Bluetooth standard MAP — Message Access Profile — on new BlackBerry devices moving forward. BlackBerry MAP integration will create an enhanced connection between the smartphone and the SYNC system so that it can read aloud incoming text messages.

Ford’s Bluetooth MAP support means that other mobile device manufacturers can implement MAP to take advantage of the audible text messaging functionality of SYNC. Ford hopes that the hands-free bonuses will encourage other manufactures to adopt the standard as well.

The new version of SYNC — available on 2011 models with MyFord Touch — will also include a “Do Not Disturb” button that will give drivers the ability to block incoming texts and calls, but still make outgoing calls.

Reviews: Bluetooth

More About: audible text messages, ford, ford sync technology, SMS

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5 Things to Consider When Designing Your Mobile App

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:20 AM PDT


This series is supported by Webtrends Mobile Analytics, which lets you monitor the adoption and usage of your mobile apps and mobile sites. To keep up with Webtrends Mobile, add their blog to your RSS reader.

Thanks to the slogan “There’s an App For That” and the surging iOS, Android and BlackBerry markets, it seems like practically every company has a mobile app. In fact, in many ways, the mobile app today is what the website was ten years ago — one of those tools that has transferred from being a luxury into a necessity for businesses of all sizes.

Of course, wanting an app and building and designing an application are two very different things. In fact, even companies and brands that already have a strong online presence often struggle with crafting and optimizing their mobile applications. The discipline of mobile design can differ in many fundamental ways from traditional or even digital design and these differences are often what can separate a killer mobile application from a mobile app that fails to deliver.

Here are five tips you should keep in mind when designing and developing your mobile application, regardless of platform.

1. Weigh the Options — Mobile App or Mobile Website

Do you need a mobile application, a mobile website, or both? Before even starting the design process, you need to figure out what format or formats are best suited for your goals. Sometimes this can be really easy. For example, if you want to build a utility or game, you may be better served building a native application rather than worrying about how different mobile browsers will interpret your content.

Other times, the distinction isn’t as clear. For instance, at Mashable, we have both a mobile optimized website and applications for the iPhone and iPad. The mobile optimized site is available on a variety of devices, while the iPhone and iPad apps are designed to provide a more full experience to our users on those platforms. Because Mashable has a tech savvy readership, it makes sense for us to have our own standalone mobile app. However, depending on the app idea or business at hand, a mobile app may not be fitting.

Here are some questions to think about when deciding between an application and a mobile-optimized website:

  • Do you already have a full-featured website? If the answer is yes, how many of those features are you looking to integrate into the app? If your app is going to be largely a re-creation of your website, you may want to focus on creating a mobile site first.
  • Is this an app that can be used without an Internet connection? Some examples include note-taking or calculator apps. If so, a mobile application makes more sense.
  • Are you going to be integrating with other parts of the mobile operating system, like the dialer, the GPS and the mail client? If this is the case, consider building a native app.

If you’ve decided to move on with making a mobile app, the next four tips will help you with the design process.

2. Consider Where Your App Will Be Used

Once you’ve decided to make a native mobile app, you’ll want to consider where your application is most likely going to be used. This is important because where and how an application is used can directly impact how it can be designed.

For instance, if you have an application that is going to be used while walking around — a geo-location app or an app that takes advantage of a device’s GPS — making sure that core app functions are easy to see and access is very important.

Likewise, if your app is used to sell products or services, make sure that the price and the “buy” or “add to cart” buttons are large enough so that they can be easily accessed.

If you have designed an app that may be used while sitting on a train or in a stationary spot, make sure that text is readable and legible and that it is easy to move through content.

3. Be Aware of Various Screen Sizes

Even on the same mobile platform, screen sizes and resolutions can vary based on device type. For instance, the screen size and resolution on the HTC Incredible is different than that on the HTC EVO 4G. Consequently, for an application to have a consistent look and feel across both devices and across a variety of other devices, user interface elements and graphics need to be scalable.

Likewise, the iPhone 4 sports a higher resolution screen than the displays on the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. However, because the big difference is in pixel density, the same amount of screen real estate is used. Basically, two pixels on the old iPhone displays equals one point on the new retina display. Josh Clark, author of the fantastic new book Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps, has written a must-read post about designing for the iPhone 4’s retina display.

The Android Developers site has a great guide for supporting multiple screens on Android and a look at how to best achieve screen independence so that your apps will run and display properly on a number of different display types.

The Android Developers site also has tips for how to test your app in different resolutions with an emulator.

4. Follow Existing UI Conventions

On desktop computers, there are certain user interface elements that make a Windows app a Windows app or a Mac OS X app a Mac app. There are user interface conventions tailored for mobile apps as well. While you don’t have to follow these guidelines 100% of the time, sticking with consistent methods of displaying data and interacting with content will make your app easier to pick up by end-users. Following these conventions will also ensure that your app is consistent with the other applications already on a mobile device.

Each major mobile platform has documented user interface guidelines. Apple, for example, has a very extensive overview of iPhone Human Interface Guidelines, detailing and offering examples of standard UI conventions that should be considered when building an iPhone app.

While not nearly as complete, the Android UI team has its own User Interface Guidelines, complete with overviews of icon, widget, menu, and activity and task design guidelines.

Likewise, RIM has a complete section on its site for UI Guidelines for BlackBerry devices, including sections on touch screen BlackBerry devices, the different theming systems available for BlackBerry, and how to handle the trackball or touchpad.

5. Design for Touch

In almost all cases, mobile apps are going to be used while in someone’s hand. Therefore, designing your mobile app around touch and ergonomics is very important.

Think about how you hold your phone in your hand. Now, think about where you thumb sits. That’s why many applications have main menus and selectors at the bottom of the screen and content near the top of the screen. Apps with that type of layout are designed for touch, and yours should be too.

Beyond button layout, think about how you want to indicate touch feedback — physically or visually. While the BlackBerry Storm tried the whole clickable screen thing, the truth is, haptic feedback (such as vibrations), while great for games or for alerts, doesn’t usually work very well for touch-based devices like mobile phones.

Instead, use visual cues to show that an item is either touchable or has been touched. For instance, think about how the various keys on the iPhone keyboard grow in size when you touch them. That increase in size is feedback.

Lastly, designing your apps so that they take advantage of gestures, like swiping forward and back, pinching to zoom and pulling-down to refresh, can add a lot of usability to your applications without taking up tons of space for a designated button.

Your Thoughts

What do you think new designers and developers should consider when designing a mobile application? Whether your tips are from a designer, developer or user point of view, let us know in the comments below.

Series supported by Webtrends Mobile Analytics

This series is supported by Webtrends Mobile Analytics, which lets you monitor the adoption and usage of your mobile apps and mobile sites. It provides near limitless customization in terms of the data gathered and depth of analysis across iPhone, Android and Blackberry. And the data resides side-by-side with your website analytics. To keep up with Webtrends Mobile, add their blog to your RSS reader.

Reviews: Android, Apps, BlackBerry Rocks!, Internet, Mashable, Windows, blog, iPhone

More About: android, blackberry, designers, developers, iOS, iphone, mobile app, mobile application, mobile applications, mobile apps, mobile design, Mobile Sites and Apps Series, mobile web, mobile web design, touch

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Simultaneously Publish Your Content to the Web, Facebook, iPhone and iPad

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 10:02 AM PDT


Mashable's Spark of Genius series highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, see details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.

Name: Publisha

Quick Pitch: Publisha is a free browser-based solution that allows integrated publishing across digital platforms with built-in social media, analytics and revenue streams.

Genius Idea: Publisha is a free new platform that enables users to simultaneously format and publish content to the web, Facebook, RSS, iPhone and iPad from a single dashboard.

You can import and host your blog or online publication on publisha.com, or keep it at its current domain and simply take advantage of the service’s Facebook, iPhone and iPad publishing features.

The Facebook app is particularly robust. It creates an articles tab you can add to your Facebook Page, complete with a searchable archive, polls and other interactive content. Readers can like, rate and comment on the articles, and respond to polls.

You can also use the platform to publish your content on Publisha’s iPhone and iPad apps; the company has also offered to help “qualifying early adopters” create their own branded apps and drive traffic to their content. The apps host all participating publications on Publisha’s network. To minimize the size of the app, audio and video content are not supported.

Although Publisha is free to use, the company will take a 20% cut of all ad, affiliate and subscription revenue, and charge $2 per every GB of bandwidth used beyond 10GB if you decide to host your publication on Publisha’s website. It will also use 20% of your ad space if you have a free account. Publisha eventually plans to offer two premium packages — priced at $50 and $250 per month, respectively — that offer more bandwidth and take a smaller share of revenue.

Publisha's Head of Marketing Anna Sjostrom also told us that an aggregated ad service is in the works, which will help match publishers with advertisers. The company also plans to add support for the Kindle and other e-book readers, as well as Ping FM and podcasts.

While we think the costs of Publisha’s services are pretty steep for users who want to build up a publication on publisha.com, we think many could take advantage of Publisha’s Facebook app and keep their sites on a blogging platform like Wordpress or on their own domains. It also couldn’t hurt to push your content to Publisha’s iPhone and iPad apps in the interest of attracting new readers.

What do you think of Publisha’s offerings? Do you plan to use them for your online publication?

[img credit: smaedli]

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.

Reviews: Facebook, WordPress, iPhone

More About: bizspark, Facebook app, ipad, iphone, publisha, spark-of-genius

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30+ Newest Social Media and Web Job Opportunities

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 09:40 AM PDT


If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help out. For starters, Mashable’s Job Lists section gathers together all of our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might want to see our articles on How to Leverage Social Media for Career Success and How to Find a Job on Twitter.

But we’d like to help in a more direct way, too. Mashable's job boards are a place for socially savvy companies to find people like you. This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions in the web, social media space and beyond. Have a look at what's good and new on our job boards:

Mashable Job Board Listings

Senior Interactive Producer at Conill in Torrance, CA.

Web Content Administrator at Alliance Defense Fund in Scottsdale, AZ.

Online Community Coordinator at Outlook Amusements in Los Angeles, CA.

Social Media Coordinator at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in Beverly Hills, CA.

Associate Director, Digital Marketing at Fox Network Group in Washington DC.

Social Networking Project Manager at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX.

Head of Communications at Justin.tv in San Francisco, CA.

Account Director at Likeable Media in Boston, MA.

ReachCast Blog Writer/Content Developer at ReachLocal in Plano, TX.

Digital Marketing and Social Media Specialist at Muscle Prodigy LLC in New York, NY.

Online Executive Producer/GM-The Nate Berkus Show at Harpo/Sony in New York, NY.

Senior Product Marketing Manager at Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, CA.

Interactive Project Manager at SPARK Interactive in Tampa, FL.

Interactive Director at SPARK Interactive in Tampa, FL.

Senior Digital Services Account Executive at Kaplow Communications in New York, NY.

Trainspotter (journalist, blogger, social media guru) at a stealth e-commerce travel site in London, UK.

Web Application Developer at Gigmasters in Redding, CT.

Sr. Web Editor at eSPIN.com in New York, NY.

Meetup Everywhere Evangelist at Meetup in New York, NY.

Digital PR Strategist at an anonymous company in San Francisco, CA.

Copywriter / Marketing Writer at AIS Media, Inc. in Atlanta, GA.

Associate Director, Interactive Marketing at Digitas in New York, NY.

Vice President Online Marketing at Jen Bekman Projects in New York, NY.

Manager of Digital Learning at Computers for Youth in New York, NY.

PYD Social Communities Manager at National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, MD.

Web Master/Community Manager at Maloof Money Cup in Sacramento, CA.

Vice President of Platform Engineering at Synacor in San Francisco, CA.

Director of Creative Strategy at Catalyst Public Relations in New York, NY.

Product Development Manager, Email at Synacor in San Francisco, CA.

Product Manager, Entitlements at Synacor in San Francisco, CA.

Product Manager, Entitlements at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.

Mashable’s Job Board has a variety of web 2.0, application development, business development and social networking job opportunities available. Check them out at here.

Find a Web 2.0 Job with Mashable

Got a job posting to share with our readers? Post a job to Mashable today ($99 for a 30 day listing) and get it highlighted every week on Mashable.com (in addition to exposure all day every day in the Mashable marketplace).


For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook


Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter

YES! The Vuvuzela Will Blend [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 09:09 AM PDT

In the past, you may have shed a few salty tears (or clutched at your failing heart) to see the likes of the iPad and the iPhone 4 devoured by the steely jaws of a Blendtec blender in the “Will It Blend?” series. But what if a vuvuzela were to meet that same cruel fate?

The South African stadium horn has become the Internet meme du jour during the lengthy reign of the World Cup, cropping up everywhere from smartphone apps to Google Street View. It’s the instrument that the world loves to hate and in the above vid it meets its maker. Enjoy.

Reviews: Internet, World Cup

More About: humor, pop culture, viral video, vuvuzela

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Web Series Benefiting Indian Girls’ Education Only Continues If You Donate

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 08:41 AM PDT


Global non-profit organization Nanhi Kali and cultural movement agency StrawberryFrog have joined forces to create a truly innovative way to raise money for girls’ education in India: A Girl Story, an interactive web series that only continues if you donate to the cause.

Nanhi Kali is an organization that seeks to help educate girls in India. They’re hoping to expand their influence (they’re currently supporting 58,000 girls) in order to help even more Indian girls, and girls worldwide as well. According to a report [PDF] by the UN, 45.5% of women over age 15 in India are illiterate, while only 23.1% of Indian men over age 15 are illiterate.

After finding that awareness campaigns were lacking when it came to raising funds, Nanhi Kali contacted StrawberryFrog and tasked them with coming up with something more innovative. A Girl Story is a web series that tells the story of a girl named Tarla — who is basically an amalgamation of all the girls Nanhi Kali has helped in the past — and her quest to get an education. Viewers can unlock new segments of the story by donating to the Nanhi Kali, which supplies girls in India with money for classes, books, and basics like uniforms and school supplies.

The series launched about three weeks ago, and they’ve raised nearly $1,000. There are 11 parts to the story, and to unlock each segment, viewers must band together to donate $1,000. “As far as we know, this is the first donation-based film series,” says Britta Schell, account manager and social media strategist at StrawberryFrog. “It brings users into the donation process.” Basically, if people stop donating, the story stops as well, paralleling what happens to real-life girls when they’re not given enough money to gain an education. “You can really make a emotional connection to the donation,” adds Kris Seto, interactive producer at StrawberryFrog.

We think this is an interesting and creative way to raise funds for a good cause. Moreover, the web series is charmingly drawn and well put together. Check it out and let us know what you think: Do creative initiatives like this make you more likely to donate?

A Girl Story

More About: a girl story, nanhi kali, social good, web series

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5 YouTube Channels for Small Biz Advice

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 08:12 AM PDT


This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

YouTube is an often overlooked tool for business, not only as an engagement and marketing platform, but as an educational resource. There are YouTube channels dedicated to sound business advice, but distilling them from oceans of video junk can be a daunting task.

We’ve pulled out five subscription-worthy channels that produce regular, valuable content, and whose viewerships are already substantial. Adding these to your daily diet of social business resources is another great way to stay on top of trends and gather up new ideas for your business.

1. Harvard Business Publishing

At over 17,000 subscribers, Harvard Business School’s YouTube channel produces regular “ideacasts” with a focus on “practical insights, tools and resources.” The show offers interviews with prominent Harvard professors, authors, and business leaders who speak to issues in markets large and small.

2. Google Business

Make no mistake, the Google Business YouTube channel is a promotional tool for Google’s products. But there’s no sales pitch here — just really valuable insights on how to use many of the free and low-cost platforms offered by the search giant. Looking to optimize your AdWords campaign or glean a better view of the marketplace through search analysis? Stacks of short, well-produced instructional videos are at your fingertips with a subscription here.

3. U.S. Small Business Administration

Of all the places to find valuable resources online, you may not immediately think of the U.S. Government. But the Small Business Administration has done a good job stocking their YouTube channel with important information about government initiatives, government loans, legislative changes, and general small business advice about technology and marketing.

4. Robert Scoble’s Channel

Known as a Twitter influencer and blogger in the entrepreneurial tech scene, Robert “Scobleizer” Scoble’s YouTube channel is loaded with candid interviews with some of today’s hottest startup pros. The channel is less about hypothetical business advice, and all about what entrepreneurs are actually doing in the tech space. At the very least, it’s interesting stuff. At most, it offers concrete insights from some of the industry’s thought leaders that you can bring back to your own work.

5. Fast Forward

Google and The Wharton School of Business have partnered to develop a YouTube channel dedicated exclusively to Internet marketing — a field that has been a boon for many small businesses looking to expand their reach on the social web. The channel offers up piles of short, easily digestible interviews with business leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who discuss the goals and challenges of savvy web marketing.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Kronick

Reviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto

More About: fastforward, Google, google business, harvard business, robert scoble, small business, small business administration, youtube, youtube channel

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Twitter Search Volume Up 33% Since April

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 07:14 AM PDT


According to Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, who spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival recently, Twitter is handling 800 million search queries per day.

At Twitter’s Chirp conference in April, Stone said Twitter was serving 600 million search queries per day — 33% less than the microblogging service is processing now.

The number reminds us of Bing’s impressive growth last year, when Nielsen reported that Microsoft’s search engine was growing 22.1% month-over-month. However, Bing was unable to continue growing at that rate; it lost 5% of its stake in the search market the very next month.

All this time, Twitter’s search has been growing; partly due to Twitter’s growth in use and users, and partly because Twitter’s real-time search is one of the best ways to find out what’s happening right now. With the recent launch of Twitter’s ad platform, a huge search volume will definitely help Twitter increase its revenue stream.

Reviews: Bing, Twitter

More About: biz stone, Google, Search, twitter

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Borders E-Bookstore Launches Today

Posted: 07 Jul 2010 05:30 AM PDT

Kobo e-reader

Borders, the second largest bookstore chain in the U.S., is launching its e-bookstore today, as well as reading apps for Blackberry and Android devices.

The company also announced its aggressive plans to capture 17% of the e-book market by July 2011, following arch rival Barnes & Noble’s recent disclosure that it has already secured 20% of the market in the first six months of its entry.

Borders’s store is already stocked with more than 1.5 million titles (for comparison: Barnes & Noble offers more than 1 million, and Amazon boasts nearly twice that) in a variety of formats, including ePub, mobile and PDF. Customers will be able to read these titles on the two devices offered on Borders.com, the $150 Kobo and $120 Libre Pro e-readers, as well as on the company’s recently launched mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android.

As an added incentive, those who download the mobile apps on their devices from July 9-10 will receive the five recent bestsellers, including Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein, One Shot by Lee Child, Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst, Julia Child’s Kitchen Wisdom and Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels, for free. This should ensure that a large number of people download and interact with the app right away — something Borders desperately needs if it’s going to carve out a significant marketshare this year.

Borders is, after all, a latecomer to the e-book market, which is expected to surpass $500 million in the U.S. this year, after nearly doubling to reach $314 million in 2009.

Amazon, the biggest player in the space, launched its e-bookstore and e-reader, the Kindle, in November 2007. Sony and Barnes & Noble released their own stores and devices in 2009, followed by Apple’s iBookstore, which accompanied the release of the iPad in April.

Yet Borders’s CEO Mike Edwards confidently insists, “The race to emerge as a retail leader within the digital category is just starting,” pointing to the company’s “device neutral philosophy” and the low prices of its e-readers compared to its competitors’.

What do you think: Can Borders catch up to its competitors and secure 17% of the e-book market in its first year? What do you think of the company’s e-reading devices and apps?

Reviews: Android, iBookStore

More About: amazon, android, apple, barnes & noble, blackberry, borders, e-books, e-bookstore, e-readers, iBooks, iBookstore, Kindle, nook, sony

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