Mashable: Latest 11 News Updates - including “4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant” |  |
- 4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant
- JailbreakMe is the First Web-based Jailbreak for iPhone
- 10 Steps for Successful Social Media Monitoring
- The Origin of Twitter’s “Fail Whale”
- 10 Geekiest Apple-Flavored Cakes [PICS]
- 5 Awesome Optical Illusion Videos
- PC Defeats Mac in Reader Vote
- 10 Cool Tech Toys for Kids [PICS]
- 5 Energy Efficient Office Gadgets
- Internet Explorer Gains Market Share at the Expense of Firefox
- UAE to Ban BlackBerry E-mail, Web Browsing and Messaging
- 25 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed
| 4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant Posted: 02 Aug 2010 04:32 AM PDT      James Citron is CEO and Co-Founder of Mogreet, the worldʼs first mobile video marketing platform. The digital entrepreneur has more than a decade of experience in the mobile industry with a proven track record for introducing successful, cutting-edge technology into the global marketplace. Follow him at @jamescitron. Five years ago, a Canadian handset company stormed onto the scene with the hottest "must have" mobile device. The RIM BlackBerry was around before the iPhone, when the Droid was still just science fiction. Today, the seas have changed considerably. The mobile scene is now a two-horse race between Apple and Google. Where is RIM, the company that still commands so much of the smartphone market? The days of the always-reliable BlackBerry may be numbered, save for a major re-focus of the company. BlackBerry will have to not only find its roots, but use them as a recipe to regain its thought leadership amongst mobile influencers and consumers. Here are four possible approaches. 1. Forget Apps – Leverage the New Mobile Web If you haven't visited m.youtube.com on your mobile device, go now. Far exceeding the capabilities of any YouTube App, the mobile YouTube Website boasts more features, higher quality video and better load times than the popular apps found on mobile devices. The mobile web will soon leapfrog the app marketplaces, which are mired in slow approval cycles and closed development environments. BlackBerry should pour its development dollars into making the best mobile browser — one that supports Flash and HTML5. There, we may soon find a coolness factor that the app marketplaces can't compete with. Mobile web browsing is already on par with current, device-specific apps. 2. Forget "Me Too" Innovation Just because the App Store and iPad are hits with consumers doesn't mean that BlackBerry should gear up and jump into the same ring. The iPad is an incredibly cool consumer device, but one that Apple has already invented. What would a BlackBerry tablet have to offer that Apple doesn’t already provide? If RIM wants to stay relevant, BlackBerry products need to head in new directions, and not just mime innovations that are already doing well on the market. 3. Embrace and Market BBM Three years ago, I was recording a video shoot with Sean Kingston when he had just ascended the charts with a Billboard #1 hit. After seeing him engrossed with his BlackBerry for four hours straight, I asked him what he was doing. "BBM," he said with the air of confidence reserved for platinum artists under 20 years of age. "You don't use BBM?" he asked this 30-year-old CEO of a mobile company. Note to BlackBerry: BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) still has millions of loyal customers. They crave always-on messaging that is free and available in every corner of the globe. The Kardashians, the Lakers, the stars of Pretty Little Liars should be using BBM. "When your friends are on BBM," one USC college student recently told me, "you can't move to an iPhone." 4. Open Mobile Marketing APIs For marketers struggling to figure out which unique ad format to support or which mobile ad network to buy from, keep it simple: BlackBerry has 40% of the U.S. smartphone market and allows advertisers to use mobile web standards (not proprietary ad formats) to connect with your still affluent, hip audience. By embracing open standards, BlackBerry can win the love of advertisers who will create high-quality advertisements and not have to create one-off campaigns like the new iAds on Apple's IOS4. Good luck RIM. Despite what some say, you still can win the smartphone war — if you play it smart. More Mobile Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, leeser87 More About: android, App, app marketplace, apple, bbm, blackberry, droid, Google, iphone, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, mobile web, RIM For more Mobile coverage:
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| JailbreakMe is the First Web-based Jailbreak for iPhone Posted: 02 Aug 2010 03:15 AM PDT   The first jailbreak for the iPhone 4 and iOS 4.0 has been released, and it’s available now via mobile Safari. JailBreakMe 2.0 is a tool for jailbreaking not only the iPhone 4, but any iPhone running iOS 4.0.1 or below and any iPad running iOS 3.2.1 or below. What’s especially unique about this jailbreak is that it can be implemented simply by visiting the JailBreakMe website, making the process far less complicated than most hacks. As always, we want to remind you that jailbreaking your iPhone will void its warranty, even if it is now legal. Initial reports seem to indicate that JailbreakMe does indeed work properly, if you can get through the website’s currently-slammed severs. However, there are reports that it can break FaceTime and MMS (though the issue can be fixed). In the end, you Jailbreak at your own risk, but it is the only way to get access to forbidden apps like Cydia. More About: apple, iOS 4, iOS 4.0, iphone, iphone 4, JailbreakMe For more Apple coverage:
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| 10 Steps for Successful Social Media Monitoring Posted: 02 Aug 2010 01:57 AM PDT   Recently I wrote about the differences in social media monitoring and measurement, as well as the importance of doing both. However, taking the first step to actually start monitoring can be daunting. And then what? How do you act on what you find when listening? How do you engage? To ensure that you are successful in your monitoring and measurement efforts, here are some definitive steps you should follow. I’ve developed these throughout my career and as part of my regular listening, participating and contributing to the space. 1. Define an ObjectiveWhy are you monitoring? If the answer is "because everyone's doing it," you are in trouble. You need to have a clear goal in mind, such as:
Having an end goal in mind will help you target your resources correctly, select the right tool for the job and be more effective in the end. 2. Decide Where to MonitorSocial media is relationship and conversation media. At its core is the art of building relationships with others, human-to-human. However, you can't be everywhere conversing with everyone at the same time. You need to pick your battles. Where you “hang out” digitally, just like any outreach and marketing program, should be driven by where your constituency hangs out. The notion of the social customer should reflect not only your current paying customers, but also potential customers and industry thought leaders. Monitoring can help you figure out where these people are, and therefore what channels are best for you to listen to and engage. 3. Decide What to Monitor Recall that monitoring is keyword-based, and thus selection of the right keywords is important. At the very least, you should be tracking your company name, brand names, product names, names of key execs, competitor names, competitive product names, industry keywords, and your tagline or most recent marketing efforts (e.g. Did you run a special promotion for Mother's day?). 4. PrioritizeSocial media is voluminous –- conversations are happening across many channels and social networks all over the world. To make matters even more complicated, the signal-to-noise ratio is not in your favor. This is why your monitoring must be intelligent and actionable. You should be triaging all the social media messages that come across your field of vision, so that you can focus on what's most important. If you work in a large, matrixed organization, you need to separate by product or brand and type of message (service vs. feedback). 5. Develop a PlanTo expand on the previous tip, you need to develop a crisis management plan. Don't let Nestle's Facebook Page issues happen to you. You should also develop a plan for engagement in more routine situations. When a blogger raves about your product, how do you turn this goodwill into collaboration that benefits both parties? How do you create customer advocacy programs? How do you internalize and execute on feedback about your (or competitor’s) product? How do you deal with irate customers? What about irate bloggers? You need to think through all these scenarios and figure out how you will activate the right resources within the organization. 6. Involve OthersSocial media information is bigger and faster than any other information channel we've had before. Here lies the challenge: With the speed of a tweet, how do you tap the right person in the organization to either answer the query or help you answer it? However you disseminate information, you need to think about the following:
7. Listen FirstLet's say you did some monitoring and identified a certain community as the place to be. Should you just jump in and start chatting and plugging your product from the get-go? Absolutely not! Before you ever open your digital mouth, listen and observe the culture of the community, interactions between members, how influence is expressed, and even if there's a particular vernacular. The community can be private or open, but regardless of where the community "resides," you need to get to know its members, stakeholders, and community norms. 8. Inbound vs. Outbound Conversations“Outbound” does not mean screaming your message at the top of your Twitter lungs. Outbound simply means that you are proactively going out there and participating in discussions around your area of expertise. For example, I actively seek out discussions on social media monitoring and Social CRM, among others. Conversely, “inbound” in the context of monitoring simply means that people are talking directly to you or about you with specific end goals in mind –- they either need help, want to give you feedback, or leave a compliment. The reason I bring up inbound vs. outbound is because both have distinct rules of engagement. When you are participating in a larger discussion, it's not usually appropriate to throw out links to your product demo left and right. Just because someone utters a keyword doesn't mean they want to go to your homepage. However, when it's an inbound communication, the user is probably looking for something specific to your company, which makes it more acceptable to share relevant links. There are no hard and fast rules about what's appropriate, but get a feeling for what feels right after listening first, and just use common sense. 9. Build RelationshipsAs you identify the spheres of influence and group dynamics in step #7, make sure you are forming relationships with the thought leaders around you. Take a minute to identify influencers and figure out who is driving the conversation. But be wary of defining influence as a sheer function of reach. After you find these thought leaders, take the time to read them and understand their viewpoints before you ever pitch anything. Growing and nurturing these relationships is the art of any social business. Comment on their blogs, chat with them digitally, get to know them personally and professionally, and meet them in person at a conference. Never go into a conversation asking yourself how useful someone can be to you. When you develop a voice and become a resource for others, people will listen to you and spread your message on the merits of the message. The true definition of influence is when you don’t even have to ask others to do that. 10. Select Tools that Match your Strategy If you identified Twitter as the area of focus based on your research in step #2, you should select a monitoring tool that's strong in Twitter. If you want to track conversations in multiple languages, look for that capability. Your checklist of what you need in a tool is going to be largely driven by your purpose definition in step #1. You need to know where you are heading and why, so that you can decide whether you want historical or archivable data, charting and sharing capabilities, advanced analytics, free or premium model, depth of coverage, sentiment analytics, easy integration with existing systems, or whatever else you may need. It’s not an easy task, so I encourage you to do your homework, ask vendors the tough questions, and never lose sight of your objective. How do you monitor and engage? What are some best practices you’ve developed? What are some things that worked or didn’t work? Be sure to share your insights in the comments. More Business Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 123render More About: analytics, business, conversation, engagement, List, Lists, monitor, small business, social media, social media monitoring, track For more Business coverage:
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| The Origin of Twitter’s “Fail Whale” Posted: 02 Aug 2010 12:09 AM PDT   If you’ve been on Twitter in the past month, you’ve probably bumped into the Fail Whale once or twice. The popular social network has been crashing pretty consistently from an influx of tweets and traffic. Seeing the whale, you (like everyone else) might have been frustrated — you might have yelled at the screen. You might hate that whale. If you do, chances are you don’t know Yiying Lu or the story behind the Fail Whale, originally called “Lifting a Dreamer.” The whale (first drawn as an elephant) was created by Lu as a sweet greeting to her friends overseas. The minds at Twitter found it on iStockphoto and used the image as a 404 page (replacing a picture of a LOLcat). The whale, once an image of Lu’s well-wishes, was supposed to represent the Twitter team’s effort to fix problems of scalability. Instead, the associations have largely been negative. Lu is hoping to turn that around even as she begrudgingly calls herself the “Fail Whale” designer. Hate it or love it, Lu got on the phone with us to chat about her early artistic influences, her new collection of animal designs, announced exclusively on Mashable, and why she hates the term “Fail Whale.” Lifting a Dreamer Q: How did you get into graphic design? Was it something you always loved? Lu: I suppose it's one of those things you find yourself more good at — artistic things, like drawings and shapes and color … I didn't know that I was an artistic kid until I went to [a] technology high school and I’m like, “Oh my God, everyone is so good at math and I’m pretty shit!” … I was sort of self-taught in high school times. I would spend two hours or three hours every day just sort of browsing all these artistic books like Salvador Dali and René Magritte … I didn't even know I was learning it. I just though it was one of those, “It's like you're eating main meals but you thought it was a snack.” Q: How did that experience inspire your personal style? Lu: … If I wasn't trained in the tech high school I probably wouldn't be as confident to use all these new technologies, and all these new websites and all these new things, really. You wouldn't be able to have the guts to try it and that was particularly interesting and insightful. Q: Do you still draw by hand or is it all on the computer? Lu: … I think the beauty of it is that I have all these hand drawn illustrations still here, but then technology enables me to scan them in and put them online to share with more people. I guess it's a whole experience — a combination of technology and organic processes that I truly appreciate. Q:You posted the Fail Whale image on iStockphoto. Did it end up anywhere else? Lu: Oh yeah, I only put it on iStock at the time. I was sort of using it as a showcase because I didn’t have a website at the time. Q: For you, is the image still “Lifting a Dreamer” even though everyone calls it the “Fail Whale?” Lu: I mean, that thing really bothers me and I really wanted to be very honest and transparent to you because I hate the name Fail Whale. Really, I do hate it … I’m like, “It's not a Fail Whale, it's like, originally, just a message for my friends far away and it has absolutely nothing to do with failure.” The original icon and symbolism was originally about good wishes and happy thoughts, and that's what this image is all about. And I guess that's why people really love it.  Q: Are you more frustrated by how Twitter has used the image, or how it's been publicly named? Lu: It's really just about how people interpret the picture. Rather than people seeing the picture as a sign of technology's failure, they should see it as a sign of, you know, “sit back and relax.” You know there's a problem, but at the same time, enjoy the time being. It should be a visual soother, like, it should be a visual therapy rather than something that people would get really mad [about]. Sometimes you will see some tweets [that] go "Fuck the Fail Whale!" and I just go "No, it had nothing to do with the whale!" Q: Have you been able to make any money from the image? Lu: Yes, I do have a merchandise website. I am selling some t-shirts … and it's really great that now there are more opportunities from other people. People start to negotiate and talk to me about licensing possibilities. It's just good to find all these good people to work with. I think the whale image actually enabled a lot of opportunity for connecting with the right people in a lot of different areas. Q: How are you trying to reclaim the image — to turn it from something negative to something positive? Is it just the fail whale forever now? Lu: Again, it's something I'd leave to the public to decide because originally the name of the fail whale was a meme and it came out from the public. I really appreciate the fact that people started to dig out their own creativity by interacting with the original image. So, I guess I don't want to force anything. I just want to see the organic process and just sort of let it sprout as it should be.  Q: Has it opened doors or pigeonholed you into one design style? Lu: It has been really helpful, although … when you showcase your work, some people would say, “Oh, you’re just the ‘Fail Whale girl’ and I’m sort of stuck with it at the moment. But it actually does open a lot of doors to collaborate with people such as the LTL prints, and I don't know whether you know the story behind the win penguins… And I thought, that's how we just sort of connect. Purely because of love of art and love of technology. Q: Is there anything that you regret about the Fail Whale? Lu: I really have no regret at all. I'm really just so grateful and really, really thankful for this opportunity happening…[Designer Stefan Sagmeister] said something that the goal of my design is "touching somebody's heart," and I guess I was very, very fortunate to have this chance to touch — hopefully to touch — millions and billions of people's hearts by showing them the artwork during a 404 [error page]. If the image can give people a happy thought or a moment of peace and also generate so many new creative projects, I think this is probably the biggest gift I could ever receive. And so I really don't have any regrets. All I have is really just gratefulness. Q: As long as they stop calling it the “Fail Whale?” Lu: [Laughs] As long as people aren't swearing at me or at the whale! Lu is launching a new series of wall graphics in the next few weeks based around the Fail Whale/Lifting a Dreamer, some of which include the animals featured in this story. Aside from generating some revenue, Lu loves the wall graphics for their interactivity: It’s art that can be moved, changed and modified by the viewer. Let us know what you think: Is Lu destined to just be known for her whale? Do the new designs spread joy or simply tap a franchise? What’s your reaction? More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable:
More About: fail whale, graphic design, illustration, lifting a dreamer, trending, twitter, web design, Yiying Lu For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| 10 Geekiest Apple-Flavored Cakes [PICS] Posted: 01 Aug 2010 10:04 PM PDT   Here at Mashable, it’s no secret we all love cake. In fact, the only things we love more than cakes are geeky cakes. So, to satisfy our sweet tooth (and geekiness) we’ve hunted down 10 particularly fine examples of Apple-themed pastry. Why not have a little wander through the gallery below and let us know which ones you’d like to sink your teeth into?
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| 5 Awesome Optical Illusion Videos Posted: 01 Aug 2010 06:38 PM PDT   How long has it been since you watched a video that made you go “Whoa?” If the answer is more than a day, then fear not, as we’ve got five lined up, each chock-full of “whoa” potential. Using nothing more than our eyes’ and brain’s perceptive weaknesses, these clever videos will trick your gray matter and leave you amazed. Or, if you’re really hard to impress, you’ll at least be mildly taken aback. Assuming you don’t have a medical condition that would make it unwise to stare at these brain busters, hop on through our gallery below. We pinky-swear there are no trick videos.
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| Posted: 01 Aug 2010 05:05 PM PDT   One of the most visible battles in all of technology is Mac vs. PC. Earlier in the week, we asked you, the Mashable readers, to weigh in. Our Web Faceoff this week focused around the device you’re probably using right now: the computer. We wanted to know whether your loyalty lies Microsoft or Apple, Windows or Snow Leopard, John Hodgman or Justin Long. After over 23,000 votes… …PC handily defeated Mac. With 15,102 votes, PC was able secure 63.99% of the vote. Mac mustered 8,015 votes, for a 33.97% share of the ballots. Votes for “neither” totaled in at 480, or just 2.03%. Do these results surprise you? Do you think the poll results could be different a year from now? Five years from now? Let us know what you think in the comments. Reviews: Windows More About: apple, mac, microsoft, pc, Snow Leopard, web faceoff, Windows For more Battles coverage:
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| 10 Cool Tech Toys for Kids [PICS] Posted: 01 Aug 2010 03:46 PM PDT   Kids today have been born into a digital world and it’s something that is reflected in their toys. While you may have played Hungry Hungry Hippos or had to pretend to burp your baby doll, today’s toys are much more sophisticated and tech savvy, and even a little creepy. We’ve found 10 of the hottest tech-related or tech-integrated toys. Let us know your favorites, or if you’d buy them for your kids, in the comments below. 1. Lego MP3 Player LEGO partnered with Digital Blue to develop a whole line of building block-based electronics, including a stop-motion animation camera, walkie talkies and a digital camera. This MP3 player may look cute, but it's not just child's play. 2GB of memory holds up to 1,000 songs. Since the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber probably won't be able to fill its entire memory, take the opportunity to introduce your kids to some, you know, good music. Cost: $39.99 2. Barbie Video Girl Barbie is working overtime as she seems to have found her next career: Webcam. Yes, not camera woman or DOP, she's the camera itself. With a mini camera "necklace" on the front, you can take videos and watch them instantly on the LCD screen on the doll's back, or upload them to your computer. While adults may find the doll a little creepy, kids will like the the fact they can add music, graphics, and special effects with the free editing software available online. Cost:$49.99 [img credit: OhGizmo] 3. Fisher Price Kid Tough Video Camera If you want your kid to be the next Christopher Nolan, you can get his or her video skills rolling at a young age with this digital camera -- one that can withstand the artistic demands and temper tantrums that accompany a budding 3-year-old director. Two-eye viewing makes it easier for toddlers to peer into the viewfinder, and dual hand grips increase the chance of a steady shot. Like any good camera, there is a built-in auto flash and color LCD screen. It stores up to 500 pictures and comes with an internal memory of 64MB, so don't be surprised when your little one starts telling you to smile with your eyes. Cost: $50.00 4. Crayola USB EZ Type Keyboard Many kids today are likely learning to type before they can print. With this colorful keyboard, you can get them started even earlier. Cost: $29.99 5. FireFly Mobil Phones Cell phones for children are a touchy subject, but if it's for safety purposes then most parents can get behind the concept. The glowPhone was designed specifically for kids, and has a full color screen, built-in games, ringtones and wallpaper. But the key is that it has parental control features that allow mommy and daddy to monitor the usage and restrict incoming and outgoing calls, as well as limit or restrict texting. So if you want Junior to only be able to call and text you, grandma and the babysitter, then those are the only people he'll be able to reach. Cost: $49.99 6. Disney Netpal by ASUS Netbook Computer Disney's Netbook is a portable PC for children ages 6 to 12, designed for kids but with parental concerns in mind. It's "web-safe" and lets parents choose where they visit and who they can contact. Sort of a "my first laptop," it's durable with spill-proof keyboard, has a built-in camera, and even has a restriction calendar so parents can control the days and specific times their kids can use it. In terms of the actual specs, it has a 8.9" LCD screen, 1GB RAM, and operates on Windows XP. Cost: $349.95 7. Monster High iCoffin Handheld Device On the coattails of the Twilight phenomenon comes the iCoffin Handheld Device -- being dead was never so much fun. This console allows kids to play games, text, and discover the secrets of all their Monster High friends (Monster High students are the teenage children of famous monsters who all attend school together because, you know, high school wasn't bad enough without the girls actually being soul-less). Cost: $22.99 8. Baby and Me Wii Game A life-like baby doll becomes horror-movie-levels of real when it has a Wiimote strapped to it. The game comes with the doll and it reacts by giggling, gurgling and crying through the Wii remote. There are 10 games that include feeding the baby and putting it to sleep. There are other features that include Balance Board support for rocking the doll to sleep or burping it. Cost:$ 62.22 9. Matryoshkus Nero A Matryoshka doll, or Babushka doll, is a set of figures that can be stacked inside each other. Art Lebedev Studio has created this classic nested doll to teach kids, or anyone else, about data sizes. From terabyte down, you place the dolls inside one another until you reach the smallest: bit. Cost: $50 10. Dora's Explorer Girls - Dora Links Yet another doll with a USB port in her back. Dora is a little older than her TV counterpart, and lives in an online world with new friends in a big city. By plugging Dora into a computer, kids are able to access interactive content of that online world. You can customize the doll and watch as she transforms online. Keeping with the adventure theme (she is an explorer after all), kids will solve online mysteries and traverse the city. The doll also has an alert system so that she knows when new mysteries have been added to the website. Even if your child is away from the computer, but still playing with the doll, Dora will let you know what new things are happening online. Cost: $49.99 More Resources for Kids from Mashable:
More About: barbie, cell phone, crayola, Creepy, digital camera, dora the explorer, educational, iCoffin, keyboard, Kids, Lego, MP3 player, tech, texting, toys, webcam, Wii, wiimote For more Tech coverage:
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| 5 Energy Efficient Office Gadgets Posted: 01 Aug 2010 01:34 PM 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. For years now the world has been talking about “going green,” “reducing our carbon footprint,” and simply just being less wasteful. Anyone who runs a business knows that unnecessary waste simply isn’t good business. Companies who invest in greener or more energy efficient gadgets around the office save on electricity bills, foster an office based on conscious consumption, and know they are doing what they can to help make the world a cleaner, greener place. To get yourself on track to being energy efficient, start by investing in an energy meter so you can keep track of your office’s level of energy consumption. Once you’re ready to take the next step, check out these five energy efficient office gadgets to help you start saving on every level. 1. Energy Efficient Printer These days, printing the smallest of documents is seen as an attack on the “green” movement, but sometimes it just has to be done. If your office hasn’t quite made the print-free pledge and you don’t want to feel as bad about embracing paper, you can at least know that your printer is enviro-conscious. The HP LaserJet P4015x Printer reduces energy use by up to 50% with something they call “Instant-on” technology. And of course, you wouldn’t dream of printing on anything besides 100% recycled paper. 2. Water-Powered Calculator Disposable batteries die and end up rotting away in landfills, but companies can do their part by never having to buy batteries again, resulting in less waste and saved money. Many people use rechargeable batteries, but have you heard of water-powered batteries? This handy calculator uses water-activated batteries that require moisture to activate the carbon particles needed to produce energy. While water-powered batteries produce about the same amount of energy as common alkaline batteries, they aren’t toxic, because they are made of carbon rather than processed metal. When your calculator is winding down, simply refill the two battery tubes with tap water, and you should be good to go for another two or three months. 3. Desktop Computer Computers use a lot of energy and it’s hard to cut down on time spent on the computer, especially while at work. So why not invest in machines that use less energy overall? Think of how much your business could save in energy bills by using energy-friendly computers. Apple’s Mac Mini claims to be the world’s most affordable and energy efficient computer. According to Apple, the “power supply for Mac mini has been reduced from 110W to 85W and is now up to 90% efficient… A built-in power supply means no plastic housing, less weight, and less cable clutter.” The Mac Mini uses less than 10W of power when idle, which is 25W less than the previous generation, and claims to be something no other desktop computer can do. “Mac mini uses energy efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power… Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That's just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.” The machine gets a gold rating from Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), and meets the low power requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency, who gave it ENERGY STAR qualification. 4. Solar Gadget Charger This small, portable, solar panel kit can actually power a laptop. The Solar Gorilla’s panels can produced 10W of power in direct sunlight, which is apparently enough to charge any number of electronic goods. While this is marketed as a great travel item, wouldn’t it be great to allow your employees to enjoy some sunshine while working? A happy employee is a productive one, and working in the sun can be fun. 5. The Ecobutton The Ecobutton is a really easy way for you and your employees to save money (and the world) with almost no effort. This USB device allows you to power down your computer every time you step away, with the simple touch of the Ecobutton. Computers use a lot of energy; you can save money and know you’re doing your part to help conserve energy by easily powering down when you aren’t at your computer. These gadgets are all paving the way to a more energy efficient future. Tell us which gadgets your office is using to conserve energy in the comments below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mbortolino Reviews: iStockphoto More About: calculator, chargers, clean energy, eco button, energy efficient, green living, green tech, Mac Mini, office, office gadgets, printer, printers, solar charger For more Tech coverage:
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| Internet Explorer Gains Market Share at the Expense of Firefox Posted: 01 Aug 2010 11:55 AM PDT   Microsoft Internet Explorer continues to make a comeback, gaining market share for the third month in a row, mostly to the detriment of Mozilla Firefox. According to new statistics from Net Applications, Internet Explorer increased its share of the browser market in July by 0.42%, for a total share of 60.74%. Firefox, on the other hand, took the biggest hit: a loss of 0.9%. Google’s Chrome browser lost 0.08%, while Safari gained 0.24%. IE’s gain continues a trend of reversal for the struggling web browser. While Microsoft’s browser is still the world’s most popular browser by large margins, it has steadily lost market share over the last few years. However, Net Applications has spotted a trend of recovery for the browser since May. In addition to IE regaining some momentum, Chrome usage has also been soaring. At the short end of the stick though is Firefox, whose market share peaked in April at 24.59% and has steadily dropped since. These stats fly in the face of the conventional wisdom that Internet Explorer is doomed to decline against the superior speed, extension capabilities and HTML5 support of Firefox and Chrome. And there’s an even bigger wrench that will soon be thrown into the mix: Internet Explorer 9, which boasts superior hardware-accelerated speed and strong support for open standards. Do you think these trends will continue? Which browser is destined to dominate? Reviews: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari More About: chrome, Firefox, Google, google chrome, IE, IE9, internet explorer, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 9, microsoft, mozilla, safari For more Tech coverage:
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| UAE to Ban BlackBerry E-mail, Web Browsing and Messaging Posted: 01 Aug 2010 09:54 AM PDT   Citing national security concerns, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will soon ban e-mail, web browsing and messaging for the BlackBerry smartphone. “In the public interest, we have today informed the providers of telecommunications services in the country of our decision to suspend the Blackberry services of messenger, email and electronic browsing,” stated Mohammed al-Ghanem, the chief of the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. “Today’s decision is based on the fact that, in their current form, certain BlackBerry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national-security concerns,” continued the government’s statement. According to al-Ghanem, “It’s a final decision,” but they are continuing discussions with Canadian-based Research in Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry device. At the heart of the ban is the method in which RIM handles BlackBerry data. Unlike most phones, BlackBerry data is encrypted and routed overseas through RIM’s network center in Canada. This has been a major point of contention for several nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India, because it means that these nations cannot monitor the encrypted data being sent. According to The Wall Street Journal, the ban came after RIM rejected the idea of setting up a proxy server within the UAE. Much of the issue seems to surround the issues of crime and terrorism. Without the ability to monitor data, the UAE would have to rely on RIM to hand over data for criminal investigations. Some also believe the move is meant to give the UAE stronger control over the nation’s information flow, although the UAE’s telecom chief said that censorship played no part in the decision. Within hours of the announcement, Saudi Arabian telecoms and a government official said that the Arab nation would be banning the BlackBerry Messenger feature. While both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are relatively small markets for RIM, the ban could be a catalyst for action by India, which is also in a dispute with the BlackBerry maker over how it handles data. We have reached out to RIM for comment. In the meantime, we want to hear your opinion: is the UAE’s ban of BlackBerry services justified? Let us know your opinion in the comments. More About: blackberry, india, Mobile 2.0, national security, RIM, Saudi Arabia, trending, UAE For more Mobile coverage:
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| 25 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed Posted: 01 Aug 2010 06:37 AM PDT   Another beautiful summer week brings another beautiful social media round-up. In case you missed any of the resources published here on Mashable, we’ve got them all laid out in neat little sections for your perusal. This week we looked at some great podcasts for summer listening, some hilarious infomercials on YouTube and some awesome trailers from Comic-Con 2010. Tech and mobile fans will be pleased to see stories on the new Samsung Galaxy S, a look back at the last five years in mobile, and an interview with superb designer Jesse Thomas. If you need some business tips and advice, we’ve got ways to promote your brand on YouTube, how social media can make you more productive, and ways to include multimedia on your website. Looking for even more social media resources? You can find this guide every weekend, and check out all of the lists-gone-by. Social Media
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, small business, social media, tech, trending, twitter, youtube For more Social Media coverage:
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