Jumat, 20 Agustus 2010

Mashable: Latest 23 News Updates - including “Gmail Voice and Video Chat Comes to Linux”

Mashable: Latest 23 News Updates - including “Gmail Voice and Video Chat Comes to Linux”

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Gmail Voice and Video Chat Comes to Linux

Posted: 20 Aug 2010 12:54 AM PDT


Google has released a highly-requested Gmail feature for Linux users: video and voice chat.

Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions are supported, with RPM support coming soon. To try it out, download the required plugin at gmail.com/videochat.

The release may be good news, but it leaves a sour taste for many Linux users, since it took Google nearly two years to release this feature for Linux. Yes, it’s nice to finally have the feature, but it won’t change the oft-heard notion that Linux is just an afterthought to Google.

Reviews: Google, Linux, Ubuntu

More About: gmail, Linux, video chat, voice chat

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One Site to Search and Sort All Flights: You Must Try Hipmunk

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 11:54 PM PDT


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

Name:

Quick Pitch: Hipmunk helps you find the right flight. It hides the bad flights and sorts the good ones.

Genius Idea: What do you hate most about air travel? Is it the costs? The brutal flight durations and multiple layovers? Having to leave your house at the crack of dawn or arriving at your destination in the dead of night?

Whatever you hate most, Hipmunk will help you filter out so you can quickly see, select and purchase the best flights.

It’s refreshing to find a web app that solves a legitimate, common consumer problem. We see a lot of social communication tools focused on web geeks and early adopters, but not as many that are focused on solving the everyday problems that the average person experiences.

Hipmunk effectively solves the problem of sorting through half a dozen slow and painful discount travel user interfaces to find the one flight you need. According to the company, “Hipmunk makes intelligent decisions about which flights to show you. For example, if there’s a cheap, non-stop flight on your favorite airline, Hipmunk will hide more expensive one-stop options on other airlines.”

Once you tell Hipmunk when and where you’d like to go and on which airline, if any, you prefer to fly, the app sorts out available flights and filters them by multiple factors. You can see flights organized by price, number of stops, total duration, and departure and arrival times. Or, you can click the “agony” tab to see the creme-de-la-creme of flights — the ones that score best on all factors.

The interface is quick, simple and intuitive. The app replaced an hour’s worth of back-and-forth navigation and research within a few clicks; we were able to find a great flight that met our needs and purchase it through a partner travel site (currently, just Orbitz).

You can also run multiple searches using tabs that run inside the browser window. If you have a frequent flyer number, you can use that during the checkout process. If you run into trouble, you can IM live with a Hipmunk rep from within the app.

It’s a brilliant, well-executed application with baked-in revenue potential.

That being said, there are a few bugs (we asked for flights to Washington, DC, and were sent instead to New York’s JFK, for example) that still need to be hammered out. And we’d like the app to integrate with more travel sites, too. Still, for a site that just launched two days ago, we’re impressed; we’re sure the app’s creators will be shellacking the site with appropriate layers of polish in the days and weeks to come.

And with regard to the apps’ creators, the site’s co-founders are Steve Huffman, who co-founded Reddit, and and Adam Goldstein, who wrote AppleScript: The Missing Manual at the tender age of 16. Although the site is drastically different and with a drastically different intended audience from Reddit, we must acknowledge the star power of this San Francisco-based team.

We highly recommend you give Hipmunk a shot next time you’re searching for flights; it’s a time-saver for consumers and an interesting app to watch for startups and investors.

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: reddit.com

More About: flight, hipmunk, Search, startup, travel

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Foursquare Experiences Record Signups After Launch of Facebook Places

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 10:56 PM PDT


Foursquare is experiencing record interest in the wake of the launch of Facebook Places; on Thursday, the location service broke its record for new user signups.

Facebook Places brings checkins and location broadcasting to Facebook’s massive 500 million user base. It’s the bread-and-butter of Foursquare, which has led to a lot of speculation over the future of Foursquare and the company’s next moves. Can it survive in the face of competition from a behemoth like Facebook?

At least for now, the answer seems to be yes. According to a tweet from Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, the company had its “biggest day ever” for signups of new users on Thursday. The surge in signups was probably due to the countless comparisons people are making between Facebook Places and Foursquare. With heightened media and user interest, it’s no wonder people are signing up to find out what this location thing is all about.

Record signups doesn’t mean the company’s in the clear, though. As the weeks and months pass and Places establishes itself as a service, we’ll get a better picture of whether Foursquare can fend off Facebook’s advances and continue its rapid growth.

In an interview with Mashable, Crowley said that he believes Facebook and Foursquare serve two different purposes. "Facebook is about sharing experiences that you've had,” he said. “Foursquare is more about the present tense and the future tense."

Foursquare is approaching 3 million users, but that’s still a drop in the bucket compared to Facebook’s 500+ million users. For Foursquare’s sake, let’s hope Crowley is right that the two services fulfill different purposes.

Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Mashable

More About: facebook, Facebook Places, foursquare, trending

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Organic Blueberries to Snoop Dogg: Branded Virtual Goods Are Booming [REPORT]

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 08:43 PM PDT


Branded virtual goods are set to take off in the next five years — in a big way.

A report by social gaming platform Viximo and virtual goods platform Virtual Greats predicts that branded virtual goods (BVGs) will generate $150 million in 2013 and reach an annual revenue of $318 million by 2015.

Branded virtual goods currently make up just 1% of the $3.1 billion virtual goods industry (about $15 million). But recent successes, like Cascadia's sale of 310 million organic blueberries on FarmVille, have made their potential for growth apparent. The report’s projection would represent a tremendous 113% compound annual growth rate over three years followed by an 84% rate for the next two years.

The report indicates that people are willing to pay more for virtual goods if they're associated with a brand, a point it substantiates with a case study that outlines sales of Snoop Dogg's branded virtual goods on social game WeeWorld. Sales of his gear are consistently 2.5 times higher than comparative non-branded goods. He's generated about $200,000 in sales on the BVGs he sells across social platforms like Gaia Online, Zwinky and Viximo's network of social networking partners. In his own words, "My virtual items are off tha chain jacc! It’s a world and a movement that I have been down with since day 1…"

It’s not just Snoop Dogg who diggs BVGs; Green Giant, Nestle’s Purina and Kohl's have all started experimenting with campaigns. Even Disney entered the BVG market when it purchased Playdom last month for up to $763 million.

More About: Branded Virtual Goods, gaia, green giant, Kohl's, Purina, snoop dogg, social games, social gaming, virtual goods, Virtual Greats, Viximo

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Google Prepares for Chrome Web Store’s Launch with Developer Preview

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:12 PM PDT

Google’s attempt to create a marketplace for web apps, dubbed the Chrome Web Store, is one step closer to reality with the launch of the first developer preview.

First revealed at Google’s I/O conference in May, the Chrome Web Store is designed to be a central location for buying and selling HTML5-based web apps. According to information that leaked yesterday, Google’s web-based marketplace will take a similar approach to Apple’s iPhone App Store, except that Google will only take a 5% processing fee from app transactions, rather than the 30% cut Apple demands for apps on iOS.

While the Chrome Web Store won’t be released to the wider public until October, Google wants to make sure that its marketplace is filled with quality apps on launch day. Thus starting today, developers now have access to the developer preview of the Chrome Web Store through Google Code Labs.

“Developers can now start uploading apps and experiment with packaging them, installing them in Chrome (using the latest Chrome dev channel) and integrating our payments and user authentication infrastructure,” Google said in its blog post.

The preview isn’t a fully-functional app store; instead, it’s a central location for learning how to create, upload, test and sell web apps. These apps can come in one of two forms: hosted apps and packaged apps. Hosted apps are run on a webpage, while packaged apps are downloaded by the user.

Today’s announcement is essentially an open call for developers to build their web apps on top of Google’s platform. The search giant is betting that its massive distribution channels, app store interface and small transaction fees (no 30% cut) will attract programmers and application creators to its platform.

There’s a lot at stake for Google, so it needs developers if the Chrome Web Store is to succeed.

Reviews: App Store, Chrome, Google

More About: Chrome OS, chrome web store, Google, google chrome, web apps

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People Magazine Launches iPad App

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 06:25 PM PDT


People magazine launched its iPad app early this morning despite reports it would be delayed due to issues over photo licensing agreements.

Photographers were reportedly upset with People’s assertion that the magazine shouldn’t have to pay extra fees when it uses agency photos already featured in the print issue on the app.

A spokeswoman for People told Mashable via e-mail that discussions with photo agencies “never had anything to do” with the app’s launch date, but rather People wanted “to have the best product possible” and to make sure the subscription verification interface was working.

With regard to reports about photo licensing issues, People told The Hollywood Reporter that the magazine currently has the rights to use agency photos under their current contracts.

Much like Vanity Fair’s iPad app, People’s app does not differ much from the present publication. Still, it does include some interactive elements, bonus photos and exclusive videos, like a demo clip of popstar Katy Perry showing users how to use the app, as well as never-before-seen photos from her childhood.

Still, unlike Wired’s or Popular Mechanic’s apps, People seems to be mostly a page-to-pad effort.

The app does offer a somewhat novel business model (in the realm of print mags on iPad), allowing existing subscribers to verify their subscription and download the current issue for free. Single copies are available for purchase for non-subscribers.

People is Time Inc.’s fourth publication following Time, Fortune and Sports Illustrated to feature its content in app form.



Reviews: Mashable

More About: ipad apps, ipad magazine, old media, people, publishing, Time Inc

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Groupon Smashes Sales Records with Nationwide Gap Deal

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 05:31 PM PDT


Groupon launched its first national deal today, partnering with Gap to offer $50 worth of apparel and accessories at the low price of $25.

The site is known for its local daily deals, often offered by small businesses including restaurants, gyms and spas. With a $1 billion valuation and more than 9.4 million Groupons sold since its launch, it has become one of the most recognized group buying sites on the web.

The company has had great success selling local deals, but this experimental partnership could be the first step towards larger, national partnerships.

We spoke with Julie Mossler, a spokeswoman for Groupon, to get some insights into Groupon’s motivations for testing out the national market. She explained:

“Local ‘brick and mortar’ businesses are the foundation of Groupon, and that isn’t changing. Many of our customers have asked for a national deal, so we’re testing the waters with Gap. It’s a perfect back-to-school deal, and a great way for us to reach subscribers in Gap cities where Groupon hasn’t yet launched. Customer feedback (positive or negative) will be taken into consideration when we determine if we’ll do partnerships of this scale in the future.”

Groupon CEO Andrew Mason expanded, “We’ve worked with plenty of national brands, but this is the first time we’ve featured the same business in every city simultaneously. We’re constantly experimenting with new types of deals and stick with whatever our customers like! They seem to like this deal.”

As of about 5 p.m. ET, the Gap deal has already triggered nearly 300,000 purchases — that’s about 10 Groupons per second, making it Groupon’s bestselling deal since its launch in November 2008. The previous bestseller was a $12 75-minute architecture tour by boat in Chicago (valued at $25), which sold 19,820 Groupons (although, it’s not exactly a fair comparison, as the boat tour deal was only offered in one city rather than nationwide). Mossler remarked:

“Although, it’s important to note we haven’t offered one at this scale before. Customers are getting their Gap on with Groupon because it’s such a compelling offer for back to school. We attribute the rate of sale to Groupon promotional handles on Facebook/Twitter, distribution via @earlybird, a blast to Gap’s newsletter subscribers and word of mouth from our 10 million subscribers in North America.”

  1. Earlybird Offers
    earlybird We have a killer earlybird #BackToSchool deal from @Groupon: for $25 you get $50 of apparel from Gap. Sweet. http://t.co/QqHCx8x 19 Aug 2010 from Earlybird Offers

The discount is also being promoted via Twitter’s Earlybird Offers account. Mossler commented, “We’re looking to get as much exposure for the deal as possible, and @earlybird is one strategy we hope will prove to grab Twitter users who haven’t yet given Groupon a try.”

Gap has been stepping up its social game as of late, making headlines earlier this week when it announced a 25% discount for Foursquare users who checked in at one of its retail locations in the U.S. or Canada. Olivia Doyne, Director of Engagement Marketing at Gap gave us a bit of insight into why the national retailer decided to host a Groupon deal:

“We’re always looking at new and innovative ways to connect with our customers, and we know many of them are Groupon subscribers. We thought the timing of our exclusive Groupon offer would be ideal as people begin to build their back-to-school and fall wardrobes.”

Although the deal is clearly a success on Groupon, Augustine Fou, the chief digital officer at Omnicom’s Healthcare Consultancy Group, commented that this is a prime example of “when NOT to use Groupon” as an advertiser. He commented, “Groupon is great for restaurants who have the margin to do it and who need publicity because people are not aware, but not for a big brand like Gap. It is simply a waste of money for them.”

Gap is receiving a lot of word or mouth and press, sending more buyers to the deal. This may seem like good news for Gap, but Fou argues, “The more press they get, the more money they lose.” With the current sales of around 300,000 Groupons, that translates into a $7.5 million revenue loss for one experimental campaign. That’s a hefty lump of cash, and the deal isn’t even over. “It’s still a better use than wasting $7.5 million on TV ads.” Fou added, “At least they did capture the other half as ‘money spent [by customers],’ and consumers will eventually go into the stores. For TV advertising, there is never proof anyone ever saw it, let alone went to the store.”

When asked if Gap had expected such a huge response to the deal, Doyne responded, “Since this is the first time Groupon has done a national deal of this size, it was hard to estimate the outcome. We’re really pleased with how many people have taken advantage of the offer.”

Do you think Groupon should continue to test out national partnerships? Let us know in the comments below.

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

More About: deals, earlybird, gap, group buying, groupon, offers, social media, trending, twitter

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StumbleUpon Comes to the iPhone and Android

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 04:02 PM PDT


Content discovery and recommendation engine StumbleUpon is bringing its “best of the web” finds to mobile devices with new iPhone and Android applications.

The web version, which enables its userbase of nearly 11 million members to “stumble” across content that other users have recommended, is being tailored for mobile by featuring a “best for mobile stumbling.” This includes photos, Flickr, YouTube and news, making the discovery experience more friendly for the mobile screen and connections. Below that are also the topics that users have indicated an interest in, as well as options to view favorites and recommendations from other users they’re following.

The applications replicate the core experience of StumbleUpon on the web, featuring a prominent “Start Stumbling” button that links to a piece of content that users can either give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to, alongside likes, reviews and sharing options. Browsing functionality is similar as well.

However, what seems to be missing is the easy ability to add content users come across outside of the app (i.e. on the iPhone’s Safari browser) with the StumbleUpon community. The integration would certainly make the experience more connected. Also, in our test the iPhone application version was much faster than the Android version, which also had a few formatting issues. Overall, the mobile applications seem to stay true to the StumbleUpon experience, however. What do you think of the applications?

The app is available for download on iTunes and by searching the Android Market. Below are some screenshots of both of the apps:


iPhone App: Home Screen




Both application home screens include a Start Stumbling button, the "Best For Mobile Stumbling" options and topics you find interesting.


IPhone App: Favorites




The application enables you to sort and view your favorite content.


iPhone App: Tips




The applications offer subtle tips to get the most out of your experience and navigate your way through the application.


iPhone App: Info




Similar to the Android app, the iPhone application also offers info on each piece of content, such as how much it has been viewed, who has liked it, and its reviews.


iPhone App: Liked




When you're viewing a piece of content, the info section enables you to see who has liked the content, displaying their avatars.


iPhone App: Reviews




When looking at the info behind a piece of content, users are able to view the reviews by other stumblers.


iPhone App: Sharing




The application enables you to share content to your StumbleUpon friends and through the social space.


Android App: Home Screen




The Android app home page features similar layout to the iPhone app with a prominent "Start Stumbling" button.


Android App: News




This is what the "news" view in "Best for Mobile Stumbling" looks like.


Android App: Photo




The application enables you to stumble just photos, which are easy to view on mobile devices, as part of the apps "Best For Mobile Stumbling" option.


Android App: Info




The applications offer StumbleUpon info on pieces of content, such as how often it was viewed, its reviews and more.


Android App: Sharing




The Android app sharing is a bit different than the iPhone, mostly in that it requires another click for social sharing.

Follow Mashable on StumbleUpon

Reviews: Android, Android Market, Flickr, Safari, StumbleUpon, YouTube, iTunes

More About: android, bookmarking, content discovery, iphone, Mobile 2.0, social sharing, stumbleupon

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North Korea’s Newly Launched Twitter Account Banned by South Korea

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 03:35 PM PDT

kim banned

North Korea's Twitter account, which started just last week, has been banned by South Korea's state-run Communications Standards Commission because its tweets contain "illegal information," according to South Korean National Security Law.

The banning marks a new digital front for the two embattled countries. North Korea's official account is called @Uriminzok, loosely translated to "Our people/nation,” according to the AP. The site has racked up nearly 9,000 followers despite only tweeting 36 times.

According to reports (and an admittedly rough online-translator), most if not all of the tweets heap praise on North Korea while disparaging both the U.S. and South Korea.

North Korea also launched an official YouTube channel a month prior to its Twitter account under the similar moniker, "Uriminzokkiri." Like its Twitter account, most videos border on propaganda promoting the value and virtues of North Korea while calling South Korea warmongers.

South Korea responded today by blocking the Twitter account, adding to its list of 64 other blocked North Korean-run and pro-North Korean websites, Shim Joo-hyung, a spokesman for the South Korean standards commission told the AP. Typing in the North Korean account brings up a warning when you try to access the site from a South Korean IP address.

urimzok image

The North Korean jump to Twitter and YouTube marks a new and confusing step for the nation's "digital media strategy." North Korea blocks nearly all Internet access to its population of more than 24 million citizens, meaning all that propaganda isn't meant for the home team.

North Korea's Twitter and YouTube accounts aren't available to its citizens; instead, they seem designed to win favor and hearts in South Korea and abroad. It’s a point not missed by U.S. politicians: “North Korean government has joined Twitter, but is it prepared to allow its citizens to be connected as well?” tweeted Philip Crowley, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Given the circumstances, it’s understandable that South Korea would take action, but to what degree do "national security" concerns trump online censorship?

This isn't the first time that Twitter has been banned by a country. China currently bans the site, Pakistan recently lifted its own, and Iran has threatened to ban following the public outrage after its presidential elections last year. It’s interesting that South Korea has not blocked the entire messaging site, but has instead targeted its ban solely on the North Korean account.

The South Korean commission has no immediate plans to block the North Korean YouTube channel.

Is South Korea justified in banning this propaganda or are they infringing on freedom of speech?

Reviews: Internet, Twitter, YouTube

More About: ban, banned, North Korea, South Korea, twitter, uriminzok, uriminzokkiri, youtube

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New Facebook Scam Targets Justin Bieber Fans [ALERT]

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:55 PM PDT


A new scam offering free Justin Bieber concert tickets is spreading virally through the status updates of Facebook users.

The status message, which reads: “WOW! Justin Bieber Is Giving Away Free Concert Tickets Now!” is followed by a bit.ly link to a rogue Facebook application that, if installed, posts the same message on a user’s Facebook status, security software firm Sophos has learned.

It also creates a wall post claiming that said user, “just snagged 4 free tickets to see Justin Bieber! Justin Bieber World Tour” under the headline “Justin Bieber Free Concert Ticket Giveaway!”

Those who continue on with the application are then prompted to enter their mobile phone number and check an agreement to enter a contest to win £50,000. What entering the “contest” actually does is trick users into subscribing to a premium rate service that costs £4.50 per week, according to Sophos.

What makes this app especially dangerous is that it specifically targets Justin Bieber’s young — and significantly large — fanbase, who are likely less familiar with common scamming techniques than older users. This is in fact the second Bieber-related Facebook scam we’ve come across this week.

As always, be wary of apps that ask for permission to post to your Facebook wall and status updates, as well as solicitations for your personal information. If you’re a parent, it’s worthwhile to teach your kids how to detect these as well.

Reviews: Facebook, justin bieber

More About: facebook, justin bieber, phishing scam

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Google Movie in the Works

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:54 PM PDT


Geeks are the new “it” guys, or so Hollywood would have us believe. With the tale of Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network slated to hit theaters in October, it now appears the movie rights to a book about Google and its founders, Segrey Brin and Larry Page, have been acquired by a production company looking to bring the search giant’s story to the big screen.

Deadline is reporting that Michael London’s Groundswell Productions and producer John Morris have together purchased the movie rights for Googled: The End of the World As We Know it. The 400-page Google narrative, published in late 2009, was authored by The New Yorker columnist Ken Auletta.

“The heart of the movie is their wonderful edict, don’t be evil. At a certain point in the evolution of a company so big and powerful, there are a million challenges to that mandate. Can you stay true to principles like that as you become as rich and powerful as that company has become? The intention is to be sympathetic to Sergey and Larry, and hopefully the film will be as interesting as the company they created,” London iterated in an interview with Deadline.

Movie plans are still early-stage. London and Morris plan to fund the project and use Auletta’s book as a foundation for the film adaption. For now, though, there’s no word on additional talent attached to the project or guarantees that it will become a film.

The story of Google is no doubt one of interest to those in the tech sector. The question remains, however, will it translate in a film for mainstream audiences?

Reviews: Google, movie

More About: Film, Google, larry page, Sergey Brin

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Facebook Places API Released

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:44 PM PDT


As of 2 p.m. PT today, Facebook has opened its Places Read API for all developers.

The Read API will scrape Facebook’s data so your app can access a user’s checkins and his or her friends’ checkins, as well. You’ll be able to grab all checkins made with Places and Places-enabled applications. Facebook is hoping the apps created or augmented with this API will enhance real-world social experiences such as going to a concert, attending a conference or traveling on vacation.

You can also get checkin data from specific Places and Pages.

Most devs won’t yet have access to the Write and Search APIs; Facebook is only making those available to select partners in a private beta. For example, Yelp, Gowalla and Foursquare will be able to push their checkins to Facebook Places, allowing users to simultaneously checkin to their services as well as Facebook’s.

Access to these APIs should be available within a few months, according to Facebook engineer Ben Gertzfield.

Gertzfield also cautions developers about user privacy and permissions. “It’s important to remember that all access to location information through the Graph API respects a user’s privacy controls… When a person installs an application that needs their location to provide a relevant experience, the application must request access through Facebook’s clearly labeled permissions dialog,” he said.

“Developers cannot share location information without a user’s express permission, and every user has control over what their friends can share via the API,” Gertzfield added.

The Places data will be available through the Graph API. Each checkin is linked to a checkin ID that represents an object in the graph. Each checkin is also tied to a specific location (represented by a Facebook Page with a unique Page ID). You can learn more about the Places Read API by checking out the Graph documentation.

While we’re itching to see what games, marketing apps and other features will come from full access to all the Places APIs in the future, we’re also fairly intrigued to know what you’ll be doing with the Read API alone. The incredible power of knowing where your friends are at the exact moment they’re there could be harnessed in a variety of interesting ways, both for fun and for profit. In fact, we can see big brands (who don’t have the pressure of trying to build a business on someone else’s platform) getting a lot out of these APIs.

What do you think? How can the Places Read API best be put to use? Do you have any big ideas or plans for the near future?

Be sure to link to your projects in the comments; we and our readers would love to test out a few new Places-related apps.

Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, pages

More About: api, developers, facebook, Facebook Places, facebook places api, places

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“Auto-Tune the News” Makes It into the Billboard Hot 100

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:30 PM PDT


There’s a new viral music act climbing the charts lately — and it ain’t Gaga. The Gregory Brothers — of “Auto-Tune the News” fame — have scored a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with their remix, “Bed Intruder,” another feather to add to a cap already feathered by a top-selling iTunes jam and an upcoming pilot on Comedy Central.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks this week’s most popular songs across every single genre (parody/viral included, apparently) by radio airplay, sales and online streaming activity, among other metrics. Given the popularity of “Bed Intruder” on iTunes — it sold 10,571 copies in the first two days alone, according to Wired — it’s really no surprise that the song is climbing the charts. Except that, well, it is a surprise.

If you’re unfamiliar with the tune, it’s a remix of a newscast during which Antoine Dodson of Huntsville, Alabama, speaks about the attempted rape of his sister. Dodson then gives an impassioned speech about how the man will be caught. A video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube, quickly going viral due to Dodson’s rather off-beat personality.

The Gregory Brothers — Evan, Andrew, Michael, and Evan's wife Sarah — took said video and worked their auto-tune magic on it, creating a catchy song, and, apparently a legit musical sensation: No. 89 on Billboard’s list. (No worries, all, Dodson receives 50% of all sales, as he did pen the “lyrics.”) Hell, they’re currently coming in above acts like Rob Thomas (Remember him, no? Didn’t think so…), The Plain White T’s and The Ready Set, who were recently featured on the finale of Follow Me: The Search for the First MTV TJ.

Listen to the remix below and let us know what you think: Is there a future for viral video-inspired music? Hey, the parody genre worked out for Weird Al and Co., so why not the Gregorys?

[via: The awesome Johnny Internets at The Daily What]

Reviews: YouTube

More About: Billboard, humor, itunes, music, pop culture, viral video, youtube

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A Closer Look at the Privacy Features of Facebook Places [PICS]

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:28 PM PDT


In addition to talk of what the arrival of Facebook Places means for startups like Foursquare, the aftermath of last night’s launch has given rise to a number of questions about privacy.

Notably, the ACLU published a list of grievances almost immediately after Facebook’s announcement, many of them to do with the feature’s option to automatically check friends into locations.

Some of the other concerns raised aren’t necessarily new to realm of location apps, but are amplified by general concerns about such services, the enormous size of the social network’s userbase and the company’s history of privacy-related issues.

Since Places still isn’t enabled for many people (Facebook is working on it), including those outside of the U.S., Mashable reporter Christina Warren and I decided to test out the features — especially the controversial tagging option — on the web and on our mobile devices this morning. The results are illustrated in the gallery below:


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




After tagging Christina in my checkin, she receives a notification on Facebook similar to the type of notification you'd receive for a comment or "like".


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Since this is the first time Christina had been tagged, the iPhone app asks her if she'll allow me to check her in. The other option is "not now," which, if selected, means she'll continue to get this notification in the future when other friends tag her.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Christina is able to see that I'm checked in to Jamba Juice, as well as the whereabouts of her other friends.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




I am able to check in both myself and Christina at Jamba Juice (since she allowed my tag). In reality, Christina is hundreds of miles away in Atlanta (I'm in New York). While a rather harmless example here, you can imagine the ability to tag friends in checkins being used in more devious ways.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




The "Here Now" feature shows that I'm at Jamba Juice. Since the rollout of Places is limited at the moment, it's not surprising that I'm the only one checked in here. However, if there were other people checked in, this feature would list them, even if I'm not their Facebook friend (this is similar to Foursquare).


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Back on the Facebook website, under "Privacy Settings" I can see that places I've checked in is currently visible to friends only. Clicking "customize settings" brings up a slew of additional options.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Now on the "Cutomize Settings" page, under "Things Others Share," you can enable/disable the ability for others to check you in. Note that this feature is enabled after you've allowed someone to check you in the first time, per my earlier checkin of Christina.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Still on the Customize Settings Page, I can enable/disable the ability for others to see me on the People Here Now feature, per the earlier example at Jamba Juice.


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Again on the Customize Settings page, after clicking "Customize" from the pull-down menu next to "Places I check in," I have granular control over who can see my checkins. I can make it visible to friends, friends-of-friends, only select people or the network I belong to. I can also block individual people -- in this case, my boss Pete Cashmore (nothing personal, Pete).


Facebook Places: Privacy Features Walkthrough




Another setting to be aware of is under the "Applications, Games and Websites" area of Facebook Privacy Settings. A new "Places I've Visited" option, when checked, enables friends to access your location information when using third-party apps (h/t reader Patrick Barbanes).

Reviews: Facebook, Mashable

More About: facebook, Facebook Places, geolocation, privacy

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New Android OS Honeycomb May Be for Tablets Only

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 01:50 PM PDT


We’re hearing multiple reports that the next iteration of the increasingly popular Android mobile operating system will be called Honeycomb.

The latest report comes from industry publication TechRadar UK. In keeping with the sweets-themed naming conventions, this OS will follow Cupcake, Eclair, Froyo and Gingerbread in the Android evolutionary march.

Gingerbread, rumored to be coming this fall, is the codename for Android 3.0, a powerful, high-end fork of the OS intended for devices such as tablets and superphones. It will likely start rolling out on devices like the Google/Verizon tablet due in stores this holiday season.

Honeycomb might be a 3.1 or 3.2 version of this OS; it seems unlikely to us that a 4.0 operating system would be in the works when the 2.2 iteration hasn’t yet made it to all devices. Some sources are saying this build may be just for tablets, a growing segment of the mobile devices market.

Particularly in an iPad-saturated gadget market, we’ve been somewhat anxiously awaiting the arrival of several Android-based tablets. The Dell Streak popped onto the market last week with a $300 pricetag, a 5-inch screen and an Android 1.6 OS. But we’ve seen other interesting prototypes that run Flash and take full advantage of the Android platform, as well.

And as Apple/Android competition in the tablet sector escalates, we expect that tablet offerings will improve in quality, decrease in price and increase in units sold. In fact, they might even be outselling netbooks within a couple short years.

We’ve contacted Google about Honeycomb details, including version numbers and release dates, but reps won’t comment on Honeycomb at this time; we’ll update you if and when we have confirmation on any points of interest.

What do you think about an Android OS specifically designed for more powerful but still portable devices such as tablets? Let us know your opinions and speculations in the comments.

Reviews: Android, Google

More About: android, honeycomb, tablets

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Facebook Places: What’s Foursquare’s Next Move? [INTERVIEW]

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 01:17 PM PDT


With the launch of Facebook Places, many are questioning the survival of the location services who pioneered the place checkin. As the head of the startup class, Foursquare is taking a majority of the punches.

Headlines like “Facebook Places Will Crush Foursquare” from PC Magazine have not been uncommon sightings. Even our own Pete Cashmore opined that Facebook has stolen Foursquare’s location crown in his CNN column.

The nearly 30 people that work for Foursquare would beg to differ. In fact, in a candid interview with Mashable, CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Crowley outlined part of the company’s roadmap for the coming weeks and months. While Crowley’s tone was more somber than in conversations past, his conviction was unwavering.

In fact, Crowley sounded more committed than ever to his vision — a vision that extends far beyond checkins to create even more “moments of magic and delight for users.”

Back to the Future, and the Beginning

“It’s been a summer of scaling,” said Crowley.

The statement sums up the startup’s frustrations of late. Instead of building out their dream service, the team has been put to task, working night and day to scale Foursquare to meet the ever-burdensome demands placed on the service by millions and millions of checkins.

Not surprisingly, Crowley speaks of the summer of scaling as a mixed blessing. Still, his passion lies beyond the checkin. In fact, when it comes to checkins, Crowley seems ambivalent about the fact that Facebook has copied Foursquare and repurposed the checkin for its location offering.

“Everyone is doing checkins and we knew everyone was going to do checkins. It’s what you do after that matters … We nailed the checkin with Dodgeball. We’re here to reinvent what happens after the checkin.”

"We’re here to reinvent what happens after the checkin.”

- Dennis Crowley

To do so, Foursquare is going back to its roadmap, a roadmap that Crowley believes is much different than all the rest.

Crowley has attempted to tackle the what’s next? part of the equation since his Dodgeball-building days. At Foursquare, the company’s post-checkin secret sauce has helped the checkin serve as the road users travel to arrive at a more colorful destination. Initially, it came in the form of badges and mayorships, but over time strategic partnerships have helped the startup turn tips and to-dos into top notch curated content from respected minds in publishing, food and travel.

In a new version of the iPhone application slated for release in two weeks, those tips and to-dos are about to get a major makeover. Crowley says that they’re rebuilding the entire infrastructure around tips and to-dos to help users connect what they browse online with what they do when they’re out and about. The new version will also tie game mechanics to tips and to-dos and provide incentives for those behaviors.

The company is also scheming around “Specials 2.0,” or group specials. The startup will likely begin by introducing features to help businesses reward “mini flash mobs.” It’s not dissimilar to what GroupTabs is doing by connecting checkins to group buying for location-based deals for groups.

Circling back around to passion, it may be one of the key differentiating factors between Foursquare and Facebook Places. Crowley isn’t convinced that Facebook has passion for what it has created with Places. “Facebook is building this stuff because they have to, not because they want to,” he said.

Crowley also finds Facebook Places to be “generic.”

At the end of the day, though, Crowley sees two services with two different purposes. “Facebook is about sharing experiences that you’ve had. Foursquare is more about the present tense and the future tense.”

Reviews: Dodgeball, Facebook, Foursquare, Mashable

More About: dennis crowley, Facebook Places, foursquare

For more Social Media coverage:

12 Beginner Tutorials for Getting Started with Adobe Illustrator

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 12:31 PM PDT


This series is supported by Ben & Jerry’s Joe, Ben & Jerry’s new line-up of Fair Trade and frozen iced coffee drinks. Learn more about it here.

Adobe IllustratorAdobe Illustrator, the industry-standard vector graphics application, is the tool you use when you need flexible, scalable vector graphics such as logos and artwork that will be printed in various formats, mediums and sizes.

Illustrator’s huge array of digital drawing features makes it a favorite amongst illustrators and print designers, but for those just starting out, the application can be intimidating. To help set you on your path to Illustrator mastery, here are some great beginner-level Illustrator tutorials that cover the fundamental tools and techniques.

If you have tips for aspiring Illustrator pros, share them in the comments below.

1. Getting Started in Illustrator


First thing’s first: You need to familiarize yourself with Illustrator’s graphical user interface. This quick and easy-to-read tutorial talks about Illustrator’s workspace, pointing to areas such as the Tools panel, the Status bar, the Artboard where you craft your vectors, and so on. It also touches upon how to create your first Illustrator document, as well as the different items you can find within the Tools panel.

2. Illustrator’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide


The primary drawing feature of Illustrator is the Pen tool. If you have aspirations of becoming an Illustrator ninja, you’ll need to have a strong command of this tool. This Illustrator tutorial from Vectortuts+ (a leading vector graphics tutorial site) covers all the things you need to know about this powerful, but oftentimes daunting, tool.

The tutorial covers the concept of Bezier curves, which are used to draw shapes with smooth curves, the need-to-know keyboard shortcuts, and even provides a practice sheet that you can download and import into Illustrator to help you practice your vector-drawing skills.

3. Fun with Illustrator's Blend Tool


The Blend command is deceptively simple in function. It takes two or more shapes or colors, and then blends them together smoothly. But as this Illustrator tutorial will show you, the Blend command is a very effective feature for crafting stunning graphics effects quickly and easily.

4. Adobe Illustrator Tips: Live Trace


Live Trace, which appeared in Adobe Illustrator CS2, is a game-changer. Before Live Trace, an artist sketching an art piece using pen/pencil and paper would have to scan their work into Illustrator, then spend hours manually tracing it with the Pen tool and other Illustrator functions.

When Live Trace was introduced, this process was made simpler through automation, saving you precious hours. From sketch drawings to photographs that need to be converted to vector graphics — Live Trace is an excellent option to try. This tutorial goes over the process of using Live Trace by using a stock headshot photo, discussing how to execute Live Trace, the various options, as well as showing off a handful of examples of where Live Trace has been used in existing artworks.

5. Illustrator’s Type Tool: A Comprehensive Introduction

Illustrator is also a popular graphics application for print designers. From logos, business cards, and brochures, all the way up to posters and large billboards, Illustrator can help you make flexible and scalable designs.

A big part of print design is quite obviously text. This Illustrator tutorial will help you begin to explore the Type tool. It covers ways you can set text on vector paths for unconventional text flows, talks about the associated panels such as the Character and Paragraph panel, and provides useful keyboard shortcuts.

6. The Power (and Ease) of Patterns in Illustrator

Using patterns allows you to make repeating graphics. Experimenting with patterns can lead to excellent artwork that looks like it took days to complete.

Creating custom pattern brushes and applying them to vector shapes is covered in this Illustrator tutorial.

7. Mastering Illustrator Effects

Effects in Illustrator allow you to add all sorts of wonderful graphic treatments to your artwork. From applying 3D effects to creating faux colored pencil looks, this set of Illustrator features will let you rapidly enhance your work with a few clicks of the mouse.

If you’d like to discover the abilities of Illustrator effects, check out the above tutorial, which discusses various processes — such as Roughen and Scribble — as well as the Appearance panel, which allows you to modify applied effects, among other helpful tips.

8. Everything about Gradients

The Gradient panel in Illustrator is a wonderful feature for applying color and pattern gradients to your work. Gradients allow you to stylize your graphics such that they have smoothly blended fills or strokes.

Learn everything you need to know to get started with gradients from this tutorial, which discusses topics like applying gradients, modifying the angle and direction of the gradients, saving gradient swatches, and more.

9. The Stroke Panel

In Photoshop, a sibling of Illustrator, strokes (creating an outline around the edge of an object) seem like an afterthought. But in Illustrator, where your vector paths take center stage, the stroke feature is very important to master.

This Adobe Illustrator tutorial covers the use of the Stroke panel in creating vector objects.

10. Pathfinder: Explained

The Pathfinder panel is a popular time saving feature for working with shapes and paths. This panel is a collection of commands that allow you to unite, divide, and subtract two or more shapes, among other functions. Utilizing these commands gives you the ability to draw complex vector graphics using basic shape tools.

Learn how to use the Pathfinder panel with this excellent Illustrator tutorial.

11. The Power of Smart Guides in Illustrator

Don’t have a steady hand? Having trouble drawing shapes that align with one another? Smart guides give you snapping features that will enable you to draw objects more accurately.

Explore the fundamentals of Illustrator’s smart guides through this beginner-friendly tutorial.

12. How to Make a Custom Illustrator Brush

Brushes in Illustrator are a quick way to save objects that you will reuse later in your projects. Art brushes, for example, take a vector object that you’ve drawn and allow you to then apply those objects later as strokes or fills of other vectors.

In this step-by-step guide, you will discover the awesomeness of custom brushes in Illustrator.

These 12 tutorials will set you on your path to Illustrator mastery. If you've had success with other tutorials not on this list, let us know about them in the comments below.

Series supported by Ben & Jerry’s Joe

This series is supported by Ben & Jerry’s Joe, Ben & Jerry’s new line-up of Fair Trade and frozen iced coffee drinks. Learn more about it here.

More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable:

- 40+ Web Design and Development Resources for Beginners
- 10 Free and Fun Twitter Bird Icons for your Website
- 11 Ways to Speed Up WordPress
- 10 Free Wireframing Tools for Designers
- 10 Beautiful Free Hand-Drawn Icon Sets

Reviews: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, adobe AIR

More About: adobe, adobe illustrator, getting started, Illustrator, List, Lists, tips, tutorials, web design, web design series

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Google Maps for Mobile Hits 100 Million Users

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 12:30 PM PDT


Considering it comes as a default app on many phones (including ever increasingly popular Android devices), today's milestone for Google Maps for Mobile might not be too surprising, but is still impressive: 100 million monthly users.

In a blog post, Vic Gundotra, Google's Vice President of Engineering, writes of the evolution of the product over the past few years, which has become immensely more valuable with the rise of mobile apps and GPS-enabled smartphones. Gundotra notes other recent additions like Places Pages, Google Latitude and navigation features.

As we've noted, Maps is an increasingly important part of Google's strategy for attracting local businesses and competing with the likes of Yelp. To that end, Gundotra writes that, "with this latest Android version, we're happy to see that you're now searching for places almost three times as often, doubling how many Place Pages are seen a day," indicating the company is having some success in its efforts.

At 100 million monthly users, Maps for Mobile is certainly in the upper echelon of most-widely used mobile apps; for comparison's sake, Facebook says they currently have 150 million active users.

Reviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Google Maps

More About: Google Maps, Mobile 2.0

For more Mobile coverage:

Top 5 Mobile Advertising Trends To Watch

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 11:16 AM PDT

The mobile trends series is supported by Samsung. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy here.


Mobile advertising is increasingly important, as cell phone adoption rates, especially smartphone adoption rates, soar. With a range of mobile advertising options, including SMS, WAP, mobile app display ads, search ads, rich media, video and push notifications, the landscape can be a bit complicated.

After a tough 2009, advertisers are expected to increase mobile and digital marketing budgets over the next year. With this in mind, it’s essential that advertisers keep up-to-date on their options in the mobile space.

Here, we’ve laid out five mobile advertising trends to watch over the coming year. Let us know which trends you’re keeping your eyes on in the comments below.

1. Continued Importance of SMS

With approximately 90% of the U.S. population owning cell phones, according to CTIA’s semi-annual wireless industry survey, and 98% of those phones being SMS-enabled out of the box, SMS is one of the most popular communication methods in the world. The rise of text messaging can be attributed to its low cost and ease of use. If you have a cell phone, you have the capability to text — no downloads or installations needed. And with the advent of unlimited messaging plans, texting has become the mobile communication option of choice for cell phone-toting teens, beating out e-mail, and phone conversations.

If that isn’t enough data to show that SMS is an essential communication line, there’s more. In May, 65.2% of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile devices, up 1.4 percentage points versus the prior three-month period, according to comScore, making texting the top cellular device feature for all U.S. consumers, aside from calling.

The texting audience is large and still growing. eMarketer projects that the growth of the global market for ad support of mobile messaging will reach nearly $12 billion in 2011, up from about $1.5 billion in 2006.

“SMS doesn't get a lot of hype that the flashy apps do, but it works because it provides what all marketers seek — a one-on-one dialogue with a customer,” noted Jack Philbin, co-founder and president of Vibes Media, a mobile marketing company based in Chicago.

Philbin explained that click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates for text messaging are much higher than rates for e-mail and Internet display, two channels that win larger percentages of marketing budgets than mobile. The average CTR for text messaging is 14.06%, while the average conversion rate is 8.22%. E-mail brings in an average CTR of 6.64% and an average conversion rate of about 1.73%, and Internet display doesn’t even hit the radar with an average CTR of 0.76% and average conversion rate of 4.43%, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2010 Response Rate Trend Report.

The response rates that marketers experience via texting campaigns are definitely attractive. These high action rates are probably due to the fact that texting is an opt-in marketing channel, in which consumers actively seek out information and sign-up for updates. Philbin says that he looks at SMS as a funnel, in which marketers start with text interaction, optimizing their messages to drive traffic by including a link to rich media, video, or other marketing materials, where users then take the desired action.

What’s perhaps one of the most interesting reasons to advertise via SMS is that “about 90% of all text
messages are read within three minutes of their delivery, and over 99% of all text messages are read by the recipient,” according to a whitepaper on conversational advertising [PDF] by SinglePoint. The immediacy of SMS is currently unparalleled by any other marketing channel.

2. Experimentation with Rich Media

With Google's acquisition of AdMob and Apple's acquisition of Quattro Wireless, which led to their introduction of iAd, we’re bound to see a pretty heated tech battle in the coming year, as both networks will be going head-to-head, focusing on rich media advertising.

Eric Litman, CEO of Medialets, a rich media advertising and analytics platform for mobile, discussed why experimentation with rich media is bound to happen.

First, Litman pointed out that rich media ads offer more in-app interactivity via video, sound, gaming, and so on. He believes that the aesthetic value is an obvious advantage that will attract advertisers and ad creators. Furthermore, with the growing adoption of smartphones as the device of choice, Litman believes that rich media is the natural progression towards more engaging ads.

The engagement rates back up his predictions. Litman explained that "engagement rates in mobile blow away the best of online rich media, and engagement times in mobile rival those of television [advertising]." He continued to explain that he has seen engagement rates as high as 33% on rich media ads, with rates consistently hitting above 20%. At the low end of the spectrum, simple, expandable ads reach 6-7% engagement rates, which is still high when compared to other advertising options in mobile and online. These rates are "unheard of in the online world," Litman commented.

Srini Dharmaji, CEO of GoldSpot Media, a rich media and video advertising platform for mobile, also illustrated the pros of rich media, including higher CPMs (cost-per-thousand impressions), but he pointed out a few downsides as well. He said that one of the biggest barriers to adoption of rich media is the need for the time and skills to create the ads. He pointed out that the lead time for creating one iAd campaign is currently about 8-10 weeks, due to Apple’s tight control of the process. “Media planners do not have the time to sit down and create a lot of these ads,” he said frankly. “A big company like Apple can do that, because they have the budget and clout. But smaller businesses do not have the time and money for it.”


An iAd running on the Dictionary.com iPhone app

Even with the lengthy creation process, publishers and advertisers are taking an interest in and experimenting with rich media ads. For example, Dictionary.com is a publisher of iAd ads on their iPhone and iPad apps, which have eight million and 500,000 downloads, respectively. Pictured above is an ad that is currently running within the Dictionary.com iPhone app to promote The Switch, a movie being released this week. Within the ad, users can watch videos, take a quiz or “build a baby.”

Ads like this one have already proven successful for Dictionary.com. Since enabling iAd ads, Dictionary.com has seen its overall iPhone mobile app eCPM (effective cost-per-thousand impressions) increase by 177%, and with the iAd network they are experiencing a 246% higher eCPM when compared with other ad networks, according to a representative of Dictionary.com.

3. Mobile Sites vs. Mobile Apps

One of the biggest decisions for mobile marketers this year is whether they should build a mobile site or app — or both. And for advertisers, the question is whether to advertise on mobile sites, apps, or both.

But there is a bigger question here on where mobile is going. With Google betting on mobile web and search as the future, and Apple taking the app route, it is still not clear which platform consumers will prefer in coming years. Because of this fragmented mobile browsing experience, developing either can seem like a huge commitment to marketers, especially since mobile spending currently makes up less than 5% of marketing budgets in many organizations.

Furthermore, with the number of different device types, operating systems, and screen sizes available, the decision can be even more daunting. Even for advertisers, mobile ad creation can be a pain, as ad unit sizes vary across platforms. Because of the intricacies with mobile, less than a third of U.S. marketers think optimizing the mobile marketing experience is important to their customers, according to an April 2010 survey by eROI. Furthermore, just 23% of marketers responding to the survey reported having a mobile-optimized website.

It is estimated that by 2014 half of Americans’ web browsing will be done on mobile devices. Aaron Maxwell, founder of Mobile Web Up, a company that specializes in helping small and mid-sized businesses mobilize their websites, spoke about the importance of that not-so-distant prediction, and what it means for mobile advertisers and marketers:

“What does this mean for companies and organizations? If they depend on their web presence in any way, it’s important to start thinking about mobile now… checking how their website looks and works, or doesn’t, on mobile devices. Mobile internet use is growing faster than nearly anyone realizes. To them, I’d say: Don’t wait until 25% of your website visitors are using handhelds — that’s like waiting until a quarter of your backyard is on fire before grabbing a water hose! Start thinking NOW about how to make your website work hard for you on mobile devices.”

In the coming year, expect to see a larger debate on where mobile is going. With the onslaught of app stores, including Blackberry App World, Android Market, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, the App Store for Symbian, the Palm app store, and, of course, Apple’s iPhone app store, it doesn’t look like the app is going anywhere anytime soon. But it should be an interesting debate at the very least.

Dharmaji commented on the evolution of mobile web and apps, saying, “Apple is all about mobile apps, and Google is all about mobile web. How the system will evolve, whether apps or web will be the chosen mobile solution, I have no idea, but I think that both of the platforms will co-exist. For advertisers, the most crucial part is presenting the ad. How the consumer accesses the ad, will not matter.”

4. Interest in Geo-Location

With location being the talk of the year, we’re looking forward to the evolution of location-centric mobile apps, and in terms of advertising, we’re excited to see how advertisers will utilize them. We’ve already seen a healthy usage of the popular location-based checkin app Foursquare by many brands, especially newspapers, magazines and other publishers, including Bravo TV, the History Channel, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, and even Mashable. To a lesser extent, marketers have even tested the waters beyond Foursquare with other location-based apps, including Gowalla, Whrrl, Brightkite, Loopt, and SCVNGR.

However, a recent study indicates that this year may not be the time for location-based marketing, as only 4% of the adult Internet-using population has utilized any kind of location-based service, and just 1% of all adults check-in to a location at least once a week. Regardless of the stats, marketers are still taking an interest in the new technology.

For advertisers, marketing within apps is as easy as creating an ad-campaign targeted to a specific audience. For example, the Brightkite app can target consumers by precise geography, by behavior, and within a given time frame.

An XpresSpa ad running on the GateGuru iPhone app

Dan Gellert, CEO of GateGuru, an iPhone guide for airports, explained that all the ads for their platform “are location-based offers from airport retailers to drive people into stores.”

Gellert explained a recent campaign with XpresSpa, an airport spa:

“We launched this campaign across 13 airports, which collectively represent about 20 stores for XpresSpa. Since June 1st, we have delivered 20,000 impressions to them on the Amenity List View [pictured left], and over 500 impressions on the Amenity Offer [pictured right]. The CTR (between the Amenity List View to get to the full page offer) has continually increased, and in our latest report hovered at about 6%. Of those 500 impressions, we delivered 75-100 into the store, which is a number we are very excited about.”

A conversion rate of at least 15-20% is quite amazing, and it goes to show that location-based ads can provide value for consumers when they are optimally placed and timed.

5. The Growth of Mobile Video

Lastly, with the explosion of Internet video consumption, it is assumed that mobile video will also be largely adopted in the coming years. While video isn’t a huge focus for advertisers right now and many cite broadband and technology inadequacies as barriers, many predictive stats tell the story of video’s increasing importance.

The number of mobile video viewers in the U.S. will grow nearly 30% in 2010 to reach 23.9 million, according to eMarketer's forecasts, representing a reach of about 7.7% of the total U.S. population and just under 10% of mobile phone users. Those numbers are set to double by 2013 and increase still further in 2014.

By 2013, some even believe that video will be so widely adopted that it will be a significant driver of mobile data usage — occupying an estimated 66% of mobile traffic, Cisco forecasts.

With video taking an increasingly important role in the mobile market, advertisers should keep their eyes open for opportunities to try out new advertising options.

We’re keeping tabs of these five mobile advertising trends. Which trends are you watching? Let us know in the comments.

Series supported by Samsung

The mobile trends series is supported by Samsung. Read more about the Samsung Galaxy here.

More Mobile Resources from Mashable:

- The Rise of Text Messaging [INFOGRAPHIC]
- How Mobile is Affecting the Way We E-mail
- 4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant
- 5 iPhone Apps to Help You Learn to Dance
- A Look Back at the Last 5 Years in Mobile

[img credit: PocketBerry]

Reviews: Android Market, Brightkite, Foursquare, Google, Gowalla, Internet, Mashable

More About: advertising, geo-location, location, location-based, MARKETING, mobile ads, mobile advertising, mobile apps, mobile sites, mobile video, rich media, SMS, trends, video

For more Mobile coverage:

Facebook Steals Foursquare’s Location Crown

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 10:51 AM PDT

cnnopinion

Facebook this week launched Facebook Places, a service that allows any user to “check in” to restaurants, stores and other local businesses — thereby sharing their location with friends.

The new feature is virtually identical to the much-hyped location startups Foursquare and Gowalla, leading to the obvious question:

Are these upstarts now doomed?

That’s the topic of my CNN column this week.


Check out the column at CNN.com >>

Reviews: Foursquare, Gowalla

More About: cashmore, cnn, Facebook Places, foursquare, gowalla, location, mashable, pete cashmore

For more Social Media coverage:

10 Useful iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:41 AM PDT


Whether you’ve taken to the iPhone’s touchscreen keyboard like a duck to water, or are more of a one-finger-at-a-time typist, there are plenty of shortcuts, tips and tricks that can improve your iTyping experience.

Here, we’ve rounded up ten useful ways to be faster and more productive with your iPhone’s keyboard. We hope these tricks are handy for anyone new to the platform, or those who have not had the time to really experiment.

Ranging from basic how-tos to more advanced trickery, have a read of our ten tips below, and do share any keyboard-, language- or other text entry-related hints you’ve discovered on your iDevice in the comments.

1. HOW TO: Add an International Keyboard

iOS4 has more language options than ever before. If you’re bi-lingual, there’s an easy way to add an international keyboard to your iPhone’s set-up so you can switch between English and Chinese — for example — on the fly.

From the home screen, go to “Settings,” then “General,” then scroll down to see “Keyboard” and tap this option. You can then select “International Keyboards” and scroll through the list to add the language you need.

Now, for all iPhone OS versions, when you have the keyboard on the screen, if you hit the little globe icon next to the space bar, you can switch between languages at the press of a button.

2. HOW TO: Quickly Add a Special Symbol

If you don’t quite see the need to add an international keyboard, but will occasionally need to use special symbols, then there’s a quick way to do it.

Simply tap and hold the relevant letter and the special symbols associated with that letter will appear on the screen. This also works for common symbols too, and is particularly useful for changing a currency sign, using alternative quotation marks, longer hyphens, etc.

3. HOW TO: Use a Sentence-Stopping Shortcut

If you’re not already using this trick, you most certainly should, as it can seriously speed up your typing. It is enabled by default, but to confirm it’s active, go to “Settings,” then “General,” then “Keyboard,” then make sure the toggles next to the “Auto-Capitalization” option and the fourth option down — “.” Shortcut — are set to the “On” position.

Now when you’re typing away, a double tap of the space-bar will add a period (or a “full stop” if you’re British!) and automatically capitalize the very next letter you type.

4. HOW TO: Add Proper Names to the Dictionary

EDIT: As many commenters have rightly pointed out, this option only appears if you have certain Chinese or Japanese international keyboards added (as we did at the time of writing, hence the error) and is not, as you might logically assume, a way to add Western words to the dictionary, even though it appears to give you that functionality. We are sorry for any confusion, and for raising false hopes.

New to iOS4 is the ability to customize the iPhone’s dictionary and add words to it that you use often, such as proper names, brands or lesser-known places.

Although previous versions of the iPhone OS’s dictionary did offer the ability to “learn” the word preferences of the user, this new feature gives the user complete control.

To add a word, go to “Settings,” then “General,” then “Keyboard,” then tap “Edit User Dictionary” and hit the plus icon in the top right to enter your word. It will then be listed alphabetically and can be edited or deleted as necessary.

5. HOW TO: Insert Punctuation More Quickly

To add punctuation to text, most iPhone users will pause typing, press the “123″ key to see the numerical and symbolic options, tap the symbol (or number) they want, and then hit the “ABC” menu to return to the alpha keyboard.

If you’re still adding in symbols and numbers this way, then boy, do we have a treat for you. This will take a teeny bit of getting used to, but from now on, the next time you want to add punctuation, pause typing, press and hold the “123″ key, then without removing your finger (or thumb!) from the screen, slide it over to land on what you want to insert.

As you release your digit from the display, the symbol will have been entered into your text and you’ll be back on the alpha keyboard.

6. HOW TO: Quickly Change .com to Other Domains

If you’re typing in the browser bar in Safari, the iPhone adds a handy “.com” button to the keyboard. However, there are a ton of other domain extensions that you’ll likely need to type out on a regular basis. There is a shortcut that can help you out with this — simply press and hold the .com button and other common options will come up.

Similarly, when composing an e-mail, pressing and holding the period will offer a list of domain endings to make entering e-mail addresses super quick.

7. HOW TO: Display Character Counts in Messages

It’s often useful to know how long your SMS messages are, either for Twitter purposes, or to be sure that you’ll only be charged for the cost of one text. The iPhone does not show character counts by default, but it’s not hard to set-up.

Just go to the “Settings” menu, select “Messages,” then slide the “Character Count” toggle to “On.” Now when you are composing a text message — after you get to the end of the first line — you’ll see a running count of how many characters you’re sending on the right of the display, above the send button.

8. HOW TO: Delete Text Using Gesture Controls

We’ve all done it — while pecking away at the iPhone keyboard with our mind on other things, we realize that last sentence was utter nonsense. Instead of holding down the delete key while you curse your uselessness, there’s actually a more fun, and somewhat therapeutic way of deleting the text you’ve just typed.

Simply shake the handset and you’ll get a pop-up asking you if you want to “Undo Typing” or “Cancel.” Hit undo, and the latest lot of gibberish will be gone forever.

9. HOW TO: Reset the Dictionary

Although the iPhone’s dictionary will notice spelling errors and suggest corrections, it does “learn” your preferences. This means if you repeatedly spell a word wrong, and don’t take the phone up on the option to change it, it will eventually stop suggesting the easy correction.

There is a way to fix this by resetting the dictionary, although this will also delete any words you’ve added via the “Edit User Dictionary” option we highlighted above.

If you want a clean slate for your phone’s vocab, simply open “Settings,” select “General,” scroll right down to the bottom to “Reset,” select that and then hit the red “Reset Dictionary” button which will erase any settings that have been overly forgiving of bad spelling or grammar.

10. HOW TO: Change the Font in Notes

For some bizarre reason, the default font for the iPhone’s “Notes” app is Marker Felt — one that’s only a few design steps removed from the typographical outcast Comic Sans.

However, there is a workaround that will enable you to scribe your notes in the arguably more classy Helvetica. Simply add a special symbol-based international keyboard (Korean, Japanese and Chinese all worked for us) and then when you’re next in “Notes,” change the language (via the globe button), type something, and then change it back to English.

Everything you type after that will be in Helvetica, rather than Marker Felt — thanks and praise be to the font gods!

More iPhone Resources from Mashable:

- 10 Incredible iPhone Portrait Photographs
- 10 Incredible iPhone Photographs
- 10 Ridiculous iPhone Accessories [PICS]
- 5 iPhone Apps to Help You Learn to Dance
- 5 Handy iPhone Apps for Home Improvement

Reviews: Safari, Twitter

More About: apple, how to, iOS4, iphone, iphone 4, keyboard shortcuts, List, Lists, shortcuts, tips, tricks

For more Apple coverage:

How Foursquare Feels About Facebook Places [VIDEO]

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:40 AM PDT


Conventional wisdom dictates that when an industry Goliath repackages and rolls out your core product, your business is in a bit of trouble.

For many location-based startups, including Foursquare, users and tech industry analysts are concerned about their chances of survival in a post-Facebook Places market. They and their investors have put a lot of time and money into chasing the hottest trend of 2010, and it’s anyone’s guess as to what Facebook’s entry into this field will bring.

With 500 million users, a truly global reach and access to almost every major advertiser, Facebook has for some time been the ultimate social platform on which to launch new features. We’ve wondered whether a Facebook location feature launch would slowly strangle the startups now operating in the same space, simply by virtue of its almost bottomless resources, from engineering to capital to beta testers.

Yesterday, at Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters, we had a very frank chat with Foursquare Vice President of Mobile and Partnerships, Holger Luedorf, in which we asked the tough questions: Has Foursquare considered pivoting? Will they lose advertising and marketing dollars from their partners? What will happen if, in six months, Facebook Places has drained away their userbase?

Luedorf was optimistic on camera; it’s the most appropriate attitude for a company in Foursquare’s position to take. Foursquare offers a lot to its users that Facebook doesn’t (yet), such as badges and a more game-like aspect to the UX. And the company has strong relationships with the brands that are providing its revenue.

Still, we wonder if the company’s internal discussions are as staunchly positive. After all, we’ve always known the relationship between Foursquare and a geo-enabled Facebook was going to be complicated, to say the least.

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

Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare

More About: business, facebook, Facebook Places, foursquare, lbs, location, places, startups

For more Business coverage:

Morning Brief: RIM Seeks Ad Network, Nokia Prototype Leaked, Groupon Partners with Gap

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 06:34 AM PDT

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.


Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

RIM Looking to Acquire Mobile Ad Network

BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) is on the lookout for a mobile ad network to compete with Google and Apple, anonymous sources have told the WSJ.

According to those sources, RIM and Baltimore, Maryland-based mobile ad network Millennial Media were in talks about a potential acquisition, which have since fallen through because of disagreements about the value of the company. Millennial was reportedly asking for between $400-$500 million.

Images of Nokia Smartphone Prototype Leaked

Screenshots of a Nokia smartphone prototype with a sliding QWERTY keyboard — perhaps the MeeGo-sporting successor of the company’s Symbian^3-based N8 device — have appeared on Baidu. The prototype is said to have a fully metallic construction, minus the keyboard buttons, USB cover and a few decorative parts, which are plastic. According to the source of the leaked screenshots, the final retail version of the phone is planned for an early December release [via Engadget].

Groupon Partners with Gap for Daily Deal

Groupon, the group-buying site which made headlines with its $1 billion valuation earlier this year, today offered an unusual deal: $25 for $50 worth of merchandise at Gap stores across the U.S. and Canada. Typically, Groupon offers discounts on small, local businesses that vary by city. We expect to see more discount offers from big brands in the future.

Further News

  • Facebook launched Facebook Places, its long-awaited geolocation feature designed to let users share their whereabouts, find their friends and discover new places. A new version of the Facebook iPhone app was updated with the new feature late last night. Privacy groups have, of course, already voiced concerns. Want to learn more? Check out Mashable’s field guide here.
  • YouTube unveiled a new section called YouTube Charts to highlight trending videos, all-time classics and more.
  • Google has refreshed its version of Gmail for the iPad, right on the heels of Yahoo’s new, HTML5-based version of Yahoo Mail for iPad.

Disclosure: RIM is a Mashable sponsor.

Series supported by HTC EVO 4G

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.

Reviews: Facebook, Google, Mashable, YouTube

More About: blackberry, gap, groupon, mobile advertising, Nokia, RIM, smartphone

For more Social Media coverage:

Intel Acquires McAfee For $7.68 Billion

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 05:53 AM PDT


Intel has agreed to acquire McAfee Inc. for approximately $7.68 billion ($48 per share in cash), the company announced today. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the deal, which is expected to close following shareholder approval and regulatory clearances.

It’s a huge deal for Intel, primarily a hardware company, to acquire a security-oriented software company, especially one as big as McAfee. However, Intel believes that security has become an integral part of computing, which makes it their business, too.

"With the rapid expansion of growth across a vast array of Internet-connected devices, more and more of the elements of our lives have moved online. In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO.

The fact that McAfee has experienced fantastic growth in recent quarters probably spurred Intel to go through with the deal, too. Be it hardware-enhanced security or pure software security products, there’s no doubt about it: Intel is now one of the market leaders.

McAfee will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary, and it will be reporting to Intel's Software and Services Group.

Reviews: Internet

More About: Hardware, intel, McAfee, security

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