Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Twitter Lists and Tweet Counts Currently Disabled [UPDATE: Fixed]”

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• Twitter Lists and Tweet Counts Currently Disabled [UPDATE: Fixed]
• The Last Exorcism Viral Campaign Spooks Chatroulette
• Facebook Places Arrives on the iPhone
• Google Updates Gmail for iPad With Stacked Cards
• A Field Guide to Using Facebook Places
• YouTube Launches Charts to Rank Top Web Videos
• Privacy Group Voices Concerns About Facebook Places
• Will You Use Facebook Places? [POLL]
• Facebook Launches Its Location Features [LIVE]
• Location-Based Text Message Ads Get a Major Boon
• HOW TO/NOT TO: Ask Someone Out Online
• Google Releases Universal Search for Gmail, Docs and Sites
• Facebook Application Lets Retailers Import and Sell Etsy Goods
• Verizon Plans to Bring Live TV Streaming to the iPad
• 5 Useful Facebook Trend and Search Services
• Zagat for iPhone Adds Foursquare Checkins and Foodspotting Photos
• Viral Videos and Flickr Photos Could Help You Circumvent Censorship
• People Magazine iPad App Launch Stalled by Photographer Disputes
• Mobile Users Prefer Coupons to Checkins [REPORT]
• HOW TO: Make Your Mobile Websites Act More Like Native Apps
• Crazy Roger Federer Trick Shot a Viral Hit for Gillette [VIDEO]
• You Like? Facebook Makes Updates To Its “Like” Button
• Animated Taiwanese News Story Shows Google’s Plight [VIDEO]
• Google and Verizon Tablet Shipping for Holiday Shopping Season
• 10 Essential Free E-Books for Web Designers
• Tweeting While Driving Cited in Celebrity Surgeon Death
• T-Mobile G2 Teaser Page Posted Online
• 50+ Immediate Job Openings in Social Media, Web Development and More
• Morning Brief: HBO Says No to Netflix, Dell CEO Rebuked, Apple Secures Mobile Patents
• Vevo Launches Its On-Demand Music Videos iPhone App [EXCLUSIVE]

Twitter Lists and Tweet Counts Currently Disabled [UPDATE: Fixed] Posted: 19 Aug 2010 04:39 AM PDT Update: both issues seem to have been resolved, and Twitter lists and Tweet counts are now back to normal. Reports are pouring in that Twitter lists as well as Tweet counts currently don’t work for some users. This has been going on for several hours, and Twitter is aware of the issue. According to a message on Twitter’s status blog, Twitter is working on the problem and Lists and Tweet counts are estimated to be restored “by 6AM PDT.” If you really need to see your total number of Tweets right now, you should still be able to do so on your profile page. More About: Lists, social media, Tweet counts, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The Last Exorcism Viral Campaign Spooks Chatroulette Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:46 AM PDT Amongst all of the weird characters you can encounter on popular random video chat service Chatroulette, pretty girls are a breath of fresh air, right? Well, it depends: for users who’ve stumbled upon the viral video campaign from Lionsgate, promoting their latest horror movie The Last Exorcism, what started like a pleasant chat ended up very…unexpectedly. We won’t spoil it for you: check out the video below (be advised, it contains strong words and unpleasant imagery) to see the best reactions of Chatroulette users. Interestingly, this is not the first viral video campaign for the movie; a couple of weeks ago a website called Church of Saint Marks appeared, bringing “information” on exorcism, when in fact the man featured on the site, Reverend Cotton Marcus, is one of the main characters from the movie. The Last Exorcism is slated to hit the theaters on August 27. [Thanks, Boris] More About: chatroulette, The last exorcism, viral videos For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Facebook Places Arrives on the iPhone Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:12 AM PDT Version 3.2 of the Facebook iPhone app has arrived in the app store, and while it comes with several new features and bug fixes, it’s the arrival of Facebook Places that make this update one to remember. Revealed earlier today at a press event at Facebook’s headquarters, Facebook Places is the company’s attempt at geolocation. Similar to Foursquare, Places allows you to see where your friends are or to check in to nearby locations. The updated app prominently puts Places front-and-center when you first open up the new app. “See where your friends are and share where you are” is the message that greets users when they first open up Facebook for iPhone. Tapping on the Places icon takes you to a menu where you can either scan where your friends have recently checked in or check in to a location yourself. The checking-in process is still a bit buggy though (I can’t refresh the page with all of my friends’ check-ins), and for some users the option to check in or add new places won’t be available until Facebook completes the rollout of its new geolocation product. Places isn’t the only new addition, though. Facebook for iPhone now has added privacy options for status updates; now you can set who sees individual status updates. Messages to multiple recipients now display all of the participants, rather than just the sender. Finally, for all of you that are constantly uploading videos and photos to Facebook via the iPhone, there’s good news for you too; the updated app uploads multimedia in the background, as long as you have iOS 4. Have you downloaded the new version of the Facebook app yet? Are you going to use Places on the iPhone? Let us know in the comments. More About: facebook, facebook for iphone, Facebook Places, Geolocaiton, iphone, lbs For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Google Updates Gmail for iPad With Stacked Cards Posted: 19 Aug 2010 01:11 AM PDT Shortly after Yahoo launched its HTML5-based version of Yahoo Mail for iPad, Google has refreshed its version of Gmail for Apple’s popular tablet. The update boils down to one feature, albeit an interesting one: the app now has a new “stacked card” interface for selecting and managing multiple conversations. Before this latest update, one had to manage selected conversations and currently open conversations with two separate (and similar) toolbars. Now, when you select multiple conversations, you’ll see them “stacked” on the right, and you can archive, trash or move them easily. The new version of Gmail for iPad also features some sleek new CSS3 transitions, described in detail on Google’s code blog. To try the new Gmail for iPad, open gmail.com in your iPad’s Safari web browser. More About: gmail, Google, ipad For more Apple coverage: Follow Mashable Apple on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Apple channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

A Field Guide to Using Facebook Places Posted: 18 Aug 2010 11:49 PM PDT Facebook has just announced Places, the long-awaited feature that brings location-based functionality to the most popular social network in the world. Whether you’re a developer with a great app idea, a business with an interesting location marketing plan or just a regular Facebook user who wants to get involved with Places, there are a few details to note before you start using Places. The feature is fascinating, but it still has its limitations. And our guide isn’t without caveats, especially for users. If you’re ready to start playing, here’s what you’ll need to know about Places. How to Use Places First of all, you or a Facebook friend in your group will need a smartphone. If you don’t have an iPhone, you’ll have to use the Facebook touch mobile site on a browser that supports both HTML 5 and geolocation. The company does plan to roll out Android and BlackBerry versions of Places, but they haven’t released any specific dates for those releases yet. To use Places, go to the Places tab on the iPhone application or touch.facebook.com. You’ll first be asked if Facebook is allowed to know your location. Once you click “allow,” you’ll enter the Places interface. From there, you can share your location with friends, find out where your friends are (if they’re using Places), and discover new places near you. You can add places, check in to places that already exist, and tag people who are with you. If you’re checking in for a group, make sure you tag your friends before you checkin, yourself. For example, I added my house and checked in there. I then opened the Places page for a nearby sushi restaurant, tagged my boyfriend, and checked us both in there. We’ve noted that it is possible to checkin from other non-smartphone devices in a regular, non-mobile browser, but you will have to use Facebook’s touch site. You’ll also need to live in the U.S. Facebook’s goal is to launch all over the United States within a few days. International launch dates haven’t been released yet. Other Services That Will Use Places Tomorrow, Facebook is opening up certain data that will allow any and all developers to access parts of Places. That means that a lot of applications will start pulling information from Places, scraping it for data about people, locations, groups and more. For right now, though, only a few apps have been selected to push information back into Places. Initially, Gowalla, Foursquare, Booyah (creators of MyTown and Nightclub City) and Yelp will integrate with Facebook Places. If you use a Yelp mobile app for checkins, you’ll be able to push those checkins to Facebook Places, as well. Gowalla and Foursquare checkins can also be pushed to Facebook Places. Booyah plans to launch a location-based social game called InCrowd; it will be built on Facebook Places. The company says it will be “a playful social app based on interacting with people and sharing real-time posts at real-world locations” and will allow players to “socialize, meet new friends and track popularity” in the app. It will be available in the iTunes App Store soon. What About Privacy? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said this feature isn’t about sharing your location with the world; it’s about finding places and sharing them with your friends. That being said, your checkins will appear by default on your profile, in the news feed and in the activity stream for that place. We’ve also noted that your friends can, by default, check you in without your explicit approval or permission. If you want to change who can see your checkins, go to your account’s privacy settings. You’ll see that “Places I check in” is by default shared with “Friends Only.” You can change who views your checkins from this area. If you want to change whether or not others can check you in without your knowledge or permission, you’ll have to click “Customize settings” on your privacy page, then scroll down to the “Things others share” section. You will note that by default, you enable others to check you in. You can disable this setting; there’s no option to allow checkins-by-proxy on individual approval. Also, another default setting on the “Customize settings” page is “Include me in ‘People Here Now’ after I check in.” When you check in, your location is visible to your friends and also to anyone else nearby. If you’d rather be more private, you’ll have to opt out of this setting. We’ve written a bit about preliminary concerns voiced by the ACLU over Facebook Places and privacy. With much of the Places-related information being shared by default, it’s clear that most users will want to revisit their privacy settings before jumping wholeheartedly into this new feature. Places for Businesses and Developers If you’re a business, you can use Places to give Facebook your business’ location. Once your location has been added to Places, either by you or by another local Facebook user, just go to the Place page from Facebook.com and click the link that says “Is this Place Page your business?” If you claim the location as your business, it will become a Facebook Page. You can then post updates to people who like the Page, update your business information and more. Places can only be claimed by official representatives. Verifying a Place claim requires uploading some kind of official document, such as a local business license or Better Business Bureau accreditation. If you’re a developer and are interested in using one of the Places APIs to use this feature’s technology in your application, you’re in luck. Facebook is launching a Read API tomorrow. This API will scrape checkins from identified users and their friends and will gather public data about Places, as well. Facebook has also developed a Write and Search API that allows third-party apps to publish checkins and run queries on Places data. That’s currently in private beta; partners include Gowalla and Yelp, among others. We don’t yet have a date for when that API will be opened generally, but we’ll keep you posted. When Places Go Wrong In addition to changing your personal privacy settings, you can also report Places that aren’t correct or that infringe on your own rights somehow. Facebook allows users to report Places for incorrect data, abusive behavior, the permanent closure of a business or duplication of other content. Reported Places are flagged; removal may not occur immediately. You can immediately remove checkins from your own profile, and you can also untag yourself if someone else has checked you in without your approval. Just click the “remove” button next to the story on your profile or news feed. Other Tips If you’ve got other early-use tips to share with our readers, please let us know about them in the comments. We’re eager to learn how people are using Places, especially when it comes to personal privacy, business uses and building new applications. What do you think is the best way to approach Places for people and businesses? More About: facebook, Facebook Places, geolocation, location, Mobile 2.0, places, trending For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

YouTube Launches Charts to Rank Top Web Videos Posted: 18 Aug 2010 10:08 PM PDT YouTube has just announced it will be featuring its top videos in a new section called YouTube Charts. This page will keep you updated on which videos are trending right now, which are all-time classics, how various vids stack up against one another and more. Think of it as the Billboard Hot 100 for the world of web video. We’re guessing this will pretty much settle the Gaga v. Bieber YouTube debate once and for all as well as surface interesting and timely content from around the ‘Tube. YouTube Charts filter top videos by several criteria. You can grab a list of videos that got the most views, the most likes or the most subscribers over the past day, the past week, the past month or all time. You’ll be able to see the top 100 videos from each list; that means the YouTube Charts will feature 900 videos and channels (likely with some redundancies) every day. The “most subscribed” option also gives us some insight into what individuals or production channels are gaining popularity at any given moment. YouTube is also soliciting feedback for what kinds of features they should add to their Charts, such as “most shared” or “best newcomer” categories. We’d like to see a new filter for type of content; for example, what’s the most subscribed comedy channel this week or the most liked music video today? We’d love to be able to search within the charts, and we’d love to see a Charts API for tracking how videos wax and wane in popularity. And although it might be tricky to get various large tech companies to play nicely with one another’s data, it would also be cool to integrate stats from other video sites, as well. What do you think YouTube should add to their charts? Reviews: YouTube More About: charts, youtube, youtube charts For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Privacy Group Voices Concerns About Facebook Places Posted: 18 Aug 2010 07:41 PM PDT Earlier this evening, Facebook formally announced its geolocation component, Facebook Places, and it has already sparked concerns from a major privacy advocate. The ACLU of Northern California has issued its preliminary response to the features and is taking issue with the granularity and visibility of some of the new location-based user controls. Tagging, a feature that has made Facebook Photos such a success, is a key part of Facebook Places. Just as you can tag friends in photos you find or upload, you will also be able to tag individuals when you check in at a new location. But while Facebook makes it easy for users to allow their friends to check them in, the ACLU says that opting out of that feature is more difficult. For example, the feature lets users select a “not now” option when friends attempt to check them in, but not a “never” option to prevent friends from attempting to do so in the future. Further, if you’re already a Places user, friends can just check you in automatically. The ACLU also takes issue with the “Here Now” feature, which displays users that have recently checked in at a given Place. The problem, according to the ACLU, is that this list is accessible to anyone else who is checked-in to the same place. The ACLU has already put together a resource page dedicated to helping users lock down more of their information. It will likely take a few days of real world Facebook Places use to digest all of the privacy implications, but initially it seems that the biggest problem may not be with controlling what information an individual shares but what information others can share about them. Further, as the service becomes available and third-party apps start to work with the APIs, we’ll get a better idea of what this all really means. Right now, the only thing that seems really clear is that no matter how much Facebook may want to skirt the privacy issues it faced this spring, the company likely to face some serious questions from its users with this new product. After all, the potential for a location-based social graph is enormous, but so too are the real-world opportunities for privacy breaches. What are you early thoughts on Facebook Places and privacy? Do you feel like your personal information will be under your control? Let us know! More About: aclu, facebook, Facebook Places, geolocation, privacy For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Will You Use Facebook Places? [POLL] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 06:35 PM PDT It’s official: Facebook has jumped into the geolocation game with Facebook Places. The question is: will Facebook’s hundreds of millions of users embrace it? Facebook Places is a checkin service that’s quite similar to Foursquare or Gowalla on the surface — it allows you to checkin to places. What differentiates it is its tagging features, which allow you to tag friends that are with you at a location. There is also a focus on Facebook Place Pages, which house the checkin history of a given place on the web. Now that the details surrounding Facebook’s Places platform have been revealed, we wanted to find out what you, the readers, think. Is Facebook Places something you will use? Or will you continue to use services like Foursquare or Gowalla instead? We want to know your thoughts, so please vote in the poll below and don’t hesitate to explain or defend your choice in our comments section below! Reviews: Foursquare, Gowalla More About: Facebook Places, foursquare, geolocation For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Facebook Launches Its Location Features [LIVE] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 04:36 PM PDT Facebook Places is almost here, and we’re about to find out just what geolocation concoction Facebook has been cooking up for the last few months. We’re here live at Facebook’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California, for a press event. The world’s largest social network is expected to unveil its new geolocation features, dubbed by most “Facebook Places.” How will Facebook handle geolocation? What will it do to protect user privacy? Will it integrate other checkin services? Is Facebook Places a Foursquare killer? We’re about to get all of the answers. Here are my live notes from the event: Facebook Places Live Notes Facebook Location Launch Mashable's Ben Parr getting ready at Facebook HQ ... the announcement is currently running 15 minutes late Facebook Location Launch The press is being moved by bus to Facebook's main building for the announcement. Facebook Location Launch Almost go time ... we hope Facebook Location Launch The Facebook Places project lead demos the new features. Facebook Location Launch CEO Mark Zuckerberg looks on. Facebook Location Launch A screenshot of Facebook Places on iPhone. Facebook Location Launch Gowalla talks about its partnership with Facebook. Facebook Location Launch Another screenshot of Places. Facebook Location Launch Another screenshot of Places. Facebook Location Launch Foursquare talks about its partnership with Facebook. Facebook Location Launch Facebook's Chris Cox talking about Places. Facebook Location Launch The Facebook team answers questions from the audience. All posted times are in Pacific Standard Time 4:30 PM: We’re waiting here at Facebook’s offices on Page Mill Road in Palo Alto with the rest of the media. They’re going to usher us in soon. 4:50: Facebook decided to change its plans; they’ve stuck us on two shuttles to its California Street offices so they can make its announcement to its employees at the same time. 4:58: We’ve arrived. 5:06: We’re now waiting in another lobby… 5:15: Yet another room, this one is packed with Facebook employees and the press. Mark Zuckerberg is just standing around with his team while people take pictures. 5:23: Zuckerberg has taken the stage. 5:25: It’s official — Facebook Places is real. “We’ve been working on this for a while … more than a few months.” 5:26: Zuckerberg is talking about how he knew it was ready — his girlfriend was able to discover that Chris Cox and another person were nearby. Apparently there are three components to Facebook Places. 5:28: Facebook is playing a movie discussing the advantages of Facebook Places. They’re discussing check-ins, and much of it sounds like Foursquare. 5:30: Three key components: Help you share where you are, help you find where your friends are, and discover new places around you. It launches on mobile devices (web) and in the company’s new iPhone app tonight. 5:30: Check-ins are part of the platform. So is adding places. One difference between it and Foursquare is that Facebook doesn’t just show you nearby places, but places it thinks are relevant to you. 5:31: Place Pages on the web. It has maps and who’s checked in…more on it in a moment. 5:33: Photo tagging has been taken to places. You can “tag” friends that are with you at a specific location. Thus, everybody doesn’t have to check-in on their own. Tagging seems to be a selling point of the platform, but does this present a privacy issue? 5:37: There’s a “not now” feature to not broadcast your location. 5:37: Now we’re getting into the meat of the privacy controls. You can remove any check-in, settings are defaulted to friends only. “Here Now” is on after you check-in. Tagging only lets you tag your friends and notifies you whenever you’re tagged. You can always remove any tag. 5:39: You can turn off being tagged in Facebook Places. 5:39: You can report a place on the iPhone if it’s inaccurate or don’t want it on the system (say your home, for example). 5:40: Now the company is talking about the API and developers. There’s a Read API for reading check-ins and learning more about check-in pages. There’s a Search and Write API for making check-ins and searching through them. 5:41: Gowalla’s CTO Scott Raymond is on stage. 5:42: Gowalla is talking about the integration. Gowalla’s UI remains the same, but Gowalla stamps will appear on Facebook pages. 5:43: Foursquare’s Holger Luedorf, VP of Mobile & Partnerships, is on stage. 5:44: Foursquare is discussing its platform and its gaming and reward elements, as well as badges. He’s talking more about how they’ll build upon it, but not too many specifics. They just look forward to working with the Facebook team. 5:47: Next: Eric Singley, Director of Mobile Products at Yelp. He’s discussing the company’s mobile apps and its check-in product. Their integration is simple: every time you check-in, you can share it with your Facebook friends, Twitter, or just to your Yelp friends. It publishes a photo of the business as well as some info about it on your wall. 5:49: More partners! Keith Lee, CEO of Booya!, creators of MyTown. He’s talking about InCrowd, which is a game and service for interacting with friends in a virtual world. It has full API integration with reading, writing and searching Facebook Places. Oh, random observation: I don’t think Foursquare’s all that thrilled to be part of this. It’s more out of necessity, as I wrote in an op/ed piece a few days ago. 5:51: VP of Product Chris Cox is on stage. He’s discussing how the places we go are critical (bars, restaurants, etc.). This is a discussion of the theories of Ray Oldenburg, a famous urban sociologist. It’s a discussion of the “Third place,” where we interact with each other. 5:54: “Technology can be the thing that pulls us away from the night club and out to the nightclub .. out to the bar…” The driving force is to keep the Third place alive and bring people together with the social graph. 5:54: Cox is really making a higher level argument for Facebook Places and location-based services in general. He’s talking about how Facebook Places will be a collective archive of our memories of what we experienced at a specific location or event, such as Lollapalooza. The company sees it as an evolution of the scrapbook or the photo album — now those stories will get more attention, those stories will be pinned to a physical location. Q&A - Q: Monetization plans? (I asked this question) - A: Zuckerberg: They’re focused on getting the three core elements right (finding friends, checking-in, building stories about places), but he can see things such as rewards or deals with locations/companies in the future. But he’ll have to “check-in later” about it. - Q: BlackBerry and Android? - A: All mobile apps that can support it will support it, which means Android and Blackberry. - Q: Business Pages, can they be linked? - A: “Is this your business?” is a feature of the Places product. You can claim a business page. - Q: When did development start? (from Taylor Buley of Forbes) - A: Skunk work project happened last year. Only around December when the team really came together around the vision behind Places. - Q: Can you check into streaming events like a movie or TV show? - A: No. - Q: What if a place is closed down? - A: The Place page will still be there. It won’t go away. Reviews: Android, Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Twitter, Yelp More About: facebook, Facebook Places, trending For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Location-Based Text Message Ads Get a Major Boon Posted: 18 Aug 2010 03:47 PM PDT Beginning today brands such as The North Face can reach 60% of all U.S. consumers with opt-in, location-based marketing SMS messages. The extensive distribution possibilities are thanks to a strategic partnership between Placecast — makers of ShopAlerts — and Location Labs; the two companies have combined forces to tackle location-based mobile marketing. ShopAlerts is a white-label product from Placecast designed to let brands send promotional notifications to customers based on their exact location. ShopAlerts uses geofencing mobile technology to send alerts when consumers enter digitally zoned areas. With the partnership, Location Labs brings their carrier relationships to the table and extends the ShopAlerts service beyond smartphones — there’s no application download required as the opt-in and alert processes can be completed via SMS. For brands and marketers using ShopAlerts, the partnership means they can reach 180 million phones in the U.S. The North Face is the first to retailer to benefit from Placecast’s partnership with Location Labs. The enhanced ShopAlerts technology lets them better target and reach mobile users with dynamically generated location-based SMS messages. Here’s how it works: The North Face has created geo-fences around stores, hiking areas, parks and locales that are popular with its customers. When a consumer who has double-opted in to the company’s SMS alerts enters a geo-fenced area, he or she will receive a message appropriately tailored to their whereabouts and pre-defined interests. The system is configured to make alerts dynamic and tailored to the customer, as well as limit the alerts to one per 48-hour period or three per week. “If they’re near a store, customers may receive a message about a new item in the store. But, if they’re at Lake Tahoe, and they have noted that they are a biker, they might get a msg about a great biking trail. A different customer may receive a msg about a great swimming spot, based on their preferences,” according to a representative from Placecast. Location-based mobile marketing is by no means a new idea, especially given the rise of digital loyalty programs and checkin-based rewards. With Facebook set to introduce its own location offering, it will be interesting to watch as retailers make choices around how and where to present location-aware offers to customers. More About: location-based apps, location-based marketing, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, SMS, the north face For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

HOW TO/NOT TO: Ask Someone Out Online Posted: 18 Aug 2010 03:22 PM PDT Imagine, if you will, a crowded dance floor: Men and women are talking, laughing awkwardly and trying to gyrate their rhythmically challenged hips to that Phoenix song that goes “do let, do let, blah blah.” One lone man ceases undulating to put his lips to the ear of the chick he’s grinding up on. “Hey,” he purrs, “Can I get your Twitter handle?” We’ve reached that point, folks: the zenith of awkwardness whereby the cables of communication are so plentiful that we are wound in a web of our own making. In a sense, we have returned to the tangled days of Emily Post-esque courting etiquette — circa 1922 — whereby men left women calling cards and letters of introduction, not actually seeing the women themselves upon delivery, unless it was between 4 and 6 o’clock (yes, these were the actual rules). Though we no longer carry engraved cards (2¾ to 3½ inches wide by 2 to 2¾ inches high), we do tout around the modern equivalent: a slew of digital identities that potential suitors must circumvent to get to the actual you. While we admit that fixing the above issue wholesale would require a total brain-scrub of the world’s populace, we are prepared to offer a few date-making tips for all you hopeless (emphasis on the hopeless) romantics. And so begins my Netiquette column — which I write with my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-blogger, Andrea Bartz — this week over at CNN. Check out the column at CNN.com >> image courtesy of iStockphoto, dizign54 Reviews: Twitter, iStockphoto More About: cnn, dating, facebook, netiquette, relationships, social media, Stuff Hipsters Hate, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Google Releases Universal Search for Gmail, Docs and Sites Posted: 18 Aug 2010 02:28 PM PDT Ever wanted to search not only your e-mail, but your presentations, spreadsheets and documents? Google is working on an experimental project to do just that. Google Apps Search is a new Gmail Labs feature that “extends search with Google Docs and Sites results,” according to the feature’s description. When you activate it, the “Search Mail” button changes to “Search Mail and Docs.” Now whenever you perform a search through your Gmail, it will not only display the 20 most recent e-mails with that query, but will also show 20 related Google Docs or Sites as well. These are displayed below the Gmail search results. In addition to universal search functionality, Apps Search also includes a second feature: “Did you mean?” search suggestions. Whenever your queries contain typos, Google will provide a suggestion for the search it believes you meant to perform, just like Google Search does. Combined with the “Search the Web” button that sits directly to the right of the “Search Mail and Docs” button, Gmail is quickly becoming a central location for performing all of your searches. Many Google Docs are related to e-mail threads; I can’t tell you how many times I’ve searched my e-mail just to get to a Google Doc. It’s nice to see a Labs feature address this problem. What do you think of Apps Search? Will you activate it for your account? Reviews: Gmail, Google, Google Docs, Google search More About: gmail, Google, Google Apps Search, google docs, Google sites For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Facebook Application Lets Retailers Import and Sell Etsy Goods Posted: 18 Aug 2010 02:02 PM PDT Payvment’s Facebook application is designed to help retailers set up e-commerce shops on the 500-million-member social network. Today, the startup is releasing a new export tool to let Payvment users import their entire Etsy inventories and sell them via their Facebook Pages. The Etsy-to-Facebook import tool is a product of the company’s just-released API. The Etsy tool is the first to market, but Payvment plans to use the API to launch additional retailer-friendly import tools for online product catalogs. Payvment’s Facebook storefront technology is impressive in its own right; it essentially allows individuals and small to mid-size retailers to use their Facebook Pages to sell products. The Facebook experience is akin to the virtual shopping cart experience consumers are already familiar with — view item, add to cart, enter payment info (Paypal and major credit cards accepted) and check out. Retailers using Payvment can also offer action-oriented discounts to shoppers, so a Facebook member that Likes a retailer’s Page could have an instant discount applied to the items in their shopping cart. The release of the API and the Etsy import application further drive home Payvment’s utility for smaller retailers. Given that consumers who Like a brand’s Facebook Page spend more money on said brand’s goods and services than those who don’t, the free application could go a long way to help retailers convert Facebook window shoppers into paying customers. [img credit: anyone_anywhere] Reviews: Facebook More About: ecommerce, facebook, MARKETING, payvment, retail For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Verizon Plans to Bring Live TV Streaming to the iPad Posted: 18 Aug 2010 01:32 PM PDT Verizon Communications has announced its plans to bring its FiOS TV service to tablet devices like Apple’s iPad. The company says it expects to launch the app next year, allowing FiOS TV subscribers to tune into live TV directly from the device. Verizon demonstrated the technology to reporters at an event today and said it is in talks with content providers to extend its programming agreements to cover tablet computers. Earlier this month there were rumors that Verizon was working with Motorola on a tablet device specifically for FiOS TV subscribers. Given the comparatively small FiOS TV subscriber base (3.2 million, compared to Comcast’s 23.5 million), a software strategy makes a lot more sense. It isn’t clear if the software will interface with a set-top box, a la apps from Sling Media and eyeTV, or if it will stream content from a special web portal. Verizon already has an array of online on-demand offerings for its FiOS TV subscribers, including HBO Go and support for some of Time Warner’s cable networks like TNT and TBS. In addition to live TV streaming, Verizon also showcased an updated version of its Media Manager application that will let users upload and stream video from the cloud to their PCs, TVs or mobile devices. Verizon isn’t the only cable provider eying the iPad as the next delivery device. Earlier this month, Cablevision reported that it has plans to bring broadcast and VOD streaming to the iPad and other devices. Comcast, which has its own Xfinity TV Everywhere web-based initiative, also showed off a prototype of an iPad remote control application earlier this spring. Would you like to watch live TV on your iPad? Would the ability to do so make you more likely to purchase one? More About: fios tv, ipad, iptv, television, verizon For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

5 Useful Facebook Trend and Search Services Posted: 18 Aug 2010 12:55 PM PDT As the world’s largest social network, Facebook is a fascinating place to find out what’s hot, what’s news, and discover the latest meme. Despite recent improvements, Facebook’s in-site search doesn’t necessarily offer the best way to see such data. However, there are various services that provide a dedicated way to either search Facebook’s 500 million-strong data stream (at least what’s made public), or see what’s “trending” on the site in a way that’s similar to Twitter. While we can’t overlook the fact that search engines like Google and Bing have begun offering “social search,” we think the five services listed below offer a more useful way to find out what people are saying about a particular topic, or even find out what’s being “Liked” in your social circle. 1. Kurrently Kurrently is a dedicated search engine for both Twitter and Facebook, but you can narrow down the options to see results from one service or the other. Kurrently’s great selling point is that the search results continue to refresh after you’ve looked up a word or phrase, so you can experience the kind of auto-updating hashtag search we’re already familiar with on Twitter. Kurrently’s programmer Gilbert Leung said he started the site because he wanted to get a sense of the global sentiment on a certain issue. “Twitter Search was the obvious tool at the time,” says Leung, “but my immediate question was, ‘What about Facebook?’ Why am I searching through a community of around 60 million when a network of around 500 million exists?’” 2. It’s Trending Right now It’s Trending offers a non-searchable, real-time feed of the most shared content across Facebook, which is useful for anyone who wants a snapshot glimpse of the social web’s current zeitgeist in an incredibly simple and uncomplicated way. Giving you a new way to see hot topics across categories (video, news, sports, tech, gaming, comedy, etc) and across popular sites (Cracked, YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, TechCrunch, Huffington Post, NY Times, CNN and yes, Mashable) it’s a good-looking service that has big plans for the future — so definitely one to watch. 3. Openbook While many of you may already be familiar with Openbook, it’s worthy of a place on this list for how simple it is to search, or see what others are searching for. Also worth mentioning for marketeers or researchers is Openbook’s unique ability to see search results from just male or female Facebookers — something that’s an incredibly useful tool if you need to narrow down data on a gender basis. 4. Booshaka Recent startup Booshaka offers a real-time look at what’s trending on Facebook based on open search keywords, as well as via topic if you’re interested in more a general browse. Main channel topics include news, music, sports, politics, gossip, TV, fashion, movies, deals, travel, brands and games (with each broken down into further sub-topics). Clicking on one of these will give you a stream of updates from relevant accounts. Once you’ve carried out a topic search, you can see how many “Likes” and comments a Facebook post has received, and narrow down the results by what’s trending now, what’s most popular, what’s most recent, and what has the biggest “buzz.” These further options could potentially help identify up-and-coming trends, as well as find out what folks are saying about established ones. 5. Facepinch Facepinch promises to let you know popular “Likes” (as well as create your own “Like”), view hot trending topics, and see what’s being sought after on Facebook with its top 100 most popular searches list. There is also the option to see recent searches if you’re more interested in what’s happening right now. While there’s no data to be gleaned from it, you can also browse recently updated profile pics with a gallery of random Facebook users’ names and thumbnails. The site’s default is the U.S., but you can select specific countries if you’ve an interest in a particular geographical area. The service’s creator, London-based Andrew Webb, states that besides the more obvious voyeuristic uses, he sees value in the site for brands: “[C]ompanies and marketing professionals [can] see an unfiltered glimpse of how their products are being really perceived by the public.” BONUS: Like Button More aimed at finding out what’s hot in your own social circle, Like Button shows you “what people you know like on the Internet right now.” If you’re signed in via Facebook, you can see what your buddies have “Liked” on popular pre-loaded sites such as YouTube, CNN, The Huffington Post, etc, and via categories including news, social media, tech, Apple, etc. But there is the infinitely useful option to add sites of your choosing too, making the Like Button site a personalized social window on the web. You can also click to view a brief overview of what’s hot on Facebook with the nine top trends displayed and refreshed every 15 minutes. In addition, and on the fun side of things, Like Button lets you create your very own “Like” and “Dislike” buttons, the former of which looks like this when posted to your Facebook wall: More Facebook Resources from Mashable: - 10 Fascinating Facebook Facts - 10 Cool Facebook Status Tips and Tricks - How News Consumption is Shifting to the Personalized Social News Stream - How Online Retailers Can Leverage Facebook's Open Graph - 10 Fun Facebook Accessories Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sodafish Reviews: Bing, Facebook, Google, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, iStockphoto More About: booshaka, facebook, facebook apps, facebook tools, facepinch, It's Trending, Kurrently, like button, List, Lists, openbook, Search, search engines, trends, web apps For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Zagat for iPhone Adds Foursquare Checkins and Foodspotting Photos Posted: 18 Aug 2010 12:27 PM PDT Restaurant ratings and reviews service Zagat today released a new version of its $9.99 iPhone app, Zagat To Go, complete with Foursquare and Foodspotting integration. Users can now check in to restaurants via Zagat’s app [iTunes link], rather than Foursquare’s — a somewhat novel integration that’s appearing in more and more mobile applications, including The New York Times’s city guide app. Checkins will automatically be registered in the app’s new Dining Journal, designed to help users better keep track of the venues they’ve visited. Perhaps more notably, Zagat To Go now includes access to thousands of food photos from the various dining venues listed in the app, so that consumers can determine whether the dishes served looks appetizing before they visit. The photos are pulled from Foodspotting, a new social platform and mobile app that enables members, a.k.a. Foodspotters, to visually share and discover the best edible treats their neighborhood has to offer. In addition to the Zagat app integration, Foodspotting also informed us that it released version 2.0 of its iPhone app [iTunes link] and website today, including a collection of food guides in partnership with the Travel Channel, Zagat and others. Do you have the Zagat app on your iPhone? Do you find the new features genuinely useful or superfluous? What additional functionality would you like the app to have? If you don’t have the app on your device, you can check out the video demo below to see the new features in action. Video Demo [thumbnail credit: haprog_] Reviews: Foursquare More About: foodspotting, foursquare, iphone app, Mobile 2.0, zagat For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Viral Videos and Flickr Photos Could Help You Circumvent Censorship Posted: 18 Aug 2010 11:56 AM PDT A group of researchers at Georgia Tech may have an answer to the epidemic of government censorship we’ve seen marring communications in many international spheres of late: a system they’re calling “Collage” that will allow people to hide messages in user-generated content, to be disseminated via platforms like Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. That’s right, Keyboard Cat could become a harbinger of covert news. So how does this process work? Sam Burnett, one of the researchers involved in the project, described the system to us in layman’s terms: “Someone uploads pictures containing hidden messages to Flickr, then someone else comes along and downloads them and decodes the message. (Of course, it’s not dependent specifically on Flickr, YouTube, etc.)” A tool called Selenium helps in disseminating said messages. He also points out that while the current iteration of Collage uses an image steganography tool called Outguess for hiding content in images and a text steganography tool called SNOW for embedding content in text, the design makes it easy for users to change around its components — for example, instead of steganography, people could use watermarking techniques. Watermarking makes it difficult to remove the data without wreaking havoc on the cover material itself. “As far as we know, Collage is the first anti-censorship system to store messages inside user-generated content (e.g., on Flickr, YouTube, etc.) such that a censor can block/corrupt some of this content and users will still be able to retrieve their messages. The sender may publish 10 photos, with the expectation that the receiver can download any five of them and still reconstruct the message,” Burnett told us. “The main advantage of this approach is that, because we store our messages on existing user-generated content hosts, the system doesn’t require any additional infrastructure deployment (computers, network connections, etc.). This is in contrast to systems like Tor that rely extensively on volunteer support.” The researchers also plan on releasing the API, so that others can build applications. Although it’s easy for governments to block such sites — YouTube, Twitter and Google have been blocked in the past — Burnett and Co. are banking on that fact that it’s difficult for them to block all content sites. If you’re interested in finding out more about Collage, you can check out the full paper on the subject, embedded below. A demo of the technology will take place at SIGCOMM in New Delhi on September 1, and Collage will be published on the Georgia Tech Network Operations and Internet Security website. Report [via Ars Technica] Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Gordo25 Reviews: Flickr, Google, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto More About: censorship, flickr, social media, twitter, youtube For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

People Magazine iPad App Launch Stalled by Photographer Disputes Posted: 18 Aug 2010 11:10 AM PDT Publishers are clamoring to get their magazine titles onto Apple’s iPad, but many may be facing a new challenge: photographers. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Time Inc. has been forced to delay the release of its People magazine iPad app, in part because of disputes with photo agencies over licensing agreements as they pertain to the iPad. Time Inc. has already released iPad variants of its Time, Fortune and Sports Illustrated titles, and had hoped to launch People earlier this month. While a spokeswoman for People says that the iPad application launch delay has “absolutely nothing to do with the photo agencies,” statements from various agencies belie those claims. THR reports that at least eight different agencies are banding together to withhold their photographs unless People grants them additional compensation for iPad usage. In other words, if People doesn’t agree to pay more to use photographs in the iPad app, the magazine will have a much more difficult time obtaining photos of Lindsay Lohan once she leaves rehab. Photo agencies that sell celebrity photographs to media publications like People make the majority of their revenue by selling the print rights to those photographs. Online usage fees command a much smaller price, in part because online photos rarely generate significant ad or subscription revenue. As Brandy Navarre, VP at X17 notes, “When you’re talking about paid apps supplemented by advertisements, that’s something different altogether.” People’s position is that it shouldn’t have to pay anything to use the photographs because the iPad app is just a replication of the print product. Aside from paying for any photos that aren’t in the print edition — for things like photo galleries — People thinks its current contract with photographers should cover iPad usage. Furthermore, People also argues that because it views the iPad app as a marketing tool, it can use photographs under a clause in its contract with photographers that allows for promotional repurposing. Photographers and photo agencies, already feeling the pressure of an ad recession, don’t want to write off their rights and fees for what many think could end up being the next big avenue for publishing. Agencies want to avoid what happened to many unions when the DVD platform took off. It took a prolonged writers’ strike for the WGA to gain royalties from DVD and digital sales of its members’ work. So why are other magazines not facing the same pressures as People? In part because People has the highest circulation in its field — more than 3.5 million for the first half of 2010 — and as THR notes, it has a much more diversified agency pool than many of its competitors. People is also known for being willing to shell out big money for exclusive photographs at a level that other publications just can’t match. The resolution with People could end up having a big impact on other photo-heavy publications that want to bring content to the iPad or other tablets. The evolution of publishing is certainly taking place digitally — and often online. The debate raises an important question that many publishers are still trying to find an answer to: Where does the line between digital and web publication lie? Furthermore, do those differences necessitate different rules for licensing, pricing and access? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments More About: ipad apps, ipad magazines, magazines, old media, people, publishing For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Mobile Users Prefer Coupons to Checkins [REPORT] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 10:30 AM PDT As mobile users become more acclimated to sharing their whereabouts via mobile devices, findings from JiWire’s Mobile Audience Insights Report prove that they’re also becoming more open to receiving ads and mobile coupons relevant to where they are. In fact, more than 50% of respondents indicated that they wanted to receive location-specific advertising, with mobile coupons a more appealing incentive than checkins. In the report, mobile media company JiWire examines market trends around audience data over public Wi-Fi during the second quarter of 2010. The survey portion of the study focused on location-based mobile services and queried respondents on their location-sharing habits and attitudes. Men showed more interest in sharing their location than women, and those in the 25-34 and 35-44 age categories indicated more openness than younger and older age groups. Responses also showed that mobile users are nearly as likely to use location-based services in their homes as they are while on the go. JiWire also looked at the most popular LBS applications, and the functionalities and features that are most appealing to users. GPS and applications such as Google Maps ranked highest. Google, Yelp, Facebook and Foursquare round out the top five in sequential order. Interestingly enough, coupons and discounts placed second only to maps, and out-ranked reviews, status updates and checkins when users ranked the most valuable features of location-based applications. The data is extremely telling and could point to a future where discount-oriented, location-sharing apps à la Shopkick make a major impact on mainstream mobile shopping behaviors. With Facebook set to make a big location announcement later today, it’s also interesting to note that in the eyes of mobile users, the behemoth social network already out ranks Foursquare in location utility. The full report is available as a free PDF and includes interesting data on the increase in free public Wi-Fi and the most popular Wi-Fi mobile devices. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Thomas_EyeDesign Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Google, Google Maps, Yelp, iStockphoto More About: checkins, foursquare, geolocation, jiwire, location based advertising, location sharing, Mobile 2.0, mobile coupons, study For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

HOW TO: Make Your Mobile Websites Act More Like Native Apps Posted: 18 Aug 2010 10:03 AM PDT This series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here. As smartphone sales continue to soar, more and more developers are focusing their efforts on building applications for mobile devices. Whether it is a native application or a mobile-optimized website, mobile innovation is taking place at a breakneck pace. Native applications still have their place, but increasingly, the number of different device types, operating systems, and screen sizes make developing optimized mobile web apps more and more enticing. Historically, there has been a trade-off between the rapid, iterative, cross-platform nature of web applications versus the more standard UI, support for gestures, and multi-touch and hardware optimizations on the native side. Fortunately, a number of different frameworks are making it easier and easier for developers to create mobile web applications that look and feel more like native apps. Here are six examples. If you don’t see your favorites on the list, add them in the comments below. 1. Sencha Touch In June, Sencha, formerly Ext JS, launched its Sencha Touch HTML5 mobile framework. The cross-platform framework is compatible with iOS and Android devices and will be expanded to other platforms soon. Sencha Touch combines a resolution-independent UI library, touch event management, support for geolocation and offline access, and special CSS and CSS3 capabilities. Sencha is the company behind the Ext JS, jQTouch and Raphael projects, so the new framework packs some serious power. Check out this Touch Solitaire demo, especially on the iPad. The Drag & Drop support is really amazing. 2. SproutCore SproutCore is an HTML5 framework that aims to help developers build desktop-caliber web applications that run in any modern web browser, without plugins. The lead developer recently quit his job at Apple to focus on the project full-time. Check out this demo on an iPhone or Android device and I think you’ll agree, it’s pretty impressive stuff. By leveraging existing backends and taking cues from platforms like .NET and Cocoa, SproutCore is focused on offering scalable, robust performance in a web browser. While not just for mobile apps, the HTML5 nature of SproutCore really makes it a good choice. 3. YUI 3.2 Later this month, Yahoo! will release the latest version of its YUI library of JavaScript utilities. YUI is a really impressive framework and the upcoming version includes even better support for touch and mobile devices. Christian Heilmann wrote up a great preview of YUI 3.2.0 for Ajaxian that details some of the new additions. Yahoo! continues to be one of the best resources for tools, libraries, utilities and documents for web and mobile developers. 4. jQuery Mobile jQuery Mobile isn’t a full application framework like SproutCore or Sencha Touch, but the new initiative does aim to bring more native controls to mobile web apps. Announced last week, the jQuery Mobile project will be a “complete, unified, mobile UI framework.” The core jQuery project will also continue to be optimized for mobile, but the jQuery Mobile project is focused on delivering a truly top-notch JavaScript experience and interface to the most-used smartphone web browsers. The project is still in the early stages, but you can see what browsers and versions jQuery Mobile will support on this chart. The jQuery Core team is working to support all A and B browsers. 5. XUI While developing Phonegap, the XUI team became frustrated with the existing JavaScript libraries and their performances on mobile devices. XUI was created to work across mobile browsers, including WebKit, Fennec, and Opera. The goal is to provide lots of cross-compatibility without much of the overhead that can make traditional JavaScript libraries unsuitable for mobile devices. 6. iUI iUI is an iPhone user interface framework designed to bring an iPhone-like experience to mobile web apps. It works with WebKit-based devices and includes a JavaScript library, CSS, and images. It was originally started back in 2007 but has been steadily updated over the years to add support to more types of devices and even the iPad. Let us know which frameworks you’re using to make your mobile websites act more like native apps in the comments. Series supported by Rackspace Rackspace is the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why. More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable: - 5 Cross-Platform Mobile Development Tools You Should Try - 15 Developer/Hacker Women to Follow on Twitter - 10 Tools for Distributed Developer Teams - 11 Delicious TextMate Themes for Designers and Developers - 7 Awesome CSS3 Techniques You Can Start Using Right Now Reviews: Android, Opera, iPhone More About: android, HTML5, iphone, iui, javascript frameworks, jquery, jquery mobile, Mobile 2.0, mobile web development, sencha touch, sproutcore, Web Development, web development series, xui, yui 3.2 For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Crazy Roger Federer Trick Shot a Viral Hit for Gillette [VIDEO] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 09:23 AM PDT A video featuring tennis star Roger Federer that plays on our collective fascination with "real or fake" hit the web earlier this week and has quickly gone viral, accumulating more than 700,000 views as of this morning. The video, which was part of a Gillette commercial shoot in Switzerland, features Federer serving a tennis ball and knocking a can off the head of one of the crew members –- twice in a row. This is made particularly compelling because, well, if he missed … you get the idea. Supposedly, it was all filmed in one take. In response to the "real or fake" question, a Gillette spokesperson tells Mashable, "All we’ll say at the moment is we’ll leave the ‘real or fake’ debate up to the viewers, but the evidence is there to see. Roger’s skill and ability is incredible (that’s why he’s a Gillette ambassador!) so of course it was filmed in one take during a shoot for Gillette Fusion’s partnership with the British Skin Foundation." It's certainly conceivable that the video is real –- after all, Federer has pulled off some of the more remarkable trick shots in recent tennis history –- though we'll let you all weigh in with your opinion in the comments. Disclosure: Gillette is a Mashable sponsor Reviews: Mashable More About: gillette, MARKETING, roger federer, viral videos For more Web Video coverage: Follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Web Video channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

You Like? Facebook Makes Updates To Its “Like” Button Posted: 18 Aug 2010 09:22 AM PDT Facebook is rolling out updates to the design of its popular Like Button, which now looks similar to the newly introduced Tweet Button. The revamp also provides a subtle yet noteworthy change in the button’s usability. The button now displays the “Like” count to the right of the icon in its own box, instead of floating on its own. Clicking prompts a thumbs-up image to appear, alongside a count of the number of people who have Liked it. Before, the button would turn a dark blue and the language would change to “Unlike.” This changes the user experience, because now it’s a bit trickier for a user to Unlike something, which makes the Like a bit more solidified. Facebook official statement on the changes: “We’ve begun rolling out new variations of the Like button to make it more seamless for people to like content and share it with their friends. We’ll have additional details to share in the coming weeks.” The option to take back your Like still exists, although it only appears when you hover over the thumbs-up icon. Depending on whether the Like button has an integration to also show the faces of friends who have also Liked the piece of content (such as in this post), the response to a user hitting the Like button is different. With the faces feature integrated, the option to Unlike a post gets pushed to the right, and the button transforms into a Facebook icon, also giving you the option to comment on the post. The new design seems to resemble the compact versions of the new Tweet button and Google Buzz buttons. This may be welcome news for designers, providing them with a uniform design that could reduce some of the clutter created by a plethora of differing share buttons. It could also provide a better user experience, making it easier for them to share via multiple channels. New Like Button Post-Like Button Reviews: Facebook, Google Buzz More About: facebook, google buzz, like, like button, sharing buttons, sharing tools, social media, social plugin For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Animated Taiwanese News Story Shows Google’s Plight [VIDEO] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 09:04 AM PDT Those geniuses over at Hong Kong and Taiwan’s Next Media Animation have done it again, creating an animated video depicting Google’s current woes in the privacy and net neutrality departments. We all know that Google’s been having some issues of late when it comes to customer feedback — that whole deal with the joint public policy proposal released with Verizon with regard to broadband providers had tons of people asking questions about net neutrality, for instance. The FCC threw its two cents into the pot, and Facebook released a statement critical of the arrangement. Add to all that the cadre of countries fuming over privacy issues related to the search giant’s street view vehicles — South Korean police recently raided Google’s offices — and you’ve got one fine mess. And that’s what NMA depicts — with some cartoonish flair. Although the vid isn’t the most informative of news items, it is an interesting addition to the canon of short films this company has been releasing lately. If you’re been anywhere near a computer during the last few months (or year, for that matter), you’ve probably seen NMA’s re-enactments of events such as Lindsay Lohan’s release from jail. NMA, which has been around since September 2009, is a unit of Next Media, which produces the Apple Daily newspapers in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Next Magazine and Next TV. Recently, it’s been gaining a goodly amount of attention from U.S. blogs for its off-the-wall animations. Reviews: Google More About: Google, humor, net neutrality, pop culture, viral video For more Web Video coverage: Follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Web Video channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Google and Verizon Tablet Shipping for Holiday Shopping Season Posted: 18 Aug 2010 08:48 AM PDT The tablet that Google and Verizon have been working on now has a reported launch date: this year's Black Friday. According to Download Squad, the device will be built by HTC and run on Chrome OS — an indication that Google remains committed to the nascent operating system despite the huge momentum currently behind Android, which powers another tablet device that debuted just last week, the Dell Streak. Today's report goes on to say that the tablet could be as cheap as free with a Verizon data plan. That wouldn't be a total surprise –- Verizon currently offers a number of netbooks essentially for free –- though it would obviously give the device a significant price advantage over the iPad. Download Squad also details the purported specs of the tablet, featuring at least one key differentiator over the current generation iPad: a webcam. Google and Verizon remain mum on their tablet plans, though a holiday launch is consistent with what we've been hearing and would obviously make a lot of sense from a competitive standpoint. It's worth noting (though it's likely completely coincidental) that the news follows more details emerging last night about the Chrome Web Store, a place where users of a Chrome OS tablet could conceivably buy apps. What are you hoping to see from a Google and Verizon tablet? Let us know in the comments. Reviews: Google More About: Google, htc, Tablet, verizon For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

10 Essential Free E-Books for Web Designers Posted: 18 Aug 2010 08:27 AM PDT While many may still prefer print for long-form reading, e-books are gaining popularity as a worthy digital alternative. Aside from all the usual benefits of digitizing a book (faster searches, less page-flipping, linked pages, additional resources, etc.), e-books are a huge help to digital and online professionals. There are now e-books available on almost every aspect of design, from planning your business and managing your time, to designing web applications. This post highlights 10 of the best free e-books for designers, with selections available as PDFs or in HTML. Whether they’re meant to inspire or educate, let us know if you can recommend any other free e-books aimed at designers in the comments below. 1. Taking Your Talent To The Web This detailed, intelligent guide is a how-to on transitioning from print to web by Jeffrey Zeldman. It was written for print designers whose clients want websites, print art directors who'd like to move into full–time web and interaction design, homepage creators who are ready to turn pro, and professionals who seek to deepen their web skills and understanding. Even though it was written in 2001, much of the advice about transitioning from print to the web still holds true, and print designers and art directors are still scrambling to move into web and interaction design. 2. Web Designer’s Success Guide Web Designer’s Success Guide is the definitive resource for starting your own freelance web design business. Written by Kevin Airgid, a recognized designer who runs an interactive studio, the book offers step-by-step instructions on topics like transitioning from full-time to self-employment, marketing your freelance business, managing projects and pricing yourself appropriately. 3. Designing For The Web A Practical Guide To Designing For The Web aims to teach core web development techniques based on the principles of graphic design. Written by recognized designer and author Mark Boulton, it is a stand-out amongst web design books with the right balance between practical and inspirational. It features five sections: Getting Started, Research, Typography, Color and Layout. The focus is on learning graphic design theory, which you can then easily apply to your own designs. 4. Design Your Imagination Design Your Imagination is a complete and comprehensive guide on website design for those new to the industry, although it may also prove helpful for experienced web designers as well. Almost every aspect of website design is exemplified in this e-book, which aims to help beginners hone their creativity. This book features more than 28 chapters that deal with a broad array of subjects, from the history of web design through web design principles, planning, and more, all illustrated with practical examples. 5. Time Management For Creative People Compiled from a series of posts published on Business of Design Online by writer and creativity coach Mark McGuinness, this is an easily digestible guide to help professionals in the creative sector maximize their time and productivity. Subtitled “Manage the Mundane – Create the Extraordinary,” this book is designed to help you maintain your creative focus while dealing with your other commitments. It includes plenty of practical time management tips tailored specifically for creative types. 6. Getting Real Getting Real is the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophy of 37signals, a developer of web-based software used by over one million people and businesses in 70 countries. With short, value-packed chapters, this book is an excellent guide for building web-based applications in a smarter, faster and easier way. 7. The Woork Handbook The Woork Handbook is focused around web design and programming and primarily deals with CSS, HTML, Ajax, web programming, Mootools, Scriptaculous and other topics about web design. It is an excellent reference book on a range of subjects all drawn from a wealth of excellent articles published on Woork. 8. A Practical Guide To Web Typography Robert Bringhurst's book, The Elements of Typographic Style, is on many a designer's bookshelf, and is considered to be a classic in the industry. The renowned typographer Hermann Zapf calls the book “a must for everybody in the graphic arts, and especially for those just entering the field.” In order to allay some of the myths surrounding typography on the web, this book has been structured as a walk through Bringhurst's working principles, explaining how to accomplish each using techniques available in HTML and CSS. Practicality is ever present with workarounds, alternatives and compromises for less able browsers. 9. Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design This e-book is a practical guide with advice on how to improve your websites, software, hardware, and consumer products, all with an eye on accessibility and avoiding future snags. Written by Shawn Henry, an outreach coordinator who promotes web accessibility for people with disabilities, it’s a straightforward and engaging resource. The book covers the basics of improving accessibility in design projects with tips for comfortable interaction, having accessibility in a user-centered design process, examples of accessibility in user group profiles, personas, scenarios and much more. 10. Web Style Guide An in-depth resource that offers information and instruction related to several areas of web development, including interface design, information architecture and usability. The book explains established design principles and illustrates how they apply to projects whose primary concerns are information design and efficient search and navigation. Beginner and advanced designers will find this to be one of the most practical guides available. More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable: - 12 Beginner Tutorials for Getting Started With Photoshop - 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 Image courtesy of iStockphoto, iamspartacus9 Reviews: iStockphoto More About: accessibility, book, design, designers, developer, e-book, help, how to, List, Lists, resource, web design, Web Development For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Tweeting While Driving Cited in Celebrity Surgeon Death Posted: 18 Aug 2010 07:12 AM PDT New reports indicate that Dr. Frank Ryan, plastic surgeon to Heidi Montag and other celebrities, was tweeting just before his fatal car accident on Monday. Ex-girlfriend Charmaine Blake told People Magazine that the plastic surgeon “lived up in Malibu on a tiny street and he was texting while driving and he accidentally went over the cliff.” People has also confirmed with the California Highway Patrol, although the official cause of the accident has still not been determined. Dr. Ryan was purportedly tweeting about his border collie, Jill, when he lost control of his car. Ominously, this final tweet from Ryan includes a photo of his dog atop some sand dunes in Malibu. The dog, who was with Ryan at the time of the crash, survived injuries. Although often associated with teens, texting while driving is a serious issue for adult drivers as well. A recent report from Pew’s Internet and American Life Project found that 47% of adult drivers admitted to sending or reading text messages while driving. Public service announcements and advocacy campaigns dedicated to highlighting the dangers of texting — or tweeting — while driving have been rolled out by governments, consumer groups and wireless companies, but the problem isn’t getting any better. Beyond additional legislation coupled with heavy fines, it isn’t clear what more can be done to curb this very real problem. Perhaps incidents like this latest tragedy can act as a reminder for others to put down the phone while behind the wheel. More About: dr. frank ryan, texting, texting while driving, trending, Tweeting For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

T-Mobile G2 Teaser Page Posted Online Posted: 18 Aug 2010 07:00 AM PDT Remember Google and T-Mobile’s G1? It was the first Android phone ever, and as such it generated an extraordinary amount of buzz. Now, T-Mobile hopes to attract some more of it with the phone’s successor, the T-Mobile G2. All we currently know about the phone is its general shape (via an outline posted on an official teaser page), and the fact that it will support HSPA+, making it the first T-Mobile’s 4G (or 3.5G, depending on how you define 4G mobile communication) phone. “The T-Mobile G2 will deliver tight integration with Google services and break new ground as the first smartphone designed to run at 4G speeds on our new HSPA+ network,” the teaser site says. Without giving a precise time frame for the launch, T-Mobile promises it will share more details about the G2 “in the coming weeks,” as well as “offer exclusive first access to current T-Mobile customers.” We doubt the G2 will generate as much interest as its predecessor, as powerful Android phones coming from HTC and others aren’t that rare nowadays. Still, it’s exciting news for T-Mobile users interested in a high-end, HSPA+-capable smartphone. [via Engadget] Reviews: Android, Google More About: android, Google, smartphone, T-Mobile G2 For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

50+ Immediate Job Openings in Social Media, Web Development and More Posted: 18 Aug 2010 07:00 AM PDT If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help out. For starters, Mashable’s Job Lists section gathers together all of our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might want to see our articles on How to Leverage Social Media for Career Success and How to Find a Job on Twitter. But we’d like to help in a more direct way, too. Mashable's job boards are a place for socially savvy companies to find people like you. This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions in the web, social media space and beyond. Have a look at what's good and new on our job boards: Jobs at Mashable Mobile Editor at Mashable in New York, NY. Social Media Editor at Mashable in New York, NY. News Editorial Assistant at Mashable in New York, NY. Community Assistant at Mashable in New York, NY. Mashable Job Board Listings Content Manager at Digitas Health in Wilmington, DE. Manager, Project Management at Digitas Health in New York, NY. Art Director at Digitas Health in Philadelphia, PA. Account Executive at Yelp in Scottsdale, AZ. Social Media Intern at TheStreet.com in New York, NY. Product Manager at Savings.com in Los Angeles, CA. SEO Marketing Specialist at Blue Fountain Media in New York, NY. PHP/LAMP/Flex/Analytics Developer at Combo in New York, NY. Sr. Associate, Regulatory Review at Digitas Health in Philadelphia, PA. Senior Programmer/Technical Lead at Forum One Communications in Alexandria, VA. Web Developer at Forum One Communications in Alexandria, VA. Office Manager at Aviary in New York, NY. Social Media Marketing Coordinator at Cision US, Inc. in Chicago, IL. Digital Strategist at A Squared Group in West Hollywood, CA. Facebook Fan Page Superstar at My College Guide in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Automated Test Developer at Axcient in Mountain View, CA. Linux Systems Developer at Axcient in Mountain View, CA. Senior Windows System Developer at Axcient in Mountain View, CA. Ruby on Rails Developer at Axcient in Mountain View, CA. Community Manager at Ally Marketing in Redmond, WA. Senior Business Project Manager at AT&T in Redmond, WA. Publisher Services at Appssavvy in New York, NY. Client Services at Appssavvy in New York, NY. Junior Web Developer at Adbay.com in Casper, WY. Sr. Copywriter at Digitas in New York, NY. Media Strategist at Goldin Solutions in New York, NY. PHP/Java Developer at Rent the Runway in New York, NY. Media Relations Specialist at Practice Fusion in San Francisco, CA. Social Media Coordinator at Viking River Cruises in Los Angeles, CA. Executive Assistant at Digital Studio in Los Angeles, CA. Online Video Syndication Research Specialist at Digital Studio in Los Angeles, CA. Digital Media Specialist at Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C. Director of Digital Marketing at CLEAR in New York, NY. Web Content Editor at CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield in Owings Mills, MD. Drupal Programmers at TMG in Washington DC. Social and Digital Marketing Director at Ashoka in Arlington, VA. Manager of Corporate Communications and Social Media at Alpine Access in Denver, CO. Business Development Manager at Flurry, Inc. in San Francisco, CA. Social Media Brand Ambassador at Buick in Austin, TX. Senior Account Executives at Flurry, Inc. in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY. Digital Strategist / Mobile at Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide in Chicago, IL. Software Engineer – J2EE, Web Services at Mocospace in Boston, MA. Market Development Manager at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX. Social Commerce Insights Program Manager at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX. Client Success Director at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX. Front End Web Developer at APCO Worldwide Inc. in Washington DC. SVP/EVP Social Media Communications at GolinHarris in Los Angeles, CA. Graphic/Web Design Blogger at a confidential company in New York, NY. New Media Marketing Manager at Devils Arena Entertainment/Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. PHP Developer at ANYwebcam.com Pty Ltd in Landrum, SC. Online Campaign Manager at Practice Fusion in San Francisco, CA. Editorial Intern at TMG in Washington DC. Director of Marketing at BzzAgent in Boston, MA. Vice President, Sales at BzzAgent in Boston, MA. Associate, Media Services at BzzAgent in Boston, MA. Marketing Analyst at BzzAgent in Boston, MA. Director of Technology and Digital Media at Echoing Green in New York, NY. Designer/Developer with Proficiency in WordPress at FortuneBuilders Inc in New Haven, CT. Front end PHP/WordPress Developer at The Marcom Group in Bakersfield, CA. Web Developerr at Pre Play Sports in New York, NY. eMarketing Manager at Small Business Resources in Washington DC. Mashable’s Job Board has a variety of web 2.0, application development, business development and social networking job opportunities available. Check them out at here. Got a job posting to share with our readers? Post a job to Mashable today ($99 for a 30 day listing) and get it highlighted every week on Mashable.com (in addition to exposure all day every day in the Mashable marketplace). Image courtesy of iStockphoto, YinYang Reviews: Aviary, Mashable, Yelp, iStockphoto More About: jobs For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Morning Brief: HBO Says No to Netflix, Dell CEO Rebuked, Apple Secures Mobile Patents Posted: 18 Aug 2010 06:12 AM PDT Morning Brief: HBO Says No to Netflix, Shareholders Rebuke Dell CEO, Apple Secures Patents 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. HBO on Netflix? Don’t Hold Your Breath In an interview with Bloomberg, HBO Co-President Eric Kessler declared that HBO, which hosts such popular shows as True Blood and The Sopranos, is unlikely to sign a deal with Netflix anytime soon. "There is value in exclusivity," Kessler explained. “[Consumers] are willing to pay a premium for high quality, exclusive content," he said. "We would love to do a deal as well with HBO," a spokesman for Netflix responded. "Compete with us or collaborate with us, but we would much rather work with them." Instead, Kessler said, HBO intends to make its content available online via its own platform, HBO Go. 1/4 of Dell Shareholders Withdraw Support for CEO In a recent vote, a quarter of Dell’s shareholders (approximately 378 million) voted against the continuation of Founder and CEO Michael Dell’s tenure on the company’s board. "It is extremely rare to have that amount of shareholder disaffection directed toward an executive who is so central to the company's past, present and future,” observed Stanford Law Professor Joseph A. Grundfest. Dell paid the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) $100 million last month to settle accounting fraud charges, in addition to a $4 million penalty paid by Michael Dell himself, who was accused of misleading investors by “not disclosing the full extent that regular payments from the chip maker Intel had come to play in Dell's overall financial performance,” according to the NYT. Apple Awarded Patents for Two Key Mobile Features The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple patents for two key mobile features: the Slide to Unlock feature on Apple’s mobile devices, and the magnified letters that appear when typing on the iPhone keyboard [via TUAW]. Further News Google shared screenshots of its forthcoming Chrome Web Store, a marketplace for HTML5 apps, at the GDC Europe conference. Group-buying deals site Groupon has purchased a majority stake in two international clones, Qpod.jp and Darberry.ru, for undisclosed sums, effectively extending its reach into Japan and Russia. Sony has just announced features and pricing information for its soon-to-be-released PS3 bundle, which includes both an updated version of the console and the equipment you need (including its new Wii-like motion controller, PlayStation Move) to play the motion games. Note-taking software application Evernote has passed the 4 million users mark. 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: Evernote, Google, iPhone More About: apple, dell, first to know series, hbo, netflix, patents For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Vevo Launches Its On-Demand Music Videos iPhone App [EXCLUSIVE] Posted: 18 Aug 2010 06:05 AM PDT Vevo is bringing on-demand music video streaming to mobile with the launch of its long-awaited iPhone app. The free application [iTunes link], which just launched in the iPhone App Store, focuses on bringing top artists like Usher and Lady Gaga to device owners, but also promotes emerging artists. When you first launch the app, you’ll be greeted by a carousel of top music videos that are burning up the Vevo charts. You can choose to watch one of these or just browse through Vevo’s catalog. Vevo told us yesterday that all of its videos are available on the iPhone and that new videos will appear in the app at the same time as they appear on Vevo.com. This makes the app a true extension of Vevo. Browsing videos focuses on three areas: top videos, music video premieres and new videos. You can also browse top artists (familiar faces like Eminem, Justin Bieber and Kanye West), artists who are currently on tour and “new” artists. The latter is a collection of emerging talent that Vevo and the music labels have identified, which provides new and unique sounds when you get bored of Shakira and Waka Waka. Every video comes with the ability to share via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. It also includes an option to buy individual songs via iTunes and the ability to read comments (posting comments will come in a future updates). There’s also a “Nearby Videos” feature that shows you what videos are hot locally by figuring out who’s getting the most plays on Vevo in your town or city. We’ve had some time to play with the app, and we think it’s slick. You can’t play most music videos on your iPhone via YouTube because of the licensing rights, but none of that is a problem for Vevo. Plus, the video quality and video browsing interface are both stellar. We’re also fans of some of the little things, such as the small music industry factoids that appear while you’re waiting for your movie to load. That’s not to say the app is perfect; it still lacks a few features such as multitasking support and the ability to connect the app to your Vevo account, but it’s a great start that nails the video viewing experience. Also, because of licensing restrictions, the app is only available in the U.S. and Canada. Since its launch in December 2009, Vevo, a joint partnership between music labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI, has experienced sharp growth. The site is now one of the largest video platforms on the web, thanks to a technology and content partnership with YouTube. Reviews: App Store, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, justin bieber More About: EXCLUSIVE, iphone, iphone app, iPone app, Lady Gaga, music, music video, vevo, youtube For more Web Video coverage: Follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Web Video channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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