Mashable: Latest 13 News Updates - including “Top 3 Stories in Tech This Morning”

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• Top 3 Stories in Tech This Morning
• Sharp Announces Two Android-based Tablets for December
• Mashable Weekend Recap: 16 Stories You Might Have Missed
• Happy 12th Birthday, Google
• Elmo of “Sesame Street” Pulls An Old Spice Too [VIDEO]
• Internet Pornographers Now Suing Pirates
• The Evolution of the Apple Mouse [PICS]
• Netflix Adds “Saturday Night Live” and Other NBC Shows
• Windows Phone 7 Launches October 21 [RUMOR]
• 29 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed
• DirecTV Sports Bar Finder App Finds The Nearest Game Fast
• SCVNGR Teams Up with Universities to Introduce Students to Campus This Fall
• 7 Ways Mobile Apps are Enriching Historical Tourism
• Top 3 Stories in Tech and Social Media This Morning

Top 3 Stories in Tech This Morning Posted: 27 Sep 2010 05:10 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. Google Celebrates Its 12th Birthday It's Google's 12th birthday today, and the company’s regular logo has today been replaced by an image of a cake, created by American painter Wayne Thiebaud. Google has expressed some uncertainty about its founding date in previous years, sometimes celebrating as early as September 7. The Google.com domain was registered on September 15, 1997. Sharp Announces E-book Service, Devices in Japan Sharp Corporation today released details about its forthcoming cloud-based media service, dubbed “Galapagos.” The service, which launches in December, will begin by offering 30,000 newspapers, magazines and books to the Japanese market. Like Amazon’s Kindle subscription service, the most recent editions of newspaper and magazines can be subscribed to and automatically delivered to user’s e-readers when they become available. In addition, free trial versions of recommended e-books can also be delivered to devices as a way of triggering further sales. A social network application allows readers to discuss books and compare reading lists. To accompany the service, two Android-based, Wi-Fi-enabled, full-color e-reading devices have been developed: a portable, 5.5-inch LCD tablet, and a 10.8-inch, high-resolution LCD version that allows users to peruse magazines in a two-page spread format, aimed for home use. Prices and exact release dates for the two devices have not yet been announced. Sharp's biggest competition will be Apple, which introduced the iPad to Japan four months ago, and Sony, which plans to launch its own e-book service before the end of the year. Apple Dominates Tech News Coverage, Study Finds A new study from the Pew Research Center found that Apple commanded the lion’s share of coverage in the technology news sector over the last year. The study, which examined news coverage from 52 newspapers, broadcast stations, and websites from June 2009 through June 2010, revealed that 15.1% of tech articles were primarily about Apple, 11.4% were about Google and a mere 3% were about Microsoft [via The New York Times]. In November, Twitter plans to begin advertising in third-party clients such as TweetDeck and Hootsuite, in addition to the ads (such as Promoted Tweets and Promoted Trends) it currently serves on Twitter.com [via AdAge]. Salesforce has acquired enterprise chat startup Activa Live for an undisclosed amount. Online textbook rental service Chegg has raised another $75 million from Asia-based Ace Limited, AllThingsD reports. 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. More About: apple, birthday, first to know series, Galapagos, Google, media, Sharp, tech news 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

Sharp Announces Two Android-based Tablets for December Posted: 27 Sep 2010 04:45 AM PDT Japanese tech giant Sharp announced it would launch a 5.5-inch and a 10.8-inch tablet named Galapagos, as well as an electronic bookstore in December – but only in Japan. Both tablets will feature Wi-Fi communication and are Android-based; the smaller model will have a 1024 x 600 LCD screen, while the larger version will boast a 1366 x 800 pixel resolution. Both devices will be available in red, silver and black. Despite the color LCD screens, Sharp emphasizes that these new devices are primarily e-readers. In December, Sharp will launch its e-bookstore which will feature an "Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service" for periodicals as well as delivery of free trial versions of recommended content. The e-bookstore will feature some 30,000 books at launch, while Sharp plans to expand content to movies, music and games next year. Sharp’s biggest competitors will be Apple, whose iPad was introduced in Japan four months ago, and Sony, which plans to launch its own e-book service before the end of the year, and has recently launched new versions of its three e-book readers. Sharp plans to sell 1 million units of the tablet, and is currently speaking to Verizon in the United States about a possible overseas launch. More About: e-reader, Galapagos, Shartp, Tablet 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

Mashable Weekend Recap: 16 Stories You Might Have Missed Posted: 27 Sep 2010 03:46 AM PDT We hope your weekend was awesome, whether you spent it in the sun at your local beach or indoors with a latte and a good book. Now it’s Monday morning (in America, at least) and it’s time to get back to work. To help you get up to speed, we’ve collected some of the top stories and resources from the weekend. This weekend, two Windows Phone 7 rumors caused a stir, Northwestern University talked down celebrities on Twitter, Netflix won a huge cache of content new and old, and Apple updated iTunes to make Ping more usable. Oh, and Elmo touched hearts through YouTube, and we assembled a list of Sci-Fi predictions that have, amazingly enough, come true in recent years. Thanks for reading! News Essentials Ashton Kutcher Has Little Twitter Influence [STUDY] Windows Phone 7 Doesn’t Support Tethering Windows Phone 7 Launches October 21 [RUMOR] "The Social Network" Writer on Mark Zuckerberg: "I've Been That Guy" Netflix Adds “Saturday Night Live” and Other NBC Shows Internet Pornographers Now Suing Pirates iTunes 10.0.1 Update Improves the Ping Experience DirecTV Sports Bar Finder App Finds The Nearest Game Fast SCVNGR Teams Up with Universities to Introduce Students to Campus This Fall Helpful Resources Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART] HOW TO: Score a Job in Social Gaming 7 Ways Mobile Apps are Enriching Historical Tourism Weekend Leisure 11 Astounding Sci-Fi Predictions That Came True The Evolution of the Apple Mouse [PICS] Elmo of "Sesame Street" Pulls An Old Spice Too [VIDEO] Weekend Gaming: “F1 2010,” “Halo: Reach” Continued [OPEN THREAD] Reviews: Ping, Twitter, YouTube More About: Aaron Sorkin, App, apple, ashton kutcher, celebrities, directv, education, elmo, F1 2010, gaming, halo reach, itunes, mark zuckerberg, mashable weekend recap, Mobile 2.0, nbc, nbc universal, netflix, News, Ping, piracy, porn, saturday night live, Sci-Fi, scvngr, sesame street, sex, social gaming, sports, study, tech, televisiont, the social network, trends, twitter, v, video, video games, web video, windows phone 7, youtube 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

Happy 12th Birthday, Google Posted: 27 Sep 2010 12:05 AM PDT It’s Google’s 12th birthday today, and Google’s regular logo has been replaced by an image of a cake, created by the American painter Wayne Thiebaud. Thiebaud is famous for his paintings of cakes and other everyday objects, and has been associated with the Pop art movement. As far as Google’s birthday is concerned, today’s logo change solidifies the notion that Google’s birthday is, indeed, September 27. Google had previously been unclear about the exact date, sometimes celebrating on September 7, although the Google.com domain was registered on September 15, 1997. Although 12 years is a lot in the world of IT technology, the fact that a company has grown so huge in this time frame never fails to astound us. Happy birthday, Google! Reviews: Google More About: birthay, Google, painter, painting, trending, Wayne Thiebaud 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

Elmo of “Sesame Street” Pulls An Old Spice Too [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Sep 2010 07:39 PM PDT Sesame Street used Google Moderator to sort through questions from Elmo’s fans then put the red furry guy in a YouTube video to answer them. The resulting 20-minute interview is both adorable and touching, and it has accumulated more than 3.5 million views over the weekend. Questions were asked by kids and adults alike, and they included standards like “What’s your favorite food?” along with “How do you actually get to Sesame Street?” and serious ones like, “How do you keep from getting sad when your daddy is away?” Soliciting questions from fans on the Internet and answering them in web videos is commonplace now. It’s been going on for a long time, but the recent megahit ad campaign featuring the Old Spice Guy took it to a new level, and even TV host Conan O’Brien has jumped on the bandwagon. The Old Spice Guy is sexy and Conan is hilarious, but we challenge you to make the case that either one of them is anywhere near as heartwarming as Elmo! Reviews: Internet More About: elmo, Google, Google Moderator, interview, old spice, old spice guy, questions, sesame street, social media, television, tv, twitter, video, 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

Internet Pornographers Now Suing Pirates Posted: 26 Sep 2010 06:43 PM PDT Hollywood film studios and record labels aren’t the only people filing lawsuits against illegal downloaders. As of a few weeks ago, porn producers banded together to file lawsuits of their own, but there’s a unique spin: embarrassment. It’s tough to say whether or not the lawsuits filed by movie studios and record labels against a small number of users have proven effective as a deterrent to piracy, but the added embarrassment of exposing sexual fantasies to friends, family and colleagues might make the method more effective for owners of adult content. The producers have targeted users who downloaded titles that prominently feature transsexuals and “barely legal” 18-year old girls. Since the lawsuits are on public record, the defendants’ porn-viewing habits would be exposed. Pink Visual President Allison Vivas told the AFP, “When it comes to private sexual fantasies and fetishes, going public is probably not worth the risk that these torrent and peer-to-peer users are taking.” The initial barrage of lawsuits began a few weeks ago, and the producers are also targeting YouTube-like streaming video sites (YouPorn and XTube come to mind) that deal in owned content and only remove it after receiving a take-down notice. There’s a certain irony to the situation. Many of these producers built their careers by distributing their goods through web-based channels that challenged traditional distribution models. Now those technologies have developed to the point that the average user can simply acquire the goods for free. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sodafish Reviews: YouTube, iStockphoto More About: copyright, file sharing, intellectual property, lawsuits, piracy, porn, pornography, sex For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The Evolution of the Apple Mouse [PICS] Posted: 26 Sep 2010 04:00 PM PDT Apple’s product design is legendary in the industry for innovation, inspiration and imagination, but it’s often the more glamorous products such as the MacBooks, iPhones and iPods that get all the attention. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at Apple’s input device — the humble mouse — to see how the design has changed from way back in the early 80s right up to today. The evolution of the Apple mouse makes for an interesting design journey that includes the loss of its tail, moving from a single button to touch, and of course going from beige to multi-colored and back to a monotone. Click through the gallery below to journey through the mouse’s history and let us know any memories you have (fond or not!) of any of the devices in the comments. 1983: Lisa Mouse Apple got outside help with the design of its first mouse for the Lisa computer. Inspired by Xerox's innovative mouse input devices, but not able to afford to bundle such expensive devices in with its systems, Apple got Hovey-Kelley to come up with a similar design but for a fraction of the price. The infamous Apple solo button made its debut on the Lisa Mouse, supposedly after consumer research showed that's what computer users preferred. The ball was made of steel, rather than rubber, adding some serious heft to the peripheral. The Lisa Mouse might not look like much to today's computer connoisseur, but as one of the first commercially available mice for consumers, matched with Apple's graphical user interface, it was certainly impressive for its time. Image credit Marcin Wichary 1984: Macintosh Mouse The Macintosh Mouse didn't change much from the Lisa's design, although it did boast a rubber, rather than metal roll ball. Over the next two years, the Apple Mouse IIc, AppleMouse II, Apple Mouse, and Apple Mouse IIe all debuted for various systems, but kept the essential block-like design a constant. Image credit Vectronic's Apple World 1993: Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II Apple's second version of its ADB Mouse starts to look more like one we'd use today, rather than some retro relic, thanks to the curved lines of its teardrop shape. In terms of actually functionality, this was still the dark ages with just the one button, although the Apple Desktop Bus connectivity, introduced in 1986, was a more user-friendly option than previous, clunky D-sub methods which required screwing in. Image credit Raneko 1998: Apple USB Mouse Often cited in Worst Apple Products Ever lists, the USB Mouse (known as the hockey puck mouse), while fun looking, suffered from dinky dimensions and some seriously bad ergonomics that made it a pain to use. It first shipped with the iMac G3 in 1998 and was available in an exciting rainbow of primarily fruit-themed colors -- Grape, Tangerine, Lime, Blueberry and Strawberry, as well as the original "Bondi Blue." However, its rotund design meant it saw criticism from users who reported it being hard to control precisely, and required taking the user's eyes away from the screen to look at the device not just to see where it was pointing, but where the button was. The problem was so bad in fact, it inspired the peripherals market to offer up solutions, such as the $10 iCatch plastic add-on that made the mouse a more traditional shape. At this stage, Apple mice still had single button, although the USB mouse is notable as being the first mouse to employ USB connectivity. Image credit Raneko 2000: Apple Pro Mouse Launched in black as the Apple Pro Mouse in the summer of 2000, this incarnation was the first from the company to use LED technology to detect movement, instead of a roller-ball, offering glow-in-the-dark illumination for night owls. The Pro Mouse lost the infamous single button typical of Apple mice up to this date in favor of the entire mouse being clickable -- and in early versions you could even determine how hard you wanted to press for the click action. In 2003, the Apple Pro Mouse got a slight revamp and became available in white, and as a battery-powered wireless Bluetooth model (the Apple Wireless Mouse) was also introduced, becoming Apple's first cable-free input offering, alongside a matching wireless keyboard. An overall success, the Pro Mouse enjoyed a five-year lifespan with very few design changes, although its design was not without criticism. The original's two-foot cable length was too short for anyone who didn't want to plug the mouse into their keyboard's nearside USB port, and challenging for southpaws. Image credit Ask Bjorn Hansen 2005: Apple Mighty Mouse The Pro Mouse, also confusingly at times referred to as the Apple Mouse, was super-ceded in 2005 by the Mighty Mouse, which even more confusingly was also later referred to as the Apple Mouse after the Cupertino company lost a lawsuit brought against it by Man & Machine who also offered a Mighty Mouse -- a rugged input device designed for use in labs and the like. However, while recognizing that the Mighty Mouse name belongs to Man & Machine, we will for the sake of historical clarity refer to the 2005-and-on Apple Mouse as the Mighty Mouse. The wired, USB-powered Mighty Mouse boasted four independently programmable "buttons" -- two of which were really touch sensors built into the mouse's body -- and what Apple called an "ingenious" 360-degree scroll ball that allowed users to navigate in any direction. The popular programmable functions included pressing the scroll ball and squeezing the mouse's sides to initiate one-click shortcuts to launch functions such as Dashboard, iChat or Safari. A year later, Apple cut the cord and introduced a Bluetooth 2.0 wireless version of the Mighty Mouse that also boasted better performance across a wider range of surfaces thanks to laser rather than LED tracking. In addition, it could operate on one or two batteries, a clever trick to save weight for those working on the go. In late 2009, the legal ruling in favor of the Man & Machine saw both the end of the Mighty Mouse moniker and the product as Apple announced the Magic Mouse. 2009: Apple Magic Mouse After adding the iPhone display's multi-touch technology to its Mac trackpads, Apple took the touch theme a step further by adding it to its latest mouse. "Mighty" became "Magic" as the buttonless, smooth white peripheral made its debut in October 2009. With the entire mouse surface one big clickable multi-touch sensor, the Magic Mouse offers a more intuitive experience than rigidly relying on clicking buttons and cranking scroll wheels. As with design concepts and functionality from Apple's other input devices from years gone by, look out for other manufacturers soon following suit with touch-enabled mice of their own. 2010 and Beyond: Apple Magic Trackpad While Apple says you can "use it in place of a mouse or in conjunction with one on any Mac computer," the company isn't pushing the new Magic Trackpad as a mouse replacement just yet. But we don't think it will be too long before the multi-touch trackpad eclipses the mouse as the input device of choice for Mac users, if not within the entire industry. On the whole, the standard computer mouse is not very ergonomic, and has been linked to health problems like Repetitive Strain Injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In fact, the ball-based mouse has been around since the 1970s, so as we head into the 21st Century world of touchscreen computing and motion control, the concept starts to seem decidedly dated. While we don't think it will happen overnight, we're fairly sure the more natural and intuitive actions of swiping, pinching, tapping and rotating will eclipse the old click and scroll before too long. More Apple Resources from Mashable: - 10 Geekiest Apple-Flavored Cakes [PICS] - 10 Best Apple iPad Stands - 10 Awesome Apple-Inspired iPad Wallpapers [PICS] - 10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS] - 10 Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know About Apple Image courtesy of The Mothership More About: apple, gadgets, galleries, gallery, List, Lists, magic mouse, mice, Mighty Mouse, mouse, tech 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

Netflix Adds “Saturday Night Live” and Other NBC Shows Posted: 26 Sep 2010 02:37 PM PDT Netflix and NBC Universal have struck a deal to load the streaming video site with tons of content from both NBC and its family of cable networks, including all 35 seasons of Saturday Night Live, and new episodes of the sketch comedy show the day after air. Saturday Night Live just aired its season premiere last night, but we’re not seeing the episode on Netflix. Apparently the deal hasn’t been executed just yet. The day-after premiere episodes will continue through 2012, but neither Netflix nor NBC specified how long the other content deals will last. The Office, Law & Order: SVU and 30 Rock will continue to appear on Netflix with the addition of new seasons, along with all episodes of Friday Night Lights. As far as cable content goes, Syfy properties Sanctuary, Battlestar Galactica and Destination Truth will be presented in their entirety, plus USA’s Psych, In Plain Sight and Monk. The press release from Netflix and NBC says some movies from Universal will be added as well, but it didn’t name any specific films. Netflix lives and dies by the content in its library, and its leaders have made some smart choices in their quest to secure strong shows and films. For example, they struck a deal with Starz to carry that network’s content. If they had approached studios directly in that case, they would have had to wait years for the films to pass through existing exclusive contracts. More About: battlestar galactica, destination truth, friday night lights, in plain sight, law and order, monk, nbc, nbc universal, netflix, psych, sanctuary, saturday night live, shows, Silverlight, snl, streaming, streaming video, television, tv, video, web 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

Windows Phone 7 Launches October 21 [RUMOR] Posted: 26 Sep 2010 12:35 PM PDT Two web publications have independently reported that Windows Phone 7 will launch in Europe on October 21. They both cite sources “familiar” with Microsoft and its plans. While we’re keeping this in the rumor category, it does seem to add up. Previous reports have named October, and Microsoft just a few weeks ago announced that the Windows Phone 7 software is ready for release. It’s just a matter of when manufacturers will be shipping their phones. The initial report from Spanish website El Economista said the phones would be released in Spain on October 21, but another report that popped up at Neowin added the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy to the list. Neither report gives any indication as to when Windows Phone 7 will launch in the United States, but it’s a safe bet that the U.S. launch would occur within a few days of the European one. Neowin also reports that Microsoft will show off its phones at an event in New York City on October 11, and that Microsoft will partner with a popular London-based radio station to promote the phones in the UK. Windows Phone 7 has some very promising features, but this weekend some techies were disappointed to hear that Microsoft doesn’t plan to support data tethering with the devices. Will you be picking one up anyway? More About: cell phone, cellphone, gadgets, handset, microsoft, Mobile 2.0, rumor, smartphone, tech, trending, Windows, windows phone 7, Wireless 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

29 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed Posted: 26 Sep 2010 10:39 AM PDT We hope that you’ve enjoyed UN Week and kept up with some of the great events that Mashable, along with the 92Y and the United Nations Foundation, have presented at the UN Week Digital Media Lounge. With all the excitement around the MDGs, social good, and bringing change to the world, we understand if you’ve missed one or two of the great resources we’ve published in the past week or so. That’s why we’ve rounded them up in one convenient spot for you below. Looking for ways to support a cause through your social network? Check out our Social Media section where you’ll also find Fall travel deals and an in depth analysis of how politics are heating up on the social web. Tech & Mobile has some web design trends and good tips for creating a killer mobile search campaign. Finally, our Business section has some tips on building your international network online, and ways for SMBs to leverage Facebook Places. Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time. Social Media Social Good: Charity and Technology in the Online Universe [INFOGRAPHIC] How has social media giving changed over the last few years? How does it compare with traditional non-profit campaigns? Check out our infographic for some perspective. Fashion Week Takes Over Twitter [INFOGRAPHS] During New York Fashion Week, brands, marketers and media turned to Twitter to generate real-time coverage and buzz among followers of the event. 5 Ways to Celebrate "Talk Like a Pirate Day" Online in 2010 Arrr! Ye Mashable readers know today be Talk Like a Pirate Day 2010, but were ye landlubbers aware that there be more ways t’ celebrate online than there are bottles o’ rum in Jack Sparrow’s locker? How Social Media Helped 174 Million People Get the Message About Malaria This is the story of how Ray Chambers, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Malaria, worked with Ashton Kutcher to fight Malaria using social media. How Social Media has Changed the Game for Documentary Filmmaking Making a documentary used to be all about film festivals and hard-won funding. But social media has opened up a wealth of opportunities for those with a camera and a cause. 5 Easy Ways to Support a Cause Through Your Social Network Ads in your social stream would be forgiven, even encouraged, if they benefit a good cause. Here are 5 ways you can raise money for charity by advertising on your social networks. HOW TO: Gracefully Promote Yourself Online If you want to earn eyeballs, buzz or cash dolla bills for something you've dreamed up, using social media is pretty much a must. Social Media: The New Battleground for Politics It’s a brave new world for digital politics, and both parties are gearing up with some impressive social media strategies for the fall elections. 3 Small Cause Campaigns That Won Big With Social Media Non-profit organizations are leading the way when it comes to creatively harnessing the power of social media, but what about the little guys? These 3 success stories will inspire you. HOW TO: Find the Best Fall Travel Deals on the Social Web Looking to get away on the cheap this season? We’ve found a slew of ways for you to save money on every leg of your trip, from take off to lights out. Interview: Facebook's Role in Social Good [VIDEO] Facebook's Associate Manager of Public Policy Adam Connor spoke about the role that the social network plays in enabling charitable work around the world. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile 5 Tips for Aspiring Web App Developers So, you're not content with just using the social web; you want to be part of building it, too. Here are five tips for aspiring web app developers. 5 Important New Trends in Location The geolocation space is only getting hotter. Check out these 5 emerging trends you should keep up with if you’re looking to maintain your social media edge. 8 Tips for a Killer Mobile Search Campaign When people search the web from their mobile devices, they’re looking for immediate and local results. Here are some key factors in a successful mobile search campaign. Top 5 Web Font Design Trends to Follow Big things are happening in the world of web typography. If you want to stay ahead of the curve (and keep your websites looking beautiful), keep tabs on these 5 trends. HOW TO: Communicate Needs & Expectations to Web Designers Hiring a designer is simple. But what you get from that designer depends on how well you communicate what you want, need, and expect. That part’s not so easy. How Universities Can Win Big with Location-Based Apps Businesses have already jumped headlong into the location game, but universities stand to win big by incorporating location networks into their marketing and engagement strategies. How Your License Plate Could Be Your New Username [INVITES] BUMP.com allows users to connect online and offline via unique identifiers, including license plates, mobile phones and online profiles. 5 Ways HTML5 Is Changing Mobile Advertising Multiple operating systems, thousands of apps, and a disparate mobile web experience has made a mess of mobile advertising. HTML5 has the potential to change everything. 8 of the Best Premium WordPress Themes Free WordPress themes abound, but sometimes you need to spend a little for professional style and optimized elegance. You might call these 8 themes the Cadillacs of blog design. 10 Dead Simple Gmail Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts Looking to boost your Gmail productivity without all those newfangled browser extensions? These 10 easy tweaks will make you a Gmail power user right out of the gate. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business How SMBs Can Start Using Facebook Places Now Here are a few pointers for how SMBs can leverage Facebook Places and other marketing tools starting today. Why Small Businesses Should Care About Mobile Payments Studies show that mobile transactions are increasing exponentially. Will your business be ready when this trend hits the mainstream? 10 Inspiring Non-Traditional Workspaces [PICS] More companies are realizing that they can help inspire their staff with a fun workspace. Check out our gallery of 10 unusual offices from all around the world. HOW TO: Build Your International Business Network Online No private jet? The web makes it possible to build and maintain a strong international business network. Check out these 7 great tips. How Non-Profits Can Rally Support for Online Contests Entering cause contests is a great way for non-profits to win funding and rally support, and social media can get you to the finish line. Here are some great engagement tips. How Businesses Are Unleashing Their Employees' Social Media Potential Daily work is changing, and companies that empower their employees to creatively solve problems with tech are ahead of the curve. Check out these success stories. 5 Beautiful Tumblr Themes for Small Businesses There are hundreds of great themes that you can use with Tumblr to give your blog its own unique look. Here are five clean and professional favs for small business users. Life After Microsoft: 15 Startups Founded By Ex-Employees Ex-Microsoft employees have created a bevy of impressive new companies over the software giant’s 35 year history. Here are 15 we found most interesting. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of , Webtreats Etc. Reviews: Facebook, Gmail, Mashable, Tumblr, Twitter, social media More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, small business, social media, tech, technology, trend, twitter, youtube 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

DirecTV Sports Bar Finder App Finds The Nearest Game Fast Posted: 26 Sep 2010 09:16 AM PDT It’s not easy being a sports fan on the road. Sure you have a nice a home theater and a favorite neighborhood sports bar, but finding an agreeable place to watch your game out of town is often an exercise in futility. For those of you who didn’t spring $350 for the NFL Sunday Ticket To-Go, or if your favorite sport doesn’t offer a decent mobile option, DirecTV has launched a Sports Bar Finder app for Android and iOS. The app uses the GPS in your iPhone or Android device to pinpoint your location and show the surrounding sports bars. If you’re thinking, “I can easily do this on Yelp or Google Places,” you’re right, but this app takes it a step further. It’s capable of showing which sports are available at most of the bars it lists. You may still need to call the bar to check if your game is playing, but the app removes most of the guess work. Sports Bar Finder is a free app that is available now through iTunes and by searching the Android Marketplace from your mobile device. Reviews: Android, Yelp, iTunes More About: android, DirectTV, iOS, iphone, nfl, sports, Sports Bar Finder 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

SCVNGR Teams Up with Universities to Introduce Students to Campus This Fall Posted: 26 Sep 2010 09:11 AM PDT Location-based social gaming apps are making a major push to become the app of choice for university students during the back-to-school season. In mid-September, Foursquare announced the launch of its Foursquare for Universities program, complete with school-themed badges and official partnerships with 20 universities. Other apps, like Whrrl and Gowalla, have designed similar outreach schemes. But while those services have mainly limited their offerings to providing short snippets of information at various checkin locations around campus, or badges for studying late at the library, Google Ventures-backed SCVNGR has gone a few steps further. The startup announced that it partnered with its 350th university this week, the result of an aggressive outreach strategy to college admissions and orientation programs over the last couple of years. During the last year especially, SCVNGR has worked with universities to design scavenger hunt-like treks to familiarize prospective and matriculating students to campus, entice students to participate in campus events and fairs, and more. One reason SCVNGR works so well for campus orientation programs is because the service isn’t just limited to checkins; students can also be challenged to take photos of various points of interest around campus to verify that they did, in fact, visit them. It can also be used as an interactive visual guide for helping prospective students and their families tour the campus if they aren’t able to make an official tour session. When asked why SCVNGR has focused so heavily on university outreach, SCVNGR University Specialist Christina Dorobek said that it was due largely to SCVNGR’s founder and CEO, 21-year-old Seth Priebatsch, who developed the technology when he was a freshman at Princeton. “He saw that the college-age demographic were early adopters of mobile technology in the first place, and wanted to get them using their cellphones to explore their cities,” Dorobek explained. It’s a smart strategy, and one that ensures that students will be familiar with the platform from the very beginning of their college careers, making them more likely to participate in other SCVNGR events on campus and elsewhere in the future. Currently, SCVNGR is most popular among 17-31-year-olds, and slightly more popular among males than females, Dorobrek told us. Besides universities, the service has also heavily pursued partnerships with major sports teams, including The New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, to heighten engagement with fans. Texas Tech SCVNGR Trek for Prospective Students Reviews: Foursquare, Gowalla More About: foursquare, gowalla, Mobile 2.0, scvngr, social gaming, universities, whrrl 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

7 Ways Mobile Apps are Enriching Historical Tourism Posted: 26 Sep 2010 07:45 AM PDT Some of the most famous historical sites would be just another old house or pile of rubble if you didn’t have any background information about their significance. Tourists have always had options for educating themselves about what they’re looking at. They can read relevant books beforehand, they can hire a tour guide, or, if everyone in the group has the patience, they can take the time to read every plaque and sign on the premises. Now, many programmers are also offering tourists the option to learn about these sites via their smartphones. While many of the world’s significant historical locations have some sort of interactive app connected to them, the seven we picked below are among the most innovative and impressive. 1. City Stories: Medical London Bloomsbury The first London hospital started in the 12th century and was run by monks, not doctors. The morality of patients was assessed before they were admitted, and people with contagious diseases were omitted. This tour, which starts at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London and ends at the Wellcome Collection, explains the history of medical developments that occurred between this point and today. At 10 stops along the way, you’ll listen to audio clips about the history of anesthetics, amputation, neurology, women and medicine, and some of London’s historic medical centers. The Wellcome Collection, which “explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future” collaborated on the creation of this app, and their knowledge of this niche subject is apparent in the result. 2. Chicago Gangland Tour The author of this app, Jonathan Eig, is a former Wall Street Journal reporter and the author of Get Capone. In other words, he is not only knowledgeable about the subject, but an engaging writer. This app plots the nearby locations of 1920s gangster activity like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and gives you the detailed back stories. 3. Library of Congress Virtual Tour The Library of Congress is impressive, but it also invites questions like, “Why is that statue holding a sailboat?” This free app gives the basic historical rundown of notable rooms of the Library in text, audio, and video. It allows you to scroll through pictures with headlines that often note the answers to your more specific curiosities. For instance, “That statue represents Commerce. She’s holding a model of a Yankee schooner.” 4. Boston Freedom Trail App For each of the 16 marked historical sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail, this app has a written explanation as well as professional-quality audio and HD video component. Knowing some history about Colonial Revolutionary Boston really enriches the tour, and at $2.99 this app is much more affordable than a guide. There’s also a map feature, which is less important than the commentary because the entire trail follows a physical thick red line. 5. Walking Cinema: Murder on Beacon Hill The 20th century had the O.J. Simpson trial; the 19th century had the trial of Professor John Webster. In 1849, Webster was accused of killing Dr. George Parkman, one of the richest men in Boston. Pieces of Parkman’s body were found in and under the Harvard Medical College. The country was captivated by the gruesome crime and it’s high profile victim. PBS made a documentary on the investigation decades later that was called Murder at Harvard. This app is a companion to the film. The app artfully directs you to eight Boston locations and reveals a relevant bit of the story at each one. Instead of directing you to locations you might notice on a walk, videos lead you not only into The Etherdome of Massachusetts General Hospital, for instance, but to a specific railing where you can see a specific log that used to hold up the Harvard Medical College. Taking this tour is like being inside of a documentary, which is part of what led to it being the first app accepted as an entry to the Boston International Film Festival this year. It won the Indie Spec New Media Award. 6. LAT Star Walk Hollywood’s hometown newspaper has archives of information on it’s famous neighbors. The Los Angeles Times puts it to use in this app, which maps the locations of more than 2,000 stars’ homes on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Search by celebrity name, by block, by type or by GPS location. If you’re planning a day of celeb star spotting, you can customize a tour with your favorite stars. The app even has an augmented reality option that will point you in the direction of a particular celeb’s star. 7. Time Travel eXplorer London Want to see if the road you are standing on existed 100 years ago? The “time travel” aspect of this app is the ability to toggle between an antique map from 1862 and today’s map. You can do this no matter how far zoomed-in you are on the map to see how your surroundings have changed. There are also about 750 points of interest identified on the map. Many of them include historical photos and audio explanations. Because they are provided by the British guild of registered tour guides, these explanations tend to sound exactly like what you would expect on a guided tour. More Mobile Resources from Mashable: - 10 Ways Touring Bands Can Leverage Location Apps - 15 Mobile Translation Apps for the International Businessperson - 9 Free Mobile Apps for Exploring New York City - 12 iPhone Apps For Exploring the Great Outdoors - 8 Free BlackBerry Games Worth Downloading Image courtesy of iStockphoto, CagriOner Reviews: iStockphoto More About: apps, Chicago Gangland Tour, City Stories, history, iphone apps, LAT Star Walk, Library of Congress, List, Lists, medical london, Mobile 2.0, mobile apps, Murder on Beacon Hill, Time Travel Explorer, tourism, travel, Walking Cinema 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

Top 3 Stories in Tech and Social Media This Morning Posted: 26 Sep 2010 06:33 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. iPhone 4 Off to a Strong Start in China Although sales of the iPhone 3GS in China were less than spectacular — not least because the version that appeared in China lacked Wi-Fi support — the iPhone 4 is shaping up to be a success in the country thus far. On launch day, the line was more than 1,000 customers long when doors opened at the Apple Store in Bejing’s Joy City shopping mall, Fortune reports. And more than 200,000 pre-orders for the device had been placed with China Unicom, which is selling the iPhone 4 with a two-year mobile service contract. (Most iPhone buyers are planning to purchase the device directly from Apple, which is selling it for about $150 less and without a contract in China, a survey revealed.) French Court Convicts Google and CEO Eric Schmidt of Defamation A Paris court has convicted Google and its CEO Eric Schmidt of defamation for results produced from its “suggest” function. When the name of the plaintiff in the case, a minor, was typed into the search engine, the words “rapist” and “satanist” were brought up via the “suggest” feature. Google was ordered to pay a symbolic fine of one euro and “take measures to ensure there could be no repeat of the offense,” the AFP reports. A spokesperson for the search giant said it would be appealing the ruling. Celebrities Have Little Influence on Twitter, Study Shows A recently published study from Northwestern University claims that celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, who has millions of Twitter followers, have little conversation-generating influence on the microblogging site. The study found that experts in certain fields were much more likely to trigger discussion trends, no doubt a relief to many who participate in these kinds of conversations on Twitter. However, if a celebrity tweets about his or her area of expertise (for example, if Lebron James tweets about basketball), s/he may actually exert some influence in that case. But an entertainment celebrity’s political statements generally don't hold as much sway as those tweeted by politicians or political analysts. Further News The forthcoming Windows 7 Phone will not allow users to connect to the Internet on the device via a personal computer (a.k.a. tethering), a Microsoft spokesperson revealed. 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: Apple Store, Google, Internet, Twitter More About: ashton kutcher, china, eric schmidt, first to know series, france, Google, iphone 4 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

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