Mashable: Latest 8 News Updates - including “Pi Day: Google Doodle Celebrates Math Nerds Everywhere” |  |
- Pi Day: Google Doodle Celebrates Math Nerds Everywhere
- New Version of Digg Revealed
- On Google’s Impending China Decision, and How It Has Lost Its Impact
- Tweet #RefreshMashable to Support New Location App to Change Your Community
- 5 Must-See Google Easter Eggs
- Pete Cashmore Talks Foursquare, iPad, and Location on Bloomberg [VIDEO]
- ‘Predators’ Preview Debuts at SXSW
- Top 10 Twitter Trends for This Week [CHART]
- Chatroulette Founder Working to Preserve User Privacy
| Pi Day: Google Doodle Celebrates Math Nerds Everywhere Posted: 13 Mar 2010 09:53 PM PST  
π (Pi) is the mathematical constant that has helped school children and mathematics professors determine the circumference of a circle based on its diameter for centuries. The constant starts with 3.14 and continues forever (as it is an irrational number). Many math geeks celebrate the famous math constant (and mathematics in general) on every 14th of March because that date represents the first three digits of Pi. Google’s new logo, which you can see on the top right, contains not only the famous πr2 formula, but five other uses of π: measuring the volume of a sphere (V = 4⁄3 πr3), computing the circumference of a circle (C = 2πr), measuring the volume of a cylinder (V = πr2h), Archimedes’ calculation of Pi (223/71 < π < 22/7), and even the measuring of a wave. As a former physics major and long-time math nerd, I love Pi Day, and I am very happy that Google not only celebrated the occasion but created such an intricate logo to mark this day. Almost everyone worldwide will see this logo: it’s Mothers Day in the UK (the fourth Sunday of Lent), and thus they have their own logo to celebrate it, which we have included below. How will you celebrate Pi Day? Please let us know in the comments!   Reviews: Google Tags: Google, google doodle, google logo, Pi Day
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| Posted: 13 Mar 2010 07:22 PM PST 
The new version of the website is not yet available. However, if you visit New.Digg.com, you can sign up for the alpha and see a preview of what the new Digg will look like in the background. Mr. Adelson told the crowd that the site was “five years in the making.” While the company didn’t reveal much about the new website, it seems that there will be a cleaner interface, more personalization options, the ability to submit news items with one click, and brings back the leaderboard for top users. Digg’s famous website buttons are also getting revamped. In fact, if you Digg an article on Mashable, you will see the new buttons in action, as we are currently helping test them. We’re going to try to put up a video of the announcement, along with more details on the new version of Digg as soon as we can. In the meantime, I’ve put up screenshots from New.Digg.com and enhanced the brightness to make viewing the new interface easier. Update: Digg’s Steve French left some more interesting information in the Digg comment thread for this post. Here it is in its entirety:
 Reviews: Digg, Mashable Tags: digg, New Digg, trending
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| On Google’s Impending China Decision, and How It Has Lost Its Impact Posted: 13 Mar 2010 02:51 PM PST 
Two months ago, Google threatened to shut down its China search engine over censorship. Yet until today, its China search engine has stayed up with results still censored. Now the search company is finally expected to announce that it’s going to actually follow through and slowly shut down its China search engine. So why does it feel like Google’s impending decision will not have the impact it could have had two months ago? When Google first made its declaration, the implications seemed enormous. One of the world’s largest technology companies was reigniting the censorship debate. Governments and activists would query China over the Google attacks and the state of free speech in its country, while Google would be taking the moral high ground as it walked away from one of the world’s largest markets due to principle. Instead, we’ve had a two month “will they or won’t they?” type of affair that even Google’s co-founder said could take a year or two to resolve. Now that the end game may be close, what will happen when Google actually pulls out of the world’s most populated nation? The answer, sadly, is not much. Google Is Trying to Have Its Cake And Eat It TooEver since the company’s bold statement on censorship in China, it has kept quiet publicly. Privately however, the company has been in talks with the Chinese government over its operations in the Asian nation. Google’s attempts to run its search engine unfiltered though seem to have failed — not a big surprise for those of us who have been tracking the Chinese government’s Internet policies. Now the heart of the issue seems to be that Google doesn’t want to completely leave China, even if it does shut down its search engine. The company would like to keep operations in the country. The fallout from the Google-China dispute has already affected Android, which is something the company cannot afford to lose in such a budding market. Has Google’s resolve wavered? It’s tough to tell, but my guess would be no — it will stay true to its word and shut down the Google China search engine if it cannot serve unfiltered search results. What is happening though is this: it is trying to have the rest of its China pie while coming out looking like the good guys. Operations in advertising, mobile, and non-search fields would stay open, keeping Google’s foothold in China. At the same time, it could take its moral stand. A Rock and a Hard PlaceThe problem though is that the message it wanted to send has already been lost. China has won. Its laws have not changed, the damage to China has been minimal at best, and it looks like it will get to keep one of the world’s most powerful technology companies within its borders. Google, on the other hand, has lost much of the shine from its original announcement, will soon give up a small but valuable piece of the Chinese search market, and has weakened its other initiatives in the communist nation. After Google was hacked, it was put in between a rock and a hard place. Its actions, while still bold, will not change how things are done in China. Its indecisiveness with how to proceed has made the pressure on China all but evaporate. Google’s going to finally make the stand it promised to make two months ago. It’s unfortunate that it allowed time to rust the shine of its declaration and take away much of the principle and authority that made the decision so powerful and inspiring. Reviews: Google Tags: china, Google, Google China, google search, The Social Analyst
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| Tweet #RefreshMashable to Support New Location App to Change Your Community Posted: 13 Mar 2010 01:29 PM PST 
The ProjectAfter lots of great submissions from our readers, we settled on SparkHelp's simple and timely concept that we think stands to make a huge social impact with the resources of Pepsi and our support. Here's how SparkHelp explains their concept:
 With the increasing popularity of location-based apps on smartphones, think about being able to turn on SparkHelp when you have a couple hours free to find a project in your neighborhood – from the simple helping a neighbor in need to helping build a local playground. This makes getting involved simple, timely, and free of any long-term commitment. We think this vision can be realized with a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project, allowing the team behind SparkHelp – lead by Brian Milner – to build its website as well as the apps for all of the major mobile platforms. How to Support ItThe winner will be chosen based on which project gets the most tweets that include its own unique hashtag. Our hashtag is #RefreshMashable – if you believe in the SparkHelp concept, be sure to include it on all of your tweets until voting ends on Monday, March 15th, at 11:59 CT. You can follow the voting in real-time on the Refresh SXSW Facebook Page. Also, if you're at SXSW, your registration bag includes a "VOTE" button with room to write in the project you're supporting – you can add the #RefreshMashable tag there as well (find me if you need a sharpie!). The SparkHelp team has also setup a Twitter account where you can track progress and activities. Thanks for your support! Adam and Brian Do Oprah RadioBrian and I also got a chance to appear on the Derrick Ashong Experience on Oprah Radio earlier today to talk about the project. Here's a snapshot:  Reviews: Craigslist, Foursquare Tags: pepsi refresh, sxsw, sxswi
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| Posted: 13 Mar 2010 12:07 PM PST 
Bearing in mind we’re working up another list covering surprises that can be found in Google Maps, Earth and Street View, have we missed any other tricks from those crazy Google funsters? Do share in the comments below. 1. Try a Different Version of the Google Homepage Sure, Google’s doodles make the famously sparse homepage a little more funky on certain days, but there are ways to jazz it up any day with some homepage tricks that will turn your search base into a pirate-, Klingon- or even Swedish Chef- themed online property. Most of these work by entering an exact search term and then hitting the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. There’s a ton of these, some of which have been active for a while. Google nods to open source software with Linux- and BSD devil-themed options that can be activated by typing “google linux” and “google bsd” then hitting the IFL button. Those partial to a bit of grog meanwhile can get their Google homepage pirated by doing the same with “xx-pirate.” Google will display in “hacker-speak” if you type in “google l33t.” The Klingon version can be found with “xx-klingon,” and if you want some bork with your Google, enter “xx-bork” to go all Muppet Show. Even more options include pig latin (“xx-piglatin”), an Easter egg-themed page complete with bunny mini-game (“google easter egg”), and a dark gothic way to search (“google gothic”). Typing “elgoog” offers Google backwards, and there’s an Elmer Fudd tribute at “ewmew fudd.” Finally, it’s not quite a whole homepage change, but entering “ascii art” will make the Google logo display in that style. 2. See Quirky Calculator Results While the few funny answers Google offers via its Calculator app don’t quite top the amusement to be had by typing 5318008 into your upside-down elementary school calculator, they are nonetheless another sign that the search giant doesn’t take itself too seriously. Case in point — searching for the number of horns on a unicorn makes the Calculator app spring into life with the answer “1,” which is the same number it returns if you ask Google what the loneliest number is. Searching for “once in a blue moon” brings up “1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz.” And, always a classic, searching for “the answer to life, the universe, and everything” will trigger the Calculator display “42,” which we all know is a reference to Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 3. View Search Results Funnies A classic, third-party search gag is revealed by asking Google to “find chuck norris” and hitting the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. The result, in bold red, reads “Google won’t search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don’t find Chuck Norris, he finds you.” Suggestions for the next course of action include, “Run, before he finds you.” Although not falling into the Easter egg basket, some of the auto-suggestions that can be found via Google’s search service are pretty funny, too. 4. Get Teddy Bears and Ninjas Google programmers have messed around with code for both Picasa and Google Reader to yield some surprising results. Taking Picasa first, when in the desktop software, hitting control-shift-y will make a teddy bear appear. Hitting the same combo again will give the first teddy a new buddy, and so on. It’s since been revealed this was the childhood bear of photographer and photoblogger Noah Grey who worked with Google on the project. Reader, meanwhile, gets an even more comprehensive Easter egg. With a reference to the old Konami video game cheat code — that, depending on the game, would give you 30 lives or other bonuses — hitting up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, will make your RSS feed reader go into “ninja” mode. As well as making some of the screen blue, all your feeds will read “30,” and some of the icons will change (e.g. the like/unlike buttons, which turn into animated hearts). A little cartoon ninja will actually appear on the right hand side of your screen. 5. iGoogle Theme Surprises in the Wee Hours iGoogle skins are practically chocolate-coated with so many Easter Eggs to be found within. A wide selection of the themes — which tart up your browser bar with pictures that change throughout the day — have a secret that’s revealed at 3:14 AM PST every single day. Selecting the “beach” theme will mean the Loch Ness Monster makes a mysterious appearance for one minute every day at that time. UFOs will hover over the skyline in “City Scape” and the Yokai, from Japanese folklore, show up in “Tea House”. Meanwhile, a cartoon monster makes a brief appearance in “Spring Scape,” pi appears in the sky in “Sweet Dreams,” and the Northern Lights put on a show in both “Winter Scape” and “Holiday Village.” Still more include a snow tiger in “Aja Tiger,” pumpkins in “Autumn,” a galleon sailing along in “Hong Kong,” and a spider in “JR.” It’s almost certainly no coincidence that “3.14″ are the first three digits of pi. It’s the kind of witty play on numbers the Google staffers seem to love and, let’s face it — so do we! More Google resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Google, Google Maps, Google Reader, Linux, Picasa Tags: easter eggs, Google, google reader, google search, iGoogle
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| Pete Cashmore Talks Foursquare, iPad, and Location on Bloomberg [VIDEO] Posted: 13 Mar 2010 11:07 AM PST 
The result has been a battle for domination in the geolocation space. While many still think Foursquare could be the next Twitter, rivals such as Gowalla are giving the mobile startup some heat, and big players such as Facebook and Twitter are launching location features or are about to launch them. Our own Pete Cashmore sat down with Bloomberg’s Cris Valerio to discuss the location trend, the battle brewing between Foursquare and Gowalla at this year’s SXSW, the gold mine that is location-based advertising, the iPad, and even a little bit about the future of Mashable. It’s quite a fascinating video — if you do watch it, let us know what you think of the location trend (and Pete’s on-air performance) in the comments. Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter
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| ‘Predators’ Preview Debuts at SXSW Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:38 AM PST 
Texas-native Robert Rodriguez (whose Troublemaker Studios is based in Austin) showcased the first preview of July’s Predators, his newest movie, last night. The preview that was shown at SXSW is already online and you can watch it here: Knowing Rodriguez’s love of digital filmmaking and his Predator fandom, we fully expect to see a digital — possibly even viral — campaign for the film, especially as we edge closer to release. The full trailer will be online on March 18th. So, are you excited about Predators? Let us know in the comments! Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: movie trailers, Movies, Predators, sxsw, sxsw2010, sxswi
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| Top 10 Twitter Trends for This Week [CHART] Posted: 13 Mar 2010 09:29 AM PST 
The latest data, which comes from our friends at What the Trend, gives us a snapshot of what topics dominated Twitter. Given the topical nature of the list, hashtag memes and games have been excluded. Tween-favorite Justin Bieber lost his spot at #1 to the Big Show — AKA the Oscars. The 82nd Academy Awards dominated Twitter on Sunday night and was the most discussed topic of the week as a whole. Don’t feel bad for Bieber though: he’s still number two on the list. Now, who’s hot who not/Tell me who rock who sell out in the stores. Well, that would be B.I.G P-O, P-P-A, also know as the Notorious B.I.G. The legendary Brooklyn rapper, who was murdered 13 years ago this week, was #5 on this week’s list of trends. More than a decade after his tragic death, Biggie continues to be a larger than life figure. Music continues to be a big topic of discussion on Twitter, with artists like Lady Gaga, Bieber and the Jonas Brothers all appearing on the list. We expect to see Lady Gaga next week too, given the camp-infused epic music video for “Telephone” that was released at the end of the week. Looking forward, we predict Justin Bieber, the iPad and Twilight: Eclipse to all appear on the chart next week. You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section as well as read more about this past week’s trends on What The Trend. Top Twitter Trends for 3/7 – 3/13
Reviews: An Education, Eclipse, Twitter, beyonce, twilight Tags: top twitter trends, twitter, What The Trend
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| Chatroulette Founder Working to Preserve User Privacy Posted: 13 Mar 2010 08:46 AM PST 
Andrey Ternovskiy, speaking in an interview with the New York Times Bits blog, stated, “There is a certain level of anonymity on the Chatroulette that Chatroulette Map takes away, but I plan to add something to my site to allow them to still hide their whereabouts.” Chatroulette Map highlights a Chatroulette user’s location by looking at his or her IP addresses, which is revealed via the peer-to-peer nature of the webcam connection. As well as placing a marker on a map, users are screengrabbed, offering anyone in the world a brief sneak peak through a stranger’s webcam. This has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, although those behind Chatroulette Map say they will remove an image and marker on request if emailed a matching photo to ensure the authenticity of the request. 17-year-old Ternovskiy, a Russian student currently visiting the U.S., says of ChatRoulette Map, “I enjoy it”, but obviously realizes his users — some of which appear to have a penchant for public nudity and masturbation — might be less likely to use the service without the anonymity it previously offered. However, this does not mean Ternoviskiy is green-lighting the use of the service for such NSFW activities. He has introduced a “report” button, which will see someone “reported” three times banned from the service. Other points of interest from the interview are the fact that Ternovskiy has yet to collect his Google AdWords earnings as he’s is still under 18, that he’s been offered a $1 million buy-out, and that last month 30 million unique visitors hit Chatroulette, which is averaging one million new users a each day. Tags: chatroulette, chatroulette map
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For most of the world, today is March 14th, or 3/14. To most, that date doesn’t have any special meaning. But to us math nerds, it means only one thing: today is Pi Day! Thankfully, it looks like Google has no shortage of number nerds, because the search giant is marking the occasion with a spiffy new logo filled with some of choice geometry formulas.
At the “Bigg Digg Shindigg” event at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference (SXSWi), Digg CEO Jay Adelson revealed that the popular social bookmarking site is getting a major overhaul, teasing the audience about new features such as personalized feeds and the return of the Digg leaderboard.
Here in Austin, I just finished introducing 
There’s no doubt Google has a sense of humor — its excellent April Fools jokes are a testament to that. But there’s a wealth of funnies that can found any time of the year too. Here we pull together a handy list of Google “Easter eggs” that you can uncover right now.
If you had to pick the one buzzword that’s dominating social media chatter today, it would have to be location. Just over a year ago, 
Hooray for Hollywood! — the big winner this week in our roundup of the top 10 
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