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 five particular stories of interest today.

Al-Qaeda Website Declares Ayman al-Zawahiri New Leader

According to messages on several jihadist websites, Ayman al-Zawahiri is the new leader of Al-Qaeda following Osama bin Laden's death.

LulzSec Claims Responsibility for CIA Website Takedown

Hacker group LulzSec, which has claimed responsibility for hacking the servers of Sony, Nintendo and the U.S. Senate, now says it is behind the DDoS attacks that took down the CIA’s website for part of Wednesday.

Observers Turn to Social Media During Vancouver Riots

Soon after the Vancouver Canucks lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup hockey series to the Boston Bruins Thursday, rioting broke out in the streets. Observers have been uploading photos of the rioting to photo-sharing sites such as Twitpic and frog, and logging on to Facebook to organize a mass cleanup.

UK Operators Teaming Up to Create Mobile Wallet

The UK’s three largest operators, O2, Vodafone UK and Everything Everywhere, are now working together to offer cross-platform, mobile wallet services.

Apple Sued by Publisher Over Use of “iBooks”

Apple is being sued by New York publisher John T. Colby in federal court for trademark infringement over its use of the term "iBooks.”

Further News

• Google has launched a tool for better identity control.
• Sony’s S1 and S2 tablets might be hitting Europe this summer, according to a leaked memo.
• Facebook users have more close friends than those who don’t, according to a new study from Pew.
• Social networking use has doubled since 2007, a comScore report finds.
• According to a study released earlier this week, a third of Netflix users are iStockphoto, DNY59

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Steven Rosenbaum is a curator, author, filmmaker and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Magnify.net, a real-time video curation engine for publishers, brands and websites. His book Curation Nation from McGrawHill Business was published this week.

The mantra of a lot of web software is the same: Use technology to take the human agents and costly middlemen out of the equation. Connect consumers to sellers, thus creating a more efficient marketplaces. There are many examples of this working well and generating fantastic new business opportunities.

Along the way, the web aggregated everything: airfares, hotel rooms, auctions, stock market data, weather information — you name it. The only problem is, the software that made everything comparable has also made things increasingly unfindable. Today, as the web shifts from data to content, the sheer volume of undifferentiated content makes the very tools that have propagated and cataloged data increasingly part of the problem. While data is the ideal candidate for disintermediation and aggregation, content — when placed in orderly stacks of undifferentiated muck — becomes less and less valuable.

This is why the new software frontier isn’t about removing humans, but empowering them. And software tools, many of them now in beta, are creating scalable opportunities for editorial teams and individuals to curate their collections.

Here are three examples of software products built for humans, rather than as a means to replace them.

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1. Paper.li

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I spoke with Paper.li’s founder Edouard Lambelet at this year’s Blog World Expo. Paper.li has 1.5 million monthly unique visitors, and more than 300,000 Paper.li “newspapers” have been created.

“Paper.li is about narrowing things,” Lambelet said. “I think mainstream media can't cover everything, really. It's extremely difficult to search for this kind of content top to bottom. You really need to have small curators [and] small editors in chief — millions of them covering content.”

How does it work? Paper.li extracts tweets that include URLs and extracts the content found on these URLs from people you follow. It creates sections, based on categories, and publishes a daily “newspaper” around your community. By entering search queries, you can narrow the scope of tweets brought into your paper. This can be done with keywords, hashtags or usernames.

Simply put, each Paper.li publication is curated around a user’s interests, narrowed and filtered further for focus. But Paper.li isn’t about removing the human element — far from it. It’s about embracing human curation and giving a new class of publishers the tools to find, filter and focus the content that interests them.

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2. Storify

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Storify’s co-founder Burt Herman was a bureau chief and correspondent for the Associated Press, where he covered politics, conflict, culture and business across the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Asia. He was was an embedded reporter with the U.S. Marines and Air Force during the 2003 Iraq war and covered fighting in northern Afghanistan, as well as the U.S. military buildup in Central Asia after the September 11 attacks.

He returned to school, as a Knight fellow at Stanford, to explore the future of journalism. The result was Storify, which offers tools for journalists and bloggers to turn curated social content into stories. You can use tweets, photos and videos from multiple social networks and pull individual elements into your story. Reordering them and expanding on them with context is simply a matter of “drag-and-drop.”

“We see witnesses everywhere,” says media pundit and blogger Jeff Jarvis. “Some of them reporters, some people who happen to be at a news event before reporters arrive … some who may be participants but are sharing photos and facts via Twitter.” Jarvis says that tools like Storify can turn social media into a coherent narrative — this at a time when, as he says, “an article can be a luxury. Let the record show that I am not declaring the article useless or dead. Just optional.”

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3. Pinterest

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While both Paper.li and Storify are about links and tweets, Pinterest is a visual feast of images and ideas. I met founder Ben Silberman almost a year ago. The site is still in closed beta today, but from the moment I saw what he and his co-founders had done, I knew they were tackling a piece of the curation puzzle that had yet to be conquered.

Pinterest describes itself as a “virtual pinboard,” but others call it a “moodboard site” because it’s so visually stimulating. Pinterest users can “pin” an image or a link to their profile, sharing something that they find beautiful, dramatic or inspirational.

Pinterest is about empowering visual curators. As they explain it: “We know you have great taste in something. Our mission is to make Pinterest the best place for you to share your taste with the world.”

And while you can “pin” anything, the site clearly leans toward powerful and emotive images. “People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things — wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment,” says the site. “You name it, people are pinning it.”

The site is full of graphic artists, photographers, designers and illustrators — folks with amazing eyes for images who curate via color and style. So while Twitter is about 140 characters, Pinterest is about visual ideas. You can even read interviews (pinterviews!) with some of the site’s most active members here. Clearly, Ben and his co-founders don’t see their tech replacing humans, but rather being driven by quirky human taste.

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Will any of the “newspapers” published by Paper.li be as well-read as The New York Times? Certainly not. But big isn’t the goal in the new world of micro-content. It’s about focus, and voice, and giving content and domain experts the ability to find and publish a “narrowcast” paper that a small group of enthusiastic readers will enjoy.

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More About: -local, aggregation, curation, editorial, human editors, journalism, media, paper.li, pinterest, social media, Storify, web apps

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Lumosity, makers of brain-training exercises and applications for web and mobile, has just raised $32.5 million — more than 10 times the amount raised in its last funding round in 2008.

The substantial figure was raised to help the startup pump out more mobile applications, build for its international audience and finance more aggressive growth. The figure is also meant to carry Lumosity until its public offering, which CEO Kunal Sarkar anticipates will occur in two to three years.

“What we’re seeing is that [brain training] is a really big category,” Sarkar tells Mashable, “and it’s a category that we’re defining.”

Lumosity, first launched in 2007, is now a booming business. The startup has been profitable for several months running and is now touting more than 14 million members, up from 11 million at the end of February.

While Lumosity won’t reveal its actual revenues, Sarkar tells Mashable it has paying subscribers in 180 countries and has grown revenues 25% quarter-over-quarter since its launch.

“We see an opportunity to build a household brand name,” Sarkar says.

Lumosity also has relationships with 25 top academic institutions specializing in neuroscience, and is actively working on a number of behind-the-scenes brain-related research projects in conjunction with these universities.

Lumosity’s $32.5 million Series C round was led by Menlo Ventures, and included participation from existing investors FirstMark Capital, Harrison Metal and Norwest Venture Partners.

More About: brain games, lumosity, series c, startup

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A new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reveals some interesting details about social networking users, debunking the myth that people who hang on Facebook a lot tend to have less real-life friends and contacts.

Someone who uses Facebook several times per day, the study found, has on average “9% more close, core ties in their overall social network compared with other internet users.” Furthermore, Facebook users tend to get more emotional support, companionship as well as instrumental aid (meaning they’re more likely to get help when sick, etc). Finally, Facebook users tend to friend other users with whom they’ve actually met in real life; the average Facebook user has never met only 7% of his/hers Facebook friends.

Since the study was conducted during the November 2010 elections, it revealed that Facebook users also tend to be more politically active than other internet users. A Facebook user that interacts with the site multiple times per day was two and half times more likely to attend a political rally, 43% more likely to have said they would vote, and 57% more likely to persuade someone on their vote.

The study also shows that Facebook is, by far, the most engaging social platform out there, as 52% of Facebook users engage with the site daily. For comparison, 33% of Twitter users engage with the service every day, while only 7% of MySpace and 6% of LinkedIn users do the same.

The report is based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from October 20 to November 28, 2010 on a sample of 2,255 adults, age 18 and older.

Read the full report here.

More About: facebook, facebook friends, friends, real friends, social media, social networking, users

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According to a message that appeared on several jihadist websites, Ayman al-Zawahiri is the new leader of Al-Qaeda following Osama bin Laden’s death.

The decision to appoint al-Zawahiri leader was made out of respect to the “righteous martyrs” and to honor bin Laden’s legacy, the announcement said.

The message also said that the fight against “apostate invaders” will continue, until “until all invading armies leave the land of Islam.”

Al-Qaeda is known to disseminate information through its affiliate websites. Recently, news surfaced that Mi6 agents hacked an Al-Qaeda online magazine which contained bomb-making instructions, but the network managed to reissue the magazine and later issue four more editions.

Longtime Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed in a secret compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan in May. Al-Zawahiri has been considered the leader of Al-Qaeda even before the death of bin Laden, but the announcement which surfaced Thursday made that official.

[via CNN]

More About: al qaeda, Al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, osama bin laden

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As the riots in the streets of Vancouver following the Canucks loss grow more serious every minute, people have taken to social media to try to make some order from the chaos.

A Facebook event urging Vancouver citizens to help clean up the mess from the streets of the city already has over 8,000 attendees, with the number growing fast.

“Once the embarrassing rioting has ended in Vancouver let’s all show the world what Vancouver is really about by helping rebuild and clean up so it is better than it was before,” the organizers of the event urge.

KEEP READING: Vancouver Riots 2011: Fans Riot as Canucks Lose Stanley Cup [PHOTOS, VIDEOS]

On the other hand, and after news spread that the mayor of Vancouver is calling for people to save photos of hooliganism as they might be used to arrest criminals, several Facebook groups have assembled urging people to post photos of hooligans and tag the rioters.

A Tumblr blog set up for the same purpose has amassed dozens of photos within hours.

Of course, posting photos is one thing, but tagging people in the context of criminal activity, and/or posting anyone’s personal data on a public site is something we cannot recommend or condone; mistakes can be made, and it can all lead to mislead vigilantism and generally add up to the chaos. The initiative to clean up the city, on the other hand, is an example of how social media can be used to help in situations like these.

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chris Walts

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/@TheSunnyDhillon

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/Niamh Scallan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chrissy Chrzan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy @TheSunnyDhillon

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chrissy Chrzan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/lisasj

Vancouver Riot 2011

"That's a truck. Something just exploded from the inside." Photo courtesy twitpic/niamhsays

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy instagram/jennperutka

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/Niamh Scallan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chris Walts

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Adam Weiler

Vancouver Riot 2011 -- Tear Gas?

Pic courtesy twitpic/@kerizierler

Vancouver Riot 2011: Police have declared an unlawful assembly, pushing people back to Seymour and Dunsmuir

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011: Another car fire -- this one on Seymour Street

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011: That's a van on fire

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Video Gallery:

Sad Vancouver

We lost. I know - lets break windows and set cars on fire!

Riots ensue in downtown Vancouver following Stanley Cup Final

Watch raw video from Global BC as riots break out in downtown Vancouver after the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup final. The score was 4-0.

Huge Vancouver Riot 2011 Stanley Cup loss Part 1

Vancouver Canucks Lose to Boston 2011 after loosing Stanley Cup 2011 HUGE RIOT

TIM HORTONS BROKEN GLASS VANCOUVER RIOT 2011

READ DESC FROM A LIVE WITNESS OF WHAT HAPPENED. i actually wanted to see downstairs The vancouver riot 2011 all because they lost to the bruins...losers.TEENANGERS WERE IN TIM HORTONS AND THEN THE GIRL GOT ALL MAD AT HER BOYFRIEND AND POURED HER WATERBOTTLE ON HIS HEAD. HE GOT SO MAD HE STARTED PUNCHING HER AND CRAP, THEN EVERYONE ELSE STARTED FIGHTING AND A GUY GOT HIS HEAD THROWN INTO THE GLASS AND IT SHATTERED. MOMENTS LATER WE SAW THE POLICE COME. THIS STORY WAS TOLD TO ME BY OUR NEIGHBOUR ;)

nucks_riot.MOV

Vancouver riot video from english bay

4yr boy cries over Canucks Stanley Cup Final loss to Boston Bruins

My sons reaction to the Vancouver Canucks loss to Boston in the Stanley Cup Final.

FROM 1994: Stanley Cup Riot In Vancouver - 1994

Game 7 with the Vancouver Canucks vs New York Rangers on June 14, 1994. After the game, things got quite ugly here in Vancouver! I recorded it the next day straight from the newscast on BCTV. For the record, I was disgusted with the whole ordeal!

More About: Canucks, Facbeook, hockey, riot, social media, social networking, Vancouver, Vancouver city riots, Vancouver Riots 2011, vandalism, Violence

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Nellie Akalp is the CEO of CorpNet.com, an online legal document filing service. Nellie helps small business owners form an LLC or incorporate a business. To learn more about Nellie and how she can help your business get off the ground quickly and affordably, please visit here.

Blogging has grown up more quickly than anyone imagined. There are now nearly 163 million blogs worldwide with more than 69 thousand blogs created every 24 hours. But blogging isn’t just the purview of hobbyists; the ever-expanding blog industry features top-performing businesses that bring in serious revenue. Blogs have given platforms to a collection of original voices, provocative opinions and a wealth of knowledge.

Even though blogging has become a serious industry, some new bloggers may not consider its legal aspects. If you're a self-employed or self-starting blogger, here are some of the key things to keep in mind as you navigate the legal and business aspects of your blog:

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Do You Have Liability Concerns?

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While running an in-home childcare center or launching a catering business seem like naturally risky professions, it's hard to imagine that sitting behind a computer can put you at any real risk of a lawsuit. Still, there are some serious liability issues for bloggers. What if you unintentionally plagiarize someone's work? Or maybe you end up writing about a mobile phone prototype left at a bar? What if you can't pay your vendors? What happens if you're fined by the FTC or named in a class-action lawsuit for positively reviewing a defective product?

Most bloggers are probably aware that back in December 2009, the FTC revised their guidelines to bring social media and Internet advertisers into the mix. At the heart of this revision was a concern that it was becoming increasingly difficult to recognize an “advertisement” in social media. In 2010 the ruling reverberated throughout the marketing world and the blogosphere. Controversy surrounded Twitter, high profile celebrities, and improperly disclosed sponsor relationships. As a result, every blogger needs to be aware of the guidelines and take some simple steps to minimize their liability.

Step 1: Disclosure, Disclosure, Disclosure!

Bloggers need to disclose any “material relationship” with an advertiser or brand. This relationship can encompass anything from receiving cash, free tickets, or a free product in exchange for a product review or blog post.

For example, Joe is a video game expert who blogs about his gaming experiences. A manufacturer sends him a free game and asks him to write about it. Accepting this free game creates a material relationship that must be disclosed, or else Joe can face substantial fines. Beyond these legal considerations, disclosure is good practice that maintains a level a trust between the blogger and his or her audience.

Step 2: Talk About What Consumers Can “Generally Expect”

It's no longer acceptable for an advertiser (or blog review) to make outrageous claims (I made $50,000 last month from home; I lost 50 pounds in 2 months; I look 25 years younger overnight) only to put a "results not typical" disclaimer in fine print. Advertisers and bloggers are bound to disclose results that "consumers can generally expect." Failure to comply can result in substantial fines, actions by the State Attorney General, consumer protection lawsuits, or consumer-driven class-action suits. In most cases the company itself will be the defendant, but a participating blogger could be named in such a lawsuit.

Step 3: Incorporate or Form an LLC

Most self-employed business owners start thinking about incorporation in order to reduce their tax burden (if you're paying self-employment taxes, you know what I mean). However, the main benefit of incorporating your blog or forming an LLC is the separation of your personal and business finances, thus minimizing your personal liability.

The LLC and Corporation (either S Corp or C Corp) protects a business owner's personal assets from any liability of the company. So if your blog happens to be sued or fined, your personal assets, such as property or a savings account, are shielded from any judgment. On the other hand, if you're sued as a sole proprietor, you'll be sued personally. This means that your personal assets are at risk.

The other important factor to know is that creditor judgments can actually last up to 22 years. If you're sued today, your personal assets will still be vulnerable throughout that time period. Keep in mind that, while you might just be starting out without few significant personal assets today, you should be protecting the assets you’ll earn tomorrow.

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I'm not a fan of scare tactics, but I am a fan of education. Most likely, you'll never run into any sort of problems with your blog. However, just in case, it's best to shield your personal assets through an LLC or Corp, to use some common sense when choosing your advertising/marketing partners, and always to err on the side of transparency.

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Image courtesy of Flickr, Filin Ilia

More About: blog, business, how to, legal, LLC, social media

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Photo courtesy yfrog/Lisa Johnson

Soon after the Vancouver Canucks lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup hockey series to the Boston Bruins, rioting broke out. As the violence became more intense, we found numerous pictures on photo-sharing sites such as Twitpic and yfrog.

As you can see in the picture above and in the gallery below, a car was set on fire, a truck was flipped over, and when police entered the area of downtown Vancouver with full riot gear, crazed fans were throwing beer bottles and shoes at their plastic shields, according to CTV News.

As the rioting intensified, so did the volume of user content on Twitter and Facebook. Some rioters were even posing for pictures that were subsequently posted on Facebook, making them much easier to catch as soon as the intensity of the moment dies down.

KEEP READING: Vancouver Riots 2011: 8000+ People Join Cleanup Group on Facebook

Pics and video we found were sourced from people who were observing the riot firsthand and then uploaded their content to YouTube, Twitpics and yfrog.

Update: We’re hearing reports of the rioting intensifying, with rioters looting an electronics store and others. According to The New York Times, the police have now declared an area in downtown Vancouver an “illegal assembly zone.”

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chris Walts

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/@TheSunnyDhillon

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/Niamh Scallan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chrissy Chrzan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy @TheSunnyDhillon

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chrissy Chrzan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/lisasj

Vancouver Riot 2011

"That's a truck. Something just exploded from the inside." Photo courtesy twitpic/niamhsays

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy instagram/jennperutka

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy yfrog/Niamh Scallan

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Chris Walts

Vancouver Riot 2011

Photo courtesy twitpic/Adam Weiler

Vancouver Riot 2011 -- Tear Gas?

Pic courtesy twitpic/@kerizierler

Vancouver Riot 2011: Police have declared an unlawful assembly, pushing people back to Seymour and Dunsmuir

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011: Another car fire -- this one on Seymour Street

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Vancouver Riot 2011: That's a van on fire

Photo courtesy twitpic/Danny O'Neill

Video Gallery:

Sad Vancouver

We lost. I know - lets break windows and set cars on fire!

Riots ensue in downtown Vancouver following Stanley Cup Final

Watch raw video from Global BC as riots break out in downtown Vancouver after the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup final. The score was 4-0.

Huge Vancouver Riot 2011 Stanley Cup loss Part 1

Vancouver Canucks Lose to Boston 2011 after loosing Stanley Cup 2011 HUGE RIOT

TIM HORTONS BROKEN GLASS VANCOUVER RIOT 2011

READ DESC FROM A LIVE WITNESS OF WHAT HAPPENED. i actually wanted to see downstairs The vancouver riot 2011 all because they lost to the bruins...losers.TEENANGERS WERE IN TIM HORTONS AND THEN THE GIRL GOT ALL MAD AT HER BOYFRIEND AND POURED HER WATERBOTTLE ON HIS HEAD. HE GOT SO MAD HE STARTED PUNCHING HER AND CRAP, THEN EVERYONE ELSE STARTED FIGHTING AND A GUY GOT HIS HEAD THROWN INTO THE GLASS AND IT SHATTERED. MOMENTS LATER WE SAW THE POLICE COME. THIS STORY WAS TOLD TO ME BY OUR NEIGHBOUR ;)

nucks_riot.MOV

Vancouver riot video from english bay

4yr boy cries over Canucks Stanley Cup Final loss to Boston Bruins

My sons reaction to the Vancouver Canucks loss to Boston in the Stanley Cup Final.

FROM 1994: Stanley Cup Riot In Vancouver - 1994

Game 7 with the Vancouver Canucks vs New York Rangers on June 14, 1994. After the game, things got quite ugly here in Vancouver! I recorded it the next day straight from the newscast on BCTV. For the record, I was disgusted with the whole ordeal!

More About: Canucks, Futureshop, hockey, London Drugs, riot, stanley cup, trending, twitpics, Vancouver, Vancouver Riots 2011

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Social networking use has doubled since 2007, and it’s all thanks to Facebook, Twitter and an array of other social companies reaching record traffic highs.

comScore’s latest numbers are out, and they paint a familiar story: social networking is on the rise. It’s the rate of growth that’s surprising, though.

According to the web analytics firm, the average online user in the U.S. now spends nearly 16% of his or her time on social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr or Twitter. That’s up from just 8% in July 2007. In the last year alone, social networking use has increased by approximately 25%.

The biggest reason for the increase in social networking is Facebook and its 700+ million users. In August 2005, Facebook was tiny compared to MySpace, its primary competitor. Facebook attracted less than 10 million monthly U.S. visitors, compared to MySpace’s 20+ million.

It wasn’t until May 2009 when Facebook finally caught up with its competitor, and ever since then Facebook has been on the rise, while MySpace has experienced a dramatic fall from grace. In May 2011, Facebook garnered 157.2 million visitors, more than four times the size of Myspace (34.9 million visitors). Facebook now reaches 73% of the U.S. Internet population each month, while MySpace has lost nearly 50% of its audience in the last year alone.

It’s not just Facebook that’s doing well, though: LinkedIn, Tumblr and Twitter all hit record highs in May, 2011. LinkedIn now attracts 33.4 million U.S. visitors, more than Twitter’s 27 million and Tumblr’s 10.7 million. Tumblr is the fastest-growing of the three companies though, boasting 166% growth in the last year. LinkedIn’s U.S. audience rose by a strong 58% in the last twelve months.

The spotlight is shining bright on these companies, thanks to a string of successful IPOs. LinkedIn shares soared during its public offering, while Pandora upped its share price twice due to heightened demand. The light is brightest for Facebook though, which could be one of the largest IPOs in history. comScore’s data contradicts recent reports that Facebook’s growth is slowing down.

Are you surprised by comScore’s numbers? Do you think social network’s growth is sustainable? Let us know in the comments.

More About: facebook, myspace, social media, social networking, tumblr, twitter

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The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Lightbox

Quick Pitch: Lightbox Photos for Android wirelessly syncs your photos across all of your Android devices, and downloads photos shared by friends on social networks for an offline browsing experience.

Genius Idea: Browse your friends’ Facebook and Twitter photos without a wireless connection.

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Just as the rise of desktop computing gave us distinct PC and Mac cultures, the smartphone boom is creating to two distinct schools of thought: iPhone and Android.

Thai Tran, the CEO of Lightbox, is aligning himself and his startup with the latter group, hoping to serve an ever-expanding audience with a photo application experience and user interface that rivals what mobile users will find on iPhone.

The startup’s first release, Lightbox Photos for Android, is a social camera application with a focus on photo taking, effects, sharing, syncing and consuming. It’s not completely dissimilar from the popular mobile photo sharing applications on iPhone, expect it has some important and unique twists.

As a camera application, you can use Lightbox to snap, shot, share and style photos. The application includes ten different filters, and supports sharing to Facebook, Tumblr and Foursquare.

Lightbox shines most in its unseen details. The application has been optimized to work with or without a network connection, so if you want to capture and share photos from a signal-free subway car, Lightbox won’t disappoint. The next time you have a network connection, the application will automatically upload and share your photos.

Lightbox is also working away in the background to sync photos from your Lightbox library to your Honeycomb-powered Android tablet (if you have the Lightbox app installed) and your online photo collection. The process is similar to Apple’s soon-to-be-released iCloud photo features, except Lightbox syncs over WiFi and 3G and treats the cloud, not the PC, as the master.

As a social application, Lightbox is like nothing we’ve seen before. Connect your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Tumblr accounts, and Lightbox will use background processing to constantly look for photos shared by your friends. The application will download the 200 most recent photos shared by your social network friends and present you with a photo stream that is accessible whether you have a network connection or not.

You can socially engage with friends’ photos offline as well. If you’re offline, you can still retweet a photo from a Twitter friend and then choose to comment on or “like” a photo from a Facebook friend, and Lightbox will queue up the actions and perform them on your behalf the next time your Android phone is connected to the web via WiFi or 3G.

Lightbox Photos is the first of Lightbox’s planned Android releases. The startup is taking a very aggressive Android-first stance because it believes the platform will become ubiquitous in the next few years.

“Android is going to take the market position of where Nokia is today,” Tran predicts. “Android phones will, within two years, be just as cheap as the non-smartphones you buy today.”

Tran also believes that Android users, when compared to iPhone owners, are often presented with inferior or subpar applications. He sees Lightbox as countering the norm by giving Android owners a best-in-class application.

Lightbox is a five-person team based in London. The startup has raised $1.1 million in seed funding.

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Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

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The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: Android apps, bizspark, honeycomb, Lightbox, mobile photo sharing, photo sharing, Photos, spark-of-genius

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Watch and listen as Airbus chief engineer Charles Champion shows off his concept for an airliner that will ply the skies in 2051.

His utopian vision of the future has airlines doing away with their tiresome class system, instead separating passengers according to whether they’d like to relax or be entertained.

The rear section of the plane is bristling with “smart tech,” with form-fitting auto-morphing seats and transparent viewscreens powered by body heat.

The spectacular front cabin is a “revitalizing zone” where the fuselage of the airplane seems to disappear, giving travelers a spectacular view as they bask in massage, acupuncture and sublime comfort.

We hope such an aircraft will be cruising around 40 years hence, but fear that realities might prevent such spacious seating, futuristic amenities and that passenger-centric mindset.

How will the airlines show a profit with this tech? Could American Airlines’ announcement that it’ll be lending first-class passengers Samsung Galaxy Tabs be a harbinger of the future?

What we’d like to add is some clever way to soothe crying babies, and a foolproof way to keep luggage from being lost.

[via Daily Telegraph]

More About: 2051, Airbus, aircraft, Airlines, Flying, future tech

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Want to play DVDs or Blu-ray discs on your shiny new Nintendo Wii U when it’s available sometime next year? You’re out of luck. Like its predecessors, Nintendo went with a proprietary 25GB format that looks like it could accommodate Blu-ray discs and DVDs, but can’t.

Why did the company take away the convenience of being able to watch a movie on the same player used for playing games? Gaming site Kotaku quoted Nintendo president Satoru Iwata:

“The reason for that is we feel that enough people already have devices that are capable of playing DVDs and Blu-ray, such that it didn’t warrant the cost involved to build that functionality into the Wii U console because of the patents related to those technologies.”

Perhaps Nintendo wanted to keep the price down on the Wii U because of the relatively high cost of that shiny new controller.

Either way, you’ll probably be able to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs on the Wii U if you really want to, that is, if the hyperactive Wii hacking community of the past is any indication. Expect to find some kind of homebrew software that can solve that problem shortly after the Wii U hits the streets.

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Hands-On: The Nintendo Wii U

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Wii U Controller

This is the Wii U controller. It's 1.8-inches tall, 6.8-inches wide and 10.5-inches long. The screen is crisp and the controller is easier to hold than you might expect.

Wii U in HD

A Nintendo representative shows off the Wii U's HD graphics.

Wii U Shield Demo

A gamer is getting the tutorial on how to use the Wii U controller as a Shield

Wii U Battle Demo

In this game, the person with the Wii U controller flies a ship and tries to shoot players on the ground. The other players in the game control their characters with Wiimotes.

Wii U with Wii Controllers

A photo of me playing against a Nintendo representative in a space-themed battle game. I controlled a guy on the ground with the Wiimote and nunchuk while he flew a spaceship with the Wii U controller.

Wii U Console

This is the console. I didn't get to touch it, but it looks like a fatter Wii.

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Nintendo Wii U Promo Pics

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Wii U

Nintendo says it chose "U" for the name of its new device to emphasize the personal aspect of the new controller.

Wii U and Controller

The new controller is the most innovative aspect of Wii U, bringing a video screen/touch experience to the console.

Wii U Console

The console looks quite nondescript, gone are the more striking lines of the Wii.

Wii U Sans TV

Although the Wii U controller does require a console, you can play games without having to interface with the TV.

Wii U Controller

The new controller features a camera and a full control pad, in addition to the 6.2" screen.

Wii U Stylus

The Wii U is touch friendly but can also be interfaced with using a stylus, a la the Nintendo DS and the 3DS.

Wii U Controller in Action

Wii U Multiplayer Mode

When four players isn't enough, the Wii U can act as a controller/screen for a fifth friend.

Wii U Touch

The screen is touch sensitive.

Super Mario Bros. Mii

This is a screenshot from the Super Mario Bros. Mii game for Wii U.

Wii U Stylus in Action

If you think this looks like half of a DS, you're not alone. Nintendo is taking what it has used with its portable devices to make its home console even better.

Wii Remote Plus and Wii U

Wii U Portrait Mode

The Wii U Controller has an accelerometer and a gyroscope built in and it can be used in alternate orientations.

Wii U Web Control

The Wii U controller can be used to zoom in and navigate web content on your TV.

Wii U Controller Rear

This is how the controller looks from the rear.

More About: blu-ray, dvd, Gaming consoles, Nintendo Wii U, Wii U

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Photogram is remixing the mobile-photos-meets-postcard genre of iPhone apps with an application for sending up to four photos, packaged together atop an artistic background, to friends via email, Facebook or Twitter.

The free photo application for iPhone, released Wednesday on the App Store, offers users a simple way to create and share bunches of photos in a digital postcard-like fashion.

Photogram [iTunes link], developed by startup Timelines, was created with simplicity, design and artistry in mind. Sending a Photogram is an easy matter of capturing or choosing four photos, picking a theme and then selecting recipients. You can also connect to Facebook and Twitter and post your Photograms to those sites.

“The iPhone has dramatically increased the number of everyday photographers documenting moments in their lives,” Timelines CEO Bob Armour says. “We saw a need for a simple app to share those photos, and we wanted to improve and enhance their delivery.”

Timelines has collaborated with independent artists to feature their artwork in its Theme Gallery. Themes are the photo backdrops you can choose from to add personality to your Photogram. You’ll have access to a number of free themes or you can choose to purchase additional themes at $0.99 a piece, with artists receiving a portion of sales. Purchased themes are included in your Theme Library and usable on all future Photograms.

Photogram stands out amid an ever-growing crop of iPhone camera and postcard applications for its ease of us and design.

More About: iphone app, mobile photo sharing, Photos, Postagram, trending

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Now that the PlayStation Network is back online, Sony is ready to launch the next phase of its Music Unlimited Powered by Qriocity service, an Android app.

Sony introduced its Music Unlimited streaming service to parts of Europe in December 2010. In February, the company expanded its reach to the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

The service, which competes with similar offerings from Rhapsody, MOG, Rdio and Spotify, allows users to stream music albums on Sony devices such as TVs, Blu-ray players, the PlayStation3 and the PSP.

Because Qriocity is part of the PlayStation Network, the Music Unlimited offering was shuttered along with the the rest of the online game network after hackers broke into the servers and gained access to millions of user accounts and passwords.

The new Android app works on Sony Ericsson Android devices, including the Xperia Play, as well as third-party Android devices running Android 2.1, 2.2 or 2.3.

We decided to try out the new app on our HTC Sensation 4G review unit.

As with Rdio and Spotify, Sony is using software that will scan a user’s computer and automatically add those songs and albums to his or her online library. Apple will do something similar with iCloud, except iCloud will offer unencrypted versions of those files.

Music Unlimited’s distinguishing feature is its use of Channels. These are pre-programmed and personalized radio stations. This is, in effect, Pandora meets Rhapsody. We like the Channels approach, but most users will probably be more interested in on-demand track and album access.

The app performed well, though we did find it could be slow to load. The user interface is a solid experience, but it’s incredibly easy to accidentally start playing a song when all we really want to do is get a track listing for an album. This can get frustrating — fast.

Sony’s library of 7 million songs is impressive, but it doesn’t match the broader libraries of some of the other streaming services. Moreover, at this time, there is no offline listening support, at least not one that we could find.

Like most other mobile subscription apps, Music Unlimited does not allow users to edit or create their own playlists from within the app itself. Instead, playlist control has to take place on the web. This is disappointing. We hope Sony takes a cue from Spotify and offers playlist management on your mobile device.

Music Unlimited isn’t a bad offering, and the Android app is well designed. Still, we can’t help but wonder how many users will be willing to trust Sony with their credit card information. Premium service costs $9.99 per month, while the basic version costs $3.99.

Main Screen

The main Music Unlimited screen lets users see various channels, top albums and new releases.

Playback Screen

The playback screen features the usual music controls and album art.

The icons on the bottom of the screen allow users to "like" or "unlike" a track, add a song or album to a library and get additional information about an artist.

Add Album

Clicking the "+" button underneath a track gives users the option of adding the track or the entire album to their library.

Channels

Channels are Qriocity's version of custom radio stations. Channels are available for different genres, moods and eras in time.

The Channels themselves aren't very innovative, but a nice feature is a history tracker that shows users past tracks that have been played across channels during their listening session.

Detailed Playback View

Tapping on album art brings up the ability to scrub through to a specific location in a song.

Artist Information

The "X" button brings up a listing of additional information about an artist, including a discography, biography and related artist listing.

From the discography section, users can add albums or tracks to their library.

Notifications Window

Users can see track and album information about a currently playing song by using the notifications area.

Status Bar

The Qriocity icon appears in the status bar if the app is in use or running in the background.

Playlists

Sadly, users cannot create or modify playlists in the mobile app.

More About: android, Android apps, music, music streaming, music unlimited powered by qriocity, Qriocity

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In a moment of sweetly manufactured nostalgia, Robin Williams confuses his daughter Zelda with the video game iteration in a commercial for Ocarina of Time 3D.

Nintendo 3DS — a next generation portable, 3D gaming device — recently launched, after a preview at CES. Overall, the device and its games have been getting fairly underwhelming reviews, but many have been speculating that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will drive sales of the toy.

Well, the above commercial has pretty much hooked the Hook-loving crowd. It remains to be seen what the gamers will think of the actual product (the original Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64 has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest games of all time.) The game drops in the U.S. on June 19.

More About: gaming, nintendo 3ds, Ocarina of Time 3D, Robin Williams, Zelda

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It can sometimes be difficult to navigate all of Apple’s 425,000 app-strong marketplace on our own. But Discovr Apps, a just-launched application for iPad and iPhone, aims to change that by acting as a tour guide to mobile applications.

Discovr Apps [iTunes link] understands the interconnectivity between applications and works to build out interactive and never-ending app maps based on a single application selection.

Search for an app, or select from Discovr’s recommended and suggested apps, and watch as the application sprouts an application tree that expands to highlight the relationships between applications. Click on any of the apps in the map and Discovr will continue to sprout new branches, leading to new apps. You can pinch the map to zoom in or out.

The application is perfectly suited for app discovery on iPad or iPhone, and allows you to click apps to read their descriptions or purchase them from the App Store. You can also share apps and maps out to Facebook and Twitter.

Discovr Apps is a $0.99 app for iPhone and iPad. It comes from Filter Squad, the same folks who brought us the impressive Discovr Music application earlier this year. The Australia-based startup focuses on building applications that help users find things they might like.

How To Screen

Recommended App Maps

Suggested App Maps

Flipboard App Map

Expanded Flipboard Map

Twitter Map

Twitter Map Expanded

World of Goo Map

Discovr Search

Mashable App Map

Map Sharing Options

More About: apps, Discovr Apps, Filter Squad, iOS

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Stare at a picture of a Whopper long enough and you’ll win one. That’s the premise of a new interactive TV campaign from Burger King that has so far gotten consumers to log 5,000 hours of Whopper-watching.

The “Whopperlust” campaign started running this week on DirecTV channel 111. This is how it works: If you stare for five minutes, at some point, there will be an onscreen prompt to press an arrow button on your remote. (See image, below.) After that, you can go double or nothing and stare for 10 additional minutes to win two Whoppers.

You can even go triple or nothing if you stay on for another 15 minutes. To win the three Whoppers, you have to spend a total of about 30 minutes staring. Burger King mails coupons to those winning households. So far, Burger King has given away 50,000 Whoppers — although most have not yet been redeemed — as part of the program, which runs through the end of the week.

“We wanted to challenge people,” says Matt O'Rourke, interactive group creative director at Crispin. He says he wanted to do something beyond just a Facebook Like.

The effort is the latest for Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, which is still under contract for Burger King work even though the agency and BK announced in March that they were parting ways.

More About: advertising, burger king, crispin porter + Bogusky, directv

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When you think of bird photography, do you imagine men in anoraks laying in wait with a ton of photo gear and an enormous zoom lens? Well, we’ve got a gorgeous gallery that will prove all you need is your cameraphone and a few apps to grab great bird shots.

From penguins to pigeons, from the countryside to the sidewalk, here are 10 beautiful bird-themed images captured by iPhotographers from all over the world.

Take a look through the photo gallery for some excellent examples of photos captured with the iPhone and link us to any pics of your feathered friends in the comments below.

1. Penguins by Blue Moon Rabbit

Japanese iPhotographer Blue Moon Rabbit snapped these penguins at a corporate publicity event. The amazing effects come from one of the many filters and textures available in the Iris Photo Suite app.

2. Untitled by Jason Ruff

This fun street scene was captured on Columbus Avenue in NYC. Jason Ruff shot low for a great perspective. The fab colors are thanks to the Hipstamatic app -- the John S lens with Blanko film.

3. Little Wing by Jennifer Bracewell

Snapped in Lagoon Valley of Vacaville, CA, Jennifer Bracewell grabbed a photo op of a flock of low-flying seagulls. This is a striking, cropped-down detail enhanced with the Camera+ and Lo-Mob apps.

4. 30 Days of Creativity -- June 12 by Tim Letscher

Tim Letscher's dreamy shot evokes an Alice in Wonderland mysticism. According to Letscher, the robin is "singing a great ditty, trying to woo some worms up from the depths after a little rainstorm." Taken with Ina's 1969 film and the Helga lens using the Hipstamatic app, TiltShiftGen gives the trees a far-off feel.

5. Four Amigos by Alex Kess

Captured at sunrise on Garie Beach, south of Sydney, Australia, Alex Kess was well-rewarded with this lovely image. The filter comes from the Mill Color App.

6. Sunlight by Philippe Boivin

Philippe Boivin of Montreal, Canada used an iPhone 3GS and Swanko Lab as the hardware and software behind this heavenly shot.

7. The Peacock by Paul Moore

With its colorful plumage, there's no doubt the peacock is a fascinating bird. But to capture such a stunning image in black and white makes Paul Moore an amazing iPhotographer. Photogene and Plastic Bullet have helped create the effect.

8. Penguin Below by Tommy Poulsen

The second penguin pic to grace this gallery (well, they are adorable little critters) presents a study in shape and movement. Good old Hipstamatic brings the effects (John S lens, Ina's 1969 film). It was taken at the Marineland Dolphinarium in Mallorca.

9. Rooster Invents the Clouds by Ryan Teall

Ryan Teall explains how he created this stunning composite image: "The photo was taken at a stock show in Denver, CO. This bird, along with hundreds of other fancy chickens, was in a cage, under fluorescent lighting. So the editing process included some initial color and lighting adjustment in Iris, transposing the chicken to a landscape shot in Juxtaposer, and adding a vignette in PictureShow and a blur mask in BlurFx." Simple, huh?

10. All I Need is the Air by Viktor Franzen

A lone duck drifts through a pond in a small village in The Netherlands. It's the only clue you're not looking at the world upside down.

BONUS: Happy Mother's Day by Scott Abbott

Finally, our bonus shot pictures a breathtaking bird's nest, framed to perfection. Alongside the already beautiful natural colors, Scott Abbott has enhanced the photo with the TiltShift Generator app to give it a shallow depth of field and a vignette.

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More Mobile Photography Galleries from Mashable:

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- 10 Amazing Hipstamatic iPhone Photos
- 15 Mesmerizing iPhone Photos of Cloudscapes
- 10 Ingenious iPad Self-Portraits [PICS]
- 10 Terrific Tilt-Shift iPhone Photos
- 10 Stunning iPhone Sports Photographs

More About: apple, gallery, iphone, iphone 4, iphone apps, iphoneography, iphonography, iphotography, List, photographs, Photos

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Each day, Mashable highlights one noteworthy YouTube video. Check out all our viral video picks.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently appeared on the Australian morning show Today, and from the looks of things, humor is not his forte.

To be fair, though, this joke is really cheesy.

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Subscribe to Mashable on
YouTube for Our Latest Videos »

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More About: Dalai Lama, humor, pop culture, video, viral-video-of-day

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It turns out Netflix is cutting into the revenues of the cable business after all, despite assurances from both Netflix and cable providers to the contrary.

A survey released by The Diffusion Group found that roughly one-third of Netflix users plans to slash part of their cable, satellite or telcoTV bills in the next six months — more than double the number that planned to a year ago.

Half of those who say they are likely to downgrade their service plans cite cost as the primary reason. One-third point to growing online video use, naming Netflix as the main provider.

"Despite its rhetorical positioning, both Netflix and PayTV operators have long been aware that there will come a point at which its services are not only dilutive to regular TV viewing, but antithetical to PayTV subscription levels," says Michael Greeson, TDG founding partner and director of research. "The question for realistic observers has been not if this will occur but when. According to our latest research, that time is upon us."

To be clear, online video and accompanying services such as Netflix and Hulu are not yet evolved to the point where consumers are willing to cut the cord en masse. Rather, they’re opting to move to a lower-tiered service plan or cancel a premium option partly because it’s cheaper, and partly because they can get so much content online now.

But widespread cord-cutting is likewise a matter of when, not if.

[via AllThingsD]

More About: cable, cord cutting, netflix, trending

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Somewhere between FarmVille and Office Space, there’s a key to improving how we think about work and how we perform on the job.

Think about it: Game mechanics have made some really mundane tasks (farming virtual crops, killing virtual pigs, etc.) absolutely addictive to a huge population.

So why not apply some of the same incentives and psychological triggers to tasks that are actually productive in the real world?

This is a question posed by enterprise social software company Socialcast, which created this 8-bit inspired infographic of facts and figures about the gaming industry and the enterprise.

SEE ALSO: HOW TO: Use Game Mechanics to Power Your Business

What do you think: Would simple, game-like incentives around teamwork, innovation and performance inspire you to level up at work?

Click image to see full-size version.

Image courtesy of Socialcast

More About: enterprise, game, game mechanics, infographic, work

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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:

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Mashable Job Postings

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Business Development Coordinator at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Executive Assistant at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Community Assistant at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Community Director at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Community Intern at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Editorial Intern at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Tech Reporter at Mashable in San Francisco, CA.

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Communications Coordinator at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Regional Sales Director at Mashable in San Francisco, CA.

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Campaign Specialist at Mashable in New York, NY.

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Mashable Job Board Listings

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Video Editor at MTV World in New York, NY.

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Social Media Specialist at Beyond Indigo Pets in Dover, NH.

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UX Designer at Beezag in New York, NY.

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UI Designer at Beezag in New York, NY.

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Associate Manager, Web Design & Administration at Wildlife Conservation Society in Bronx, NY.

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Communications Designer at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

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Marketing Copywriter at Infomedics in Reading, MA.

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Product Manager at Bluefly in New York, NY.

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Associate Product Manager at Toolbox.com in Scottsdale, AZ.

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Online Marketing Coordinator at InterMundo Media, LLC in Boulder, CO.

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Product Manager – Internal Applications at Yelp Inc in San Francisco, CA.

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Product Manager – Business Products at Yelp Inc. in San Francisco, CA.

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Communications Associate – PR at Consumer Reports in Yonkers, NY.

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Senior Product Manager for User Acquisition at LivingSocial.com in San Francisco, CA.

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Analyst, User Acquisitions at LivingSocial.com in San Francisco, CA.

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Project Manager at A Confidential Company in Providence, RI.

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VP Marketing – Member Acquisition & Business Development at Rue La La in Boston, MA.

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Digital content writer/editor at A Confidential Company in Providence, RI.

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Social Media Project Manager at The Pulse Network in Canton, MA.

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Test Automation Engineer (Temporary) at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.

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New Media Specialist at Sunshine Sachs in New York, NY.

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Web/Social Media Intern at Combank Medical, Inc in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Head of E-commerce/GM of Direct Sales at Quirky in New York, NY.

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Senior QA Engineer at ScoreBig.com in Los Angeles, CA.

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Software Engineer/Web Application Developer at Listener Driven Radio in Westlake, OH.

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Cloud Application Developer at Workday in Pleasanton, CA.

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Interactive Graphic Designer at A Confidential Company in Providence, RI.

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Online Marketing Data Analyst at ShopAtHome.com in Englewood, CA.

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Internet Marketing Coordinator/Specialist at A Confidential Company in Los Angeles, CA.

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Online Marketing Specialist at Explorica, Inc in Boston, MA.

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Social Media Producer at Bloomberg LP in New York, NY.

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Community & Content Coordinator at Dailymotion in New York, NY.

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Media/Paid Search Analyst at Earthbound Media Group in Culver City, CA.

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Digital Media Planner & Buyer at GMMB in Washington, D.C.

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Project Editor at Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.

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Communications Associate at Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C.

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Social Media Community Manager at M80 in Los Angeles, CA.

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Social Media Director at School of the Legends, LLC in Brentwood, TN.

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Art Director at Code and Theory in New York, NY.

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Vice President Marketing – Member Engagement at Rue La La in Boston, MA.

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Director, Digital & Social Communications at Weber Shandwick in New York, NY.

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Manager, US Project Management at Digitas in New York, NY.

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Social Media Strategist at Marketing/Media Company in Madison, WI.

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Online Marketing – Social Media Biz Development Lead at Acquinity Interactive in Deerfield Beach, FL.

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Online Marketing – Web Designer/Graphic Designer at Acquinity Interactive in Deerfield Beach, FL.

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Online Marketing – Senior Online Media Buyer at Acquinity Interactive in Deerfield Beach, FL.

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Regional B2B Social Media Sales Associates at Circle Social Media in Clermont, FL.

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Social Marketing Program Manager at IMRE, LLC in Sparks Glencoe, MD.

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Business Operations Manager at Buddy Media in New York, NY.

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Digital Fundraising Officer at Concern Worldwide US in New York, NY.

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Community Manager at The Co3 in New York, NY.

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Manager, Marketing Programs and Digital Platforms at New York Knicks in New York, NY.

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Social Media Strategist/Coordinator at Intern Sushi in Los Angeles, CA.

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Development Project Manager at WebPT in Phoenix, AZ.

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ASP .NET Web Application Engineer/Developer at Name Dynamics, Inc. in Charlotte, NC.

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Social Media Manager at Zipcar in Cambridge, MA.

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iPhone/iOS Developer at Cubix Labs, Inc in Burtonsville, MD.

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Web Developer at Ziff Davis Enterprise.com in New York, NY.

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Experienced Affiliate and Publisher Manager at Intermundo Media, LLC in Boulder, CO.

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SEO Marketing Manager at Consumer Reports in Yonkers, NY.

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Front End Developer at Everyday Health in New York, NY.

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Project Manager, Professional at Everyday Health in New York, NY.

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Software Engineer (.NET) at Everyday Health in New York, NY.

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Quality Assurance Engineer at Everyday Health in New York, NY.

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Social Media Assistant at Chalkboard Music, Inc in Los Angeles, CA.

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Manager/Senior Manager, Social Media at MTV Network in New York, NY.

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Executive Creative Director Marketing at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD.

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Director, Affiliate Management at Adknowledge in Los Angeles, CA.

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Mashable‘s Job Board has a variety of web 2.0, application development, business development and social networking job opportunities available. Check them out 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

More About: jobs

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Google is on the receiving end of a lawsuit over some of its autocomplete suggestions for an Irish hotel.

The Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Golf and Leisure Club says several potential guests, including brides planning their weddings at the historic estate, have been shocked and troubled to see the word “receivership” pop up during Google searches for the hotel’s name.

The term indicates some or part of the hotel’s assets, including property, are being held by a custodian pending the repayment of secured debts. Receivership is used by creditors in insolvency legislation; in some cases, the administration of the debtor’s business might even be turned over to the receiver.

Google’s autocomplete suggestions have gotten the company into legal hot water in the past, generally with individuals who see potentially damaging terms following their names in search queries. The company has a history of subtle censorship of certain autocomplete terms, especially those related to online piracy. So we do know the company has the ability to alter those suggestions.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Funniest Google Suggest Results

Perhaps the company might consider a DMCA takedown notice-like process for automating complaints about autocomplete suggestions; it might save the search giant a boatload of similar lawsuits in the future.

[via TheNextWeb]

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The Global Innovation Series is supported by BMW i, a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles — it delivers smart mobility services. Visit bmw-i.com or follow @BMWi on Twitter.

Through projects like Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare and University of the People, the Internet has made it easier for anyone to be a student. Now it’s also making it easier for anyone to become a teacher.

Several platforms have launched within the last two years that democratize teaching. It’s now possible for anyone to teach anything — whether it’s how to play the Irish whistle or master investing basics — without a teaching contract, special software or a brick-and-mortar classroom.

Here are five ways to get started.

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1. Skillshare

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Skillshare is an online marketplace that sells tickets to offline classes. Anyone who knows something others would be interested in learning about can sell tickets to a class on the site.

Skillshare takes a 15% cut of the tickets sold. Right now most classes on the just-launched platform take place in New York City, but it is open everywhere.

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2. Sophia

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Sophia helps experts curate the social web in a way that reliably explains a topic. Anybody can compile a free "lesson packet" on the platform using slideshows, videos, audio clips and text that they either upload or pull in from sources like YouTube. When it’s published, they’re encouraged to engage with those who view it through an attached Q&A board.

Lessons can be voted “academically sound” by subject experts (users who hold a degree in that field or teach a course on it), which helps sort out good material from the noise of an open platform.

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3. Learnable

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Learnable asks its teachers to put together an entire online course rather than a single lesson packet, but it also gives them the opportunity to make money from it. The site was spun off from Sitepoint.com, a resource for web developers that hosts forums, blogs, and, yes, courses on web topics.

Anybody can create a course on Learnable by bundling articles, documents and videos into consecutive lessons that students work through at their own pace. A Q&A section attached to each course becomes its forum, and users can see who else is enrolled in the course.

Most lessons are priced around $20, and Learnable collects 50% of each student's fee.

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4. Udemy

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Udemy is similar to Learnable. Teachers use the site’s platform to easily build courses by combining video, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, audio files and zip files. On Udemy, they can also host live classes.

Some classes on Udemy are free. Paid courses typically range from $5 to $250, and Udemy keeps 20% of the ticket price.

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5. Tildee

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If you’re looking to explain something relatively simple, Tildee works great. Type a title, add an explanation, paste links to the necessary Google maps, videos or images and boom — you have a tutorial.

The platform doesn’t leave much room for detail or consecutive lessons, but if people ask you over and over again how to make your famous cookies or how to get to your offices, it’s nice to have a shareable link to refer them to.

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Series Supported by BMW i

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The Global Innovation Series is supported by BMW i, a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles; it delivers smart mobility services within and beyond the car. Visit bmw-i.com or follow @BMWi on Twitter.

Are you an innovative entrepreneur? Submit your pitch to BMW i Ventures, a mobility and tech venture capital company.

More About: education, Global Innovation Series, Learnable, skillshare, Sophia, teaching, Tildee, udemy

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FunGoPlay, a virtual world that rewards outdoor play for children ages 6 to 11, is launching a free trial period Wednesday.

Users who sign up receive either a flying disc or soccer ball to use for the game at the end of the free trial period on July 15, when the subscription service begins. Both have a chip inside of them that registers active play and offers rewards that can be redeemed in the virtual world.

Almost 20% of children in the U.S. are obese, and video games — an increasingly favored activity — have long been blamed for increasing this percentage. Paradoxically, at the same time, childhood participation in sports is at an all-time high. FunGoPlay is the first to bring together a sports theme, virtual games and exercise.

The virtual world revolves around a cast of 15 “sports heroes” and 26 games. One of the co-founders, Fabian Nicieza, has a background in comic books that includes writing nearly every major character in the Marvel Universe. He helped create the FunGoPlay world that includes rich storylines, a history and a distinct look. While games are the focus of the world, children’s avatars can also connect to each other through a Facebook-like feature or watch sports highlights in a Youtube-like theater.

The company, whose staff includes veterans from Nickelodeon, Disney, Sesame Workshop and Marvel, raised $4 million of funding to create the world.

Now the challenge will be filling it.

More About: Children, FunGoPlay, gaming, Kids

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According to their respective websites, 4-year-old microblogging platform Tumblr now hosts more blogs than 8-year-old WordPress.com.

In January, Tumblr had more than 7 million individual blogs. At the time of this writing, the total blog ticker on its site read about three times that at 20,873,182 — beating out WordPress.com’s current count by about 85,000 blogs.

WordPress.com’s count doesn’t include sites that people host themselves with the open source software via WordPress.org, but given that the hosted service had about a four-year headstart, surpassing it in number is still an impressive feat for Tumblr.

Clearly a flood of individuals have been signing up for Tumblr lately. But top companies in entertainment and news and fashion have also recently launched Tumblr blogs. They’re using the platform in a very different way than they use WordPress.com.

WordPress.com has long hosted the main sites of top brands such as the National Football League, CNN and TED. Most Tumblr blogs function much more like another social media presence — something like a cross between websites and Facebook profiles.

More About: trending, tumblr, WordPress

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The governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday to shake up the Best Picture competition at the 84th Academy Awards.

According to the new system, anywhere between five and 10 films can be nominated for Best Picture. To add to the suspense, the Academy won’t reveal the exact number of Best Picture nominees until January’s nomination announcement.

This is the second major change to the Best Picture category in recent years. In 2009, the Academy announced that the category would expand from five nominees — a number that had been in place since 1944 — to 10 nominees.

The newest change will require nominated films to earn at least 5% of first place votes in order to contend for Best Picture. That means that a film must appear as a first place choice on at least 5% of ballots. This percentage was determined by looking back at past Oscar ballot data.

“In studying the data, what stood out was that Academy members had regularly shown a strong admiration for more than five movies. A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit,” said Executive Director Bruce Davis in a statement from the Academy. “If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn’t feel an obligation to round out the number.”

Davis’s statement speaks to the biggest criticism in the wake of the 2009 rules change. The expansion of Best Picture as a category can largely be attributed to the omission of critical and commercial hits like WALL-E and The Dark Knight from the list of nominees. The Academy hoped that expanding the competition to more films would lead to a more diverse representation of genres.

In practice, things didn’t quite work out that way. In a particularly strong year for film like 2008, 10 nominees would make sense. But some critics felt the Best Picture category was padded by its 2009 and 2010 nominees, which included films like The Blind Side, District 9 and Toy Story 3.

Like Pete Hammond at Deadline, we think the new changes make a lot of sense. By focusing on quality rather than quantity, the Academy should be able to put together a better show.

As the Academy works hard to modernize Oscar, it’s nice that it hasn’t lost sight of the real purpose of the awards: film. All the technology and social interaction in the world can’t make a subpar list of nominees more interesting to fans and viewers.

What do you think of the Oscar nomination changes?

More About: academy awards, Film, Movies, Oscars

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Music-sharing platform Soundcloud has become mighty noisy over the past year by adding 4 million registered users in one year, which now brings it to the 5 million user mark. This comes just a few months after the company announced 3 million users.

Soundcloud, which reports that it is currently adding 20,000 registered users per day, has innovated a lot during the past year after launching in 2008. It released both iPhone and Android applications, as well as a Mac App, and added the ability to record directly from all of its platforms. Its API has also been integrated across an array of social tools, including popular blogging platform Tumblr.

Tech-savvy actor Ashton Kutcher has also joined the site, and invested in the company via his fund, A-Grade.

An increasing number of artists (as well as journalists and other sound creators) are turning to Soundcloud in order to share music and get feedback. Although the site is still largely a backend-centric tool, we’ll be interested to see how it continues to evolve as more users join. Might we suggest a more organized, consumer-facing side for the fans of those 5 million creators?

Check out the infographic below for more facts about the company’s history.

More About: Mobile 2.0, music, soundcloud

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The first Chromebooks are now available for purchase.

Devices from Acer and Samsung are currently available via Best Buy and Amazon.com in the U.S. and at various online retailers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The Chromebooks run Chrome OS and are optimized for the web.

Pricing starts at $379.99 and goes up to $499.99. When Mashable‘s Charlie White reviewed the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G, he said it “could change the world of computing.”

We do wonder, however, if the Chromebook’s value is lessened due to the availability of devices like the iPad and Asus’s Eee Transformer. What do you think?

Below, a look at the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G:

It's Thin

Its .79" thickness is scarcely thicker than a MacBook Air, and it weighs 3.3 lb.

"SuperBright" Display

Even turned down a couple of notches, this 1200 x 800 12.1-inch screen was still bright enough. As you can see, it's quite sharp and contrasty.

Chicklet Keyboard

Except for that missing Delete key, I was immediately comfortable with this keyboard.

Side Ports

Here's where you plug in power, and behind that little door there's an external VGA monitor port, another USB port and a jack for earphones or speakers.

The Other Side

There's a single USB port on this side, and just the right place for a mouse.

It's Called Arctic White

It's a clean machine. There's also a silver one.

Shiny Logo

No, there's no backlit Apple logo on the back, but at these prices, the shiny Samsung is a welcome sight.

Thin and Light

It's small, but it's not too small.

More About: Chrome OS, chromebook, Chromebooks, Google, netbook

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A juror and defendant who made contact over Facebook during a drugs trial in the UK have been convicted for contempt of court.

The juror, 40-year-old mother of three Joanna Fraill, admitted to contacting the defendant over Facebook and now faces up to two years in prison in what is thought to be the first contempt of court prosecution involving the web, The Guardian reports.

Fraill says that “empathetic feelings” and “considerable parallels” between their lives persuaded her to reach out.

34-year-old Jamie Sewart, the defendant who was acquitted in the earlier, multimillion-dollar drugs case, was also convicted for contempt of court despite denials. Sewart is allegedly responsible for friending Fraill in the first place, knowing that she was a juror on her case during deliberations.

In a Facebook chat dated August 3, 2010, Sewart asked Fraill about one of the charges. Fraill said she couldn’t get any of the jury members to budge on that particular charge, warning Sewart “pleeeeeese don’t say anything cause jamie they could all miss trial and I will get 4cked to0.”

Their sentences will be announced Thursday.

It hardly needs to be said, but if you’re a jury member, you might want to think through the potential consequences before disclosing confidential court case details over Facebook.

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Full Chat Transcript

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Facebook chat between juror Joanna Fraill (“Jo Smilie”) and defendant Jamie Sewart on August 3, 2010, courtesy of The Guardian:

18:31:36: Smilie to: Sewart: jamie nice one hun hope u both sort things out ]

18:31:58: Smilie to: Sewart: u should have seen his face

18:33:35: Sewart to: Smilie: i came runnin in i was listenin at the doors ha ha

18:34:26: Smilie to: Sewart: i know [defendant] from somewhere cant think wherre

18:34:27: Sewart to: Smilie: dont think we will be together he will probs go back to the other one

18:34:40: Sewart to: Smilie: hes from [redacted]

18:34:57: Smilie to: Sewart: im blackley /moston

18:35:40: Sewart to: Smilie: no matter wat gary does i am glad he gonna come out soon x

18:35:53: Smilie to: Sewart: awe no way sorry to hear that x cant believe they had u on remand

18:36:46: Smilie to: Sewart: i defo know him from somehere [defendant]

18:36:56: Smilie to: Sewart: bsards

18:37:30: Smilie to: Sewart: thats prob why i been so determined

18:37:52: Sewart to: Smilie: they are bad what they do its that [redacted] who had it in for me i lost my house and everything

18:38:11: Sewart to: Smilie: whats happenin with the other charge??

18:38:40: Smilie to: Sewart: well thats how it started u lot have had me laffin crying omg

18:38:52: Smilie to: Sewart: which

18:39:08: Smilie to: Sewart: yours?

18:39:35: Sewart to: Smilie: no the class b

18:42:28: Smilie to: Sewart: cant get anywaone to go either no one budging pleeeeeese dont say anyhting cause jamie they could call mmiss trial and i will get 4cked to0

18:43:37: Sewart to: Smilie: i know i have deleted all the messages i wudnt do that to u dont worry xx

18:44:43: Smilie to: Sewart: i heard you doenstairs with the little un awe we were watchin through the glass lol she a doll x

18:45:19: Smilie to: Sewart: awe fuck nos hw a didnt get caught wiv my nods and blinks

18:46:02: Smilie to: Sewart: hand signals haha ive even been split from a juror omg

18:47:05: Sewart to: Smilie: haha i kept thinkin that it was to sumone behind me

18:48:02: Smilie to: Sewart: yeh but did u notice that my front tooth fell out the 2nd day of the trialll hahhahahha wot do i look like

18:48:54: Smilie to: Sewart: kept forgting lmao and smiling omg frightening lol

18:49:01: Sewart to: Smilie: no ha ha i cudnt see that far ha ha my eyes are bad ha

18:49:39: Smilie to: Sewart: dont worry about that chge no way it can stay hung for me lol th

18:49:50: Smilie to: Sewart: this is 2nd tim init

18:50:52: Smilie to: Sewart: at least then yer all home n dry

18:53:10: Sewart to: Smilie: ha ha ur mad i really appreciate everthin

18:53:34: Sewart to: Smilie: if i cud of kissed u all i would of done ha ha

18:54:01: Sewart to: Smilie: did u here me say i feel like getting naked haha

18:54:31: Smilie to: Sewart: jamie am gonna get off this lot doing me head in x it be over tomoz fingers crossed , im not as daft as am cabbage looking hahaha alll that note taking was just killing time lolol drew more than i wrote lol

18:56:08: Smilie to: Sewart: when we gsve that first on [redacted] i was crying cos they held onto yours because 1 couldnt make her mind up

18:58:16: Smilie to: Sewart: it fucking wound me up like u wouldnt believe hahahahha ah wlll nearly fucking there lol get all your property back too lol

18:59:49: Sewart to: Smilie: ha ha……

19:02:01: Sewart to: Smilie: i will be doin ha ha and trying for compo

19:02:19: Smilie to: Sewart: lol no doubt ill see u around tomoz dont worry xxx bout the other x uu got time to make up wit your family xx enjoy it hun xx gl xx when they gonna let em out then

19:02:41: Smilie to: Sewart: go girl lol

19:02:52: Sewart to: Smilie: keep in touch and i’ll get u a nice pressie if i get anything out of um x

19:03:38: Sewart to: Smilie: will find out on thursday thats when he gets sentenced

19:03:39: Smilie to: Sewart: dont be daft been a pleasure xxx lol

19:04:03: Sewart to: Smilie: thanks again (“,) x

19:04:18: Smilie to: Sewart: best entertainment lol who else would have a day trip to a fuckin lock up!

19:04:58: Smilie to: Sewart: and i will lol ill add u to me fb once it all over x

19:06:19: Sewart to: Smilie: i will do x x

19:06:50: Smilie to: Sewart: cya x

19:07:05: Sewart to: Smilie: spk to u soon x

19:07:28: Smilie to: Sewart: oh u willl lol

Image courtesy of Flickr, ginnerobot

More About: facebook, law, uk

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