One of the distinctive features of Google+ is that it lets you disable comments and lock down posts from sharing, but so far, you were only able to do it after you share a post.

Now, you can do it before you share, which makes much more sense; after all, if you don’t want anyone to comment on or share your post, you probably want it that way from the start.

You can choose the lock and disable options as you hover over the share box of an item you want to share. Check out how it works in the video below.

More About: Google, posts, privacy, sharing, social network, social networking

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

While social media has been around for a while, there are still aspects of it that are very new, such as policy development. Such policies have to stand the test of time and evolve as the workplace — and the social media platforms and their usage — changes.

In August, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released a report on the outcome of investigations into 14 cases involving the use of social media and employers' social media policies. The NLRB is an independent agency in the U.S. government that protects employees’ rights to join together to improve wages and working conditions, with or without a union.

Here's an overview of the report and some pointers on what your company should consider when it comes to social media policy development.

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Why Is This Report Important?

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Eric B. Meyer, a partner in the labor and employment group of the law firm Dilworth Paxson LLP, explains the report’s significance. "It provides a window into what the NLRB considers legal and illegal, not only with respect to employers who discipline employees based solely on social media content that employees publish, but also as to social media policies that employers implement."

So the report isn't exactly the law. But it is one of the first detailed explanations about how existing laws are applied to social media policies and practices at work. It gives specific examples of policies, statements and conduct that is and isn’t OK.

Heather Bussing, an independent employment attorney, outlines the advantage the NLRB report provides. “The law is statutes and published decisions by the courts. Agency decisions and regulations are also considered law as long as they're consistent with the statutes and court decisions. An agency report explaining its thinking and how it has applied statutes and cases to specific situations is about as close to ‘the law’ as you can get. So having a bunch of examples issued lets us have a better picture of what will and won't get us in trouble, and that is probably even more useful than the law."

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Defining Media and Social Media

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One of the interesting aspects of the report is the mention of "employers' social and general media policies." Mark Neuberger, with Foley & Lardner LLP, a global law firm representing management in all aspects of labor and employment law, believes the report might suggest they are the same for the purposes of policy development. "The NLRB is concerned with protecting an employee's right to engage in protected concerted activity, regardless of the medium in which that right is expressed. Before social media, Board case law dealt with expression in verbal speech, written speech and even symbolic speech — the use of inflatable rats being just one example of expressive speech."

Bussing breaks down for us the definition of “protected concerted activity” and why we need to pay attention to it:

"Criticism of an employer's practices about wages, hours and working conditions is protected no matter how it is expressed as long as it is 'protected, concerted activity.' 'Protected' is any statement about wages, hours or working conditions. 'Concerted' means the employee's statements were 'engaged in with or on the authority of other employees.' So the statement has to be about working conditions — it can't be a personal attack that is 'so disloyal, reckless or maliciously untrue' that it loses protected status. The statement also has to be directed to other employees or to the company on behalf of the employees — not just personal gripes, honking or wailing. But it doesn't matter where or how the employee makes the statement if it is also 'protected' and 'concerted.'"

And nowadays, that “where” includes Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others. Bussing notes, "The report focuses both on where, how and to whom the statements were made. It also explains the limits of the protections — offensive and critical statements that are personal attacks rather than criticism of the wages, hours or working conditions are generally not protected."

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For Businesses With No Policy

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Even if you don't have a defined social media policy, this report might still have an effect on your decisions. Meyer says, "Regardless of whether you have a policy, the NLRB takes the position that — except in very limited circumstances — you can’t discipline employees who discuss workplace responsibilities and performance together online, even if the online conversation includes swearing, sarcasm or insults.

On the bright side, Bussing adds, "At least you won't get in trouble for your policy. But before you fire someone for being a complete jerk, think about whether the employee was being critical of wages, hours or working conditions and was communicating to or for other employees."

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For Businesses With a Policy

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For organizations with a policy currently in place, Bussing suggests that you "make sure it does not try to control what the employees can say and cannot say about the company. If it does, you can be in trouble with the NLRB." She also mentions this could be the sign of other issues within the organization.

Meyer adds, "The NLRB does not believe that employers can generally prohibit employees from discussing the company, its employees or competitors — even if the comments are disparaging."

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Don’t Make Your Policy Too Broad

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Another noteworthy aspect of the report is that the NLRB stated in five cases that the company's social media policy was found to be "too broad" and therefore, unlawful. Bussing explains what could be described as "too broad" when it comes to policy: "'Too broad' is generally translated from legalese to English as: 'It covers so many things that it's impossible to understand what the heck it means.'” When a court or enforcement agency says a policy is 'too broad,' that means it’s invalid, unenforceable and basically worthless. So all those well-intended protections are down the drain. And it's worse than having no policy at all, since you could have a National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) violation because of the policy.

A no-brainer example of a policy that violated the NLRA was the blogging policy that prohibited employees from “making disparaging remarks about the company or its supervisors” and from talking about the company “in any media without the company's permission.”

But another policy that violated the NLRA was one that prohibited employees from saying anything on social media that would 'violate, compromise or disregard the rights and reasonable expectations as to privacy or confidentiality of any person or entity.” While this was probably intended to protect trade secrets and confidential medical or financial information, a tweet complaining about your cubemate's smelly burrito (or its foreseeable consequences) could violate this policy."

Meyer suggests, "To avoid this problem, an employer should carefully tailor his social media policy to serve a legitimate business interest which, at the same time, is not intended to interfere with the employees' right to form a union or engage in other protected concerted activity."

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A Caution About Monitoring

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Speaking of unions, Neuberger offers an additional observation about monitoring activity. "First, under the NLRA, employers are prohibited from engaging in 'surveillance' or monitoring employees in exercise of their right to form and join a union.” If an employer monitors social networking sites to determine who the union sympathizers and organizers are, they have engaged in an unfair labor practice. “The second is that when employers discipline or discharge for violations of a computer usage or social media policy, they can expect the employee to claim discriminatory enforcement. The problem employers face in defending such claims is that misuse of the computers and Internet is so prevalent in all workplaces that the employee stands a good chance of showing the employer 'knew or should have known' that there were other, more egregious violations of policy that were overlooked by the company."

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Conclusion

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The National Labor Relations Board report isn't designed to scare anyone. In fact, just the opposite. It's been released to offer insights into and guidance for workplace social media. This will help to develop policies and use social media in a responsible way as we move forward and social media goes more mainstream.

It also means that like many of the guidelines and policies we have around the workplace, we must clearly define our expectations, communicate with and train our employees and hold people accountable.

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More Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum:

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- 15 Keyboard Shortcuts To Enhance Your PC Productivity
- 5 Services For Building Websites On A Budget
- 10 Accessories To Boost Office Morale
- Top 5 Foursquare Mistakes Committed By Small Businesses
- How To Use Social Media For Recruiting

More About: features, human resources, mashable, Social Media, social media policy

There’s an odd sense of deflation across much of the tech world in the wake of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s first product launch Tuesday. It is a feeling akin to your favorite team making a pretty dull night out of what was supposed to be a major game, as if the crowd simply didn’t exist.

Even those of us who aren’t Apple fanboys were watching with a keen sense of interest. This was the world’s most valuable company, and its most idolized, stepping up to the plate. Did they bring their A-game? Would they hit it out of the park? Would they make our jaws drop with delight, and push back the frontier of the possible?

Answer: no. Clearly, the iPhone 4S was a single rather than a home run. But that’s good enough for Cook, a low-key manager if ever there was one (and a stark contrast to his predecessor in that respect). Cook will take singles all night. He has his eye on the pennant, rather than delighting the fans.

The plain truth is that Cook is an inventory guy. That’s how he made his name at Apple: understanding the life cycles of products, and making sure his stores weren’t saddled with too many of them. Keeping inventory low, unsexy as it sounds, is a big part of what makes companies wealthy. And from that perspective, there’s one major reason to release the iPhone 4S now: making sure all your iPhone 3GS customers, who have just left their two-year contracts, upgrade to a new device.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Event: Three Big Reasons It Still Mattered

And the iPhone 5? For all we know from the famously tight-lipped Apple, there may well be an iPhone 5 prototype ready and waiting to roll into production. Not all of those endless rumors had to be made out of whole cloth; one thing we know about Apple is that it works on every product years in advance. If the iPhone 5 will launch in 2012, you can bet your life it exists in some form now. Perhaps it’s just waiting on one thing, like a better, slimmer battery that can handle energy-intensive 4G signal. Or perhaps it is only waiting for the go order from Cook, and designer Jonathan Ive sighs wistfully every time he looks in its direction.

Cook, like the honey badger, just don’t care. (Indeed, with $75 billion in the bank, Apple can afford not to care.) The product cycle is now firmly established, and it’s all that matters. The iPhone 4S is for 3GS owners and curious newbies. The iPhone 5 will arrive in time for iPhone 4 owners to upgrade and lock themselves into another two-year contract, and another set of curious newbies can sign up then too. The Earth spins on its axis. Everything is in order.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 4S: 4 Reasons to Upgrade

Is it a risky strategy? Does it provide an opening for Android phone makers to produce ever-more advanced 4G handsets, based on the hot new Ice Cream Sandwich platform, in the meantime? Yes, and yes. Cook is betting on two things: that Apple’s current customer base is rabidly loyal enough that they won’t leave, and that the Apple name, marketing and word of mouth will pick up a steady stream of newcomers, swelling the company coffers and pleasing Wall Street. From the bleachers, those look like pretty safe bets in the long run, even if Wall Street was jittery at first.

We only wish that Cook had acknowledged the crowd somehow. Just one sly joke about iPhone 5 expectations would have gone a long way towards placating the fans; you get the feeling that’s what his predecessor would have done. But that isn’t Cook’s style. This unexciting bottom-line focus is the new normal at Apple. Better get used to it.

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What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

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Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: android, apple, iphone, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5

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: Hearsay.it

Quick Pitch: Hearsay is a social news reader where you share everything you read with anyone who follows you.

Genius Idea: An unfiltered, social reading exchange.

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What we read says a lot about us. That’s why most of us selectively share the stories we think will reflect positively on us with our friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and so forth.

New startup Hearsay.it challenges us to stop this calculated sharing behavior, and instead start sharing everything we read in order to make the world of news reading all the more enjoyable.

“We think we can create a more interesting news ecosystem if we can convince users to share everything they read in exchange for being able to see what everyone else is reading,” Hearsay co-founder John Duncan, a veteran of the news media business, asserts.

Duncan and his two co-founders have assembled San Francisco-based team to encourage online readers to open up and share everything — it’s an almost identical mission to the one Facebook put forth with ticker and the new Open Graph.

Think of the Hearsay experience as the RSS reader reinvented, but masterfully designed so that it works for folks who don’t know what RSS is. It’s capable of satisfying even the most voyeuristic tendencies of online denizens. You sign up, start following other users, topics and news sources, and your news stream becomes filled with the stories your friends are reading. Everything you read, in turn, is exposed to your followers.

“What we’re saying is: Don’t worry about approving of what you read when you share it. Just read it and let everyone see what you read, and leave it at that,” explains Duncan. “Let the hard work be done by the consumer rather than the producer.”

Hearsay’s interface is fresh and visually stimulating. The web application highlights user avatars and news sources in the left-most column, with a feed of stories appearing in the center. Your stories are sourced from the items your friends are reading or pulled from one of the outlets you follow. You can click around to view different perspectives on the news of the day and select the grid icon to turn the single column setup into a more meaty three-column news adventure.

In some respects, Hearsay is bit like iPad app News.me for the web, except with a predilection for only showing stories that the people you follow have actually read. And Duncan even likens it to Flipboard, albeit with a focus on the desktop over mobile. The desktop, he argues, is where a majority of folks are consuming their news.

Unfortunately (for the reader, but not the publisher), Hearsay only pulls in article summaries, so if you want to read an entire story, you’ll have to click through to the source.

Where Hearsay struggles most is in the people discovery department. A user who signs up will likely find none of her Facebook friends to follow, and that means a lonely experience and a bad first impression.

Should you stick with the social news reader a bit longer and poke around the “Global” tab or check out the communities however, you might find people, topics and sources to follow. Following just a few active readers or your favorite publications will add a spectrum of color to the overall experience and the startup’s automatic-sharing hook will start to make sense.

Our verdict on Hearsay: Give it a day or two. You might feel liberated and find your news reading habits change for the better.

Hearsay has raised $100,000 in angel funding.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, kyoshino

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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: bizspark, Hearsay.it, social news, spark-of-genius

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One of the most important rules in software is to eat your own dog food. The concept is simple: if you have confidence in your product, you should be using it.

Perhaps somebody should tell that to Google’s senior management, because they are failing to eat their own dog food when it comes to Google+.

During the madness that was the launch of the iPhone 4S, we stumbled across an interesting post by Michael DeGusta. DeGusta decided to analyze how often Google’s senior management uses Google+. He counted how many times the company’s senior management, SVPs and board members have publicly posted on Google+.

The results aren’t pretty. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have posted publicly on Google+ 22 times. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt doesn’t even have a Google+ account, nothing short of an embarrassment when company bonuses are directly tied to social media success.

SEE ALSO: Google+: The Complete Guide

The rest of Google’ senior management isn’t any better. Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora has never posted on Google+ and Chief Legal Officer David C. Drummond doesn’t even have an account. CFO Patrick Pichette, to his credit, has posted several times publicly.

When you get to Google’s six SVPs, the story doesn’t change much. SVP of Video Salar Kamangar and SVP of Search Alan Eustace have never publicly posted. SVP of Ads Susan Wojcicki has publicly posted once and SVP of Mobile Andy Rubin has posted eight times (neither have posted since August). The only two people on Google’s management team I’d consider “active” are SVP of Chrome Sundar Pichai (58 posts) and SVP of Social Vic Gundotra (150+ posts).

Here’s another shocker: not one of Google’s six independent board members have ever posted publicly on Google+.

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Leading By Example

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Let’s start out with addressing a few caveats. First, these senior Googlers could be posting a ton privately and we simply don’t know it. But it’s more likely that their lack of public engagement is indicative of their lack of engagement overall. This is especially true of Google’s management, which has an incentive to promote Google+ publicly.

You could also argue that the SVP of search or ads shouldn’t be expected to be heavily engaged on Google+, but given the fact that Google intends to integrate Google+ into everything it does, I don’t buy that argument either. When Google+ first launched, Gundotra told me personally that Google+ is an extension of Google itself, thus why the company chose the name.

It doesn’t matter how you slice it: if Google’s management truly believed in Google+ as the future of the company, they would be more engaged. Not being connected to a product that has such a direct correlation to the company’s future is dangerous. This is about leading by example. Why should Google employees be excited about Google+ if their managers aren’t excited?

The same rule applies to Google+’s million of users. The social network has more than 43 million users now and is being heavily promoted by Google. But if its creators aren’t interested enough in staying active, what’s to say its users won’t get bored just as fast?

Google’s management is a busy group, but having only three members of its management team post more than 10 times sends a terrible message. It makes people question the commitment Google has to social.

Our message to Google’s management is simple: eat your own dog food.

Google+ Logo

This is the Google+ logo.

Google+ Icons

The Google+ icons. Starting top left and circling to the right: Circles, Hangouts, Home, Sparks, Profile, Photos.

New Google+ Navigation Bar

All Google sites will sport the new Google+ navigation bar. It includes notifications, profile information and content sharing options.

Google+ Stream

This is the Google+ Stream, where users share content and see what their friends are sharing. It is similar to the Facebook News Feed.

Google+ Circles

Google+ Circles is Google's version of the Facebook friend list or the Twitter List. Users can select multiple friends and drag-and-drop them into groups. This makes it easier to send stuff to friends, family or the entire world.

Google+ Circles Editor

This is the Google+ Circles editor in action. Google has created unique animations for adding and removing friends through HTML5.

Google+ Sparks

Google+ Sparks is Google's content recommendation and discovery engine. Users can search different topics and find relevant articles, videos and photos. Users can then share that content with their friends.

Google+ Hangouts

Google+ has a unique video chat feature called Hangouts, which lets you chat with up to 10 people at the ame time.

Google+ Photos

Google+ allows you to upload and share photos with your friends. It includes photo tagging and a simple browser-based image editor.

Google+ Profile

Google+ Profiles are like most profile pages -- it includes basic information about the user like interests, occupation and profile photos.

Lead image courtesy of Flickr, jremsikjr

More About: eric schmidt, features, Google, larry page, Opinion, Sergey Brin

Face Time is not only a cool feature, but it was a gift to Apple‘s ad agency as well.

TBWA\Media Arts Lab, which handles Apple’s advertising, took the idea of displaying a touching moment via Face Time and ran with it. Apple’s ads have used a variation on that theme about a half a dozen times, and why not? It gets to the heart of Apple’s technology-with-emotion brand positioning.

The rest of the ads, compiled by Unruly Media, show how iPhone advertising has evolved over the years. For instance, it’s hard to imagine Apple repeating the espionage theme in the 2009 ad for the iPhone 3G S shown here, and chances are you forgot all about Apple’s initial teaser ad for the iPhone, which ran during the 2007 Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, we can only guess if consumers will care enough about the iPhone 4S to propel this video into millions of views. The actual ad or ads for the 4S should be hitting any moment. As was the case on Tuesday, everyone will be watching to see if the company has missed a step. The videos below offer a good benchmark for comparisons.

"Introducing the iPhone 4"

Apple design guru Jonathan Ive and Greg Joswiak, vice president of iPhone product marketing, star in this six-minute celebration of the iPhone 4. It's a measure of Apple's appeal that a video of this length featuring execs discussing optical lamination could achieve 3.2 million views.

"Face Time"

Apple's typically offbeat choice of music -- in this case Louis Armstrong's "When You're Smiling" -- adds a layer of emotional appeal to this pitch for Face Time.

"Under the Covers"

Christmas cheer, enabled by Face Time. And hey, wouldn't an iPhone 4 make a great Christmas present?

"Retina"

What does a retina display mean? Here's a pretty good demonstration.

"AirPlay"

A feature you don't hear about much, AirPlay lets you play music from your phone on your stereo or look at photos and videos on your TV.

"Face Time 2"

Another upbeat pitch for Face Time.

"Longer"

It's hard to make an exciting commercial about battery life, but Apple tries its damnedest.

"Smile"

A dad makes his teen daughter smile, and it ain't easy.

"Waltz"

Apple celebrates new service on Verizon as well as AT&T with this ad, which employs Johann Strauss's The Blue Danube.

"App Store"

Another key selling point -- apps -- is highlighted in this ad.

"Haircut"

Similar to "Smile," here a girl gets a new short haircut and gets reassurance via Face Time.

"Meet Her"

Another human moment expressed via Face Time. This time, a man sees his granddaughter for the first time.

"3Gs"

Going back a ways, this ad presents the 3Gs with a Mission: Impossible-style plotline in which an unseen interloper gets busted trying to decode the phone's secrets. Follow me: http://twitter.com/tysiphonehelp

"iPod + iTunes"

A key "If you don't have an iPhone" selling point: You get iTunes and a built-in iPod.

"Big News"

Another variation on the "Touching Moment Conveyed Over Face Time" shows a woman telling her husband she's pregnant. It would be easier to be cynical about it if the ad wasn't so well done and the acting so convincing.

"Game Center"

What else can you do with your iPhone? Play games, of course!

"iBooks"

A rare Apple dud, iBooks, gets a pitch here.

"First Official iPhone Ad"

The first official iPhone commercial that aired tonight during the Oscars / Academy Awards. http://www.TheComotionGroup.com THE COMPLETE LIST OF CLIPS: Song is "Inside My Head" by Eberg 1. Zoom to Phone - Alfred Hitchcock Director Dial M For Murder 1954 2. Lucile Ball - I Love Lucy TV Show 1956-64 3. Jackie Gleason - The Honeymooners 1955-56 4. Humphrey Bogart - Key Largo 1948 5. Marlon Brando - A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 or On The Waterfront 1954 (which is it?) 6. Jerry Lewis - The Bellboy 1960 7. Marilyn Monroe - Some Like It Hot 1959 8. Clark Gable - It Happened One Night 1934 9. Peter Sellers - The Pink Panther 1963 10. Steve McQueen - The Getaway 1972 11. Richard Dryfus - American Graffiti 1973 12. Burt Reynolds - Boogie Nights 1997 13. Bea Benaderet Voice of Betty Rubble - The Flintstones 167 Episodes 1959-66 14. Robert Redford - Three Days of the Condor 1975 15. Michael J. Fox - Back To The Future 1985 16. Harrison Ford - The Fugitive 1993 17. John Cusak - High Fidelity 2000 18. Audrey Tautou - Amélie 2001 19. Kevin Spacey - L.A. Confidential 1997 20. William H. Macy - Fargo 1996 21. Dustin hoffman - Meet The Fockers 2004 22. Will Ferrell - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 2004 23. Sarah Jessica Parker (with her PowerBook)- Sex & The City (who can ID the episode name?) 1998-2004 24. Jeff Bridges - The Big Lebowski 1998 25. Billy Crystal - When Harry Met Sally 1989 26. Cameron Diaz - Charlie's Angels 2000 27. Samuel L. Jackson - Jackie Brown 1997 28. John Travolta - Face Off 1997 29. Robert DeNiro - City By the Sea 2002 30. Ben Stiller as (Derek) Zoolander 2001 31. Michael Douglas - The American President 1995 32. Craig T. Nelson's Voice as Bob Parr - The Incredibles 2004

"Shazam"

Here's something else you can do with your iPhone: Find out who sings that song you're hearing.

"Family Travel"

The iPhone: Don't leave home without it.

More About: Advertising, apple, features, iphone, YouTube

Disney is planning to re-release a cadre of its most popular and beloved animated films in 3D.

The decision followed close on the heels of the re-release of the Lion King in 3D. That film is close to crossing the $80 million mark, according to Disney.

While $80 million may not seem like much — Pixar’s Up made more than $730 million — it’s a ton of cash considering the studio’s minimal investment and the fact that most people have already seen the movie.

The extra cash in-hand has helped greenlight at least four other films including Beauty and the Beast (Jan. 31, 2012), Finding Nemo (Sept. 14, 2012), Monsters, Inc. (Jan. 18, 2013) and The Little Mermaid (Sept. 13, 2013).

Cynics will be quick to call this a money-grab if the films are simply ported to 3D. The Lion King re-release coincided with a Blu-ray version, which included bonus features such as a “bloopers reel.” Disney is staying as optimistic as possible about continued success through the rest of its 3D adaptations.

"Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both," says Alan Bergman, president of The Walt Disney Studios. "We're thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D – and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen."

What do you think: are these videos must-sees for new and old fans, or is it just a way to shake out some more dollars?

More About: 3D, disney, Movies, Video

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Apple has finally revealed its next iPhone — the iPhone 4S. The company is, as would be expected, calling it “the most amazing iPhone yet.” But what makes it better than the iPhone 4?

Apple fanboys and girls the world round might be disappointed that the new device does not live up to the mystique of the mythical iPhone 5, but the iPhone 4S is a dramatic leap forward in technological innovation and sophistication that will surprise mobile users — even current iPhone 4 owners.

Here are the four most significant reasons why some of us at Mashable think the iPhone 4S is worth the price of upgrading. But if none of these speak to your inner gadget nerd, perhaps a free iPhone 3GS will do the trick.

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Siri: Ask And You Shall Receive

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How does having your own personal assistant waiting for your every beck-and-call sound? How about a helping hand that can look up the weather, read you text messages, find you nearby restaurants, tell you the time in Paris, set your alarm clock, give you directions, check your calendar for conflicting meetings, dictate and transcribe your notes and text messages, and so on — and all you have to do is ask?

Sounds neat, right? That’s Siri and it’s a personal assistant built in to the iPhone 4S.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Event: Three Big Reasons It Still Mattered

You can speak as you normally would and tell Siri to do something like set a reminder, schedule a meeting or send a text message. You can also ask Siri for traffic conditions or weather conditions — “Do I need an umbrella?” for instance — and query your handy helper for any other right-here-right-now needs.

Siri understands what you say, the context and meaning around who and what you mention in your requests, and is capable of responding accordingly.

But Siri is exclusive to the iPhone 4S, meaning you won’t get it with a simple iOS 5 upgrade.

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A Camera That Competes With Point-and-Shoots

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Apple has always spoken of the camera on the iPhone as a bona fide digital camera replacement. Device owners seem to agree — the iPhone is the top camera on Flickr.

But, for the first time, the iPhone camera hype matches up with reality. The iPhone 4S sports a new camera with an an 8 megapixel sensor, a new fifth lens, an enlarged aperture, face detection and reduced motion blur, meaning it legitimately rivals the specs of point-and-shoot cameras. The camera also now allows for basic photo editing, so users can crop and rotate photos, auto-enhance photos and remove red-eye.

Specs aside, this is a camera that you’ll actually want to take your photos with — no sacrifices here. And for many, as Apple noted, the iPhone 4S will be the only camera they ever use.

Of course, Apple also upped the quality on the video camera as well; the iPhone 4S can shoot 1080p HD video.

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Double the Power, Double the Speed

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The iPhone 4S features Apple’s custom A5 chip — the same dual-core chip in the iPad 2.

This means the iPhone 4S’s two processors will now split the duties of your iPhone’s work load. Everything will be noticeably faster: Web pages will load twice as fast, applications will launch and run faster, data will download twice as fast (14.4 Mbps) and graphics will render faster.

And faster doesn’t mean you’ll have to compromise on battery life. The iPhone 4S battery can handle up to eight hours of talk time (or 14 hours of 2G talk time) and six hours of 3G browsing (or nine hours of WiFi browsing), Apple says.

---

An Anywhere You Go, World Phone

---

Are you a CDMA or GSM customer? Who knows, and who wants to worry about the network capability of their mobile device? Not me, and especially not those who travel abroad frequently. iPhone 4S customers won’t have to bother with such details as the device supports both GSM and CDMA.

Why would this matter? First, there’s the business class of folks — an important market for Apple — who need a device that works in whatever country they may be in this week.

If you recall, Apple kicked off its “Let’s Talk iPhone” event by running off some impressive figures. Apple CEO Tim Cook made it a point to mention that 93% of Fortune 500 companies are testing and deploying iPhones in the workplace. With CDMA and GSM support, the iPhone 4S can roam on GSM networks in 200 countries, making it even more business-appropriate.

Plus, for Apple, a phone with CDMA and GSM support simplifies its product line and will enable it to deploy on new carriers — like Sprint — without a second thought.

And, of course, it’s classic Apple to add in technology that strips out confusion for its customers. You can stop worrying about your carrier network and which iPhone model you need, and just buy and use the iPhone.

Will be you be upgrading to the iPhone 4S? Let us know why, or why not, in the comments.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iphone, iPhone 4S, siri

Reggie Bradford is the founder and CEO of Vitrue, the leading provider of social marketing software, offering SaaS solutions to help brands and agencies harness the marketing-communications potential of social media on Facebook, Twitter and other social communities. Follow Reggie on Twitter @ReggieBradford and @Vitrue.

There is an extremely powerful demographic responsible for $5 trillion of consumer spending: the head-of-household. This is the person responsible for the majority of household purchases. She is well-informed, armed with a savvy instinct and a healthy credit card limit, eager to stock her own inventory with clothing, groceries, appliances and an expansive list of consumer packaged goods (CPGs). Clearly, this is a necessary group for marketers to tap. But, a major shift in media consumption habits over the last 60 years has greatly impacted the head-of-household marketing strategy. What may have been effective 10 years ago likely isn't today — at least not in its original form.

The family dynamic has changed. Of course, many women are still full-time child caregivers, but there are far more women (single and married) in the workforce today. In fact, the number of women participating in the workforce since the ’70s has increased by 40%, and many households now operate with two incomes. However, women still constitute the vast majority of consumer spending. Marketers must understand that females are still the primary decision makers for the majority of household purchases.

Given all this, what's actually changed since the days of afternoon TV spots and soap opera product placements? Answer: the entire media landscape. The best practices for reaching the modern day head-of-household have to be completely redefined. And it's not easy. Magazines like McCalls are no longer in print, and soap operas are circling the drain. We live in a multichannel world, and marketers need to penetrate the media these women are engaging with on a daily basis.

---

Get Social With Consumers

---

Traditional tactics like email marketing and search ads are certainly relevant tools, but marketers must embrace the social web. Of the 65% of online adults who use social networking sites, 69% are female. Women not only spend 30% more time on these sites than men, but they also have larger networks. Comparatively speaking, women have 8% more Facebook friends on average than men, and spend more time on the site. But as we all know, marketing goes a simple social web presence — it's about the content marketers push. Clearly, what works on the social web is a call to action.

Following f8, it's clear that Facebook is in-line with this mentality across the board. Content that makes something actionable is quite effective. Johnson's Baby Page updated its profile picture to draw even more attention to their current promotion: the "Joy of Bonding with Mom" photo contest. Contests and promotions are effective in engaging brand loyalists, and Johnson's kept social relevant, encouraging their audience to post photographed moments, browse other submitted photos and "share the joy" with friends.    

On that note, be sure to elicit an emotional response whenever possible. Tide, as an example, works to establish solid connections with its mostly female fan base by prompting individuals to share stories. This not only fosters connections within the brand community, but also creates emotional connections to the Tide brand. Tide has managed to garner thousands of responses on its Facebook page by asking questions like, "In what way has Tide changed your life?" Tide's Loads of Hope campaign certainly struck an emotional chord with consumers via a positive, brand-building manner.

By drawing on their expertise, brands have the opportunity to become a resource. Publix grocery store has built up its presence on the social web to incorporate a fully searchable recipe guide. Preparation time and serving suggestions are clearly helpful for any head-of-house. Friends can see which recipes have been liked, and rely on their own social connections for guidance on meals. The lesson here: Give them something to return to, and give them value.

---

Gaming Is Effective

---

Gaming has exploded among this demographic, and a few marketers have already learned to leverage that engagement.

SEE ALSO: 6 Reasons Why Social Games Are the Next Advertising Frontier

According to Forrester, 59% of social gamers are women. PopCap surveyed its users to reveal that the average social gamer is likely a 43-year-old woman.

Brands have the opportunity to engage via branded virtual goods and in-game advertising. Other creative integrations include pushing audiences to play social games for charity. For instance, Dial engages users with social games, while raising money for a partner non-profit. The more brand loyalists play, the more Dial donates to The Endometriosis Foundation of America.

---

Daily Deals

---

Brands have already found success in exclusive promotions specifically targeted toward the head-of-household. It should come as no surprise that females also make up nearly two-thirds of Groupon users. Women are leading the group buying category by leaps and bounds.

Quidsi, the parent company of the popular Diapers.com and Soap.com ecommerce destinations, tested the group-buying patterns using both LivingSocial and Groupon deals. The efforts clearly hit the right demographic, considering the one-day offers resulted in more than 16,500 purchases.  

---

Traditional advertising is still relevant, and will not disappear anytime soon. However, 70% of brands state that they now use traditional media to drive engagement in social advertising. So, right now, don't think about marketing to the head-of-household — instead, focus on the conversation with the head-of-household by creatively leveraging the social web.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, scottyh

More About: Business, contributor, features, Marketing, social media marketing

For more Business coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Yes, Apple disappointed millions of current iPhone 4 owners by not introducing the iPhone 5.

Still the iPhone 4S is the next best thing. It has all new guts: new chip, new camera, and new antennas. It just happens to look exactly like the iPhone 4. This makes the iPhone 4S unveiling today at Apple's Corporate Campus feel a little like a non-event. That's too bad, because I counted at least three important stories coming out of Cupertino today.

---

Sprint

---

No, Sprint didn't spend $20 billion to secure exclusive iPhone 5 rights, but it is now officially part of the Apple iPhone family, and that is big news. Apple was extra careful not to diminish current and longtime partners as it announced Sprint's iPhone, so much so that Sprint was simply listed along with AT&T and Verizon.

Yes, Apple CEO Cook did say, "and for the first time, Sprint". But that was it. It was so casual that some audience members I spoke to almost missed it.

Underplayed or not, a Sprint iPhone is big news. Sprint has 35 million postpaid customers, many of which I'm sure have always wanted an iPhone. When I asked on Twitter whether or not Sprint customers are excited about the iPhone 4S, I immediately got this response: "HELL YES. Free from Android." Another told me her husband, who is on Sprint, was ready to go to the Apple store this morning. This is the definition of pent-up demand. As I've said before, Sprint customers do have other slab phone options (Android), but the cachet of an iPhone remains, and I bet Apple sells a boatload to Sprint customers.

---

Siri: The Intelligent Assistant

---

I've been looking at voice recognition technology since the early 1990s. Both IBM and Microsoft spent years integrating it with their operating systems (OS/2 had one of the most advanced voice systems I had ever seen—at least up until the mid-90s). However, both companies failed to stir up much enthusiasm for the technology among consumers. The truth was this: old-school voice recognition (VR) required tons of training, and most users gave up long before they ever started to get any value out of it.

Things started to change when Dragon Naturally Speaking came along in the late 90s. The product required little training and was remarkably accurate. Nuance now owns them and is generally known as a leader in VR. Still, voice recognition usually fails when it comes to understanding context. Siri, which uses Nuance's VR technology, aptly breaks that barrier and, at least in the demos I saw, actually appears to understand what the speaker is saying.

Typical voice recognition demos rarely go as smoothly as Apple's Siri demo went today. It was flawless and stunning. As Apple explained it, Siri understands "concepts". If true, then Siri has a form of artificial intelligence. Here were some of the examples I saw of Siri in action:

Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS Software at Apple, asked Siri, "How many days are there until Christmas?” Siri quickly responded that she was checking and then she displayed an accurate result. Forestall then asked, "Give me directions to Hoover Tower” Siri replied,: “Here are directions to Hoover tower" and then it displayed the map.

In every instance, Siri showed off its deep integration with the phone and its native apps, including Maps, reminders, Calendar, Contacts and more.

We may soon forget that Apple failed to deliver an iPhone 5 on this day, but I doubt we'll ever forget the first time we saw and heard Siri: The Intelligent Assistant in action.

---

Tim Cook

---

Tim Cook took the stage and immediately noted that this was his first product announcement as CEO. Still, he didn't seem nervous.

On the contrary, his near-country cadence was calm, even and, at times, mesmerizing. However, Cook wasn't all that interested in the stage and ceded the platform to Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, for the lion's share of major announcements. Cook handled where Apple is now and how it got here. He cracked a couple of jokes, but I don't recall any Jobsian-style zingers. Cook did not pull a one-more thing out of his back pocket. No, he simply thanked us all for coming and then quietly left the stage.

Steve Jobs did not show up and Cook, smartly, did not try to be him. It's the end of an era at Apple and, clearly, the beginning of a new one.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iphone, iPhone 4S, tim cook

Editors and executives from several leading magazine publishers took the stage at the Magazine Publishers of America’s Magazine Media Conference in New York City Tuesday. Discussion centered around early lessons from tablet publishing and the challenges of extending their content to a proliferating number of tablet sizes and platforms as they move forward.

The panelists — Pamela Maffei McCarthy, deputy editor of The New Yorker, Jim Meigs, editor in chief of Popular Mechanics, Dana Points, editor in chief of Parents and American Baby, Jason Revzon, SVP of interactive at The Tauton Press and Sam Syed, creative director of Bonnier’s technology group — have been meeting periodically at 45 Rockefeller Center to discuss the problems and successes of developing content for digital and mobile devices. The talk highlighted some of the key topics of debate over the past year.

---

Breaking Down Barriers Between Print & Digital

---

Although they differed on many points, the panelists agreed on the necessity of integrating digital into the rest of their operations, echoing similar sentiments previously expressed by editors at Sports Illustrated.

“You have to tear down the wall between editors and coders,” says Meigs, whose magazine, Popular Mechanics, was among the first to arrive and offer subscriptions on the iPad. “Our programmers, editors and designers are working together on the same floor, challenging each other. It’s important to have that dialogue between print people and coders. Don’t underestimate how the skill set of traditional print people is actually very well suited to this environment.”

Meigs noted the addition of mobile and tablet devices to their publishing lineup is changing the way stories are, and should be, developed. “You have to blow up the print model. We don’t think, ‘This is what makes a perfect print story’ [anymore], we have to think like multi-platform publishes. When we assign a package [now], we assign elements for iPad, for the web, perhaps even for an ebook that could come at the end of a project.”

---

Storytelling vs. Interactivity

---

The moderator did touch on one point of contention: control. How much should publishers shape the reading experience on tablet devices, and how much should they leave up to readers to explore on their own?

Syed of Bonnier believes publishers should exert a good amount of control in the storytelling process, shaping the reader experience through video and other additions that are activated automatically, rather than optionally.

“It’s our job to think of things readers can’t, won’t or won’t think of to do,” he says. “Video, or motion, is the photography of the digital era, an automatic part of the storytelling process. I remember a time when people were making films where you could choose your own ending, and I don’t think they went anywhere.”

Meigs contends such an approach detracts from the reading experience. “We’ve found that video is not the heart of [the tablet reading experience]. Despite all of the interactivity, readers were still saying, ‘We love the articles, we love to read.’ Good pictures and text, great storytelling — those are at the heart of the magazine.”

McCarthy of The New Yorker seconded this sentiment. “[When developing The New Yorker iPad app] we wanted to create something for reading. Our readers had demonstrated that they were willing to put up with much less than perfect design and functionality to access the stories we produced. So we strove to replicate the look and the feel of the magazine, using the same typefaces and developing a design that was comfortable to read. That being said, we did want to make use of the technology. We decided we would use these iPad extras sparingly and quietly. Word is still king, but we have about ten [interactive add-ons] per issue — source documents, writers reading their poems. It’s certainly not auto-rolling, they’re not intrusive. But we do spend a lot of time [in the design process] making sure they won’t be missed.”

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What Lies Ahead

---

At the end of the session, the moderator asked the panelists to identify their concerns going forward.

Meigs, of Popular Mechanics, named the purchasing experience, “which has not been working well,” as well as issues of findability on the web and in the App Store. “But the thing I’m worried about is disruption from Google. Their entire business model is disrupting businesses. Now that they’ve gotten the old ones they’re going to disrupt new ones,” he says, only half-jokingly.

Points, of Parents magazine, said that she’s excited to “see how reader involvement in the product will escalate. We’ve invited readers to contribute to the tablet edition; soon we’ll invite them to contribute in real-time,” she says. “What keeps me up at night? Staff and resources. We’ve been [relying heavily] on freelance. I’m really trying to train my staff and keep those marketable people from going elsewhere.”

Revzon of The Tauton Press said he’s most excited about developments with HTML5. “We’re just seeing the beginning of the war between proprietary systems and the open web, and things that look and act like an app. The biggest application on any device is the browser. That’s an opportunity.”

McCarthy of The New Yorker is most concerned with spreading resources across an ever-expanding range of devices. “The sheer number of devices is absolutely dizzying as an editor trying to prepare [one's] material to really shine on each of these devices,” she said. “Back in the dark ages a year ago I thought I had to settle on a really reasonable position. We would only do three editions for smartphones and tablets: small, medium and large. Now we’re on four devices, all of which require tweaking to make our material work at all, much less shine. Thinking down the road to the next four… it’s not realistic to think we can be on all of them, [although] I think the Kindle Fire is going to be something of a gamechanger.”

McCarthy admitted she had never held one, but she said the price point and early reports suggested it would be good. “Although perhaps [we as publishers] want to imagine there will be something that will present a real alternative to the iPad.”

---

More About: Bonnier, ipad, magazines, new yorker, popular mechanics

For more Business coverage:

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Apple gathered the world’s tech press at its headquarters in Cupertino to announce its latest products — and to dash the hopes of anyone expecting the iPhone 5 — on Tuesday.

What CEO Tim Cook did reveal during his first major product announcement was the iPhone 4S — which, if you extend a belief that beauty is on the inside to your electronics, isn’t such a bad deal. The phone is much faster than its predecessor, has a better camera and displays more vibrant colors. And it understands human speech!

Apple also had plenty to announce about iPhone prices, new partner carriers, the iPod, and iOS 5. You may know this already — but in case you’re one of the millions who didn’t take time off work to follow the story tweet by tweet, here’s a handy summary of what’s new.

• The iPhone 4S looks almost exactly like the iPhone 4, but has a better camera and, according to Apple Vice President Phil Schiller, runs “up to seven times faster” than its predecessor. The phone will cost $199 for a 16 GB model and $299 for a 32 GB model. It will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7 and start shipping Oct. 14
• Siri, a new iPhone 4S feature, is voice activation on steroids. Because it is capable of parsing natural human language, it can respond to a question such as “What is the weather like today?” with an answer it finds online, such as a weather report. It can read messages, search Wikipedia, make a calendar appointment, set a reminder, search Google Maps and more.
• Apple is giving away its 8 GB iPhone 3G — with strings attached. The free phone comes with a new two-year contract. You’ll also be able to purchase the iPhone 4 for $99 with the same contract. Both pricing options will go into effect when apple releases the 4S on Oct. 14.
• Sprint is getting the iPhone 4S. Becoming the third carrier to offer the iPhone is a big bet for Sprint, which has reportedly agreed to purchase $20 billion in iPhones regardless of whether or not it can sell them.
• The new iPod Nano has watch-like features and bigger app icons. It comes with 16 different clock faces (including Mickey) and tracks runs, steps taken and calories burned without any additional sensors or devices.
• iOS 5 is available for free on October 12, two days before the iPhone 4S comes out. Apple announced new features for the updated version of iOS in June. You can expect a new notification center, BBM-like messaging, a folder for magazine and newspaper app subscriptions, a new to-do list app and Twitter integration.



iPhone 4S






The iPhone 4S looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 4.




iPhone 4S Video






The iPhone 4S comes with an 8MP camera, an improved lens, 1080p HD video and a slew of upgrades that allow for faster video taking and crisper images.




iPhone 4S Camera






New features such as cropping are now available through the iPhone 4S Camera.




Siri






The most important new feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice-controlled "Intelligent Assistant" that can complete tasks based on natural language. Ask it what the weather is like today and it will respond with details.




iCloud






Apple launched iCloud at its event, allowing users to sync their photos, music, emails and more across iOS devices.




iCloud Across Devices






iCloud also works between iOS devices and Mac OS X Lion.




iCloud Photos






Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to iCloud. Then they are available on your other Apple devices.




iOS 5






iOS 5 is the new version of Apple's mobile OS. It includes revamped notifications, a new Messages feature and deep integration with Twitter.




Messages






iOS 5 includes a new Messages feature for sending messages to other iOS devices for free, no texting required.




Notifications






iOS 5 includes revamped notifications. No more annoying push notifications!




Newsstand






Apple launched Newsstand, an app for downloading magazines, newspapers and other subscription-based content automatically.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---




Tim Cook takes the stage








Tim Cook takes the stage








Live bloggers at the Apple event








iPod sales








iPod sales








iPhone sales








iPad's impact on education








iPad stats








Scott Forstall talks iOS








Scott Forstall talks app downloads








Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards








Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards








Scott Forstall talks iOS 5








Eddy Cue talks camera updates








Eddy Cue talks location sharing








Eddy Cue talks iTunes








Eddy Cue on app updates








Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods








iPod nano as a watch








iPod nano customizable watch face








iPod touch, nano, shuffle








iPhone 4S








A5 chip








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison








iPhone 4S data speed market comparison








iPhone 4's impact on photography








iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor








iPhone 4S camera backside illumination








iPhone 4S camera lens








iPhone 4S camera shooting time








iPhone 4S camera shooting time








iPhone 4S photo sample








iOS Weather app








iOS Weather app








Siri assistant for iPhone








Siri assistant for iPhone








Philip Schiller reviews








iPhone 4S Specs








iPhone 4S Pricing





• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iPhone 4S, ipod, iPod Touch

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

September is always a huge month for TV with a slate of show premieres and returning favorites. But which networks ruled social TV? We’ve got a fresh set of data from Trendrr, a realtime social media tracker.

The big broadcast winner was FOX with a 29% share of the social traffic voice in September. Surprisingly, the CW had the lowest share of voice (13%) but had the highest growth (up 7% between August and September).

SEE ALSO: The Most Social Shows on TV in July [STATS]

MTV came away as the top cable network with 19% share of social traffic. The top broadcast show was Glee (FOX) with 16% share and the top cable show was — wait for it — Jersey Shore! (MTV) with 18% share in September. The Charlie Sheen Roast only took up 4% of the share, which might have to do with the fact it was a one-off event. Trendrr’s metrics clearly favor sustained performance even though the Roast had a huge social media presence.

Trendrr compiles data from public profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Miso and GetGlue. It then ranks that data using buzz, checkins, posts and tweets for terms associated with TV shows. Take a look at some of the numbers below. Surprised to see some shows or networks on top or bottom? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Broadcast Network Winners

Top Broadcast Network Shows

Broadcast Network Percent Increase

Cable Network Winners

Top Cable Network Shows

Image courtesy of Flickr, mattedgar

More About: Entertainment, social tv

For more Entertainment coverage:

• Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Entertainment channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

So the big moment has come and gone — and left us with an iPhone 4S, a free iPhone 3GS, service on Sprint, a few new apps, and … very little else. All across the world, iPhone owners and would-be iPhone owners are being forced to adjust their expectations.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 A No-Show: Did Apple Fail To Manage Expectations?

But is it really that big of a deal? Is the iPhone 4S good enough? Are the software features — like Siri, the voice-based assistant — exciting enough to compensate? How are you feeling: let down, buoyed up, or kind of “meh”? Take our poll and let us know in the comments.

More About: apple, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5

Peter Heffring is president and CEO of Expion, a social software company that empowers retailers, brands and agencies to localize and manage their social marketing efforts. Founded in 2009, the company is privately held and headquartered in Raleigh, N.C.

If the f8 announcements have taught us anything, it's that Facebook change is constant. For users, that means getting acquainted with and complaining about new features regularly. For marketers, it means adapting to the changing user behaviors that the new platform will inspire.

While it's too early to gauge specifics, changing Facebook user behavior will likely give local marketers distinct advantages over bigger, national brands.

SEE ALSO: 5 Ways Facebook's New Features Will Fuel Social Shopping

On average, my company has seen that local marketers like retailers and franchisees have much higher user engagement rates on Facebook than national chains or brands. While local marketers tend to have fewer fans, in some cases, they boast 50 times the user engagement – comments, posts and “Likes” – than their bigger, national competitors.

The new Facebook updates are designed to create more engagement overall, and two of the changes could favor local marketers.

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Users Can Designate Brand Posts as Top Stories

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The new top stories functionality will ensure that loyal fans don't miss posts from the brands they care about most. As always, getting that attention means creating compelling content — and, by default, localized content tends to be more relevant.

For instance, if you're hosting a Halloween party, are you more likely to enter a "scariest Halloween decorations" contest put on by a local shop, or by a national chain that may not be in your neighborhood? Which contest do you think you'd have better odds at winning? The analogy works regardless which type of brand, or the content it ultimately posts. Local relevance increases the probability of engagement, every time. The new Facebook top stories functionality creates an additional opportunity for them to stay at the forefront of users' minds.

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The New Algorithm Will Prioritize News Feed Content to Favor the Most "Engaging" Posts

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Though Facebook hasn't fully implemented Graphrank, the new content algorithm, the update is designed to further help users cut through the clutter. Graphrank favors the posts that users interact with most. Since localized content tends to have higher levels of engagement, content from local marketers could potentially gain priority.

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Local Marketing for Big Brands

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So how can bigger brands use these updates to their advantage? The key is to think like a local marketer. In my company’s work with franchises like Applebee's, we've learned that the most engaging Facebook content doesn’t typically come from the corporate marketing team — it comes from individual store locations. Corporate marketing is no match against the thousands of employees physically interacting with customers on a daily basis.

Tapping local employees' collective wisdom is like being able to run hundreds or thousands of multivariate tests. Particularly savvy corporate teams have learned to track their local teams' content, to analyze the best strategies for when, why and what to post, and then to integrate that knowledge into a broader strategy.

Not every brand has the ability or the need to implement a fully localized Facebook content strategy. However, bigger brands can learn from smaller, local companies as they market across the new Facebook.

More About: algorithm, Business, contributor, Facebook, features, Marketing

One of the few downsides of a well-made product like the iPhone — perhaps the only one — is that it just doesn’t die quickly enough.

It would be nice if your iPhone died just as the new iPhone was being announced, but that’s probably not the case. The good news is if you can’t bring yourself to wait for your current iPhone’s demise, then there are ways to trade your old one in for cash or gift cards — or maybe just rid yourself of it in an environmentally friendly way.

If you’d like to receive cash for your old iPhone — likely the most popular option — you can, of course, just go on eBay or Craigslist and try your luck there. But if you’re looking for something easier, there are some sites out there that will give you cash on a trade-in. For instance, Gazelle will take that old iPhone off your hands for anywhere between $20 (for the 8GB iPhone 2G) to $284 for a 32 GB iPhone 4. Another option is NextWorth, a Gazelle competitor.

To try either of those options, just go online and tell the sites what kind of iPhone you have and what condition it’s in. Then you ship your phone to them and it’s “hand evaluated” to make sure everything matches your claims. Then they send you a check, Amazon gift card or a payment via PayPal.

Though there are some smaller competitors, Gazelle and NextWorth are the two big players in the electronics game, though Walmart and NewEgg both have trade-in services powered by Gazelle. Amazon also now offers store credit in exchange for old electronics.

Finally, you may be one of those people who can’t be bothered to get money for your iPhone. In that case, Mr. Moneybags, you can just send your iPhone back to Apple and have it recycled. (Gazelle and NextWorth will also take your old iPhone and recycle it.)

If you do care about money, then the time to rid yourself of your iPhone is now. As the chart below shows, older models lose their value quickly after a new one is announced. It might be a good idea to send your old friend packing now that Apple has finished its announcement.

More About: apple, gazelle, iphone, nextworth

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Apple announced its latest handset, the iPhone 4S, on Tuesday. Over at Apple.com, the company also posted this video showcasing the device and its new features.

Although the iPhone 4S looks almost identical to the iPhone 4, inside, the phone has been totally overhauled. Not only does it have a faster processor, higher storage capacity and better camera, it can take 1080p video, has a better battery and a redesigned antenna system.

Apple also showcases its latest artificial intelligence feature, Siri, which brings the personal assistant to your handheld phone.

The iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order on Oct.7 and available in stores on Oct. 14.

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 4.

iPhone 4S Video

The iPhone 4S comes with an 8MP camera, an improved lens, 1080p HD video and a slew of upgrades that allow for faster video taking and crisper images.

iPhone 4S Camera

New features such as cropping are now available through the iPhone 4S Camera.

Siri

The most important new feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice-controlled "Intelligent Assistant" that can complete tasks based on natural language. Ask it what the weather is like today and it will respond with details.

iCloud

Apple launched iCloud at its event, allowing users to sync their photos, music, emails and more across iOS devices.

iCloud Across Devices

iCloud also works between iOS devices and Mac OS X Lion.

iCloud Photos

Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to iCloud. Then they are available on your other Apple devices.

iOS 5

iOS 5 is the new version of Apple's mobile OS. It includes revamped notifications, a new Messages feature and deep integration with Twitter.

Messages

iOS 5 includes a new Messages feature for sending messages to other iOS devices for free, no texting required.

Notifications

iOS 5 includes revamped notifications. No more annoying push notifications!

Newsstand

Apple launched Newsstand, an app for downloading magazines, newspapers and other subscription-based content automatically.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iPhone 4S

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

More than 250,000 Kindle Fires have been pre-ordered since Amazon announced the new tablet computer last Wednesday, according to a report from Cult of Android.

The blog says a “verified source” within Amazon provided screenshots of the company’s internal inventory system. The screenshots show the Kindle Fire has been pre-ordered at an average rate of 50,000 units per day.

If this rate were to remain constant, more than 2.5 million Kindle Fires would have been pre-ordered by the device’s release date on Nov. 15 — a number that dwarfs other tablets’ launch-day sales numbers and leads Cult of Mac to suggest the “Kindle Fire could outsell the iPad.”

Apple indeed sold just 300,000 iPads, including deliveries of pre-orders, on its first day of sales in the U.S. RIM has reportedly shipped just 490,000 Playbooks in its first quarter and a Motorola executive has called the new Xoom tablet’s sales numbers “underwhelming.”

There are a couple of problems, however, with comparing sales of the Kindle Fire to other tablet computers. It has no camera, microphone or 3G capabilities. It runs Android, but its bookshelf-like interface departs drastically from other tablets. At $199, it’s $300 cheaper than the cheapest iPad 2. It’s an imperfect comparison.

A tablet doesn’t have to be an iPad clone in order to be a threat, but the pre-order numbers still don’t necessarily mean that the Kindle Fire is about to become the dominant tablet because it’s unlikely the number of pre-orders will remain consistent until launch.

A better conclusion from the sales screenshots, if they are indeed genuine, is that the Kindle Fire seems safe from repeating the flops many of its older Android siblings have demonstrated.

More About: amazon, ipad, kindle fire

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Apple‘s stock fell as much as 5% after its iPhone 4S announcement Tuesday, illustrating that the news failed to wow investors.

The drop, however, came as the market was also down. At press time the Dow was down about 1.5% and Nasdaq was about 1% down. Moreover, the market has gyrated on Apple announcements in the past. In January 2010, for instance, Apple’s stock fell 2.5% during Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPad and then rebounded when Jobs announced that the device would sell for a lower-than-expected $499. (The charts below show how Apple’s stock reacted after other iPhone announcements.)

What do you think? Was the announcement a let-down, is Wall Street over-reacting or is the stock price irrelevant? Let us know in the comments.

Apple Price Stock Chart by YCharts

Image courtesy of Flickr, luisvilla

iPhone 3G Announcement, 7/11/08

iPhone 3GS, 6/19/09

Original iPhone, 6/29/07

iPhone 4, 6/24/10

More About: apple, ipad, iPhone 4S

For more Business coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

For the past year, we’ve endured a near-daily slew of rumors about a device called the iPhone 5. When Apple delayed its release of a new phone until Fall 2011, it only heightened expectations. Surely, if we were to wait more than the usual year between versions of the iPhone, the result must be something spectacular.

Now, at the last minute, we discover that what the company was preparing all along was the iPhone 4S — a faster, smarter, world-phone upgrade to the iPhone 4. It’s on more carriers. It has a better camera and supposedly great voice recognition. But it is, as Tim Cook all but admitted, merely an iPhone 4 with more advanced innards. This isn’t the new, iconic, must-have device that a redesigned iPhone 5 would have been. (Which also means that Apple just lost a lot of potential iPhone 4 upgraders. Why buy the upgrade if no one can tell the difference?)

SEE ALSO: Apple Stock Drops Following iPhone Event

In the past, Apple has done a great job of managing expectations. The company had previously followed a policy of under-promising and over-delivering. Take the iPad 2: when rumors suggested that the device would have a high-resolution retina display, Apple made some small but strategic leaks to trusted members of the media. (The company isn’t quite as silent and stoic as it would like to appear.) We adjusted our expectations accordingly, and were delighted by the device when it arrived.

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 4.

iPhone 4S Video

The iPhone 4S comes with an 8MP camera, an improved lens, 1080p HD video and a slew of upgrades that allow for faster video taking and crisper images.

iPhone 4S Camera

New features such as cropping are now available through the iPhone 4S Camera.

Siri

The most important new feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice-controlled "Intelligent Assistant" that can complete tasks based on natural language. Ask it what the weather is like today and it will respond with details.

iCloud

Apple launched iCloud at its event, allowing users to sync their photos, music, emails and more across iOS devices.

iCloud Across Devices

iCloud also works between iOS devices and Mac OS X Lion.

iCloud Photos

Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to iCloud. Then they are available on your other Apple devices.

iOS 5

iOS 5 is the new version of Apple's mobile OS. It includes revamped notifications, a new Messages feature and deep integration with Twitter.

Messages

iOS 5 includes a new Messages feature for sending messages to other iOS devices for free, no texting required.

Notifications

iOS 5 includes revamped notifications. No more annoying push notifications!

Newsstand

Apple launched Newsstand, an app for downloading magazines, newspapers and other subscription-based content automatically.

So what happened to the back channels this time? It seems especially odd, considering Apple is still trying to establish Tim Cook as an effective replacement for Steve Jobs, that expectations for his first event weren’t dampened accordingly. But only in the last few days did stories about the iPhone 4S begin to appear, and not from the usual trusted sources. The vast majority of the technology world was still expecting an iPhone 5, and with good reason.

Right up until the end, many reporters present at the announcement held out hope for a “one more thing”, the traditional surprise ending to Jobs keynotes. But it wasn’t forthcoming.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 4S: When and Where You'll Be Able to Get It [PICS]

So above and beyond the basic fanboy disappointment at today’s announcement is another concern: is Apple losing control of the message? Has Jobs’ famous “reality bubble” finally burst?

And here’s another important question: does this mean we have to endure one more year of iPhone 5 rumors?

Let us know what you think in the comments. Are you disappointed by the iPhone 4S? Could Apple have done a better job of communicating in advance what we were going to see — and weren’t going to see?

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5

Apple will sell the iPhone 3GS at the deeply discounted price point of $0.00, the company revealed at its Let’s Talk iPhone event Tuesday.

The 8 GB iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a new two-year carrier contract, said Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple. This is the first time Apple has sold an iPhone model for free.

The company will also sell the iPhone 4 for $99 with a two-year contract. The new iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 prices will go into effect when the company starts selling the iPhone 4S.

The reduced price points are bound to make iPhones accessible to consumers more interested in owning an affordable Apple mobile device than getting the latest and greatest — of course, we’re talking about the iPhone 4S, which starts at $199 with a two-year contract and will be available for pre-order beginning Oct. 7. Both devices will be able to run iOS 5, a free software upgrade.

Earlier this year, The NPD Group found that the iPhone 3GS continues to outsell every other mobile phone on the market — except the iPhone 4.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, Kadath

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, apple iphone, iphone 3Gs, iPhone 4S

Apple has officially announced its fifth generation handset, the iPhone 4S. The new device, which retains the iPhone 4 form factor, will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7 and available to purchase on Oct. 14.

The new phone will be available on more than 70 carriers in 100 countries by year-end and in the United States will be available on Sprint, Verizon and AT&T.

Like previous versions of the iPhone, the iPhone 4S will retail for $199 for a 16GB model and $299 for a 32GB model. A new 64GB model will sell for $399. These prices include a two-year contract. It isn’t clear at this time what pricing plans the carriers will offer existing customers. Historically, AT&T has allowed existing customers to upgrade at the new customer rate as long as they sign a new contract.

The iPhone 4S sports a dual-core A5 processor, an 8-megapixel camera and features iOS 5.

In years past, Apple has had a hard time keeping up with pre-order demand for its phones. With three carriers, let’s hope that this tune changes.

Will you pre-order an iPhone 4S this Friday or would you rather wait in line on Oct. 14? Let us know.

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 4.

iPhone 4S Video

The iPhone 4S comes with an 8MP camera, an improved lens, 1080p HD video and a slew of upgrades that allow for faster video taking and crisper images.

iPhone 4S Camera

New features such as cropping are now available through the iPhone 4S Camera.

Siri

The most important new feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice-controlled "Intelligent Assistant" that can complete tasks based on natural language. Ask it what the weather is like today and it will respond with details.

iCloud

Apple launched iCloud at its event, allowing users to sync their photos, music, emails and more across iOS devices.

iCloud Across Devices

iCloud also works between iOS devices and Mac OS X Lion.

iCloud Photos

Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to iCloud. Then they are available on your other Apple devices.

iOS 5

iOS 5 is the new version of Apple's mobile OS. It includes revamped notifications, a new Messages feature and deep integration with Twitter.

Messages

iOS 5 includes a new Messages feature for sending messages to other iOS devices for free, no texting required.

Notifications

iOS 5 includes revamped notifications. No more annoying push notifications!

Newsstand

Apple launched Newsstand, an app for downloading magazines, newspapers and other subscription-based content automatically.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, att, iPhone 4S, sprint, verizon

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Apple has announced that Sprint will finally get the iPhone, making it the third U.S. wireless carrier to offer Apple’s flagship device.

Starting Oct. 14, Sprint will begin carrying the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. We expect the new iPhone to sell for $200 with a two-year contract, in line with the prices AT&T and Verizon Wireless charge. For that price, Sprint’s line of iPhones will come with unlimited data plans, a key difference from its competitors.

On Monday, we learned that Sprint was making a $20 billion bet on the iPhone. It has agreed to purchase at least 30.5 million iPhones in the next four years — more than its current postpaid subscriber base of 27+ million. It’s a risky move that will make a big dent on the bottom line until at least 2014.

However, Sprint now has the iPhone, a weapon it needed to stay competitive. Now it must find a way to poach customers from other carriers and sell 30+ million iPhones in the new few years. Otherwise, it could collapse under the financial pressure of its deal with Apple. Sprint is getting the iPhone, but it paid a hefty price to do so.

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iphone, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, sprint

For more Business coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The new iPod nano will be easier to use as a watch, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller revealed at the company’s press event Tuesday.

Users will be able to choose from 16 different clock faces (and yes, one of them is Mickey Mouse).

The iPod nano will also be easy to use as a fitness watch that tracks walks and runs. Users can see the time, pace and distance of their runs, calories burned and the number of steps walked. No additional sensors or devices are needed.

“Right out of the box,” Schiller said, “you can go on a walk or a run, without adding sensors or devices."

iPod Nano Comes in 7 Colors

iPod Nano

iPod Nano

iPod Nano

iPod Nano

The Whole iPod family

The new iPod nano, which is available in seven colors, will cost $129 for the 8GB version and $149 for the 16GB version. This is slightly less expensive than the previous version, which sold for $149 and $179 respectively.

Will you use an iPod nano as a watch? Let us know in the comments.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, ipod nano

Apple has unveiled Siri, a new iPhone 4S feature that lets you complete tasks on your phone by talking to it.

During an on-stage demo at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple VP Scott Forstall demonstrated Siri’s ability to process natural language and respond accordingly. When he asked the iPhone 4S, “What’s the weather like today?” it responded with the weather forecast. It is capable of parsing natural human language, rather than simple commands.

In addition for forecasts, Siri can read messages back, search Wikipedia, schedule calendar appointments, set work reminders, transcribe text messages, search Google Maps and more.

The technology, based on its acquisition of Siri in 2010, merges artificial intelligence with the iPhone. It processes your habits and patterns and personalizes results based on your preferences.

Siri will come with built-in support for English, French and German. It will start out as a beta but continue to evolve over time.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, Assistant, iPhone 4S

Among the myriad of announcements from Tuesday’s Apple event was an interesting new app called Find My Friends.

The app lets you track the location of other users, but unlike Google’s Latitude, which is meant to be used with a wide circle of people you know, Apple’s app seems designed for use with a close circle of friends and family.

Apple’s examples of how the app can be used includes checking out if your son made it to school today.

Of course, not everyone wants to be tracked all the time, so Apple has included some privacy options, such as temporary location sharing. (For example, you can set up the app to share your location up until 7 p.m. each day.)

We can imagine a lot of parents will like the app, but a great deal of kids will probably hate it, or think of ways to circumvent this type of surveillance.

How do you like this idea? Would you use the app?

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: App, apple, Find My Friends, iOS, Mobile, smarpthone

Apple has unveiled the iPhone 4S, the next version of its popular smartphone.

It will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7 and available to purchase on Oct. 14. And like previous versions of the iPhone, the iPhone 4S will retail for $199 for a 16 GB model and $299 for a 32 GB model.

The new iPhone looks much like the iPhone 4, confirming previous reports. It comes with upgraded internals, including the new Apple A5 chip and 1 GB of RAM. Apple VP Phil Schiller revealed that it will be the first iPhone with a dual-core processor and dual-core graphics. It is “up to seven times faster” than the previous iPhone, he announced.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much | Sprint Is Getting the iPhone

The device also contains a new antenna system that allows it to switch between two antennas for better sound quality and download speeds. The theoretical max of the iPhone 4S is a whopping 14.4 Mbps down, a vast increase from the iPhone 4′s theoretical max of 5.8 up and 7.2 down.

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 4.

iPhone 4S Video

The iPhone 4S comes with an 8MP camera, an improved lens, 1080p HD video and a slew of upgrades that allow for faster video taking and crisper images.

iPhone 4S Camera

New features such as cropping are now available through the iPhone 4S Camera.

Siri

The most important new feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri, a voice-controlled "Intelligent Assistant" that can complete tasks based on natural language. Ask it what the weather is like today and it will respond with details.

iCloud

Apple launched iCloud at its event, allowing users to sync their photos, music, emails and more across iOS devices.

iCloud Across Devices

iCloud also works between iOS devices and Mac OS X Lion.

iCloud Photos

Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to iCloud. Then they are available on your other Apple devices.

iOS 5

iOS 5 is the new version of Apple's mobile OS. It includes revamped notifications, a new Messages feature and deep integration with Twitter.

Messages

iOS 5 includes a new Messages feature for sending messages to other iOS devices for free, no texting required.

Notifications

iOS 5 includes revamped notifications. No more annoying push notifications!

Newsstand

Apple launched Newsstand, an app for downloading magazines, newspapers and other subscription-based content automatically.

The device also contains a new 8-megapixel camera that can take 3264×2448 images, an increase of 60% from the iPhone 4. It is capable of taking in 73% more light than the iPhone 4 and is 33% faster. It includes a redesigned Image Signal Processor that includes auto-face detection and 26% better white balance. It includes a new f2.4 lens for wider shots as well.

Check out our live blog for more details about the new iPhone.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, iOS, iPhone 4S, trending

Apple is entering the greeting card business with the announcement of Cards, a do-it-yourself application for creating, printing and sending greeting cards.

Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS Software at Apple, previewed the application at Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event Tuesday. Forstall touted it as a one-stop-shop for creating cards on your iPhone.

“It’s a new app that let’s you create cards on your phone … and we’ll do the rest,” Forstall said.

Cards users can select from 21 different designs. Once the card creation is completed, Apple will print out the cards, emboss them, add a mailing address and send them anywhere in the U.S. for $2.99 per card, or anywhere in the world for $4.99. Cards users can also send electronic versions via email free of charge.

Cards is a free download that appears to compete with Postcard On the Run and Postagram, which are also photo-centric greeting card applications for iPhone.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, Cards, greeting cards, iphone

iOS 5, the newest version of Apple’s mobile OS, will be available for free download on Oct. 12.

On stage at Apple’s iPhone event in Cuptertino, Calif., iOS VP Scott Forstall discussed some of the new features of iOS 5, many of which were revealed earlier this year at WWDC.

The new updates include deep Twitter integration, a revamped notification system, tabbed browsing for the iPad, sync between multiple iOs devices, a revamped camera app and a Newsstand application for reading magazines and newspapers.

We’re still waiting to hear about the new iPhone. Check out our live blog right now for all the details.

Tim Cook takes the stage

Tim Cook takes the stage

Live bloggers at the Apple event

iPod sales

iPod sales

iPhone sales

iPad's impact on education

iPad stats

Scott Forstall talks iOS

Scott Forstall talks app downloads

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards

Scott Forstall talks iOS 5

Eddy Cue talks camera updates

Eddy Cue talks location sharing

Eddy Cue talks iTunes

Eddy Cue on app updates

Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods

iPod nano as a watch

iPod nano customizable watch face

iPod touch, nano, shuffle

iPhone 4S

A5 chip

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade

iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison

iPhone 4S data speed market comparison

iPhone 4's impact on photography

iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor

iPhone 4S camera backside illumination

iPhone 4S camera lens

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S camera shooting time

iPhone 4S photo sample

iOS Weather app

iOS Weather app

Siri assistant for iPhone

Siri assistant for iPhone

Philip Schiller reviews

iPhone 4S Specs

iPhone 4S Pricing

---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, Cards, iphone, iPhone 4S

As the world’s tech media waited for news about the new iPhone on Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the opportunity of a captive audience to deliver a long list of favorable Apple stats.

Here’s the rundown of the numbers he revealed during his long windup:

• Apple has six stores in China, bringing Apple’s total to 357 stores in 11 countries.
• More than 6 million copies of Lion have been downloaded since it launched in July. This is 80% more downloads than Snow Leopard.
• Macbook pro and iMac are the best selling noteboook and desktop in the U.S.
• There are 60 million Mac users around the world. Apple has sold 45 million iPods so far this year (ending in June).
• iPod marketshare in the U.S. is above 70%.
• iTunes users have downloaded more than 16 billion songs.
• iPhone has 5% of the Worldwide Mobile Phone market.
• More than half of all iPhones that have been sold were iPhone 4s.
• Apple has sold more than 250 million iOS devices.
• There are 500,000 apps in the app store, 140,000 of them are iPad apps.
• 1 billion apps are downloaded every month.18 billion apps have been download in the past three years.
• Apple has paid $3 billion to developers (while keeping 30% of revenue on their apps).
SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Unveiling [LIVE BLOG]

We’re eager to hear what this long history lesson (going on 40 minutes) is winding up to.




Tim Cook takes the stage








Tim Cook takes the stage








Live bloggers at the Apple event








iPod sales








iPod sales








iPhone sales








iPad's impact on education








iPad stats








Scott Forstall talks iOS








Scott Forstall talks app downloads








Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards








Scott Forstall introduces Apple Cards








Scott Forstall talks iOS 5








Eddy Cue talks camera updates








Eddy Cue talks location sharing








Eddy Cue talks iTunes








Eddy Cue on app updates








Philip Schiller introduces new gen iPods








iPod nano as a watch








iPod nano customizable watch face








iPod touch, nano, shuffle








iPhone 4S








A5 chip








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4S plays Infinity Blade








iPhone 4 & 4S data speed comparison








iPhone 4S data speed market comparison








iPhone 4's impact on photography








iPhone 4S camera megapixel sensor








iPhone 4S camera backside illumination








iPhone 4S camera lens








iPhone 4S camera shooting time








iPhone 4S camera shooting time








iPhone 4S photo sample








iOS Weather app








iOS Weather app








Siri assistant for iPhone








Siri assistant for iPhone








Philip Schiller reviews








iPhone 4S Specs








iPhone 4S Pricing






---

What Apple Announced Oct. 4:

---

• Apple Announces iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S: When, Where and How Much
• Sprint Is Getting the iPhone
• Free iPhone: Apple Cuts 3GS Price to $0
• Apple Unveils Siri, the iPhone 4S Voice Assistant
• New iPod Nano Is Clock and Fitness Watch in One
• iOS 5 Available for Download Oct. 12
• Cards: Apple's One-Stop-Shop for iPhone Greeting Cards
• iPhone Adds "Find My Friends" App for Location Sharing
• Apple: 250 Million iOS Devices Sold and Other Huge Stats

More About: apple, new iphone, stats, tim cook

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