Thursday 24 November 2011

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Happy Thanksgiving: Celebrate With Google Doodles [PICS]”

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Happy Thanksgiving: Celebrate With Google Doodles [PICS]”

Happy Thanksgiving: Celebrate With Google Doodles [PICS]

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:58 AM PST


1998




Google's second ever Doodle (following the "Burning Man" Doodle that started it all) celebrated Thanksgiving. Note also that this early logo still boasts the exclamation mark.

Click here to view this gallery.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are celebrating the holiday here at Mashable with a look back at all the Thanksgiving-themed Google Doodles since the search giant launched.

With a penchant toward poultry-themed designs, every single year Google has presented a special Doodle to mark the occasion. Here you can see them all in one place.

Take a look through our gallery. Let us know in the comments which is your favorite Doodle — and why.

More About: features, gallery, Google, google doodles, thanksgiving

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Galaxy Nexus Now Available for Pre-Order Through Expansys

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:44 AM PST


Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to feature the new version of Android, 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich, can now be pre-ordered in the U.S. from Expansys.

The price is steep: $749, contract-free, for the 16 GB variant. It will, however, get you the device in four working days, so if you really want the latest and greatest smartphone from Google and Samsung, this is your chance. This particular variant of the Nexus moves data with HSPA+, and it will work on AT&T and T-Mobile’s network.

If you’re more inclined to wait a while and purchase the device at a cheaper price with a 2-year contract, you’ll be happy to know that Verizon will be having the Nexus “later this year.”

And if you wonder what all the fuss is about, check our detailed review here. We’ll just remind you that the device sports a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 4.65-inch super AMOLED display, a 5-megapixel, 1080p capable rear-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.

[via Expansys, Engadget, Cnet]


Check out those clean lines




I like its minimalist design.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: android, galaxy nexus, Google, ice cream sandwich, samsung, samsung galaxy nexus, smartphone

For more Mobile coverage:

Startup Helps ‘Little Fish’ Businesses Make a Big Splash in Marketing

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:12 PM PST


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: Mogulfish

Quick Pitch: Mogulfish helps small businesses overcome the “little fish disadvantage” that is, having small budgets and little time to market.

Genius Idea: A collective model helps small firms band together to save money, improve marketing and increase sales.

There are 27 million small businesses in America, and each one is a little fish in a very big sea. They don’t have Pepsi-like budgets for marketing, advertising or SEO, and they often don’t have time to oversee their own social media and marketing strategies.

That’s why James Maule founded Mogulfish. “My years of agency expertise getting cost efficiencies with big budgets and creating central campaigns for global clients gave me the unique perspective and ability needed to build this joint marketing model for small businesses,” Maule says.

The site lets small businesses know about marketing opportunities they can take advantage of, such as participating in Small Business Saturday, Fashion’s Night Out and Restaurant Week. Its listings explain how a business can get involved and reap the benefits of various promotions and marketing opportunities. There’s also a group-buying aspect, where small businesses use their strength in numbers to score discounts, like a Google+ starter kit or a website buildout.

And there are listings for vendors that small businesses might use to purchase office supplies, find freelancers, access PRweb and more.

Membership on the site is free, and some benefits are free, while the average discount on packages and deals is 50%. Mogulfish’s revenue comes from a commission on the sales, and Maule says an additional revenue stream will some from site advertising.

Mogulfish launched in New York this past June and has worked with a variety of businesses, such as Tavern on Jane, Pup Culture and Naturally Susan’s. The site is currently running a Loyal2NYC promotion in conjunction with the American Express initiative Small Business Saturday. Maule says the site is taking baby steps in New York before launching nationally; the next promotion will be December’s 12 Days 2 Christmas.

“We’re in our early beta stage in which education and building the network is key before many companies will start matching up and running their promotions together,” says Maule.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

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, Marketing, Small Business

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U.S. Patent Office Honors Steve Jobs with iPhone-Shaped Exhibit

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:55 PM PST

Steve Jobs Exhibit

The late Steve Jobs has been hailed as a brilliant businessman, marketer, and visionary. He was also an prolific inventor, if the number of patents bearing his name are any indication.

No less than 323 Apple patents list Jobs among the inventors responsible for them. Now the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is honoring the Apple founder with a dedicated exhibit.

The Patents and Trademarks of Steve Jobs: Art and Technology that Changed the World puts Jobs' patents on display in the USPTO's National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum. Conceived by the nonprofit Invent Now, the exhibit has a look that’s instantly recognizable: 30 giant-size iPhones, lined up screen to screen in a simple rectangular formation, like a military salute designed by Jonathan Ive.

Among the patents Jobs is credited with: "Method and apparatus for use of rotational user inputs," which essentially patented the iPod clickwheel; "Voicemail manager for portable multifunction device," the basis for the iPhone's visual voicemail; and 13 separate patents on product packaging alone.

While the exhibit is meant to "give insight into the visionary commitment" of Jobs, the patent vault at Apple has factored highly in the escalation of legal battles over intellectual property in recent years. Most prominently, Samsung has been engaged in patent wars with Apple over how closely its Galaxy products mimic the design and operation of iPhones and iPads, as shown in this infographic.

To a lesser extent, Nokia, Motorola, and even LG have tussled with Apple over patent infringement.

The Jobs exhibit kicked off Nov. 16 and is on display until Jan. 15, 2012. Located in the atrium of the Madison Building on the USPTO's campus in Alexandria, Va., it's free to attend during the museum's regular business hours.

Steve Jobs Patents

More About: apple, ipad, iphone, patents, steve jobs

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Barack Obama Joins Google+

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:28 PM PST


Debate is still raging about how many people are really using Google+ and whether it can ever overtake Facebook. But at least one prominent user was making active use of the site Wednesday: President Barack Obama.

Obama’s profile, which just gained a “verified account” tick mark, appears to have been launched first thing Wednesday morning. Naturally, it isn’t being run by the President himself, but by his reelection campaign — a fact that the profile’s posts makes no attempt to hide.

“Welcome to the Obama 2012 Google+ page,” reads the first Presidential post. “We’re still kicking the tires and figuring this out, so let us know what you’d like to see here and your ideas for how we can use this space to help you stay connected to the campaign.”

One one hand, Obama’s arrival is an important stamp of approval for the nascent social network. Obama has been active on Twitter and Facebook since he was a U.S. Senator running for the highest office in the land; his social media savvy is often credited with boosting his first presidential campaign, helping to recruit an army of young campaign workers and small donors. The President held a Town Hall with Twitter in June, and another at Facebook in April.

On the other hand, the relative lack of fanfare surrounding Obama’s arrival may indicate just how far Google+ has to go. His first post was arguably the most historic thing to happen on Google+ this week; more than 12 hours later, it boasts just 110 shares. (For comparison, one of our more popular Facebook stories this week has been shared more than 3,000 times in a day.)

Since that first announcement, Obama’s campaign has posted twice more Wednesday — once to tout the President’s tax credits for unemployed veterans, and once to push a campaign contest where winners get to have dinner with Obama. It has posted nine scrapbook photos, and no videos.

We’re looking forward to the President’s first Google+ hangout, which may supplant the meeting of Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Llama as the most historic hangout in Google+’s young life.

More About: barack obama, Google

Infinity Blade: How Two Brothers Made $20 Million From One Mobile Game

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 06:19 PM PST

Infinity Blade 2

Infinity Blade is my favorite mobile game. I paid about six times more for it than I have any other iPhone or iPad app, and instantly knew it was worth it.

It's not like Angry Birds, another favorite of mine, which requires a bit of analytical thought to figure out the fewest birds necessary for maximum destruction. Infinity Blade, made by Chair Entertainment, is about action, survival—and a quest.

It's the game I play the most on any iOS device, so I was thrilled when I got the chance to preview the sequel: Infinity Blade 2. If you read my hands-on report, you know it's fun and visually stunning. Since I already have so much time invested in the game, I wanted to spend some time with the brains behind the blade.

Donald Mustard and his brother Geremy founded Chair Entertainment in 2005. They were busy building console games such as Shadow Complex when Epic, maker of blockbuster games Gears of War and Unreal Tournament snapped them up in 2008.

By 2010, Chair had launched Infinity Blade, its first iOS game. Built atop Epic's Unreal Engine 3, it set a new benchmark for mobile gaming visuals, and has subsequently made more than $20 million in sales.

Clearly, the Mustard boys are onto something, as more than a few people share my addiction to the sword-wielding, armor-wearing, spell-casting heroes. (Epic's Infinity Blade forum has thousands of posts. I chatted with the Mustard brothers about the game, their relationship with Apple, and what's next.

Developing for the iPhone 4S and iOS 5

Apple invited the Mustard brothers to its Cupertino campus just two weeks before the iPhone 4S launch in October, though this didn't seem to bother them. "We try and make good guesses as to where hardware is going. We had our fingers crossed that there would be something like the iPhone 4S where we can push things further. Luckily Apple delivered," said Donald.

Jeremy said the company understands Apple product timelines pretty well, so they were already developing an app that would work with what they expected to be an iPhone 4 upgrade. Chair's bet paid off.

Geremy and Donald Mustard of Chair EntertainmentThe pair are excited about the potential of iOS 5, especially incremental updates. "[It's] huge,” said Donald, “because we love being able to update our games."

Chair is constantly refining their games — but with previous iOS versions, Infinity Blade players had to download a huge update for each tweak. With incremental updates, they can download a 50 MB (or smaller) file, as opposed to one hundreds of megabytes in size.

iPhone 5?

So the Mustards were prepared for iPhone 4S, but what about iPhone 5? Did they see it? Did they ask? Said Geremy: "We certainly asked. We get coy smiles and tight lips…they don't tell us anything. I'm sure there will be an iPhone 5 at some point, but we don't know anything about it." He paused and laughed: "I bet it's at least as fast as the iPhone 4s."

What's Inside

Infinity Blade 2 is a powerful game, but it's also a scalable one. The Chair teams designed it to scale down so it could run on the iPhone 3GS and iPad 1. On those devices, players simply see less detail. But on the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, Infinity Blade 2 will “use up all the power that is available on these higher-end systems."

To build Infinity Blade 2, the Mustards eschewed more complex game geometry and focused on character shadows and light rays — effects typically found on console games. Epic added these capabilities to the engine and debuted them in Gears of War 3 on the Xbox 360. That was only a few months ago. "Now it's on the iPhone 4S," said Geremy. "We made the game, and I still can't believe it's running on a phone that I carry in my pocket."

Where are the Android Apps?

As I was testing Infinity Blade 2, I kept wondering how it would run on an Android "super phone" such as the Motorola Photon 4G, which packs a graphics-friendly NVidia Tegra 2 chip. Unfortunately, Infinity Blade isn't in the Android Market — and it doesn't sound like it's coming any time soon.

There is nothing technically preventing the brothers from bringing Infinity Blade to Android right now. Instead, they're hesitating because of piracy concerns. According to a number of online reports, there's enough of a piracy issue in Android marketplace that many developers find it necessary to build in antipiracy measures, which in turn dampens sales.

"We're confident that will be worked out and it will become a viable place for game developers, but that hasn't happened yet,” said Donald. “So it's not the tech, it's the business platform."

What Steve Said

Donald Mustard met the late Steve Jobs when the Apple founder unveiled Chair and Epic's game, then called "Project Blade," at a September 2010 Apple event. Jobs was impressed with the game: “I can’t believe that’s running on an iPhone,” he reportedly said. Jobs also once joked about Donald’s last name, saying “Your name is really ‘Mustard’? I won’t forget that name.”

What's Next

What comes after Infinity Blade 2? The brothers aren't quite ready to go there yet. "We've been working 24 hours a day,” said Donald. “Working like crazy to get this game finished.” They are, however, excited about some of the features that should arrive after the December 1 launch, including "Clash Mob" — which Donald says should change the way we look at "asynchronous social collaboration."

Building A Successful App

There are a lot of successful apps in the App Store. But with 800,000 of them available, there are also thousands of flops. What does it take to make a game app that can drive $20 million in sales?

Donald offered this advice to would be app developers: "Create a game that is unique to iOS — something that utilizes the touch screen in a cool and innovative new way. Our iOS mantra at Chair is that 'if the game would be fun with a controller, you are not making the right game.' Gamers want a fun, original experience on their iOS devices — not a port of their favorite console game."


Infinity Blade 2




Click here to view this gallery.

More About: apple, apps, games, iOS 5, ipad, iPhone 4S, ipod, steve jobs

Thanksgiving Made Easy: ‘Just Put the F___ing Turkey in the Oven’ [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PST


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

Having trouble preparing your turkey? Take some advice from cooking instructor Mary Risley and, well, “just put the f__ing turkey in the oven.”

The culinary teacher of “f__ing 40 years” shares her uncensored thoughts about the Thanksgiving staple in this 8-minute instructional video. From a kitchen in San Francisco, she quips, “Don’t worry about it. Turkey really never tastes good. I’ve never had an outstanding turkey. … Just remember, it’s just a f__ing turkey. Just stick it in the oven.”

Although the instructional clip is filled with Risley’s amusing spontaneous lines (“I used to joke that I was like a turkey — big breasts and short legs — but now I don’t joke that way anymore”), it also includes solid advice on what ingredients to use, sides to make and alcohol to drink.

SEE ALSO: Guys Scream Like Girls in New Justin Bieber Holiday Commercial

You also can find Risley’s Thanksgiving recipes on cooking website Tante Marie.

More About: cooking, Holidays 2011, thanksgiving, viral-video-of-the-day

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Microsoft Looking to Buy a Piece of Yahoo, Again [REPORT]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:31 PM PST

Microsoft Yahoo deal

In what could be the first sign of a potential buyout, Microsoft has signed a confidentiality agreement with Yahoo to get access to the company's financial information, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Citing a "source familiar with the matter," the report says Microsoft is one of many companies now combing through Yahoo's business. Private equity firms KKR, TPG Capital, and Silver Lake Partners are also said to be interested in buying minority stakes of up to 20 percent, with plans to eventually own controlling interest in the company.

KKR and Silver Lake recently invested a substantial amount of money into domain registrar GoDaddy, a deal reported worth $2.25 billion.

The interest from Microsoft is especially notable since the software giant once before tried to buy the company back in 2008. The offered price was reported to be almost $45 billion, or $33 a share. Today Yahoo trades for about $15 a share. Commenting on the failure to work out a deal three years ago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said: "Sometimes you're lucky."

Now it seems Microsoft is once again looking a buying Yahoo, or at least a sizable chunk of it. Why the renewed interest? Microsoft wouldn't comment to Mashable on the matter, but it appears the company is interested in preserving its partnership with Yahoo on search.

The two worked out an agreement in 2009 where Yahoo would use Microsoft's Bing search technology, and Microsoft would serve up ads in Yahoo searches. Yahoo is still the second most popular search engine, according to comScore, so Microsoft has good reason to keep that partnership alive.

Yahoo has been struggling for years. Although its search and email services were once dominant, the company has failed to respond credibly as Google and other competitors gained market share. The company fired its CEO, Carol Bartz, in September. Former CFO Tim Morse is the current interim CEO.

More About: bing, microsoft, silver lake, Yahoo

Apple vs. Samsung: The Patent Wars, Explained [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:35 PM PST

The intellectual property battle rages on between Apple and Samsung. In April 2011, Apple filed for patent infringement, claiming that Samsung copied its iPhone and iPad designs. Courts all over the world have taken on this battle. Europe and Australia, for instance, have ordered preliminary injunctions barring Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from shelves — just in time for the holiday season.

SEE ALSO: Patent Wars: A New Age of Competition [INFOGRAPHIC]

Take a look through the infographic below to study the roots and progression of the Apple/Samsung lawsuit. Do you think the mobile designs are too similar?


Graphic courtesy of Online MBA Guide.

More About: apple, features, infographics, iphone, patent lawsuit, samsung, samsung galaxy

Walmart Uses Facebook to Divvy Up $1.5 Million in Holiday Grants

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST


As Walmart looks to give out $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations this holiday season, it wants Facebook users to help decide to whom it should cut the checks.

Through Nov. 30, Facebook users can navigate to the Holiday Giving tab on Walmart’s page to submit a nomination. This year, Walmart writes, “we want to help make sure families don’t have to worry about basic needs like food, shelter, baby formula, diapers and coats.” For 12 days beginning December 12, the mega-chain will announce daily winners to receive a slice of its money pie.

Users have already submitted hundreds of nominees, ranging from breast cancer support organizations to food pantries to services for families of injured military veterans.

Walmart posted Wednesday to the Non-Profits on Facebook page to drum up further support for its “12 Days of Giving” campaign and add to the list of potential recipients.

What non-profit would you nominate? Is Walmart doing a beautiful thing, or does this effort smack of public relatons cynicism?

More About: charity, Facebook, giving, Holidays, Marketing, nonprofits, online marketing, WalMart

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Jimmy Fallon Tweets Apology to Michele Bachmann [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:33 PM PST


Like several celebrities before him, Jimmy Fallon has tweeted an apology. The host of Late Night said sorry this week to Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann for music played during her entrance.

Bachmann walked on stage Monday while the show’s live band, The Roots, performed “Lyin’ Ass B–ch,” an 80s song from Fishbone. The song choice angered other politicians and pundits.

“I’m honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I’m so sorry about the intro mess,” Fallon wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “I really hope she comes back.”

But the question remains: Is the tweetpology enough, or was it an easy way out?


During an appearance on Fox News, Bachmann weighed in on that question, taking aim at Fallon and Late Night producers (see video above). “If that song had been played for Michelle Obama, I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized to her,” the Minnesota congresswoman said. “I accept Jimmy’s apology, but this really needs to come from NBC and this is an outrage.” Prior to his apology, Fallon jokingly tweeted to The Roots’ drummer Questlove (see tweet below), chastising the song selection.

Chef Mario Batali found himself in a similar situation earlier this month, issuing an apology on Twitter after likening Wall Street bankers to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin during a TIME magazine event. On Nov. 9, Batali published two tweets: “To remove any ambiguity about my appearance at yesterday's Time Person of the Year panel, I want to apologize for my remarks. … It was never my intention to equate our banking industry with Hitler and Stalin, two of the most evil, brutal dictators in modern history.”

SEE ALSO: 10 Unforgettable On-Air Political Bloopers [VIDEOS]

Microsoft also used Twitter to say sorry for a questionable tweet sent after Amy Winehouse’s death. The Secret Service tweeted an apology, too, for poking fun at Fox News.


More About: jimmy fallon, Politics, television, Twitter

7 Best Black Friday Deals at Target

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:17 PM PST


Westinghouse 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV




This normally $500+ 46-inch TV will be on sale for $298 at Target stores this Friday.

Click here to view this gallery.

In case Target is one of your Black Friday shopping destinations, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals the big-box retailer has to offer. We’ve found digital cameras, tech toys, big-screen TVs and a few more that are worth checking out the day after Thanksgiving.

You can find all of Target’s Black Friday markdowns here.

Best Buy and Walmart are offering similar deals in-stores on Black Friday, as are plenty of other retailers.

Of course, if you’d prefer to skip the lines altogether, you can also find some of the best Black Friday deals on the web — no trampling or clawing necessary. The big-box retailers, as well as Apple, Dell and many more, will offer some discounts at their online stores too.

How are you preparing for the biggest shopping day of the year?

Image courtesy of Flickr, www.metaphoricalplatypus.com

More About: black friday, Holidays 2011, shopping, Target

Find a Job in Social Media, Communications or Design

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:55 PM PST


If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help. For starters, Mashable‘s Job Lists gather all our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might want to see our articles, How to Leverage Social Media for Career Success and How to Find a Job on Twitter.

But we’d like to help in a more direct way, too. Mashable‘s job boards are a place for socially savvy companies to find people like you. This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions on the web, social media space and beyond.

Have a look at what's good and new on our job boards:

Mashable Job Postings

Community Intern (Winter 2012) at Mashable in New York, NY.

Editorial Intern (Winter 2012) at Mashable in New York, NY.

Editorial Intern (Fall 2011) at Mashable in San Francisco, CA.

Editorial Intern (Winter/Spring 2012) at Mashable in San Francisco, CA.

Tech Reporter at Mashable in San Francisco, CA.

Sales Marketing Manager at Mashable in New York, NY.

Billing Strategist at Mashable in New York, NY.

Mashable Job Board Listings

Digital Media Strategist at M Booth in New York, NY.

Technology Writers Wanted at Demand Media Studios in NEw York, NY.

Interactive Producer at Attention in New York, NY.

Social Video Paid Internship at Unruly in New York, NY.

Social Media Specialist at Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in Wynnewood, PA.

Senior Director of Product Management at MTV Networks in NEw York, NY.

Communities Manager at National Center for Learning Disabilities in New York, NY.

Associate Producer, Digital Content at Music Choice in NEw York, NY.

Senior Developer, Client Deployment at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.

Solutions Architect at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.

Lead Product Manager, Solutions at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.

Interactive Developer at Zocalo Group in Chicago, IL.

SF-based Publisher Analyst to work with 200+ Top Tech Bloggers at NetShelter in San Francisco, CA.

Director, Interactive Marketing at THQ in Agoura Hills, CA.

Senior Web Producer – Multimedia at PG&E in San Francisco, CA.

Director of Marketing at Ivy Exec in New York, NY.

Internet Communication Manager at Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc. in Conklin, NY.

Vice President of Digital and Direct Marketing at Masked in New York, NY.

Developer at Vain Media in Los Angeles, CA.

Public Relations Manager at Wix.com in New York, NY.

Information Technology Manager / Chief Technology Officer at iGiveMore Inc. in New York, NY.

Senior Software Engineer at The Writers Network in New York, NY.

Sr. Software Developer at PRONTO in New York, NY.

Director, Product Development – MTV & VH1 Digital at MTV Networks in New York, NY.

Web Developer and Designer at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL.

Social Media Manager at Feld Motor Sports, Inc. in Aurora, IL.

Account Executive, Field Sales at Buddy Media in San Francisco, CA.

Account Executive, Field Sales at Buddy Media in New York, NY.

Manager, Innovations at Initiative in Los Angeles, CA.

Internet Marketing Intern at C-4 Analytics in Saugus, MA.

Tradeshow Coordinator at Everyday Health in Culver City, CA.

Senior Account Executive Online Ad Sales at Acquinity Interactive in New York, NY.

Paid Search Manager at TrueAction Network in New York, NY.

Software Engineer – Front-End at Yelp, Inc. in San Francisco, CA.

Unbelievable UI/UX Design Lead at Rapleaf in San Francisco, CA.

Online Media Buyer at Acquinity Interactive in NEw York, NY.

Online Marketing Manager at Acquinity Interactive in NEw York, NY.

Senior Affiliate Manager – Online Marketing at Acquinity Interactive in New York, NY.

Senior Online Web Product Manager at Acquinity Interactive in NEw York, NY.

Web Developer II at Big Fish Games in Seattle, WA.

Producer – Mobile Games at Big Fish Games in Seattle, WA.

Junior Social Media Coordinator at Jane Creative in New York, NY.

Java Developer / Software Engineer at Mogl in Solana Beach, CA.

Senior Java Software Engineer at Andera, Inc. in New York, NY.

More About: COMMUNICATIONS, design, jobs, Lists, Social Media

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Groupon Shares Continue Free Fall, But Why?

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 12:58 PM PST


Groupon stock continued its plunge Wednesday, trading in the $17 range, well below the company’s $20 IPO price.

It’s the third consecutive day the stock has plummeted; shares fell 10% Monday and nearly 15% Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon shares were trading for $16.99.

While it’s difficult to define shareholder intention — many short sellers have accelerated the plunge by betting on the stock to continue sliding — public perception of the daily deals site has made a clear negative shift.

A pair of accounting changes this autumn had already raised the ire of some Groupon skeptics. In August, the company was criticized for using an unusual accounting practice that disguised some of its losses to depict itself as profitable. In September, the company announced another major accounting change that essentially halved its revenue.

Nonetheless, Groupon enjoyed a smashing IPO on November 4, with shares soaring more than 30% in the company’s market debut. It was the largest tech IPO of its kind since Google went public in 2004.

“Frankly, I’m surprised it did so well,” Ed Woo, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told CNN. “Now, that negative sentiment is coming back as investors are focusing on the company’s slowing growth and how it’s losing a lot of money.”

There are also several other factors that may be contributing to the sudden plunge.

LinkedIn shares dropped this week, and are now trading at about half their peak summer value, after the company’s 180-day lockup period ended on Monday. The lockup period is a common IPO method of barring early-stage investors from abandoning their stakes in a company. Groupon’s lockup period ends May 2, and many analysts have speculated that fears of a similar subsequent drop may be driving traders to ditch the stock now.

Analysts have also cited increased competition from Living Social, as well as concerns about whether Groupon will be able to continue attracting small business customers. Living Social this week announced Black Friday deals from more than 20 national retailers including Verizon Wireless and Electronic Arts.

Questions about Groupon’s ability to continue finding small businesses to partner with on deals rose after a recent episode in which an England bakery lost some $20,000 following a deal that deeply discounted cupcakes. Groupon’s actual customers aren’t the millions of people who receive email offers, but the businesses — often small ones with little margin for error — that agree to partner with Groupon on deals.

“Without a doubt, it was my worst ever business decision,” Need A Cake owner Rachel Brown told the BBC of the deal that had her and her employees baking more than 100,000 cupcakes to sell at a 75% discount.

Such deal offerings can be beneficial for large companies seeking to reach many people and attract new customers, as well as to businesses willing to bet a short term loss for possible future gains. But cupcake-gate illustrates the risk of daily deals like Groupon’s to smaller businesses.

And with Groupon’s recently plunging stock, it now appears stockholders are also beginning to see the company’s potential as too good to be true.

“The market has begun to increase its discount on risk and that has impacted all companies without a proven track record and/or earnings,” Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst told Mashable on Wednesday.

A Groupon spokesman said the company is currently in a “quiet period” and can’t comment, while the company’s external public relations agency also declined to comment on “the stock action.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, slobo

More About: daily deal, groupon, ipo, living social, stock, stock market, trending

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Why Grooveshark Has Little Chance Of Fending Off Universal’s Lawsuit

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 12:53 PM PST


Streaming website Grooveshark has become the latest flashpoint in the cat-and-mouse game between the music industry and music sharing services. But unlike their largely unsuccessful suit against cyber-locker site MP3Tunes earlier this year, the copyright owners this time around appear to be well poised to tear down the “safe harbors” that typically protect such websites.

Grooveshark, which claims to have millions of listeners, is popular as an online jukebox stuffed with popular songs added by users. Universal file a lawsuit against the site on November 18 because, unlike online similar services like Pandora and Spotify, the site didn’t obtain licenses to stream the songs.

Grooveshark appears to be on thin ice due to a series of damning emails submitted by Universal which suggest that the company’s executives were themselves stuffing the site with copyrighted songs. The emails are included with the complaint (embedded below) and include messages like “We bet the company on the fact that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” The complaint also includes a chart purporting to show that the executives uploaded hundreds of thousands of songs. The music industry has previously claimed that its take-down notices to Grooveshark have been ineffective because the site allows removed copyrighted material to simply reappear a short time later.

Universal is claiming the site and its owners have profited as a result of display advertising, the sale of of premium subscriptions and infusions of venture capital. The company is asking for damages under copyright law, which provides for up to $150,000 per song.

Universal has a strong case if its allegations are true.  Ordinarily, websites are protected by safe harbor laws which ensure they are not liable for copyright violations by their users. In order to preserve this legal shield, the site owners must respond to take-down notices by copyright owners and ensure they are not directly controlling and profiting from the infringement. In Grooveshark’s case, however, the facts provided by Universal suggest the company may have forfeited the safe harbors.

The music industry came up short earlier this year when it attempted to override safe harbors in the case of MP3Tunes, a site that provides music “lockers” into which users can transfer songs they discover on third party sites. A court found that the site was largely protected by the safe harbors except in the case of certain instances where it had not done enough to respond to take down notices. The key difference in the new Grooveshark case is that Universal may be poised to tear down the harbors altogether on the basis that its owners were directing the infringement.

The new lawsuit also borrows another tactic from the MP3Tunes case and earlier file-sharing litigation by personally naming the owners of the company. This tactic has in the past allowed the music industry to use the threat of personal judgments worth tens of millions of dollars to force website owners to close down their sites even in the case where the site itself has found to be legal.

The Grooveshark and MP3Tunes cases are drawing renewed attention to safe harbors at a time when content owners have been pushing for new legislation to make the internet industry more responsible for policing copyright. The issue is also at the center of an appeals court decision, expected imminently, in which Viacom claims that YouTube wrongfully benefited from safe harbors when it ignored “red flags.”

The new case is also likely to fan the vitriol that has defined recent debates over copyright law. Critics say that the music industry has relied on draconian lawsuits to protect a failing business model rather than create new digital services for consumers. The industry claims it is simply protecting music owners.

Grooveshark complaint

More About: grooveshark, lawsuit, Music, universal

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Skip the Lines: 13 Black Friday Sales You Can Snag on the Web

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 12:43 PM PST


When did Black Friday get so confusing?

Some deals are happening all weekend, while others are only taking place at specific times. Companies have merged traditional in-stores deals with web specials. Some even extend bargain periods all the way into Cyber Monday, the traditional big day for online shopping.

Technology has made it easy for companies to advertise deals through social media and specific holiday landing pages on their websites, while others are sticking to weekly ads to promote sales.

SEE ALSO: Who’s Tweeting About Black Friday? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Whether you choose to be among the crowds for Black Friday, or to snag online deals in bed while you recover from a Thanksgiving food coma, there’s no argument that the big shopping event requires a little preparation before you dive in. We’ve gathered some of the noteworthy deals to check out on Friday (or earlier).

Know of more deals being advertised online? Share them in the comments section. Happy shopping!

1. Living Social

Instead of local deals on restaurants and spas, check Living Social on Friday for 50% deals from businesses such as Verizon Wireless, Office Max, Sketchers, Bluefly and more. Offers will start 5 a.m. on Friday, and then new offers will appear on Monday, because as the company says in its advertising, “It’s too much savings for just one day.”

2. Apple

Friday is the special one-day shopping event for Apple. You can visit any Apple retail store (although we’d advise getting there early) or shop online all day. You'll discover great iPad, iPod, and Mac gifts at a reduced price for yourself or anyone on your list.

3. Amazon

Amazon has released Black Friday specials all week, searching for the best deals everywhere so that it can match or beat competitor prices and bring them to you early.

Notable items include a PlayStation 3 160GB Bundle with two free games for $199 and a Panasonic DMC-ZS9 14.1MP Digital Camera for $179.99. Also, all phones from Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T with a new contract are on sale for a penny from November 21, 2011, through 11:59 p.m. PDT November 28, 2011, while supplies last. If you buy an eligible smartphone and activate the hotspot feature, you’ll get a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.

4. Target

Target’s Christmas Champ has been revving customers on the Internet and TV for the company’s 2-Day Sale. You can view advertised deals online, which include doorbusters like an Element 40″ LCD HDTV for $265, Sony Blu-ray players for $80 and an 8 GB iPod for $125, plus receive a $15 gift card. Target.com will offer many of the same limited-availability doorbuster deals that will be found in-store, in addition to the online only deals. Target is having a 4-day pre-Black Friday sale now, but the big sales begin in stores and online at midnight on Friday.

5. GameStop

For Black Friday, GameStop will buy your old iPod, iPhone or iPad (ranging from $70 to $375 back). And $200 will get you the Zelda-branded version of the portable DS system, along with the remake of the Nintendo 64 classic. Select stores will offer the Acer Iconia 7″ tablet for $249. Sales start online at midnight, along with about 2,200 stores, and the rest are opening at 5:00 a.m.

6. Best Buy

Best Buy’s deals for Black Friday are so noteworthy, they encourage camping out at least 24 to 48 hours in advance.

SEE ALSO: 11 Craziest Black Friday Deals at Best Buy

This year they will even be entertaining the crowd with a movie screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Notable items include a Sharp 42″ 1080p LCD TV for $199.99, a Samsung 15.6″ laptop with 4 GB for $299.99 and a free Samsung Stratosphere 4G LTE with 2-year activation with Verizon. Doors open at midnight on Friday, but tickets for items will be distributed starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday. Sales online begin Thanksgiving Day.

7. Walmart

The superstore has advertised Black Friday since Halloween, and is taking its sales so seriously, there will be three separate times for specific areas of the store — 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for toys, home and apparel; midnight on Friday for electronics; and 8 a.m. on Friday for all other specials.

SEE ALSO: 9 Best Black Friday Deals at Walmart

Some things Walmart.com is offering in stores include a limited edition blue Wii Console for $99.96, a Vizio 42-inch Passive 3DTV Set for $598 and a Kodak C1450 for $49. Online shoppers can expect 46″ HDTVs for less than $400, kids’ electric ride-ons for less than $40 and select bundles of four Blu-ray movies for $20.

8. B&H Photo

The NYC superstore will be open on Thanksgiving day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and sales will continue through Black Friday on the B&H Photo website. Expect $100 to $50 off of select cameras and discounts on printers, photo accessories, home entertainment and more.

9. Dell

On Dell's Black Friday site, you will find great deals on laptops, desktop computers, printers, TVs, digital cameras and other cool electronics.

Some items to look out for online include the Inspiron 15 laptop for $299.99, an Inspiron One 2205 desktop for $399.99 and a 12-megapixel Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 digital camera, which comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 and a Shutterfly photobook for $209.99. Sales will go live Friday at midnight.

10. Sears

Although Sears has placed daily deals on specific items throughout the week, its Thanksgiving Sale is currently being advertised on its homepage. Items will be on sale online and in stores, such as a single-cup brewing system for $120, Butterball electric turkey fryer for $100 and a 6-quart bowl lift stand mixer for $275. All Kenmore appliances will be 20% off. Doors open at 4 a.m. on Friday, and doorbuster sales will continue through 1 p.m.

11. Office Max

Don’t think the store is just giving deals away on pens and paper. Office Max has some pretty solid deals, such as an HP laptop for $389.99, HP Color Inkjet wireless printer for $79.99 and the Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR for $479.99. Online sales begin Thanksgiving Day at 7 a.m., and doors open 6 a.m. on Friday.

12. HH Gregg

Electronics store HH Gregg has already released Black Friday sales on its website, but expect some doorbusters from the company as well. Some things the company is offering include a Toshiba Internet Blu-ray player for $39.99, a 51″ Samsung Plasma HDTV for $499.99 and a Vivitar digital video camcorder for $14.99. Doors open at midnight on Friday.

13. Verizon

Verizon has yet to reveal exactly what to expect from its Black Friday sales, but check its website on Friday for deals on cell phones, smartphones, tablets, and other accessories. Considering AT&T is offering phones for a penny as part of its Black Friday promotion, we expect some deep discounts from Verizon this year.

BONUS: Top 10 Black Friday Deals on Social Media


1. Amazon




Amazon is promoting its Countdown to Black Friday on its Facebook page.

The company is offering one Gold Box deal along with multiple Lightning Deals appearing and expiring throughout each day this week. Things such as an LG 32" HDTV for $308.99 or Halo Reach on Xbox 360 for $29.96 are among the many deals on the site.

Click here to view this gallery.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, zorani

More About: black friday, Business, features, Holidays 2011, online shopping

DisplAir: Minority Report’s Gesture Interface, Only Real. And Russian

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 12:17 PM PST


Ever since Microsoft Kinect debuted last year, controller-free gesture interfaces have gone mainstream. As popular as it is, the tech could stand some improvement: it would be more precise if users were able to manipulate 3D images in midair, a la Tom Cruise's elaborate setup in Minority Report, instead of eyeballing things on a screen. Now a company from Russia has a working prototype of just such a device.

Called DisplAir, the technology combines an infrared camera, a projector, and cold fog to project 3D images and capture the user's hand movements as they manipulate them. A user can "press" items to select them, swipe things to the side, and even use two hands and fingers to make objects larger or smaller, the 3D equivalent of multi-touch. You can see it all being done in this demo video:

This being a prototype, the technology is far from polished. There's a 0.2-second lag before your motion has an effect — slightly more than the 0.1-second delay of the Kinect, noted in many reviews. The fog also creates a "fringing" effect on the periphery of the projection.

Nonetheless, it's an impressive achievement, especially considering the technology was developed in a dormitory. DisplAir is made to detect small finger movements as opposed to sweeping gestures in a game system; it can scan for 1,500 points of contact with accuracy up to 1 centimeter, depending on the size of the "screen," which can range from 40 to 140 inches.

The company is currently looking for investors, so commercial products are a long way off. Still, DisplAir estimates that devices would cost between $4,000 and $30,000 when mass-produced.

Want something right now that will let you play with 3D images like Tony Stark? Apart from the comparable Fog Screen technology (which is commercial-only), your best bet is probably IO2 Technology's Heliodisplay, which can project interactive holograms and is plug-and-play with Windows machines via USB. (Check it out in the video below.) Units start at $48,000, however, so it may well be worth waiting for DisplAir.

via TechCrunch Europe

More About: 3D, DisplAir, kinect, microsoft, projection

Meet the 2011 Mashable Awards Nominees for Business

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 11:45 AM PST


Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn — none of these companies would be able to sustain themselves without advertising. But getting your brand in front of users who’ve never had to sit through an ad in their life can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge the brands and marketers that are burning calories to figure out ways to get their message across in a fragmented media environment.

The nominees below thought of novel ways to adapt their messages to the social media environment. Often, these are ads and campaigns that are part of the conversation, rather than a disruption to it.

Here are all the nominees from the 2011 Mashable Awards Business category.

Viral Campaign of the Year

This category honors the reader's choice for their favorite viral advertising campaign launched in 2011.

Most Innovative Use of Social Media for Marketing

This category honors the reader's choice for the most innovative social media marketing campaign launched in 2011.

  • Orabrush — The consumer packaged goods startup got a Walmart distribution deal after building its brand on YouTube.
  • Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange — Consumers across the globe traded their nightlife experiences via Facebook thanks to Smirnoff.
  • @Ifeelgoods Heist It Back — The Facebook promotion for Universal’s Tower Heist mirrored the film’s plot by letting fans “heist” Facebook credits.
  • RadioShack #Kindofabigdeal — This promotion showed a live shot of a phone on a table. The phone would vibrate every time someone tweeted the associated hashtag. If your tweet sent the phone off the table, you got to keep it.
  • Domino’s Pizza — Domino’s in Japan got online buzz for an “Is this for real?” project to put a Domino’s on the moon.
  • Diesel — Fans got the chance to “Like” the brand on Facebook via a QR code.
  • Coca-Cola — Coke’s viral campaigns in 2011 spread happiness around the globe via live stunts and YouTube vids.

Best Branded Mobile App

This category honors the reader's choice for the best mobile app created specifically by a brand for consumer use on either a smartphone or tablet.

  • Robbie Williams App — An app for the popular British singer.
  • Super 8 — The classic Super 8 simulated film experience promoted the movie at the same time.>.
  • Domino's Pizza USA — The popular Domino’s app lets you order a pizza on your iPhone.
  • KRAFT iFood Assistant — One of the first branded iPhone apps, it offers recipes with Kraft foods.
  • Titan HTSE — This app is light-activated, like the watch it promotes.
  • GEICO BroStache — Taken straight from the brand’s television ad campaign, this app lets you simulate having a mustache.
  • Glee by Smule — Sing into the app with headphones on and you sound like a star.

Must-Follow Brand on Social Media

This category honors the readers’ choice for the brand that best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

  • WWE — The professional wrestling organization has great live chat options for fans.
  • The Young Turks — A political video show that began on YouTube and can now be seen on Current TV.
  • Cirque Du Soleil — The circus-inspired entertainment company offers fans a myriad of content.
  • Sega — Sega hosts Free Stuff Fridays, a community favorite, on Twitter.
  • Carnival Cruise Lines — The cruise line engages its community with video, games and blogs.
  • DKNY — DKNY’s popular Facebook page offers exclusive deals and giveaways.
  • CharityBuzz — The CharityBuzz community has access to quality video content from the red carpet and cbuzzTV.

Best Social Good Cause Campaign

This category honors the reader's choice for the best use of digital or social media in a non-profit, philanthropic, cause-focused or corporate social responsibility campaign.

  • WWE Be a Star Campaign — An anti-bullying effort from the wrestling entertainment giant.
  • Joplin Tornado Info — Social media helped survivors and others get information about the disaster.
  • Feed it Forward by Restaurant.com — This CSR campaign lets you send gift cards for free meals anonymously.
  • Your Man Reminder — This app features images of hunky guys, who pop up to remind women to give themselves regular breast exams to screen for cancer.
  • The Trevor Project — A suicide-prevention campaign that featured celebs like Daniel Radcliffe and Neil Patrick Harris.
  • AT&T Texting While Driving — Graphic videos warned of the danger of texting while driving.
  • ItGetsBetter.org — This star-studded campaign overcome sexual preference challenges, and reminds them that life gets better.

Digital Company of the Year

Editor's Note: Originally, we had defined this category "the top traditional (non-digital) company that has excelled in the digital space in 2011." After considering the nature of the nominations, we broadened the category to include traditional, non-digital companies as well as agencies that are heavily utilizing digital in their operations.

  • Progressive Insurance — The insurer might be best known for its popular television ad featuring Flo, an amiable company rep, who is also the face of their social media communities.
  • WWE — The wrestling entertainment juggernaut has a devoted online fan base.
  • engage121 — A maker of social media aware CRM software.
  • Likeable Media — A social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm.
  • Possible Worldwide — And interactive marketing firm.
  • Big Fuel — A social media marketing firm.

Breakout Startup of the Year

This category honors the reader's choice for the top startup company in the digital space that has experienced impressive growth or mainstream attention in 2011.

  • Manilla — This app offers an all-in-one location for managing your bills.
  • Punchtab — This app bills itself as the “world’s first instant loyalty platform.”
  • GetGlue — Social media engagement for fans of TV, music, movies and other media.
  • Twilio — A cloud communications platform that helps firms create voice and SMS apps.
  • Taskrabbit — This app lets you outsource your chores.
  • Zaarly — An alternative to eBay, this peer-to-peer marketplace has even attracted former eBay CEO Meg Whitman to its board.
  • Codecademy — A site that offers beginner lessons for learning how how to code.

More About: Business, mashable awards, mashable awards 2011

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20 Awesome #LiteraryTurducken Tweets Mash Together Popular Book Titles

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 11:32 AM PST


@Doubledaypub




Thanksgiving has inspired a new popular hashtag on Twitter: #LiteraryTurducken.

Publishing company Doubleday placed the hashtag in Twitter's oven Tuesday, asking followers to combine "not one, not two, but three classic works into one, in the spirit of the turkey+duck+chicken creole classic."

Since then, #LiteraryTurducken has attracted attention from Twitter's CEO, book publishers and a slew of Twitter users.

Click here to view this gallery.

Classic novels and the Thanksgiving dish turducken have inspired a new hashtag — #LiteraryTurducken — which has caught the attention of Twitter’s CEO, book lovers and a handful of publishers.

Publishing company Doubleday plopped #LiteraryTurducken into a tweet Tuesday, asking followers to combine “not one, not two, but three classic works into one, in the spirit of the turkey+duck+chicken creole classic."

The hashtag then reached Twitter CEO Dick Costolo hours after #LiteraryTurducken heated up (see tweet below). Other publishing companies joined the fun, too. Flip through the gallery to see their submissions.

SEE ALSO: How Hashtagging the Web Could Improve Our Collective Intelligence


More About: hashtags, thanksgiving, trending, Twitter

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9 Best Black Friday Deals at Walmart

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:37 AM PST


65-inch Toshiba 1080p 120 hz LCD TV




This TV usually sells for close to $1,500. Walmart will have it discounted to $998.

Click here to view this gallery.

From digital cameras to video game consoles, we’ve picked out some of the best Black Friday deals at Walmart. If you’ll be making your way through the aisles of the store Friday — or you’re deciding if it’s worth your time — take a look through the slideshow of our top discounts, and with any luck, you’ll be able to more easily navigate the Black Friday mania.

Stopping by Best Buy, too? We’ve also collected some of the top Best Buy Black Friday deals as well.

SEE ALSO: 7 Best Black Friday Deals at Target

You can find more of Walmart’s deals in the store’s Black Friday ad.

Which tech gadgets or games will you be picking up Friday? Or, will you be avoiding Black Friday completely?

More About: black friday, Holidays 2011, shopping, WalMart

YouTube Snags Hundreds of Disney Movie Rentals

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:11 AM PST


Move over Rebecca Black, YouTube Movies is about to make room for “hundreds” of Disney movie rentals.

YouTube’s less than one-year-old service, which offers web-based movies and TV show rentals for as little as 99 cents, now adds thousands of Walt Disney Studio films to its already substantial library. YouTube is also adding movies from Disney-Pixar and DreamWorks Studios.

This official announcement comes just weeks after a report that Disney and YouTube were working on a deal to deliver original video content on the video sharing service. While, according to the YouTube statement, only a handful of Disney films are available now, the service will soon fill with hundreds more, including classics like Alice in Wonderland and Pixar’s Cars, as well as some non-classics like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In addition to the movies, Disney will offer behind-the-scenes clips and interviews for the films in YouTube’s Movie Extras area.

Disney has recently made deals–though mostly for television shows–with streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon.The latter also offers Disney films to rent. Netflix currently only offers a online streaming option, though you can rent Disney DVDs through the service.

The new Walt Disney Studio rentals will, for now, only be available to YouTube and Google TV users in the U.S. and Canada.

Do these new offerings make YouTube Movies more attractive, and could they help propel Google TV to success? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

More About: disney, trending, Walt Disney

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Cinefy Brings Advanced Movie Editing to iPhone [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:04 AM PST


Cinefy is a new mobile video editing app that promises “Hollywood effects” on the iPhone. Launched in limited beta on Tuesday, Cinefy’s app includes features for inserting footage, adding music from a built-in library and applying a variety of special visual effects.

Learn more about the app in the video above. Users can sign up for the limited beta on Cinefy’s website.

More About: cinefy, iphone apps, mashable video, Movies, video editing

Ereader Wars: Which Tablet Earned the Most Online Buzz? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 09:25 AM PST


It seems ereaders are going to be a hot holiday tech gift this year — the Tickle Me Elmo for grown-ups, if you will.

The space has certainly heated up of late. A market once dominated by the iPad and a few generations of Kindles is starting to rumble with the introduction of the Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet.

How are these new gadgets being received on the web? Our friends at Tableau Software have been measuring, and compiled this sharp, interactive graphic.

The Kindle Fire seems to have won the race by volume of searches and shares, and that’s not surprising. Amazon has been a leader in the ereader space for years, and the Kindle’s leap to a modern mobile operating system (Android) is big news.

SEE ALSO: Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet vs. iPad 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab [CHART]

However, note the sentiment analysis around the Nook Color. There’s a stronger margin of positivity around this new product than its competitors — perhaps a sign of what the sales curves may look like after the holiday rush has subsided.

Also please be aware that for the purposes of this graphic, Twitter data on “iPad” combined the terms “iPad” and “iPad 2.”

Visualization courtesy of Tableau Software.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mikkelwilliam

More About: data, ereaders, features, infographics, ipad, kindle fire, nook, Search, Social Media, trending

China Takes Lead Over U.S. in Smartphone Market

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:50 AM PST


China has overtaken the U.S. as the largest market for smartphones by volume, according to one firm’s estimates.

Nearly 24 million smartphones were shipped to providers in China during the third quarter of 2011, compared to 23.3 million units in the U.S., data from Boston-based research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics suggests.The growth of China’s smartphone market has been significant, up 58% from just the previous quarter. Shipments of smartphones in the U.S. fell 7% from Q2 2011.

(Note the firm’s estimates only calculate the number of devices shipped, not sold, and that the U.S. still leads the market by smartphone revenue.)

Many smartphone manufacturers have reported strong sales in Greater China this year. For instance, China accounted for just 2% of Apple’s total sales in fiscal 2009, and 12% in fiscal 2011, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the company’s fiscal 2011 earnings call. A subsequent 10-K filing attributed the increase primarily to "strong demand" for the iPhone 4. Despite Apple’s advances, Nokia still owns the lion’s share (28.5%), followed by Samsung (17.6%), says Strategy Analytics. The firm suggested that an “emerging wave” of low-priced Android phones from local manufacturers has helped spur growth in the region.

Image courtesy of M.I.C. Gadget

More About: china, Nokia, smartphones

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8 Enormous Things That Are Smaller Than Apple, Inc. [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:29 AM PST

Apple has been flirting with the title of “World’s Most Valuable Company” for a good part of 2011. At a current market cap of about $370 billion (give or take an app), the tech giant’s value is now greater than the revenues of some entire global industries.

That’s a hard concept for us non-billionaires to wrap our enfeebled minds around.

Fortunately, data visualization company Visual.ly has put things into perspective for us with the handy infographic below.

Get ready to be amazed (and quite frankly, terrified) at how ginormous Apple, Inc. has become.

UPDATE: As many readers have pointed out, it should be noted that we are comparing Apple’s valuation to other measures of concrete revenue. That’s not to imply that Apple generates more revenue than certain global industries, but only to put a number like $370 billion into perspective.


Graphic courtesy of Visual.ly.

More About: apple, infographics, Revenue, trending, value

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11 Craziest Black Friday Deals at Best Buy

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST


Garmin Nuvii 4.3-inch 40LM GPS




This Garmin GPS will be on sale for $84.99. It normally costs $149.99.

Click here to view this gallery.

Be ready for the Black Friday madness — or get yourself pumped while you wait in line — with this roundup of some of the best buys at Best Buy stores Friday. Mashable combed through the massive Best Buy circular for Friday deals and put them together in one place for you, the eager Black Friday deal-hunter.

You’ll find everything from 60-inch LCD HD TVs to the popular Sony Cyber-Shot digital camera. If you’re looking for tablets or deals on cellphones, our list has some of those too.

SEE ALSO: 9 Best Black Friday Deals at Walmart

Which gadgets are you looking for this holiday season? What deals have you found so far, and where will you be shopping Friday? Tell us in the comments below.

SEE ALSO: 7 Best Black Friday Deals at Target

Image courtesy of Flickr, Xelcise

More About: black friday, Holidays 2011, shopping, trending

Apple Working With Sharp on iTV [REPORT]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:33 AM PST


Apple’s relationship with Samsung has deteriorated, and the Cupertino giant may be working with Sharp on the next generation displays for upcoming devices such as the iPad 3, iPhone 5 and a little something called iTV, claims Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.

Since all of these products are unofficial and unannounced, such predictions fall into the realm of speculation. However, Misek claims that the mythical iTV – a future “smart TV” product from Apple that has been the subject of many recent rumors – is a real thing, and Sharp is working on modified amorphous TFT LCD panels for the device.

Furthermore, he suggests that iTV might be ready for commercial production by February 2012, which could mean a possible release date in mid-2012. Earlier rumors suggested a late 2012-2013 release date.

We’ve looked closely at the possible iTV scenarios, and we aren’t sure that such a device will see the light of day next year – or even that it should see the light of day in the near future. To give its customers a full TV experience, Apple would have to come up with a remote that supports its other consumer electronics devices, and give up a part of the interface control to other parties, such as cable companies.

There’s always the possibility that Apple is working on something revolutionary – as revolutionary as the iPhone, perhaps – which would likely make other TV manufacturers cringe in pain. "Other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do (…) Mainstream TV manufacturers are likely to be at least 6 to 12 months behind in a best-case scenario," says Misek.

It’s possible, but it will likely take a lot more than a LCD panel from Sharp, however advanced and beautiful it may be, to make it happen.


Apple iTV Concept Design 1




All rights reserved by Guilherme Schasiepen

Click here to view this gallery.

[via GigaOm, All Things Digital]

More About: apple, Apple iTV, Apple TV, itv, Sharp, trending

‘MOBBED’ Returns With 2 Flash Mobs [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:11 AM PST


Flash mobs hit the small screen this spring thanks to FOX’s MOBBED, and now the show returns Wednesday for a holiday special, turning typically private moments like marriage proposals into song-and-dance spectacles.

Airing Nov. 23 at 9 p.m. ET after The X Factor results show, MOBBED will help two guests execute flash mobs for loved ones — while hidden cameras capture the events that involve host and mentor Howie Mandel and thousands of strangers. The flash mobs will end with surprises for the unsuspecting friends, family members or co-workers.

Mandel will be responding to viewers’ tweets throughout the hour-long episode during the east coast and west coast broadcasts. You can tweet questions to @howiemmandel using the hashtag #Mobbed.


BONUS: 15 Examples of Flash Mobs


1. Bristol Lightsaber Flashmob – The Official Video


One Saturday in February earlier this year, a large group of geeks gathered at a mall in Bristol, UK to enjoy an epic lightsaber battle, much to the amusement of onlooking shoppers.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: Entertainment, flash mobs, Fox, television

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5 Cities Harnessing Breakthrough Geothermal Technology

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 06:59 AM PST


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

The demand for sustainable energy is higher than ever. According to a study by BP, global energy consumption has seen a 5.3% increase within the last year, the largest jump since 1973. Our digital lifestyles have contributed to the rise in energy consumption — it takes 35 times more energy to produce a pound of smartphone than to make a pound of book. While strides have been made to increase the output of solar panels and biofuels, some cities are turning to the energy found beneath their feet.

Geothermal energy relies on the near-constant heat source running underneath the earth's crust, which can be converted into different forms of power. By tapping into the crusts natural fissures, heat from deep underground — in the form of hot water and steam — can be channeled as a low-cost and renewable energy source. While geothermal sites theoretically can transmit energy to far away places, current technology benefits cities along continental plate boundaries or where hot springs are present.

Five cities stand out in their use of geothermal technology, and they represent the wave of the future as we tap into the power the earth naturally produces. Check out their breakthroughs below.

1. Boise, Idaho

With geothermal technology present in the city since the early 1800s, the City of Boise relies on water hotter than 170 degrees to run the largest direct use system in the United States. Boise Public Utility manages four independent geothermal heating districts, which provide sustainable heat to more than 55 businesses in the city's downtown area. The cost savings of the system — which also provides heat for greenhouses and hot water for recreation — is enough to heat 500,000 square feet of buildings per year. Other privately managed of geothermal technologies heat everything from the state's capitol building to private residences.

The success of the program has inspired a concerted effort to expand geothermal heating across the river, to Boise State University. Construction for the project began in October, with plans to geothermally heat nine buildings on BSU's campus by spring 2012. Once the project is finished, Boise's geothermal technology will heat nearly 4.5 million square feet across the city.

"Our geothermal system is a clean and affordable source of energy," Mayor David Bieter said in a press release regarding the expansion. "Boise is fortunate to have this natural asset; it's our duty to maximize its effectiveness by extending its reach as far as possible."

2. Reno, Nevada

Nevada is ranked number one in the nation when it comes to installed geothermal energy capacity on a per person basis, and it has the largest amount of untapped geothermal resources in the United States. “The Biggest Little City in the World" benefits greatly from the energy-efficient power. The system provides competitive electricity for the city's 220,500 residents.

The City of Reno boasts a whopping 100 megawatts of power, enough to supply the entire residential load of the city, permitted and produced within the city limits. Publicly traded company Ormat Technologies manages the bulk of Reno's geothermal baseload through an electricity system at its multi-plant complex. In August, the company also produced its first evaporative cooling system, which allows for even more power production once the temperature in the High Desert climbs.

However, electricity is not the only resource geothermal energy provides the city. Small heating districts around the area run on sustainable geothermal power, similar to the situation in Boise. Also, some of the city's casinos, including the Peppermill Resort, have turned to geothermal energy to power their hot water and mechanical heat.

3. Reykjavik, Iceland

Iceland's volcanoes have become legendary at this point, but all of that geological activity translates into clean power. Nearly 90% of Iceland's houses and buildings are heated by the natural hot water from below the earth. In fact, geothermal energy is so prevalent that even the parking lots have heated floors to dissipate snow during the colder months.

Geothermal energy is one of the biggest factors in Reykjavik's honorable title of being the greenest city in the world. Almost half the country's population lives in the capital city, and its literal translation of "Smoky Bay" highlights just how much untapped power lay under the city's crust. After 70 years of use, geothermal power is utilized for just about anything in the city, and it’s considered the savior that will pull the embattled country out of its crippling recession by not only providing cheap energy, but also by serving as a consulting model for other countries developing their own geothermal systems.

4. Masdar City, UAE

In one of the most oil-rich countries on earth, a city is aiming to utilize geothermal energy as a sustainable alternative. Masdar City, located within Abu Dhabi, has partnered with Reykjavik Geothermal to produce a working geothermal process to provide the city with heat and electricity. However, Masdar City doesn't benefit from nearby hot springs like the other cities with working systems; it uses a new process called Enhanced Geothermal Technology. Instead of relying on an endless supply of hot spring water, Enhanced Geothermal Technology creates fissures in the ground and pumps water into them. The result is efficiently heated water that works within a closed-loop system to create electricity and heat.

While initial testing of the city's geothermal potential by Reykjavik Geothermal didn't produce hot enough water for efficient electricity conversion, there's been a continued effort to finally break through to create a functioning Enhanced Geothermal system.

"Initial results are promising and confirm Masdar City's ability to address a significant portion of the base cooling load of the city's first phase using absorption chillers continuously supplied with geothermal heat," says Masdar City's Future Build Committee in a press release. "The main focus initially is expected to be thermal cooling and, possibly, central provision of hot water for showers and sinks."

5. Perth, Australia

According to geothermal energy consultant company Hot Dry Rocks and Google, Australia has a world of powerful potential underneath the surface. Just 2% of the country's resources could generate 10 times more electricity than its total coal and gas electricity production today.

The secret to all the heat is the granite layer underneath the entirety of the country, which manages to heat up to perfect geothermal temperature of more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Australia's deep-end onshore well, aptly named Habanero, is testing the potential of hot granite use for geothermal energy in Cooper Basin near Perth. A second well is also expected to be installed within the next year, making a complete geothermal circuit to test energy output. If it is successful, Perth will have access to electricity via a direct use system at a fraction of current alternative energy costs.

Does your city use geothermal energy? Let us know in the comments below.

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More About: clean energy, features, geothermal, Global Innovation Series, mashable

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Leaked Apple Brochure Reveals Black Friday Deals

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 06:17 AM PST


Every year on Black Friday, Apple offers many of its products at cheaper prices, with discounts usually ranging from 10% to 15%. This year will be no different, based on a leaked sales brochure unearthed by 9to5Mac.

According to the brochure, on Nov. 25 customers will be able to buy Macs for $101 less, iPads for $41 to $61 less (depending on the capacity), iPod touch for $21 to $41 less (again, depending on the capacity), and the iPod nano for $11 less, both the 8 GB and the 16 GB variant.

SEE ALSO: 11 Craziest Black Friday Deals at Best Buy

Apple will also offer discounts on a wide range of accessories. Some of the savings are decent: for example, you’ll be able to buy a Smart Cover for $11 less (listed prices are $39 for the polyurethane, and $69 for the leather variant), and a mophie Juice Pack Air at a $21.95 discount.

Apple is expected to officially announce the Black Friday sale soon; if the prices differ from the ones listed here, we will let you know.

Check out the rest of the brochure over at 9to5Mac.


 

More About: apple, black friday, Holidays 2011, sale, trending

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