Tuesday 26 June 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Microsoft Acquires Yammer and Two Other Stories You Need to Know”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Microsoft Acquires Yammer and Two Other Stories You Need to Know”


Microsoft Acquires Yammer and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 03:35 AM PDT




Welcome to this morning's edition of 'First To Know,' a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Microsoft Confirms Yammer Acquisition

Microsoft has confirmed it has acquired B2B social network Yammer. Yammer will join the Microsoft Office Division, alongside Microsoft's other cloud products such as Office 365, but it will also continue to develop its standalone product.

Nokia 808 PureView Available for Pre-order at Amazon UK

Nokia 808 PureView can now be pre-ordered at Amazon UK for £499.98. The device packs a mid-level set of specifications, save for it monster 41-megapixel…
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More About: Facebook, features, first to know series, mashable, microsoft, yammer


How to Build — and Keep — an Engaged Audience [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 03:13 AM PDT




Every web publisher -- and especially content marketer -- yearns for an engaged and loyal audience. But with the sheer volume of noise, clutter and -- well, content -- online it can be hard to figure out how to reach people and keep them coming back for more.

The content marketing agency BlueGlass knows a lot about how to do this well. They've run successful campaigns for clients including eBay, Conde Nast and Greatist. Now BlueGlass is ready to share some of its secrets with Mashable readers. The company produced this exclusive infographic to run down some of the ways you too can build an engaged audience online.

Here are a few quick tips: Make sure you have a gripping headline, ke…
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More About: infographics, Marketing


Web Resource CSS-Tricks Will Screencast Redesign Process

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 02:18 AM PDT




Web design guru Chris Coyier may not be a household name but for many web designers and developers, his website CSS-Tricks has long been an invaluable resource. The site doesn't just cover CSS, but also provides readers with tips and tricks on all aspects of web design and development, from setting up your own Wordpress account to the latest Javascript ninja tricks. Until now, Coyier has maintained the resource as a side-project, producing hundreds of screencasts, tutorials, and articles to help both novices and pros alike get their sites up and running. CSS-Tricks will celebrate its fifth anniversary on the fourth of July, and to commemorate the mil…
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More About: chris coyier, CSS, web design, Web Development


5 Home Devices That Connect to Twitter

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:31 PM PDT




Twitter isn't just a sounding board for the latest news headlines or funniest memes. It can also be used as a command system for the home devices you use every day -- from your coffee pot to your washing machine. We found five smart devices that connect you with your social media feeds, so you never miss a beat (or a hot cuppa joe).

Tweet-a-Pot
Yes, you can set your coffee pot to start brewing at 7 a.m. sharp every weekday, but what about when you're on the go? If you're going to need a caffeine-boost the second you walk through your front door, shoot a tweet to Tweet-a-Pot, and a fresh cup will be waiting. The system connects with Twitter and uses an arduino board, so all you ne…
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More About: alarm clocks, smart appliance, smart refrigerator, trending, Twitter, YouTube


Social Media-Connected Teens Seek Time Offline [STUDY]

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:01 PM PDT




Today's American teenagers are digital natives -- connected to the Internet since youth. About 75% of 13 to 17-year-olds have personal social networking accounts. Since 2008, there has been a huge spike in teenage connectivity; only 59% of teens were on social media four years ago.

Despite seeing "racist, sexist and homophonic content" online, teenagers view social media networks positively. A national survey of 1,030 13-to-17-year-old individuals, conducted by Common Sense Media, reveals teenage perceptions of their digital lives.

More than 90% of teenagers are connected to the Internet. About 68% of teens regularly text, 51% visit Facebook and about 11% send or receive tweets every…
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More About: Facebook, online, Social Media, social networking, teens, Twitter


20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:45 PM PDT




Even the first week of summer didn't distract sports fans from the week's hottest games, nor did it keep them off the social feeds.

Once again, ESPN's broadcasts of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship dominated the cable charts. Meanwhile, Thursday's NBA Championship game between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder had social networks ablaze with boastful updates from Floridian fans.

SEE ALSO: British Police Send Cheeky Euro 2012 Live-Tweets

Pretty Little Liars came back on the charts this week; the ABC Family hit drama series is a social TV record holder. Its season two finale generated the most social media buzz of any regularly scheduled series in TV history. T…
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More About: Entertainment, infographics, Social Media, social tv, social tv charts, Trendrr, TV


British Police Investigate Racist Euro 2012 Tweets

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:21 PM PDT




British police are investigating racist tweets posted by a fan after two members of England's national team missed crucial penalty kicks in a Euro 2012 soccer tournament loss to Italy on Sunday.

England exited the quarterfinals of Europe's soccer championship after players Ashley Cole and Ashley Young, both of whom are black, missed penalty kicks in a shootout following a scoreless 120 minutes of play.

Hours later, the account @Lapwnage posted messages containing vile, racist epithets that denigrated the players for their mistakes. The account no longer exists, but at least one other user captured them in a screenshot. Multiple Twitter users sent tweets to the the West Midlands Polic…
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More About: Euro 2012, sports, Twitter


Platform Separates Personal Emails from Brand Messages

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:00 PM PDT




The Spark of Genius Series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Each post highlights a unique feature of a startup. If you'd like your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: PhilterIt

Quick Pitch: PhilterIt is a web platform that turns large email streams into visual mail feeds -- complete with brand icons and profile pictures.

Genius Idea: PhilterIt separates personal messages and brand emails. The customizable dashboard also lets users prioritize emails from different users and brands, so they're never overlooked.

Email is more pervasive than ever. For one, it's hard to leave work-related emails at the office. Most of us check our email e…
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More About: AOL mail, bizspark, email, gmail, Tech, Yahoo Mail


America’s Cup iOS Game Aims to Widen Yacht Racing’s Appeal

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:11 PM PDT




The America's Cup yacht race comes to Rhode Island Tuesday for the first time in decades with a World Cup Series of competitions that run through Sunday. But for a very niche sport, one question is whether anyone outside racing diehards will care.

The America's Cup Speed Trial game for iOS hopes to change that. It launched in late March and aims in part to raise awareness of and affection for the sport outside its traditionally wealthy, older and well-monied demographic before the big America's Cup final in San Francisco next summer.

"The America's Cup has been going for an incredibly long time -- it was first raced in 1851 and tends to appeal to older people and yachting enthusiast…
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More About: App, iOS, mobile apps, sports


How MTV Plans to Stream 24 Hours of the Flaming Lips

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:43 PM PDT




Imagine you're on a bus hurtling through the American south, trying to get a band to 8 different performances in a 24-hour period. Now imagine you have to stream the whole thing, live over the Internet, as if it's some big reality show.

That's what MTV is aiming to do this week with its newest iteration of the O Music Awards. The event is equal parts tour and reality show and features the Flaming Lips as the main talent. Beginning Wednesday afternoon in Memphis and concluding the following day in New Orleans, the band will perform 8 times in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record.

Just getting them to all 8 venues will be a logistical feat. But MTV also needs to be able to str…
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More About: mtv, o music awards, The-Flaming-Lips


Louis C.K. Cuts Middle Man, Sells Tour Tickets Directly

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:44 PM PDT




Comedian and online entrepreneur Louis C.K. is taking his self-distribution techniques to the next level -- this time, with his tour.

C.K. will sell tickets exclusively on his website for a flat $45 rate.

According to C.K., making shows affordable has always been a goal of his. However, like many events today, fans are faced with re-sellers inflating the ticket prices through surcharges and handling fees.

"Some ticketing services charge more than 40 percent, and ironically, the lower I've made my ticket prices, the more scalpers have bought them up -- so the more fans have paid for a lot of my tickets," C.K. explains in a press release.

SEE ALSO: Louis C.K. Talks About Comedy a
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More About: comedy, louis ck, online tickets


Beyond @sweden: More Country Names on Twitter are Rotating Users

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:10 PM PDT


1. Ireland - @Ireland




This week's Irishman, Martin McKenna is a biochemist turned designer from Dublin.

Click here to view this gallery.




It's been two weeks since Sonja Abrahamsson caught international attention for a string of controversial statements she made as the 'Swede of the Week' on Twitter.

The Curators of Sweden, a tourism concern partly owned by the Swedish government, started the program in December -- handing over the handle @sweden to a new Swede every week, in an effort to raise interest in Swedish culture and tourism.

While we won't ever know exactly how effective the campaign has been in increasing tourism, @sweden has been successful in accumulating 67,000 followers – almost 20,000 of those during Ms. Abrahamsson's week.

SEE ALSO: Why Sweden Was Right to Hand Over Its Twitter Account

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More About: international networking, Social Media, tourism, Twitter


Instagram Gets First Major Update After Facebook Acquisition

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:41 PM PDT




Instagram on the iPhone just got its first major overhaul since Facebook bought the app for more than $1 billion, and it's a fairly big one.

Version 2.5 of the photo-sharing app doesn't exactly change it out of all recognition, but it does add a whole new tab -- "Explore", shown above -- to replace the "Popular" section that showed photos with the most likes.

You can still see those top-ranking snapshots under "Explore", but now Instagram also lets you search by username or hashtag. That should make it a whole lot easier if you're just looking for pics from a particular sporting event, perhaps, or you want to focus on street art shots.

The Facebook acquisition is evident in on…
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More About: Facebook, instagram, trending


NBA Star Faces Review After Calling Fan Gay Slur in Twitter DM

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:02 PM PDT




New York Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire will likely be investigated -- and punished -- by the NBA after a calling a critical fan a gay slur in a Twitter direct message.

@BFerrelli is a Knicks fan and one of Stoudemire's 675,000 followers on the microblogging network. Stoudemire is a high-profile free agent who joined the Knicks in 2010 before battling injuries and hurting his hand in a one-sided fight with a fire extinguisher's glass case near the end of this most recent disappointing Knicks season.

After Stoudemire tweeted about a Saturday morning workout, @BFerrelli responded with this message:

About two hours later @BFerrelli posted this tweet, which included a screenshot o…
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More About: NBA, sports, Twitter


No Cellphones at Summer Camp – Acceptable or Archaic?

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:40 PM PDT




Today's kids are part of the most connected generation ever, some having had cellphones and mobile gaming devices since grade school. In fact, school is probably the only place kids are without their phones for more than a few minutes.

So it may come as a shock when packing to find out that the majority of sleep-away camps across the country continue to adhere to a strict 'no electronics' policy, despite how ubiquitous they've become.

Peg Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association (ACA) says camp is a place where kids learn life skills like conflict resolution and problem solving. "Children grow in tremendous ways when they realize they are capable of working things out on their…
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More About: camp, cell phones, electronics, Summer camp, trending


How Google Earth Is Preserving, Sharing Indigenous Culture

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:19 PM PDT




RIO DE JANEIRO -- In an effort to preserve its traditional way of life, one Amazon tribe has turned to innovative technologies, particularly Google Earth.

The Surui people, native to Brazil's Rondonia state, released a detailed cultural map of their ancestral lands, embedded into Google Earth, during U.N. sustainable development conference Rio+20. The map is a way to publish their unique story and share it with a global audience.

"These days you can't separate talking about culture from talking about technology, there's no separation between these things," Chief Almir Surui told Mashable. "You also can't talk about sustainable development seperated from technology."

To create th…
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More About: google earth, Social Good, World


Publishers Begin Pulling Advertising From Flipboard

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:01 PM PDT




Shortly after Flipboard announced its biggest partnership to date -- full integration with The New York Times -- news emerged that two prominent Conde Nast titles, The New Yorker and Wired, would no longer serve optimized versions of their online content through the app. Both magazines will also cease delivering advertising on the platform. The news was first reported by AdAge's Nat Ives.

At present, 15 different publications sell advertising for display on Flipboard.

History

The New Yorker and Wired became official content partners of Flipboard in spring 2011, and began advertising through the app later that fall.

The integration has allowed Flipboard users to view NewYo
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More About: conde nast, Flipboard, magazines, Media, new yorker, Wired


Facebook: the Honey Badger of Social Media

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:38 PM PDT




Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.
So you're annoyed that Facebook replaced the email address you listed on the social network with a @Facebook email you never use. Maybe you wish they'd let you edit your posts, rather than just the comments, and you're wondering why comment editing took so long anyway. Perhaps you still have issues with the Timeline profile that was foisted on you, or you're enormously irritated with Facebook's still-lousy mobile app.

And Facebook has one essential response to all of that. Like the honey badger, it just don't care.

Of course, the storied social network isn't saying that in so few words. But here's the response Facebook sent to Mashable regarding the email address update, currently b…
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More About: Facebook, Honey Badger, trending


SportsYapper Gives Uber-Fans a Digital Watercooler

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:25 PM PDT




Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, when not donning the team's famed pinstripes, is giving startup life a try with SportsYapper, an app that caters to the die-hard sports fan.

SportsYapper hopes to become a global platform for sports fans, giving them a common place to 'Yap' online with people who have a similar passion -- or obsession -- for sports.

"SportsYapper makes watching games more fun," Teixeira said, likening the app to a sports bar. "You can talk with friends, talk smack, meet new people, chat about the game. You meet people with brilliant analysis."

SportsYapper creates team-specific chat rooms that allow you to connect with fellow fans. The app gives two options…
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More About: App, Social Media, sports


Sheryl Sandberg Is Facebook’s First Female Board Member

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:02 PM PDT




Facebook announced on Monday that its chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg has joined the company's board of directors, making her the company's first-ever female board member.

Sandberg -- who oversees Facebook's business operations including sales, marketing, business development, legal, human resources, public policy and communications -- will joining existing members such as Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Netflix chairman and CEO Reed Hastings and chairman and CEO of The Washington Post Company, Donald E. Graham.

It's been previously reported that Sandberg got paid $30.87 million last year, making her the most highly compensated employee at the company in 2011.…
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More About: Business, Facebook, mark zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Social Media, social networking, trending


Internet Rallies to Reunite Lost Camera With Owner

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:52 PM PDT




A photograph showing the owner of a lost camera has gone viral Monday after being posted on Facebook, Reddit and other websites. Internet users are teaming up to put the camera back into the the owner's hands.

Text on the viral photo reads, "This guy lost his camera with more than 2,800 photos in Amsterdam. Who knows him? Please contact anke.appel@gmail.com.

On Facebook, people have shared the picture more than 24,000 times in the 13 hours after Roland van Gogh uploaded it. For the caption, he wrote:

My father in law found a red Nikon Coolpix camera on 2012-06-20 in the train at the station Amsterdam Amstel in the Netherlands. His photos show a trip throughout Europe from about…
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More About: camera, Facebook, internet, photography, reddit, Social Good, Social Media


The Real Reason Your Lumia Phone Won’t Get Windows Phone 8

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:34 PM PDT




Last week was the most eventful for Microsoft in recent memory. After unveiling the Surface tablet, the company revealed a couple of days later its biggest-ever upgrade to Windows Phone -- the Windows Phone 8. However, the latter news left a sour taste in the mouth of users who bought into Microsoft's mobile platform early, as current Windows Phone users found out they wouldn't be getting the update.

Why wouldn't Microsoft let its most loyal mobile users in on its latest and greatest software? The reason is actually very simple: This isn't the same Windows Phone operating system as the one they've been using. Although Windows Phone 8 resembles its predecessors in both looks and functi…
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More About: Lumia, lumia 900, microsoft, Nokia, windows phone, windows phone 7, Windows Phone 8


Music Monday: Songs for Your Commute

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:17 PM PDT




What you listen to on your way to work can set the tone of your entire day.

Whether you need to pump up for a packed schedule or decompress before taking on the day, music can help you mentally prepare during your morning commute. So, this week we crafted a playlist around the idea of commuting.

Here are our favorite songs to listen to while we we make the trek into work.

These songs were handpicked by the Mashable staff. Although collectively we have a diverse taste in music, this week's playlist contains plenty of songs to help coax you out of the house and cheer you on as you start your day.

Music Monday is a new weekly post that allows us to share our love of music…
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More About: Music, spotify


4 Billing Systems Entrepreneurs Need to Know About

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:17 PM PDT




For web startups, with a product to sell, having a virtual cash register that's always available is key. Thanks to a host of new web apps and smartphone additions, that virtual cash register can now fit into the palm of a person's hand.

I asked four successful young entrepreneurs to suggest the online payment services that are changing the way they conduct sales and business, especially when they're on the road. Here's what they shared.

1. Square
The Square app is excellent at helping you to get paid, and get paid on time. It has paved the way for simple online credit processing and offers a sleek UI. Plus, it helps that it's easy to use on a mobile device and offers featur…
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More About: contributor, entrepreneurs, features, mobile apps, Square, trending


HBO Puts ‘The Newsroom’ Pilot Online for Free

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:03 PM PDT




HBO is making the pilot episode of Aaron Sorkin's new television show The Newsroom available to non-subscribers for free on multiple platforms.

The drama, which debuted last night, is available online to give non-subscribers a taste of the program. Users can watch the pilot on YouTube, DailyMotion, TV.com and on many cable operators' On Demand platforms. The program is also available as a free podcast on iTunes. HBO will make the pilot available until July 23, 2012.

Starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer and Sam Waterston, the show is about the making of a nightly cable news program in the modern -- and changing -- news climate.

While critical reception of the show has been m…
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More About: hbo, HBO GO, the newsroom, trending, tv everywhere


Just in Time for Summer: Facebook Ice Cream Concept [PICS]

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:51 PM PDT


The Facecream




Dubbed "Facecream" by Croatian designer Tomislav Zvonarić -- the creator of the Facebook Bed concept -- these ice cream bar concept pictures will make your mouth water.

Click here to view this gallery.




Just in time for summer comes a tasty design concept for tech fans: Facebook ice cream.

Dubbed "Facecream" by Croatian designer Tomislav Zvonarić -- the creator of the Facebook Bed concept -- these ice cream bar concept pictures will make your mouth water. Plus, who wouldn't want to take a big bite out of Facebook and see what it tastes like?

SEE ALSO: The iPhone 5 Might Look Like This [PICS]

"I wanted to make something for the hot summer days," Zvonarić told Mashable. "It's not real, but it's a fun design."

Would you want to take a bit out of Facebook ice cream? What flavor do you think it would taste like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

More About: Facebook, Social Media, trending


Magician Pairs Tech and Illusion to Tell Story of Famous Inventor [VIDEO]

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:35 PM PDT




Marco Tempest, whose "iPod Magician" video went viral a year ago, is back with another tech-infused illusion.

Tempest (see video above) tells the life story of Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla by using old fashioned pop-up book techniques and digital projection.

"We wanted the piece to be about Tesla, which is why there is zero magic in the piece," he says in a separate video. "There is not a single moment where something appears or disappears or animates -- it's magical."

Tempest previously presented the illusion in a TED Talk in March.

SEE ALSO: iPhone Lifts Off, Plays Video in Space

The rendering below shows the projectors, lighting and angles used to bring the…
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More About: inventor, Magic, Tech


Can Gamification Make You a Better Driver?

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:35 PM PDT




It's almost kind of funny: As driving video games become more and more like real cars, real cars are becoming more and more like driving video games.

Of course, just about everything from our nightlife (Foursquare) to our fitness routine (Nike FuelBand, Fitbit Aria) is getting a nice gaming layer molded on top of it these days. And while car companies have already tip-toed into the gamification trend, the introduction of new all-electric vehicles is going to kick that trend into high gear.

First, some background. Humans like to win. Cash prizes are best, but virtual (monetarily worthless) badges and achievements will do in a pinch. We're addicts, and we'll take anything that can stim…
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More About: car tech, cars, contributor, features, ford sync, gamification, myford


Penny Arcade’s New Game Cranks Nostalgia Up to 11

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT




Jerry Holkins, co-creator of popular gaming webcomic-turned-transmedia company Penny Arcade, has done a lot of writing over the last 14 years. But he says working on On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness has been "the most personal."

The four-part game series -- a wild, 1920s steampunk adventure -- was praised for its writing and art style when episode one debuted in 2008. It featured a unique but cumbersome real-time combat system that required players to perfectly time some moves to inflict or deflect damage.

However, due to sagging sales, the series was axed after the second chapter released in late 2008. Penny Arcade soon split with developer Hothead Games.

"I think it wa…
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More About: Entertainment, features, Gaming, Penny Arcade, steam


Box OneCloud Comes to Android

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT




After a successful launch on iOS earlier this year, Box is bringing Box OneCloud to Android devices.

Launching Monday with 50 Android app integration partners, Box now works with a host of popular productivity-based Android applications including FetchNotes, iAnnotate, CloudOn, and Breezy. The OneCloud integration allows those apps to be fully integrated in with Box, so you can open files from your Box account within those apps, and save those files back to the app when you're done.

"We have some pretty dramatic shifts happening in our customer base," Chris Yeh, Box's head of platform, told Mashable. "Thirty-five percent of our users are mobile-only and have never accessed Box us…
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More About: android, App, Box



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