Sunday 1 July 2012

Mashable: Latest 12 News Updates - including “50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed”

Mashable: Latest 12 News Updates - including “50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed”


50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 04:53 PM PDT




Summer storms got you down? Have you forgotten how we used to pass the time before the days of Instagram, Netflix and Pinterest? Here's an idea: catch up on Mashable's features coverage from the last week and check out some resources you may have missed.

Saturday marks the third annual Social Media Day -- so get in the spirit with stories on turning social media relationships into IRL ones, the state of social media in Europe and how the medium is impacting small communities.

Also be sure to check out our business coverage for hot tips on scoring those first 1,000 users, keeping an engaged audience online and mastering the art of Search Engine Optimization. Whether you work at a la…
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More About: Business, Features Week In Review, Social Media, Tech


Texting and Driving: A Crash Course [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 04:09 PM PDT




Texting and driving a car at the same time is a dangerous and irresponsible combination -- but people do it anyway. A series of sparse, haunting public service ads from AT&T provides a spooky reminder that even sending or receiving short messages can lead to death or lifelong crippling injury.

The numbers back this up, too. Results vary, but some studies have found that upwards of 20% of all car accidents involve cellphone use of some kind. That can total more than a million collisions per year that might have been avoided without cellphones involved.

A government report from 2009, meanwhile, found that texting makes a car crash a whopping 23 times more likely than if drivers were si…
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More About: infographics, texting


Twitter Hashtag History Gets a Musical Tribute [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 03:12 PM PDT




Here's a funky little piece of weekend edutainment: the history of the Twitter hashtag as performed by horn player and YouTube music video maker Paul the Trombonist. Raps interspersed with jazzy trombone interludes tell how the now-ubiquitous number sign followed by letters went from a random nothing on the social network to something tweeters today rely on to spread important news, tell jokes and tell they world they're #winning.

We haven't vigorously vetted Paul's history lesson, but it checks out against a quick web search.

If Paul the Trombonist looks familiar to you, it's because he's also the man behind "Playing With Your Phone While Sitting on the Toilet," a viral hit from…
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More About: Twitter, Video, viral videos


For Kristi Yamaguchi, Social Media Reshapes the Olympics

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 02:44 PM PDT




This summer's Olympics in London will be shaped by social media like no sporting event in history. But 20 years ago, when figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi took home the gold medal at the 1992 games in France, social media was an unheard of concept.

Yamaguchi became a household name and global celebrity. But without Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, that experience was much different for her than it will be for this summer's Olympic stars.

"Social media has changed so much," Yamaguchi told Mashable in an interview. "It's incredible that you can actually send an athlete a message now. Whether they respond or not, who knows, but you can actually feel a little bit in common with them…
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More About: olympics, Social Media, sports, Twitter


Website Posts Mug Shots, Then Offers to Delete Them For a Fee [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 01:58 PM PDT




A new site aims to deter crime by publicizing arrests.

Andrew Creed, 30, created BlabberMouthKC.com, where he posts the names, mug shots, and addresses of those arrested in Johnson County, Kan. after their release from jail.

For those who object to having their public record aggregated in such a way, Creed will remove the profiles from his site -- for a fee. Anyone who pays the fee and is subsequently found innocent will be refunded the money. Unsurprisingly, the site has caused a backlash in Johnson County.

See the video above for the full story.

Do you think Creed's business is legit, or should he be shut down? Share your opinion in the…
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More About: Video


Top 10 GIFs of the Week

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 01:04 PM PDT


Tearful Goodbye




After days of media speculation that Today show co-host Ann Curry would be stepping down from her role, the journalist announced in an emotional goodbye on Thursday that it was her last day.

Rumors began circulating late last week that Curry was offered a $10 million deal to leave the company one year early of her two-year $20 million contract.

Click here to view this gallery.




The Internet had its fair share of viral GIFs this week, thanks in part to news that Ann Curry would be leaving the Today show after 15 years at NBC.

Curry's tearful goodbye was made into a bevvy of GIFs, as well as one of new Today co-host Savannah Gutherie made its way around the Internet.

This week also brings a collection of furry creatures doing adorable things, so go on and finish off your week by perusing the gallery above.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 GIFs of the Week, Week Ending June 22

Which GIF gets your pick for the best of the week? Let us know in the comments.

More About: GIFs


In a Relationship: College Students and Their Smartphones [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 12:12 PM PDT




College students aren't just concerned with getting good grades and finding the best parties. More than ever, they're using their smartphones to navigate life on campus.

On the bus, waiting in line, in bed, on the treadmill and even while driving, college students can't seem to put their phones down. Fifty-two percent say they often check their phones before getting out of bed in the morning, according to one study. Nearly half do so while in bed at night before they fall asleep.

Thirty-five percent say they sometimes use their phones while driving but stopped at a red light, and nearly 20% say they sometimes use them while the wheels are even moving. But it's not all addiction and d…
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More About: smartphones


Storm Damage in the US: Did it Affect You?

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 11:07 AM PDT




The mid-Atlantic region of the United States was hit hard by a major storm on Saturday. Washington, D.C. was the center of the damage, but the effects of the storm stretched from Indiana to New Jersey.

Millions were left without electricity during an intense heat wave. Temperatures hit triple digits in many areas and records were broken in Washington, D.C., Ohio and Indiana. Heat advisories were issued and residents were warned to drink lots of water and stay out of the sun. Though being indoors won't be any consolation for those without power.

Officials are recommending that people stay hydrated and keep an eye out for signs of heat stroke, especially in the young and the elderly…
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More About: community, instagram, Weather


What is AWS and How Did It Bring Down Instagram?

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 10:19 AM PDT




[UPDATE: As of late Saturday afternoon, Instagram appeared to have much of its functionality restored for most users.]

Instagram has been insta-tripping since Friday night and here's why: A powerful storm in northern Virginia took out the servers it runs on.

Maybe you're wondering how a storm on the East Coast killed access to your favorite photo sharing app, which is based in San Francisco. That's because Instagram, like many major web companies, uses an even bigger web company -- Amazon -- to host its traffic and data.

An enterprise cloud-computing product called Amazon Web Services (AWS) powers businesses in 190 countries worldwide -- "hundreds of thousands" of startups and mat…
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More About: amazon web services, instagram


10 Adorable Charms for Your Headphone Jack

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 09:12 AM PDT


1. Hamburger




This mini-meal looks good enough to eat. Cost: $4.75

Click here to view this gallery.




Are you the kind of fashionable individual who accessorizes her accessories? Then, my friend, you need to get yourself a phone charm -- pronto.

We have found 10 examples of kawaii charms that fit neatly into your handset's 3.5mm headphone jack -- meaning no dangly bits to jeopardize your cell's screen.

SEE ALSO: 10 Pieces of Gorgeous Geek Jewelry [PICS]

Take a look through our cute slideshow above. Let us know in the comments below whether you embrace the phone charm, or whether you think it takes adornment a step too far.

More About: accessories, features, Gadgets, iphone, Mobile, Tech


5 iPhone Apps for Better Photos and Videos

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 07:14 AM PDT


2. Camera Awesome




Rating: 4.5 stars Price: $2.99 If you want a powerful tool that packs the basics of a DSLR into your phone, spend the money on Camera Awesome from Smug Mug. It's got everything Camera+ has, plus extra grids and a horizon tool that helps you keep your camera level. Furthermore, you can set up a timer and interval shots. Set up one function to ease camera shake, and another to shoot multiple photos at two different speeds with one click in "Burst" mode. You can even lock your white balance while shooting video. When you're done, you can add one of nine effects filters.

Click here to view this gallery.




If you're still using the basic camera app on your iPhone, you're doing it wrong. The tool gives you one option in video mode: focus. Want to zoom? Forget it. You only have access to zoom when you take a picture.

But with a seemingly endless number of camera enhancement apps on the market, it can be hard to determine which apps actually help you take better photos and video with your iPhone, instead of just covering up your stellar camerawork with effects.

SEE ALSO: How to Get Started With Viddy

Here are five apps on the market that will make you abandon that rusty camera app that came pre-installed on your iPhone. Some apps in this list are perfect for the novice who just wants…
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More About: apps, iphone, iphone apps, Mobile, photography, Photos


Instagram Still Down After Storm Cuts Power During Brutal Heat Wave

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 06:26 AM PDT




Popular mobile photo-sharing service Instagram is still down this morning after violent storms in Virginia knocked out the cloud computing services that run it.

Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud, which powers sites like Netflix and Pinterest, and SocialFlow, as well as Instagram, was impacted during the widespread power outages that affected the region.

On its EC2 support forum, Amazon posted the following updates about the N. Virginia region:

Jun 30, 1:42 AM PDT We have now recovered the majority of EC2 instances and are continuing to work to recover the remaining EBS volumes. ELBs continue to experience delays in propagating new changes.
Jun 30, 3:04 AM PDT We have now recover…
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Happy Social Media Day 2012 [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jun 2012 05:33 AM PDT




Happy Social Media Day from Mashable!

Today we celebrate the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. From finding jobs through Twitter to rekindling old friendships on Facebook, social media impacts many of our lives. It empowers people everywhere to have their voices be heard and connect from miles apart -- and that's something worth celebrating.

Mashable launched Social Media Day in 2010, and both the event and social media use have grown tremendously in that time. The event has been declared official by 17 cities worldwide and three U.S. states. This year, we have tens of thousands of people participating throughout the world.…
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More About: pete cashmore, smday, social media day



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