Friday 21 September 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Susan Crawford Calls for Expansion of Fiber Networks”

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Susan Crawford Calls for Expansion of Fiber Networks”


Susan Crawford Calls for Expansion of Fiber Networks

Posted: 21 Sep 2012 05:07 AM PDT


Tech policy expert Susan Crawford joined the non-profit think tank Four Freedoms Center of the Roosevelt Institute today and called for the expansion of fiber networks in America. For her, looming monopolies are a threat to Internet equality and the expansion of faster Internet connections, specifically fiber, which she called "the global standard," is the future.

The fight against the digital divide is the "21st century version of electrification," Crawford wrote on her first post for the Next New Deal, the blog of the Roosevelt Institute. "Expanding high-speeding Internet access to all Americans is as essential now as the Rural Electrification Act was in the 1930s."

At the beginning…
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More About: Politics, broadband, tech policy


The iPhone 5 Hits Stores Today and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Posted: 21 Sep 2012 04:04 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.

The iPhone 5 Hits the Stores Today, Fans Form Lines All Over the World

It's hardly news, but it's still a big deal for many: The iPhone 5 hits the stores in many countries around the world today, including the U.S. and the UK.

Hundreds of tech enthusiasts have lined up to buy Apple's latest smartphone, and Twitter is abuzz with their anecdotes and impressions.

Meanwhile, iFixit has posted one of their famous teardowns, showing what the iPhone 5 looks on the inside. Chec…
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More About: apple, features, first to know series, iOS, iphone, mashable


Coolest Engineering Professors Ever Help Flash Mob Students [VIDEO]

Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:09 AM PDT


Flash mobs may be so 2011, but this one rocks.

Skule Nite 1t3, a engineering musical and sketch comedy revue troop based out of the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, decided to warn first year Engineering students at their school about what they were getting themselves into during their first exam.

While the exam's proctors at first seem to be confused and angry at the interruption, keep watching. It gets better.

They're in on it the entire time, and are therefore the coolest professors ever.

More About: flash mob


North Carolina Criminalizes Cyberbullying of Teachers

Posted: 21 Sep 2012 01:15 AM PDT


In North Carolina, children and teens aren't the only victims of bullying. On the Internet, teachers report being tormented and provoked by students.

As per a new law, cyberbullying with the "intent to intimidate or torment a school employee" is now a criminal misdemeanor. The School Violence Protection Law of 2012 that recently passed places teacher-bullying provisions in ink.

By holding students responsible for their actions online, supporters of the bill hope to curb harassment of school employees on the Internet.

One in six educators report experiencing cyberbaiting, according to a Norton survey of 2,279 teachers in 24 countries. In some instances, students attempt to prov…
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More About: North Carolina, cyberbullying, students, teachers


iPhone 5 Teardown: It’s Easier to Repair Than iPhone 4S

Posted: 21 Sep 2012 12:38 AM PDT


After their prompt EarPods teardown, the iFixit team wasted no time in disassembling the iPhone 5, which is hitting the US retail stores today, Sept. 21.

In its assessment of the devices it tears down, iFixit focuses on repairability, and this is where the iPhone 5 scores well: 7 out of 10 (10 being the easiest to repair), which is one point better than the iPhone 4S' score.

The glass and the display come off the device quite easily, and so does the battery, which is good news.

Unfortunately, the front glass, digitizer and LCD are all one component, which increases repair cost. Also, Apple still uses non-standard Pentalobe screws on the iPhone 5, and a lot of smaller componen…
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More About: iFixit, iPhone 5, teardown, trending


Library of Congress Website Gets an Upgrade

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 08:18 PM PDT


Ever checked out Congress.gov? It's the Library of Congress' one-stop-shop for everything citizens, journalists and researches need to know about legislation, and it just got a major overhaul.

The new site has a host of improvements: it's mobile friendly, includes an archive of debate footage as well as profiles of every member of Congress. Additionally, a new search engine drastically improves the ease of finding information about a particular bill.

Congress.gov, currently in beta, is designed as a replacement for THOMAS, the Library of Congress' previous site for researching legislation. THOMAS will continue to operate for the duration of the…
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More About: Politics, US, congress


Marketers Target Front of iPhone 5 Line [PICS]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:42 PM PDT


Days and sometimes weeks before a new iPhone or iPad is scheduled to hit stores, lines begin forming in front of Apple retail locations across the country, attracting the notice of passersby and the media.

Given the amount of attention these urban campers draw, it's no surprise that they've become popular targets for marketers.

When the iPhone 4S launched in October 2011, the first two people in line at Apple's 5th Ave. and 59th St. flagship wore bright orange sweatshirts emblazoned with Gazelle's logo in exchange for sponsorship -- including a free iPhone 4S -- from the gadget reseller.

iPhone casemaker OtterBox equipped campers with ponchos and other survival gear, while…
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More About: apple, gazelle, iPhone 5, otterbox, trending


10 Reactions to Twitter Banning GIF Profile Pics

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 07:05 PM PDT


Depending on who you ask, having an animated Twitter avatar is annoying, entertaining, enjoyable or none of the above. You either love it, hate it or don't care.

As of Tuesday, Twitter appears to be taking their anti-GIF policy seriously by freezing all animated avatar uploads. The company released a new set of design features that do not support GIFs. Users who currently have animated avatars seem to remain unaffected.

SEE ALSO: Twitter Blocks Animated GIFs in Profile Pics

Twitter users are reacting to the news with a wide range of emotions. Take your pic(k):

1. Shock

2. Sadness

3. Anger

4. Happiness

5. Apathy

6. Inconsolable

7. Gra…
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More About: GIFs, Twitter, Watercooler, humor


What Would You Give For First Place in the iPhone 5 Line? [POLL]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:11 PM PDT


The iPhone 5 will be released in less than 24 hours, which means lines have already started to form at Apple stores across the country. Some of Mashable's own will be joining the likes of die-hard Apple fans, first-time buyers and paid "TaskRabbits".

We want to know: What would you give to have the first spot in line for the iPhone 5? The first spot in San Francisco went for $1,500; would you be willing to pay to be among the first to get your hands on the iPhone 5?

SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 Review Roundup: Apple's New Baby Makes a Big First Impression

A few of our readers let us know via Twitter and Facebook what they would give. Now we're turning their responses on you in our poll b…
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More About: apple, iPhone 5, iphone, poll


Twitter Blocks Animated GIFs in Profile Pics

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 05:29 PM PDT



Some Twitter users are expressing major disbelief -- after discovering the social network no longer allows them to upload animated GIFs as their personal avatars.

Previously, users had been forced to use workarounds to post animated avatars because of Twitter's profile photo policy. Those tactics appear to have stopped working.

Illustrator Chris Torres, who introduced Nyan Cat to the masses in 2011 and now has a Twitter account with an animated avatar of the meme (see below), experimented unsuccessfully Thursday after hearing the news.

"Oh wow, I just tried to upload an animated avatar on an unused alt account and it didn't animate," Torres told Mashable. "That's scary! But it�…
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More About: GIFs, Social Media, Twiter, animated GIFs, memes, photography


Most Parents Keep Kids Calm With Mobile Devices [STUDY]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 05:12 PM PDT


You do your best to connect with your family, your children, setting aside family-only time in order to connect with your kids. Family dinners work well, but using smartphones and tablets is a rising trend in bonding with, teaching and pacifying young ones, a recent survey shows.

The survey was commissioned by Qualcomm, makers of the Snapdragon processors found in the Samsung Galaxy phones and various tablets.

The study found that 53% of parents with children ages 13 or under use mobile technology to calm their children, so you're not the only one passing your phone or tablet to your cranky kid in public.

Nearly 74% of them have downloaded apps specifically for their children.…
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More About: Children, mobile devices, parenting, poll, qualcomm


Apple: We’re ‘Just Getting Started’ With Maps, Be Patient

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:42 PM PDT


Apple says it is "just getting started with" maps, and it will get better the more people use it.

More About: apple maps, google maps mobile, iphone, trending


Twitter Policy’s Latest Victim: If This Then That

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:19 PM PDT


The online service IFTTT is the latest company to suffer because of Twitter's new API policy. The service sent a note to users on Thursday afternoon saying it would be removing some abilities with how it interacts with Twitter due to the new rules.

IFTTT, which stands for If This Then That (pronounced "ift" as in "gift"), allows users to create "recipes" for shuttling their data between services. For example, you could create a recipe that automatically sends your Instagram pics to Dropbox ("If I upload a photo to Instagram, then save it to this Dropbox folder").

In the email, IFTTT CEO Linden Tibbets says as of Sept. 27, users will no longer be able to use tweets as a trigger (the "if…
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More About: APIs, Twitter, Twitter API, apps, trending


Homer Simpson Votes for Mitt Romney [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 03:13 PM PDT


What happens when Homer Simpson casts his ballot for Mitt Romney this Election Day? You'll find out in the above clip, released by Fox as a sneak peek of the 24th -- yes, 24th -- season's first episode.

The clip pokes Simpsons-style fun at most of the major issues on the campaign trail this year: voter identification laws, Obamacare, outsourcing, Chinese labor, Romney's tax releases and Michelle Obama's vegetable fixation.

Are you excited for the next season of The Simpsons, America's longest-running sitcom? Let us know in the comments.

BONUS: Elect to Laugh With 10 Mitt Romney Tumblr Pages

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Politics, US, Watercooler, the simpsons, trending


Trulia Stock Surges More Than 40% in First Day of Trading

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT


Trulia ended its first day of trading at $24.12 a share, an impressive gain of nearly 42% for the day.

The online real estate listings company made its trading debut on the New York Stock Exchange at $22.10 a share, an increase of 30% from the $17 IPO price set by the company the night before. Trulia had previously announced that it expected to price the IPO at $14 to $16 a share, but the company increased it at the last minute.

Trulia's stock went as high as $25.20 a day before dipping back down slightly to end the day. The company sold 6 million shares at $17 each, raising $102 million in its public offering.

Zillow, Trulia's chief competitor in the online real estate space,…
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More About: stocks, trending, trulia


40+ Events in Digital Media and More

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT


Whether you're looking to make industry contacts or learn the latest trends in advertising, technology and media, Mashable's Events Board has something for you. We picked four of the latest events to be listed to give you an idea of the possibilities for networking, developing skills and moving your business forward. Check these out, or head over to the full listings to find relevant events in your area or preferred destination.

Our events board was recently updated so you can easily sort listings by when they were added. Many event organizers offer a discount code for Mashable readers and feature a YouTube video of a past event so you'll know what to expect. You can also subscribe to
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More About: Events, Events Board, networking


Facebook Adds Texting to Messenger for Android

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT


Facebook launched a new design for Facebook Messenger for Android Thursday, adding a number of new features including the ability for some phones to text contacts directly from the Facebook Messenger app.

The updated version of app allows you to quickly see who's available to chat by swiping left on the screen. If you find yourself talking to the same people often, you can select specific friends to add to the top of your Favorites in the app for quick access.

Messages within the app have a more conversational look now, making it easier to see who said what in a particular thread. On some Android phones you can also now text contacts from directly within the Messenger app, allowi…
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More About: Facebook, android


Google Maps for iOS 6 May be Awaiting Apple Approval Already

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:14 PM PDT


Feeling low about Apple's Maps app in iOS 6, widely perceived as flawed? Wish you could go back to iOS 5, if only for the Google Maps app?

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, according to 9to5Mac and The Guardian, Google has its own iOS 6 Maps app set to roll onto iPhones and iPads everywhere, awaiting Apple's stamp of approval.

The bad news? It could be waiting for a long, long time. Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. A year, perhaps, if Google and Apple's previous tussles over apps that replicate iOS core functionality are any guide.

SEE ALSO: Apple's Maps App: Just How Bad Is It?

"An updated iOS 6 version has been submitted to Apple and is awaiting approv…
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More About: Google Maps, apple maps, iOS 6


15% Upgraded to iOS 6 in First 24 Hours

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 02:12 PM PDT


About 15% of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices are already running Apple iOS 6, just 24 hours after the company launched its sixth-generation mobile software platform, new data suggests.

According to Chitika Insights, more people updated to iOS 6 in the first 24 hours than other software upgrades in the past. In fact, it took iOS 5 five days to reach 20% of devices.

To determine these findings, Chitika Insights took a sample of millions of mobile ad impressions coming out of its ad network within that 24-hour period and compared iOS 6 impressions to all iOS traffic.

The news comes just one day after the company rolled out its sixth-generation mobile software for the iPhone, iP…
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More About: Mobile, apple, iOS 6, iPhone 5, iPod Touch, ipad, iphone, smartphones


Rapper Gets Mad Using Search Engine: ‘WTF Is a Google?’ [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:52 PM PDT


We've all "Googled" our names. But what happens when rapper DMX encounters Google's search engine on a laptop for the first time? Well, first confusion ensues and then frustration sets in.

"That's scary, it's scary," he says in the above clip from urban contemporary FM radio station Power 105.1.

SEE ALSO: App Lets Rappers Record Songs, Put Them Up for Public Vote

DMX also calls a computer mouse "the thing" and appears to not have the words "toolbar" or "trackpad" in his vernacular. He ends the segment uttering, "What the f*** is a Google?"

In another Power 105.1 video, DMX admits to not knowing what "blog" means.

"That's a funny word," he bemoans. "What's it short for? Blog…
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More About: DMX, Entertainment, Google, Music, celebrities, trending


Reddit Co-Founder Joins Mashable Media Summit

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT


Co-founder of Reddit Alexis Ohanian will join the Mashable Media Summit to speak about the future of Reddit in the ever growing social media space.

The Mashable Media Summit is a one-day conference that explores how new forms of technology are redefining media. The brightest minds in the industry will come together Nov. 2 at the TimesCenter in New York City to explore the latest innovations in the space and the future of journalism.

Early bird tickets end next week, so get your discounted tickets now.

Eventbrite - Mashable Media Summit 2012

Reddit has emerged as one of the most popular social news websites online, and is host to a vibrant community of "Redditors" that rely on a voting system to curate content on…
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More About: Conference, Events, Media, Social Media, mashable media summit, reddit


RomCom2012: A Campaign of Romance and Romney

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:27 PM PDT


1. Say Anything




Image courtesy of RomCom2012

Click here to view this gallery.


There are those who make memes, and those who become memes -- and Mitt Romney seems to be the most popular topic of Internet culture this election season.

We've seen Romney Photoshopped, captioned, placed in GIFs and animated. The latest Tumblr tribute to Romney -- RomCom2012 -- shows a softer side of the Republican presidential candidate.

SEE ALSO: Elect to Laugh With 10 Mitt Romney Tumblr Pages

The site features popular romantic comedies, replacing Romney's face with various actors like Matthew McConaughey or John Cusack.

We're still holding out for the Magic Mike poster.

More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, US politics, Watercooler, humor, political humor, tumblr


‘NBA Baller Beats’ Is Fun, Unless You Live In an Apartment

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:17 PM PDT


NBA Baller Beats is a new game for Microsoft's Xbox Kinect that puts a real basketball in gamers' hands as they dribble and perform moves to music.

The Kinect, Microsoft's gaming hardware that relies on human movement as the controller, has been used for some inventive gameplay, but this is the first time a game has added such a large non-technological peripheral, and probably the first integration of sports equipment into modern gaming. So of course Mashable had to test it out.

The game is packaged with a real Spalding basketball, and the package boasts that it is standard NBA size. The gameplay is constructed similar to many popular rhythm ga…
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More About: Gaming, Video, basketball, features, kinect, xbox


Swiss Federal Railways Says Apple Stole Its Clock

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:40 PM PDT


If you think Apple's new clock design in iOS 6 looks like a Swiss watch, that may be because it is.

Switzerland's Federal Railways service says Apple copied its iconic clock in its Clock app for iPad without permission.

The clock, which was designed in the 1940s by Hans Hilfiker, is an icon in Switzerland, with the Federal Railways service the sole copyright owner for the clock. Apple's version of the clock is shown on the left in the photo above, the Railway's on the right.

"SBB is the sole owner of the trademark and copyright of the railway clock. The railway company will now get in touch with Apple. The aim is a legal, as well as a financial solution. It is not right that…
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More About: apple, apps, clock, design


Join the Conversation With Ambassador Susan Rice at the Social Good Summit

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT


Ambassador Susan E. Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, will join Mashable's CEO Pete Cashmore for a live interview at the Social Good Summit.

The Social Good Summit is a three-day conference where innovators, influencers and activists come together to discuss the power of technology to solve the world's greatest challenges. Ambassador Rice, an avid user of social media, will highlight the essential role that international public servants, from American diplomats to UN peacekeepers, can play on behalf of social good.

Purchase Your Tickets to Social Good Summit

The Social Good Summit is where big ideas meet new media to create innovativ…
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More About: Events, Politics, social good summit


Soccer Player Nearly Blown Up by Grenade Thrown on Field [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:15 PM PDT


Sometimes, soccer fans throw trash and other debris onto the pitch. Usually those things are not grenades. But an Iranian soccer player was nearly blown up after after tossing away a grenade he thought was a piece of trash on the field of play, according this video uploaded to YouTube on Thursday. As the video shows, things would have ended very, very badly had the device detonated just a fraction of a second earlier. The match was called off and police are reportedly investigating.

More About: Sports, Watercooler, viral videos


Soldsie Helps Businesses Turn Their Facebook Pages Into Virtual Storefronts

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:01 PM PDT


Soldsie helps small businesses sell their products to fans directly through Facebook comments.

More About: Facebook, Startups


Unigo Founder Jordan Goldman
 Answers Your Questions [LIVE CHAT]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 11:50 AM PDT




Got a question for Goldman? Use the chat feature above to get it answered live!

As an 18-year-old applying to college, Goldman asked students across the country to send him emails explaining what their schools were really like. He turned the results into the best-selling Students' Guide to Colleges series of guidebooks, released in five annual editions from Penguin Books.  

After graduating from college, Goldman founded Unigo, which The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg called "a college resource built for the age of YouTube and Facebook."  Unigo receives more than a million unique visitors each month and features hundreds of thousands of college reviews, photos and video…
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More About: Live Chat, Startups, Unigo, education, yec


Mario Gets Medieval in Blood-Soaked Parody [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 11:29 AM PDT


The usually mild-mannered Mario appears to completely lose it in this 8-bit fantasy/nightmare from Dorkly.

What do we learn? The creators have watched a lot of South Park, Game of Thrones and a fair amount of Quentin Tarantino's oeuvre. As you might guess from the influences, this is not for the faint of heart.

More About: Nintendo, viral videos


Facebook Plugin Offers Another Way to Control Privacy

Posted: 20 Sep 2012 11:15 AM PDT


Facebook has offered another way to control which activities you'll share when using apps that interact with Facebook on the web. A new plugin called Shared Activity lets users modify their privacy settings while in a particular web app, giving them control of who sees their activities created on that app in Facebook.

Facebook's Developer Blog offered an example (pictured at right) of how this new plugin works:

"From the plugin on sites such as Airbnb, people can set the default Facebook audience for activity shared from your app, or manage the settings for stories previously published to Facebook, including selecting an audience or removing it altogether."

These capabilities are al…
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More About: Facebook, developers, plugins, social plugins



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