Tuesday 30 October 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Forstall Left Apple Because He Refused to Apologize for Maps [REPORT]”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Forstall Left Apple Because He Refused to Apologize for Maps [REPORT]”


Forstall Left Apple Because He Refused to Apologize for Maps [REPORT]

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:54 AM PDT


Apple asked Scott Forstall to leave the company because Forstall refused to sign his name on a letter apologizing for Apple's Maps app, according to a report.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal reports that Forstall (pictured), a 15-year veteran at Apple, wanted the company to address the poor reception for Maps without apologizing. However, CEO Tim Cook disagreed and sent an email to customers on Sept. 28 stating that Maps "fell short."

Forstall, who oversaw Apple's mobile software unit, was one of two top execs who left Apple on Monday. The departure of the other exec, Retail Chief John Browett, was unrelated, according to the report. Browett, who…
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More About: John Browett, apple, scott forstall


EverySignal is Like Google Alerts for Your Social News Feeds

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:30 AM PDT


EverySignal lets users set up e-mail alerts for important updates shared by their connections on Facebook and LinkedIn.

More About: Facebook, Startups, linkedin


Pumpkin Tetris Is So Clever It’s Scary [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:14 AM PDT


Can your Jack O'Lantern do this?

A man named Nathan Pryor rigged up a large pumpkin with 128 LEDs for the display so you can play Tetris on it. Using the stem as a controller, you can actually play a game, as demonstrated in the video. On his blog, Pryor recounts that he wrote "Make Tetris pumpkins" in a notepad sometime last year. The original idea was to make a giant game using the pumpkins as Tetris pieces.

SEE ALSO: MIT Students Hack Building, Play Tetris [VIDEO]

"Since Halloween was only a few weeks away and it was too late to start growing pumpkins, I thought 'Why not make a pumpkin you can play Tetris on instead?'" And just like that, Pumpkin Tetris was born.

Pryor…
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More About: Halloween, Tetris, viral videos


Hurricane Sandy Takes Down Huffington Post, Gawker, BuzzFeed

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:31 AM PDT


Readers looking for the latest updates on Hurricane Sandy Tuesday morning were disappointed to find some of the top news sites, including The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and Gawker and its affiliated sites were themselves victims of Sandy.

In a statement on its Tumblr, BuzzFeed blamed DataGram, an ISP that serves the three sites, plus others. The Tumblr quotes a DataGram rep as saying "Basement flooded, fuel pump off line - we got people working on it now. 5 feet of water now."

Monday night "elements of BuzzFeed's site and many story pages" were back "thanks to a Content Delivery Network, Akamai, which hosts the content at servers distributed around the world." However, Tuesday…
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More About: Gawker, Huffington Post, Hurricane Sandy, buzzfeed


Conan Previews the iPad Mini Mega [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:17 AM PDT


Oh, iPad mini, will there ever be an end to the jokes pointed at your direction? Seemingly not, as Conan O'Brien has released another spoof video for the iPad mini, this time joking about the device's size.

"We put everything you love about the iPad in a smaller package. But then we thought, what if we combine the sleekness of the iPad mini with the rich display of the original iPad," the Apple guy in the video asks, and then goes on to announce an entirely new kind of iPad. And then another one. And another one.

We've now seen several fake iPad mini video ads (including Conan's first), and we like this last one the best. We can't help it: making fun of minute differences in…
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More About: conan o'brien, ipad mini, trending


Steve Ballmer Shows Off His Windows Phone in New Ad [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 02:10 AM PDT


Microsoft has launched a new ad for Windows Phone 8, and it features none other than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Narrated by Ballmer, the ad focuses on the platform's personalization capabilities, and also features Bill Gates -- if only as an image -- who gives some Surface-related design advice to Ballmer.

The phone featured in the ad is the powerful HTC Windows Phone 8X -- a bit of a slap in the face of Nokia, who is Microsoft's biggest Windows Phone partner.

As far as Ballmer starring in a Microsoft video ad, the last time that happened was 1986, and the product being advertised was Windows 1.0. Check out the result here.

How do you like the new ad? Share your tho…
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More About: Steve Ballmer, Windows Phone 8, microsoft, windows phone


American Apparel Angers Twittersphere With ‘Hurricane Sandy Sale’

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:33 AM PDT


An American Apparel ad for a "Hurricane Sandy Sale" has sparked backlash from the Twittersphere.

The retailer sent out an email blast Monday night, offering 20% off to customers for the next 36 hours "in case you're bored during the storm."

It features a map highlighting the Northeastern United States, where Sandy -- now categorized as a post-tropical cyclone -- is hitting the hardest. The sale is only available in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland, according to the email.

The ad, which tells viewers to "Just Enter SANDYSALE at Checkout," apparently targets online shoppers who are staying indoors to s…
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More About: American Apparel, Hurricane Sandy


Google Music Ready to Take on iTunes With Warner Agreement

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 11:58 PM PDT


Google is gearing up to go toe-to-toe with Apple and Amazon in MP3 sales.

The company announced Monday that Warner Music Group agreed to begin selling its catalog of songs through Google Play. All four major U.S. record labels have now signed on to Google's music, video and app retailing platform.

Google launched its music offering, which allows users to upload and play their existing library to the cloud as well as purchase music, last November. The service was hampered by its lack of selection, however, making Amazon's Cloud Player the superior option for Android users. (iTunes is not available on Android devices.)

Google also said it would begin selling movies in Canada,…
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More About: Google, Google Play, warner music group


Sandy Thwarts Assassin’s Creed 3 Midnight Launch in Northeastern U.S.

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 11:12 PM PDT


Gamers in the Northeastern United States can't get their hands on Assassins's Creed 3 yet, as GameStop canceled all midnight launches in the area due to post-tropical cyclone Sandy.

The game was scheduled to debut Monday at midnight.

"Our top priority is the safety of our employees and customers. In compliance with directives issued by state and local authorities, stores in the path of the storm will remain closed until it is safe to re-open, and midnight openings for Assassin's Creed III have been cancelled in the northeast," the video game retailer said in a statement to IGN. "Customers should check with their local stores for details on when we will re-open."

On Sunday, the…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, assassin's creed, ubisoft


Superstorm Sandy Flooding New York Streets [PICS]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 10:11 PM PDT


Sandy is flooding New York's streets, as the post-tropical cyclone bears down on the Big Apple.

A deluge of rainfall is soaking NYC since the former hurricane arrived in town on Monday.

From Queens to Manhattan, social media users across New York were sharing arresting images of the floods; check them out in the gallery above.

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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Thumbnail image courtesy of Twitter, TrackingSandy

More About: Hurricane Sandy, flooding, new york


NYC Goes Dark: 10 Eerie Photos of the Hurricane Blackout

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 08:45 PM PDT





Via Alana Newhouse

Click here to view this gallery.


The city that's known for its bright lights went dark Monday night, leaving the Manhattan skyline an eerie shadow.

Electric company Con Edison experienced a major plant explosion, which shut off power in several areas, including Lower and Mid-Manhattan. The company also chose to shut others' power, in order to prevent further damage from superstorm Sandy. The company is tweeting its plans to shut down more surrounding areas.

New Yorkers are sharing pics of the creepy, dark skyline online. For for more images of Hurricane Sandy, check out the gallery below.

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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More About: Hurricane Sandy, Watercooler, new york, pics


Rewarder’s Online Marketplace Helps You Find Solutions to Any Problem

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 08:18 PM PDT


An online marketplace that lets users pay to find solutions to any query or shopping need they might have -- no matter how peculiar it may be.

More About: Startups, The Launchpad


Con Edison Plant Explosion Flashes Across New York [VIDEO]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 07:56 PM PDT


Electric company Con Edison experienced a plant explosion on Monday evening due to former hurricane (now superstorm) Sandy.

The explosion, which happened on East 14th Street and FDR Drive, is suspected to be one of the reasons why many New York City residents are without power.

Trillian Media captured the incredible moment on video. The explosion happens around 15 seconds in -- then watch the city gradually go dark.

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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More About: Hurricane Sandy, Watercooler, explosion, new york


Exterior of NYC Building Torn Off by Superstorm Sandy [VIDEO]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 07:31 PM PDT


Superstorm Sandy is tearing through New York City, with one building in particular experiencing the brunt of her wrath.

In a YouTube video posted Monday, an unidentified building has its entire front exterior ripped off, falling to the streets in a cloud of dust and debris. (Go to the 45-second mark to see the damage).

With a fierce wind providing its soundtrack, the video also shows fire trucks nearby the building.

SEE ALSO: Mind-Blowing Hurricane Sandy Photos Taken By Readers

Have you witnessed any damage done by Sandy? Tell us in the comments below.

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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Homepage photo courtesy Flickr, Serenitbee.

More About: Hurricane Sandy, new york city, trending


Captivating Hurricane Sandy Photos Taken By Readers

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 06:43 PM PDT


Williamsburg, Brooklyn: 10 a.m.




"Bracing for Sandy in Williamsburg." Submitted by Jenna.

Click here to view this gallery.


As Hurricane Sandy continues to surge, the Mashable community has been sending us photos of the storm. Many people have been advised not to leave their homes, so please stay safe as the hurricane continues. If you have any pictures to share with us, tweet them to @mashablehq, using the hashtag #SandyPics. Or, you can drop photos in the widget below (be sure to include a time and location with your pics).

SEE ALSO: 6 Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos You're Sharing on Social Media

The storm has been moving northward and inland since its formation, as you can see from these satellite images taken on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29:

Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012

Sandy has already caused serious damage, so we'll be sure to keep…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy


Facebook Users Are All Talking About Hurricane Sandy

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:59 PM PDT


People on the East Coast, as well as their family and friends dispersed throughout the globe, are worried about Hurricane Sandy

Naturally, they are airing those concerns to social media.

According to Facebook Journalism Program Manager Vadim Lavrusik, these are the 10 words and phrases most posted by Facebook users over the past 24 hours. Unsurprisingly, they all seem to have a strong connection to the severe weather.

1. Sandy / hurricane / Hurricane Sandy
2. stay safe / be safe
3. storm
4. weather
5. east coast
6. power
7. my friends
8. cold
9. prayers / praying
10. wind / winds

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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Photo courtesy of Instragram user treglewis

More About: facebook usage, hurricane


Photo-Messaging App ‘Snapchat’ Launches on Android

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:43 PM PDT


Snapchat-screenshot

Have you ever sent a photo to a friend you later wished you could erase? Maybe you had your eyes closed, or you noticed a stray nose hair upon second glance.

Snapchat, an iPhone photo-messaging app, lets you do just that. And as of today, it's available for Android users as well.

The concept's simple: Users can take a photo with their phone, add text if they choose to, then set a duration -- between one and 10 seconds -- and send it to a friend. Once the recipient opens the photo, it's deleted from both phones after the allotted time.

"It really empowers expressive and frequent content," Evan Spiegel, Snapchat's founder, tells Mashable. "With social media there's a lot of s…
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More About: android, iOS, mobile apps, photo sharing


How the World Series Was Won on Twitter [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:24 PM PDT


The Giants swept the Detroit Tigers in four games and, according to this infographic, the battle in the Twittersphere was nearly as one-sided.

More About: Major League Baseball, Mashable Infographics, Sports, infographics


Profane Craigslist Ad for Galaxy Note Offers a Buffet of Awesome [NSFW]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:12 PM PDT


There's a new entrant in the fledgling category of "best Craigslist ad ever." Ryan Bannon, partner at PlaygroundInc, a Toronto-based ad agency, is claiming credit for this long-form ad for a Galaxy Note that is very NSFW and arguably quite funny.

If you appreciate the hard sell, this may just be the ad for you. However, you should also note that Bannon didn't create the genre of over-the-top Craigslist ads.

This ad for a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am beat him to the punch as did this 2011 ad for a snowblower and this used wetsuit ad before that.

But then again, none of those managed to work in the phrase "a buffet of awesome."

[via Adweek]

More About: Advertising, Galaxy Note, craigslist


Steve Ballmer on Tim Cook’s Attack: ‘I’m Glad He’s Paying Attention’

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:01 PM PDT


Apple CEO Tim Cook may have had some choice words about the Microsoft Surface tablet during a call with investors last week, slamming the iPad rival as "compromised and confusing."

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer isn't about to respond in kind -- though he did suggest Cook had strayed from his intended message when he made those remarks.

"Any competitive guy is going to step in and talk about that kind of stuff occasionally, even if they're taught to be disciplined and on-message," Ballmer told Mashable in an interview Monday. "They're the incumbent in what people call the tablet market. I think tablets and PCs are converging.

"We'll give them a run for their money," Ballmer vowed…
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More About: Steve Ballmer, apple, ipad, microsoft, surface tablet, tablets, tim cook


This Button Will Be Your Headphone’s New Best Friend

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:45 PM PDT


The button. It's so simple, so underrated and so under-appreciated. But all of that is changing now.

Shapeways has revolutionized buttons. Instead of just keep your shirt from flying open, it now doubles as an elegant holder for headphone cables.

SEE ALSO: Listen Up: Here's a Brief History of Headphones

Who hasn't suffered that irritating moment when your headphones get snarled around your sweater or snagged on something and get yanked from your ears? The Button 2.0 will hold the cord securely in place, keeping them tangle free and leaving you cord-free to enjoy music hassle-free.

It works especially well with Apple ear buds and any cords with a two millimeter diameter.…
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More About: Headphones, apple


Why Is Apple’s Retail Chief Out After 9 Months on the Job?

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:15 PM PDT


John Browett, Apple's senior vice president of retail, is leaving the company after just 9 months on the job, Apple announced Monday.

More About: apple, iOS, tim cook


Hurricane Sandy Pics Get Photoshop Treatment

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:02 PM PDT


1. Scared Statue of Liberty




Image courtesy of @jgpmolloy

Click here to view this gallery.


A wave of Hurricane Sandy photos flooded the Internet Monday as the powerful storm battered the Eastern Seaboard, but not everything you see online is true. Sorry, guys.

Rain and winds couldn't stop the Photoshop wizards from working their magic and whipping up a swirling mess of humorous faux photos. The 'shopped shots mixed everything from "Gangnam Style" to Godzilla into frightening storm photos to bring some levity to a serious situation.

SEE ALSO: 6 Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos You're Sharing on Social Media

We collected some of our favorites (before the power went out) in the gallery above.

Stay safe, right Coasters!

More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy

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More About: Hurricane Sandy, Watercooler, cats, gangnam style


German Robot Learns How to Play Ping-Pong [VIDEO]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:46 PM PDT


Unlike in Hollywood Sci-Fi thrillers, humans and robots have only really battled in games like chess and Jeopardy. Now the struggle moves to the Ping-Pong table. Researchers have taught a robot how to play table tennis, proving once again that robots may be able to learn how to imitate humans by observing them perform actions and then mimicking them.

Katharina Muelling and other scientists at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany mounted a robotic arm equipped with a camera to the ceiling. Then, to train it, Muelling guided the arm through a series of shots. After some practice, the robot was left on its own to play against a human playe…
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More About: popular science, robots


Kindergarten Ninja Deserves A+ on This Homework Assignment

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:09 PM PDT


What's the best way to avoid a homework assignment? A little boy named Kevin might be able to help answer that question.

Redditor ErrantTexan shared the image above with the comment "One of my Kinder students drew his Halloween costume today..." If this is real, this kid is going places -- at least on the internet.

SEE ALSO: Reddit-Powered Travel Show Premieres on YouTube

Also, as numerous commenters on the Reddit thread pointed out -- this kindergartener is not going trick-or-treating, but trick-or-teat-ing.

Well played, Kev. Well played.

Thumbnail courtesy of flickr, shock264

More About: ninjas, reddit


Twitter Gives Away Promoted Crisis Tweets to Red Cross, FEMA

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT


As Hurricane Sandy batters the Eastern Seaboard, Twitter is offering free promoted crisis tweets to the Red Cross, FEMA, the New York City's Mayor's Office and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency to help keep users updated on the storm. Other state and local authorities can contact Twitter to join the pro bono program.

The site published a blog post Monday afternoon, including a list of suggested accounts to follow for real-time updates on the Frankenstorm, including state and local governments, and relief agencies from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. Twi…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, Twitter, red cross


WATCH: ‘Love in the Time of Robots’ Explores Dating in the Digital Age

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:44 PM PDT


You've read all about the perils of sexting and the etiquette of whether and when you should change your relationship status on Facebook. But really, what are the rules? With all the new terminology, online dating apps and digital protocols, what's happening as the worlds of love and technology collide?

Mashable will begin airing a new video series called Love in the Time of Robots that explores these areas. Mondays at 10 p.m. ET the hosts and expert guests will identify trends and answer questions on the week's topic. You can join the interactive dating advice show by submitting questions via email, Facebook or Twitter.

The show's topics will run the gamut from online dating…
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More About: Love in the Time of Robots, dating


Apple’s iOS Boss, Store Chief Stepping Down

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:36 PM PDT


With trading halted on the New York Stock Exchange during the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy, there couldn't have been a better time for any public company to announce the departure of major executives -- and that's just what Apple did Monday.

Apple announced that Scott Forstall, the head of iOS software, and Apple Store chief John Browett would both be leaving the company. Forstall will stay on until the new year; Browett appears to be out forthwith.

Forstall (pictured above), once tipped as a future CEO of the company, has been beset by a couple of high-profile software stumbles. Rightly or wrongly, he has been pegged with the blame for Siri and Apple Maps, two features where the c…
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More About: Apple Store, apple, iOS


Which Presidential Candidate Is Winning the Google Race? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:25 PM PDT


With only a little over a week left until Election Day, the Google Analytics team looked into their data to find out if President Obama or Mitt Romney has the edge with voters before the big day.

They found that even though search interest on Google was on average higher for Obama than Romney, the GOP candidate was able to gain a larger percentage of YouTube views and subscribers throughout the debate period.

Obama though did begin with a drastically higher amount of YouTube subscribers, so even with the hike in Romney's followers, he still wasn't able to near Obama's numbers.

Obama and the Democratic party held their own in other ways, garnering more news headlines throughout th…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, YouTube, election 2012, president obama


Instagram Users Share 10 Hurricane Sandy Photos Per Second

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:24 PM PDT


Could Hurricane Sandy be the event that propels Instagram's reputation beyond brunch photos and arts-fartsy attempts at whimsy? The photo-sharing network has certainly become a central landing destination for shots of the storm -- users are uploading 10 images per second with the hashtag #Sandy alone.

"I think this demonstrates how Instagram is quickly becoming a useful tool to see the world as it happens –- especially for important world events like this," CEO Kevin Systrom told Mashable through a spokesperson.

While other social tools such as Twitter and Storify have long been accepted as having become serious social platforms for hard news, Hurricane's Sandy appears to mark Insta…
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More About: Hurricane Sandy, instagram



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