Wednesday 12 December 2012

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Ownshelf Helps Readers Share Their Digital Libraries With Friends”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Ownshelf Helps Readers Share Their Digital Libraries With Friends”


Ownshelf Helps Readers Share Their Digital Libraries With Friends

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 03:55 AM PST


Ownshelf, a free service that launched Friday, provides readers a cloud storage platform to share and discover e-books with their friends and family.

More About: ebooks, startup

Apple Reportedly Testing Early TV Set Designs

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 03:25 AM PST


Apple is currently testing several TV set designs, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed sources from Apple's supply chain.

The company is reportedly working with China's Hon Hai (better known as Foxconn) and Japan's Sharp on the design of the new television.

This doesn't mean we'll see an Apple TV set very soon, though, as these prototypes are still far from hitting the market.

"It isn't a formal project yet. It is still in the early stage of testing," said one source at the Hon Hai Precision Industry.

An Apple-branded TV set has been one of the hottest rumors in Appleville for years now, but this latest report is the best indication yet that Apple is indeed working…
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More About: Apple TV, TV, apple

How Non-Profits Relied on Social Media in 2012

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:43 AM PST


This revealing infographic shows just how much non-profits leveraged social media over the past year.

More About: Social Media, non-profits

Cheap Smartphones Will be Widespread by 2017, Study Says

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 01:02 AM PST


Most smartphones are hefty investments, each leaving buyers a few hundred dollars in the hole. But a new study suggests that half of all smartphones will cost less than $150 in only a few years.

Conducted by Informa Telecoms & Media, the study predicts that the smartphone market will be split into two extremes: low-end devices and high-end devices, retailing for less than $150 and more than $250, respectively.

Pricier phones, however, will find their market share shrinking from 85% of total smartphones sold in 2011 to 33% in 2017, the study says. On the other hand, the popularity of cheaper handsets will explode to 52% of total sold in 2017.

"As the market develops, the supply chain…
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More About: smartphone, smartphones

New Chrome Extension Lets You Save Web Content to Google Drive

Posted: 12 Dec 2012 12:12 AM PST


Google has launched a new extension for Chrome called "Save to Drive," enabling users to save web content to their Google Drive.

After installing the extension, users will get an additional icon in Chrome, letting them save an image, an entire page or an image of the visible page to your Drive.

Users can also save the HTML source code of a webpage or a complete webpage in web archive (.mht) format. Finally, they can simply right click on web content to save it directly to Drive.

save to drive

The extension offers several options to manage saved web content: Users can immediately open the file in Drive, rename it or view it in their Drive list, which provides additional options, such as sha…
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More About: Google, Google Drive, Save to Drive, extension, google chrome

Brickstarter Promotes Crowdfunding for Community Planning

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:30 PM PST


Kickstarter has seen enormous success with its crowdfunding model for creative projects, but would something similar work for building communities? That's what one new project, appropriately called "Brickstarter," wants to achieve.

While it doesn't provide a service -- at least, not yet -- Brickstarter says it is "sketching out a system that would enable everyday people, using everyday technology and culture, to articulate and progress sustainable ideas about their community."

In other words, Brickstarter is a prototype for a web-based service that provides citizens with a platform to turn ideas into projects, and encourages them to debate about different proposals. Ultimately, the ser…
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More About: Brickstarter, kickstarter

This Laptop Case Is Completely Indestructible

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:44 PM PST


Consider this the James Bond of laptop cases.

This military-inspired case is crushproof, waterproof, shockproof and dirtproof. It will pretty much protect your laptop through an apocalypse or if you just feel like running your computer over with a car.

The Vivax case features titanium pins and an external polymer that is similar to the material found in crash helmets.

The project is currently on Kickstarter but still has a long way to go with only $4,000 of its $30,000 goal.

Check out the video to see the case being put to the test.

Would you purchase one of these cases? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

More About: kickstarter, laptop accessories

How to Buy Facebook Gifts for Friends

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 10:01 PM PST


Notification on Timeline




The first vist to a friend's timeline prompts us to give a gift, and that "Gifts" button will exist next to "Post" and "Photos" from now on.

Click here to view this gallery.


Earlier Tuesday Facebook rolled out its Gifts service to the entire United States, after it had spent some time in beta.

For those who want to send physical gifts to Facebook friends for birthdays, holidays or other special occasions, it's a very simple process. Facebook has created a large library of presents to choose from, including gourmet food, household items and novelty gifts. It seems perfectly timed with the holiday season, even if your giftee knows what you're buying them before they receive the package.

We've compiled a guide on how to give and receive Facebook gifts, taking you step by step through the process above.

Thumbnail courtesy iStockphoto, kemalbas.

More About: Facebook, Social Media, facebook gifts

WordPress 3.5 Has Arrived

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 08:47 PM PST


Self-hosted WordPress users, fire up your update engines. WordPress 3.5 is now available for download.

WordPress 3.5 brings in lots of under the hood enhancements, as well as a few new user-facing features.

Other sites have done a great job of breaking down the new features, but here are some of the highlights:

A New Default Theme Dubbed Twenty Twelve that is both responsive and clean
The Dashboard supports HiDPI -- aka Retina -- displays
Users can once again import content from Tumblr. Thanks Andrew Nacin for the clarification
A totally rewritten and reworked Media Manager that makes adding and finding images much better
Support for Instagram, SoundCloud and Slideshar…
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More About: WordPress

‘Hey Chris Bosh’ Twitter Account Is a Comedy Slam Dunk

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 08:31 PM PST


Basketball fans and aficcionados of offbeat comedy will chuckle at the "Hey Chris Bosh" Twitter account's mission for answers.

More About: NBA, Sports

MediaTek Launches Its First Quad-Core Processor

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 07:47 PM PST


Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek announced its first quad-core SoC (System on chip) processor Tuesday, the first of its kind to hit the market.

"Its not the first one announced, it's the first one shipping, " MediaTek spokesperson Finbarr Moynihan told Mashable during a demo of the new mobile processor earlier this week.

Already being tested by some of MediaTek's mobile partners, the company expects the processor to ship in devices starting the first quarter of 2013. Qualcomm announced a similar chip last week, which is not expected to hit the market until the second half of 2013.

MediaTek is a company traditionally focused on the low-end smartphone market. But this processor,…
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More About: processor

Sports Twitter: The Year in Review

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 07:09 PM PST


Sports Twitter is the best! Here are 2012's biggest topics, most popular trends and most viral tweets.

More About: Sports, Twitter

Bing’s Social Sidebar Gets a Facelift

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 06:35 PM PST


Bing rolled out a new design for its social sidebar feature Tuesday, an update it hopes will make finding friends relevant to your search easier to do based on what those people have shared on the web.

"At Bing, we realize that sometimes the most useful information doesn't come from ten blue links," the Bing Team posted on its official blog. "By bringing together knowledge from social networks with traditional web results, Bing is the only engine that saves you time allowing you to make decisions with greater confidence based on the input of other people."

Social results from networks such as Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook, and Klout are displayed on the right side of the scre…
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More About: bing

How to Dominate Your Ugly Holiday Sweater Party With an App

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 05:55 PM PST


Sometimes ugly just isn't ugly enough, especially when it comes to sweaters -- and that's when you need the help of an app.

Mark Rober, creator of digitaldudz, is the pioneer of this hideous field -- and he has figured out just how awesomely obnoxious Christmas sweaters can get. Apparently, the key is using a hole-y sweater paired with a smartphone displaying animated graphics duct-taped inside.

Why didn't we think of that?

The free app [iTunes link] even provides print outs that can easily be transferred to existing sweaters using an iron (for the non-creative, cheap types) as well as the ability to create your own design and send it in to the app.

SEE ALSO: 12 Ways to Ne
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More About: Christmas, holiday 2012

12/12/12 Is Here: How to Celebrate the Century’s Last Repeating Date

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 05:36 PM PST


For those who like to get a bit nerdy with their numbers, one of the century's most significant dates is approaching. Wednesday is 12/12/12, the last of the great repeating dates to occur in our lifetimes -- unless you're planning to live until Jan. 1, 2101, that is.

Despite its auspicious status, 12/12/12 doesn't seem to be quite as big a deal as 11/11/11 was. That milestone date had the added bonus of being a binary number; that's why it was also known as Nerd New Year (binary joke tagline: "it's ON!"). It was also Veteran's Day, of course, making 11:11 a.m. on that Nov. 11 even more sublime than normal.

So how to celebrate 12/12/12? Read all the signs in your daily horoscope? B…
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More About: nerds, numbers

Find the Perfect Bottle of Wine With This App

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 05:13 PM PST


Looking for the perfect bottle of wine can be a daunting task, especially if you're not exactly sure what you're looking for.

iPhone app Blush aims to make shopping for your next bottle of vino a little simpler, putting the power of your own personal wine shopper in the palm of your hand. An update Tuesday adds holiday wine recommendations into the mix, vintage information for most wines, and the ability to rate wines as well as read reviews and recommendations from other users.

"I believe that personalization and recommendation play a big role in making the shopping process easier and more compelling," Steve Katz, creator of Blush, told Mashable.

Working somewhat like Pand…
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More About: App, iphone

Gateses Suggest 5 Tech-Savvy Ways to Give This Holiday Season

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:36 PM PST


Bill and Melinda Gates are often asked how individuals can help with the work the Gates Foundation does. While the foundation isn't seeking donations -- it operates on the Gates family wealth -- Bill and Melinda have suggested five worthy non-profits whose work they admire.

In their joint Impatient Optimists blog post on the foundation's website, Bill and Melinda offer some holiday giving suggestions:

"This holiday season, we decided to list several of the charity initiatives that have sparked our interest. Each of these projects takes a different approach, but they have three things in common: they're innovative, committed to transparency and accountability, and they're getting go…
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More About: Social Good, bill and meli, bill gates, non-profits

Which Video Game Console Is on Your Wish List?

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 04:14 PM PST


The holiday season is upon us, and as children and adults alike create their wish lists, the effort it takes to narrow down the options can be difficult. With gadgets ranging from new smartphones and tablets to cameras and laptops, among other items, the choices seem unlimited.

For video game consoles alone, gamers can choose from mainstays like the XBOX 360 or PlayStation 3, or can add a newcomer like Nintendo's Wii U to their lists. Ultimately, what it comes down to is choosing the console that fits your gaming and entertainment needs.

So which gaming console is going on your holiday wish list? Are there video games on your wish list, too? Let us know your top choices in the comments…
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More About: Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation Vita, nintendo 3ds, nintendo wii, playstation 3, video game consoles, xbox360

$220k Music Piracy Case Could Be Headed to Supreme Court

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 03:55 PM PST


Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes major record labels quite a bit of money for music piracy: $220,000, to be exact. Now, she wants the Supreme Court to overturn those damages on the grounds the amount is "crippling" and the charges "unconstitutional."

Thomas-Rasset was among the thousands who received piracy cease-and-desist letters under the Copyright Act during the Recording Industry Association of America's mid-2000s legal offensive against music piraters. Most of the recipients decided to settle out of court for an average of a few thousand dollars, in order to avoid costly legal fees and potentially much higher legal damages.

Thomas-Rasset, however, was one of only two piracy defendants w…
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More About: Music, Supreme Court, US, copyright, piracy

Meet Tuna the Chiweenie, Instagram’s Cutest Dog With an Overbite

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 03:32 PM PST


1. Bow tie




Image courtesy of Instagram, tunameltsmyheart

Click here to view this gallery.


Tuna the chiweenie won't win any beauty pageants, but the quirky-looking dog will melt your heart. Just ask the pooch's 46,000 Instagram fans, who happily heart photos of Tuna showing off his adorably crooked grin by the thousands.

SEE ALSO: 10 Adorably Sleepy Animals That Ate Too Much Turkey

Tuna's best human pal, Courtney Dasher, serves up a daily Tuna special on her Instagram account, tunameltsmyheart. "My hope is that he brings you A TON of joy," Dasher wrote under one image, "and fits of laughter with each post."

Let's hope newfound fame doesn't go to Tuna's head and he ends up signing an endorsement deal with Invisalign.

Can't get enough of Tuna's cuteness? Watch him try on…
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More About: Watercooler, cute animals, dogs

Little Boy’s Crazy Dance Moves Put NFL Cheerleaders to Shame

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 03:23 PM PST


NFL cheerleaders aren't used to being upstaged, but this kid's dance moves to "Gangnam Style" and "Teach Me How to Dougie" do just that.

More About: Sports, Watercooler, nfl

Hands On With Twitter’s New Photo Filters

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 03:14 PM PST


Twitter Image, Filtered




This is an image created with Twitter's new Filters.

Click here to view this gallery.


Twitter announced it was adding photo filters to its iOS and Android apps Monday.

Twitter added its own image hosting service back in 2011 and over the last 18 months has become progressively more interested in images. Reports of Twitter photo filters first surfaced in November with the understanding that Twitter wanted to compete against Instagram. To do so, Twitter decided to team-up with Aviary to offer its own filters and cropping options.

The new feature was announced after Instagram pulled Twitter Cards support for its images and updated its apps with new features and filters.

The result is something that feels like a cross between Instagram and the Facebook Camera app.

A…
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More About: Photos, Twitter, instagram, twitter photo filters

How New York City Can Corner the Start-Up Market

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:59 PM PST


Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer released a report Tuesday that addresses New York City's "thriving entrepreneurial economy" and how he believes that economy can be pipelined to the middle class.

This year, New York City replaced Boston as the number two hub for tech expansion and growth in the country -- yet Stringer says that success has yet to encourage growth in the job sector for the middle class. Stringer says economies ranging from finance to food to fashion are areas from which the middle class can benefit, but only if the city works to provide the appropriate education and infrastructure to boost start-up economy.

"New York City is in the midst of an entrepren…
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More About: NYC, STEM, entrepreneurs

Will You Give a Facebook Gift?

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST


Will you give someone a Facebook Gift this holiday season? Tell us your thoughts about Facebook Gifts in this poll.

More About: Facebook, facebook gifts

Parents Can Set Volume Limits With These Kid-Sized Headphones

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:23 PM PST


Your kids like your iPad, so it's likely they use your headphones too. Now they can have their own, kid-sized pair with sound quality on-par with yours. On Tuesday, Fuhu, Inc., released child-sized headphones, called nabi Notes, with what the compay calls "DJ-quality" sound.

The nabi Notes are "high-quality headphones that are just as high-end as the ones grown-ups use, but designed with uniquely child-sized components for our younger audio fans," said Fuhu in a statement.

The lightweight, over-the-ear design and child-sized headband fit a smaller head. The padded ear cups fit comfortably over little ears, too.

Using nabi mode, parents can limit the volume to 80dB to protect…
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More About: Children, Gifts, Headphones, Kids, audio

Facebook Removes Taliban Account

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:22 PM PST


The Pakistani Taliban no longer has any friends -- Facebook friends that is.

An account held by the Taliban was removed by Facebook over the weekend. The account had 281 Likes at the time of removal, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The account was linked to the TTP, or Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, and was used as for a few weeks as a recruiting tool for a quarterly magazine Ahyah-e-Khilafat (Sign of the Caliphate). The page listed job postings for video editors or writers about "jihadi current affairs."

It was a surprising move for the terrorist organization, who, as The Washington Post points out, usually uses "niche Internet outlets to spread messages."

SEE ALSO: Taliban Using
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More About: Facebook, Taliban

Mashable Announces the 2012 Innovation Index Winners

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:08 PM PST


After two weeks of voting, here are the winners of each category in our first-ever Innovation Index!

More About: Innovation Index, Innovation Index 2012, features, mashable

‘Power of Introverts’ Video Is a Surprise Viral Hit

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:02 PM PST


A hand-drawn YouTube video based on an academic topic with a voice-over by a non-native English speaker isn't exactly the sort of thing you imagine going viral. (Not unless it was drawn by cats or featured a surprise appearance by PSY.)

Still, less than two weeks after its release, "The Power of Introverts" has racked up an impressive 1 million views on YouTube.

Based on the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, the video is illustrated and narrated by Daniel Widfeldt Lomas, a Swedish-born former student at the New York Film Academy. It's the first in a series of videos that expounds on Cain's theories. (The second one just launched…
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More About: TED videos, YouTube

Student Tweets Entire History of U.S. Drone Strikes

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 02:02 PM PST


How long would it take to tweet the entire history of US drone strikes one by one? Josh Begley, a graduate student at New York University, thought he would only need 10 minutes.

I'm going to tweet the entire history of US drone strikes tomorrow. 10 years in 10 minutes, starting at 12pm. Follow @dronestream for more.— Josh Begley (@joshbegley) December 11, 2012

Tuesday at noon, he started tweeting out every single drone strike the US has ever carried out in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia using his newly created Twitter account @dronestream. In each tweet, he also included a link to the source of the information on every single strike. The history of American drone strikes that he s…
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More About: Drones

‘Angry Birds’ Movie Arrives in 2016 From Producer of ‘Despicable Me’

Posted: 11 Dec 2012 01:50 PM PST


Rovio celebrated the 3-year anniversary of the Angry Birds franchise by releasing new levels for the game and announcing details for the Angry Birds movie.

More About: Angry Birds Movie, Entertainment, Film, Gaming, Movies, angry birds


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