Saturday 16 March 2013

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Build Your Own Arduino-Powered LED Clock”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Build Your Own Arduino-Powered LED Clock”


Build Your Own Arduino-Powered LED Clock

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:40 PM PDT

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If you're looking for a weekend project, and you're especially computer savvy, how about building an Arduino-powered LED clock?

A person with a creative mind, identified only as "Tobias," developed a one-of-a-kind timekeeper, shown in the video above. The design incorporates 60 LED units, and hours, minutes and seconds can be displayed as a pattern of colors. An Arduino processor is the command center of the clock.

SEE ALSO: Be Mesmerized by This Synchronized Clock Art Installation

If you're inspired to create your own, Tobias posted the step-by-step process online, including materials he used as well as a template. The project only cost him about $30 from materials on eBay. Note that the building process is not for every do-it-yourself warrior, however, and programming the device to work correctly may not be as easy as it looks. But if you're familiar with Arduino projects it could be right up your alley.

Lil Wayne is Either in a Coma or Enjoying a Basketball Game

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:13 PM PDT

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Rapper Lil Wayne suffered a seizure, that much we know. The rest, is still getting figured out — mostly on Twitter.

TMZ reported earlier the artist was in a medically-induced coma and last rites were being administered

Then Mack Maine, President of Lil Wayne's Young Money Label tweeted the rapper was fine, watching the basketball game.

Wayne is alive and well! We watching the Syracuse game...thanks for the prayers and concern..he will update you all soon#love

— Mack Maine (@mackmaine) March 16, 2013

And then one allegedly from Lil Wayne himself:

I'm good everybody. Thx for the prayers and love.

— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) March 16, 2013

'Kristen Stewart' Explains the History of St. Patrick's Day

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 07:29 PM PDT

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This viral video by Barley Political is about to provide all of us green-wearing, leprechaun-loving folk some serious mental stimulation before we kill our brain cells via green beer this St. Patrick's Day

(Also, we're not really sure why "Kristen Stewart" is our guide to all things St. Paddy's. Are all vampires Irish?)

And granted, half these facts aren't true — We are 78% positive Saint Patrick never drove snakes from bar to bar. But what's the best part of trivia that almost sounds historical? When your friends are toasting to the Irish this Sunday, they'll all be too sloshed to know if you are lying or not

This Cap Turns Your Growler Into a Mini-Keg

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 06:41 PM PDT

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Robert Scott is a big fan of beer. For the past six years or so, he's mastered eight of his own home-brewed recipes in Denver — a "great city for craft beers," he said

Recently, he started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the TapIt Cap — a patent-pending design that keeps beer in growlers fresh and carbonated

Growlers, like the one pictured below, are large containers used to store beer from small craft breweries that don't mass produce. The typical size holds up to half a gallon of liquid. One of the downsides, Scott said, is that the beer tends to go flat a few days after it's been opened. A half gallon is a lot to consume in one sitting, after all

Studio Delays Release of Steve Jobs Biopic

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 06:18 PM PDT

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If you were gearing up for the April release of the Steve Jobs biopic — you'll have to wait a little longerReports say the film's release has been delayed, with no new release date set.

jOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The movie, as well as Ashton Kutcher's portrayal of the former Apple CEO generated mixed feelings on Twitter and in online reviews from Sundance attendees.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also expressed dismay over Kutcher's portrayal of Jobs and Josh Gad's portrayal of him.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 Is Great But No iPhone Killer

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 05:47 PM PDT

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Mashable OP-ED

Please stop asking me if the Samsung Galaxy S4 is better than the iPhone 5, and stop calling every new smart phone a potential iPhone killer. Any new phone could be a killer if you consider a thousand small cuts a prelude to death.

Based on specs, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the better phone; it now has more power and cutting edge features. Things like face/eye tracking and gesture-based controls are features iPhone 5 users can only dream of – for now.

The resolution of the 7.9mm Galaxy S4 is higher than the iPhone 5, and there’s more screen real-estate on the 5-inch Galaxy 4 than the 4-inch iPhone 5. The Gorilla Glass 3 – the first device to sport the new technology – is ostensibly stronger than what iPhone 5 has (though only a drop test can tell us for sure).

17 Awesome Vines of the SXSW Experience

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:59 PM PDT

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SXSW 2013 was an opportunity for attendees to put their Vine skills to the test. We asked you to shoot your most memorable moments from Austin and share it with hashtag #MashSXSW.

SEE ALSO: The Best Swag Bags From SXSW 2013

There were more than 200 vines that displayed the weird sights of Austin and the good times at SXSW. You showed us everything from a woman riding a mechanical bulldog to a group of enthusiastic aerobics performers

Grumpy Cat, the Mashable House's special guest and social media champion of SXSW, was naturally the perfect subject for vines. You captured the grumpiness of the feline star and the long line around the block to meet her. We also saw colorful vines documenting MashBash, Mashable's party that featured one-man-band Robert Delong.

Internet's First Domain Name Turns 28

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:49 PM PDT

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The entire Internet forgot it was grandpa's birthdaySymbolics.com — the first domain name ever registered — turned 28 today, and just about no one had anything nice to say.

The site was first registered on March 15, 1985—the same year Bill Watterson published his first Calvin and Hobbes strip, Mike Tyson debuted as a pro boxer, and Mark Zuckerberg was born to pair of lonely Cray-2 supercomputers. In Internet years, Symbolics is ancient, a veritable methuselah.

Symbolics (the company) built computer systems in Cambridge, Mass., making workstations that ran on a software language called Lisp. In fact, Symbolics was making computer workstations before the term "workstation" even existed.

NBA Nose-Picker Winks at America on National TV Broadcast

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 04:21 PM PDT

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Here we present to you, dear reader, a man highly skilled in the dark arts of video bombing. America learned this the unexpected way during Thursday night's national TNT broadcast of the Knicks-Trailblazers pro hoops matchup

Our NBA nose-picker fan, as you'll see above, went digging for gold behind court-side commentators Chris Webber and Kevin Harlan before giving the camera a muggy wink

He then gained a fair amount of attention on the sports web Thursday night and Friday morning — a total coincidence that surely never crossed his mind when he pulled the stunt

IndieGoGo Campaign Saves Near-Death Gaming Franchise

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:54 PM PDT

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How do you save a game franchise from dying? The developers at Los Angeles-based Lab Zero Games determined the only way to keep its game growing was to harness the power of fans.

In the face of brutal challenges, Lab Zero Games has won the power to continue its work on its 2012 tournament-grade 2D fighting game Skullgirls. A potent mix of Japanese anime and 1940s Old Hollywood noir, the independent 2D fighter immediately endeared itself to fans with its high-definition looks and customizable combos.

And finally, after nearly a year in suspended animation, the game will finally come alive again — thanks to the dedication of its fans and the rousing success of an ongoing IndieGoGo campaign to bring more action into the Skullgirls universe.

Device Disables Car to Prevent Driver From Texting

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:23 PM PDT

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Most systems designed to stop texting while driving — such as TXTBlocker and cellCONTROL — do so by blocking text message signals when the phone is in a car. However, a new product called ORIGOSafe takes a different approach: unless your phone is plugged into the device, your car will not start.

In order for the car to start, drivers must insert their smartphone into the ORIGOSafe, which is installed in the vehicle’s center console. For those old enough to remember what an 8-track player looks like, the device looks very similar.

Justice Is Served: Jerk Bully Knocked Out at SXSW

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:19 PM PDT

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What happens at SXSW stays at SXSW ... unless it ends up on YouTube. Here we have a video that ostensibly comes from the Austin festival's after-hours nightlife. A drunk-looking bully — see him there in the camo shorts with the big mane of black hair — is picking on some folks out on the sidewalk, in particular a tall but somewhat timid fellow who doesn't appear interested in any altercation

The bully keeps antagonizing; classic schoolyard stuff, really, even though this is an adult setting. But notice the guy in the gray shirt standing off to the right. Just another voyeuristic onlooker, right? Wrong. Having seen enough, he steps in out of nowhere and floors the bully with a hard right to the jaw. Down goes the bully, out come the smartphones and up goes the video, which has been widely shared since hitting the Interwebs Friday

Trying to Play SimCity Offline? You're Doing It Wrong, Says EA

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:09 PM PDT

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The latest incarnation of SimCity was never meant to be an offline experience, the game's general manager said Friday afternoon.

"In many ways, we built an MMO [Massively Multiplayer Online game]," Lucy Bradsaw said in an EA blog post.

"Could we have built a subset offline mode? Yes. But we rejected that idea because it didn’t fit with our vision."

The post came after fans on social media and EA message boards criticized the game's always-online element. Players have been beset with server troubles and couldn't play for much of the first week of SimCity's launch

While publisher EA has been responding to the server problems, players have raised the question of why the game needed to be online only at all.

Dad's Moving Letter to Gay Son Goes Viral

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 03:04 PM PDT

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Image courtesy of Facebook, FCKH8.com.

When a dad overheard his son on the phone with a friend discussing his struggles to confront his parents about his sexuality, the dad left his son this truly touching letter

The letter reads:

"Nate, I overheard your phone conversation with Mike last night about your plans to come out to me. The only thing I need you to plan is to bring home OJ and bread after class. We are out, like you now. I've known you were gay since you were six, I've loved you since you were born. Dad. P.S. Your mom and I think you and Mike make a cute couple."

The message went viral after a FCKH8.com, an activist organization for gay youth, posted it on their Facebook page. The organization raises money for LGBT charities and helps spread the message of love, not hate, through fun t-shirts

Accused Reuters Editor Suspended, Still Tweeting

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 02:48 PM PDT

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A day after a federal indictment accused him of helping hacktivist group Anonymous deface news websites, Matthew Keys has been suspended by Reuters, the company announced Friday.

Keys, the deputy editor of social media for Reuters, was charged Thursday for allegedly giving members of Anonymous password access to a Tribune Company server in 2010. Keys had recently lost his job as a Fox 40 web producer, a local TV station part of the Tribune group

According to the indictment, he gave the hackers his credentials and told them to "go fuck some shit up." Using his login and password, they went on to deface a story on the Los Angeles Times website.

'Veronica Mars' Movie Fully-Funded on Kickstarter — And Still Growing

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT

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Tens of thousands of fans rallied around Kickstarter this week to fully fund a project to take cult-hit TV show Veronica Mars to the silver screen.

Not only did the Kickstarter campaign reach its $2 million goal already — hitting the $1 million mark in record time within hours of its launch Wednesday — but the backers keep coming in with still 28 days left to go. Pledges amounted to more than $3.3 million, as of Friday afternoon. Learn more about this historic campaign in the video above.

SEE ALSO: 'Veronica Mars' Movie Is The Fastest Kickstarter Project to Hit $1 Million

Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas is behind the Kickstarter project, including support from actress Kristen Bell. The two took to Twitter this week to express their amazement with the project's funding progress:

Latest Mars Panorama Shows Gigantic Mount Sharp

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 02:07 PM PDT

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The towering Mount Sharp is the star of the latest photo from NASA's Curiosity rover

Rising more than three miles above the Gale Crater's floor, Mount Sharp stands taller than any mountain in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. This mosaic image is a composite of dozens of photos Curiosity took with her Mastcam instrument on Sept. 20, 2012.

In the first image, the sky looks blue because NASA scientists adjusted the white balance and color to show the terrain as it would look under Earth's lighting. In reality, the Martian sky would be a butterscotch color to the human eye, which you can see in the second image. Scientists make this color correction because it helps to identify different types of landscape and textures on the Red Planet

Facebook Goes Lukewarm Toward CISPA

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 01:50 PM PDT

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Facebook has not completely dropped its support for the controversial and recently reintroduced Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), but the company is approaching the bill cautiously this time as CISPA once again navigates the legislative process.

Facebook, which backed CISPA when it was first introduced last year, does not appear in an updated list of companies and organizations which strongly support the bill (also missing from the updated list is Microsoft and a few other firms).

A Facebook spokesperson indicated to Mashable the company hasn't completely given up hope on CISPA's potential to improve cybersecurity while preserving users' privacy, but the company's statement does not read as strongly in favor of the legislation as it stands.

Hands On With the Galaxy S4

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 01:44 PM PDT

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Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S 4 on Thursday and in advance of the big event, we got some hands-on time with the device.

On the surface, the Galaxy S 4 doesn't look very different from the Galaxy S III. The internals specs are similar too — though the Galaxy S 4 has a higher resolution display, a better camera and a new, slimmer body.

Most of the real features with the Galaxy S 4 are the ways that the software and hardware work together. For us, the real standout new feature is the camera. The Galaxy S 4 has a number of different shooting modes as well as the ability to use both cameras simultaneously. Samsung has a new technology called Air Wave that lets users hover over the screen with a finger to get contextual information.

Street Performer Punches Guy in Face

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 01:19 PM PDT

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If you take one message away from this story, it's to leave street performers alone. Be especially careful around the ones dressed as cowboys, because —as the dude in this video recently learned the hard way — they may just retaliate with a fist straight to your face.

And while we're usually on the side of pacifism, in this case, we completely side with the street performer for slugging out this nitwit who treated the performer as his personal rag toy

Back off, bro — wet willies are where we draw the line. We hope the cowboy got a few extra tips that day for taking care of this fool

25 Animals Ready to Shamrock for St. Paddy's Day

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:55 PM PDT

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St. Patrick's Day is on Sunday, so don't forget to wear green to avoid those annoying pinchers

While the holiday is mostly celebrated by humans, that doesn't mean our four-legged friends can't get in on a little bit o' luck and magic.

SEE ALSO: 7 YouTube Tutorials for the Perfect St. Patrick's Day Party

These party pups (and other animals) have donned their best leprechaun gear for the occasion. Now give them a piece of sheppard's pie for putting up with that embarrassing clover headband.

RSS Can't Fill Google Reader Void

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

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@MichaelSurtees is the product designer at Dataminr in New York City. He has been blogging since 2005.

When it comes to discovering and consuming content online, I divide people into two groups: those who go to popular websites to get their content, and the people who use Google Reader

The difference is that people using Google Reader tend to be much more active when trying to find things as fast and efficiently as possible.

For me, I've organized a lot of sources within a number of folders in the same manner that I organize Twitter lists. I have tiered folders into which the sources go. Over time, if the source is good, it jumps into a more active folder. If the content slows, I move the source down

This Startup Had the Best 6-Second Pitch at SXSW

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:52 PM PDT

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An Australian startup called Sharetapes Rick Rolled its way to fame with a Vine that Mashable and NowThisNews deemed the best for any startup at South by Southwest this year.

The Vine, below, tersely outlines the company's business model: NFC- and QR code-enabled physical cards that hold information like songs and videos

Retweet #sharetapes for the #6secondpitch contest from@mashable & @nowthisnews at #sxsw vine.co/v/bwmXxlLgL91 To Win A Free Sharetape!

— Sharetapes (@Sharetapes) March 10, 2013

Sharetapes won #6SecondPitch, a contest put on by Mashable and NowThisNews. The startup will now get a sit-down meeting with a partner at Lerer Ventures this month

Jeopardy Burns Taylor Swift

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:34 PM PDT

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Image courtesy of Imgur.

You know you're beginning to get a rep when even Jeopardy gets in on the joke action

Redditor StripRip pointed out that a recent episode of the game show featured a pretty snarky insult toward the singer and her love life

Alex Trebek isn't the only person who picking on the popstar. A few weeks ago, Swift got into a full out media war with comedians TIna Fey and Amy Poehler for their dig at her dating life during the Golden Globes

But don't worry Tay-tay, you can always get revenge by writing a scorned love tune about a mean Canadian game show host and make millions of dollars from it. I'll take "Taylor Swift is Jilted" for 300 points

7 YouTube Tutorials for the Perfect St. Patrick's Day Party

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:23 PM PDT

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If you've celebrated St. Patrick's Day before — annual day of Irish pride and general bacchanalia for the masses — you know it can get pretty crazy. Bars are overcrowded, strangers are disorderly and your wallet thins out before you know it.

If you're thinking about throwing a party on your own turf this St. Patrick's Day weekend, take a peek at some YouTube tutorials to help you craft the perfect shindig. Between making traditional Irish food and turning your beer green, you'll learn how to rival any bar scene. Just be sure to party responsibly!

Auto-Tuned Lucky Charms St. Paddy's Day Tribute Is Musically Delicious

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:04 PM PDT

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Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, your favorite cartoon leprechaun gets a modern-day update in this auto-tune remix from YouTube user Melodysheep

"Machinima approached me about the opportunity to remix some vintage Lucky Charms ads for St. Paddy's day and as part of a new marketing campaign," melodysheep a.k.a. John D. Boswell, told Mashable. "General Mills provided me with access to a bunch of their old ads, dating back to the 60s/70s. I was skeptical at first, but the samples turned out to be a lot of fun to play with, and I'm pretty excited about the result."

You may recall that melodysheep also gave Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross the same treatment recently

How to Spot a Social Media 'Guru'

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 12:01 PM PDT

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Social Media Gurus, Toothpaste For Dinner

You know the type — those webizens who define themselves as social media "gurus," "mavens" or "experts." But what qualifies someone to have such a title?

In this comic, Drew at Toothpaste For Dinner explains the necessary credentials. Maybe one day, with some hard work and determination, you can be a social media guru, too.

Comic illustration by Toothpaste For Dinner. Published with permission; all rights reserved.

What Does Today's Wireless Family Look Like?

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT

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The wireless family is on the rise. With the plethora of gadgets released each year, you'll be hard-pressed to find a family member without a mobile device. Children receive their first cellphones at earlier ages, and parents who grew up sans Internet are learning to navigate the web

What exactly does today's wireless family look like? According to CTIA, The Wireless Association, 70% of children under 12 have used a mobile device, and more than half of kids age 8 to 12 have a cellphone. As the modern family introduces tech earlier on, parents are trying to close the gap between the perception of what they think their kids do online and what really goes on. Check out the infographic, below, for more

SXSWi Goes Global on Social Media

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:26 AM PDT

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By the time South by Southwest Interactive wrapped up earlier this week, it had reached worldwide party status.

More than 1 million tweets in 19 languages flooded the Internet over the course of the five-day conference, representing 205 countries around the world. The U.S. generated a vast majority of the chatter (71%), with the UK and Canada a distant second and third (4.6% and 4.4%, respectively).

Check out this infographic, courtesy of Synthesio, for a deeper look at the discourse.

Click to enlarge.

Image via iStockphoto, dem10

11 Samsung Galaxy S 4 Accessories to Get You Pumped

Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:08 AM PDT

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After the launch of the much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S 4, we thought we'd take a look at the official accessories Samsung will offer to compliment the new Android phone

From health and fitness add-ons to gaming peripherals to a variety of cases and covers, an interesting selection is coming. However full details, including pricing and availability, are yet to be revealed

Take a look through the official line up of accessories in the gallery above. Let us know in the comments below which ones you're especially excited about getting your hands on


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