Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple TV Brings TV Show Purchases to Canada, Australia and UK”

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple TV Brings TV Show Purchases to Canada, Australia and UK”

Apple TV Brings TV Show Purchases to Canada, Australia and UK

Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:49 AM PST


Apple TV users in Australia, Canada and the UK now have the ability to watch full TV shows, streaming to their boxes directly from iCloud.

Individual episodes cost between free and $2.49 ($3.49 for shows in HD), and come as full downloads instead of rentals.

The new option became available through an over-the-air update to users’ Apple TV boxes. Previously, users were only able to download the shows via iTunes on a PC.

The update came unannounced, and we’ve seen reports that actual purchases aren’t working yet, so stay tuned for official news from Apple.

[via Engadget]

More About: Apple TV, australia, Canada, streaming, television, TV, tv shows, uk

For more Entertainment coverage:

Ten Athlete Gaffes Aided by Social Media

Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:27 AM PST

News that the Orlando Magic’s CEO reportedly drunk-dialed NBA star Dwight Howard at 1 a.m begging him not to leave the team broke this week. It was a story many could relate to in the age of cellphones and immediate communication, as well as one that quickly spread on Twitter and provided another example of the sports and technology worlds colliding.

Usually, though, it’s the athletes themselves whose gaffes are aided, abetted and magnified by tech and social media. While social media can be a powerful tool for athletes, it can also work against them. Here are ten of the Mashable staff’s best examples.

Can you think of any others? Let us know in the comments.


Cappie Pondexter





After a tsunami devastated Japan this March, Cappie Pondexter of the WNBA's New York Liberty tweeted, "What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk guys he makes no mistakes." Later she continued hypothesizing with this tweet: "u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so you can't expect anything less." Predictably, Pondexter's tweets sparked a strong backlash, and she eventually took to Twitter again, this time to apologize (left).

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: NBA, nfl, Social Media, social media mistakes, Twitter, wnba

For more Social Media coverage:

SETI Resumes Search for Alien Life

Posted: 08 Dec 2011 01:02 AM PST


After hibernating its Allen Telescope Array back in April due to lack of funding, the SETI institute has announced it has now secured the funding to restart the ATA and resume search for extraterrestrial life.

The telescope array consists of 42 20-foot-wide telescopes located some 300 miles north of San Francisco. Originally funded largely by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who donated $25 million to the project, the ATA had to go into hibernation after state budget cuts affected the project’s funding.

The new funding has been obtained partly by donations from the public, and partly by the United States Air Force as part of a formal assessment of the instrument's utility for Space Situational Awareness.

The news is especially exciting in light of the recent discovery of many new exoplanet candidates by NASA's Kepler space telescope.

"For the first time, we can point our telescopes at stars, and know that those stars actually host planetary systems – including at least one that begins to approximate an Earth analog in the habitable zone around its host star. That's the type of world that might be home to a civilization capable of building radio transmitters," said Jill Tarter, the Director of the Center for SETI Research at the SETI Institute.

[via SETI]

More About: alien life, Alien Telescope Array, ATA, SETi

For more Tech coverage:

Alec Baldwin’s Words With Friends Response: I Was Singled Out

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 08:12 PM PST


Actor and Words With Friends player Alec Baldwin has, very publicly, shared his perspective on what happened aboard the American Airlines flight that threw him off for using his iPhone Tuesday.

Baldwin wrote an apology to his fellow passengers titled “My Flying Lesson,” published in The Huffington Post. The 30 Rock star calls himself a 20-year brand loyal costumer of American Airlines, who had previously had entirely positive experiences with the carrier. He’s been in the habit of taking out his phone out when flights are delayed at the gate and would subsequently comply with flight attendants’ requests to turn off his device before take off. Baldwin writes that his flight attendant Tuesday got the better of him.

In this case, while other people were still manipulating their own phones, this one employee singled me out to put my phone away. Afterward, we still sat at the gate. I pulled out my phone again, while others did the same. Again, I was singled out by this woman in the most unpleasant of tones. I guess the fact that this woman, who had decided to make some example of me, while everyone else was left undisturbed, did get the better of me.

Baldwin proceeds to knock post-9/11 U.S. air travel for its filthy planes, barely-edible meals and flight attendants who “have made flying a Greyhound bus experience.”

“The lesson I’ve learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950′s gym teacher is on duty,” he writes.

What do you think of his response — was the flight attendant to blame for his misbehavior or simply his Words With Friends addiction?

BONUS: Alec Baldwin Leaves Twitter: 8 Other Celebrity Social Media Meltdowns


Ashton Kutcher




Kutcher got into hot water last month when he fired off a tweet defending Penn State coach Joe Paterno after Paterno was implicated in a scandal related to assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's alleged history of sexually molesting children. "How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste," the tweet said. Later on, Kutcher tweeted, "Heard Joe was fired, fully recant previous tweet!" and "Didn't have full story. #admitwhenYoumakemistakes." Shortly afterwards, Kutcher announced that he was turning over the management of his Twitter account to Katalyst Media, a firm he co-owns.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: air travel, alec baldwin, words with friends, Zynga

Instagram Is Coming to Android

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:56 PM PST

instagram android

Instagram, the hugely popular iPhone photography app that evokes 1970s style, has announced it’s finally developing an Android app.

The company believes its membership base of 50 million could double with its Android launch, CNET reports.

“We have two people working on Android now,” Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram said at LeWeb in Paris. “I’m excited to be able to see our numbers today nearly double.”

Though no additional details or timeline on the Android app’s arrival were revealed, Systrom says the company is still focusing primarily on increasing its membership.

The app’s biggest change to date was the September rollout of Instagram 2.0, which brought live filters, instant tilt-shift, high-resolution photos and a speedier experience.The company also announced at Le Wed that is has plans to introduce ads to the free app.

“Obviously, we didn’t start a business to not make money,” Systrom says. “Our focus now is on growing the network. You really need to build up the network, or no advertisers care.”

Do you think the Android platform will be a game changer for Instagram? Will the app continue to gain popularity?

BONUS: Meet the Top 15 Photographers on Instagram [PICS]


@mikekus: Photographer's Choice




Who: Mike Kus. A graphic designer, web designer and illustrator living in Bath.

Followers: 82,085

Photos: 451

Favorite Filter: Earlybird

How he's using Instagram: "I try to use Instagram to document my daily life and to photograph what surrounds me. I live in Bath, U.K.; so most of my pictures [are] places and people around Bath."

Inspired by: "I carry my iPhone everywhere and when I see something that interests me I take a shot. There's nothing I particularly set out to do. I like photographing architecture and people, mainly."

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: android, instagram

How to Make and Share Spotify Playlists for the Holidays

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:28 PM PST


1. Create a New Playlist




Creating a new playlist is simple. Just click the "New Playlist" option on the sidebar menu.

Alternatively, you can got to "File," "New Playlist." If you're feeling snazzy, you can also hit Control + N.

Click here to view this gallery.

All I want for Christmas is yooou…. Here at Mashable, all we want for Christmas is an end to all that cheesy holiday music!

Don’t put up with the same old, tired Christmas songs that play on a loop in your home or office. Make your own cool Yule music list and — most importantly — share the love.

Take a flip through our gallery to learn how to create your own holiday playlist on Spotify. Then, discover all the ways you can share that playlist. When you’re done, why not link us to your playlists in the comments below?

More About: features, gallery, Holidays 2011, How-To, Music, spotify

For more Entertainment coverage:

The Alec Baldwin Factor: 7 Other Celebrities With Game Obsessions

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 06:25 PM PST


Alec Baldwin’s apparent obsession with popular mobile app Words With Friends got him kicked off a plane on Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport. But the 30 Rock actor isn't the only celebrity with an addiction to a popular digital game.

From Angelina Jolie and Justin Bieber to rapper T-Pain, many other celebrities have admitted to having an app obsession. Of course, Baldwin’s app action sent him off the plane and to another airline. It also set off a fusillade of angry Baldwin tweets.

SEE ALSO: Alec Baldwin's Words With Friends Addiction Gets Him Booted Off Plane

“Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt,” tweeted Baldwin on Tuesday.

For those without Baldwin’s particular obsession, Words With Friends by Zynga is a popular word-game app similar to Scrabble that allows you to play against other mobile users in real time.

American Airlines has since commented about the incident on its Facebook Page: "Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off.”

The post also notes that he “declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time.”

"The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding.”

Though the airline post never mentions the actor by name, the events described sound, well, intense.

What follows is a gallery of celebrities and their app obsessions. Let’s hope they never go “Baldwin” on a flight just to keep playing one of these admittedly addictive and popular games.


Words With Friends




Alec Baldwin shares his love for Words With Friends with many celebrities, including Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. He's even shared his WWF player name with fans -- Ferdy D – to encourage them to play with him. Actress Eliza Dushku (Bring It On, True Lies) has also given out her WWF handle, LizalouLicious. Image via Twitter.

Click here to view this gallery.

Image courtesy of Flickr, david_shankbone

More About: alec baldwin, mobile apps, mobile games, words with friends, Zynga

Design Focused Fab.com Raises $40 Million and Continues to Grow

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 05:32 PM PST


Hot on the heels of rapidly growing membership base and a growing number of transactions, Fab.com has just closed a $40 million Series B funding round, led by Andreessen Horowitz.

It was just six months ago that Fab.com pivoted from a social network and deal site targeting gay men into a broader daily deal and ecommerce site aimed at those who appreciate design. Pivoting into a new business model, especially in the deals space can be risky, but Fab.com’s focus on design and social shopping has really resonated with users.

We spoke with Jason Goldberg, Fab.com’s founder and CEO about the new funding, the state of the e-commerce space and where Fab goes from here.

If I had to describe Fab.com, I would say it’s a design lover’s version of Gilt. Like Gilt, Fab.com is member-only and items are sold at a discount of up to 70% off for a limited period of time.

Just as Gilt caters to luxury shoppers, Fab.com is aimed at those who appreciate design and design-inspired goods. This includes jewelry, apparel, accessories, home furnishings and art.

Part of Fab.com’s appeal and stickiness has come from its use of social sharing. Users can share deals across social networks like Facebook and Twitter and its social that is driving much of Fab’s traffic and growth.

In fact, Goldberg says more than 50% of Fab’s 1.2 million members are from social sharing. A big part of Fab’s future investment will be in making social commerce a deeper part of the site and shopping experience.

Online shopping, especially in the deal sector, has really exploded this holiday season. Fab.com is no exception. Goldberg says the company processed more than 100,000 orders in November — more than double what were processed in October. Moreover, the service has gained 300,000 members per month for the last two months.

Creating Repeat Customers

It’s not uncommon for ecommerce and deals sites to boast big member counts. These counts, however, are only one part of the story. Groupon has struggled to convert its vast mailing list of users into repeat users.

I asked Goldberg about repeat customers on Fab.com and while he wasn’t willing to break out specific numbers, he did tell me more repeat customers make purchases each day than new customers. Additionally, each subsequent transaction is larger than the transaction before.

Goldberg says Fab.com has managed to instill this kind of repeat experience by focusing on providing users with products that are well designed and compelling. Products don’t have to be expensive and the brand doesn’t have to be a household name, but the design needs to be great.

In this way, Goldberg compares the shopping experience of Fab.com as more akin to browsing a magazine rather than a traditional ecommerce solution.

As a repeat buyer of Fab.com who frequently uses the iOS app to browse for new sales and get new ideas, I have to agree. It’s the commitment to good presentation, as well as quality products, that gives it an edge in the ecommerce and deal space.

The Next Big E-Commerce Brand?

Goldberg’s aspirations are to build Fab.com into the next major ecommerce brand. While I’m not sure the limited time/quantity deal model that Fab.com currently uses can be sustained to accomplish that goal, I do think the focused ideology that goes into choosing products and offerings is the sort of thing that can build the next big brand.

The big focus on social sharing and virility, along with a base understanding of the types of products that customers like, can go a long way towards building a bigger commerce brand.

For now, Fab.com caps off 2011 with one of the best startup pivot stories we’ve seen since GetGlue.

What do you think of Fab.com’s place in the deals and ecommerce space? Let us know in the comments.

More About: e-commerce, Fab.com, fashion, gilt groupe, imagination

For more Business coverage:

Facebook Timeline: The Complete Guide

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:55 PM PST

Facebook Timeline has been on the back burner for months now, after it was first announced at the company’s f8 conference in September. Despite much delay, it is finally rolling out to the public, starting with New Zealand. That means it’s only a matter of days before it comes to you, so brace your News Feed, because the fans and protestors are coming in full-force. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about Facebook Timeline.

New Features

The new features are significantly different than any other upgrade to Facebook before. Timeline presents a way to digitally document your entire life, from birth to present, via wall posts, photos, announcements and events. Consider it a neatly organized social scrapbook with a visually pleasing interface.


The New Facebook Profile: Timeline





Timeline is a radical departure from previous versions of the Facebook user profile. The most prominent feature is the addition of a cover photo at the top of the page. Users can change this to whatever they'd like it to be.

Click here to view this gallery.

If you haven’t already received an invite to Timeline, and don’t want to wait any longer, you can enable it now in eight simple steps.

Timeline was supposed to be released to the public in September. October. November. The feature was set back, possibly after a copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against Facebook by Timelines.com. Later, Facebook admitted it was taking its time to roll out Timeline to users, relying on more technically adept people to experience the features first. Mashable‘s Lance Ulanoff explains, “Facebook is trying to educate the media on the fundamentals and benefits of Timeline.”

What to Do With Your New Timeline

So, if or when your Facebook Timeline is activated, what exactly should you do with it?

That’s up to you, and how much you want to reveal to your friends and followers. But there are a lot of new features that have the potential to create a captive, visual biography. Regardless of how much information you choose to fill out, there are a few different methods and privacy-related points to consider.


1. The Timeline Menu Bar




As you scroll down your new Timeline, a floating menu bar will appear at the top of your screen. Use it to add new events.

Click here to view this gallery.

What does all of this mean for Facebook’s more than 800 million users? That depends on your stance about the new features.

Facebook Timeline is a way to document your entire life, from birth to present, but because the company began in 2004 for college students, it might take some time and effort to manually fill out.

Creative Inspiration

Some have already jumped into Timeline and are getting creative with their profile presentation, most specifically cover photos, which is a new feature that includes a personalized image at the top of the page.

SEE ALSO: Facebook Timeline: 5 Sites for Customizing Your Cover Photo

When Timeline entered beta in September, we gathered some stunning and mind-blowing takes on the new layout.


1. Ekkapong Techawongthaworn




Playful and fun, we're big fans of Ekkapong's rainy creation.

Click here to view this gallery.

What About Privacy?

Some have clamed, in criticism of Facebook Timeline, that by encouraging users to fill their profile, the company is seeking to capture more user data to further appeal to advertisers. Others have expressed concern that it is now easier to discover information about a person that was previously difficult to access. Further more, some believe these additional features regarding users’ personal information may encourage identity theft.

SEE ALSO: The New Facebook: How to Take Control of Your Privacy

As guest contributor Soren Gordhamer explains with regard to Facebook and information overload, “Possibly at no other time has the question, ‘Just what is the purpose of social media?’ been more relevant.”

Your Thoughts

We asked our readers if they would fill in their Facebook Timeline gap when the new features were first announced in September, and we received a mix of responses.

  • “I think for people, this is less important, but for businesses, it could be huge. I would love to be able to see how often a business has posted and changed throughout their history, rather than simply looking at a static website, of what they choose to put as their History. This could be really neat. As for me, there's no way I'd bother going back and adding things. What a waste!” – Chris Gregoire
  • “Google+ is looking more and more attractive.” – Graham Giblin
  • “I'm really enjoying the new profile layout. It really gives users a lot more character to their profiles without going down the road of MySpace. Although, I feel like Facebook has overlooked the importance of profile pictures as they have been relegated to a 180×180 box. Additionally cover pics can't be clicked and it takes 3 steps to actually like or comment on them. Too bad” – Randolph Burlton
  • “I have tried Timeline on my own profile and I would have to say that it is an absolute masterpiece of social & personal news consumption…I only wish I had posted more on it. It also encourages oneself to be a bit more open because you're literally creating your life's history on the web – in a format that no others have. Bravo.” – Bob Orchard
  • “I actually find it rather arrogant to think that my friends would be even the slightest bit interested in what I got for my seventh birthday. My Timeline shall remain pretty blank.” – Aaron Martin-Colby

More About: Facebook, facebook timeline, features, Social Media

What Would You Call the iPad in China? [POLL]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:26 PM PST

ipad name poll

Apple just lost a big trademark case in China over the iPad name. Another company, Taiwan-based Proview Technology, possesses the rights to the name, a Chinese court ruled. Even though Apple had previously bought the trademark rights from Proview, the extension of those rights to China is being contested.

Now that the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court says “iPad” belongs to Proview there, the iPad’s future in China is in doubt. Although Apple will certainly appeal, Proview is already suing Apple resellers in southern China to block them from selling iPads. If things continue to go badly for Apple, the company might have to market the iPad in China under a different name.

What do you think that name would be? Let us know what you think! We thought we’d take a stab at a few suggestions for Apple, should the company need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new name for the iPad. But we know you’re itching to share your genius marketing skills as well. Please vote on your favorite name in our poll, and shout out your own suggestions in the comments.


[via Paperless Post]

More About: china, ipad, trademarks

NASA’s Voyager 1 to Go Where No Spacecraft Has Gone Before

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:54 PM PST


NASA's Voyager 1 is preparing to leave the solar system — literally going where no spacecraft has gone before.

The edge of the solar system is marked by the outer reaches of the sun’s magnetic field and solar wind. Scientists estimate the ship will reach interstellar space in either a few months or a few years.

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched in the 1970s.

More About: NASA, space, voyager 1

For more Tech coverage:

The Three Stooges Encounter an iPhone, Snooki [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:35 PM PST


Each day, Mashable highlights one noteworthy YouTube video. Check out all our viral video picks.

The iconic Larry, Curly and Moe come back to life in The Three Stooges movie trailer, released Wednesday.

This 106-second clip showcases their familiar raucous antics in a modern setting — featuring Jersey Shore‘s Snooki and a bikini-clad nun. At one point, Curly grabs an iPhone, mistakenly thinks it’s an eye phone and tries to speak into it near his ear. The Farrelly brothers directed the movie, which is due out in spring 2012.

“Left on a nun’s doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure,” reads the video’s description. “Out to save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot … while also stumbling into starring in a phenomenally successful TV reality show.”

Does the trailer live up to your expectations? Will you fork over some money to see it in theaters?

More About: Entertainment, Movies, viral-video-of-the-day, YouTube

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7 Free Office Tools to Save Non-Profits Money

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:06 PM PST


Giving programs and donations to non-profits are generally the first thing that companies scale back on when a struggling economy forces budget cuts. Fortunately there are great no-cost ways for non-profits to continue to administrate and build their organization in spite of leaner times. One simple solution that will shave cost dollars as well as provide opportunities for non-profits to discover new and innovative methods for collaboration and efficiency is to switch to free online office tools.

Featured here are a few online office tools that are tried and true applications – but don’t cost a penny.

OpenOffice.org

If you need a desktop solution for your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, OpenOffice.org is the leading open source software of free solutions. OpenOffice.org can read or write files from other common software platforms, save and share files in a variety of formats, including .doc, .xls and .odt, and best of all, the software suite is compatible with all common computers. Unless there are very complex features that can only be accomplished by current Microsoft Office products or similar paid software, OpenOffice.org will save money for a non-profit even as the organization grows and more computers are added.

There is also a fork of Open Office available for free called Libre Office.

Google Apps

For non-profit organizations under 3000 employees, the complete Google Apps suite for email, calendars, documents, and more is completely free and very powerful. When used properly, Google’s services will provide non-profits with great tools and a variety of ways to use them. Google Apps provides online, real-time document collaboration, shared and manageable calendars, email, chat, video conferencing, and more — all available for non-profits to use for free. And now that Google Apps users have access to Google + and its possibilities for communication and web presence, there are even more advantages to be found when non-profits integrate some or all of the Google Apps suite into the organization.

Zoho

On its own, Zoho is a suite of comprehensive web-based tools that compete with Google Apps in many areas, like email aggregation, calendars, document creation and collaboration, and more. According to The Economist, in an article covering the debut of the application, “Zoho is the most comprehensive suite of web-based programmes for small businesses.”

Zoho provides more than 25 different applications for business, collaboration, and productivity that are all integrated with each other. Better yet, Zoho is now integrated with and available for Google Apps users, and together offer enough tools to help with almost any aspect of a non-profit’s organization, from CRM to bookkeeping.

Tools for More Specific Tasks

Beyond full office software suites like those listed above, here are a few free tools for more specific purposes and requirements that a non-profit might have, and which will also integrate with the bigger, overarching services like Google Apps.

ThinkFree Online Office offers online creation, viewing and editing of documents in several common formats, along with 1GB of storage and a tool which will automatically sync any documents with the cloud. The product is also very useful for professionals on the go and has an Android application which allows access to and the ability to edit documents.

ScheduleOnce allows clients and colleagues to schedule meetings easily without the need for multiple phone calls, texts, or emails. ScheduleOnce provides a personal schedule page that integrates with Google calendar. Users simply click on a few available time options to schedule meetings with others, which then allows the meeting planner to review and approve the time that works best for everyone. ScheduleOnce will help a non-profit team if group meetings need to happen frequently with people who are never in one place at the same time.

ReqMan is a free online comprehensive project management tool that provides support to get a non-profit’s projects up and running quickly by supplying predefined templates for project types and outlines as well as managing requirements and associated information for any organization.

Gliffy is an online tool for creating flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans, and technical drawings. It is an excellent and free alternative to expensive software such as Visio.

More About: apps, mashable, office

Hollywood Heroes Become Villains in Online Video Gallery

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:48 PM PST

evil image

Ryan Gosling as a shadowy stranger, Gary Oldman as a ventrilloquist’s doll, Brad Pitt as a moth-obsessed freak — these are just a taste of the bizarre-brilliant villains that the New York Times Magazine has collected as part of an unusual online video gallery: “Touch of Evil: Cinematic Villainy from the Years Best Performers.”

This is not a simple stitch-and-play site; the magazine went out and shot 13 of the years biggest film stars in a series of short vignettes directed by Alex Prager. The clips include performances from Kirsten Dunst, Jessica Chastain, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Glen Close and more.

“Touch of Evil” is not the first time that the Times Magazine has put together a star-studded video project. In 2010, the magazine commissioned a project called “14 Actors Acting: A Video Gallery of Classic Screen Types” which featured stars such as Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Vincent Cassel performing one-minute scenes.

“Touch of Evil” is the darker side of those screen types, with familiar tropes and fair number of homages to classic film villains. See if you can you spot the references to Conformist or Bonnie and Clyde.

What is the most exciting is that very few of the actors play to type. George Clooney isn’t a dapper greying gentleman but a buffoonish general. Dujardin, who plays a mugging silent film star in The Artist, appears as a pit-bullish fighter in a vignette.

If you don’t want to guess who’s who, there’s a cheat sheet over on the Time‘s website. It’s great to see a media company experiment with ways of telling a story. But is “Touch of Evil” brilliant or a bust? Sound off in the comments.

More About: Film, Hollywood, Video

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Judge Hits Blogger With $2.5 Million Charge for Not Being a Journalist

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:34 PM PST

blogger vs journalist

In a case that’s sending a frightening message to the blogger community, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that a blogger must pay $2.5 million to an investment firm she wrote about — because she isn’t a real journalist.

As reported by Seattle Weekly, Judge Marco A. Hernandez said Crystal Cox, who runs several blogs, wasn’t entitled to the protections afforded to journalists — specifically, Oregon’s media shield law for sources — because she wasn’t “affiliated with any newspaper, magazine, periodical, book, pamphlet, news service, wire service, news or feature syndicate, broadcast station or network, or cable television system.”

The Obsidian Finance Group sued Cox in January for $10 million for writing several blog posts critical of the company and its co-founder, Kevin Padrick. Obsidian argued that the writing was defamatory. Cox represented herself in court.

The judge threw out all but one of the blog posts cited, focusing on just one (this one), which was more factual in tone than the rest of her writing. Cox said that was because she was being fed information from an inside source, whom she refused to name.

Without the source, she couldn’t prove the information in the post was true — and thus, according to the judge, she didn’t qualify for Oregon’s media shield law since she wasn’t employed by a media establishment. In the court’s eyes, she was a blogger, not a journalist. The penalty: $2.5 million.

The debate over whether bloggers are journalists has been going on for years, but the consensus has been largely settled — on the opposite side of what Judge Hernandez has ruled. Attorney Bruce E. H. Johnson, who wrote the media shield laws in next-door Washington State, told Seattle Weekly that those laws would have protected Cox had her case been tried in Washington.

In a more high-profile case, an editor from Gizmodo escaped criminal charges after revealing to the world an iPhone prototype lost in a bar. Although police raided the California home of editor Jason Chen in 2010, the case was cited as a test for that state’s media shield law, and the district attorney said publicly this year that no charges would be filed to anyone from the site.

When discussing the case, Steve Jobs told The Wall Street Journal‘s Walt Mossberg that he believed Chen was “a guy,” not a journalist. Mossberg countered that he himself was a blogger, and that he thought bloggers were journalists. (You can see the exchange in this video, at about the 17:00 mark.)

Are bloggers the same as journalists? And if not, what is the dividing line? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More About: blogger, Journalist, judge, Media, Top Stories

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Apple’s iPad Aims to be a Hospital Helper [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:07 PM PST


Hospitals and doctors continue to use Apple’s iPad for a number of tasks around the hospital, but with its growing popularity Apple must make sure it doesn’t break FDA guidelines.

Check out the video above to find out how iPads are being used in the medical field.

SEE ALSO: 4 Ways iPads Are Helping People With Disabilities

Have you seen iPads being used in hospitals or clinics? How do you envision tablets changing the field?

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, melhi

More About: apple, ipad, medical

Alec Baldwin Leaves Twitter: 8 Other Celebrity Social Media Meltdowns

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:54 PM PST


Within a day of getting booted from an American Airlines flight, Alec Baldwin has booted himself off of Twitter.

The star shut down his Twitter account, which had more than 600,000 followers, on Wednesday. The previous night, Baldwin had tweeted to his fans, “Let’s play a game called Mass Unfollowing. I want to crash this acct and start again. But, tonight at 10 PM, NY time, unfollow me.” That request resulted in more Twitter followers.

Baldwin’s plea came after a strange episode in which he got ejected from a plane at Los Angeles International Airport. The reason is unclear, but Baldwin’s tweet referred to Words With Friends, the popular word game from Zynga. "Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, American Airlines presented its own take on the incident via its Facebook Page: “Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off. This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time.”

The post continues: “The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding.”

Baldwin is just the latest in a bulging list of celebs who have had a very public meltdown on Twitter. Below is a list of other well-known names who have kicked up controversy on the microblogging network. Know any others? Sound off in the comments.


Ashton Kutcher




Kutcher got into hot water last month when he fired off a tweet defending Penn State coach Joe Paterno after Paterno was implicated in a scandal related to assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's alleged history of sexually molesting children. "How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste," the tweet said. Later on, Kutcher tweeted, "Heard Joe was fired, fully recant previous tweet!" and "Didn't have full story. #admitwhenYoumakemistakes." Shortly afterwards, Kutcher announced that he was turning over the management of his Twitter account to Katalyst Media, a firm he co-owns.

Click here to view this gallery.

Photo credit: Alec Baldwin at the premiere of “Evelyn” at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Ca. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002. Photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.

More About: alec baldwin, chris brown, kenneth-cole, miley cyrus, sinead o'connor, Twitter

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Online Piracy Act: Would It Help Business or Kill Innovation? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:38 PM PST

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is stirring up a lot of controversy in the tech world. Companies that rely heavily on copyright protection call the bill piracy protection; those that rely on user-generated content call it censorship.

The bill strengthens the U.S. Justice Department's power to go after websites that host disputed copyright material — and could make sites such as YouTube and Tumblr that host such user-generated content liable for copyright violations.

AOL, eBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo and Zynga delivered a letter to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives last month that argues SOPA "pose[s] a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation's cybersecurity." They later ran the letter as a full-page ad in The New York Times.

Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) support the bill.

“If rogue websites legislation passes, American jobs will be preserved and the Internet will continue to be free and open,” reads an MPAA blog post. “Content protection laws have given us the Internet of today, alive with innovation, free speech and commerce.”

As the opposing sides launch arguments about how the other will ruin the Internet, the rules that incited this debate can be hard to sort out. The infographic below outlines the bill’s history, how it would work and why some Internet companies oppose it.


[Via Business Insurance Blog]

More About: congress, copyright, infographics, law, Politics, SOPA

Seth Godin Challenges You to Fail [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:38 PM PST


Seth Godin wants you to fail, but in a good way. In this interview with Behind the Brand, Godin explains why companies like Facebook and Google aren’t afraid to fail fast and why you should try it too.

In his typical fashion, Godin puts a new spin on outdated thinking as he challenges Yoda's age-old advice that many have considered gospel for (light) years. Godin tells Behind the Brand, "I'm not sure Yoda was right when he said, 'Do or do not, there is no try.' YES! There is a try, try is the opposite of hiding." Check out the video above to hear other words of wisdom from the bestselling author, speaker, blogger and entrepreneur.

Behind the Brand is hosted by Bryan Elliott. Stay tuned to Mashable every Wednesday for new episodes.

More About: behind the brand, mashable video, seth godin

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Words With Friends Addicts Unite, Support Alec Baldwin

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:24 PM PST



Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

Friends, word-wranglers, trash-talking letter-tray fiends, lend me your virtual ears. I come to praise a new and powerful spokesman for our tribe of Words With Friends addicts: actor Alec Baldwin.

You may already have seen the news that Baldwin was booted off an American Airlines flight at LAX because, according to his tweets, he refused to stop playing Words With Friends while the plane waited an interminable age at the gate.

I’m not trying to defend Baldwin’s celebrity-fueled level of outrage — which, according to a statement posted to American Airlines’ Facebook page, included retreating to play in the toilet and slamming the door behind him. Nor do I want to get into the debate over whether federal regulations should allow us to use our electronic devices in a parked vehicle.

No, for those of us addicted to the same game, something else is happening here: a quiet nod of understanding.

Yes, we’ve been there — in some situation where that gentle trill, the unmistakable and thrilling sound of a Words With Friends move successfully completed, has singled us out and laid our addiction bare. Perhaps we’ve endured the eye-rolling of a spouse (those who haven’t managed to get their spouses hooked yet), or muffled laughter from down the bar. You’re playing what? For fun? Really?

Whatever. We’re here, we’re hooked on mining for 50-point words in the toughest letter trays, and — as Baldwin was trying to tell us before his Twitter account got mysteriously deactivated — you’d better get used to it.

Words With Friends sprung from a Texan startup called Newtoy in 2009. Thanks largely to the early success of this game, it was snapped up by online game powerhouse Zynga the following year. Initially an iPhone and iPad game, it soon spread to Android. Zynga added the ability to play your Facebook friends, then allowed you to play the game within Facebook itself as of August.

Why is it so popular? The first thing newbies need to know right off the bat: this is not Scrabble. Not only is the board significantly different, but the whole setup is much more relaxed. You can attempt as many moves as you like, and you don’t lose your turn if the in-game dictionary nixes your word.

This gives it a much broader audience beyond word nerds — or rather, it turns players into word nerds so gradually, they barely realize it’s happening. All of us learn fairly quickly, for example, the usefulness of qi, za, xi and jo. Some of the best Words With Friends players I know have English as a second language.

Personally, one thing I could never stand about Scrabble was the time pressure. All the other players are staring at you, and you have to form the best words you can before they get too bored? I doubt even the best writers could avoid being paralyzed by that kind of scrutiny. Words With Friends removes the stares and the ticking clock. You have acres of time, whole days, to make your move when it suits you.

And that’s the second penny that has to drop for newbies: because each individual game moves slowly, you get the most out of it if you have a lot of games on the go at any one time.

Relaxed as the setup is, some intense rivalries can develop as the days pass. My equally addicted wife tends to call it “Words With Frenemies.” We seek vengeance for humiliating 100-point defeats in previous games. The chat window in many a game fills up with sputtering outrage at ridiculously high-scoring moves or a disabling plague of vowels. Many of the things said in that private forum would make Baldwin’s lavatory-bound outburst sound like a milld tsk tsk.

There is, unmistakeably, something unique about this game. Zynga has tried to replicate its magic formula in Chess With Friends and Hanging With Friends. Neither have sustained the same levels of interest. Chess requires long-term strategic thinking that is hard to sustain when you haven’t made a move in a week. Hangman, by contrast, is too simple and dull to last that long.

But something about the speed of Words With Friends just clicks. Not too easy, not too hard, enthralling and meditative: it’s practically the definition of the Mihály Csíkszentmihályi concept of being in flow.

So know this, Alec Baldwin: we get you. We may not have slammed a lavatory door or been rude to a flight attendant, but we understand the intense desire to make one more blowout word. Now that you’re in Twitter exile, self-imposed or otherwise, we wish you a lot more time to play.

Image courtesy of Zygna

More About: alec baldwin, Opinion, words with friends, Zynga

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LivingSocial Raises $176 Million in $400 Million Private Offering [Confirmed]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:18 PM PST


Daily deals startup LivingSocial has raised $176 million in a private offering.

The funds were raised from a mix of new and existing investors, including Amazon (which invested $175 million in the company in late 2010), U.S. Venture Partners, Grotech Capital Group and AOL founder Steve Case’s venture fund, according to a SEC filing.

The Washington, D.C.-based startup is trying to raise $400 million in total. A source says the company expects to close additional rounds of funding in the coming weeks and months, which will be used to finance operations for continued expansion. None of the funds will be used to pay out current investors.

Last month, rumors began circulating that the daily deals startup was raising $200 million in a deal that would value the company somewhere between $5 billion and $6 billion.

JP Morgan Asset Management's new Digital Growth Fund, as well as existing investors Amazon and T. Rowe Price, were among those rumored to be contributing to the round. LivingSocial was also allegedly discussing a $100 million revolving credit facility with JP Morgan that would allow the company to draw funds without signing a loan for each withdrawal in the future. As far as we know, those discussions might still be on the table.

The funding does make one thing clear: LivingSocial isn’t likely to IPO any time this year. LivingSocial’s main competitor, Groupon, went public in early November, and it’s been a tumultuous ride ever since, to say the least. Shares were trading at around $21 per share in after-hours trading Wednesday, up about $1 from the initial offering price.

The additional capital should give LivingSocial an opportunity to catch up — and continue differentiating itself — from its rival. Both companies have launched new offerings recently. Earlier this week, LivingSocial unveiled a restaurant delivery service in the Washington, D.C. region. And Groupon announced an appointment-booking tool that lets customers independently book appointments with small businesses online, regardless of whether those appointments are associated with a Groupon deal.

The company raised $400 million in its last fundraising round in April.

The news was first reported by Bloomberg TV’s Emily Chang on Twitter.

More About: LivingSocial

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What Should You Get Mom for the Holidays? [GIFT GUIDE]

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:06 PM PST

If it wasn’t for your mom, you wouldn’t even exist. Think about it!

Doesn’t she deserve the best from you this holiday season?

But shopping for mom — especially in the tech department — can be a challenge. Will she even use that fancy ereader six months from now? Will she appreciate the delicate architecture of the latest iPod? Is she even registered to drive a pneumatic tire forklift in her state of residence?

You know your mom, and we know tech. It’s time to bring the two together. Behold:

THE GIFTINATOR

[Hold for applause.]

Start at the top and follow the flow to find the perfect tech gift for your mom based on her passions, current gadgets and skill level.

When you land on a gift idea, hover over it with your mouse for more information. You’ll find links to our reviews, videos of the products and websites where you can seal the deal. This fantastic interactive layer comes to you courtesy of our friends at ThingLink.com.

Go on, try it out. Report back in the comments with any great gift ideas you’ve got for your mom, and stay tuned for more GIFTINATOR guides.


Graphic designed by Emily Caufield.

More About: Giftinator, Gifts, Holidays 2011, Mashable Infographics, shopping, Tech

Why the New Jobs Act Is Good for American Startups

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:55 PM PST


Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

Eric Koester is the founder and COO of Zaarly, a mobile, real-time marketplace. Eric is a former securities lawyer who has testified before Congress on matters of startup and small business financing, immigration reform and business taxation.

Normally, I become very skeptical when any politician introduces a "Jobs Act" bill. To begin with, the term is incredibly loaded. Secondly, what can the government really do to spur job growth? At best, it might hire more people for government jobs. At worst, we'll encounter more red tape designed to make politicians look good.

Yet, this time around I actually think there is potential to drive job growth through the Jobs Act, specifically via provisions targeted to help small businesses. Programs that help small businesses are the simplest and most cost-effective solutions to job creation. Research shows that adding jobs to the economy is not necessarily about getting IBM or Home Depot to hire more people. Neither are Fortune 1000 companies the real drivers of new job growth for our economy. Rather, studies indicate that new jobs come from small businesses, young companies with less than 500 employees.

The good news? It looks like we've finally started valuing small business job creation.

Of Course We Support Small Businesses

You might remain skeptical. After all, everyone says he supports small businesses and entrepreneurs. Well, now is our chance to actually do something about it — and real Congressional legislation can help accomplish it.

The economic uncertainty of the past few years has created a unique opportunity for regulatory reform that directly benefits small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs – the true engines behind job growth. Now is the time to make sure politicians know that they must act, not just talk. Making their way through Congress now, a series of pro-small business bills aim to provide more access to capital, small firm hiring and investment incentives, and a reduction in small regulatory burdens.

As an entrepreneur and former startup lawyer who has advised hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses, I strongly support getting small businesses more capital so they can expand and create more jobs. However, there is always the risk that reforms could get bogged down by politics as usual: special interests and egos.

What’s At Stake?

The small business regulatory reforms boil down to a few simple goals: Increase access to capital for small businesses; reduce taxes on small businesses (in some cases only for the short-term) to spur hiring; reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses, and; encourage investment by small businesses in equipment and technology. By helping encourage private sector investment in small businesses and startups and reducing the burden for small businesses to hire, more jobs will result. And not just any jobs, but careers that pay well and help drive innovation.

One key initiative would allocate crowdfunding for small businesses and startups. In crowdfunding, many people invest relatively small dollar amounts. That way, a business doesn't rely on just one or two investors.

SEE ALSO: HOW TO: Crowdsource Funds for Causes, Creativity and Startups

Imagine the following scenario: Someone in your neighborhood wants to open a small grocery store. She can't procure a loan, but must essentially go door-to-door to secure funding from 50 to 200 people in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 each. The entrepreneur can then open a truly community-owned grocery store. Through crowdfunding, tech companies can take advantage of this type of approach too, only transactions are digital and can come from all over the world.

Additional reforms would extend payroll taxes for small businesses that hire previously unemployed individuals. Others would make it easier for small businesses to find investors, help people receiving unemployment benefits start their own businesses, and support entrepreneurs from abroad.

Reform Realities

These reforms will provide new opportunities for small business owners and drive local job growth in cities and communities around the country. Look no further than Detroit, a city making huge investments in small business and startup support. The city hopes to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners to build tomorrow's great industries.

Overall, the concept is simple: New companies create jobs. And that job creation wouldn't be possible without forward-thinking investors, a strong community of early adopters and a country that supports new ventures.

As our economy transitions, we need to find more ways to support these small business owners and individuals who are looking for a way to make a living. These reforms are a good start: They can help communities build small grocery stores; they can support a laid-off graphics designer as he starts his own company; they can encourage a university student create his own job; and they will ultimately spur a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Get Involved. Show Your Support.

You'll hear many politicians talking about job creation – it's a quick and easy sound bite. However, the opportunity to actually spur job growth is right ahead of us.

Each of us has patronized a small business, worked for a small business, used a product produced by a small business or even been a small business owner ourselves. In order to ensure that the Jobs Act does, in fact, address jobs – and not just politics – make sure you encourage your representatives to push these important small business reforms.

Images courtesy of iStockphoto, quavondo, Flickr, matthileo

More About: contributor, entrepreneurs, features, Opinion, Politics, Small Business, Startups

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Fingerprints Begone: Lab Finds Smudge-Free Coating for Touchscreens

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:48 PM PST

touchscreen fingerprints

Touchscreens have become the norm on mobile devices, but the technology brings with it an unfortunate side effect: fingerprints.

Every touchscreen smartphone and tablet in use has unsightly smudges, thanks to the natural oils on our hands. But a new discovery could make them a thing of the past.

German scientists have created a coating that can be applied to a display that spurns oil droplets like they were unloved in-laws. And they’ve done it on the cheap. The secret ingredient: candle soot.

The technology works like this: Oil has a much lower surface tension than water, making it difficult to create a surface that repels it. Researchers figured out the kind of surface texture needed, which is similar to the branches of a tree, a long time ago. Up until now, however, no one has been able to pair it with a coating in a lab.

To make the oil-repelling coating, the scientists held a glass slide over a candle so it could collect soot at the right size — spheres between 30 and 40 nanometers in diameter. To ensure the soot wasn’t washed away, they coated the slide with a thin silica shell and baked the whole thing at 600 degrees Celsius to make the soot transparent.

Once the slide was out of the oven and cooled, they tried spraying it with various oils. Microscopic photos showed the oil droplets bouncing off the surface. The coating doesn’t just repel oil, but organic substances as well. And in addition to glass, it’ll stick to aluminum, steel, and copper.

One of the researchers, Doris Vollmer, said they were trying to find an improved eyeglass coating. But the discovery could have a wide range of applications, from electronics to medical devices that are sometimes clogged with organic material sticking to it.

There’s a catch, though: the resulting oil-repelling surface — scientifically described as “superamphiphobic” — is vulnerable to scratching. There may be alternative methods of creating the coating to bump up its toughness, but the tech will definitely need to address the problem before it can be used to make iPads smudge-free.

[via Technology Reveiw]

More About: emerging tech, fingerprints, touch screen

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Facebook Android App Gets Faster, Easier

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:31 PM PST


Facebook unveiled an updated Android app Wednesday — one with a new menu, improved photo capabilities and re-positioned buttons.

The tweaks make photos and albums “up to two times faster,” according to Facebook’s product manager Keith Peiris in blog post. It also simplifies the way users share pics, edit captions and read comments.

Facebook also introduced a new left-hand menu so users won’t have to back peddle to the main menu. In addition, Facebook moved the buttons for notifications and messages to the top of the app instead of just on the main menu. The update will be available on soon in the Android Market.

While Facebook’s announcement doesn’t mention a standalone Places app called Nearby, rumor has it that one will eventually be released. The social network already has a standalone app for sending messages and texts called Facebook Messenger, which came out in August after Facebook acquired group-messaging app Beluga.

Facebook’s recent acquisition of Gowalla will have accelerated the development of any Places app that was in the works. Facebook plans to absorb Gowalla’s management team but not its location-based technology. That team could become part of the existing team handling Facebook Places to lead the standalone Nearby app.


Facebook Android App: Menu




Facebook: "You can quickly access your News Feed, Groups, games and apps from the new left-hand menu. The features you use most are now at your fingertips."

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: android, Facebook

AT&T 4G LTE Coming to New York City by Year End

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:13 PM PST


AT&T’s LTE expansion will officially hit New York City later this month.

John Stephens, the senior executive vice president and CFO for AT&T, announced that the wireless carrier will cover 70 million users with LTE service by the end of 2011.

This follows reports of unofficial LTE availability in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

AT&T has trailed its chief competitor, Verizon Wireless, in deploying its next generation network. Verizon started its push for 4G LTE last year and is now in a growing number of metropolitan areas.

I had a chance to test AT&T’s LTE network while in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, and when it’s available, the network is exceedingly fast. As with Verizon’s implementation, however, LTE devices — including the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and HTC Vivid — suck down battery life faster than non-LTE handsets.

Still, for many users, increased speeds might be worth battery-life compromises. AT&T said today that it expects to break its single-quarter records for smartphone sales — thanks to increased demand for high-speed devices as well as strong sales of phones like the iPhone 4S.

Are you itching to upgrade to 4G LTE? Let us know.

More About: 4G, 4g lte, att

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Groupon’s New Scheduler Lets Customers Book Appointments Online

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:07 PM PST


Groupon launched a pilot for a new service Wednesday that lets customers independently book appointments with small businesses online, regardless of whether or not those appointments are associated with a Groupon deal.

The trial version of “Scheduler” launched with merchants in Sacramento and Miami who are running Groupon deals. These businesses can embed a “book now” button on their websites that allows customers to reserve an available time slot for service (or cancel one) online.

Based on the appointment scheduling tool OpenCal, which Groupon acquired in September, the program can handle deal vouchers, multiple locations, separate staff schedules, different services and appointment reminder emails.

“We talked to merchants, and what we found is that a lot of merchants today still use paper and pen to take their appointments," Groupon VP of Product Mihir Shah told Mashable. “Our core business objective is to help merchants improve productivity.”

Well that, and to strengthen Groupon’s appeal to small businesses who have undoubtedly heard horror stories about running Groupon deals. Not only does Scheduler relieve some hassle involved with managing the flash flood of business a Groupon deal can incite, but it’s also a tool that they can continue to use even after the last voucher from their Groupon deal is redeemed.

Scheduler also helps keep track of when there is most demand for services — something merchants could, Shah suggests, use to determine when offering a deal on Groupon’s real-time deals service Groupon Now makes sense.

Whether or not Scheduler will eventually be available to merchants who haven’t run Groupon deals, for either free or at a subscription cost, isn’t clear. Shah says only that it will be free to Groupon merchants.

Either way, Groupon’s userbase will be able to book appointments with participating Groupon merchants directly from their Groupon accounts as soon as they buy a deal — which makes the whole deal buying process easier on them as well.

More About: groupon, Groupon Scheduler, Small Business

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Klout Launches Sashes and ‘Add a Topic’ Button

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:48 AM PST


Klout just unwrapped sashes, a visual update to its Topics feature, which rolled out in September and lets you gain insights on top influencers and +K recipients for specific content areas.

The sash concept is simple. A blue sash goes to Klout users with the most +Ks for any topic, while a gold sash is given to top influencers based on Klout’s analysis. People who fall into both categories receive a blue-and-gold sash.

The visual distinctions are aimed at providing a more accurate representation of a user’s influence.

“Klout is about more than a number,” Klout's marketing manager Megan Berry told Mashable on Wednesday. “It’s as important to understand what you are influential in as it is to understand how influential you are.”

Facebook employee David Swain, for example, has a score “of only 27 (still above average), but is a top influencer in the Facebook topic,” Berry says.

Klout also just launched the “Add a Topic” button.

“Sometimes there’s a topic that our system doesn’t pick up,” Berry says. “For instance, maybe your friends rely on you for restaurant recommendation but they do so offline. You may want to add ‘Food’ to your influential topics.”

Klout has integrated 12 social networks to users’ dashboards. The service so far factors in Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Foursquare. Klout is still building scoring models for YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress.com, Last.fm and Flickr. Additionally, Klout plans to add Quora, Yelp, Posterous, Livefyre, Disqus, bit.ly and other services.

SEE ALSO: The Remarkable Story of How Klout Got Started [VIDEO]

To populate a user’s Topic Pages (see screenshots below), Klout analyzes your public content.


Clickable Topics on Your Dashboard




On your Klout dashboard, you can click on a topic to open its Topic Page.

Update: In December 2011, Klout rolled out sashes and an "Add a Topic" button. A blue sash goes to users with the most +Ks for any topic, while a gold sash is given to influencers based on Klout's algorithm. People who fall into both categories receive a blue-and-gold sash.

Click here to view this gallery.

More About: influence, klout, Social Media, social networking

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We’re Mapping the Rollout of Facebook Timeline (And We Need Your Help!)

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:38 AM PST


At approximately 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, Facebook Timeline began rolling out to the public in New Zealand. Since then, we’ve received reports of users gaining access in Canada, Germany, Holland and India as well. We’d like to track the rollout of Timeline geographically, but we need Mashable readers to help us.

Have you received Facebook Timeline yet? If so, where in the world are you, and did you ever install the Developer version in the past? Let us know in the comments thread below.

SEE ALSO: How to Fill In Your Timeline | Facebook Timeline: 10 Simple Tips & Tricks

Here’s our map of the rollout. We’ll be live-updating this throughout the day with your feedback, so keep checking back to see if Facebook Timeline has been made available in your country yet.


View Facebook Timeline Rollout in a larger map

Map last updated: 11 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Dec. 7 2011

More About: Facebook, facebook timeline

Augmented Mirror of the Future Reflects You and Your World

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:33 AM PST


The New York Times‘s R&D Lab has developed a digitally enhanced mirror that allows you to interact with personalized data during your morning routine.

Unfortunately, the mirror won’t be making its way into your local Restoration Hardware any time soon. Rather, it’s a proof of concept designed to explore “how the relationship between information and the self is evolving and how media content from the New York Times and others might play a part,” The Lab’s team explained on a page outlining the project.

The mirror is made of a semi-reflective glass surface that displays a normal reflection beneath a high-contrast graphic layer. The surface can detect and respond to objects and gestures — what its creators call “augmented reflection.” For instance, the mirror could use facial recognition to pull up data you might want to access during your morning routine, such as the day’s headlines, your calendar and health statistics.

Voice commands and gestures (powered by Kinect) could be used to pull up full-screen video messages from other mirror users. The device could even be used to recognize certain behaviors, reminding you to make up for lost sleep or to adjust your morning commute to accommodate traffic conditions, for instance. You could even tap your phone to the mirror to sync content.

Sounds incredible, no? Check out a full demo of the mirror below.

More About: Augmented Reality, augmented reflection, new york times, Top Stories

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