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Mashable: Latest 9 News Updates - including “Plentyoffish Hacked, Usernames and Passwords Stolen”

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Mashable: Latest 9 News Updates - including “Plentyoffish Hacked, Usernames and Passwords Stolen”

Plentyoffish Hacked, Usernames and Passwords Stolen

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 03:41 AM PST


Online dating site Plentyoffish has been hacked, and e-mails, usernames and passwords of users were compromised, Plentyoffish CEO Markus Frind reveals in a blog post.

The security hole has been fixed, Markus claims, and all the passwords have been reset. However, Plentyoffish still hasn’t made an official statement about the incident, and we advise users to access the site with caution.

The above is the most important bit of info for Plentyoffish users, but the actual story of the hack and how it occurred is very confusing and differs highly depending on who you believe. According to Markus Frind, who described the hack and the events that followed in detail on his personal blog, Plentyoffish was hacked by Argentinian hacker Chris Russo, who did it under his own name, without taking precaution to hide his identity.

Frind then claims that Russo tried to extort money from him, to which he responded by threatening to sue. The entire blog post is interesting mostly due to its weirdness, as it involves a shady business partner, Frind e-mailing Russo’s mother, and hints about Russo’s other hack-and-extort operations.

The story gets even more convoluted as Chris Russo’s side of the story is revealed in a blog post on Grumo Media. Russo claims he’s merely a security researcher, who had discovered a security hole on Plentyoffish, which was already “under active explotation by hackers.”

Russo and his team disclosed the vulnerability to Frind’s wife, he claims, and Frind and her were “interested in hiring us as security professionals in order to make an analysis of the plataforms.” However, the relationship quickly deteriorated, with Frind accusing Russo that he stole Plentyoffish’s database, threatening not only to sue him, but also to “destroy” his life.

At this point it’s hard to understand what really happened; but the part of the story on which everyone seems to agree is that a very popular dating site has been hacked and that user’s passwords and other personal details (possibly even PayPal accounts) were compromised. Hopefully, the security breach on Plentyoffish has really been fixed, but users who used the same username/e-mail/password combinations elsewhere should urgently change the passwords on other sites as well.

image courtesy of iStockphoto, gremlin

[via Hacker News]

More About: dating, hack, hackers, hacking, online dating, passwords, plentyoffish, security

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Android Tablets Gain Ground on iPad in Q4 2010 [REPORT]

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:52 AM PST


We’re still waiting for Android 3.0 or Honeycomb, which is supposed to be the first version of the platform aimed at tablets, but Android tablets on the whole are doing quite well, at least according to the latest numbers by market research firm Strategy Analytics.

Android tablets have climbed up to 22 percent market share in the fourth quarter of 2010, which is an almost tenfold increase compared to the 2.3 percent in the previous quarter. The gain is mostly due to strong sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Strategy Analytics claims.

Apple sold 7.3 million iPads in the last quarter, and the device accounted for 75 percent of global shipments in Q4 2010, which is quite a fall from the 96 percent it had in Q3 2010.

The numbers are in line with a recent report that claimed Samsung has sold 2 million Galaxy Tabs in Q4 2010.

With most major consumer electronics manufacturers poised to release a new tablet in 2011, and Google holding a Honeycomb-related event on Wednesday (which hopefully means a near release date of this particular version of Android), Android has all the ingredients to do for tablets what it did for smartphones: become the most powerful alternative to Apple’s iOS platform.

Apple, which is expected to launch a new version of its iPad this year, is still well ahead in the tablet department, but it won’t be able to rest on its laurels too long.

[via Bloomberg Businessweek]

More About: android, ipad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Tablet

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Julian Assange Defends WikiLeaks on “60 Minutes” [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 07:06 PM PST


WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made a rare media appearance on 60 Minutes earlier today tell his side of the story in the face of mounting criticism and controversy.

Assange is the controversial public figure behind WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing website that turned the political and media world upside-down with its timed releases of confidential government information. His organization is responsible for releasing the Afghan war reports, the Iraqi war logs and most recently the U.S. diplomatic cables.

Julian Assange has become a controversial figure not only for his role as the founder of WikiLeaks, but for his recent arrest. He is accused of committing sexual crimes with two women in Sweden. He was released on bail last month.

We’re still watching the Steve Kroft 60 Minutes interview and will have more on it soon. In the meantime, here is the full interview:

Julian Assange on 60 Minutes: Part 1

Julian Assange on 60 Minutes: Part 2

Extras

More About: 60 minutes, julian assange, trending, video, wikileaks

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Recap: 12 Stories of Egypt in Turmoil

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 04:05 PM PST


As the uprising in Egypt enters its sixth night, social media is active all over the world, and to a much lesser extent, inside of Egypt itself.

The government has officially shut down the Internet in Egypt, bringing the information flow from the country to a trickle. However, resourceful Twitter and Facebook users are still managing to get tweets and SMS messages out of the country using clever methods.

Why is there an uprising going on in Egypt? Egyptians are rebelling against the nearly 30-year reign of President Hosni Mubarak and the government corruption associated with his regime. The country’s troubles include a lack of jobs and poor living conditions, and the protesters charge the ruling elite with squandering the country’s resources. They want Mubarak out.

We’ve been closely watching the social media aspects of this revolution since it began, and in case you missed our coverage, here’s a recap:

8-Year-Old Girl Lectures Egypt's Mubarak on YouTube [VIDEO]

Twitter Declares, "The Tweets Must Flow"

BlackBerry Service Restored in Cairo? [UPDATED]

Visualizing Egypt’s Internet Blackout [GRAPHIC]

Facebook & Twitter Both Blocked in Egypt

Leaders React to Communication Blackout at World Economic Forum in Davos [VIDEO]

How Users in Egypt Are Bypassing Twitter & Facebook Blocks

Internet Reportedly Down in Syria

The Twitterverse Responds to Protests in Egypt [STATS]

Twitter Blocked in Egypt As Protests Turn Violent

YouTube, Flickr Show Escalating Violence in Egyptian Protests

Internet Access & SMS Blocked in Egypt as Protests Escalate

More About: Egypt, facebook, Internet shutdown, Political, Revolution, twitter, Uprising

For more Social Media coverage:

Chewsy Looks to Add Flavor to Dish Reviews

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 03:10 PM PST


The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Chewsy

Quick Pitch: Chewsy is a mobile app for crowd-sourcing reviews on restaurant dishes.

Genius Idea: Dining out is all about the food you eat, even more than the restaurant where you’re dining. Even a five-star restaurant has its hits and misses, and knowing what dish to order can make or break your night out.

There are services that help users choose dishes and rate the food they eat, but Chewsy hopes to break into this market with simplicity and “location enhancement.”

At its core, Chewsy is an iPhone app for sifting through dish reviews of local restaurants. It’s fairly straightforward to navigate — you can browse nearby restaurants for food reviews, find food nearby or add your own review. The goal is to let the rest of the world know just how great (or awful) that lamb vindaloo tasted.

The app, which launched last month, is available in almost 15 markets and its makers intend to expand it into more. When you use the app, it becomes clear that Chewsy still has a long way to go before it has enough reviews to be truly useful, but I still found a surprising amount of food reviews for restaurants near my abode.

It also lacks a key feature of its competitors: the ability to snap a photo of the dish you’re reviewing.

There’s more going on beneath the surface, though. For Chewsy, geolocation isn’t just about using GPS to figure out what restaurants are nearby. It adheres to a philosophy it calls “location enhancement.” It’s built on the idea that apps shouldn’t be taking you elsewhere (as Maps or Yelp might). Instead, they should “enhance” the present. Chewsy wants to be the socially-driven menu you pull out when you’re already at the restaurant.

The company also promotes a lighthearted technology it calls the “transmogrificationer.” It supposedly analyzes your food reviews and turns them into pithy one-liners that are ready to be posted to Facebook and Twitter. If you rate an item a two out of five, you might get something like this:

"Hide your kids, hide your wife, cuz the Tiramisu at Lambaster's is attacking errbody out here.”

Chewsy faces a plethora of competition, primarily from Foodspotting and Urbanspoon. The former is gaining a lot of traction (and raised $3 million earlier this month), while the latter recently launched dish reviews in its iPhone application.

Still, Chewsy doesn’t see these competitors as unbeatable obstacles, but as a validation of the online food service market. “Each provides a different take on solving a varied set of user problems,” CEO Chaitanya Sareen told us. He believes that Chewsy brings a much-needed perspective to the market by cutting through the noise so you can get reviews on what matters most: your food.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: brizspark, foods, foodspotting, iac, spart of genius, startup, UrbanSpoon

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

HOW TO: Land a Job at 9 Hot Startups

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 01:38 PM PST


Today’s startups have the potential to become tomorrow’s legendary public offerings.

While still in their nascent stage today, startups such as Path, Instagram and Picplz hope to change the world through mobile photos; Foursquare has the same lofty goal for location. Others like Twilio or Invovler serve as powerful gateways helping others find their ways to bigger audiences and faster success, and Evernote is already on its way to becoming an indispensable memory aid.

Then there’s fledgling thingd, an early stage startup which aims to connect the digital and physical worlds through object tagging. And while we don’t quite know what hatchling startup Tasty Labs is up to, our expectations are high.

Several of these startups will define new territories in the mobile and social landscapes, and landing a job at one could be a career-changing, life-altering experience. Mashable talked to each of them for a look at what it takes to score a job at the hottest startups now hiring in San Francisco and New York.

1. thingd

Founder Joseph Einhorn at work in thingd's New York office. Photo by Dorothy Hong.

A wise person once predicted that 2011 would see the rise of object tagging. New York-based startup thingd could very well carry that trend with its line of products that index objects. One such product is its consumer-facing app thefancy.

Getting a job at this up-and-coming startup will be no simple feat, especially given that the startup is taking an organic approach to hiring. You won’t find a help wanted ad listed anywhere. Instead, Founder Joseph Einhorn would rather take a slower, more involved journey in finding new talent.

In case you can’t read between the lines, thingd wants to see what you’re made of first. An initial job inquiry via e-mail will be met with a response, and the startup is open to anyone for any role, but expect to be put to work before getting the job.

“We seek like-minded people — creative, technical and entrepreneurial — and rather than do a job interview, let’s find a way to work together first,” says Einhorn.

Einhorn tells the story of Joseph Wain, the Googler and Glyphish iPhone icon maker turned vice president of product for thingd, to drive home his point.

“We were building our iPhone application and we needed icons for our app. We learned about Glyphish, which is recognized as the best iPhone icon library. We were really impressed with the icons, so I sent them a note. ‘Them’ ended up being just him — Joe — and it turned out he liked our work, too.

We chatted a bit on Skype and developed a good rapport … It turned out that Joe was working right across the street from us at Google. His epic icons were just a side project that he used to work on at night in his spare time. So, he came over for lunch that same day and the rest is history. We began the recruitment process and eventually convinced him to leave a great job at Google to take a chance with us.”

2. Path

Path’s personal network may be the opposite of Twitter in terms of purpose, but this startup has big plans, big backers and big names all in the hopes of reinventing how people share memories on mobile phones.

The fast-iterating startup has released a slew of updates in recent weeks and is currently on a hiring spree. Open positions include Ruby on Rails studs, Java experts, iOS rockstars and Android engineers — a nice hint at what’s to come.

The personal network takes on a whole new meaning when considering some of the perks of operating inside this elite circle. Matt Van Horn, vice president of business development, describes his first visit to Path’s sky-high office as a star-studded affair. Apparently, Adrian Grenier, the start of Entourage who you may know as “Vince,” was actually hanging out with founder Dave Morin upon Van Horn’s arrival.

Name-dropping aside, Van Horn says Path is creating a great place to work. The office view alone, as seen above, is certainly something to appreciate. “We work hard to play hard,” he says. The play side of the business comes with an always-stocked beer fridge, free food, gym membership, transportation, health insurance and unlimited vacation.

Getting Path’s attention may take more than a personal approach. The startup is looking to recruit, hire and train what Van Horn calls “athletes” — individuals with raw talent who have the passion to be leaders of tomorrow. A hacker mentality is also a highly celebrated trait.

3. Twilio

With an API that powers more than 20,000 voice and SMS applications, including a slew of hot group texting apps, Twilio is poised to be one of most significant platform-as-a-service companies of our time.

The San Francisco-based startup occupies a brick and timber office at 1st and Folsom in SOMA, and has a cool $12 million in cash to hire the best engineers, sales people and product managers the city has to offer. But getting a job a Twilio takes more than talent — it takes action.

“We’re looking for ‘doers’ who take initiative and get stuff done,” says CEO and co-founder Jeff Lawson. “We want someone who will wrangle a bull by its horns and figure it out.”

A hint to would-be staffers: Lawson literally means figure it out. Hopefuls, even non-engineers, will need to build their own Twilio application to get the company to take notice. The startup’s current office manager built a Twilio phone application to serve as her resume, for instance. Lawson called into a phone number and was greeted with a menu of resume options — press one to listen to my experience, press seven to speak to a reference, and so forth.

Lawson also recommends candidates submit cover letters that show off their personalities. Of course, Twilio is looking for new hires that match their criteria, but humbleness, attention to detail and talent are also key factors.

Should you make it through Twilio’s doors, you can expect both the expected — like health insurance — and the unexpected, by way of job benefits and perks. Every Wednesday night, Twillio hosts a company dinner with a featured speaker. The startup also brings in lunch three days a week and gifts new employees with Kindles and a $30 per month Kindle Store allowance.

4. Picplz

Dalton Caldwell captivates the Startup School crowd. Photo by Robert Scoble.

There is no hotter niche than mobile photo sharing, and the cross-platform service Picplz is poised for a big 2011. The Mixed Media Labs product, founded by Dalton Caldwell and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, has started the new year off with a bevy of feature additions — there’s something new nearly every week.

If you’re asking for a job at Picplz, you should plz be someone with a technical background and a penchant for Hacker News.

“It’s a really special community of people and the intelligence, attitude and level of sophistication of those folks never ceases to impress me,” says Caldwell of the Hacker News community.

Hacker News cred may get applicants one foot in the door, but to land one of the available software engineer, designer or product manager positions, candidates need to have something tangible to show.

“An engineer could point to their Github account to show interesting open-source projects they have done. A designer could point us to things they have designed or their Dribble account. A product manager could make specific suggestions or ideas for Picplz, or could point out their personal blog. The underlying thing is that the folks that really stand out from the crowd are people that are more than just a submitted resume,” says Caldwell.

New hires at Picplz will find themselves with a $5,000 budget for hardware that they can use to spring for high-end equipment, a perfect perk for the techies the startup hopes to attract. The startup’s office space also features a “one-cup-at-a-time” coffee maker, healthy snacks, drinks and fresh organic fruit, according to Caldwell.

5. Tasty Labs

There’s still little to know about this super stealth social software startup, but with a founder like Joshua Schachter of Delicious fame and the en vogue firm Andressen Horowitz backing it, Tasty Labs sounds like a mouth-watering opportunity for ingénue talent looking for a breakout moment.

Specifically, Schachter tells us he’s interested in frontend developers with Javascript, HTML and Python skills, also possessing a strong product sense. Candidates should enjoy building prototypes quickly, he says. Tasty Labs is also on the lookout for backend developers and UX wizards that are either project management or engineering-oriented.

“We like people that have published personal projects. We love engineers that have code samples available. We like people that blog interesting things,” says Schachter.

Tasty Labs will soon be graduating out of its Palo Alto office space, pictured above, in favor of a Mountain View headquarters. The young and hungry startup is still defining its company perks, which means new hires will likely have a big say in the matter — a perk in its own right.

“People want smart coworkers, a small team, a great environment, and interesting projects to work on. That’s what we are,” says Schachter.

6. Involver

Social marketing platform Involver has money in the bank, a new programming language for Facebook and a close-knit relationship with the world’s largest social network. Last year, Involver grew from six people to more than 60 team members and now occupies a colorful, dog-friendly space in downtown San Francisco.

The startup is looking for both engineers and sales people, and just recently started a search for “Sales Engineers” with technology know-how and proven business savvy.

At Involver, new hires can expect a more traditional smorgasbord of benefits including full health, dental and vision coverage, as well as 20 days of paid time off and ten paid holidays. Startup-style, the growing company also touts field trips to trampoline parks, bowling alley excursions and onsite massages. Employees can also expect a stocked fridge and “Bagel Wednesdays.”

Involver wants well-rounded types, so prospects should have an array of social profiles — including public Twitter and Facebook accounts — and are better off knowing someone already employed at the company. Candidates will also want to have a strong understanding of the company and the industry at large.

“Don’t be afraid to create a business proposal for a new initiative or a campaign concept or even a light prototype, and bring that with you to the interview,” recommends Jasha Kaykas-Wolff, vice president of marketing at Involver.

7. Evernote

Fresh off Mac App Store success, Evernote’s note-taking platform is more popular than ever. The two-and-half year-old startup is hiring at a feverish pace — one new hire a week — to keep up with demand.

“Our goal in 2011 is to add some serious functionality and polish to every single version of Evernote. To get there, we’re going to need amazing engineers, product managers, QA, and UX/UI designers for our desktop, mobile and web versions,” according to marketing head Andrew Sinkov.

Specifically, Evernote is on an immediate quest for an iOS engineer, senior web application engineer, user experience designer and graphic designer for its Mountain View headquarters. The startup expects candidates to have strong portfolios, and seeks talented problem-solvers.

Being a bit more mature in stature than the other startups on this list, Evernote is less flashy and more focused in its company culture, apart from the office robot, of course. “What we do have is a very positive and collaborative atmosphere. It’s an open office and we encourage conversation and interaction,” says Sinkov.

Still, it has its perks. All commuting employees are issued Caltrain passes and the startup has lunch delivered every day from local restaurants.

8. Foursquare

The mayor of location-based mobile gaming applications, Foursquare is growing rapidly, quickly becoming a substantial influencer of location-driven behavior and has a bevy of big brands hitching a ride to social relevancy through its service.

After most recently overhauling its iPhone and Android apps with photos and comments, Foursquare is searching for superstar iPhone and Android developers to work in its New York or San Francisco offices.

“In terms of requirements, we’re looking for engineers that are comfortable in a very fast-paced, challenging, fluid environment,” says co-founder Naveen Selvadurai. “They need to be self-motivated and willing to bring a fun, creative approach to their work.”

Foursquare is all about the game of location, but newbies should expect to be thrown into the fire almost immediately. “Candidates we hire need to be able to get up to speed quickly so they can start cranking out high quality work shortly after joining us,” says Selvadurai.

The startup has been receptive to creative, unusual and aggressive tactics. Marketing manager Anna Frenkel coordinated the first ever Foursquare Day party, a big gesture that caught Dennis Crowley’s attention and landed Anna a gig. New community manager Nina Yiamsamatha stood out when she turned in a resume that was laid out like a Foursquare history page.

And Tristan Walker, director of business development, hounded Crowley daily via e-mail for a job in the summer of 2009. Here’s how that story played out, according to a Foursquare rep:

Finally, Dennis asked him if he was ever in NYC so he could come in for a meeting — Tristan told him he’d be in NYC that weekend and booked a flight that night. When he came in to meet with Dennis, Tristan told Dennis he’d sign up 100 local businesses in a month and shared some of his ideas for working with larger partners and redefining loyalty. He hit 100 businesses in a couple of weeks, and by month’s end he’d signed up 250 businesses and Dennis agreed to give him a job as Foursquare’s first business development employee.

Play is built-in to the work experience, naturally. Selvadurai speaks of a passionate group of team members who work hard and play hard. “Everyone’s extremely excited about all of the stuff we’re building and being surrounded by that type of energy is addictive,” he says.

Perks of the job include full health, vision and dental coverage, a 401k plan, pre-tax transit benefits, flexible hours and vacation, gym-fee reimbursement, snacks, lunches and all the free Foursquare schwag imaginable.

9. Instagram

A healthy rivalry has been brewing between mobile photo sharing competitors Picplz and Instagram. The latter has made an arguably louder splash, attracting one million iPhone app users in just 10 weeks and recently introducing a brand-friendly hashtag feature.

Following a recent move to Twitter’s original office in the South Park area of San Francisco, Instagram is “looking for an engineer to help build the next biggest social company in mobile,” says co-founder Kevin Systrom. “We’re passionate about creating products that let people tell their stories on the go through photos, and we’re looking for people who want to solve some of social’s biggest technology hurdles as we grow and scale the service.”

Forget about Ivy League degrees or stellar GPAs — Instagram wants engineers who can build “kick ass” software and possess a tangible passion for the product and its potential.

New hires will join a four-man team and play a significant, family-member role in defining Instagram’s company culture, they’ll also get to take home a “chunk of a fast-growing and immensely popular company,” says Systrom.

The office touts a new Italian coffee machine, Apple Cinema Displays, Macbook Airs and other gadgetry that makes the workspace just as drool-worthy as the product.

Startup Job Listings

Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top startup job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

More Job Search Resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Land a Job at Twitter
- Top 5 Online Communities for Starting Your Career
- HOW TO: Land a Business Development Job
- Top 5 Tips for Creating Impressive Video Resumes
- 19 Resources to Help You Land a Job in 2011

Images courtesy of Flickr, Twilio, osunick, jolieodell, robertscoble, TEDxSoMa, dpstyles

More About: career, careers, evernote, foursquare, instagram, involver, job search, job search series, jobs, Path, Tasty Labs, thingd, trending, twilio

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Review: Logitech’s Mouse for Couch Potatoes [PICS]

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 12:07 PM PST


Logitech claims its Couch Mouse M515 is optimized for soft surfaces such as sofas, beds or carpets. No stranger to the wonders and allure of a comfy couch, I was eager to see if it could do better than other pointing devices at navigating a PC from, shall we say, more relaxing surroundings.

I got the Couch Mouse working just a few seconds after plugging in Logitech’s signature “unifying receiver,” a USB dongle scarcely the size of a thumbnail that communicates flawlessly with most of its new pointing devices. Flipping on its switch underneath, the Couch Mouse was ready for action.

Next it was time to try the mouse on a variety of surfaces, and it was able to navigate them all as if it were sliding around on a mousepad. Logitech calls the mouse “easy gliding,” and that’s a true statement. Not only is its sealed bottom resistant to dust bunnies and various fibers, it’s sensitive enough to use almost anywhere. In addition to a leather couch, a cloth couch, various blankets and sheets and a variety of carpets, the mouse was able to track perfectly on granite, slate, all types of wood, and even though Logitech doesn’t recommend it, it did a respectable job of working on a overturned glass bowl I had on the coffee table.

A pleasant surprise was the Logitech “hyperfast” capability that I’ve grown accustomed to with its MX Revolution series. The Couch Mouse gives you a choice of that free-spinning hyperfast mode that works like a flywheel, letting you zip through long web pages in seconds, or press down on the mouse wheel and it goes into conventional click wheel mode. Aside from its unpleasant and unusually loud noise when you press down to click the mouse wheel, the procedure was a welcome convenience.

Besides its versatility, I like the way this mouse feels in my hand. It’s not too small and not too large, and it’s equally friendly to right-handed or left-handed users. The sound of each of its left and right mouse clicks is just right — not too noisy, but giving you appropriate tactile feedback.

It was disappointing to see that the Couch Mouse requires two AA batteries — I would’ve preferred a rechargeable mouse — but easing that gripe is the fact that the mouse is extraordinarily efficient. Its Hand Detection uses battery power only when you touch it.

Taken aback at first by its $50 price, after testing it for the better part of a week, I think the Logitech Couch Mouse M515 is well worth that steep tariff. But for $50, I think Logitech could’ve made the mouse rechargeable. Nevertheless, if you like to use a mouse in your home theater or on your couch, or if you’re looking for a pointing device that can handle just about any surface, this one’s highly recommended.


Logitech Couch Mouse




You can also get the couch mouse in a battleship grey color, but I like this metallic blue the best.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Check out the little swoosh on the side, apparently added by Logitech just for fun.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Look out Nike, you might want to lawyer up -- they're using swooshes on both sides. But no, it's not close enough for a lawsuit.


Logitech Couch Mouse




There's a middle mouse button that opens a webpage in a tab if you're using Windows. The mouse also works on Macs.


Logitech Couch Mouse




This is a fairly small mouse, but not too small.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Here's a key picture: Look at the bottom, designed for easy gliding on irregular surfaces. It works. Slide that battery compartment cover off, and there's a little slot where you can store Logitech's tiny USB dongle. Thoughtful design, making it good for traveling. Think about it: Have you had trouble using conventional mice on hotel beds or coffee tables? I know I have.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Its symmetrical shape makes it work well for both southpaws and righties.


Logitech Couch Mouse




I wanted to show you the mouse in my hand, where it feels like just the right size. My hands are about medium-sized.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Here's the Couch Mouse in its native element, a leather couch, where it worked perfectly.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Still on a leather couch, it looks pretty cool.


Logitech Couch Mouse




The mouse wheel feels a lot like the one on Logitech's more- expensive MX Revolution.


Logitech Couch Mouse




Too bad that mouse wheel make such a god-awful loud noise when you press down on it. Otherwise, its clicks are quiet and pleasant.


Logitech Couch Mouse




I like its subtle metallic finish that's not shiny.

Here’s more about the Couch Mouse from Logitech.

More About: gallery, hands-on, Logitech Couch Mouse M515, mice, mouse, Pointing Devices, reviews, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

8-Year-Old Girl Lectures Egypt’s Mubarak on YouTube [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 10:05 AM PST

Trying to make sense of the violence and upheaval in Egypt? Take 51 seconds and have it explained to you by Juju, a precocious 8-year-old Saudi girl.

If you have kids or know them well, you’ll recognize the innate sense of fairness that every 8-year-old can plainly feel in any situation. Let them vote, let somebody else have a turn. Didn’t we all learn this in kindergarten?

And by the way, Mr. Mubarak, “Some of your police officers removed their jackets and they’re joining the people.” Priceless.

[via Boing Boing]

More About: Egypt, Juju, mubarak, protests, Saudi girl, thumbnail, trending, Violence, youtube

For more Video coverage:

Twitter Declares, “The Tweets Must Flow”

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 08:59 AM PST


While protests rage on in Egypt, Twitter called for free expression and transparency in a manifesto published on its blog.

Co-written by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and the company’s General Counsel and former Google lawyer Alexander Macgillivray, the post casts Twitter as a trustworthy messenger, relaying information between hundreds of millions of users, and only refusing to do so if such messages are illegal or spam.

With more than 100 million separate messages transmitted each day, the company says it would be impossible to monitor each and every one. In addition, Twitter vows to refrain from revealing private information about its users, and when it is required to do so by law, it will attempt to notify those users before handing over their information to the authorities.

As longtime dictators and despots blame Twitter as an instigator of their dwindling power, Twitter reminds us that it’s only a mirror on such troubled societies, “providing the tools that foster these discussions.” However, that mirror is turned into an enormous global amplifier in situations such as those in Egypt now and Tunisia earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Twitter communication is nearly a moot point in Egypt, where there were some reports of cellphone service returning, but Internet service was still shut down today, according to The New York Times. (Update: However, some have figured out clever ways around the problem).

Read Twitter’s manifesto in its entirety here, and let us know in the comments what you think.

Image courtesy of Flickr/Brooklyn Museum

More About: Alexander Macgillivray, biz stone, Egypt, free speech, The Tweets Must Flow, transparency, twitter

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10 Incredible Interactive YouTube Videos

Posted: 30 Jan 2011 07:31 AM PST

Like a 21st century version of the choose-your-own-adventure books, interactive YouTube videos can up the engagement factor by letting the viewer decide the course of the action, or just play around with the content.

With Tippex seeing success with its A Hunter Shoots a Bear campaign, and Samsung and Rogers also testing the interactive video waters lately, we expect to see more creative campaigns from companies in 2011.

Meanwhile, we’ve found 10 top interactive YouTube experiences, from both businesses and individuals, that incorporate gameplay, quizzes and just plain old fashioned entertainment for your viewing pleasure.

So, prepare to engage with the gallery below and let us know your thoughts on this potentially exciting medium.


1. La Linea Interactive


A tribute to the popular Italian animated series La Linea, this is a great use of the choose-your-own format from YouTube master Patrick Boivin.


2. The YouTube Electric Guitar


Wait for this vid to load all the way up, then click on different places in the timeline to play different chords. Just no "Stairway to Heaven," y'hear?


3. The Treasure Hunt: A Chad, Matt & Rob Interactive Adventure!


Chad, Matt and Rob are masters of the interactive YouTube adventure genre. While their earlier work is also worth checking out, this is their latest effort, and it's a doozie!


4. Ronald Has A Spider On His Head: An Interactive Mis-Adventure!


Very much an amateur effort, this nonetheless has a place in our heart as an early example of the format. Also, it's LEGO!


5. Choose a Different Ending


Warning: The video above contains some violent imagery, and may not be appropriate for all ages or viewing in the workplace.

Created for the Drop the Weapons campaign, this realistic video seeks to educate kids about the consequences of making the wrong decisions. Remember kids, just as in life, you decide the ending.


6. YouTube Radio


This is as much fun to interact with as we'd imagine it was to write and record the music for all the different genres. Jazz is our fave, in case you were wondering.


7. Deliver Me to Hell


Warning: The video above contains some violent imagery, and may not be appropriate for all ages or viewing in the workplace.

We think it could be argued that zombies and pizza are pretty much the perfect combo for 20 minutes of YouTube fun. This fab promo for New Zealand pizza chain "Hell Pizzas" brings both. Can you deliver the pies across town without getting on the wrong side of the undead?


8. Howard Glitch


Anything that starts "you are trapped inside a spaceship that is headed for a fatal destination" has our attention right away. This Kickstarter-backed "point'n'click'n'escape" game brings some existential angst and quantum mechanics to the YouTube platform. Knowing that, how can you not click through?


9. Bboy vs Joker


More from the talented Patrick Boivin here with the brilliant concept of a break dancing duel between The Joker and Batman. How does Boivin come up with this stuff?


10. Who Wants to be a YouTubillionaire?


If you can stand Dan Brown's off-the-charts perkiness, then this interactive faux game show is incredibly well put together -- it even includes "phone a friend" side narratives.

More Video Resources from Mashable:

- 10 Captivating Time-Lapse Design Videos
- 10 Excellent Examples of Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns [VIDEOS]
- 10 Stories Beautifully Told with Animated Typography [VIDEOS]
- 10 Incredibly Inspirational Moments on YouTube [VIDEOS]
- 10 Super Social Media Songs [VIDEOS]

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