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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Google: Bing’s Search Results Are a “Cheap Imitation””

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Google: Bing’s Search Results Are a “Cheap Imitation””

Google: Bing’s Search Results Are a “Cheap Imitation”

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 04:38 AM PST


Google Fellow Amit Singhal recently accused Bing of copying some of Google’s search results. Google had created what it calls “synthetic queries” – test search queries which tie two terms which normally have no connection, and discovered that after a while the same connections start appearing on Bing.

For example, Google created a synthetic query linking the non-sensical word “hiybbprqag” to a result about seating in a theater in Los Angeles. After a while, the same result appeared on Bing; Google claims that the only way this could have happened is if Bing simply copied the result from them, as the only connection between the query and the result was – Google.

Microsoft’s answer, coming from a company’s spokesperson, was clear but not very revealing: "We do not copy Google's results."

Bing Corporate Vice President Harry Shum later expanded Microsoft’s short answer to a more detailed one, essentially claiming that the search results Google claims Bing has been copying have in fact come from Bing’s users.

“We use over 1,000 different signals and features in our ranking algorithm. A small piece of that is clickstream data we get from some of our customers, who opt-in to sharing anonymous data as they navigate the web in order to help us improve the experience for all users,” wrote Shum.

But Google didn’t plan on letting this one go that easily. The company decided to escalate the incident on its official blog with a long post, detailing how its engineers discovered that Bing is copying Google’s results, and what they did to “catch” Bing red-handed.

The post is extremely detailed and reads like a detective story for the tech-minded, so we invite you to read it in its entirety here. Here’s the important bit, though: Google claims that Bing is using “some combination” of IE8, Bing Toolbar and possibly some other means to send data on what people search on Google and what results they click to Bing.

“Put another way, some Bing results increasingly look like an incomplete, stale version of Google results—a cheap imitation,” concludes Google.

The gloves are obviously off, and after a sharp jab like that, we’re sure that we’ll hear more from Microsoft about the story. Stay tuned.

More About: bing, Google, Search, search results

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Internet Restored in Egypt, Army Tells Protesters to Go Home

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 03:04 AM PST


According to numerous reports on Twitter, Internet access has been at least partially restored in Egypt.

Reports about the Internet working again in Cairo and other cities are pouring in, however we’ve also seen reports that some services, such as Facebook and Twitter are still unavailable there.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Egyptian authorities have restored internet access to restore order in the country, with the Egyptian army calling on protesters to go home. “You have the power to bring stability back to the country. We are urging you as respectful citizens to go back home,” an army spokesman said on national television.

Last week, the Egyptian authorities have shut down Internet and SMS access in an unprecedented move to try to stop the protests against the regime of long-reigning President Hosni Mubarak.

Since then, Egyptians have been using various workarounds to access services such as Twitter and Facebook which have been instrumental in organizing the protests.

Lead image courtesy of Flickr, Al Jazeera English.

More About: Egypt, internet, protests

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LG’s First Tablet is Coming to U.S. in March

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 02:07 AM PST


LG will release its first tablet, dubbed the G-Slate in the United States in March, the company has announced.

The G-Slate will be based on Honeycomb a.k.a. Android 3.0, a special branch of Android OS designed specifically for tablet computers.

It’ll have a 8.9-inch screen, a dual-core 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, 32 GB of internal memory, two cameras (5 megapixels on the back and 2 megapixels on the front), LED flash and HD (1080p) video as well as stereoscopic 3D recording capability.

The device will also have Wi-Fi and (on T-Mobile) HSPA+ connectivity, HDMI, a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer and adaptive lighting.

The precise release date and the pricing for the G-Slate has not yet been revealed, but we expect to hear more details at the Mobile World Congress which is held February 14-17 in Barcelona.

More About: android, honeycomb, LG, Tablet

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New Recipe Search Engine Brings Food to Facebook

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 09:17 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: Foodily

Quick Pitch: Foodily lets users search across multiple sites by ingredient, see recipes that their friends like and create Facebook events around recipes.

Genius Idea: My grandmother’s fat box of handwritten recipes is splattered with evidence of family candy-making sessions, holiday meals and her often-shared famous cranberries recipe. My mother has a similar box, which she pulls out before potlucks to search for a friend’s casserole recipe.

My recipe box, on the other hand, resides on the Internet.

“Food is inherently social,” says Andrea Cutright, the CEO of startup Foodily. That nobody has taken a serious stab at integrating a recipe database with the most prevelant social platform of the day — Facebook — seemed like a missed opportunity to Cutright and her co-founder Hillary Mickell.

The two women have created a search engine that pulls in recipes from sites ranging from small food blogs to dominant online recipe publishers like the Food Network. Users can search by ingredients, by excluding specific ingredients, or even by vague terms like “vegan dinner.”

Starting Wednesday, they’ll also be able to connect their Facebook profiles to the site in order to “like” dishes and view who else in their networks liked the dishes that appear in their search results. They can also create menus, share them with friends and include them in Facebook event pages.

The startup is by no means the first site to combine social interaction and recipes. Allrecipes.com, Cooks.com, BakeSpace.com, and Nibbledish all foster community and encourage comments on recipes, but they do so among strangers. Foodily thinks it can distinguish itself by integrating with users’ existing networks.

Foodily’s search engine, which launched mid-December, is also a distinguishing factor. Because it indexes every recipe by every ingredient, advertisers know exactly what recipes users are looking at. The startup hopes to use this advantage to sell advertisers an opportunity to distribute coupons to users who are looking at recipes that call for their products.

Index Ventures, at least, sees this is as a viable revenue stream. The firm has contributed $5 million of Series A funding to the idea.

The startup’s success now depends heavily on whether home chefs are ready to set aside crowdsourced recipe sites — and old index-card recipe boxes — to make Foodily their social recipe resource.













Image courtesy of iStockphoto, StudioThreeDots

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: Food, Food Search, Foodily, social

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Google Launches Shopping App for iPhone

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 07:06 PM PST


Google is launching its popular shopping app, Google Shopper, for iPhone, complete with voice, image and local search.

Originally released for Android last year, Google Shopper can find products based on text, voice or barcode recognition to get the price comparison of a specific product online. If you do a search for “HP printer,” you’ll be a list of different printer types, as well as a list of nearby locations where you can purchase the item. Google also displays a rating for the item, based on user reviews.

When you select a specific item, Google gives you more details about the product. You can then choose to either check for the item on a variety of online retailers, or you can look up a list of local retailers that carry the product. If you choose Local search, Google will display whether the item is available or not in each store. You can also “star” a specific item to save for later or you can share it with your friends via Facebook, Twitter and/or Google Reader.

Just like its Android counterpart, Shopper for iPhone is fast, simple and effective. For someone who wants to just get the price comparison, no matter where they are, the app will prove to be a reliable companion. That can’t be good for the likes of ShopSavvy and other shopping and barcode-reading applications.

The app is available in the app store now for iPhones running iOS 4.0 and higher.

More About: Google, iphone, shopping, shopping lists

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Y Combinator Launching Designer Directory

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 06:09 PM PST


Y Combinator‘s new designer-in-residence (DIR) Garry Tan has announced the incubator is compiling a directory of ” the best and the brightest interaction designers and visual designers” who might like to work in the world of web startups.

“One thing we hear about a lot from our companies is that great designers are hard to come by,” writes Tan. “We’re trying to make that easier by putting together a list of preferred designers.”

Y Combinator is including designers from many disciplines, including logo and branding experts, interaction designers, and visual/web designers. Designers are needed in remote, on-site, contract and full-time positions to work with Y Combinator’s constantly growing portfolio of web startups, which includes alumni companies such as Loopt, Reddit, Scribd, Disqus, Dropbox, Justin.tv, Heroku, Posterous, DailyBooth and more.

Interested parties can apply for inclusion in the directory starting now. The directory will be in use beginning in February 2011.

Especially at very early-stage companies, there is a tendency to skimp on the more subtle niceties of design when the team is frantically trying to get a product to market. And very often, hybrid designer-developer founders find themselves wearing many hats as they work on a product in relative isolation.

Tan recently left his startup, Posterous, to work with a variety of early-stage startups at Y Combinator. As the incubator’s DIR, Tan is acting as a sort of UI guru to the batches of early-stage startups and projects that come to the incubator. Launching a directory of hand-picked, top-notch designers to work with any startup in need of design help is an excellent first step.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Andresr

More About: design, designers, garry tan, startups, web design, y combinator

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The Rise of Digital Multitasking [STATS]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 05:38 PM PST


More Americans than ever are multitasking while they watch TV, according to a new survey from Deloitte.

Between September 10 and October 8, 2010, Deloitte polled 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 14-75 on their digital habits. Unsurprisingly, it found that Americans are plugged in. 85% own a desktop computer, yet another 68% own a laptop or a netbook and another 41% have Internet-enabled phones. Moreover, 1/3 of American households now own a smartphone, up from 22% in 2007.

TV is still king, though. 74% of U.S. consumers still watch TV primarily on their TV sets, and a full 59% of U.S. households now own flat-screen TVs. In 2007, that number was just 17%. Still, Deloitte’s survey shows that younger consumers are moving towards the Internet for their TV content; 37% of 22 to 27-year-olds surveyed said that they watch TV on the web five to seven times a week.

The TV-watching experience is changing, too. A full 42% of American consumers surf the while they are watching the television, 29% talk on their phones while the TV is on and 26% of consumers are texting or sending IMs. Multitasking has become a more prominent behavior of U.S. consumers. No longer do you find he whole family circling the TV to watch Cronkite deliver the news; instead, they’re checking Facebook and making phone calls.

The survey also addresses the decline of print media. Deloitte specifically mentions print magazines as a medium that is “surviving the digital tsunami.” 2/3 of U.S. consumers have read a print copy of a magazine in the last six months, higher than newspaper and other forms of print media. Interestingly, 87% of U.S. consumers say that they prefer the print copy of magazines over the digital version. In fact, 55% of U.S. households still subscribe to at least one print magazine, up by 1% from 2009.

We’re a bit surprised to see that print magazine subscriptions haven’t dropped off like a cliff in recent years, but they are definitely falling, and it’s forcing publishers to make hard choices. To counteract this effect, many publishers are turning to the iPad to recreate the magazine experience digitally, although the results have been mixed thus far.

More About: deloitte, media, stats, television, trending

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Personal Networking Startup Path Nabs $8.65M, Adds E-Mail Support

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 04:21 PM PST


Path, the almost counterintuitive “personal networking” startup, has just dried the ink on an $8.65 million Series A led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Index Ventures with participation from Digital Garage Japan and First Round Capital.

Index and First Round also participated in the company’s $2.5 million angel round late last year. The startup has now taken $11.2 million in venture capital.

Founded by former Facebook executive Dave Morin and a few other tech luminaries, Path is perhaps best known for its 50-friend limit, which by necessity makes online interactions more personal and leaves spammers, brands and the attention-hungry out in the cold. The app is currently available on the iPhone and iPod touch only.

Along with the funding news, Morin announced on the Path blog, “there have been over 2 million moments shared between close family and friends on Path.” And that number is expected to rise, since, as Morin writes, “you can now use Path to share with anyone via e-mail.”

In recent weeks, the startup has added some interesting and unusual features, including 10-second video clips and simple emoticons that incorporate mood — one of the least explored frontiers of actionable metadata.

Expect to see more enhancements and new features in the coming weeks. Personally, we’re hoping for an Android app.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Joi Ito.

More About: david morin, first round, funding, index ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Path, series a

“Grey’s Anatomy” Fans To Get an Interactive Viewing Experience on iPad

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 03:29 PM PST


On Tuesday, ABC released Grey’s Anatomy Sync for iPad, a free app that promises a more interactive TV viewing experience.

The app is designed as a form of companion content to the show itself. The first episode of Grey’s Anatomy to take advantage of this app will air this Thursday, February 3. ABC has said that all remaining first-run episodes of the show will also work with the app.

Grey’s Anatomy Sync [iTunes link] is powered by Nielsen’s Media-Sync Platform and will showcase interactive content in real time, based on what is happening on screen. Media-Sync technology works in conjunction with the microphone on the iPad to keep the app in sync with the show.

Using the audio watermarks that TV programs typically use for tracking TV ratings, the app can figure out where a viewer is in a program and offer up corresponding content on the iPad. This means that in addition to using the app when watching the show live, users can also use the app when watching on a time-shifted copy of the program or when fast-forwarding or rewinding the show.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen entertainment properties target users using audio watermarks and interactive apps. Back in 2009, we wrote about Spot411, a company that makes apps capable of interacting with movies and TV shows, while using technology similar to Nielsen’s Media-Sync.

This fall, ABC and Nielsen released a proof-of-concept version of a Media-Sync app for (the now defunct) My Generation.

For users, these types of applications offer an enhanced and augmented TV viewing experience. As Anthony Soohoo from TV.com told us last May, network executives are increasingly looking at the iPad and other tablet devices as a second screen device.

Likewise, advertisers are interested in using the iPad as a way to better engage with users. Studies have shown that viewers increasingly watch television while also interacting with another device — often smartphones and tablets. Advertisers and brands see these platforms as additional opportunities to reach their target audience.

We think these interactive applications are an interesting idea and we’re impressed that Grey’s Anatomy Sync has integrated social features. We do wish the app would allow users to watch older episodes (and not just clips), or at least offer a direct link to open up the ABC.com streaming app.

I haven’t watched Grey’s Anatomy live in a few years, but I might just make a point to tune in on Thursday night, just to see what the social experience is all about.

What do you think of apps that interact with your TV?

More About: abc, grey's anatomy, ipad apps, media-sync, Nielsen, tv

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Want To Edit Out All the Ads in Times Square?

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 03:01 PM PST


Online creation tools company Aviary has teamed up with digital marketing and creative agency The Barbarian Group and journalist Morgan Spurlock to create “No Ad: New York,” an online editor that lets users remove all ads from a virtual representation of Times Square.

If you’re a New York resident, you most likely avoid Times Square like the over-lit, tourist-sodden place that it is. Enter, “No Ad: New York” to save the gridlocked day.

The idea came to Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) after hearing about the city of Sao Paulo, where outdoor ads have been banned since 2007 (they were deemed visual pollution).

Spurlock wondered if the same situation could be possible in New York, and approached The Barbarian Group with the concept. The Barbarian Group turned to Aviary, and they created a website on which users can virtually expunge all ads for Times Square — together.

Via the website, ad enemies can use Aviary’s image editor to replace ads with building textures, as well as utilize some of the company’s other tools to rid the world of underwear-clad models and movie posters.

Oh, and if you’re from some other ad-riddled clime, the site also lets you contact the folks in charge to set up an online purge in your own city.

More About: ads, Aviary, MARKETING, morgan-spurlock, new york

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Seth Godin’s New Publishing Experiment Reveals Its First Title

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:50 PM PST


As part of his mission to develop an alternative to the traditional book publishing model, acclaimed author and marketer Seth Godin has announced the first title to appear under his new Amazon imprint, called The Domino Project. The book is titled Poke the Box and will be made available for purchase in print, audio and as a Kindle e-book on March 1.

Amazon announced the imprint in November as part of its new “Powered by Amazon” publishing program, which allows selected (i.e., bestselling) authors to leverage Amazon’s production, distribution and marketing resources to distribute their content, thereby cutting traditional publishers out of the process.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to break ground and help define what publishing can become," says Godin. "A book that isn't read doesn't do anyone any good, and too often, the book publishing industry gets in the way of books reaching people who can benefit from them. Amazon knows what to do to help these books get read."

In other words, Godin will leverage Amazon’s Kindle Store and extensive media reach — along with his own considerable following — to market books published under his new imprint. But whether Godin is really redefining ‘what publishing can become’ is debatable. Godin and Amazon aren’t doing anything new — rather, Amazon is simply expanding its role as a retailer to perform most of the duties of a publisher as well.

In an interview with Mediabistro in August 2010, Godin said that he was frustrated by the slow, roundabout publishing process he had experienced in the past. "I like the people, but I can't abide the long wait, the filters, the big push at launch, the nudging to get people to go to a store they don't usually visit to buy something they don't usually buy, to get them to pay for an idea in a form that's hard to spread," he said. “I can reach 10 or 50 times as many people electronically," he explained.

Although he emphasized electronic distribution as the way of the future, Godin and Amazon are also heavily investing in a physical product: A “limited deluxe edition” will offer a printed version of the book along with a letterpress jacket and poster, as well as a “specially designed signature plate.” Five and 52-packs of the printed book will also be available “at a discounted price” to “share with friends and colleagues.”

The book itself, according to Amazon, is all about initiative, calling readers to become self-starters in their careers, organizations and personal lives. “It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead,” Amazon said in a statement.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

More About: amazon, e-books, publishing, seth godin

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Group Buying for Social Good: 7 Sites Using Daily Deals to Give Back

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:27 PM PST

cause image

Frank Barry, professional services manager at Blackbaud and blogger at NetWits ThinkTank, helps non-profits use the Internet for digital communication, social media and fundraising so they can focus on making an impact and achieving their missions. Find Frank on Twitter @franswaa.

Groupon, the market leader in the group buying business, has become a household name over the past 18 months. They're preparing for a $15 billion dollar IPO after rejecting Google’s sizable $6 billion dollar offer. That didn’t stop Google from entering the market. Soon after, Google decided to hit the group buying scene by confirming that Google Offers is, in fact, a reality. The sheer size and reach of Google makes it an immediate threat.

LivingSocial, another well-known player in this space, seems to be holding their own after a $175 million dollar investment from Amazon. And to top it all off, Facebook recently launched a group buying prototype called "Buy with Friends" that will work with Facebook credits. With a user base of 600 million, Facebook is sure to disrupt the group buying market when they launch to the public.

But the location-based group buying goodness doesn't stop with the for-profit sector. Sites like Deals for Deeds, CauseOn, Deal Gooder, Sharing Spree and DealTwo have recently emerged on the scene with a subtle differentiator — they've each built their platforms and business models with a charitable focus in mind. Each of these platforms is interested in bringing people great deals while also doing some good.

Let's take a quick look at how Groupon, LivingSocial and five additional group buying companies are supporting charitable work.

1. Groupon

groupon image

Groupon is leading the way in this space mostly because they were first-to-market with a group buying location-based coupon model. They've got over 35 million registered users and serve 250 total markets around the world. By being the biggest and having the most brand recognition, they attract the masses — non-profits included.

Lights Camera Help gave fundraising on Groupon a shot and raised $150 dollars in 24 hours.

An L.A. NPR member station sold 868 $50 dollar memberships at a discounted rate of $25 dollars using Groupon. After the 50% cut that Groupon takes, KCRW raised nearly $11,000 dollars. That's a pretty good return for KCRW, Southern California’s leading National Public Radio affiliate.

To date, one of the most successful fundraisers on Groupon happened when they teamed up with DonorsChoose.org back in May 2010. By becoming Groupon’s featured daily deal, DonorsChoose.org saw close to 1,500 donations come in, raising over $162,000 dollars in support of classrooms in need.

In this deal, Groupon users had the option to purchase half price credits for $20, $50, $100 or $250 that could be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org, a website that enables grassroots fundraising in support of teachers and classrooms around the world. Donations were matched by a grant from the Pershing Square Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Pershing Square Capital.

2. Goodtwo

goodtwo

Goodtwo has taken a page out of the more traditional online peer-to-peer fundraising model by allowing non-profits and individuals (a.k.a. free agent fundraisers) to create their own fundraising page where they can set a goal, offer special deals to their supporters and track their progress. You can also include information about your mission and goals as well as multimedia, such as photos and a video that help you tell your story.

Goodtwo combines group buying with fundraising by allowing those that set up a fundraising page to choose from a menu of deals that offer supporters 50% or more off at shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

According to the team at goodtwo, "Fundraisers host deals on dedicated pages customized for their cause that they can then offer to their supporters for a limited time. For each deal sold through the page, the fundraiser keeps half the profit."

Check out ow Reach out and Read is using Goodtwo to get a better sense of what's going on over there.

3. Deals for Deeds

deals for deeds image

Deals for Deeds created a model that allows non-profits to submit a specific project along with a fundraising goal. Registered Deals for Deeds users are then able to vote on which non-profit cause they'd like to see featured on the website. Once the votes have been tallied, Deals For Deeds makes the announcement and dedicates a week's worth of deals toward the non-profit’s fundraising goal. Deals for Deeds donates a minimum of 5% of every purchase to the charity.

Josh Hoffman, co-founder of Deals for Deeds, answered a question of mine on Quora:

"Each week, we partner with a different non-profit organization. 5-10% of all sales throughout the week go directly to support their work. All of the fundraising on our site is cause/goal oriented so our members know exactly how the money is being used and there is a progress meter on the top of the home page that indicates how close we are to reaching the goal."

Additionally, Deals for Deeds occasionally allows non-profits to offer their own deals on the site with 100% of the proceeds going back to the charity. To date, Deals for Deeds has helped more than 15 local charities.

4. DealGooder

deal gooder image

DealGooder views their business through a simple yet important lens. According to the team, they "believe that everyone has the ability to make the world a bit better each day. And if you can have fun while doing it, well, we think that's a win/win and a message worth spreading."

Of all the group buying platforms out there, DealGooder offers the most incentive for non-profits to participate by giving 50% of every purchase back to local charities. Check out this week's charity to get an idea of how DeelGooder is impacting its local community.

5. CauseOn

causeon image

CauseOn is group buying with a heart. Its approach is similar to Deals for Deeds and DealGooder in that they give a portion of each deal's profits back to a carefully selected non-profit.

According to the team at CauseOn, "We return 15-20% of our revenue from every offer directly to one of our carefully selected charities. And yes, you can pick your own favorite charity from our list, so every dollar you spend helps support a cause you care about."

The edge for CauseOn is that they give you, as the buyer of the daily deal, the ability to direct your donation to any one of the registered charities. So far, they've signed up over 25 non-profits and are working with a few of the more well known non-profit brands such as Susan G. Komen, Special Olympics, Planed Parenthood and the YWCA.

6. Sharing Spree

sharing spree image

At first glance, Sharing Spree looks to be exactly like some of the other platforms mentioned in this post, but if you dig a little deeper you'll notice one subtle difference: It's a group buying site offering daily deals for the ladies only (sorry gents). The founders of Sharing Spree created the site based on what they learned about the buying habits of women while running myEZdeal.com, another group buying site.

So far they've raised over $35,000 dollars for local charities by giving 10 to 20% of each purchase to local non-profits. Registered users are able to choose from a list of more than fifteen non-profits and schools when they buy a daily deal.

Currently it’s just operating in Portland, OR and Nashville, TN, but plans on expanding to other major U.S. cities over the course of 2011.

7. LivingSocial

living social image

LivingSocial is one of the big players in the group buying business. They're even giving Groupon, the leader in this space, a run for their money, thanks mostly to a $175 Million Investment From Amazon.

For the second year in a row, LivingSocial brought us 12 Days Of Giving, a holiday program focused on supporting charitable work around the world. Their latest fundraising efforts raised over $130,000 dollars by giving 1% of every Daily Deal purchased during the 12 days leading up to Christmas to their partners: DonorsChoose and GlobalGiving. They raised $100,780.67 and $29,323.93, respectively.

More Social Good Resources from Mashable:

- 4 Social Trends Impacting the Future of Online Fundraising
- Why Video Games Are Scoring Big for Social Good
- 5 Facebook Giving Campaign Success Stories
- 4 Innovative Social Good Campaigns for Education
- 3 Ways to Empower Social Media Giving This Holiday Season

More About: group buying, groupon, List, Lists, social good, social media

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AT&T’s First 4G Phone Gets a Launch Date

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 02:16 PM PST


Is there any non-Apple handset that can tempt masses of AT&T customers away from the iPhone? We may find out shortly after February 12, when the carrier debuts the HTC Inspire — its very first 4G phone.

4G technology is a confusing collection of cellular standards. The Inspire uses a system called HSPA+, which the International Telecommunications Union only declared worthy of the 4G label back in December; other 4G phones use LTE. AT&T is hedging its bets by rolling out 20 phones using either HSPA+ or LTE in 2011, with the Inspire in the vanguard seat.

Which version of 4G will be faster? That remains to be seen; both are evolving fast. But AT&T’s Mobility chief executive, Ralph de la Vega, claims to have rolled out HSPA+ to “virtually 100 percent of our mobile broadband network,” and says Inspire users should expect a download speed of 6Mbps on day one. That’s far from HSPA+’s theoretical limit of 21Mbps, but it’s not too shabby.

The Android-powered Inspire looks good in other areas, too. It’s cheap at $99 (with a two-year contract). Its 4.3-inch display is the largest AT&T has offered yet. It offers an 8-megapixel camera, HD video recording and a built-in Wifi hotspot, so your laptop can use it. That alone may be enough to make Macbook-toting Apple users switch.

[via PCmag]

More About: 4G, att, HSPA+, HTC Inspire, LTE

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Student Suspended for Calling Teacher Fat on Facebook

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 01:47 PM PST


A California high school student has been suspended for making rude remarks about a teacher on Facebook.

For the more old-fashioned disciplinarians among us, this might seem like common sense; however, the ACLU is claiming the student’s free speech rights were violated and says the school broke federal and state laws.

In a letter to Mesa Verde High School Principal Rick Messer, an ACLU staff attorney said that tenth-grader Donny Tobolski’s Facebook post was “protected under the state and federal constitutions as well as the Education Code.”

The comment in question, which was written after Tobolski was assigned an unusually large amount of biology homework, stated that the boy’s teacher was a “fat ass who should stop eating fast food, and is a douche bag.” The message was posted from Tobolski’s home computer and not during school hours.

In a similar case from last November, a federal agency declared that Facebook updates are, in fact, protected speech. In that situation, an employee named Dawnmarie Souza was fired for making derogatory remarks about a supervisor in a Facebook status update.

In both cases, though the complaining parties were rude and vulgar, the speech wasn’t necessarily threatening.

Souza’s hearing is expected to turn into a lengthy legal battle. We’ll follow that case as well as this one to see where Facebook stands in the realm of free and protected speech.

In the comments, let us know your opinion: Do you think Mesa Verde High School — or any school — should have the right to discipline students for rude Facebook remarks made on students’ own time?

Image courtesy of Flickr, escapedtowisconsin

More About: aclu, donny tobolski, facebook, free speech, freedom of speech, high school, trending

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Thumbplay Music To Add “Radio” Feature

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 01:38 PM PST


Joining the likes of MOG, Slacker Radio and Pandora, music subscription service Thumbplay will soon be adding a “radio” functionality to its new web and smartphone apps.

Later this month, new versions of Thumbplay’s apps will hit the market — this time featuring the ability to create artist stations.

Thumbplay artist radio is much like MOG’s artist radio; one can use a slider to determine the desired music mix: from songs totally by that band, to a more eclectic medley. One can also save music, rewind it, repeat songs and delete songs from the station without limitations.

In addition, this new iteration does not require one to download the app (before, users were required to download a desktop app — this version is web-based), and it will boast social sharing features as well. (Thumbplay added deep Twitter integration to its desktop app a while back.)

The most attractive aspect of the app, however, is how easy it is to navigate. In many ways, it mimics services like iTunes, neatly laying out one’s music by artist and drilling down to album, song, etc. It’s much more intuitive than MOG in many ways (even MOG’s Chrome app).

More and more, music subscription apps are adding features that put them in direct competition, providing consumers with even more choices when it comes to what service to sign up for.

Thumbplay’s app is still in private beta, but you can sign up for early access here.

What feature is most important to you when choosing a music service? On-demand streaming? Offline caching? Social sharing? Radio? Let us know.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, João Pedro, uai!

More About: mobile apps, music, thumbplay, web apps

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26% of Mobile Apps Are Opened Only Once

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 01:31 PM PST

cellphones

With 300,000 iPhone apps and 200,000 Android apps available for download, consumers aren’t willing to tolerate apps that at first sight don’t meet their standards.

Twenty-six percent of apps are only opened once after download, according to a study by software company Localytics.

Using its real-time app analytics tool, Localytics compiled data in 2010 about new users of thousands of Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 apps.

If these users did not open the apps a second time before January 26, 2011, they were counted as one-time users. (This partially explains why more one-time uses were reported in the last quarter of 2010 than the first quarter; the first-quarter group had more time to open the app again.)

Besides emphasizing how important it is for developers to avoid pitfalls that are likely to turn off fickle app users, the data also points out the inaccuracy of using the number of people who download an app as the sole measure of its success.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, MichaelDeLeonMichaelDeLeon

More About: app development, apps, Mobile 2.0

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Facebook Launches Deals Page on Site

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 01:09 PM PST


Want to access nearby Facebook Deals using your web browser? Now you can, thanks to Facebook’s new “Find Deals on Facebook” page.

The page, which was launched last week, enables users to find local deals on a map, just as they would using Facebook’s official iPhone or Android apps, or by accessing touch.facebook.com on their mobile phones. Users can also browse deals in other neighborhoods via search.

The page does not appear to be well-integrated into the rest of Facebook.com, although we expect it will be soon. Integration on the Home tab would no doubt drive greater awareness among those who primarily access Facebook from their desktops.

Emily White, Facebook’s director of local, told the Wall Street Journal that since Facebook Deals launched in the U.S. in November 2010, “millions” of people have used the service, and more than 50% of merchants have elected to renew their offers. Facebook Deals went live in five European countries on Monday.

[via All Facebook]

Image courtesy of the University of Kentucky

More About: facebook, Facebook Deals, MARKETING

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Fab.com Offers Groupon-Like Daily Deals for Gay Men

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 01:00 PM PST


In a move that shows group-buying is maturing into lifestyle niches, Fab.com today launched its “Big Gay Deal of the Day,” daily deals targeted to gay men.

The site, which bills itself as the “definitive resource for gay men,” launched its first deal today — $30 of underwear from Baskit for $15. Such deals will be offered Monday through Friday exclusively to registered members of the Fab network.

Upcoming deals, meanwhile, will include national discounts on Out magazine and Slick It Up clothing, plus bars, restaurants, gyms and other offers that skew toward a gay male lifestyle. Local Fab deals, meanwhile, will start in New York City with daily deals for Tagg Apparel, Broadway Bodies and gay bar Barracuda, among other places.

Fab.com started the program because Groupon’s daily deals were too broad. The existence of a niche market for group buying no doubt represents a maturation of the market. At present, around 50 million Americans are signed up for a daily deal or group-buying site — between Groupon and LivingSocial. Until now, Groupon’s many competitors have distinguished themselves by geography (like New York’s Scoop St. or Seattle’s Wrazz). As Fab’s entry shows, lifestyle may be the next differentiator.

More About: Fab.com, gay, groupon

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“CSI” Facebook Game Offers Bonuses for Watching the Show

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 12:06 PM PST


Thursday night’s episode of CSI will have something extra for fans of the show’s Facebook game: clues to unlock in-game bonuses.

Prior to the show’s episode #1113, “The Two Mrs. Grissoms,” the Facebook Page housing CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Crime City will pose a question to fans that can only be answered by watching the episode. The game’s new component coincides with February sweeps and will run through the end of the month.

To make this possible, game developers at Ubisoft, the creator of the CSI game, were given access to upcoming scripts from the show. The cross-media promotion comes at the same time that Kia is running its “One Epic Ride” promotion, challenging viewers to find clues in a 60-second Super Bowl spot to win a 2011 Optima. And ABC has announced plans to revive its Sync iPad app, which will provide extra content from Grey’s Anatomy for users as they watch the show.

“It’s not surprising that this is being done,” says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research for media services firm Horizon Media. He notes that research indicates many viewers watch TV with their cell phones or iPad at their side. In the case of CSI, though, the show has been trying to win over younger viewers for some time — it even had Justin Bieber star in an episode last fall. “The thing with CSI is, the median age is in the mid 50s,” says Adgate. “I don’t know how many of them are on Facebook.”

Nevertheless, the CSI game, which was created by Ubisoft and CBS Consumer Products, has acquired 2 million users since it was released in October.

More About: cbs, CSI, facebook, MARKETING

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Win a $2,000+ Digital Home Entertainment Package [CONTEST]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 11:42 AM PST


As we become more and more connected in the digital space, we’re consuming different types of media across various devices. But with new, often pricey gadgets coming out every day, it’s tough to keep up with the latest technology for watching movies, listening to music, sharing photos and more.

Unless you’re Mashable‘s lucky winner, that is.

We’re giving away an awesome digital home entertainment package, worth $2,200. It comes with six items vital for connecting and streaming your entire digital media collection.

What You’ll Win

  • 40″ Samsung LN40C650 HD TV
  • Sonos S5 Digital Stereo
  • Dell Studio 15 Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English)
  • Twonky Lifetime License
  • Linksys E3000 Wireless Router
  • Full Set of Cables for Set-up (1- HDMI Cable, 5–Cat 5 Cables)

How to Enter the Contest

  • Tell us your favorite movie line, song lyric OR photo scene (whatever you’ll be using the home entertainment package for most) and why AND
  • Tweet your answer using #mashtwonky and include a link to this post OR
  • Submit your answer in the comments below and like this post on Facebook

Submit your answer by Friday, February 4 at 12 p.m. ET. Please use your real identity in the submission so that we may contact you via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook to let you know that you’ve won. We’ll announce the winners after the contest closes. At this time, the contest is limited to those 18 and older in the U.S.

Thanks To Our Partners at Twonky

Twonky enables web-connected devices to communicate with one another, making it easier to manage and share digital media collections. The line of software and applications includes TwonkyManager, TwonkyServer, TwonkyBeam as well as mobile apps. It supports PC and Mac and allows users to access music, video and photos anytime, anywhere with simple drag-and-drop technology.

Image courtesy of Twonky.

More About: contest, dell, digital media, entertainment, giveaway, home entertainment system, Movies, music, photo, samsung, sonos, twonky, win

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Taxi Driver Imitates Michael Jackson, Delights the Internet [VIDEO]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 11:26 AM PST

We didn’t have to wait long for the next Ted Williams/Susan Boyle/other randomly talented Everyman to emerge.

Right now, a video featuring a Brazilian taxi driver doing a spot-on Michael Jackson impression is going viral, and it’s likely only a matter of time before the job offers start rolling in.

And to think the most interesting cab driver I’ve ever met just told me (unsolicited) that I’d never find love in New York City. Maybe I should move to Brazil.

More About: viral video, youtube

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Google Latitude Adds Checkins

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 11:20 AM PST


Google‘s location-sharing app, Latitude, has just added the ability to check in at a specific business or other location. In the past, users simply pinpointed their location on a map.

The difference seems minute, but letting users check in at a “real place” is an important part of Google’s overall strategy.

As Google Latitude engineer Joe LaPenna blogs, “Until today, sharing my location let friends and family know if I was across the globe or in their neighborhood. Now, check-ins let them see the cool restaurant I'm trying in Taipei or join me for a latte at the cafe nearby.”

And real locations mean real advertising opportunities. After all, knowing your intersection or latitude and longitude isn’t nearly as much an opportunity for behavioral targeting as knowing that you’re at a coin-op carwash or that you frequently eat at Indian restaurants.

Here’s the app in action on an Android phone:


Latitude is adding a few key components to its checkin offering, too. Users can choose to get a mobile notification to check in when they arrive at a location. They can also choose to let the app automatically check them in at designated spots. Checkouts — a rather new concept in the location game — are also automated.

Here’s a demo of how checkins will work:

Checkin apps have been of particular interest to Google for some time. In the company’s most recent location offering, Hotpot, a Yelp competitor, checkins were conspicuously absent.

Although it’s likely that the extra, automated features were worth the wait, we wonder how much ground Google has lost to companies like Facebook (its Places product is taking off) and Fousquare, both of which already have compelling checkin apps on the market and strong user bases.

More About: check.in, checkin, Google, google latitude, Latitude, location

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Galaxy Implodes: Many Samsung Tablets Getting Returned [REPORT]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:46 AM PST


If you were thinking of buying a Samsung Galaxy Tab, you might want to hold off. According to a new report, more than one in 10 Galaxy owners returned their tablet within the first month — and the rate of return appears to be climbing.

The touchscreen tablet was launched in September, and went on sale in November to positive reviews. Smaller and lighter than its main rival, Apple’s iPad, the Galaxy boasted a number of features the iPad doesn’t have: namely, two cameras, and the ability to work with Flash (meaning you’ll have no problem watching videos on it). It runs on Google’s Android, which is now the most popular smartphone OS. And it appeared to sell well (to retailers, at least).

But that doesn’t mean consumers liked it, according to ITG Investment Research. The Wall Street firm tracked Galaxy sales at just less than 6,000 wireless stores in the U.S., and found that 13% of all purchasers returned their tablets through December.

By January 15, the rate had risen to 16% — meaning the Galaxy was a fairly unsuccessful holiday gift. By contrast, the return rate of iPads at Verizon stores was just 2%.

That could have something to do with the fact that Google didn’t design the version of Android that Galaxy runs — 2.2, or Froyo — for tablets. Motorola Xoom, the first tablet to run Android’s tablet-friendly Honeycomb OS (which was previewed last week), launches February 17. It already has at least one rave review. (Check out our preview video here.)

In the meantime, it looks like iPad owners have one more reason to feel smug.

More About: android, ipad, samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab, tablets

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Why Influencer Marketing Needs to Go Beyond Follower Counts

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:16 AM PST

Influencer

Gary Lee is the CEO of mBLAST, providers of cloud-based solutions to help PR and marketing professionals better identify and engage with their key influencers.

From diet pills to get rich quick schemes, our culture is often obsessed with finding the quick and easy solution for every challenge. Lose 10 pounds in two weeks (no diet or exercise required). Make six figures from this simple investment, guaranteed.

We in the marketing and PR industry are not immune to the promise of the quick fix ourselves. Nowhere is this more evident than in the latest fad of “influencer marketing.”

Well intentioned marketers and PR professionals are rushing to various services and websites to discover their key influencers: The bloggers, journalists, and web celebrities who exert enormous influence over their market and can almost magically create buzz, traffic spikes, and sales with a quick product mention.

There’s nothing wrong with this strategy per se. And it’s hardly new. For decades, smart marketing professionals have worked hard to identify voices in the media that influence their market. We’ve been grappling with the concept of influence and authority long before the words ‘social’ and ‘web’ were ever uttered in the same sentence. After all, it’s the marketer’s job to amplify messages and reach audiences. Finding those special individuals who can help spread the message is an essential advantage.

However, what is new today is the sheer volume of voices that one needs to track in order to determine who the real influencers are. With 24-hour cable news cycles, blogs, niche sites, Twitter, and social networks, today’s media landscape is more crowded than ever before. As a result, the challenge of finding the voices that matter has grown exponentially and the industry is in desperate need for a new way to identify influencers.

Considering the atmosphere, it’s not hard to understand the allure of the “Influencer Score” offered by sites like Klout. When expectations for results are at an all time high and resources are at an all time low, who couldn’t use a quick and easy solution?

However, we’ve come to place too much weight on a single metric when considering influence. And in the wrong hands, this reliance can cause serious harm to the meaningful relationships and reputations we’ve sought to build as marketers and PR professionals.

Now that it’s 2011, I have two core ideas to stress to our industry.

1. Influence Cannot be Reflected by a Single Metric

coins image

Influence cannot be reflected by a single metric, and influence does not equal popularity. The rapid growth of social media has warped our concept of influence and too many have mistakenly conflated influence with popularity. The size of one’s audience (readers, fans, friends, followers, etc.) cannot be an accurate determination of one’s authority and ability to drive actions. My apologies in advance to Bieber Nation. Justin Bieber may have over 6 million followers on Twitter and may be influential in some circles, but his voice carries little weight in most markets (e.g. enterprise security or convection ovens).

When calculating influence, we need to first consider relevancy. An influential journalist or blogger must actually be talking about your market. They’ve got to be writing on topics that matter to your audience. These are the individuals who can capture the attention of your market and help you spread your message where it matters most.

By ignoring or undervaluing topical relevancy when considering influence, marketing professionals run the risk of putting their energy and focus in the wrong places. And ‘influential’ journalists become inundated with inappropriate and irrelevant PR pitches that go straight to the trash bin. It’s a lose/lose situation for everyone involved.

2. Marketers Need to Do More Than Just Make Lists

list image

Good marketing and PR entail far more than making lists of your top influencers. At the end of day, successful PR is all about building relationships, person to person, not person to score.

Metrics and scores are indeed valuable. When viewed through the lens of topical relevancy, they can do a fantastic job of identifying a set of potential influencers and help you to determine where you should focus the majority of your efforts. But good marketers need to dig a little deeper than the simple number. We can’t assume that the diet pill (no matter how well engineered) can solve all of our challenges.

What Does It Mean?

As a PR professional or marketer, it’s your responsibility to find out what truly matters to those that matter to your market. In other words, you’ve got to understand what your influencers actually care about. Dig into their previous blog posts and articles. Skim their clip files. See where they’ve been cited and interviewed. What are they talking about? What are they saying? What were they interested in last month; what do they care about this week?

It’s then and only then that you can move beyond generic communications and begin to build relationships and create personal pitches that are far more likely to resonate with your influencer and earn the response you want. Working with influencers can be immensely beneficial in marketing — you just need to be smart about it.

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- 10 Online Strategies for Your Next Product Launch
- What to Look For When Hiring a Community Manager
- 8 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Get More Out of Twitter
- 5 Masterminds Redefining Social Media Marketing
- 24 Professional Events & Organizations for Social Media Strategists

Images courtesy of iStockphoto, hidesy, and Flickr, Dennis Wong, _Teb, jordan clarke

More About: business, influencer, MARKETING, quick fix, social media, social media marketing

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Emotional Spell Check Coming Soon to Lotus Notes

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:13 AM PST


Lymbix, makers of the ToneCheck Outlook plugin that checks the emotional tone of content in e-mail, entered an agreement Tuesday with software-maker Sherpa Software to bring ToneCheck’s sentiment analysis technology to IBM’s suite of Lotus products.

Under the signed Letter of Intent, Sherpa Software will license the ToneCheck API to develop a plugin for enterprise e-mail and collaboration software Lotus Notes; future integration is also slated for Sametime, Quickr and other products in IBM’s Lotus lineup. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Just as with ToneCheck for Outlook, ToneCheck for Lotus will check message content for tone, and alert the sender to words and phrases that could be misinterpreted by the recipient.

The ToneCheck software is meant to prevent professionals from making inadvert textual faux pas, something Lymbix founders Matt Eldridge and Josh Merchant believe is a significant issue for enterprise. Licensing the ToneCheck API to Sherpa Software for Lotus integration is just one of many deals the pair hopes to orchestrate in the year ahead.

As for Outlook end users, a smarter and more streamlined version of ToneCheck for Outlook is scheduled for release later this month.

Photo based on an image courtesy of iStockphoto, Norebbo.

More About: enterprise, IBM, Lotus, lymbix, sherpa software, startup, ToneCheck

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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Outlines 7 Social Good Initiatives for 2011

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:10 AM PST

bill gates image

Bill Gates has released his 2011 Annual Letter on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, drawing attention to seven ambitious social good initiatives. Gates stresses the need for renewed investment in foreign aid even as international budgets struggle against cuts and deficits.

Gates positions himself as a representative for the world’s poorest, those who will not have a chance to lobby governments for support, writing: “Whether you believe it a moral imperative or in the rich world’s enlightened self-interest, securing the conditions that will lead to a healthy, prosperous future for everyone is a goal I believe we all share.”

The open letter, which can be found here, identifies seven key areas the Foundation will focus on in the coming year.

The greatest priority, Gates says, is ending polio. Since hitting its peak in the U.S. in 1952, the number of cases has gone down 99%; now, there are less than 1,500 known cases of polio worldwide. There are just four countries where polio transmission has not been stopped: India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. While these numbers have been dropping, Gates says the majority of outbreaks in 2010 were actually in countries that had been polio-free. The virus travelled back across borders into countries like Tajikistan and Congo.

Eradicating polio by investing in vaccines, Gates writes, could prevent polio-related deaths, eliminate costs for treating the disease in future years, and provide an example that dangerous diseases can be stopped. Gates says that by scaling the amount of polio vaccines — just $0.13 per dose — in the affected countries, we could save 3 million lives and $2.9 billion in treatment costs during the next decade.

“In the same way that during my Microsoft career I talked about the magic of software, I now spend my time talking about the magic of vaccines,” his letter says.

Other areas covered in the letter include the fight against malaria. The death toll from the illness dropped by 26% between 2000 and 2009, and Turkmenistan and Morocco were recently declared malaria-free.

Gates is also committed to saving the youngest children, claiming that 40% of the 8.1 million deaths per year of children under age five, happen in the first 28 days of life or the neonatal period.

HIV/AIDS continues to be a problem despite the fact that the number of people dying from AIDS has gone down by more than 20% in the last five years, to less than 2 million people annually. However, Gates is pushing for better results, writing: “Given all the lives that are at stake, I am impatient enough about this that I am willing to be viewed as a troublemaker by people who are happy with the status quo.”

Investment in agriculture, specifically for developing nations, is also one way to cut down on poverty and hunger. Gates writes that investments in seed, training, access to markets and innovative agricultural policy are already making a real difference worldwide.

In the U.S., the foundation’s biggest investments are in education. Improved teaching was highlighted as a way to enhance the country’s lagging international scores in mathematics, reading and science. According to the OECD PISA 2009 database, the U.S. was ranked behind at least 16 other countries in each category. Americans were significantly below average in their math scores compared to residents of other countries like Germany and Slovenia.

edu stats image

Gates aims to improve teaching standards by gathering high-quality feedback from peer reviews and video tapes while rewarding excellent teachers and learning from their example. Technology is also playing a role as seen in Sal Khan’s online school, Khan Academy, which uses online exercises to diagnose students’ weak spots and also uses online dashboards to help other teachers work with the site in their own classrooms.

Lastly, Gates mentions the giving pledge, an individual commitment to give away a majority of one’s wealth during one’s life or through one’s will. While the current roster of 58 pledgees skews towards the enormously wealthy, Gates insists it was more about fostering the drive to give back, regardless of personal wealth or geographical location.

For more information, you can check out Gatesnotes.com, or join the fight to end polio here. And let us know what you think of the initiatives: Are Gates and the foundation heading down the right path? Sound off in the comments below.

More About: bill and melinda gates foundation, bill gates, malaria, open letter, polio, social good, vaccine

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In Light of Egypt’s Internet Block, U.S. “Kill Switch Bill” Raises Eyebrows

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 10:05 AM PST

stop

Hint: If you’re going to suggest legislation that gives the government an option to take control over certain online information systems, don’t announce it at the same time a corrupt foreign regime shuts down the Internet.

Apparently nobody so advised Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who on Friday told Wired about a plan to reintroduce a bill that gives the president this authority — the day after Egypt blocked the Internet in response to increasingly violent protests against the presidency of Hosni Mubarak. The resulting article set off an uproar against what many have (perhaps unfairly) termed the “Kill Switch Bill.”

Officially, the bill goes by “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010.” And a white paper from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs insists that it would not create a “kill switch,” but rather “order emergency measures for our nation’s most critical infrastructure.”

The same proposed legislation, which is co-sposored by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), was placed on the Senate’s legislative calendar in December, but expired with the start of the new Congress.

Essentially, the bill directs the president to create a list of critical cyber systems (for instance, those necessary to the electric grid or the financial system) that he would be able to take emergency control of if threatened. What systems would be on this list, the specific conditions that might threaten them, and what “emergency measures” entail are largely unspecified, and this vagueness worries some privacy and civil rights groups.

Twenty-four of these groups, despite noting the bill doesn’t authorize unreasonable electronic surveillance, were still wary enough to write an open letter [PDF] opposing the bill when it was first proposed to the Homeland Security Committee in June.

“The 
Internet 
is 
vital
 to
 free 
speech
 and free inquiry, and Americans rely on it every day to access and to convey information,” the letter says. “…the bill should also be amended to require an independent assessment of the effect on free speech, privacy and other civil liberties of the measures undertaken to respond to each emergency the President declares. It is imperative that cybersecurity legislation not erode our rights.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, porcorex

More About: censorship, Kill Switch, politics, privacy

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Facebook Users Lend Profile Photos To Reveal Ad Agency’s New Name [PIC]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 09:10 AM PST


When Swedish ad agencies Grey Stockholm and Ogilvy Stockholm made plans to merge, they decided to add a social media component to get fans involved.

The two agencies asked fans to participate by signing into Facebook to see the new name. Every time new people logged on to the dedicated site, the logo added their profile picture. With every picture, the logo got a little bigger, until 2,890 fans’ photos composed the full name, Ingo, over a four-hour period.

Ingo’s not the only one, of course, to attempt a collage of Facebook photos. Here at Mashable, we’re planning to outfit our New York City headquarters with the world’s largest real-life Facebook wall. That effort is set for March 1.

[Via TNW]

More About: advertising, Faceboo, trending

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Apple’s Tightening In-App Purchase Policy Not Likely To Affect Amazon, B&N [UPDATE]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 08:27 AM PST


Update: Sony’s official statement regarding this matter is, “We submitted our app in accordance with the precedent set by other eBook retailers."

Update 2: Apple spokesperson Trudy Miller tells us, “”We have not changed our developer terms or guidelines. We are now requiring that if an app offers customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that the same option is also available to customers from within the app with in-app purchase.”

Apple might be cracking down on in-app purchases made outside of the App Store, a new report from the New York Times indicates.

Sony announced that its Reader for iPhone app was rejected from the App Store, citing changes to the way Apple enforces its policies. The reason for the rejection, according to the New York Times, was its use of in-app purchases.

Apple added support for in-app purchases back in iOS 3.0 as a way for developers to create an add-on ecosystem to applications. Like regular App Store purchases, Apple takes a 30% cut of the revenue from in-app purchases. This 30% figure has become a point of contention with magazine publishers, especially since Apple doesn’t support magazine subscriptions at this time.

Apple told Sony that in-app purchases had to go through the App Store, according to the Times. This insinuates that Sony had created its own payment method for in-app book purchases that circumvented the regular App Store process.

Sony has this notice regarding the Reader for iPhone app on the Sony Reader website:

Unfortunately, with little notice, Apple changed the way it enforces its rules and this will prevent the current version of the Reader for iPhone from being available in the app store. We opened a dialog with Apple to see if we can come up with an equitable resolution but reached an impasse at this time. We’re exploring other avenues to bring the Reader experience to Apple mobile devices. We know that many of you are eagerly awaiting the application and we appreciate your continued patience.

Does This Really Affect Amazon? Probably Not

Because Sony isn’t allowed to use its in-app purchase system on the iPhone, many are jumping to the conclusion that these new policies would also apply to apps from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Kobo.

We disagree. We don’t know how Sony’s Reader for iPhone application was supposed to work, but comparing Sony’s overall Reader ecosystem with Kindle, Nook and Kobo reveals some important differences.

The way that Amazon, Kobo and B&N currently get around Apple’s in-app purchase fee is by redirecting users to the mobile website where e-books can be purchased. The next time the e-reader application is launched, a new addition to the library is located and the file is downloaded into the app.

Amazon and the other e-book companies can do this because books can be purchased directly from their websites. This isn’t the case with the Sony Reader Store.

Sony was one of the first companies to release a standalone e-reader device, however the company has lagged behind the competition in terms of its content library. Books cannot be purchased from the Reader Store website; instead a desktop application has to be downloaded for PC or Mac.

Update: Apple has clarified that it has not changed its policies, it is simply requiring apps that offer “customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that the same option is also available to customers from within the app with in-app purchase.”

On the surface, this may suggest that Apple will require that e-book apps from Amazon and others to offer an in-app purchasing option alongside the ability to buy a title outside of the app.

Still, we’re not sure on the exact semantics of how this process works. The Nook and Kindle apps, as an example, make users visit the respective websites to browse for books and make purchases. In fact, I can go to Amazon.com in Mobile Safari and purchase a Kindle book without ever entering the app on the iPhone or iPad. Conversely, some apps, including Kobo, allow users to browse titles within the app but push users to the web to complete a purchase.

It isn’t clear if the browsing methodology and where the “buy” button exists in the app has any impact on Apple’s policy — our requests for clarification have not been answered.

From Sony’s point of view, we can certainly understand that making an entire catalog of e-books available via in-app purchase might be a significant logistical challenge.

Apple Might Still Be Cracking Down

E-book semantics aside, it is possible that Apple is requiring that all in-app purchases take place through its own system.

We’ve seen occasional in-app payment modules take place outside the confines of the App Store — PayPal even introduced the feature in its mobile API last year.

In other words, this decision might not be problematic for companies like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, but it might affect developers that offer in-app purchases using alternative payment processing methods.

We are skeptical that Apple is actually changing its developer terms to limit access to purchased data stored in the cloud. Using the cloud to populate a native application (which is essentially what the Kindle app does) is something that thousands of applications do every single day.

More About: app store, apple, e-books, e-readers, iOS, Kindle, sony, sony reader

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What We Need to Win the Entrepreneurial Race [OP-ED]

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 08:18 AM PST


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

Stephen Martin is an entrepreneur and author. His forthcoming book, Enterprise of One, is due out later this year. You can read his blog about entrepreneurship and the adventures of business, or follow him on Twitter.

Welcome to the entrepreneurial race. President Obama declared we are now faced with the current generation’s “Sputnik moment.” How America responds to the marching orders for entrepreneurism will impact all of us. Success will require that we recognize the challenges and adapt to the demands. Most of all, it will require that we set our priorities straight, sacrifice and have patience.

To position itself to win the entrepreneurial race in the post-industrial, technologically-centered, global economy, America will have to foster entrepreneurism in ways that won't produce results overnight. We will have to advance our position around the world in the areas of technology, innovation, education and entrepreneurial spirit. While these have been stated goals of our policy makers for many years, real progress will require real plans and real changes.

Fostering American Entrepreneurism

To fuel our economy, we need effective national policies working in conjunction with entrepreneurism. As a part of its role in this partnership, Washington must take key steps to position the country for success.

Ignite passions. This is job one. A primary benefit of the space race was that it ignited a passion in the country that hasn't been seen since. It gave young people something to dream about. Quite a few young people became scientists, engineers and computer technicians because they were inspired by the space program. The same could happen with entrepreneurism. The national agenda encouraged us to dream and re-envision our world. The multiplying effect of creating internal motivation can not be overestimated. America needs to get people dreaming again.

Match R&D to innovation and opportunities. Economic growth results from the interaction of innovation and entrepreneurship. The private market simply can't fund research and development at the level needed to win the entrepreneurial race. The government needs to provide R&D funding. But the private sector is best equipped to pick entrepreneurs. The magic moment occurs when the public and private sectors work in the same direction. Tying funding, innovation and opportunities together to create value is what fuels small businesses and our economy. It is imperative that Washington effectively aligns public R&D investment with innovations and opportunities that can become the commercial industries of tomorrow.

Free up private funding. Funding is a primary deterrent to would-be entrepreneurs and small business growth. If someone doesn't have the money to pursue an idea or expand their business, they often hit a road block. Rather than offering tax benefits to entrepreneurs, America needs to offer funding opportunities. Ideas and the ability to pursue them spur entrepreneurism, not tax credits.

As Dr. Paul D. Reynolds, one of the leading entrepreneurial academic thought-leaders in the world, recently said to me: "I have yet to meet a business founder that told me their motivation in starting their business was the tax credit. People start businesses because there is demand and they can make money." To help free up venture funding, Washington should work to redesign lending requirements for individuals and businesses, fund seed capital and start-up pools, and encourage early-stage investments.

Educate entrepreneurs. We need to focus on business and entrepreneurship education, in addition to math and science. As Dr. Larry Plummer, an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Oklahoma, recently said, "The commercialization of an innovation can be more difficult than the technological breakthrough in the first place. Focusing on entrepreneurship in our policies is a recognition of the other half of the story." We need to do a better job encouraging and educating entrepreneurs across the spectrum. This starts in high school, continues through college, and even includes educational efforts in the business world. Entrepreneurship is a life-long learning process, often accompanied by productive failure along the way. Plummer points out that if we don't teach these skills, the country could be "frustrated that new businesses are not being started as a result of the R&D investments."

Recognize the constraints. There are a number of facts that no amount of rhetoric will change. Since supply follows demand, the economy will turn around only after demand increases. Another reality is that technology often takes a long time to develop. Many of the technological breakthroughs of the last century took 20 years or more to become technologies that could be commercialized. Finally, since people don't start businesses just to hire employees, entrepreneurism is also a relatively slow solution to high unemployment. While jobs from new companies can add up to have a significant impact on unemployment, hiring is not a primary goal for businesses. There are no overnight solutions to our country's unemployment woes.

Are Washington's First Steps in the Race Innovative Enough?

Over the past week, the White House has taken the first real steps toward spurring the entrepreneurial race. The Startup America Partnership, announced yesterday, outlines a number of promising initiatives with an impressive list of partners. Most importantly, however, the alliance appears to be based on a strategy of bringing the public and private sectors together in a joint effort to grow entrepreneurism and the economy.

Some of the goals of the partnership are to expand access to capital for high-growth startups, strengthen commercialization of federally-funded research and development, identify and remove unnecessary barriers to high-growth startups, and expand entrepreneurial education and mentoring programs. All of these are long overdue objectives.

The partnership also includes efforts to foster new small businesses. In the past, small startups have often not been given enough meaningful attention by public initiatives. The involvement of the TechStars Network may be a signal that Washington is starting to understand where to focus its efforts to grow the economy. TechStars is an early stage investment program that offers selected entrepreneurs mentoring as well as up to $18,000 in seed funding to help launch a new business. As part of its collaboration with Startup America, TechStars has created a network of 17 independently owned and operated seed-stage accelerators across the U.S. that use a similar model of mentorship-driven investment in entrepreneurs. These types of new initiatives for small businesses are indispensable in the effort to rebuild our economy.

While the Startup America Partnership provides a good start, we can't stop there. If President Obama intends to lead us on a national exploration of entrepreneurism, he will have to ignite our imaginations and set far-reaching goals that inspire us. Our policy makers will have to balance the recognition that we are living in a new day and age with equally new ideas, policies and support. And they will have to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to overcoming the challenges.

Americans have entered the entrepreneurial race. It is a race to maintain our position as the leading economy around the globe. It is a race for technology, a race for the web, a race for energy, and a race for human interaction. It is a race to innovate. And to "win the future," Washington will have to be as innovative and dedicated as the entrepreneurs themselves.

More Startup Resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Land a Job at 9 Hot Startups
- 11 Recommendations for the Entrepreneur's Bookshelf
- 8 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Get More Out of Twitter
- Case Study: 5 Factors Behind One Startup's Rapid Growth
- 5 Predictions for Startups in 2011

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, craftvision

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