Mashable: Latest 8 News Updates - including “iPad 2 Case Has a Bluetooth Keyboard Inside [GALLERY]” |
- iPad 2 Case Has a Bluetooth Keyboard Inside [GALLERY]
- How Rummble Turned Competitors to Customers
- 5 Creative iPhone Accessories That Could Be Made With Your Help [VIDEOS]
- StumbleUpon Hits 1 Billion Stumbles Per Month
- 50 Years In Space: Was It Worth It? [INFOGRAPHIC & POLL]
- 8 Mobile Apps for Golf Season
- 46 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed
- Mark Zuckerberg is Mad Magazine’s Latest Coverboy [PIC]
- Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]
| iPad 2 Case Has a Bluetooth Keyboard Inside [GALLERY] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 03:18 PM PDT
If you’re looking for an iPad 2 case, might as well get one that has a keyboard nestled inside. This Logitech Zaggmate Keyboard Case for iPad 2 protects your iPad while offering you a stand and keyboard at the same time. Shipping on April 19, this aluminum case stands up your iPad 2 in either portrait or landscape modes, and its keyboard, rechargeable via USB, pairs up with your iPad via Bluetooth. The best news is, the case and keyboard are a mere .54 inches thin, and that’s not going to add much thickness to your sleek tablet. By the way, if you have an original iPad, Zagg makes a similar case for that, too, with or without the keyboard. Logitech is offering this case with the cooperation of Zagg, also known for its “invisible shield” screen protectors for various devices. According to The Wall Street Journal, this mashup of Logitech and Zagg is the result of agreement the two companies made recently, where Logitech will be marketing, manufacturing and distributing the case, while Zagg retains the right to sell it on its website. At its retail price of $100, there are certainly lots of cheaper stands — and even aluminum cases such as the gorgeous Joby Ori — available for the iPad 2. But this is the only one we’ve seen that gives you all three functions — stand, keyboard and case — in one attractive package. Portrait Orientation It also holds the iPad in portrait orientation, but we're wondering how stable this is. Perfect fit See that keyboard hiding underneath? Landscape Orientation Here's the stand propping up the iPad in a landscape orientation. Side View The case weighs 7 ounces, and with the keyboard it weighs 12.8 ounces. Detail Its aluminum finish matches the iPad 2. More About: accessories, Bluetooth Keyboard, iPad 2, ipad case, iPad Stand, tablets, trending For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| How Rummble Turned Competitors to Customers Posted: 09 Apr 2011 02:40 PM PDT       This post is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark as a new part of the Spark of Genius series that focuses on a new and innovative startup each day. Every Thursday, the program focuses on startups within the BizSpark program and what they’re doing to grow.
Even though 200,000 users have signed up for the service, few of them have used it on a daily basis even at the company’s peak. Rummble’s prospects were looking dim as large players like Google and Facebook entered the location-based services space. A bit of an identity crisis ensued. The startup added a Foursquare-like badge system, launched a Twitter app, created a white-label product for a WiFi directory, and at one point even started a video show. During South by Southwest this year, the UK-based startup announced a completely new focus that departs from all of its previous dabblings. While its main recommendation product will stay in operation, the company plans to focus on a B2B service powered by the same recommendation technology. Mashable recently chatted with Rummble COO Alex Housley and Commercial Director Louisa East about how their company will make the transition from competing with location-based services to competing for their business. Navigating a Growing Location-Based Service Space In many ways, Housley says Rummble started in the place where location-based startups like Foursquare have now ended up. It focused on personalized recommendations from the start, basing them on how users and contacts in their social networks interact with the app. “We worked at the technical stuff first — the deeply technical stuff first — with the personalization and recommendations rather than focusing more on the mechanics that have been quite successful with some of the other location based services, the user interface,” Housley says. Foursquare and Gowalla launched in 2009. Facebook and Google both joined the game In 2010. “It's become such a crowded space and there are a lot of people doing the same thing, there's some big names out there that are practically household brands,” East says. “So at the beginning of this year we put together our heads and thought that we know that the technology we had was really really solid and just figure out how we can use that technology in other areas." If You Can’t Beat Them… At South by Southwest this year, Housley was greeted at the Austin airport by a large banner ad for Google Places — further evidence, he thought, that the announcement he was to make at the conference was on the right track. Housley later revealed that Rummble would be focusing on a B2B service that would lend its recommendation technology to other players through an API. At a time when people are asking how location-based services will make money, Rummble wants to be part of the answer. The company also wants to provide the service for ecommerce and media sites. “We were doing it already for location — the personalization and recommendation — and we thought it would be more potential to not have that engine locked into Rummble, into our consumer side,” Housley says. He declined to comment on whether founder and former CEO Andrew Scott shared this vision, but he did acknowledge that Scott has left the company and has yet to be replaced. Looking Forward In the last several months, Rummble has been working with a handful of partners to create demo applications of Rummble’s API on their websites. A wine site, for instance, has integrated Rummble’s API to create a personalized recommendation list for each of its customers even before they make a single purchase. To do this, the API gathers information about what each customer is searching for, what they’ve viewed, and what they place in their shopping baskets. It attaches a different level of significance to each action when factoring it into recommendations. Rumble also helps match site users with others who share their interests. Rummble’s plan is to target location-based services that lack recommendation services, ecommerce sites, travel sites, private sales clubs, and publications with its new B2B service. It will charge these companies a small rate per transaction in exchange for using the technology. “If you're looking at building a consumer app from scratch, it makes sense to get some of the mechanics right first,” Housley says. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, gunnar3000, Flickr, asmythie Series Supported by 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: foursquare, Location-based services, Recommendations, Rummble For more Startups coverage:
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| 5 Creative iPhone Accessories That Could Be Made With Your Help [VIDEOS] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 01:49 PM PDT Kickstarter’s crowdsourced funding service has already seen success for entrepreneurs with a penchant for Apple’s mobile with the Glif iPhone tripod. We were interested to see what other iPhone-themed projects are in the works. We’ve found five fabulous iPhone accessories that are currently live on Kickstarter that we think might be worth investigating, including a couple of excellent accessories for iPhotographers and a fun Wii-themed music game. Have a look through our exciting selection of (hopefully!) coming-soon iAccessories and let us know which ones you’d consider pledging cash to — and more importantly why — in the comments below. 1. Invisible InstrumentGot an iPhone? Got a Nintendo Wii? Got a computer? Like music games? Then, boy, do we have the perfect Kickstarter project for you! The “Invisible Instrument” takes an iPhone (or iPod touch) and Wiimote, adds in an app and some computer software and spits out a gesture-based musical device capable of reproducing the sound of multiple instruments. So far the confirmed instruments include a drum set, violin, cello, bass, keyboard, guitar and theremin, but others are planned and suggestions are welcome. With the aim to create an “affordable musical tool” that bridges classical instrumentation and computer music, it’s a project with lots of potential applications from just plain fun for kids to an actual composition tool for musicians. Minimum pledge to receive product (with all instruments): $25 2. GoPano MicroThis product is due to cause some real excitement among iPhone videographers as its functionality allows the creation of 360-degree panaromic videos using just your iPhone. The lens records everything it can “see” all at once, so when you review the video (on the app or the website) you can zoom in and out and pan around to see what’s happening around the camera, something the demo video above explains well. Best of all, it’s super-simple to use. The lens just snaps onto the case, and thanks to the free companion app, it’s just a matter of hitting record to make futuristic video footage. Minimum pledge to receive product: $50 3. iPhlyCreated by a radio-controlled airplane enthusiast, the iPhly is arguably pretty niche. However, it’s a breakthrough product that could potentially bring R/C toys into the iAge. Rather than the bulky controllers that currently exist for R/C models, the much smaller iPhly attaches to the iPhone, the frequency module of your existing remote slots in the back, and then thanks to the companion app, it can take command of your R/C toy via gesture control. As well as airplanes, it will work with multiple models of radio-controlled helicopters, boats and cars, and can store profiles along with a pic for quick-glance operation. Minimum pledge to receive product: $70 4. Tembo TrunksTembo Trunks are a great option for iPhone owners on the go, especially those travelling to more exotic climes. Using horn acoustics, the power-free “speakers” amplify the sound from your iDevice’s earbuds to as much as three times the unadulterated volume. Additionally, they’re made of silicone rubber, so they’re waterproof, and fold down for easy packing. They seem pretty much indestructible. Due to be available in some fun colors, we think they’re a great addition to anyone’s iAccessory arsenal. Minimum pledge to receive product: $39 5. Jawcase TiburonThe Jawcase Tiburon is of particular interest in what can easily be described as an overcrowded iPhone accessory market. It offers a variety of different functions. As you’ll see in the video above, the Tiburon’s clever construction means it can be used for protection, as an all-round, multi-angle landscape and portrait stand, a desktop tripod for photography or video and even, in a pinch, a car mount. Made out of aluminum and due to be available in a range of finishes, it’s a striking, yet minimalist, unisex option for iPhone 4 owners that do a lot with their device and want a case-come-stand to keep pace. Minimum pledge to receive product: $80   Interested in more iPhone resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics. More About: business, crowdsourcing, funding, iphone, iphone accessories, kickstarter, List, Lists, startups, videos For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| StumbleUpon Hits 1 Billion Stumbles Per Month Posted: 09 Apr 2011 01:11 PM PDT   StumbleUpon is hot. The discovery and recommendation engine that makes web browsing a lot like channel surfing just announced it’s now handling 1 billion stumbles per month. On top of that impressive number, StumbleUpon just closed a second round of funding in March, wrapping up $17 million of series B financing. That 1 million stumbles-per-month statistic represents explosive growth, especially when you consider that since just a month ago, that number has grown by 200 million, judging from the fact that StumbleUpon publicized 800 million stumbles just last month, according to Business Insider. Why is StumbleUpon growing so fast? In my opinion, because it’s fun. Moments of serendipity run rampant as you click the Stumble button to go to the next selected site, and every site you see is picked because of the detailed preferences you indicate in your profile. It gets even smarter about your preferences as you vote for sites by clicking either a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon. And, because I’ve been using the service for the past six years, it’s gotten to know my preferences quite well, and its ability to predict what sites I’ll like has become positively uncanny. In addition, it’s hard to tell you’re being advertised to, because StumbleUpon uses your same preferences to determine which paid sites to show you. I think any business model that can figure out how to advertise to people without them being aware of it has a great chance of survival. How about you, readers? Tell us about your experiences with StumbleUpon. Graphic courtesy TheNextWeb More About: 1 billion, business model, funding, growth, social networking, stumbleupon For more Social Media coverage:
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| 50 Years In Space: Was It Worth It? [INFOGRAPHIC & POLL] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 12:30 PM PDT   It was 50 years ago when people first flew in space. Here’s an infographic that shows you the spacecraft humans have flown to reach that great void over the past half-century. With just two flights of the space shuttle left, what’s next? You can see Richard Branson‘s SpaceShipOne in the infographic, giving us a look forward at what’s waiting in the wings — vessels that might find a different financial route to space, relying on private funding rather than governmental largess. All is not lost, though, for the U.S. manned space program. Even though NASA‘s Ares launch vehicles and their associated Constellation program were canceled because of budget constraints, NASA selected SpaceX and its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft for the space agency’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. SpaceX successfully test flew its Falcon 9 launch vehicle with an unmanned Dragon spacecraft along for the ride last December, and just last week introduced its newest heavy-lift rocket, the massive 27-engine Falcon Heavy that’s the biggest rocket since the Saturn V. SpaceX says that monster will fly in 2013. What you think of human space travel? Before we go to the infographic, let’s vote on it:
Your opinion not listed in our poll? Tell us about it in the comments.
Infographic courtesy Space.com More About: 50 years, infographic, NASA, space, SpaceX For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Posted: 09 Apr 2011 11:19 AM PDT   The pro golf season has kicked off with the heralded Masters Tournament in Augusta. Golf enthusiasts can rejoice in another season of watching the best players drive, chip, pitch and putt their way to victory. Golfing is one of those addictive yet highly frustrating sports that can leave you feeling like a PGA pro one day and a novice the next. In golf, practice sometimes makes perfect, but any round can have a mind of its own regardless of how many hours you've put into the range. If anything though, true golfers are dedicated to the craft and will doggedly continue on their quest for the perfect swing. These eight mobile apps might not get you to the Masters, but they may at least make you feel like you're worthy of playing at Augusta. 1. Golf Genie Practice Drills PRO This app acts like your virtual golf instructor and provides a whole slew of practice drills for your full swing and short game. Designed by PGA Tour pros, it also provides specific solutions and drills to address common swing faults like hooking, pulling, pushing and slicing. You can use the customization features to pick and choose which drills you'd like to focus on and then create your own personalized practice routine. It’s also available for BlackBerry phones. Cost: $0.99 (on sale for a limited time from $2.99) 2. U.S. Golf Courses U.S. Golf Courses is a basic but useful app that provides a directory of major courses in every state in the country. More than 13,500 courses are listed. In addition to a breakout by state, this app also provides information on each, such as grass/bunker information, contact details, facilities available, food options and more. You can also use the GPS function on the app to search for the nearest course. Cost: $0.99 3. Golfshot: Golf GPS Knowing the layout of the course and each hole is essential for every golfer's game. With a GPS-enabled app like Golfshot, which tracks more than 35,000 courses worldwide, you have immediate access to aerial views, distances to the hole from any spot and exact placement of the pin for better accuracy. The app comes with a handicap calculator, and once stroke information is inputted, it automatically creates statistical graphs that map your performance and makes it easy to track for improvement on future rounds. Yes, it's a hefty price tag, but it’s cheaper than a single round of golf and will certainly put you on the right track to better play. It’s also available for Android phones. Cost: $29.99 4. Golf's Greatest Destinations If you're looking for golf course recommendations, Golf's Greatest Destinations is a handy resource. The app lets you search beautiful destinations and also provides categories such as Best for Buddy Trips, Best for Low Handicappers, Best Desert Courses, Best for Golf & Beach and much more. Information on each course is provided, as are accompanying photos. Cost: $2.99 5. V1 Golf There's a reason why golfing instructors always incorporate video into lessons -– it's the only way to show you those pesky mistakes in your swing. VIdeo is an important learning tool, which is why V1 Golf incorporates it so prominently. This app not only lets you analyze your own swing, but also lets you compare swings from pros and figure out what adjustments you need to make to stop hooking your drives. You can draw planes on the video screen to see how straight your line is, do split-screens to compare swings and watch in slow motion to see every single movement. It’s also available on Android phones. Cost: $3.99 (on sale for a limited time from $9.99) 6. The Rules of Golf There are lots and lots of rules in golf, and there will be a time — if there hasn't been already — when you're playing with someone who is ALL about the rules. In those instances, it's helpful to have a definitive guide to golf. There's no better authority than the USGA Rules of Golf app. It gets into the nitty gritty of golf so that the next time you're playing with a stickler who raises a stink about how you re-dropped a dropped ball without penalty because it landed on the putting green, you can whip out Rule 20-2 and prove him wrong. It’s also available for Android phones. Cost: $3.99 7. Golf Digest Tips Plus Golf Digest is one of the premier golf magazines. It makes sense that it would have a premier app as well. Tips Plus covers everything from swing mechanics, putting, short game, strategy and golf exercises and also features commentary from the best coaches like Hank Haney, David Leadbetter and Jim Flick. There are accompanying videos for the tips (which unfortunately didn't work for me), but also text that details helpful advice every golfer should know. Cost: FREE 8. Golf Channel Mobile To keep up to speed on the latest news and updates from the world of golf, the Golf Channel Mobile app is a good one to have. It provides breaking news, up-to-the-minute tournament scoreboards, player profiles and clips from recent Golf Channel shows. There are also clips of instructional videos from popular shows such as The Golf Fix and The Daily Brew. It’s also available for Android phones. Cost: FREE Interested in more Mobile resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.Image courtesy of Flickr, turbotoddi More About: android, App, Golf, iphone, Mobile 2.0, mobile apps, smartphone, social media, trending For more Mobile coverage:
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| 46 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Posted: 09 Apr 2011 10:21 AM PDT   It’s ok, we get it, you do your best to keep up with all of Mashable‘s tools and resources. But with more than 40 stories to keep you busy this week, it’s possible you may have missed one or two. Never fear, we’re back with all our tools and resources published in the last week or so. Read on for stories about the stats behind Quora‘s buzz, how to optimize your content for social discovery, a guide to YouTube video editor, and how mobile payments are redefining ecommerce. Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time. Editors’ Picks
Social Media
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, gadgets, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, social media, tech, technology, twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| Mark Zuckerberg is Mad Magazine’s Latest Coverboy [PIC] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 09:01 AM PDT   Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will grace the cover of Mad Magazine in about a week, in an issue whose cover story is entitled “The 50 Worst Things About Facebook.” Zuckerberg is on a roll. After hobnobbing with President Obama (whose face has also been on the cover of Mad), appearing on Saturday Night Live, interviewing with Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes, being the subject of an Oscar-nominated movie, having his likeness replicated in comic books and action figures, and even finding his name on a worst-dressed list, you might say that Zuckerberg’s circle of fame is complete. Not bad for the 52nd wealthiest person in the world. When TechCrunch asked Mad Magazine editor John Ficarra why Mark was on the cover of his humorous periodical, Ficarra replied, “It was a pure business decision. We got a cool $2 mil from the Winklevoss twins to ‘poke’ him a new one.” In anticipation of Zuckerberg’s debut on the cover of this hilarious mag (which we’ve loved for years), let’s try to figure out what the article will cite as some of the 50 worst things about Facebook. What do you think, commenters?
Image courtesy TechCrunch More About: facebook, fame, Mad Magazine, mark zuckerberg, trending For more Social Media coverage:
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| Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 07:27 AM PDT   If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that tweeters love a good laugh. It’s no surprise then that the annual worldwide Prank-a-Palooza — April Fool’s Day — was top-of-mind in the Twitterverse this past week, and came in at number one on our chart. No doubt the antics of our favorite tech companies fueled the buzz, though Twitter users shared their own prank ideas with friends and colleagues as well. Interestingly, the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, which aired on April 2, trumped both March Madness (number three) and the world of pro soccer (number six) to take second place this week. Surprising trends like this always lead us to wonder about the ever-shifting demographics of our beloved microblogging network. To see the full list, check out the chart below, compiled by our friends at What the Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. The aggregate is based on Twitter’s own trending algorithm, and does not necessarily reflect raw tweet volume. You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section, and read more about this past week's trends on What The Trend. Top Twitter Trends This Week: 4/1 – 4/7
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 123render Interested in more Twitter resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.More About: april fools, List, Lists, social media, Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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Rummble was in the location-based review space before anyone had heard of Foursquare. In 
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